"Teacher, I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you said earlier. I'll go assign him to Senior Brother's class now."
The burly man from the admissions office said awkwardly to the Pope, who was lounging in a grand teacher's chair, basking in the sun. Beside him stood Fire Phoenix Douluo, looking visibly annoyed. He was completely fed up with this fourth senior brother of his who napped all the time and didn't even hear what their teacher had said.
Of course, the "Senior Brother" mentioned here wasn't either of the two present—it referred to the Pope's son. By seniority, they all had to call him "Senior Brother," even though they were old enough to be his uncles. Hierarchies couldn't be disrupted.
"Forget it. You two go gather all the Spirit Hall affiliates still outside and get them back here. There are only two years left until the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. You'd better smarten up. Shang'er is about to break through to the Spirit King rank. One of you should take the lead in helping the younger students obtain their spirit rings. We need to start training Lin Xuan seriously. They are the future of our Spirit Hall."
After careful consideration, the Pope ultimately decided not to move Lin Xuan to a more advanced class. What Lin Xuan lacked was fundamental combat training and basic common knowledge, things that weren't taught in higher classes. And as it happened, the homeroom teacher for the third-year beginner class was someone the Pope trusted deeply. The two Douluo nodded quickly and slipped away.
"I also need to quickly complete the Yin-Yang dual-core spirit fusion and reach the rank of Ultimate Douluo. Then there won't be anyone on the continent who can stop me. Even if the two empires want to confront Spirit Hall, they'll have to think twice. Then I can finally begin the Angel Trials."
Ever since the Pope had broadened his horizons and realized that the Douluo Continent wasn't the only world out there, it had shaken him deeply. He realized he had been a frog in a well. Having defeated all the top experts on the continent, he had lost his previous drive. But now, his once-dormant ambition had reawakened.
While the two Super Douluo were being scolded, the students in the beginner class were also being yelled at by their teacher.
"Class dismissed! Go home and think hard about the rules and topics I taught today. If you break the rules, you'll be expelled. Even though you're a freshman, you need to keep up with the advanced classes!"
The classroom was dead silent. The students sat stiffly in their seats, too scared to move. The reason was simple: the teacher on the podium was terrifying.
He was as skinny as a stick, his face covered in scars, and his hair messy like a beggar's. If not for his uniform, one might mistake him for a vagrant. Yet, he was the most famous teacher in the entire school.
His name was Ning Qin, a defector from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and a direct descendant of the sect. His surname wasn't from the clan because he was born to a mistress his father had taken outside. From a young age, he was called a bastard, and after his father's death, he was framed and tortured by his father's enemies. If not for his possession of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda spirit, he would've died long ago.
Fortunately, one day, the Pope happened to visit the clan for a challenge and found Ning Qin scavenging for food in a garbage heap. He forcibly took Ning Qin away, which led to a complete fallout between Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. The Pope even fought a Super Douluo from the clan for four days and nights. At the time, he was only ranked 93. In gratitude, Ning Qin began teaching students for the Pope, sharing all he had learned in the sect, including its weaknesses. That's how he earned the label of traitor.
Seeing no one respond, Ning Qin said nothing more and left the classroom. Only after he left did the students finally breathe freely. He hadn't withdrawn his Spirit Emperor-level pressure during class, just to remind them of his power. Everyone exchanged looks before leaving the room. No one wanted to speak to each other, yet they were all strangers. They'd rather wait and observe.
"Oh? Not bad accommodations."
Following the signs, Lin Xuan arrived at his assigned dorm. The burly man had only handed him a room token before rushing off, so Lin Xuan had ended up wandering around and inadvertently toured the whole academy. The room was huge—around seventy square meters—with a bed, a bathroom, a toilet, a desk, two chairs, a bookshelf, and a wardrobe. It was ridiculously luxurious. And the annual tuition? Just one silver soul coin. An absolute bargain.
He placed his spare clothes in the wardrobe, opened the window to let in fresh air, and set a photo of him and his mother on the desk. He had brought plenty of self-roasted coffee beans from Da Vinci and some magically enhanced red tea leaves from Medea Lily. He made himself a cup and slowly sipped it while staring at the photo of Nero's bright, sunny smile.
He began to zone out. He already missed his mother. And his little sister too, even though they had only just parted the day before. His dependence on his mother was extremely deep. Perhaps that was why Nero agreed to let Xiao Qi send him to the Douluo Continent so quickly.
"All third-year freshmen—get the hell out of here!"
Lin Xuan's melancholic moment was shattered by a sudden roar. They had barely rested for half an hour. His brow furrowed, and a flash of killing intent crossed his mind. He hated being interrupted when feeling emotional.
All the new students looked out the door, puzzled. A group of punk-looking guys had blocked the only exit of the dorm area. Those in the know immediately retreated into their rooms and locked the doors. Only some clueless newbies and a few brash types stayed outside to watch the show. Lin Xuan was one of them—he stepped out with his teacup, leaning against a wall, ready to enjoy the performance.
