"Su Chen, this is our academy's Dormitory Zero. What do you think? Not bad, is it?" A young teacher gently patted Su Chen's shoulder.
"Yes, it's really nice." Su Chen couldn't deny how distinctive the dormitory before him looked. It stood halfway up a small hill, built entirely from marble in a European style. It looked like a little castle.
"From now on, you're one of its residents. Every month, someone will deliver the generous stipend you're entitled to as a member of Dormitory Zero," the teacher said with a smile.
"Uncle, our academy doesn't charge any tuition, so why does it actually pay us instead?" Su Chen asked in surprise. He turned his head to look back at the considerable number of students walking around the academy. By his reckoning, the academy's monthly expenses would be enormous.
"Because we're a Soul Master Academy directly under Spirit Hall. Our academy takes nurturing talented people as its duty, not making a profit. Every year, Spirit Hall allocates a large sum to us, enough to cover all the academy's expenses." Pride shone in the teacher's eyes as he spoke. After all, as a teacher, he was doing something supremely honorable.
"Mm." Su Chen nodded, catching that glimmer of pride in the teacher's eyes. With so many welfare policies, it was no wonder Spirit Hall inspired such powerful unity. Even Su Chen himself had begun to feel a faint sense of pride in being a member of Spirit Hall.
According to the timeline, Tang San should have arrived at the junior Soul Master Academy in Nuoding City to enroll by now. If Tang San went there, he would meet Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, as well as Xiao Wu, the Soft Bone Rabbit who had taken human form as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Of course, with his Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul exposed, Spirit Hall might already have its sights on Tang San. There was a strong chance that he would veer away from certain events in the storyline.
"Su Chen, I have something else to do, so I won't go inside with you," the teacher said with a smile, standing at the foot of the steps.
"Okay, Uncle." Su Chen nodded.
On the way here, Su Chen had already asked the teacher for the details. Spirit Hall had four junior Soul Master Academies and four intermediate Soul Master Academies, situated in the eastern, southern, western, and northern parts of Spirit City. According to their locations, people called them the East Academy, South Academy, North Academy, and West Academy. As for advanced Soul Master Academies, Spirit City had only one, located in its central district.
The four academies held a friendly tournament every year, also known as the Grand Academy Competition. Students from both the junior and intermediate Soul Master Academies were eligible to compete. The top ten received special training from Spirit Hall. If a junior Soul Master Academy student made it into the top hundred in the four academies' tournament, they could skip a level and advance straight from a junior Soul Master Academy to the advanced Soul Master Academy.
Su Chen's academy was called the East District Junior Soul Master Academy. Students assigned to Dormitory Zero were the promising prospects whom the academy considered most likely to represent it in the friendly tournament. In other words, six years later, when Su Chen graduated, he would have to represent the academy in that competition. That could be considered one of the obligations of a Dormitory Zero student!
Of course, the benefits were tangible, too. One particular perk greatly appealed to Su Chen: Dormitory Zero students had permission to skip classes. They didn't have to sit in classrooms listening to tedious lectures like the other students. At the same time, if Su Chen wanted to attend a class in any classroom, none of the academy's teachers were allowed to stop him.
In other words, Su Chen now had a great deal of freedom. Still, after speaking with that teacher and recalling Director Yang's tone when he mentioned Dormitory Zero, Su Chen couldn't shake the feeling that they were hiding something else from him.
"Looks like Yu Xiaogang and I aren't fated to cross paths in this life!" Su Chen slipped both hands into his trouser pockets, not regretting in the slightest that he hadn't taken Yu Xiaogang as his master.
Speaking from the bottom of his heart, Su Chen truly couldn't understand what those fanfiction authors were thinking. They clearly knew everything about this world and understood Yu Xiaogang's Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls, so why did they still take him as their master? Even some who didn't become Yu Xiaogang's disciples went running off to become Tang San's lackeys. Did they really think that cozying up to Tang San would make him teach them the Tang Sect Secret Arts?
Five hundred steps in all! Su Chen counted silently. Standing at the top of the stone steps, he could overlook the entire Soul Master Academy. Looking down from such a height filled him with a sweeping sense of grandeur.
Turning around, he pushed open the iron gate and crossed the courtyard paved with bluestone, arriving outside the castle. He would spend the next six years here.
The heavy wooden door creaked as he pushed it open, and Su Chen stepped into the castle. It really was a castle, complete with furnishings, a dining table, bookcases, a kitchen... everything one could need. Stepping inside gave him a feeling of home. The castle had three floors in total. The first floor housed the communal spaces: the study, kitchen, hall...; the second and third floors contained the dorm rooms. Unlike the dormitories at Nuoding Academy, these were all individual rooms. Each room was quite spacious, around a hundred square meters.
"Looks like this room already has an owner!"
Su Chen pushed open a room's door. Inside, besides a spare school uniform hanging on a rack, there were several dresses. Most were pale colors, such as light purple, pink, pale blue, and so on. The owner had also decorated the room with considerable elegance.
Whoosh!
Su Chen was just about to close the door and leave to find another room he liked when a sudden whistle of air came from behind him.
Su Chen had no time to think. Ever since the seven-colored light had transformed him, his perception had improved to a degree he could scarcely comprehend. Almost reflexively, he released the doorknob and shifted slightly to the side. His attacker's fist practically brushed past his body, and the rush of air it stirred carried a faint orchid-like fragrance.
When her first strike missed, the golden figure sprang into the air and swept a whirlwind kick toward Su Chen. She was fast, but Su Chen's reactions were quick, too. He reached out and caught her lower leg. Despite the attack, he hadn't budged an inch.
The golden figure froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting him to be so fast. His physical strength was impressive as well.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking me?" Su Chen asked.
"You broke the rules without permission and entered my room while I was away, and you still ask why I'm attacking you? I've met plenty of challengers, but this is the first time I've encountered one as rude as you!" The little girl remained composed, her tone carrying the faint authority of someone accustomed to standing above others.
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