Spirit Hall Academy was the most prestigious academy under the authority of Spirit Hall.
As the institution responsible for nurturing the next generation of elite Spirit Masters, Spirit Hall Academy enjoyed an extremely high status throughout the entire Douluo Continent.
Every student who could enter this place was considered a genius among geniuses.
Naturally, Spirit Hall valued the academy greatly.
Because of this, every year at the start of the school term, the current Supreme Pontiff personally attended the opening ceremony to greet the new students.
This year was no exception.
At the center of the massive ceremony platform sat Qian Xunji, the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall.
Dressed in luxurious golden robes embroidered with sacred patterns, Qian Xunji radiated an aura of authority and dignity. Merely sitting there made him appear untouchable, like a ruler standing above countless lives.
Behind him sat the high-ranking officials of Spirit Hall and the senior instructors of Spirit Hall Academy.
Everyone listened attentively as Qian Xunji delivered his opening speech.
Meanwhile, below the stage, thousands of students from different grades sat neatly in rows.
However, their reactions varied greatly.
Most of the younger students stared at Qian Xunji with flushed faces and shining eyes.
Their backs were perfectly straight, and excitement was clearly visible on their expressions.
After all, Spirit Hall Academy in Spirit City was not an ordinary academy.
This was the headquarters.
The true core of Spirit Hall.
Only the most talented young Spirit Masters from various elementary and intermediate academies were qualified to study here.
The entrance requirements alone were terrifying.
Before the age of fifteen, one needed to possess spirit power above Rank 30 and maintain the optimal spirit ring configuration.
If even one condition was lacking, entry was impossible.
However, unlike the noble academies of the two great empires, Spirit Hall Academy did not rely entirely on family background.
Many of the students present had originally been commoners.
They had climbed step by step from ordinary beginnings solely through talent and hard work.
For these students, seeing the legendary Supreme Pontiff in person on their very first day felt almost unreal.
Naturally, they were overwhelmed with excitement.
Compared to the lower grades, the older students appeared much calmer.
Some looked bored.
Others yawned openly without bothering to hide it.
A few energetic students even looked toward the excited newcomers with playful and mocking expressions.
And naturally, among such a large crowd, whispers and secret conversations could not be avoided.
"Hey, did you guys hear?"
"It seems our class is getting a transfer student."
The moment those words spread through the crowd, several nearby students immediately became interested.
Not far away, Bibi Dong sat quietly with her eyes closed.
However, although she appeared to be resting, her ears twitched slightly.
She had clearly heard the conversation.
"A transfer student?" someone asked curiously. "What's the story?"
"I only overheard it while passing by the teachers' office," another student whispered mysteriously. "Apparently, this person was specially arranged by higher-ups."
"Higher-ups?"
"Who exactly is he?"
"No idea. But I heard the teacher mention that he's only a Spirit Grandmaster who hasn't even reached Rank 30 yet."
The moment those words were spoken, several people nearby frowned.
"A Spirit Grandmaster?"
"Someone below Rank 30 is allowed into Spirit Hall Academy?"
"Isn't this place only for Spirit Elders and above?"
"Hah, what else could it be? Obviously someone with a powerful background."
"Tsk. Disgusting."
"Why should we become classmates with some Rank 20-something Spirit Grandmaster?"
"Well, what can we do? People with connections always get special treatment."
One student snorted coldly.
"So what if he has a background?"
"In the Douluo Continent, the only thing that truly matters is strength."
"If this rumor is true, I'll teach him a lesson personally."
Another student hurriedly tried to calm him.
"Don't be impulsive! Didn't I already say he has backing?"
"So what?"
The student sneered dismissively.
"Can't I challenge him to a normal spirit battle?"
"Spirit fighting is part of our academy curriculum."
"No matter how powerful his background is, he can't refuse forever."
"Haha! That's true!"
"People who only rely on their family background should understand reality sooner or later."
"Exactly. In the Douluo Continent, fists speak louder than status."
As more people joined the discussion, the atmosphere gradually became increasingly lively.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong quietly listened from nearby.
A faint smile almost appeared on her lips.
The moment she heard the words "transfer student," she already knew who they were discussing.
There was only one possible answer.
Yu Xiaogang.
Under normal circumstances, someone like Yu Xiaogang absolutely would not qualify to enter the headquarters of Spirit Hall Academy.
