Spirit Hall Advanced Soul Master Academy.
After obtaining his Soul Rings, Lin Qian had not seen Bibi Dong again. Instead, he had been brought here.
From what he had heard from Chrysanthemum Douluo, Bibi Dong had indeed been surprised to learn about his three Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings. But once she remembered that he was a "fellow successor" to a Deity's inheritance, her surprise had faded considerably.
In particular, Lin Qian's first three Soul Rings had shattered the theoretical records established by Yu Xiaogang in one fell swoop. All those breakthroughs made her uncomfortable.
She had to show her "fellow successor" some respect, yet did not want to see him, so she had simply tossed him into Spirit Hall Academy to manage himself.
Lin Qian did not know what Bibi Dong was thinking, and even if he had, there was nothing he could have done about it. Ultimately, he was still far too weak. He needed to keep working hard to increase his Soul Power.
After leaving the Star Dou Great Forest, the group had boarded a luxurious carriage arranged by Spirit Hall and arrived before a dense cluster of buildings outside Spirit City.
Spirit Hall had money to burn. The Mimicry Training Grounds alone occupied over half the grounds, so the academy could not possibly have been built within the city.
This was a blessed location, nestled against the mountains beside the water, with leafy trees shading the roads. Before he even drew close, his Martial Soul began resonating.
"Wow, I love this place!"
Tian Meng possessed extraordinary spiritual power. He extended his spiritual sense to survey the area, then cheered and leaped for joy within the Sea of Consciousness.
"Your Highness, we've arrived."
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo stood on either side, opened the carriage door, and respectfully invited Lin Qian to step out.
As Spirit Hall's Saint Son and the future heir to the position of Supreme Pontiff, he could not lack the pomp befitting his status. Otherwise, establishing his authority would be difficult.
Under the crowd's curious or jealous gazes, Lin Qian descended the steps and entered this advanced Soul Master Academy.
Spared the many hassles of enrollment, registration, and the like, he was taken straight to his dormitory-
A detached villa for his exclusive use.
"Junior brother, would you like your senior sister to show you around?"
Back in familiar territory, Hu Liena had regained her confidence. She swayed her body and winked at him, extending a silent invitation.
"Sure! Lead the way, senior sister."
Lin Qian readily accepted. Following her lead, he passed the dining hall and the Martial Soul Mimicry Training Ground before finally arriving at an open area.
Four or five platforms were arranged neatly around the area. The largest stood in the center and had the most spectators.
"The winner of this match is-Yan!"
As the announcer declared his victory, the man called Yan raised both arms high, welcoming the crowd's cheers.
He had long, fiery-red hair and a tall build. His armor was a flashy red, and even his eyes were dark red.
His fairly decent strength and unconventional attire should have made him the center of attention. Unfortunately, his ordinary looks worked against him, leaving him without any swooning female fans.
"The academy forbids private fighting, so students who want to settle an issue come onto the platforms for Soul Fighting. There aren't any other restrictions, just one rule-no killing..."
The platforms at Spirit Hall Academy were somewhat like the Soul Fighting Arenas in the major cities. The only difference was that no one could be killed here.
After all, anyone who could come to Spirit City to study possessed talent found only once in ten thousand. Every death would be a loss to Spirit Hall.
"You've seen the person up there. He's Yan, one of the Spirit Hall Golden Generation. His Martial Soul is the Flame Lord, a Mutated Martial Soul."
The moment Hu Liena looked his way, Yan sensed it and quickly turned his head. His gaze held pride mixed with a hint of eagerness to please.
Another lapdog.
Lin Qian took it all in and transmitted the thought to Tian Meng.
Tian Meng knew this sort of thing best. As though he had met a fellow practitioner, a sense of kinship welled up in him.
"Exactly! Hey... wait!" Tian Meng caught on. "What do you mean, another? Who's the other lapdog you're talking about?"
Ignoring Tian Meng's frenzy, Lin Qian emerged from his absorbed state and met Yan's provocative gaze.
After exchanging looks with Hu Liena, Yan naturally noticed Lin Qian. He immediately grew wary of this handsome pretty boy.
He pressed down with his Soul Power of over rank thirty, hoping the pretty boy would recognize the difficulty and back off.
Sensing the incoming force, Lin Qian barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes, out of consideration for a fellow student. Without even needing to use his Soul Power, he concentrated his spiritual power and swept it across, easily dispelling the Soul Power pressure and attacking Yan in passing.
It was as though a thunderclap had exploded beside his ears, leaving his entire head buzzing. Yan let out a muffled grunt and staggered back three steps before steadying himself.
And that was with Lin Qian holding back. Had he used his Soul Power, his opponent would probably have been lying flat under a white sheet.
Yan had never seen a technique like this before. Still, they were both Soul Masters, and he could sense that this was not a Soul Skill.
So young, yet already dabbling in crooked tricks. I'm going to teach you a good lesson today!
"You beside Nana, I challenge you. If you don't dare accept, apologize and I'll let you off!"
Hu Liena frowned. "Yan, stop making trouble!"
What kind of ridiculous joke was this? Lin Qian was a Soul Douluo who could send a Soul Saint to his grave with one punch. What did Yan have to challenge him with?
As she spoke, she also explained to Lin Qian, "He's only fourteen, young and ignorant. Don't take it to heart."
Soul Masters generally matured early. Yan followed the Power Attack System and stood over 1.7 meters tall. Calling such a big, burly fellow young and ignorant looked comical no matter how one viewed it.
He could not miss a single word his goddess said, of course, so he heard every word. His face reddened as though it were about to spew fire.
He repeated himself. "What, you don't dare accept? Then apologize!"
"Your Highness the Holy Son, what do you think?"
Off to the side, Chrysanthemum Douluo sent a private voice transmission, asking for Lin Qian's thoughts.
As someone who would inherit Spirit Hall in the future, he needed to establish his authority. It all depended on what he wanted. If he agreed, he could take the platform. If not, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo would step in and stop this, preventing the situation from worsening.
Attention returned to the platform.
In no more than an instant, Lin Qian had stepped onto it, moving as swiftly as the wind.
"Unbelievably fast!"
Xie Yue arrived late and witnessed this scene as soon as he appeared, unable to help exclaiming.
As the Golden Generation's captain, he had more brains than the brawny Yan. He knew anyone named Saint Son had to have some real ability, with strength at least at the Soul Ancestor level.
Yan was merely a Soul Elder. He was bound to lose today. Hopefully, Lin Qian would show mercy!
"He really is very strong..."
Hu Liena murmured to herself. The brother and sister had reached a consensus.
On the platform, Lin Qian stood on the opposite side with a teasing expression. "You like Hu Liena, but does she like you?"
"Pfft..."
His voice was quiet, but the insult cut deep. Some people below the platform had already failed to hold back their laughter.
"That brat, what is he saying!"
Hu Liena stamped her foot in embarrassment, practically wishing she could crawl into a hole.
Wait, why did he bring up liking someone? Could it be...
Whatever had occurred to her, her alluring eyes instantly lit up.
"You've got quite a mouth on you, pretty boy. Don't go crying for Mommy and Daddy when you get beaten up!"
Yan was so furious that smoke seemed to pour from all seven openings of his head. With a roar, he unleashed all three Soul Rings-yellow, yellow, and purple.
"Yan, rank thirty-four Power Attack System Battle Soul Master. Martial Soul: Flame Lord. Please enlighten me!"