Heaven Dou Royal Academy

Heaven Dou Royal Academy was built on a mountain.

Ancient trees shaded both sides of Mountain Road. Morning mist slowly thinned between the leaves, revealing white-stone buildings in the distance. Their roofs gleamed pale gold in the sunlight. It looked less like an academy than a small city raised by the imperial family.

Flender stood at the foot of the mountain and adjusted his glasses, his eyes shining.

"How much must this place be worth?"

Zhao Wuji shot him a look. "Are you here to exchange knowledge or appraise property?"

"What do you know?" Flender said solemnly. "A dean's eyes must spot the resources first."

Bai Jin strolled up behind them, candy in his mouth. "Then take your time looking. Don't count their paving stones too."

The Shrek group couldn't help laughing.

Tang San's smile was less obvious. He could sense that the Soul Power here was far denser than in ordinary places. The mountain, lake, and buildings all seemed arranged to help Soul Masters cultivate.

No wonder Qin Ming had urged them to come.

Qin Ming soon came out to welcome them.

The senior who had graduated from Shrek wore the uniform of a Heaven Dou Royal Academy teacher, his face bright with genuine delight. He first greeted Flender and Zhao Wuji, then turned to Bai Jin with a touch more gravity.

"Mr. Bai, I've heard much about you."

Bai Jin waved a hand. "Don't hear too much. You might be disappointed."

Qin Ming blinked, then smiled. "You jest, sir."

"I generally don't."

Qin Ming: "..."

Flender coughed and hauled the conversation back on track. "Little Ming, lead the way."

Qin Ming nodded and guided everyone up the mountain.

Ma Hongjun's eyes nearly popped out along the way. Training grounds, simulated environments, Soul Fighting platforms, a dispensary, dormitories—every one of them was leagues above Shrek's few ramshackle buildings.

Qin Ming tried to keep his voice even as he walked, but pride still shone in his eyes.

"The simulated cultivation areas are divided into seventeen zones by Martial Soul attribute. Beast Martial Souls, Tool Martial Souls, and Plant Martial Souls all have corresponding areas. If you stay, Tang San can use the wood-attribute training ground, Rongrong can use the quiet rooms prepared for support-type Soul Masters, and Oscar can study Soul Power storage with the food-type teachers."

The more he said, the more serious the Shrek group became.

Those resources were real.

Soul Masters could not cultivate on talent and sheer effort alone. The environment, teachers, medicinal materials, and opponents could each determine how far someone might go. Shrek had raised them into monsters through ruthlessness and a keen eye for talent. Add these resources, though, and everyone knew what it could mean.

Flender knew better than anyone.

He still appeared to be counting the cost, but his fingers slowly stilled.

Bai Jin saw it and said nothing.

He liked teasing Flender for being stingy, but he knew why the old owl pinched pennies. When a poor academy tried to raise geniuses, its dean ended up sacrificing his own dignity to save every coin.

Oscar murmured, "I suddenly understand the dean."

Ning Rongrong huffed. "It's only so-so."

Ma Hongjun turned to her at once. "Young miss, are even the toilets in your home studded with gems?"

Ning Rongrong thought it over seriously. "No. Too vulgar."

Bai Jin laughed so hard he nearly bit through his candy.

Just as the mood relaxed, a burst of noise came from farther up Mountain Road.

Several youths in academy uniforms blocked the middle of the road. Their leader wore extravagant clothes, his face flushed with the restless irritability of drink and indulgence. He sized up the Shrek group, sweeping his gaze from Dai Mubai to Tang San before it settled on Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong. His lip curled.

"Teacher Qin, these are the guests you mentioned?"

Qin Ming frowned. "Your Highness Xue Beng, they are honored guests of the academy."

Xue Beng.

Tang San's attention sharpened.

The fourth prince of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family was rumored to be a wastrel who had learned nothing.

But Tang San never took rumors entirely on faith.

Xue Beng's steps were unsteady, his clothes disheveled, and his eyes looked bleary with drink. Yet his position was no accident. The students appeared to be crowding around him, but they had blocked both sides of Mountain Road. If a fight broke out, Qin Ming would be pinned down first.

