The First Lesson at Heaven Dou Academy

(P.S.: Some settings have been slightly adjusted here for the needs of the plot.)

Lin Chen found Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing on the second floor of the library.

Xiao Wu was sprawled over the table with a copy of the Continent Spirit Beast Compendium open before her, but her attention was clearly not on the book. She was drawing little figures on a blank sheet of paper—a blond man being stepped on by a rabbit.

The rabbit even had a speech bubble that read, "That's for bullying my friend."

Lin Chen stood behind her and watched for several seconds before he could not help laughing.

Xiao Wu jumped. When she turned around and saw him, she immediately crumpled the paper into a ball and stuffed it into the drawer, her cheeks flushing slightly. "When did you get here? How come I didn't hear you walking?"

"Just now." Lin Chen smiled. "Nice drawing. That rabbit was especially lifelike."

"You saw it?" Xiao Wu's face reddened further.

"I saw a little."

"You're not allowed to tell anyone!"

"I won't."

Zhu Zhuqing sat across from them, holding a copy of the <Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Spirit Advancement Guide>. When she saw Lin Chen approach, she closed the book and looked up at him. She did not ask whom he had gone to see or what he had done. She simply watched him quietly, waiting for him to speak.

Lin Chen sat down beside Zhu Zhuqing and briefly explained what had happened—of course, leaving out Qian Renxue's true identity. He only said that Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had come to apologize on Xue Beng's behalf and had also tried to recruit him, but he had politely declined.

After hearing that, Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose. "The crown prince apologized for Xue Beng? Are those brothers really that close?"

"It's just for show," Lin Chen said. "Royalty always has one face for the public and another underneath."

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but she glanced at Lin Chen with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

She did not press him further. She simply put the <Netherworld Spirit Cat Martial Spirit Advancement Guide> into her bag and stood up. "Class is about to start."

The three packed their things, left the library, and headed toward the teaching building.

The course arrangements at Heaven Dou Royal Academy differed somewhat from those at Nuoding Academy.

Students here were assigned to classes according to their grade level and cultivation. Each class had dedicated instructors, and the curriculum covered martial spirit theory, combat techniques, spirit beast knowledge, pharmacology, and many other fields. The system was far more comprehensive than Nuoding Academy's.

Lin Chen and the other two had been assigned to the same class: First-Year Class A, the class with the strongest overall strength among the new students.

By the time they entered the classroom, more than twenty students were already seated inside.

Lin Chen swept his gaze over them and found that their ages varied greatly. Some looked eleven or twelve, while others appeared fifteen or sixteen.

After all, Heaven Dou Royal Academy had relatively flexible admission standards. It did not judge students by age, but mainly by talent and strength.

The three found seats near the back.

Not long after they sat down, a girl in a dark green dress turned around from the front row and gave them a glance.

She looked about fourteen or fifteen. Her long purple hair fell casually over her shoulders, making her fair, jade-like face stand out even more.

Her features were exquisitely beautiful, yet there was a faint aloofness between her brows, as though she looked at everyone through a thin veil of mist, impossible to read.

What drew the most attention were her eyes. Her pupils were vertical, a deep green that carried the coldness and mystery unique to snakes.

Dugu Yan.

Lin Chen recognized her. She was the granddaughter of Poison Douluo Dugu Bo and the owner of the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial spirit.

In the original story, she had been a morally ambiguous character. In the early stages, she had followed Xue Beng, but later she had been won over by Tang San.

But in this life, Xue Beng had already been crippled by him. Her path would likely change as well.

Dugu Yan's gaze rested on Lin Chen for two seconds before shifting to Zhu Zhuqing. Both had vertical pupils—one deep green, the other amber. Their gazes met briefly in the air before each looked away.

"New here?" Dugu Yan spoke, her voice carrying a lazy huskiness. "You're the one who beat up Xue Beng this morning?"

She was speaking to Lin Chen.

The classroom fell silent for a moment as everyone turned to look at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen's expression did not change. "That was me."

Dugu Yan stared at him for several seconds, then a playful smile curved her lips. "Good. Someone should have dealt with that mad dog a long time ago."

After saying that, she turned back around and said nothing more.

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow but did not respond.

The classroom gradually became noisy again, but quite a few people were clearly sneaking glances at Lin Chen.

After all, the scene in the cafeteria that morning had already spread throughout the entire academy through all kinds of channels.

A newly arrived student had sent Prince Xue Beng flying with a slap, then kicked him several meters away right in front of several teachers and guards.

In the end, even Chief Education Committee Member Meng Shenji had stepped in. Not only had he not punished the new student, he had even said, "Well struck," in front of everyone.

It was easy to imagine the uproar this caused among the students.

Lin Chen did not care in the slightest. Leaning back in his chair, he swept his gaze over the students and spotted a quiet figure in the corner.

