"Born into a farming family, with a clean background. The one recommending him is both a noble of the empire and the headmaster of a junior academy—clearly someone trustworthy."
"A Martial Soul of the Earth Dragon type, with solid quality. His first Spirit Ring is already a hundred-year one, and he obtained it through his own efforts—this shows strong initiative and capability. At just eight years old, he's already reached level seventeen. That kind of cultivation speed rivals those with innate full Spirit Power."
"A good seedling… truly an excellent seedling."
As they reviewed Qin Ming's evaluation report, the three board members spoke one after another, their satisfaction evident. The prospect of admitting a student like Chen Ming clearly pleased them.
While the Heaven Dou Emperial Academy did maintain strict entry standards, Chen Ming met every requirement. On one hand, he had the endorsement of a baron with real authority, who was willing to stake his own title on the recommendation.
On the other, his talent and Martial Soul were undeniably outstanding. Even the most demanding nobles would struggle to find fault with him.
The three board members—Bai Baoshan, Zhi Lin, and Meng Shenji—were renowned across the entire continent as pillars of the educational world, known for their eagerness to nurture talent.
Since taking their positions, they had trained countless outstanding students over the decades. Their reputation was such that even the Star Luo Empire—effectively a rival nation—held deep respect for their character and teaching ability.
To them, Chen Ming's arrival felt like a refreshing draught of iced plum juice on a scorching summer day—invigorating, satisfying, and filled with promise.
Of course, they were well aware that a student without noble backing might face subtle discrimination within the academy, perhaps even harassment from those of higher status. But after a brief discussion, the three quickly laid out a plan for Chen Ming's future training and guidance. At the same time, they prepared a special document.
"Nuoding City Junior Spirit Master Academy of Fasinuo Province, Heaven Dou Empire—its students possess excellent talent, its teachers uphold strong moral character, and its overall strength and educational standards meet the requirements of an intermediate Spirit Master academy. Approval is hereby granted for its promotion to an intermediate academy."
With a few decisive strokes, Bai Baoshan wrote the statement onto the form, then affixed both his personal seal and the academy's official stamp.
As the imperial institution of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Imperial Academy stood at the very top of the nation's educational system. In theory, it was the authority overseeing all other Spirit Master academies within the empire.
For an intermediate academy to be promoted to a high-level academy, the process required layers of approval—from government ministers to final authorization by the emperor himself. After all, high-level Spirit Master academies were rare across the entire continent, representing not just educational quality but also national prestige. Even pulling strings wouldn't make that process easy.
But for a junior academy to advance into an intermediate one… such a "minor matter" fell well within the authority of the three board members.
Soon, Qin Ming returned to Chen Ming and Headmaster Lu, carrying both the admission notice and the promotion approval.
Chen Ming finally received the acceptance letter he had been waiting for, while Headmaster Lu held in his hands the long-awaited approval that would fulfill a dream passed down through generations.
After parting tearfully from Chen Ming, Headmaster Lu ran back toward Nuoding City as if possessed, eager to inform his retired teacher that the dream of generations of headmasters had finally come true.
Meanwhile, Chen Ming followed Qin Ming into the Heaven Dou Emperial Academy.
Compared to Nuoding City's junior academy—which was already considered quite large—the difference was staggering. The entire Nuoding academy wouldn't even match the size of the Emperial Academy's main gate.
While junior academies were typically built on flat ground, sometimes with a small hill within their grounds, the Heaven Dou Emperial Academy was, in essence, built around an entire mountain range.
Located roughly twenty kilometers outside Heaven Dou City, the academy's main complex stood atop a towering mountain nearly a thousand meters high. At its base lay a tranquil lake, surrounded by smaller, rolling hills that completed the vast and imposing landscape.
Even though Chen Ming had seen countless photos of famous scenic spots on the internet in his previous life, the sight before him still left him faintly stunned.
This place… was it really meant for cultivation?
A mountain towering over a thousand meters high, with the academy built right at its peak—could even Spirit Masters truly have the stamina to go up and down so freely on a daily basis?
As if sensing his thoughts, Qin Ming explained while leading him up the winding path.
"The Heaven Dou Emperial Academy has a little over five hundred students and around fifty teachers. Most of the time, students train along the mountainside or in specialized cultivation grounds. It's actually quite rare for everyone to gather in one place."
They climbed steadily, and when they neared the midpoint of the mountain, Qin Ming shifted direction, guiding Chen Ming along a horizontal path. Eventually, they stopped in front of a cave.
"This is a mine shaft that was excavated specifically for mimic cultivation," Qin Ming said. "It's one of several caves prepared for earth- and metal-attributed Spirit Masters. It's been unused for several years now."
He paused briefly before adding, with a hint of pride in his voice, "With approval from the three board members, this will now be your personal mimic cultivation ground."
There was no hiding the pride in his tone. After all, casually assigning an entire cultivation site to a single student was the kind of luxury only an academy backed by the imperial family could afford.
In Qin Ming's heart, his alma mater, Shrek Academy, was still a good place. But even if he tried to flatter it against his conscience, he couldn't praise its facilities—at best, he could say its teaching staff was decent.
It was only after joining the Heaven Dou Emperial Academy that he truly realized just how harsh his earlier days had been. Though he had come from Shrek, he now fully considered himself part of the Emperial Academy.
If nothing unexpected happened, Qin Ming felt he could happily remain here as a teacher for the rest of his life.
"The mimic cultivation ground has living quarters inside," he continued, "but you can also choose an unclaimed residence along the mountainside as your personal lodging. What do you prefer?"
Chen Ming thought for a moment before answering, "Let me take a look first—but if possible, I'd rather stay inside the mimic cultivation ground. It'll make training more convenient. I've got a bit of a problem… if I go a day without cultivating, I feel worse than if I skipped meals or sleep."
Qin Ming raised his thumb in admiration. "No wonder you're a genius. To achieve a cultivation speed that rivals—or even surpasses—those with innate full Spirit Power, you must have put in an extraordinary amount of effort."
Why was Qin Ming so certain that Chen Ming's cultivation speed exceeded that of someone with innate full Spirit Power?
The answer was simple.
Back in his youth, Qin Ming himself had been one of those rare exceptions—a child who, through a mutation of his Martial Soul, had been fortunate enough to possess innate full Spirit Power. Among such cases, he had been one of only a handful in a century.
Without that stroke of fortune, given his lack of background and his accidental entry into Shrek Academy, he would never have risen to become one of the youngest—later the second youngest—Spirit Kings of his generation
...
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin