Unlike the resplendent, solemn grandeur of Spirit Hall, Frost City Junior Soul Master Academy gave off an overall rugged impression, very much in the style of the Far North.
The academy's outer walls were built from massive dark-gray stones, while all its buildings were sharply angular, with rigid, straight lines.
Atop the main teaching building directly opposite the gates stood a statue of a Frost Eagle spreading its wings as if about to take flight. From afar, its eyes appeared blue.
Lin Wan guessed that some incredibly valuable gemstones had to be embedded there.
Ancient, imposing, sturdy, and rugged—it was like a fortress rooted in the frozen earth.
That was Lin Wan's first impression of Frost City Junior Soul Master Academy, but he felt that he and the academy were somewhat incompatible.
After all, he was a man destined to become Douluo Continent's ultimate heartthrob and captivate countless young girls.
How could he spend his days fighting and killing here?!
That did not suit his style at all. But since he was already here, Lin Wan decided to enjoy his school life.
By the time Lin Wan and old Drus arrived, quite a few parents had already brought their children to the academy gates. Most were dressed like commoners, though a few wore clothes that looked expensive.
Lin Wan's appearance stood out considerably amid the crowd, drawing several curious and scrutinizing gazes.
He did not pay them any mind. After all, handsome men were self-aware.
"Come on, Xiao Wan. Let's go register." Looking at the impressive academy, old Drus's eyes were filled with relief and expectation as he patted Lin Wan's shoulder.
The two headed straight for the gatehouse.
The guard in the academy's standard uniform was a stern-looking middle-aged man. He accepted the Martial Soul certificate old Drus handed him and carefully glanced over the information on it. "Lin Wan, Cold North Village. Martial Soul: Ice Fox. Innate Soul Power: Level One."
The guard looked up at Lin Wan again. His overly outstanding appearance brought a flicker of surprise to the man's eyes before he returned the Martial Soul certificate.
"Mm, go on in. Follow this road straight ahead, then turn left. You'll find the Work-Study Student Administration Office, where you can complete your check-in procedures."
"Thank you."
After hearing the guard's words, old Drus hurriedly thanked him.
Following the directions, the two quickly found the Work-Study Student Administration Office.
The procedures were completed quickly. Lin Wan received a rough but clean work-study uniform, a bronze badge proving his identity, and a dormitory key—Room Six, District C.
After completing the procedures, old Drus accompanied Lin Wan to a market near the academy to buy bedding and some basic necessities.
When it came time to pay, old Drus took a worn old money pouch, faded white from washing, from his clothes. He carefully counted out several copper soul coins and handed them to Lin Wan.
"Xiao Wan, take these. Don't be too frugal at school. Eat when you need to eat. Grandpa knows work-study students have it hard, but your body is the foundation of cultivation."
Looking at the few copper soul coins still carrying the old man's warmth in his rough palm, Lin Wan felt a little warmth rise in his heart.
He did not refuse, instead accepting them solemnly. "Thank you, Grandpa Drus. I'll take good care of myself."
After seeing Lin Wan to the bottom of the District C dormitory building, old Drus watched him enter, then earnestly reminded him of several more things before finally leaving the academy, looking back every few steps as he set off for Cold North Village.
By the time Lin Wan reached the work-study dormitory, several people were already inside.
Only after he had briefly unpacked his belongings did he feel a hint of reality.
Everything had changed too quickly these past few days, and Lin Wan had always felt as though it were all fake.
"I really enrolled this quietly and uneventfully."
Lin Wan sighed a little. After all, didn't novels always have some minor villain come looking for trouble whenever the protagonist entered a new area?
Yet that day, Lin Wan encountered nothing at all. Even the registration process had gone so smoothly that it seemed absurd.
"Looks like I really don't have the protagonist's destiny Tang San has."
Still, that was fine. It saved him trouble.
Including Lin Wan, there were twenty-one people living in the work-study dormitory. There were both boys and girls, and nearly all of them came from villages around Frost City.
Their Martial Souls came in all varieties. Ice Flowers, Ice Blades, Ice Cats, and Ice Birds made up the majority, but their Innate Soul Power was generally low. Levels One and Two were the norm.
The only one who could be considered outstanding was a boy named Qin Yi, who seemed rather quiet and reserved.
He possessed Level Five Innate Soul Power, and his Martial Soul was an Ice Blade that radiated chilling cold. Among this group of work-study students, he stood head and shoulders above the rest.
When Lin Wan arrived, Qin Yi was already sitting cross-legged on his bed, his eyes tightly shut and his brows furrowed as he tried hard to sense and gather Soul Power.
The dormitory was lively. Some, like Qin Yi, had slightly better talent and immediately sat cross-legged with their eyes closed after settling in, silently striving to sense Soul Power. Others gathered in small groups, excitedly discussing their Martial Souls, their words filled with excitement.
Still others silently organized their small personal spaces, their eyes carrying the restraint of newcomers and cautious observation of their unfamiliar surroundings.
Lin Wan swept his gaze over the youthful faces and sighed.
He did not immediately try cultivating like the others, since he had not finished unpacking yet.
Besides, he did not need to clumsily sense Soul Power like everyone else.
Back during Martial Soul Awakening in Cold North Village, the system had instantly drained nine levels of Lin Wan's Soul Power, causing the crystal ball to display only Level One.
But that absolutely did not mean he only had Level One Soul Power left. His Innate Soul Power was still Level Ten on the system's personal interface. It was only that his Soul Power reserves had been instantly emptied by the system, like a water tank drained dry while the tank itself remained full-sized.
He had not been idle at old Drus's house these past few days.
The person summoned by the character summoning card drawn from the system's novice gift pack was no ordinary person.
Queen Eva, the queen proficient in dark magic from the story of Snow White, had only been in Douluo Continent for a few days, but that was already enough time for her to figure out how Soul Power cultivation worked.
Thus, several days ago, she had already shared a rather good meditation method with Lin Wan.
Lin Wan had spent the past few days cultivating according to the method Queen Eva taught him, and the results had been astonishing.
The Soul Power drained by the system had already been cultivated back over the past few days, and he even faintly felt as though it were about to overflow.
All Lin Wan lacked now was a Soul Ring. Once he obtained one, he could officially step through the threshold of a Soul Master and become a One-Ring Soul Master.
He had yet to find a suitable and safe place or time to absorb the Soul Ring he had drawn from the system. He planned to wait until he had been enrolled for some time before finding a suitable opportunity to absorb it.
In any case, the Soul Power accumulated through cultivation before obtaining the first Soul Ring would not disappear. It would instead be stored within his body and erupt all at once when he absorbed the Soul Ring.
"No rush."
After making his bed, Lin Wan leaned back against it comfortably. Through the small window, he looked out at the sky beyond.
Since he did not have a protagonist's destiny, he would keep a low profile for now and systematically study courses related to Martial Souls.
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