Time flew by.
The three-month period had arrived—
Xia Tian and Xiang Ming were off to school.
With their Martial Souls awakened, they naturally couldn't stay in the orphanage playing in the mud.
It wasn't just Tian and Xiang Ming; the other children who had awakened Martial Souls were also sent to various places as apprentices through the matrons' connections.
Spirit City was considered an important commercial hub on the continent, so there was naturally no shortage of jobs. Every trade and profession needed apprentices.
Moreover, Tian discovered that after awakening their Martial Souls, six-year-old children would enter a rapid growth phase.
Children at this stage would not only grow physically but also mature mentally at a rapid pace.
Spirit Awakening was like flipping some kind of evolutionary switch.
Those children possessing Innate Soul Power would grow even faster.
Tian suddenly remembered that people on the Douluo Continent could marry and have children at twelve, which was practically considered adulthood.
Unfortunately, he could only suppress the desire for research in his heart. Being weak, he had to continue being a kind child.
...
There was only one academy in Spirit City: the Spirit Hall Academy. It was located in the inner city.
Only people of Spirit Hall could live permanently in the inner city.
The orphanage was located on the edge of the outer city, a relatively remote and poor area.
The matron could only escort Tian and Xiang Ming to the inner city gate, then hand the two little ones over to the Spirit Masters of Spirit Hall.
The Spirit Masters would then take them to the academy.
It was pretty much the same for all students coming from the outer city.
Upon arriving at Spirit Hall, Tian learned from the sign at the gate that the academy was divided into two parts.
One part was the Inner Court, dedicated to cultivating geniuses and elites—that is, children with Innate Soul Power of Rank 5 or higher.
The other part was the Outer Court, which cultivated students with average talent like Tian and Xiang Ming, all of whom had Innate Soul Power of Rank 5 or lower.
Actually, it didn't take much effort for Tian and Xiang Ming to enter the Outer Court, nor did it cost any money.
They only needed to sign a "deed of sale" with Spirit Hall.
Simply put, they could enroll for free, but after graduation, they had to work for Spirit Hall and could never betray it for the rest of their lives.
Children who had no money to study naturally had no reason to refuse.
Not only could they study for free, but they would also be assigned jobs directly after graduation. Who would refuse?
For Tian, joining Spirit Hall was actually quite good because Spirit Hall possessed avenues to obtain resources.
Furthermore, the Spirit Hall Academy had the thing he needed most right now—knowledge!
For a wizard, only learning leads to progress.
...
Spirit Hall Academy, Outer Court, Registration Office.
"Name."
"Xia Tian."
"Martial Soul, Innate Soul Power."
"Martial Soul: Autumn Cicada. Innate Soul Power: Rank 0.5."
"...Go report to Class 5. Your dormitory is Dormitory 9."
"Thank you, teacher~"
Tian ultimately didn't name the Cicada Martial Soul "Yao Lao," but gave it the name "Autumn Cicada."
Because the Cicada Martial Soul looked exactly like a withered leaf in autumn.
The Outer Court had a total of five classes, corresponding to the five levels of Innate Soul Power. Each class had two dormitories, assigned to boys and girls respectively.
So Xiang Ming was assigned to Class 3, Dormitory 5.
The paths of their lives began to diverge from this moment.
Tian collected his student ID, dormitory key, and school uniform. Carrying a bundle of old luggage on his back, he walked into the Outer Court.
The luggage he carried was given by the matron of the orphanage, who also gave him ten Copper Spirit Coins. This counted as his only "property."
It was the same for Xiang Ming.
The matron treated everyone equally.
The two little ones, carrying large bags of luggage, walked together.
The layout of the Outer Court was very simple. The dormitory building was on the left, the teaching building on the right, and an open-air yellow dirt training ground in the center.
It was clear at a glance.
Arriving at the dormitory building, Tian noticed a sign standing in front of it.
Written on the sign were the school rules and a map of the school.
The two little ones squeezed into the crowd of children to read the rules and the map.
They were literate, naturally taught by the matrons.
Teaching the children to read kept them quiet for a while.
Moreover, when the children left the orphanage in the future, they wouldn't be illiterate, and their road would be much smoother.
There wasn't much to say about the school rules; they were just various regulations and punishments.
The content wasn't extensive, and it was relatively lenient.
Tian then focused on the academy map.
The academy map not only included the two buildings and the training ground of the Outer Court but also marked the location of the library.
The library was located at the junction of the Inner and Outer Courts. It was also the only library in Spirit Hall Academy.
It was prepared for those Spirit Masters who wanted to pursue the path of Martial Soul research.
After looking at the notice board for a while, the two officially entered the dormitory building.
One went toward Dormitory 5, the other toward Dormitory 9.
...
Dormitory 9.
Tian pushed the door open and entered. As he expected, it was the same type of dormitory as the orphanage.
In the large room, rows of iron beds were arranged.
There were two rows of iron lockers with locks on both sides; the key received at the registration office was used here.
At this moment, there were already more than a dozen children in Dormitory 9.
"Hey, you're a new student too, right? Let's fight first! The winner gets to be the boss!"
A tall and strong child walked out. He was actually a head taller than Tian.
Tian blinked.
He muttered in his heart, Is this popular in Spirit Hall Academy too? Is this some unique dormitory initiation ceremony on the Douluo Continent?
However...
Tian revealed a smile.
"I love being the boss!"
"You have guts! My name is Feng Yong, Martial Soul: Gorilla, Rank 1!" The tall boy shouted loudly.
"Xia Tian. Martial Soul: Autumn Cicada," Tian replied simply.
Feng Yong then gave a loud shout, "I'm coming!"
Tian: "Come at me!"
Feng Yong: "Look behind you... Good chance, take thi—Pfft!"
Feng Yong, who wanted to launch a sneak attack, fell down.
Tian slowly retracted his fist and shook his head.
During a duel, Tian habitually used Legilimency to read Feng Yong's thoughts first.
Knowing Feng Yong was going to sneak attack, Tian naturally wouldn't be polite.
"But this Feng Yong has thick eyebrows and big eyes, yet he isn't an honest person. Is there any hope left for this world?"
The other boys were all shocked.
"He defeated Feng Yong with one punch?"
"How is that possible?"
"What exactly is his Martial Soul?"
"Aren't we all Rank 1 Innate Soul Power?"
Tian's Innate Soul Power was indeed only Rank 0.5, but who said his current level was only Rank 0.5?
Although Tian didn't have the cultivation techniques of the Douluo Continent, he mastered the meditation magic of the Wizarding World.
Relying on his superior mental power, it took him only a few tries to figure out how to absorb elemental energy from heaven and earth and refine it into his own Soul Power.
Perhaps the cultivation method was a bit rough, but it worked.
Tian also further verified his talent. In three months, he had already broken through to Rank 3, and he felt that Rank 4 wasn't far away.
But Tian didn't explain.
He looked at the group of little boys in front of him and asked with a smile, "Who is the boss?"
The little boys were stunned.
Tian raised his fist.
The boys chimed in repeatedly, "You are the boss!"
After getting up, Feng Yong also lowered his head and acknowledged Tian's position as the boss.
Because Feng Yong realized that Tian was much stronger than him.
Most importantly, since his sneak attack failed, he had no face to act shamelessly anymore.
Tian showed a big smile.
"That's right, I am the boss!"
Hogwarts and Spirit Hall Academy were schools of two different styles.
But what was the same was:
Excellent and strong people can always become leaders.