It was a girl in a white dress, sitting alone by the window. The seats around her had been left vacant in a wide circle, as though everyone consciously or unconsciously kept their distance from her.

She had long silver-white hair that draped smoothly over her shoulders, framing a face as cold and clear as frost.

Her features were so delicate that they seemed carved from porcelain, yet her face held no expression at all, like an emotionless jade sculpture.

Ye Lingling.

She was the owner of the Nine-Heart Begonia martial spirit and the publicly recognized number-one support-type Spirit Master at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Lin Chen's gaze lingered on her for a moment. Ye Lingling seemed to sense his attention and turned her head slightly to glance at him.

Her gaze was faint, as if she were looking at an irrelevant cloud. Then she turned back and continued gazing at the sky outside the window.

Lin Chen withdrew his gaze and silently remembered those names.

Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling.

Both were important characters in the original story.

Dugu Yan was a control-type poison Spirit Master, while Ye Lingling was a top-tier support-type Spirit Master. The healing ability of the Nine-Heart Begonia ranked among the best on the entire continent.

If he could build a good relationship with them, it would greatly help his future development.

Of course, there was no need to rush such things. It would be enough to get to know them gradually.

The class bell rang.

The instructor who entered the classroom was a middle-aged man in his forties. He wore a gray robe, gold-rimmed glasses, and carried a thick lesson plan in his hand.

He stopped at the podium and swept his gaze across the class, lingering on Lin Chen and the other two for an extra two seconds before clearing his throat.

"Three new students joined our class today. I have already reviewed your files. Lin Chen, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing, all three of you possess exceptional talent. I hope you can adapt to the pace of study at Heaven Dou Royal Academy as soon as possible."

After saying that, he did not waste any more words. He directly opened the lesson plan and began teaching.

This lesson covered the classification of spirit beast ranks and theories of soul ring compatibility.

The content was far more in-depth than what Nuoding Academy taught. It involved the attribute characteristics of different spirit beasts, the principles behind matching soul ring skills, and how to select the optimal spirit beast hunting plan based on the traits of one's martial spirit.

Lin Chen listened attentively. Although his current strength already far surpassed that of his peers, all of his soul rings had manifested naturally. He had never gone through the process of hunting spirit beasts.

Learning more about spirit beasts would also help him better grasp his own power in the future.

Xiao Wu lay sprawled across the desk. After listening for a while, she began to grow sleepy. She had never cared much for theoretical knowledge. To her, fighting was the best way to learn.

Zhu Zhuqing, on the other hand, listened very seriously and occasionally jotted down a few notes. Her handwriting was neat and graceful, forming a striking contrast with her icy exterior.

After one class, Lin Chen gained an initial understanding of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's teaching quality.

Its faculty and teaching standards truly surpassed Nuoding Academy's by more than one level. The material covered in this single class alone would have taken Nuoding Academy a week to teach.

When the dismissal bell rang, the instructor put away his lesson plan and left the classroom. The students stood in groups of two or three. Some headed to the cafeteria to grab food, while others gathered to chat.

Just as Lin Chen was about to call Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing to go eat, a figure suddenly blocked his path.

Dugu Yan stood in front of him with her arms folded across her chest, head tilted as she looked at him.

"Lin Chen, right?" she said. "Are you free tonight? My grandfather wants to see you."

Lin Chen was taken aback. "Your grandfather?"

"Dugu Bo." Dugu Yan said calmly. "You should have heard that name before."

Lin Chen certainly had. Poison Douluo Dugu Bo was a Title Douluo-level powerhouse, a level ninety-one control-type battle Soul Douluo.

In the original story, he had been a morally ambiguous character. Because his granddaughter Dugu Yan had been poisoned, Tang San had seized hold of his weakness.

"Why does Senior Poison Douluo want to see me?" Lin Chen asked.

"Because you beat Xue Beng," Dugu Yan said. "My grandfather has disliked Xue Beng for a long time, but because of his status, it was inconvenient for him to act personally. You let him vent that frustration, so he wants to meet you."

She paused, then added, "Don't worry, it's not a trap. My grandfather's reputation may not be very good, but he is not an unreasonable person."

Lin Chen thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right. I'll go tonight."

Dugu Yan nodded and turned to leave.

Xiao Wu moved closer and tugged on Lin Chen's sleeve. "Dugu Bo? That Title Douluo who's incredibly skilled with poison? Are you sure you want to go?"

"It's fine." Lin Chen smiled. "They came personally to invite me. It would be inappropriate not to go. Besides, I want to see what kind of person this Poison Douluo really is."

Xiao Wu pursed her lips but did not try to stop him again. She knew Lin Chen had a sense of measure.

Zhu Zhuqing stood quietly to the side, watching Lin Chen without saying anything. But a faint trace of worry flickered through her cat-like eyes.

Lin Chen noticed her expression and smiled at her. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen."