The sound of hoofbeats echoed crisply against the stone-paved road. Liu Erlong personally held the reins of a proud white Hanoverian horse, guiding the luxurious carriage through the private path that led straight into Lanba Academy.
From inside the carriage, Xiao Wu leaned forward eagerly, her delicate hands pulling open the curtain. Her curious eyes sparkled as she took in the bustling street scenes outside—the endless rows of waiting families, hopeful young candidates, and the lively voices blending together in excitement and anxiety.
"Brother," she tugged at Tang Bei's sleeve softly, "there are so many people out there! Is Lanba Academy really that famous? Do all of them come just to study here?"
Liu Erlong's calm voice floated forward from the driver's seat. "Of course. Lanba Academy belongs to the direct lineage of our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Its reputation naturally far surpasses that of ordinary soul master academies. And its entry standards are far more strict as well."
Her tone carried no pride, only fact.
"Some of these children come here hoping to awaken their martial spirits for the first time. Others have already undergone the Martial Spirit Hall's awakening ceremony but did not qualify. Anyone with less than level three innate soul power is simply not eligible to study here."
Xiao Wu blinked, baffled. "Level three? That sounds small… Will many people fail because of just that?"
To her, the scale of levels still felt blurry. She originally thought level ten was normal for everyone, never realizing how extreme her and Tang Bei's situation was.
Liu Erlong gave no further explanation, but Tang Bei's faint voice interjected, his hand smoothing down the braided tail of Xiao Wu's long hair.
"Level three is already a high threshold," Tang Bei said, tone even. "Most ordinary people awaken martial spirits with such low quality that their innate power falls below level one. For them, becoming a soul master is nearly impossible. That's why so many get eliminated right here at the gate."
Liu Erlong glanced back with a smile. "Xiaobei's exactly right. For those of you born with level ten innate soul power, you stand at the very peak of all candidates in Lanba Academy. In fact, with Xiaobei's talent, I doubt any student of the same age could even hope to match him."
Just then, they arrived at the massive black-iron gates of the academy. Liu Erlong reached into her robes, withdrew a gleaming token, and flashed it toward the gatekeepers. Immediately, the young porter straightened up, bowed respectfully, and signaled the guards.
"Welcome back, President Liu."
The great gates opened without resistance, and the carriage rolled in with effortless elegance.
Outside, however, the lined-up candidates grew restless.
"Wait, what's going on? How did someone drive a carriage into the academy?"
"Right! Didn't they say vehicles weren't allowed near the school grounds to prevent chaos?"
"Two white horses? Big deal. My old man's horse is a rare three-colored stallion. Should I be parading that around too?"
"Unfair! We object!"
"We protest!"
The porter ignored the noisy complaints. Instead, he calmly poured steaming water into his cup, sprinkled in a pinch of green tea with practiced ease, and slowly sipped under the glaring summer sun. His eyes finally swept toward the students, his expression unreadable.
"That," he said lightly, "was President Liu of Lanba Academy. If any of you have objections, feel free to enroll first—then go knock on the president's office door yourselves."
Instantly, the crowd's righteous fury evaporated like morning fog. Awkward laughter spread all around.
"Oh… it's President Liu? Well, that's different, it's fine then."
"Yes, of course, the academy is like a family! Harmony, harmony. Everyone must be kind and tolerant, no reason to fuss, hahaha…"
Parents used the moment as a teaching point. One elder bent down to his child, whispering with seriousness, "See, child? Strength earns you privileges in this world. The strong gain respect wherever they go."
Others murmured in hushed voices.
"It's said President Liu had gone to the Star Dou Forest to hunt her seventh soul ring…"
"Seventh? Then—that means she's advanced to Soul Sage?!"
"Unbelievable… Lanba Academy's background really is outstanding. No wonder it's gaining fame as a rival to the great academies."
Still, not all voices agreed.
"Ha, rival? Don't exaggerate. Compared to the Five Elemental Academies, Lanba's standards are still looser. Unless backed by direct descendants of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, there's no way it ranks with the very top."
Soon the heated chatter shifted into arguments about the Tiandou Empire's academy rankings—a pastime common among hopeful students.
Among them, Martial Spirit Hall Academy always reigned supreme, its might unrivaled. With the Martial Spirit Hall's immense resources and a team of the continent's strongest instructors, no one doubted it deserved the title of "top academy."
The Five Elemental Academies held second place. Though they enrolled fewer students, each specialized in cultivating talents of specific elemental martial spirits. Within their domains, they produced some of the best specialists.
Further below stood Tiandou Royal Academy and Lanba Academy. By title and connections alone, they were considered "first-class," though in truth, their teaching level didn't quite match the Five Elemental Academies.
Still, the nobility favored their own.
"Royal Academy is nothing but a background college," one hot-blooded youth scoffed. "They only accept children of powerful sects or nobles. It's an aristocrats' playground!"
"Watch your mouth!" another young man snapped. "How dare you insult nobility?"
"And who are you? A noble's lapdog nanny? Keep licking their boots, maybe they'll toss you some scraps—"
The quarrel escalated quickly, shouts turning into curses, and then into glowing rings of light as martial spirits were summoned.
"Unmatched Iron-Blooded Wolf, possess me!"
"Golden Vajra Pestle, unbreakable and strong!"
Just as the clash seemed ready to spiral into chaos, two elderly figures sitting lazily by the academy gate suddenly stirred. They had been playing chess under the shade, but now six shimmering rings spiraled up around one, while seven majestic rings rose from the other.
The oppressive aura of a Soul Emperor and a Soul Sage instantly silenced the crowd.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon…" someone whispered, pale with fear, as the dragon's phantom form coiled protectively around the old master.
The elder's eyes were calm, his voice cutting like thunder.
"Fighting at the gates of Lanba Academy? If you wish to spar, find your own field. If you disrupt the academy's order, your registration ends here. Stripped. Disqualified."
At once, all bluster deflated. The once-feisty candidates bowed their heads, pretending nothing had happened. None dared provoke the wrath of the Tyrant Dragon.
The carriage entered deeper into the academy. It passed first through a massive training ground wide enough to host entire squads in formation, then down a tree-lined path shaded and serene, and finally toward a lush forest encircling a crystal lake. In the center of the lake, an island swayed with verdant greens, calm and picturesque.
At last, Liu Erlong pulled the reins to a stop before a modest wooden house tucked by the lakeside.
She dismounted first, then carefully extended her arms to help both Tang Bei and Xiao Wu down from the carriage, her movements uncharacteristically gentle.
"Xiaobei, Xiao Wu," she said with a warm smile, "this is home. I usually stay here inside Lanba's forest. It's simple, yes, but quiet and safe. Still, it won't be long—my mother has already sent word to have a proper residence built for us. Something worthy, something comfortable."
Her eyes softened, but a trace of guilt flickered within them. No matter how much she appreciated this humble life, she could not bring herself to let such gifted children live in a plain wooden cottage.
But Xiao Wu threw her arms out, spinning once as the gentle forest breeze tousled her long hair. She inhaled deeply, her face glowing with pure delight.
"This is already perfect! There are mountains, rivers, trees, fresh air, and… Brother!" She laughed like a bird taking flight.