The next morning,
Yin Xuan sat in meditation, as usual—quiet, steady. Then he heard footsteps outside the door, sharp and clear. He looked up.
A moment later, the maid called out, "My Lord, His Highness the Crown Prince invites you to dine with him."
Yin Xuan opened the door. "Lead the way," he said.
The maid nodded, maybe a little flustered. She peeked at him, cheeks pink, before turning and hurrying ahead.
When they reached the hall, it was filled with delicious smells. Xue Qinghe was already there, waiting.
"Greetings, Crown Prince," Yin Xuan said.
Xue Qinghe waved him off, laughing. "No need to be so formal. How did you sleep?"
"Pretty well," Yin Xuan answered.
Xue Qinghe studied him. "You don't get tired of keeping such a stiff face all day?"
Yin Xuan shook his head. "I'm not trying to be stiff. There's just nothing that makes me happy."
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow. "Sit down, eat with me. And afterward, come with me to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"Thank you, Crown Prince." Yin Xuan settled at the table, crowded with fancy dishes. He didn't hesitate. No point in pretending—food in his stomach was the only thing that mattered.
Xue Qinghe watched him closely. "You know, you don't act like someone from a small place."
Yin Xuan shrugged. "I studied at the Spirit Master academy in Mulan City for two years."
Now Xue Qinghe's expression clicked into place. Mulan City was in the Balak Kingdom, which was second only to Heaven Dou City in power. Studying there made sense.
Xue Qinghe ate only a little, but Yin Xuan kept going. Xue Qinghe didn't say anything—just watched, amused. It was honestly kind of entertaining, seeing someone polish off so much food.
After a bit, Xue Qinghe actually looked surprised. The table was set for ten, but Yin Xuan was devouring dish after dish without stopping, like he had a bottomless stomach.
Yin Xuan ignored the Crown Prince's astonished stare. He was focused on the food—it was his, so he didn't care what anyone else thought.
Maybe his Spirit made him digest faster; the food disappeared quickly, fueling his body.
Eventually, Yin Xuan took the maid's handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and thanked Xue Qinghe for the meal.
Xue Qinghe laughed. "As long as you're full! If it's not enough, we can bring more."
Yin Xuan shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm good. I'm full."
"Great, then…" Xue Qinghe got up to leave. "I've already made arrangements with the three Spirit Douluo instructors at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. They value talent, and someone like you will catch their eye."
Yin Xuan hesitated, then said, "Crown Prince, I have something to confess."
Xue Qinghe chuckled, "Go ahead, speak freely."
"I can't afford the tuition," Yin Xuan said.
Xue Qinghe stared at him, sizing him up. Then he laughed and patted Yin Xuan's shoulder. "I'll be introducing you. Don't worry about fees."
*
Heaven Dou Royal Academy—the best Spirit Master academy in the Empire—sat atop a whole mountain. The grounds had all kinds of specialized training spaces. The teaching staff was anchored by three Spirit Douluo, even though Spirit Hall had tried to poach them.
Yin Xuan felt pretty secure walking in with the Crown Prince, so he didn't let his plain clothes bother him, even when people stared.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" the crowd said, bowing together.
Xue Qinghe smiled. "Rise, everyone. No need to stand on ceremony."
In the crowd, there was a small group. At the front stood a youth who looked a bit like Xue Qinghe—golden hair, but with a gloomy air about him.
That was Xue Beng, the Fourth Prince. He forced a smile. "Good morning, Big Brother…"
"Morning, Fourth Brother," Xue Qinghe replied, still smiling.
Xue Beng glanced at Yin Xuan. "Who's that behind you?"
Xue Qinghe smiled. "Yin Xuan. He's a rare talent. Anyway, the three instructors are waiting for me."
Xue Beng kept his stiff smile. "Take care, Big Brother."
Xue Qinghe waved and moved on. A little farther ahead, he glanced at Yin Xuan. "That was the Fourth Prince, Xue Beng. What do you think of him?"
Yin Xuan's tone was distant. "Not much. If you want a stable crown, it's safest to be the only real candidate."
Xue Qinghe's eyes flashed, surprised by Yin Xuan's bluntness. "You mean…"
Yin Xuan cut him off. "I don't mean anything. Don't overthink it, Crown Prince."
Xue Qinghe's face softened, and he smiled gently. He kept walking towards the tallest building at the Academy.
Interesting.
The doors of the Teaching Committee stood open. Three elders, all in matching black robes, waited at the entrance—white hair and an air of authority.
When Xue Qinghe arrived, they bowed together. "Greetings, Your Highness."
Xue Qinghe hurried forward, helping them up. "You three don't need to be so formal."
They all laughed, then turned to Yin Xuan, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
The Chief Instructor stepped forward. "Crown Prince, is this the genius youth you mentioned?"
Xue Qinghe nodded, smiling. "Yin Xuan, these are the super experts I told you about. All three are eight-ring Spirit Douluo, and they've been eager to meet you."
Chief Instructor introduced himself, "I'm Meng Shenji, Chief Instructor of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. My Spirit is the Black Demon—I'm an eighty-sixth level control-type Battle Soul Douluo. Next is Second Instructor; his Spirit is the Heavenly Star Furnace, eighty-five level, defense-type."
The Second Instructor was short and really round, basically a ball with a friendly face.
"And here's Third Instructor, Zhi Lin. His Spirit is the Heavenly Azure Vine, eighty-third level, also control-type. Like you, his Spirit is plant-based."
Zhi Lin smiled, "Welcome to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Yin Xuan."
Xue Qinghe encouraged him, "Go ahead, introduce yourself."
Yin Xuan opened his right hand—Dark Blue Silver Emperor appeared, two purple rings glowing faintly. "Yin Xuan. Shadow Demon Grass. Attack-type. Twenty-sixth level, two-ring Spirit Grandmaster."
The Chief Instructor stared, stunned. "Those are... thousand-year spirit rings. Both of them!"
Zhi Lin and Second Instructor couldn't take their eyes off the two purple rings.
"How is that possible?"
"The first and second rings—both thousand-year? I've never heard of such a thing!"
Xue Qinghe laughed. "I was shocked the first time I saw it too. The dangers involved are something only Yin Xuan himself can truly understand."
The Chief Instructor shook his head, amazed. "As the Crown Prince says, absorbing spirit rings like that—surviving that is a miracle in itself."