Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Soul Master Academies on the Douluo Continent are divided into primary, intermediate, and advanced levels. Graduates of advanced Soul Master Academies are mostly from schools that are semi-official and have some connections with the governments of the two great empires and many kingdoms and duchies.

These Soul Master academies naturally need to make a profit, and because of their close relationship with the government, they are not very friendly to ordinary people. The junior academies have work-study programs, but once you get to the intermediate academies, the high tuition fees alone make many ordinary people give up.

Besides these Soul Master academies, another option is to join the Spirit Hall and become a Soul Master trained by the Spirit Hall. Not only is the tuition cheaper, but job placement is also guaranteed after graduation.

Of course, to join the Spirit Hall's Spirit Master training institution, you must first have outstanding talent, at least at the third level of innate spirit power, to ensure that you have a high probability of becoming a Spirit Master, and only then are you qualified to be invested in.

The dozen or so children in Yan's group, having been selected and sent to Wuhun City, naturally possessed exceptional talent. However, due to varying levels of potential, they were assigned to different Soul Master academies.

The carriage carrying Yan finally arrived at a tall archway, which was built of solid rock and had two iron gates at the bottom, made of the finest iron.

His gaze pierced through the iron fence, revealing a winding path leading directly inside, flanked by tall trees. Looking further afield, he could see the Soul Master Academy plaza, where a tall teaching building stood out prominently.

"The First Junior Soul Master Academy, a seed academy."

Yan looked up at the hanging plaque, where the six large characters "Elementary Soul Master Academy" were particularly eye-catching, and next to it were two boys with the words "Number One" written on them.

The Spirit Hall has many academies that train spirit masters on its own, the most famous of which is the Spirit Hall Advanced Spirit Master Academy. Liya is a graduate of that academy and provides fresh blood for the Spirit Hall every year.

Besides its only advanced soul master academy, the Spirit Hall also has numerous subordinate intermediate and junior academies, among which the First Junior Soul Master Academy is the most famous, gathering many outstanding students and resources.

Based on Yan's strength, he could actually skip a grade and enter the intermediate academy. After all, his strength is already at the level required for graduation from the primary academy, which is a one-ring Soul Master. He has far exceeded that requirement.

However, Yan had no intention of skipping a grade. On the one hand, it was unnecessary, as the resource gap between the primary and intermediate academies was not that great, at least not for him, who had received investment from Feng Lin, a Soul King.

Another reason is that staying at the junior academy gives him enough freedom. After all, he has already become a one-ring Soul Master and met the graduation requirements, so the teachers won't be as strict. This might not be the case at the intermediate academy.

Chapter 21 Enrollment

Yan's enrollment went smoothly. With the recommendation from the Spirit Hall of Nar City and the connections Feng Lin had, there were naturally no problems.

After saying goodbye to Liya, Feng Lin, and the others, Yan headed towards the teaching building alone.

Junior Soul Master academies typically have a six-year curriculum, divided into six grades. By graduation, almost all students can reach the level of a first-ring Soul Master. In Soul Master cultivation, the first twenty levels of Soul Power are the easiest to achieve, and as long as one is determined to cultivate, one will generally not encounter any bottlenecks.

One master, with only half a level of innate soul power, still managed to reach level twenty-nine smoothly. For most soul masters, level thirty is a threshold; if they haven't crossed this threshold before the age of thirty, it's basically impossible to cross it without external help.

The Spirit Hall's Soul Master Academy allows students to skip grades, and the academy even encourages this behavior as long as you meet the requirements. However, for Yan, at least for the first few months, he did not have the idea of ​​skipping grades.

Most students in the junior academy have soul power below level ten, but there are exceptions. Geniuses with innate soul power above level seven can become a one-ring soul master in one or two years at most.

In such cases, most of them do not choose to skip a grade to go to an intermediate college. Although there is a gap between junior and intermediate colleges, in reality, this gap is not very significant.

"Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix." Such a genius would be among the most outstanding in the junior academy and would certainly be valued by the academy's higher-ups. However, things might not be the same in the intermediate academy, where there would be more competitors and greater pressure.

More importantly, by making good use of the six years in junior college, one can actually create a great gimmick: that after graduation one can skip the intermediate college and go directly to the senior college.

The entrance requirement for the advanced academy is a soul power level of level 20 under the age of 20, regardless of whether you have graduated from the intermediate academy.

Those who can become one-ring Soul Masters in their first or second year are truly gifted individuals. If they work hard, they have a good chance of becoming two-ring Great Soul Masters before graduating from junior academy. These people are basically admitted to advanced academies without taking the entrance exam, and they will inevitably be recognized as geniuses.

If young people want to get ahead, the best way is naturally to become famous. If you are famous, important people will remember you; if you are not famous, who will know you?

Therefore, among the many academies of the Spirit Hall, the competition for top students in the junior academy is actually quite fierce. Yan was assigned to Class 3. The students in the first two classes were all direct descendants of the Spirit Hall, and they all had some special backgrounds, which he could not compare with.

It was probably during the freshman enrollment period, and the freshman teaching building was particularly lively, with some freshmen who had passed the assessment registering and reporting for duty here.

"Academy life, huh? I'm actually looking forward to it. Class 3, is this the place?"

Yan followed the school sign along the roadside until he arrived at a snow-white teaching building. As he walked along the corridor, he looked around at the classrooms, which had a somewhat Western style and looked clean and bright.

When Yan arrived at the classroom, there were already quite a few people inside, chatting in twos and threes. Yan glanced around and noticed that they clearly had their own little cliques.

Although they all wore the same student uniforms, the style and temperament of their outfits were clearly different. Most of the people chatting in twos and threes exuded a confident and smug aura, suggesting they all came from privileged backgrounds.

A few people sat quietly in the corner, their eyes revealing a sense of inferiority. They probably came from humble backgrounds and couldn't connect with the others, or they might even be orphans like Yan.

Yan had no intention of infiltrating any particular clique. After glancing around casually for a few moments, he found a seat in the middle by the window and took out a book from his backpack to read.

Yan has always believed in the saying, "Knowledge is power." Other things may deceive you, but knowledge will not. Moreover, as someone who possesses the Dawn of Intelligence, he needs to collect big data. Besides collecting data through daily contact, the best method is, of course, reading books.

On the journey from the Kingdom of Silves to Wuhun City, while the other children in the group got off the carriage to play, he mostly stayed in the carriage reading, mainly because he simply couldn't play with the group of six- or seven-year-old children.

As the school bell rang, the once noisy classroom suddenly became chaotic. The students who were chatting quickly found seats, while Yan, who was reading a book on soul beasts, put down the book and looked towards the classroom door.

About three minutes later, an old man walked into the classroom. He was wearing a white robe, of medium build, and was somewhat hunched over. He had very bright eyes, and his black eyes shone with a sharp light.

After the old man entered, the previously somewhat chaotic class immediately quieted down, and everyone's attention was focused on the podium.

"Good morning, students. I am your homeroom teacher, Matthew."

The smiling old man walked a few steps to the back of the podium and introduced himself. Unsurprisingly, he was the homeroom teacher of Class 3.

Matthew's gentle gaze swept over the many students, his face beaming with a warm smile. It was clear that he was an elderly man who loved children very much.

Yan had a good impression of Matthew, the homeroom teacher of Class 3. He was an older, kind-hearted man who wasn't too strict with the students, didn't meddle in other people's business, and was easy to talk to, which made Yan quite satisfied.

However, the first day's course arrangement was, well, similar to that of new student enrollment. The first class was basically about students introducing themselves.

Yan really wanted to take out the Complete Book of Soul Beasts and continue immersing himself in the world of the book, but after thinking about it, he realized that it would be a bit disrespectful and decided not to do so.