The fourth prince might be a wastrel, but he was not necessarily a fool.

And if he wore a wastrel's skin, he would act like one.

As though he hadn't heard Qin Ming, Xue Beng staggered closer. "Honored guests? They look like a pack of country Soul Masters to me. Since when could just anyone enter the royal academy?"

Dai Mubai's gaze turned cold.

The smile faded from Flender's face too.

But Bai Jin suddenly sighed.

"Do you royals all leave your brains at home before you speak?"

Xue Beng's expression changed. "What did you say?"

"Didn't catch it?" Bai Jin raised a hand. "Never mind. I can't be bothered to repeat myself."

The air went taut in an instant.

Several students beside Xue Beng stepped forward, Soul Power surging around them. Qin Ming was about to stop them, but Bai Jin had already walked past.

He released no Soul Ring and did not raise his voice. He merely stopped before Xue Beng and looked down at him.

"Move."

The anger on Xue Beng's face froze.

For an instant, it felt as though something invisible had closed around his throat. The man had not touched him, yet Xue Beng somehow knew that if he took one more half-step forward, an unseen hand would press him into Mountain Road.

"What an impressive show of force."

An aged voice came from above.

Prince Xue Xing approached with several attendants, a green-haired elder at his side. The elder was tall and gaunt, with a chilling gaze and green eyes like two sparks of poisonous fire.

As soon as he appeared, the surrounding plants seemed to shrink.

Dugu Bo.

Poison Douluo.

The instant Tang San saw him, he caught an extremely faint, cloying scent. It was no ordinary poison, but the smell of Soul Power and toxins intertwined over many years, sunk into the marrow and impossible to separate.

Prince Xue Xing looked at Qin Ming, his tone cool. "Teacher Qin, the royal academy is not a shelter. You should not bring people of unknown origins here at will."

Qin Ming's face darkened. "Your Highness, they are teachers and fellow students from my alma mater. Their origins are not unknown."

"They still need to prove their qualifications."

Once Prince Xue Xing finished speaking, Dugu Bo took a step forward.

Jade-green Soul Power spread like mist.

The faces of everyone from Shrek changed at once.

Dai Mubai instinctively moved to the front. Zhu Zhuqing's fingers tensed. Oscar and Ning Rongrong caught their breath, while instinctive wariness flashed through Xiao Wu's eyes.

The pressure of a Titled Douluo was nothing like that of an opponent in the academy's Soul Fighting Arena.

Just as the poisonous mist was about to reach them, Bai Jin raised his hand.

A Yellow Soul Ring lit up.

An intangible distance unfolded before his palm.

The poisonous mist stopped.

It was neither scattered nor pushed back. It was as though it had entered a road with no end. Though Bai Jin stood only inches away, the mist could not touch the students behind him.

Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed.

Bai Jin smiled at him. "Old man, scare the kids if you like. Don't poison them."

Dugu Bo stared at the unseen boundary. After a long moment, he asked hoarsely, "You're Bai Jin?"

"What, you've heard of me?"

"Spirit Hall's seven-ring Little Monster."

Bai Jin corrected him. "Seven-ring handsome devil."

The Shrek group: "..."

Prince Xue Xing's face sank. He had only meant to put Qin Ming's guests in their place. He had not expected someone so troublesome among them.

Dugu Bo did not press any harder.

He withdrew the poisonous mist, but his gaze left Bai Jin and settled on Tang San.

Tang San's heart tightened, but he did not retreat.

Dugu Bo suddenly chuckled.

"Young man, you have sharp eyes."

Tang San cupped his hands, neither servile nor arrogant. "Senior, your poison is formidable too."

The mountain wind blew past. The silence around them deepened.

Bai Jin glanced sideways at Tang San, the corners of his mouth slowly lifting.

"Not bad."

Prince Xue Xing did not smile.

He looked over the Shrek group, his voice hard. "The royal academy does not welcome people who don't know the rules."