Heaven Dou Royal Intermediate Academy

They entered Heaven Dou City.

The streets were broad, a full twenty meters wide. Tall greenery lined both sides, and the air carried the fresh fragrance of grass and trees.

Shops stood in dense rows, one beside another, their storefronts lavishly decorated.

"It's absolutely beautiful."

Yu Chen looked around and could not help voicing his admiration.

The prosperity here was no less impressive than the towering buildings of a modern metropolis.

"Principal Ming, where is the Intermediate Academy?"

Oscar walked down the street with an iron pot on his back, his eyes roaming in every direction.

Quite a few people nearby turned to look at them with curious gazes, and some even pointed.

Yu Chen and Oscar's outfits were certainly a little conspicuous.

One carried an iron pot, while the other carried a huge iron ring.

Most pedestrians were smartly dressed. Dusty travelers carrying iron implements like them looked like they had come straight from the countryside.

Yu Chen did not mind, but Oscar felt uncomfortable and kept his head lowered as they walked.

"The intermediate Soul Master academy is on the eastern side of Heaven Dou City."

Ming Dashan walked at the front and explained, "Strictly speaking, most of the academy isn't inside the city. A stretch of mountains outside the city belongs to the Intermediate Academy."

A trace of nostalgia entered his eyes as he spoke.

The Intermediate Academy's size was manageable; the advanced academy's grounds were what truly left people stunned.

An entire expanse of mountains fell within the advanced academy's grounds.

After half an hour of walking, a vast cluster of buildings appeared before them.

The first thing that caught their eyes was an enormous sign bearing the words "Heaven Dou Royal Intermediate Soul Master Academy."

The strokes were bold and vigorous, sweeping like flying dragons and dancing phoenixes.

Yu Chen approached for a closer look and discovered that the large characters were made entirely of gold.

They gleamed so brightly they dazzled his eyes.

Every stroke was as thick as a forearm. They must have used at least ten thousand jin of gold.

The academy is ridiculously rich. Aren't they afraid someone will steal the sign?

Yu Chen grumbled inwardly.

Beside the gate stood a desk, where several uniformed teachers sat together.

It was the season for new students to enroll, and many students and parents were coming and going. The teachers were responsible for receiving them, registering them, and verifying their identities.

A young male teacher with short hair saw the group approach and came forward, saying politely:

"Please show me your martial soul record and admission recommendation letter. Also, academy regulations prohibit parents from entering. You two will have to say your goodbyes here."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over Ming Dashan and Yu Chen.

Ming Dashan's face bore the marks of life's hardships, making him look unmistakably like a child's elder.

As for Yu Chen, he was tall and strongly built, standing over 1.8 meters, so the teacher had mistaken him for a parent as well.

Ming Dashan smiled. "Teacher, both of them are new students."

"New students?"

The young teacher froze for a moment.

Another teacher, a woman with long hair, came over as well. She looked Yu Chen up and down and asked uncertainly, "This young man... he's so strongly built. Are you sure he's only twelve?"

Her gaze lingered on Yu Chen for a few more moments.

A teacher was already attending to them, but she had come over anyway because Yu Chen's physique and looks had caught her attention.

Who would have thought Yu Chen was actually just a child?

Intermediate academies admitted outstanding graduates of junior academies, requiring them to possess at least one soul ring.

The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy had stricter requirements: applicants had to be under thirteen, with soul power no lower than rank fifteen.

Children with exceptional talent could enroll early, but they could not exceed the age limit.

With his tall, handsome appearance, Yu Chen hardly looked like a "child" at all.

Ming Dashan smiled and took Yu Chen's two documents from inside his clothes. "Teachers, these are my nephew's documents. Please take a look."

The young teacher accepted the documents and glanced at them.

The female teacher beside him leaned closer.

"You really are twelve... young man, you've certainly grown well."

As he spoke, the young man patted Yu Chen's arm.

However, he found that Yu Chen's muscles were as hard as stone. They did not budge beneath his fingers.

What a powerful physique!

He was secretly astonished.

"Teacher Wang!"

The female teacher's gaze landed on the record, and her voice suddenly changed pitch. "Look carefully. His soul power has already reached rank thirty!"

"What?"

The young teacher froze, then hurriedly lowered his head to examine it.

Name: Yu Chen.

Age: Twelve.

Martial soul: Xiao Bai Dragon.

Soul power level: Rank thirty.

"Twelve years old, rank thirty-he's only one soul ring away from becoming a Soul Elder!"

Teacher Wang's eyes widened, his heart shaken.

At rank thirty, he would be a heaven-blessed prodigy even in an advanced academy.

No, wait!

At rank thirty, he could already apply to graduate from an advanced academy.

Yet this student had come to enroll in an intermediate academy?

He carefully checked the Spirit Hall's official seal on the soul master record, along with the seal on the recommendation letter.

Gulp.

After confirming that everything was genuine, the young man swallowed.

He and the female teacher exchanged a glance, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

A twelve-year-old Quasi-Soul Elder-this boy's talent was downright terrifying.

Heaven Dou City was full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. They had seen many talented students, but this was their first time encountering anyone as outrageous as Yu Chen.

"Yu Chen, welcome to the Heaven Dou Royal Intermediate Academy."

Teacher Wang spoke with a smile, his tone more than ten times warmer than before.

He was thrilled. Having such an outstanding talent join their academy was like stumbling upon a treasure.

"Thank you."

Yu Chen nodded, then pointed to Oscar behind him. "Sorry for the trouble, teachers, but please take a look at my companion's documents too."

Teacher Wang accepted Oscar's recommendation letter with a smile. As he read through it, he said, "Don't worry. You came together, so of course we wouldn't overlook him."

He looked down and exclaimed again, "Oscar, eleven years old, martial soul: Sausage, soul power: rank twenty-one!"

A Support System soul master reaching rank twenty-one at eleven possessed top-tier talent even across the entire continent.

Although Oscar's soul power was far below Yu Chen's, considering that he possessed a food-type martial soul, his achievement was every bit as impressive.

Two geniuses had arrived at once. Had the Heaven Dou Royal Intermediate Academy struck a tremendous stroke of luck?

"Welcome, both of you."

Teacher Wang's radiant smile was almost overflowing.

He put away the records and recommendation letters, then stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.

"Students, and sir, academy regulations require the admissions director to receive you personally. Please come with me."

"For tonight, we will arrange guest accommodation for the parent. There's no need to worry about meals or lodging."

Hearing this, Ming Dashan felt a slight stir of curiosity and asked, "The academy has a rule like that? Why didn't I know about it when I studied here?"

"You're an alumnus?"

Teacher Wang's smile grew even brighter, and his tone became a little more familiar.

"You may not know this, but the academy gives special consideration to new students whose soul power exceeds rank twenty. Their elders can make any requests they have, and the academy will do its best to accommodate them."

"Over the years, the academy has kept adjusting its policies to invest more resources in outstanding students."

He explained, "After all, everyone fights over promising seedlings. If we don't show some sincerity, they'll turn around and go to another academy."

Ming Dashan nodded.

When he had enrolled, his soul power had only just met the admission threshold. He had been an ordinary student, so naturally, he had never enjoyed such treatment.

When he later advanced to the advanced academy, he had offended someone, had his leg broken, and lost his admission eligibility as well.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west-the tides of fortune always turned.

Now, Yu Chen had truly done him proud.