"Good. As for those who ran inside, cripple them all later. I refuse to believe they can hide in there forever."
The blond leader spoke menacingly, and his gang all agreed with mocking laughter. Lin Xuan watched these monkeys with interest. At most, the strongest among them was a rank-38 Spirit Elder. Sure, they were fairly powerful, but the class had three Spirit Elders, plus a bunch of near-Spirit Elders. They could fight back.
"I'm Shi Song, from the fifth year. If you don't want to end up missing limbs, then pay one silver soul coin per month. Otherwise, you'll end up like those hiding in their rooms. And don't think about reporting to the teachers—no one will interfere in this."
Shi Song announced arrogantly. His minions snickered. The new students' faces went pale. Fifth-year students had to be at least in the top 35. No one here could take him one-on-one. And a monthly silver soul coin was too much for most; many had only a few gold soul coins to their names.
"Hmph, trying to extort money in front of me, Xu Hao?"
Finally, a muscular new student stepped forward, releasing his martial spirit and glaring at Shi Song. His spirit was Gale Wolf, an agility-type beast spirit, with two yellow and one purple rings—rank 33. But in Lin Xuan's view, he was doomed.
The hallway was too narrow for an agility-type to maneuver, and the other two Spirit Elders weren't going to help. Most of the Grandmasters were too afraid or too weak to step in.
"Swift Step!"
"Wind Blade!"
"Sonic Claw!"
Xu Hao didn't hold back, immediately using all three of his soul skills. Shi Song's martial spirit turned out to be a Coiling Dragon Staff—a powerful tool spirit, surprising even Lin Xuan.
"Thousand Staff Strikes!"
Shi Song easily countered Xu Hao's attacks with just his third soul skill. Countless staff shadows shattered Xu Hao's wind blades and sonic claw. Xu Hao panicked when his strongest skills failed, but barely managed to dodge a staff strike with his first skill. Grabbing the staff with his right hand, he aimed a claw strike at Shi Song's gut with his left—but Shi Song smirked. His second soul ring lit up, and Xu Hao's hand was violently flung away by a burst of spirit power. Then Shi Song smacked him on the head with brutal force, instantly knocking him unconscious.
Lin Xuan sighed. It wasn't that Xu Hao was weak—it was just that agility types lacked power at this level, and Xu Hao's combat experience and soul ring quality were all inferior. Plus, who tries to barehand grab a weapon spirit? If they'd fought in an open field, Xu Hao might've stood a chance.
Lin Xuan was mildly impressed. These thuggish punks had real strength. He'd underestimated them.
"Anyone else got a problem? If not, hand over your payment tomorrow. Remember, I'm Shi Song, the fourth-year class monitor!"
He planted a foot on Xu Hao's head and sneered. No one responded. Even the other Spirit Elders backed off—they knew they weren't any stronger and didn't want to embarrass themselves. Lin Xuan knew it was his cue.
"Wait, I only have one copper soul coin a month, and I'm not willing to get a part-time job. What should I do?"
Just as Shi Song was turning to leave, Lin Xuan's mocking voice rang out. Shi Song turned back, smiling in amusement. Lin Xuan smiled calmly back. Some girls tugged on his sleeve, trying to stop him.
"You say something? I didn't quite catch that."
Shi Song smiled warmly, but his eyes were dangerous. One wrong word and he'd strike without hesitation.
Lin Xuan casually walked up, tea in hand, and leaned close enough to kiss or kill. He whispered in Shi Song's ear:
"Oh? I said, you'd better not piss me off. They don't have to pay you anymore. Because if you make me angry, it'll be scary. Try hitting me and see what happens."
He finished his tea, tsked, and turned back toward his room, laughing loudly. Shi Song clenched his fists, veins bulging, but for some reason, his heart trembled. Lin Xuan felt like a sword in its sheath—deadly if provoked.
Back in his room, Lin Xuan brewed more tea. To his surprise, Medea Lily's red tea even gave a small boost to his soul power, which excited him. He ignored Shi Song entirely—he was confident the guy wouldn't dare attack. But he didn't close his door. Shi Song understood the message—it was an open invitation for a private duel. He swallowed his fear and entered.
"So badass!"
"Let's help that guy!"
"I'll go get the teacher!"
Even Shi Song's minions were dumbfounded. The new students were awestruck. Some mocked the two cowardly Spirit Elders, others admired Lin Xuan's boldness, especially the girls—he was cute and brave.
"Take a seat. I'll beat you later. First, let me finish this tea. But you're not getting any."
Lin Xuan sat at his desk and pointed to a stool. Shi Song didn't speak. Once inside, he seemed calmer.
"See? No need to fight. Why not just sit and talk about life and dreams?"
Lin Xuan smiled as he sipped his tea. In his mind, this fight was already unnecessary.
(End of Chapter)