Time passed slowly, the grueling first class ended, and the process of introducing themselves and getting to know each other was finally over. After a short break between classes, he finally welcomed his first meaningful lesson at the Soul Master Academy.

"Students, today I'm going to teach you a lesson called 'Basic Knowledge of Soul Masters.' I'll be teaching you some basic knowledge about Soul Masters... First, I'll talk about the simplest thing: the ranking system of Soul Masters..."

As Matthew lectured, Yan and many other students listened attentively. It must be said that professionals are professionals; at least in terms of teaching, Matthew did a great job.

Yan chose to come to the junior academy first because he wanted to learn solid basic knowledge. In this respect, the teachers at the junior academy are the most professional because most of the students they face need to go through this learning process.

Students at intermediate and even advanced academies are at least at the level of a one-ring Soul Master, and the teachers there focus more on developing students' practical skills than on basic knowledge. But what Yan needs most right now is precisely this basic Soul Master knowledge.

Chapter 22 Practical Lessons

"This afternoon, a dedicated instructor will be here to conduct practical training sessions for everyone. Please be prepared. get out of class dismissed."

On the podium, just before the end of get out of class, Mr. Mathieu announced some news about someone. As he left, the once quiet classroom suddenly became lively, with students gathering in twos and threes to discuss the matter.

After a few days of college life, the students in Class 3 had gotten to know each other, and their small circles had become more distinct.

Yan didn't join either side's discussion, but silently packed his bag and prepared to leave the classroom. The greatest significance of the elementary academy courses for him was mastering more textbook knowledge, something that even a Soul King like Feng Lin might not be able to match in terms of elementary academy teachers.

Everyone has their own expertise. Feng Lin may indeed surpass most of the academy's teachers in terms of soul power level, but these teachers are the professionals when it comes to teaching students basic knowledge and specialized knowledge. For Yan to build a large database, this basic knowledge is extremely important.

His life now revolves around two points: studying in class, reading after class, and cultivating at home. The Spirit Hall academy has a dedicated library with a rich collection of books, and Yan now spends most of his time in the library, except for classes, cultivation, and sleep.

He has already read about half of the books in the library these days, and in about another month, he will be able to read through all the books in the library.

Just as Yan was about to get up and leave, a chubby hand blocked his way. He looked up and saw a rather round, somewhat simple-minded fat man.

Generally speaking, every school has overweight students, and most of them are quite popular, perhaps because they are easygoing and have a good physique.

"Tuoba Hong? Is something the matter?"

Yan looked at the honest-looking fat guy in front of him with a puzzled expression. They were all in the same class and had introduced themselves, so it was not like he couldn't recognize his classmates. But it seemed that he and this guy had no interaction.

The chubby boy Tuoba Hong from years ago was born into the White-Armored Earth Dragon Clan, one of the direct forces under the Spirit Hall. After the Spirit Hall launched the Soul Hunting Operation and destroyed the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan, it re-elected the seven major sects. The White-Armored Earth Dragon Clan replaced the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan and established the Holy Dragon Clan, becoming one of the new three upper sects.

Tuoba Hong laughed and said, "Haha, Boss Yan, I just wanted to get to know you. We can exchange ideas more often in the academy in the future."

"That's strange. Aren't you one of them? Why are you trying to befriend a commoner like me?"

Yan raised an eyebrow slightly and pointed to a small group talking on the other side of the classroom. Although the students in Class 3 of Grade 1 were only six or seven years old, the competition in some aspects had already begun.

Members of noble or well-off Soul Master families receive a good education from a young age. After entering the academy, they naturally form groups and communicate with each other because of their parents' connections. Ordinary commoners find it difficult to integrate into their circles.

Besides Yan, there were seven other commoner students in Class 3 of the first year. Faced with some subtle rejection, they formed a small circle and tried to win over Yan.

