Several days later, Heaven Dou City!
"Lin En, if we come back like this, are you sure no one will come looking for us?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked at the utterly fearless Lin En and could not help asking, her mind full of questions.
"Of course they will. Isn't that why I'm taking you to find someone to back us up?"
Lin En rolled his eyes, his hands resting behind his head, looking as though he had everything figured out.
"Someone to back us up?"
Zhu Zhuqing froze for a moment. "Where are we going to find that?"
"Silly, we find backing wherever people of our current status belong!"
Lin En sighed softly and raised a hand to rap Zhu Zhuqing on the forehead, instantly bringing her to her senses.
"You mean you're going to enroll in an academy?"
"Not completely stupid, then."
"But hasn't the enrollment period already passed?"
"That's why I'm taking you to challenge them. Once they see our talent and potential, won't they fight over getting us into their academy?"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up. She had never imagined Lin En's mind would work in such an unusual way.
It even seemed to make a lot of sense?
"Then which academy are you planning to go to?" Zhu Zhuqing thought for a moment before looking at Lin En and asking.
"Let's check out the Four Elements Academy first. Heaven Dou is pretty good too, but your identity is too sensitive. I don't want to walk straight into a net."
Lin En shrugged and spoke with breezy indifference.
Hearing that Lin En could not go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy because of her, Zhu Zhuqing felt a twinge of guilt.
After a moment of silence, Zhu Zhuqing said dejectedly:
"I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, you would definitely be able to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy with your talent."
"Cut the chatter. I wasn't planning on going to Heaven Dou Royal Academy anyway. Don't go thinking you're that important, hey..."
Lin En gave a disdainful chuckle, the very picture of a knife-sharp tongue and a tofu-soft heart.
In fact, Heaven Dou Royal Academy really had been his first consideration.
After all, Dugu Bo's only granddaughter, Dugu Yan, attended Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Getting close to her would give him access to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
But now, he planned to use another method, so he did not necessarily need to start with Heaven Dou and work his way closer step by step.
The Four Elements Academy comprised advanced institutions in Heaven Dou City.
They were Thunder Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, Godwind Academy, and Skywater Academy!
Thunder Academy lay in eastern Heaven Dou City and was renowned for lightning-attribute cultivation. The lightning strikes in its simulated cultivation zone were a sight unmatched on the continent.
Skywater Academy stood at the foot of a snowy mountain to the southwest, where snow lay all year round, a pilgrimage site for every water-attribute Soul Master.
Godwind Academy and Blazing Fire Academy were both in the southeast.
The students of the two academies maintained close ties, while the surrounding windswept sandy wastes and Flameheart Town attracted countless student Soul Masters with wind and fire attributes.
Lin En and Zhu Zhuqing were closest to Godwind Academy and Blazing Fire Academy, so the two headed toward those nearby academies along the way.
Blazing Fire Academy.
Looking at the academy's imposing gates, Lin En and Zhu Zhuqing stopped.
"This Blazing Fire Academy looks pretty good. Beautiful mountains and clear waters, outstanding people and a blessed land-it's practically a paradise for studying!"
Lin En looked at the female Blazing Fire students in their breezy, midriff-baring tops and tight little shorts, their pale, lotus-root arms and long, fair legs on display, his eyes like a hungry wolf's.
Such white thighs... no, walls!
Tsk, tsk. Whatever else you might say, this really was a feast for the eyes!
The corner of Zhu Zhuqing's mouth twitched. She seemed long accustomed to Lin En's frivolity.
She reached out and pinched his waist, rolling her eyes as she said:
"What do we do next?"
"Hiss... let go! Why are you pinching so hard?"
Zhu Zhuqing's pinch made Lin En yelp repeatedly. He hurriedly wriggled free of her hand, and the flippant expression on his face settled back into calm.
He looked around and soon spotted a male Blazing Fire student who had just walked out of the gates.
Lin En quickly went over and struck up a conversation:
"Buddy, let me ask you something. Who's the best fighter at Blazing Fire Academy?"
The Blazing Fire student paused, then said in all seriousness:
"You're not one of our students, are you?"
"How did you know?"
"Obviously, you're not wearing our student uniform."
"Ahem... none of that matters." Lin En coughed twice, looking a little embarrassed.
"Who's the best fighter at Blazing Fire Academy? The Huo Wushuang siblings, of course. Who else, me?"
"A couple of country bumpkins from the woods. Who knows what forgotten corner you crawled out of? Don't get in the way of my important business!"
The Blazing Fire student shoved Lin En aside disdainfully, his gaze full of contempt.
Watching him walk away, Lin En instinctively asked:
"What important business?"
"Nothing to do today, so off to the pleasure house to listen to songs!"
Lin En curled his lip and spat:
"If you're going whoring, just say you're going whoring. What's this 'nothing to do today, so off to the pleasure house to listen to songs'? Pah! Shameless bastard!"
"An affront to public morals!"
At some point, Zhu Zhuqing had appeared beside him, a trace of disgust entering her eyes as she watched the departing Blazing Fire student.
Lin En had seen that exact same look in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes when they first met Dai Mubai.
As she spoke, she turned her gaze toward him, a hint of warning in her eyes.
"What are you looking at? I don't visit pleasure houses!"
Lin En lifted his chin and headed toward Blazing Fire Academy's gates, leaving Zhu Zhuqing speechless.
Fine, you don't. Why are you acting proud of it?
With that thought, she quickened her steps to follow Lin En.
He arrived at Blazing Fire Academy's entrance, where the students inside studied this outsider, curiosity appearing on their faces.
Normally, people from other schools rarely entered Blazing Fire Academy. At most, students from neighboring Godwind Academy would drop by and have a few friendly matches.
Clearly, Lin En's appearance had made them very curious!
What he did next, however, left everyone's jaws on the floor!
Without any hurry, Lin En took a waist-high black signboard from his Storage Ring and slammed it onto the ground.
On the signboard, two striking white characters boldly read:
"Challenge!"
"Hey, go tell your academy's strongest, the Huo Wushuang siblings, that someone's here to challenge Blazing Fire Academy and exchange a few pointers with them!"
Lin En smiled brightly and shouted toward the Blazing Fire Academy students watching the commotion.
For a moment, the air fell silent for two seconds.
Immediately afterward, Blazing Fire Academy erupted like a scalding furnace boiling over.
"How arrogant! Can some senior go out there and teach him a lesson?"
"Outrageous!"
"Whoever beats him, I'll be his girlfriend..."
"Junior, there's really no need to inflict yourself on anyone else!"
Standing to one side, Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly, her fair face twitching a few times despite herself.
He really was challenging them...
Lin En really had some nerve. Wasn't he afraid the academy's teachers would beat him to death?
"You've actually got the nerve to come looking for trouble at our Blazing Fire Academy? Let me take you on!"
Amid the clamor, a young man wearing Blazing Fire Academy's uniform stepped forward.
The fluctuations of Soul Power within him suddenly burst forth. Blazing firelight appeared behind him, scorching the surrounding air.
Three Soul Rings, two yellow and one purple, gradually emerged beneath his feet, shimmering slowly.
"A three-ring Soul Elder? Trash!"
Lin En curled his lip disdainfully and turned to Zhu Zhuqing beside him.
"Zhu Zhuqing, I'll leave this sort of small fry to you. I taught you, so don't embarrass me!"
"...Leave it to me."
Zhu Zhuqing fell silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.
She stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the Blazing Fire student, and said coldly:
"Zhu Zhuqing, rank thirty-two Agility Attack System Battle Spirit Master. Please instruct me!"
Before you continue