As Spirit Hall's training base for new talent, Spirit Hall Academy had not been built inside Spirit City, but at the foot of a mountain a short distance outside it.
This was also so that various Mimicry Training Grounds could be built on-site to aid Soul Masters in their cultivation.
Had the academy been built in Spirit City, there would have been many inconveniences even with Spirit Hall's financial backing.
Moreover, the students at Spirit Hall Academy were talents gathered by Spirit Hall Branches throughout the Douluo Continent. This also led to a wide variety of Martial Souls and the Mimicry Training Grounds they required.
There simply was not enough space within the city for Spirit Hall Academy to build all those different types of Mimicry Training Grounds.
Since Tian E had returned to the Worship Hall the previous night, Tian Chen headed to Spirit Hall Academy alone after a simple breakfast at the manor that morning.
Near Spirit City, no one had ever dared challenge Spirit Hall's authority by causing trouble.
Thus, Tian E was quite assured of his grandson's safety.
After leaving the manor, Tian Chen got his first glimpse of Spirit City's prosperity.
The streets within the city bustled with activity. Some vendors sold all sorts of local snacks, while others sold a variety of specialty fruits.
More of them, however, sold various rare and valuable parts from Soul Beasts.
For example, the scales of the Iron Armored Crocodile pack Tian Chen had encountered before could be made into armor to equip an army.
Likewise, the venom of a Mandala Snake could be applied to weapons for use against enemies.
In short, the value of a Soul Beast's body far exceeded what ordinary people imagined.
And everyone living in Spirit City was a Soul Master above rank twenty. It was hardly surprising that they could obtain such materials.
Even Soul Bones could sometimes be found in Spirit City.
Of course, any Soul Bones over ten thousand years old would be snapped up by Spirit Hall's powerful and influential elders. Ten-thousand-year Soul Bones rarely circulated on the market. No one would ever complain about having too many Soul Bones.
As a result, most of the Soul Bones that found their way into Spirit Hall's various auction houses were thousand-year ones. Yet even a Thousand-Year Soul Bone was worth at least a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.
Along the way, Tian Chen surveyed the surrounding shops with interest. Ever since arriving in the Douluo World, he had been busy improving his physical fitness and had never properly explored Spirit City.
As he looked around at the shops and occasionally heard the slightly accented cries of vendors, Tian Chen reached the outer city before he knew it.
Those who lived in the inner city were all figures of high rank and authority within Spirit Hall, whereas the requirements for living in the outer city were much lower.
Thus, the closer he got to the city gates, the denser the crowds became.
Even with Tian Chen's Soul Master physique, getting through took some effort.
Only after he took out the token his grandfather had given him did a sharp-eyed flying Soul Master patrolling overhead spot it and take the initiative to escort Tian Chen out of Spirit City.
His words were full of attempts to curry favor.
This flying Soul Master was a Soul Emperor above rank sixty. With ease, he carried Tian Chen over the city wall, which stood a full twenty to thirty meters high.
He carefully set Tian Chen on the ground and spoke with a broad smile.
"Young Master Tian, I still have duties to attend to, so I can only take you this far."
"All right, Meng Tao, go attend to your duties. If anything comes up, you can find me at the manor."
Tian Chen naturally understood what Meng Tao had in mind. Through their brief conversation, he had already learned his name and had formed a fairly good impression of him.
He did not mind gathering some people under him, either. But if any of them harbored ill intentions, he would make them regret ever coming into this world.
Seeing his air of a loyal protector, Tian Chen patted Meng Tao's shoulder, chuckled, and headed straight for Spirit Hall Academy nearby.
Outside the city gates, the air was far fresher than it had been inside.
Tian Chen took a deep, appreciative breath and sighed inwardly.
The Douluo Continent really was better. There were hardly any places on Earth with such a good environment.
It was early spring, the season when all things awakened.
The tall trees on either side of the road had sprouted tender green buds, and the various brilliant wildflowers in the grass gave off an enchanting fragrance.
Every so often, a cool breeze brushed against his face, leaving Tian Chen in a much lighter mood.
No wonder mimicry cultivation could speed up a Soul Master's cultivation. It seemed the environment affected people far more than he had imagined.
Twenty minutes later, Tian Chen arrived at the gates of Spirit Hall Academy.
Two stone statues of Six-Winged Angels, each ten meters tall, stood on either side of the gates. A squad of over ten Soul Masters was checking the identities of those entering.
Tian Chen did not seek special privileges, instead obediently joining the students already waiting in line.
Only when his turn came did he hand over the token his grandfather had given him the previous night.
Yet the guard merely glanced at it before respectfully returning it to Tian Chen, cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.
To think the Second Worship's grandson had come to study at Spirit Hall Academy too. It looked like this needed to be reported to His Holiness the Pope.
The squad leader watched Tian Chen's retreating figure thoughtfully.
Relations between the Worship Hall and the current Pope, Bibi Dong, were hardly harmonious. As someone from the Pope's faction, he could not help reading more into it.
In fact, this was entirely his own imagination at work. Tian Chen had come to Spirit Hall Academy solely for his own plans, and it had nothing to do with the Worship Hall.
He had no desire to get mixed up in the mess between the Worship Hall and Bibi Dong right now.
Besides, Qian Xunji's death might even have been a good thing for him.
Only after entering Spirit Hall Academy did Tian Chen personally appreciate the depth of its resources.
A broad cobblestone avenue led straight to the gates and ran through the entire campus. Various fruit trees native to the Douluo Continent lined both sides, while uniformed students came and went among them, chatting and laughing with their classmates.
It could not help reminding Tian Chen of his carefree school days in his previous life.
While Tian Chen studied these students, they were also studying him. Dressed in silver robes, Tian Chen stood out sharply among the students in their matching uniforms.
However, they did not pay him much attention. They merely glanced at him, nodded in greeting, and looked away.
Today was also the day new students enrolled at Spirit Hall Academy, and they had already seen plenty of newcomers like Tian Chen.
The students at Spirit Hall Academy were divided into three tiers. Those below rank twenty belonged to the elementary class.
Those from rank twenty to thirty belonged to the intermediate class. As for those above rank thirty, they were all key talents nurtured by Spirit Hall, belonging to what was called the advanced class.
Of course, there was one prerequisite: they had to break through rank thirty before turning twenty, because only Soul Masters of that kind were worth nurturing.
A complete good-for-nothing like Su Yuntao, for example, was not even qualified to study at Spirit Hall Academy.
The elementary and intermediate classes also had age limits. Those who reached a certain age without meeting the minimum requirements would be forcibly expelled from Spirit Hall Academy.
Still, anyone who could enter Spirit Hall Academy to study certainly had something exceptional about them, and every one of them could be considered outstandingly talented. Thus, very few students at Spirit Hall Academy were forcibly expelled for failing to meet the requirements.
Without much hesitation, Tian Chen glanced at the towering teaching building in the distance and headed toward it, following behind the other students.
His grandfather had already told him where his classroom was the day before, so Tian Chen wasted little time. He walked through the clean, tidy corridors and went straight to the teaching building's second floor.
"Found it."
Tian Chen looked up at the classroom number and, after confirming it, pushed the door open and entered.