His spirit power level alone was insufficient.
But exceptions always existed.
After all, wasn't Bibi Dong herself an exception?
Could someone become the disciple of the Supreme Pontiff at such a young age through ordinary procedures alone?
Of course not.
Yu Xiaogang's situation differed somewhat from hers, but his circumstances were still unique.
Unlike many students who focused entirely on cultivation, Yu Xiaogang possessed extraordinary knowledge and theoretical understanding regarding martial spirits.
Even Spirit Hall valued such talent.
Besides, there was another important factor.
Yu Xiaogang was the son of Yu Yuanzhen, the Thunder Douluo of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
That identity alone was enough to influence many things.
Although Bibi Dong found the students' hostility somewhat childish, she was actually looking forward to what would happen next.
More specifically, she was curious about Yu Xiaogang himself.
She still remembered their previous meeting clearly.
Yu Xiaogang's martial spirit was extremely special.
So were his two spirit abilities.
Especially his so-called Separate Beast Spirit.
Even now, Bibi Dong remained curious about what kind of combat style Yu Xiaogang truly possessed.
Although she had once casually said that Yu Xiaogang might become her first genuine friend…
Friendship was not determined by a few pleasant conversations alone.
If Yu Xiaogang turned out to be weak and pathetic, then even if he was the son of the Thunder Douluo, Bibi Dong might still lose interest in him.
After all, one sentence spoken earlier by those students was indeed correct.
In the Douluo Continent, the only thing a Spirit Master could truly rely on was strength.
Soon, Qian Xunji's speech finally came to an end.
After him, several academy officials also stepped forward to speak.
Unfortunately, compared to the charismatic Supreme Pontiff, their speeches were far less impressive.
Many students quickly lost interest.
Before long, the opening ceremony officially concluded.
Students from every grade returned to their assigned class areas, preparing for the cultivation and study arrangements of the new term.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong calmly headed toward her class training grounds.
The moment she arrived, countless gazes immediately focused on her.
Respect.
Admiration.
Awe.
Even adoration.
Those emotions filled nearly every pair of eyes directed toward her.
Yet Bibi Dong ignored them all completely.
She simply walked toward a quiet corner she liked, sat down cross-legged, and quietly began meditating.
After all, she had already long grown accustomed to such attention.
Bibi Dong belonged to the Elite Class.
And within Spirit Hall Academy, the Elite Class represented the true core.
Every student capable of entering this class possessed extraordinary talent and an exceptionally bright future.
Normally, the instructor responsible for teaching the Elite Class would at least be a Spirit Saint.
However, because of Bibi Dong's existence, the academy had specially arranged a Spirit Douluo to oversee their class instead.
From time to time, even Titled Douluos personally came to provide guidance.
Because of this, the students of the Elite Class were extremely grateful toward Bibi Dong.
After all, they had indirectly benefited from her status as the Supreme Pontiff's disciple.
Still, while they admired her greatly, they also treated her with extreme caution.
Everyone understood one thing clearly.
Bibi Dong stood on an entirely different level from them.
Not only in talent, but also in identity.
Soon, a tall middle-aged man with a stern expression walked onto the training grounds.
The atmosphere immediately quieted somewhat.
This man was the Spirit Douluo responsible for overseeing the Elite Class.
However, today, the students cared less about the teacher himself.
Instead, their attention focused entirely on the young boy walking beside him.
The transfer student.
The moment the youth entered the training grounds, countless eyes immediately landed on him.
There was curiosity.
Suspicion.
Mockery.
And obvious hostility.
The young man naturally noticed all of it immediately.
This person was indeed Yu Xiaogang.
As he calmly observed the crowd around him, Yu Xiaogang quickly noticed that most of the students here were older than him.
Among the dozens of students present, only one person seemed close to his age.
Bibi Dong.
Even sitting quietly in meditation, she remained extremely eye-catching.
Her beauty, temperament, and calm demeanor made her stand out naturally among the crowd.
At the same time, Yu Xiaogang also clearly sensed the hostility hidden within many students' eyes.
However, rather than feeling nervous, he simply found the situation amusing.
His lips curled slightly upward.
"It seems…"
"My time at Spirit Hall Academy won't be very peaceful after all."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)