Five days later, the three of them finally returned to Tianfeng City.
The continuous travel had left Du Feng utterly drained. This exhaustion was not merely physical—it weighed on his mind as well.
During their time in the Star Dou Great Forest, Du Feng had remained constantly alert, anticipating trouble at every step. The tension of tracking spirit beasts, the adrenaline of the hunt, and the rush back home had all combined to completely sap his energy.
As soon as he arrived home, Du Feng collapsed onto his bed and slept soundly, letting his body recover.
More than three months passed after that expedition. During this time, Du Feng focused relentlessly on honing his spirit skills and strengthening his body.
Drawing on memories from his previous life, he even crafted a sandbag and began practicing Sanda—Chinese kickboxing—based on what he had learned from Douyin (TikTok). His goal was to improve his reaction speed, making his movements more fluid and his neural responses faster.
The training strengthened his bones, increasing density and resilience, while enhancing blood circulation to build stronger muscles. His cardiopulmonary function improved, his flexibility increased, and his entire body became more resilient and durable.
Meanwhile, Du Tu and Jiang Mu began discussing the next step: which Soul Master Academy Du Feng should attend.
Originally, Du Feng had considered Notting City. He imagined meeting a young Tang San and Xiao Wu, perhaps even witnessing the famous scene of Tang San becoming an apprentice. He could encounter the theoretically invincible Grandmaster, whose clever methods had shaped Tang San's rise—like using spirit weapons to absorb beast-type spirit beasts, or developing new techniques for circulating spirit power. Of course, whether Grandmaster's famous saying, "There are no useless spirit weapons, only useless spirit masters," was right or not was still a matter of opinion.
However, Du Feng wasn't entirely certain of the timeline in this world. He had no guarantee he would actually meet Tang San and Xiao Wu, and a trip to Notting City might end up being wasted years.
Furthermore, the highest-ranking teacher at Notting City was the dean, a mere level 42 Soul Master—far weaker than either Du Tu or Jiang Mu.
He also hesitated to tell his parents he wanted to study so far away. Notting City was distant, and its elementary academy was relatively obscure. Studying with his parents, whose vision, strength, and experience far exceeded that of any Soul Master, was undoubtedly the wiser choice.
After considering all this, Du Feng decided to stay. He enrolled at Tianfeng Academy in Tianfeng City, committing himself to long days of early rising and late-night training. After all, no one at the academy would dare challenge the city lord's son.
A month later, Du Feng formally entered Tianfeng Elementary Soul Master Academy.
At school, he never encountered anyone foolish enough to provoke him. His status as the city lord's son commanded respect, and teachers treated him with great care. Other students had likely been warned by their families not to stir trouble.
The work-study students were notably weaker than the regular students. Many came from impoverished villages, where malnutrition had stunted their growth. Even for naturally talented students, a hundred-year-old spirit ring was already a luxury. How could they possibly hope to compete with the carefully chosen spirit beasts and spirit skills of students backed by influential families? Changing one's destiny through effort alone was extremely difficult; few could rise to match those born as chosen ones.
As for boarding at the academy, Du Feng didn't need it. His home was far superior to any dormitory.
The dean of Tianfeng Junior Soul Master Academy, a level 46 Soul Master, would never dare to challenge Du Tu or Jiang Mu, much less enforce campus rules on the city lord's son. Most of the teachers were only level 20–30 Soul Masters, sufficient to teach the basics of soul beasts and the continent, but cultivation guidance was better sought from Du Tu and Jiang Mu directly.
Du Feng didn't spend much time with classmates. Once he graduated, he likely wouldn't see them again, so there was no reason to grow attached.
As a result, Du Feng became a special case at the academy. Teachers didn't dare lecture him harshly. Classmates didn't dare provoke him. Upperclassmen didn't dare bully him. Living at home and without roommates, he simply followed a strict routine: leave for school early, return late, and spend his time cultivating.
Of course, Du Feng never stopped working on improving his strength and deepening his understanding of this strange, fascinating continent.