However, Yan showed little interest in such matters, appearing quite aloof. After all, he came to the Soul Master Academy to cultivate and accumulate knowledge, not to waste it on these meaningless things.

"This one……"

Tuoba Hong scratched his head and smiled, "Actually, what I wanted to say was that you probably don't have a teammate for the practical class this afternoon. How about we team up?"

Why did you come to me?

Yan paused for a moment before asking. He knew something about the practical training course that Tuoba Hong mentioned. It was mainly because the students around him were discussing it, and he wasn't deaf, so he naturally knew a little bit about it.

The practical courses in the junior academy, as the name suggests, guide students to develop the characteristics of their martial spirits for actual combat. For example, for weapon martial spirits such as swords and spears, they will provide guidance on some sword and spear techniques.

Some beast-type martial souls will also teach corresponding fighting techniques based on the characteristics of the martial soul. For example, the cat martial soul and the tiger martial soul may look similar when possessed, but one is suitable for a speed-based agility attack, while the other is more suitable for a strength-based attack.

The techniques for exerting force in these two paths are naturally different, and the teachers at the Junior Soul Master Academy will provide specialized basic guidance.

This course, well, it seems quite important, but in reality it's not that important. It's mainly for students from better backgrounds, whose parents and elders are mostly higher-level Soul Masters, and they may have already experienced professional guidance.

However, this course is still quite important for some Soul Masters from humble backgrounds. Without a background, they have limited access to resources, and this targeted guidance can help them avoid many detours.

However, it's different for Yan. Not to mention that he has the investment of a Soul King, his own AI, Dawn, already puts him above most beginner Soul Masters. Not to mention these basic Martial Soul development techniques, he has already designed a significant portion of the subsequent Martial Soul advancement path.

"It's because you seem to have no one to team up with."

Tuoba Hong seemed a little embarrassed. After hesitating for a moment, he said in a low voice, "I can sense that your martial spirit is not simple."

"My martial spirit is extraordinary?"

Yan fell silent after hearing this, but looked at Tuoba Hong with a scrutinizing gaze. His eyes were very oppressive, making the little fat boy feel a little uneasy.

"Can you describe what kind of sensation it was?"

Yan observed the chubby boy for a long time but couldn't find any flaws in him. It seemed that the boy wasn't lying. Now, Yan was also becoming somewhat interested in the chubby boy. He sensed that the boy's martial soul was not simple. This chubby boy probably didn't have a mental martial soul.

"You should know that my martial soul is the White Armored Earth Dragon, right?"

Yan nodded after hearing what the chubby boy said, and the chubby boy Tuoba Hong hesitated for a moment before continuing, "The White Armored Earth Dragon martial spirit contains a portion of the true dragon bloodline, and I have quite a talent for sensing martial spirits."

When I'm face to face with you, I can feel my martial spirit being suppressed, no... how should I put it, it's like you possess some kind of royal bloodline."

After listening to the chubby boy's words, Yan understood a little and made some guesses about what he was saying.

As for the bloodline of a king, I do seem to have come into contact with such things recently. To be precise, I've been using it to cultivate and continuously improve the quality of my martial soul. I guess I've been in contact with it for a long time and have acquired a similar aura and a certain kingly pressure, which is why this chubby guy was able to sense it.

Chapter 23 Teacher Lü Song

Two o'clock in the afternoon, on the college playground.

As the bell rang, the students of Class 3, Grade 1, arrived at the playground under the guidance of their teachers. After a few days of academy life, everyone knew the importance of punctuality, so there were no instances of being late.

Yan Gang came to the playground from the college library, blending in with the crowd unnoticed. The autumn sun was still scorching. Just as everyone was getting a little impatient, Teacher Matthew and another middle-aged man strolled over.

More precisely, it was the middle-aged man's unhurried pace that prevented Mr. Mathieu from speeding up.

"Dear students, this will be your practical training instructor from now on, Lü Song."