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One morning, Yang Xiong left the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect alone, dressed in plain clothes.
Since absorbing his second soul ring and passing half a year, Yang Xiong was still not yet twelve years old, but his height had already reached nearly 1.7 meters. His face still carried a youthful innocence, but his physique and muscles made him look like an adult.
In the world of soul masters on the Douluo Continent, the Spirit Hall remained the most prestigious institution. Even disciples of sects like Yang Xiong carried proof of their status as soul masters.
To avoid drawing attention to his wealth, Yang Xiong wore a wristband storage soul-guidance device, kept the Hundred Herb Pouch close to his body, and carried a small bag of gold spirit coins along with a gold spirit coin card.
Originally, both his father, Yang Lin, and mother, Sun Yu, were against Yang Xiong leaving the sect to visit Tian Dou City. Sun Yu even offered to personally accompany him.
However, Yang Xiong explained that he was now eleven and a half and would soon turn twelve. This trip to Tian Dou City was mainly to check out the advanced soul master academies, preparing for his future enrollment.
At his current level of twenty-four, Yang Xiong could easily meet the requirements for admission to prestigious institutions like the Tian Dou Imperial Academy. With his talent, strength, and status as a sect disciple, gaining entry wouldn't be an issue—even if the academy only accepted nobles.
After walking for half a day, Yang Xiong finally arrived at Tian Dou City. Compared to Seven Treasures City, Tian Dou City was even more towering and majestic. The city gates bustled with countless people coming and going, guarded by soldiers.
However, after presenting his soul master credentials, Yang Xiong entered without issue. Across the Douluo Continent, soul masters were the most revered profession. Even a basic soul master certificate guaranteed smooth passage in any city.
Upon entering Tian Dou City, Yang Xiong's first stop was Zixing Academy, where his older brother, Yang Wei, was studying.
Yang Wei's talent was average. Despite consuming whale glue multiple times, at seventeen years old, his soul power had only reached level thirty-one.
This meant that over the past five years, Yang Wei had only increased his soul power by ten levels, even with the aid of whale glue and soul rings.
Still, level thirty-one was respectable for a student at an ordinary advanced soul master academy. Many such academies required students to reach level thirty to graduate.
The teams of ordinary advanced soul master academies rarely included more than one or two Soul Ancestors—some didn't even have one. Most members were just high-level Soul Elders. At seventeen, Yang Wei was already at level thirty-one. With a few more years of diligent cultivation, he might join the academy's team or even participate in another soul master tournament if he chose to persevere.
Recently, Yang Wei had been fully immersed in training at Zixing Academy, hoping to earn a spot on the academy's team before his graduation in six months.
Advanced soul master academies maintained strict management, allowing only students or visitors to enter. After showing his identification, Yang Xiong was soon greeted by Yang Wei.
As they walked through Zixing Academy, Yang Wei expressed his surprise. "Xiao Xiong, what brings you to Tian Dou City? Didn't Mom and Dad come with you?"
Yang Xiong smiled. "Big Brother, I came to Tian Dou City alone for some experience. It's been half a year since you've been home, so Mom and Dad asked me to bring you something."
Yang Wei fell silent for a moment. "You know, Xiao Xiong, I've been focusing entirely on my training lately and haven't had time to go home."
Without further ado, Yang Xiong handed Yang Wei a soul-guidance device. Ning Fengzhi had given him a million gold spirit coins and various cultivation resources.
Currently, Yang Wei was the only member of the Yang family without a storage soul-guidance device. So, Yang Xiong had purchased two such devices in Seven Treasures City—one for Yang Wei and one for himself. He kept a smaller personal storage device hidden on his body for private items. His original two devices, given by the sect, were too conspicuous and inconvenient for hiding.
Yang Wei took the soul-guidance device with great delight, his eyes filled with joy. "Xiao Xiong, you're the best! You know how long I've wanted this type of storage soul-guidance device!"
Yang Xiong chuckled. "It'll be more convenient for you to have one while you're out."
Yang Wei carefully examined the device, unable to hide his excitement. Upon seeing its contents, his joy grew even more intense.
"Xiao Xiong, how did you manage to get so many resources in here? These things must be worth a fortune!"
Yang Xiong replied, "I know you've been working hard on your cultivation. With these resources, you might be able to push yourself further. Who knows—you could even make it as a substitute for the next soul master tournament."
Yang Wei nodded. "The next tournament is in two and a half years. If I can reach level thirty-four or thirty-five, I'll definitely have a chance."
Yang Xiong smiled. In the original storyline, substitutes like Huang Yuan from Shrek Academy were around level thirty-five. With Yang Wei's Iron Sword Martial Soul and his current soul power level, he indeed had a good chance of becoming a substitute for Zixing Academy.
Under Yang Wei's guidance, Yang Xiong took a tour of Zixing Academy.
The academy wasn't particularly large, spanning about a thousand acres with roughly three hundred students. It featured several simulated environments for training.
In terms of size, faculty strength, and environment, it paled in comparison to the Tian Dou Imperial Academy. However, running an advanced soul master academy in Tian Dou City required not only qualified teachers but also strong backing and financial support. Tuition fees alone couldn't sustain such an institution—it needed the backing of an empire, sect, or wealthy noble families.
Yang Wei proudly remarked, "What do you think, Xiao Xiong? Our Zixing Academy isn't bad, right? It's a long-standing advanced soul master academy, and we participate in the soul master tournaments almost every year. This academy was carefully selected by Father as the best fit for my cultivation."
Yang Xiong smiled. "Indeed, it's not bad. Though it's a bit small, it has all the necessary facilities, and the learning atmosphere is good. It's well-suited for your Iron Sword Martial Soul."
Yang Wei added, "Xiao Xiong, you'll be twelve soon. Maybe you could join Zixing Academy in the future. We could look out for each other. With your strength, there's no hope for this year's tournament, but you might become a main player in the next one."
After careful thought, Yang Xiong replied, "I'm not sure where I'll go yet, but if nothing unexpected happens, I'll likely attend the Tian Dou Imperial Academy. You know the relationship between our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Tian Dou Imperial Family."
Yang Wei sneered. "That bunch of second-generation heirs at the Tian Dou Imperial Academy may have excellent resources and environments, but the academy's atmosphere is terrible. Last time, their second team got thoroughly trounced by our Zixing Academy."
"Even their second team—those students had higher innate soul power and ranks than ours when they enrolled. But those spoiled brats have no real combat ability."
Yang Xiong sighed. From his observations, only the Tian Dou Imperial Academy seemed somewhat respectable. Other strong teams were monopolized by noble families, and his own martial soul wasn't a good fit.
On the other hand, if he truly wanted to cultivate discreetly, Zixing Academy wouldn't be a bad choice. Unfortunately, as an inner disciple, many of his plans were probably already arranged by the sect.
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