Heaven Dou Academy

Early morning, the streets of Heaven Dou City.

Inside the carriage.

Qian Renxue transformed into Xue Qinghe.

He donned a crisp crown prince's python robe and held a list in his hand.

"Heaven Dou Royal Academy is divided into three levels: Heavenly Subtlety, Heavenly Reach, and Heaven Dou."

"The Heaven Dou level is comprised entirely of Soul Elders above level thirty, mostly direct descendants of various great families. Prince Xue Xing has held the academy in his grip for years, turning it into a private garden for cronyism. While the education committee is nominally under the royal family, they actually only listen to Xue Xing's arrangements. The tilt of academy resources is entirely at the whim of a single word from him."

Su Chen leaned against the soft cushion, toying with a token in his hand.

"No need to read the list. I can't remember it, and there's no need to. We aren't going there to make friends today."

Xue Qinghe put the list down.

"Are you really planning to challenge the entire academy alone? These people are arrogant, but their cultivation is real; quite a few are Battle Soul Elders above level thirty-five. Don't underestimate them, at least in terms of soul power reserves."

"Does high cultivation matter? If you pile a bunch of scrap metal together, it's still scrap metal."

Su Chen raised his eyes.

"Today, we aren't just going to fight; we're going to make sure the whole city knows about it. If we don't beat these people into submission, how will that old fox Prince Xue Xing feel the pain? To prune the wings Prince Xue Xing has grown in the academy for Qian Renxue, smooth talk is useless."

Xue Qinghe nodded.

"Whatever you do later, the Crown Prince's Residence will back you completely. Even if you cripple the entire Heaven Dou level, I have ways to suppress it."

The carriage came to a steady stop.

The curtain was lifted.

In front of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy gate stood a group of gorgeously dressed noble disciples.

The leading youths looked arrogant, wearing the Heaven Dou level student badges on their chests.

Seeing the crown prince disembark, the group merely cupped their hands casually.

The etiquette was lax.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Xue Qinghe stepped off the carriage, his expression indifferent.

"No need for formalities. I'm here to inspect the academy today and bring a newly recruited aide to get acquainted. Why aren't the three education committee members here?"

"The three committee members went into closed-door cultivation last night and gave orders that no one should disturb them. Academy affairs are temporarily handled by the student council."

The leading noble youth was named Bali, whose martial soul was a Blazing Hound, a level thirty-six Battle Soul Elder.

Bali looked Su Chen up and down as he followed the prince off the carriage, his mouth curling into a sneer.

"Your Highness, Heaven Dou Royal Academy is the empire's highest institution; no idlers are allowed inside. Bringing a child who hasn't been weaned to inspect the place—is the Crown Prince's Residence really so short on people?"

Giggles erupted from the crowd.

Several noble girls even covered their mouths with handkerchiefs, their eyes full of disdain.

"An aide for the Crown Prince's Residence? Is he here to study or play house?"

Facing the provocation and contempt from the royal noble disciples, Xue Qinghe's face turned cold.

"Insolent. Does the Crown Prince's Residence need to report to the academy on who it employs?"

Bali restrained his smile and bowed slightly.

"I wouldn't dare, but the academy has its rules. Fists and feet have no eyes during sparring; if we accidentally hurt this delicate little aide of yours and Prince Xue Xing blames us, we can't afford the consequences."

Every word was an attempt to use Prince Xue Xing to pressure them.

He didn't take the crown prince seriously at all.

Su Chen stood where he was, ignoring these low-level provocations.

His gaze passed over the crowd and landed directly on the martial arts arena deep within the academy.

"So much nonsense. Where is the martial arts arena?"

A crisp, childish voice rang out in the crowd.

Bali's face darkened.

"Where did this wild brat come from? Do you have any place to interrupt when your elders are talking?"

Su Chen stepped forward.

He ignored Bali entirely and walked toward the interior of the academy along the stone path.

"Lead the way, or get out of the way."

Bali stepped forward, blocking his path.

Soul power surged on his body, and a scorching heat radiated outward.

"You're courting death!"

Xue Qinghe did not stop him.

Su Chen didn't even lift an eyelid, his shoulders swaying slightly.

There was no sign of any soul power fluctuation.

Yet, his entire person was like a gentle breeze, instantly brushing past Bali's side.

Bali only felt a blur before his eyes, followed by a slight numbness in his chest.

By the time he regained his senses, Su Chen was already ten steps away.

Bali was stunned, and when he looked down, he saw a neat sword mark on his clothes.

"Let's go. Aren't we here to inspect? Don't waste time at the gate."

Su Chen didn't look back.

Xue Qinghe glanced at the sword mark on Bali's clothes and followed Su Chen's pace.

They left behind a group of noble disciples staring at each other in confusion.

Bali gritted his teeth.

"Playing tricks. Let's go, to the martial arts arena! Today I'll make sure this madman knows the rules of the Royal Academy!"

They walked inward along the tree-lined path.

The surrounding scenery was indeed exquisite.

Rockeries and flowing water, the spiritual energy was abundant.

Mimicry cultivation environments were one after another.

Su Chen swept a glance over them.

"It's a good place, but it's a pity it's raising a bunch of pampered young masters who don't know the immensity of heaven and earth. These mimicry environments would be better used for growing vegetables than for these wastes to cultivate."

Xue Qinghe lowered his voice.

"The gold coins Xue Xing allocates here every year are more than the military budget for the front lines. All they raise are fops who only know how to fight for power and profit."

"Then burn it all down."

Su Chen's tone was calm.

"Spirit Hall doesn't need these flowers in a greenhouse, and the future of the Heaven Dou Empire shouldn't be handed over to people like this either."

Inside the martial arts arena.

Hundreds of students were gathered.

Various flashy soul skills were being displayed on the ring.

Su Chen and "Xue Qinghe" attracted many gazes as they high-profilely inspected the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

They stopped at the edge of the field and watched for a while.

Su Chen shook his head.

"The one on the left practicing power attacks—all his force is in his shoulders; his stance is as flimsy as paper."

"The control-type on the right—his vines fly slower than a turtle. Can that even be called control?"

"The movements are flashy, but the foundation is unstable. It's all relying on soul power level to brute-force it. When the first soul skill is activated, his chest is wide open; when the second soul skill connects, there's a full half-breath pause. In actual combat, he would have died a hundred times over."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of those around him.

Bali, who had just caught up, heard this and was consumed by rage.

"How dare you! A brat who hasn't even revealed a soul ring—do you know what combat is? These are unique combo techniques created by the academy!"

"Techniques?"

Su Chen turned his head, his eyes filled with pity.

"You call connecting movements full of flaws a technique?"

The surrounding students stopped what they were doing and gathered around.

They surrounded Su Chen and Xue Qinghe.

"Your Highness, this madman is insulting the Royal Academy. If we can't get an explanation today, I'm afraid he won't be leaving this arena."

"Exactly, the dignity of the Royal Academy cannot be trampled upon! We are the future of the Heaven Dou Empire!"

Xue Qinghe scanned the surroundings.

"An explanation? What kind of explanation do you want?"

Bali pointed to the ring.

"Get on the stage and accept guidance. As long as you can last a stick of incense on the stage, we can pretend we didn't hear what you just said."

It was clearly an attempt to use the opportunity to humiliate the Crown Prince's Residence.

Xue Qinghe looked at Su Chen.

Su Chen did not decline and walked up the steps onto the ring.

He walked straight to the center of the martial arts arena.

Mocking gazes came from all directions.

Su Chen looked around.

His gaze swept over the faces of those proud noble disciples one by one.

"Guidance?"

"The one who just used the fire-attribute soul skill—your heat is insufficient, and it's even backfiring on your own meridians. Your meridians must be stinging at night, right?"

The student pointed at turned pale and subconsciously took half a step back.

"The one using the wind attribute—your speed is too slow. Wind is for cutting, not for blowing away sweat."

"And the one using the tool martial soul—your hand holding the sword is shaking. What can a sword swung like that cut? Tree branches?"

"With wastes who can't even stand steady, what kind of guidance can you offer?"

The critique was sharp and hit the mark.

The entire arena fell silent.

Bali was furious.

"A stiff tongue won't save your life. Who's going up to teach this arrogant brat a lesson?"

A tall youth jumped onto the ring.

His martial soul possessed him, and thick hair grew on his arms.

Two yellow and one purple soul ring lit up at his feet.

A level thirty-one Battle Soul Elder.

"I'll end this in one move, don't delay everyone's cultivation."

The youth clenched his fists, his knuckles grinding.

Su Chen stood where he was, his hands behind his back.

He made no move to summon his martial soul.

He didn't even release his soul power.

"One move?"

"You think too highly of yourself."

Su Chen raised his right hand and extended an index finger.

He swept his fingertip across the hundreds of students below.

Finally, it stopped on Bali.

"Since we're fighting, don't come up one by one. It's a waste of time."

The arena went quiet.

Everyone looked at the boy on the stage who was spouting such wild words.

Su Chen retracted his finger.

"Everyone here is trash."

The martial arts arena instantly erupted.

"Arrogant!"

"Rip that mouth apart!"

"Your Highness, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Countless soul rings lit up one after another off the stage.

The light of various soul powers illuminated the entire arena.

These noble disciples were usually high and mighty; when had they ever suffered such a great humiliation?

To be pointed at and called trash by a six-year-old child.

Bali leaped onto the ring.

Following him, seven or eight other elite Heaven Dou level students jumped up as well.

They surrounded Su Chen tightly.

"Even if the crown prince protects you today, you'll be crawling out of this academy!"

Xue Qinghe stood off the stage.

He did not stop them.

Instead, he took a few steps back, leaving enough space.

He watched the boy on the stage.

On the ring.

Over a dozen Battle Soul Elders released their pressure simultaneously.

Their combined aura pressed down on the blue-robed boy at the center.

Su Chen paid them no heed.

His gaze passed over them and settled on a two-story building behind the martial arena.

"Not enough."

"The Royal Academy calls itself the continent's best. Surely this isn't all you've got."

Su Chen took half a step forward.

Pure physical strength erupted from him.

Cracks instantly spread across the stone slabs of the arena.

He had set up an arena to challenge the academy's elite alone.

"Today, I'm setting up this arena."

"No limits on numbers, no limits on cultivation."

"If anyone can force me back even half a step, I lose."

That declaration set the students on the stage ablaze with anger.

Bali could no longer hold back.

His first Soul Ring lit up.

The Blazing Hound possessed him, flames igniting around his claws as he lunged straight at Su Chen's face.

"Die!"

The other dozen or so students followed close behind.

Soul skills of every color came crashing down upon the center of the arena.

Su Chen still stood with his hands behind his back.

He didn't dodge.

He didn't even draw the Purple Thunder Spirit Sword.

He merely raised his right leg casually.

Then stepped forward.