Tang San's second spirit was of the dark attribute, so even in the dead of night, his perception remained exceptionally sharp.
"Five people in total? I just arrived in Spirit Hall City and I'm already being ambushed? Sent by the Spirit Hall? Or some sect with a grudge against the Clear Sky Sect?" Tang San instantly locked onto them. Besides the three in front of him, he sensed two more hiding in the shadows, observing. His Soul Power silently circulated—if the opponents had a Soul Emperor-level expert, he would flee immediately and call for his father.
The leader of the group patted Tang San's chest and said, "Hey, newbie, are you deaf or mute? Didn't you hear? If you want to enter the academy, first pay 100 gold coins to our Prosper Spirit Gang. From now on, if you have any trouble in the academy, just drop our name—no one will dare mess with you."
Hearing this, Tang San was momentarily stunned, the Soul Power circulating within him faltering. He cursed inwardly, What the hell? This is just school bullying?!
I had my Clear Sky Hammer ready, and you hit me with this?!
Seeing Tang San frozen in place, one of the lackeys said, "Boss, this guy looks scared stiff."
Hu Yao, the leader of the Prosper Spirit Gang, sneered disdainfully at Tang San. "Tch, kids these days. Just kneel, kowtow a few times, call me Boss Hu, and hand over anything valuable on you. I'll go easy on you."
Tang San sighed helplessly and chuckled. "So it's true—people really do laugh when they're speechless."
"Huh? What did you say?"
Tang San's gaze turned icy as his Soul Power surged. With a single step, relying purely on physical strength, the ground cracked beneath him. He lashed out with a kick—swift and heavy.
Boom!
Hu Yao, the extortionist leader, was sent flying backward, his stomach caving in as stomach acid surged up his throat. He crashed into a tree behind him with a thunderous impact, knocking it down before collapsing unconscious.
"What was that?!"
The commotion from Tang San's kick drew the attention of many nearby.
Seeing Tang San not only refuse to submit but even dare to counterattack, Hu Yao's two lackeys immediately summoned their Martial Souls—one wielded a Meteor Hammer, while the other grew red wolf fur all over his body. Both were two-ringed Soul Masters, with one white and one yellow Soul Ring each.
"Prepare to die!"
"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"
They roared, activating their First Soul Skills as their Soul Rings glowed. Facing two two-ringed Great Soul Masters with decade-level Martial Souls, Tang San didn't even need to summon his own.
Clang!
His hands, white as jade, effortlessly caught the Meteor Hammer's strike. With a sharp flick, he swung the hammer horizontally, smashing it squarely into the wolf Soul Master's face, breaking his nose and sending him crumpling to the ground in a bloody heap.
Thud!
Tang San grabbed both by their collars and said to the still-conscious Meteor Hammer Soul Master, "Didn't the Spirit Hall's teachers teach you that extortion is wrong?"
Before the words even finished, he slammed their heads together, knocking the other Soul Master unconscious as well. His gaze swept over the two still hiding in the shadows, but he didn't pursue them. Instead, he simply continued toward the registration area.
Witnessing this unreasonable display of strength, the two hidden observers broke out in a cold sweat.
"Brother Ding Feng, what should we do? That guy is incredibly strong. He took down Hu Yao and the other two without even using his Martial Soul."
The man called Ding Feng's face darkened instantly as he stared at Tang San's retreating figure and muttered to himself, "Damn it, they're all useless. That bastard Lu Ganlin spends all his time on shady schemes instead of doing his job properly. Now even the Spirit Bone Display Box has been stolen."
"You follow that kid. Find out which academy and which class he's entering. No matter what, we must get the Spirit Bone Display Box back. Without it, neither of us will live long."
Tang San naturally had no idea he had unwittingly become involved in some trouble. Right now, he just wanted to enroll in Spirit Hall Academy.
Soon, Tang San arrived at the Spirit Hall Academy registration area.
"Those applying for Spirit Junior Academy, come here!" a clear voice called out.
"Applicants for Spirit Main Academy, please come here. The entrance exam for Spirit Main Academy begins in three days. Those wishing to apply should hurry."
Tang San had already researched Spirit Hall Academy beforehand. The academy accepted Soul Masters from all over the world—any Soul Master could study there. Even if you were thirty or forty years old, as long as you wanted to, you could enroll to cultivate your Martial Soul.
After all, Spirit Hall's public stance had always been about contributing to the development of Martial Souls. Spirit Hall Academy consisted of three divisions: Spirit Junior Academy, Spirit Main Academy, and the highest-level Spirit Saint Academy. These three academies corresponded to Spirit Hall's branch halls, main halls, and saint halls respectively.
As long as one met the graduation requirements, they could work at the corresponding Spirit Hall after graduation.
Spirit Junior Academy was the lowest level, open to any Soul Master without restrictions on age, cultivation level, or background—it didn't even charge tuition. This was where the vast majority of commoner Soul Masters enrolled.
Tang San didn't head toward Spirit Junior Academy. With no entry requirements, the quality of students there would inevitably be poor. Forget resources—there probably wouldn't even be any real competition. Such a place wasn't suitable for him.
Seeing Tang San bypass the junior academy, a teacher from the main academy quickly approached him. "Young man, would you like to apply for our Spirit Main Academy? The registration fee is one thousand gold coins, fully refundable if you pass the entrance exam."
The main academy was naturally Spirit Hall Academy's primary talent pool. To join, one needed to pass an entrance exam—only those who succeeded could enter.
Tang San shook his head slowly. "Sorry, I'm not planning to apply for the main academy."
What?!
"Not planning to apply for the main academy? No way!"
Even at night, the Spirit Hall Academy registration area was crowded with Soul Masters from all over. Many turned to look at Tang San. After all, Spirit Hall Academy only had three divisions—if he bypassed the junior academy and wasn't applying for the main academy, that left only one option.
"No way, he's crazy. Does he not know about the saint academy's entrance exam?"
"Probably some country bumpkin Soul Master who doesn't know about Spirit Saint Academy's exam. There are always a few like this every year. Hmph, he'll turn back once he hits a wall."
Tang San ignored the idle gossip and walked straight to the innermost part of the registration area. Unlike the crowded registration desks of the branch and main academies, the registration desk for the Spirit Saint Academy was not only deserted but also quite shabby in appearance, resembling the clinic where he had first met Qian Renxue. It must have been built a long time ago.
Tang San entered the registration room, which contained only a single table, two chairs, and an elderly man dressed in coarse linen robes.
Tang San knocked on the door and said, "Hello, I'd like to register for the Spirit Saint Academy. Could you tell me how—"
Before he could even finish his sentence, the old man whooshed forward, appearing before him in a flash, and immediately slung an arm around his shoulders with a somewhat sleazy grin. "Handsome lad, I can see you have extraordinary bone structure—a Martial Soul prodigy, one in ten thousand! You're destined to reach the pinnacle of life, marry a beautiful and wealthy woman. If you want to join our academy, it must be fate. I won't charge you much—just ten gold coins for the registration fee."