The academy had a graduation assessment, but the requirement of ten matches in the Great Spirit Arena wasn't particularly high. Anyone who could graduate had already completed it.
As for Fang Ling, that went without saying.
"Throat-Slitting Ling" hadn't been to the Great Spirit Arena in Vic Icewind City for some time.
Yet his legend still circulated there.
After advancing to his second spirit ring, he thought he could return and earn more points through combat.
But everyone recognized him.
The audience's enthusiasm was overwhelming. Even when bets were raised to ten thousand, after he swiftly killed one opponent in a wagered duel, no one dared fight him anymore...
The power and sudden explosive force of "Curse Blade" was just too overwhelming, no one wanted to enter a battle they were doomed to lose.
Left with no choice, Fang Ling focused on recovery and training.
He planned to continue once he reached Heaven Dou City.
Most likely, he would have to stick to wagered duels, since the silver spirit badge was not bound by level.
Including the two points he saved earlier, he now had four, enough to level up.
But leveling up from 22 to 23 immediately upon returning seemed suspicious, so he decided to wait a bit.
After another month of rest and training at the academy, having grown more proficient with the new scythe, his teacher Lin Tianyang came looking for him.
"Your surprise is here, let's go. My dad is waiting in the headmaster's office."
Fang Ling followed him, feeling a twinge of anticipation.
He had once mentioned wanting to go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
It was the most natural way to connect with Dugu Yan.
If that didn't work out...
It wasn't a big deal. He'd just find another chance to "accidentally" run into her.
He was also curious who his grandmaster had meant when he mentioned an ideal teammate.
In the office, Lin Tianyang pushed open the door.
Seeing his father reading a letter intently, he called out boldly, "Dad, Fang Ling's here."
He sat off to the side.
The headmaster looked up and beckoned Fang Ling over with a smile. "Little Fang Ling, come here."
"Grandmaster."
Fang Ling quickly walked over.
"I recall you once mentioned wanting to attend Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
Fang Ling nodded, then asked, "That should be the best academy in the empire, right?"
The headmaster tugged his beard and replied,
"It is the best, but the entry requirements are strict. Aside from top talent, you also need a noble's recommendation."
Fang Ling said nothing, listening respectfully, playing the part of a diligent student.
"By your original qualifications, you wouldn't have made it. But my older brother is a ranking earl in Heaven Dou City."
"I wrote him a letter. With a rank-one innate spirit power and a mundane wooden-handled farming scythe as a spirit, even with good combat talent and his recommendation, you wouldn't be accepted."
"But now, with your evolved spirit and your silver spirit badge, there's finally a chance."
The headmaster paused, shook the letter in his hand, and looked Fang Ling in the eye. "You've received the approval of three board members."
Board members?
Fang Ling immediately thought of Tang San's spirit pressure test.
The one that fused the Eight Spider Lances.
Of course, that wasn't the point. What really stood out to him was the first appearance of "Blind-Eye Douluo" Dugu Bo.
He was so close, yet failed to recognize Xiao Wu as a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in disguise...
That was laughable.
Fang Ling probably wouldn't meet someone like that this time.
He had earned a recommendation through proper channels, not as some rogue prodigy, so he wouldn't likely attract attention from Xue Beng.
Still, the term "board members" brought those thoughts to mind.
"The three board members oversee the academy's teaching. They're all Spirit Douluo-level experts, just a step below Titled Douluo. If you pass their test, you can enter without any obstacles."
Under the headmaster's gaze, a confident gleam lit Fang Ling's eyes.
"I'll definitely gain their recognition!"
The headmaster trusted Fang Ling's talent. A kind smile appeared on his aged face.
"You'd better succeed."
"You've chosen a difficult path, injuries will be unavoidable."
"It's fortunate, though, that you chose the best academy. There's a soul master there with the world's top healing spirit: Nine-Hearted Begonia. She's already been preselected to join Team One once she reaches the Spirit Elder rank."
"If you can get into Team One and build a good relationship with that girl, best case, marry her., then your healing needs will be taken care of."
The headmaster raised his eyebrows with a teasing smile, like a mischievous old man.
"!"
Fang Ling met his brownish-yellow eyes and felt a jolt.
Originally, he had only intended to go to Heaven Dou Royal Academy for Dugu Bo, for the immortal herbs and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
But his grandmaster's reminder made him realize he had overlooked Ye Lingling, the world's strongest healer.
Before obtaining the Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, he would need someone like her to help with healing.
After obtaining it, he'd need her even more, to cover it up.
Otherwise, rapid recovery from severe wounds would raise suspicion.
After all, Dugu Bo couldn't defeat Tang Hao.
Though draining life force was a great skill, he couldn't just stab people after fights to absorb energy for healing.
That would get him labeled a fallen soul master.
Looking at it this way, no matter how you framed it, Ye Lingling was indispensable.
Still, talk of marriage was a bit premature.
In Douluo Continent, monogamy wasn't the norm. Zhu Zhuqing, as a princess consort, wasn't angry at Dai Mubai for seeing other women, only for his lack of ambition.
Fang Ling didn't deny his appreciation for beauty, it was human nature.
But he wouldn't pursue relationships just for physical pleasure.
He'd take things as they came.
If their personalities matched and they got along well, he certainly wouldn't let her go.
"I'll do my best, Grandmaster."
Seeing his teacher also cheering him on, Fang Ling scratched his head awkwardly.
He hadn't even met the girl yet, and they were already playing matchmaker.
It felt like his elders were setting him up behind his back, and he couldn't argue.
From their perspective, Fang Ling's path was dangerous and injury-prone, so having a top healing soul master by his side could be life-saving.
They were half-joking, but it was sincere advice.
Fang Ling couldn't refute it, he just brushed it off.
...
Another month passed. Twenty kilometers outside Heaven Dou City.
A luxurious carriage bearing the Gale Tribe's crest rolled to a stop in front of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's grand gate.
On closer inspection, the gate was adorned with swan reliefs and stretched endlessly, with ten-meter-high iron bars.
Well-armed soldiers patrolled along the walls.
In the distance stood a mountain nearly a thousand meters tall. Trees blanketed the landscape in green, still lush despite the passing winter.
The academy looked like it was built within a forest.
The semester had technically already started.
But top-level soul master academies, especially one like Heaven Dou Royal Academy, directly run by the empire, didn't strictly follow the rules.
Mid-term admissions with noble recommendations weren't unusual.
So the two didn't rush.
Once the carriage came to a stop, two figures, one older, one younger, stepped down.
"We're here. This is the place."
Looking at the grand gate and the beautiful scenery within, the headmaster placed a hand on Fang Ling's shoulder, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
"Unless something unexpected happens, this will be your home and training ground for the next few years."
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