Hearing Bei Bei talk about the teacher who was about to instruct him, Huo Yuhao was completely stunned.
"Senior Brother, does the academy just ignore this teacher's methods?"
Bei Bei said in a low voice:
"Teacher Zhou Yi, though strict, is an excellent teacher. No student of hers has ever said she teaches poorly. It's just that Teacher Zhou has extremely high standards and is exceptionally strict. However, as long as you can endure it, everyone excels, and many even qualify to enter the inner court. This time, she caused too much trouble, which is why she was demoted to this class. But it's fine; this isn't necessarily a bad thing. As long as you work hard, you'll get through it."
Huo Yuhao sighed and said,
"So that's how it is. Teacher Xiao Ya, Senior Brother, you two go ahead. I'm heading back to the dormitory now."
Bei Bei smiled:
"Alright. Teacher Xiao Ya and I also have to take our promotion exam. If all goes well, we'll be fourth-year students. I'm in Room 316 of the dormitory. If you need anything, just come find me there."
Bei Bei and Tang Ya truly had a lot on their plates, so they were in quite a rush. Tang Ya's eagerness to obtain her third Soul Ring was also because of this promotion exam; after advancing a grade, there would be even more matters to handle. Since Huo Yuhao had the courage to enter the Star Dou Great Forest alone and even possessed the ability to hunt soul beasts by himself, they didn't need to worry about him too much.
The first-year teaching building was white, while the second- and third-year buildings were black. After passing these three buildings, Huo Yuhao saw the dormitory building. The dormitory occupied an enormous area. Although it was a single, unified structure, its exterior was painted in four colors: white, yellow, black, and purple. Clearly, these symbolized the different sections for the various grade levels. The building had a total of six floors.
Huo Yuhao walked to the entrance of the white section of the dormitory, where an old man sat. The old man wore gray clothes, his face deeply wrinkled, his eyes dim, and his eyelids drooping, looking ancient and frail. He leaned back in his chair, looking extremely comfortable as the sunlight from outside fell perfectly upon him.
Huo Yuhao walked over slowly and said respectfully:
"Greetings, Elder. I am a new student this year, and this is my first time at the dormitory. Do you need to check my freshman badge?"
The old man didn't even lift his head. He tremblingly raised his right hand and croaked:
"Where are your badge and dormitory key? Let me see them."
Huo Yuhao quickly took them out.
The old man took them, felt them for a moment, and then returned them to him.
"Go on, Room 108 on the first floor, the third room on the left. From the fourth floor up are the female dormitories; you are not allowed to enter. If you are caught, you will be immediately expelled."
"Thank you, Elder."
Huo Yuhao bowed to the old man once more before turning to leave.
The old man remained in his previous posture and muttered to himself:
"What a polite child, truly a rare sight these days."
Before Huo Yuhao arrived, several other new students had passed by, but none of them had bothered to acknowledge him, simply walking straight inside. The old man hadn't stopped them either, merely continuing to doze in his chair.
Following the gatekeeper's instructions, Huo Yuhao easily found his room. The dormitory rooms were arranged in long rows, with doors lining the hallway and room numbers displayed above each one. At the end of the corridor lay a communal washroom.
He took out his key and unlocked the door. As it creaked open, a cloud of stale, dusty air rushed out. Dodging to the side, he held his breath and hurried inside to fling open the window. The room must have been vacant for at least a month; a thick layer of dust coated every surface.
With the window open, Huo Yuhao took a moment to survey his new quarters. The room was small but neatly square. Two beds took up most of the space, flanked by a single desk and two wardrobes. A lamp hung above each bed, and several metal protrusions jutted from the wall. Bei Bei had explained to him earlier that these lamps were simple Soul Tools, and the metal protrusions served as ports to channel soul power into them.
Once the room had aired out, a sense of quiet settled over the space. Huo Yuhao looked around. Though cramped, the room filled him with an indescribable wave of excitement. Starting today, this would be his home for his first year of school, and he would soon be sharing it with a roommate. He decided it was best to clean up a bit.
As the saying goes, children from poor families learn to manage a household early. Though he was technically the son of a Duke, he had lived the life of a commoner since childhood. Before heading to the dormitory, he had bought a small basin and asked the innkeeper for an old rag. Now, he set to work.
Half an hour flew by. Guided by his Spirit Eyes, he left the room absolutely spotless, without a single speck of dust remaining. The layout was the same, but the air felt incomparably fresher. Huo Yuhao had no plans to buy bedding; he spent almost all his nights cultivating, so the bare wooden boards of the bed were more than enough.
Just then, his stomach let out a loud rumble. He headed outside to ask for directions to the cafeteria.
Each grade had its own dedicated cafeteria located directly behind the dormitory building. But the moment Huo Yuhao stepped inside, he was utterly dumbfounded.
At this hour, the cafeteria was practically empty. Inside, there were no tables or chairs at all—only a large sink for washing hands, a row of service windows, and price lists hanging above them, with the prices steadily increasing from right to left.
A cafeteria without a single table to sit at? Above the entrance, a sign read: "No outside food allowed inside."
His bewilderment lasted only a moment. He walked over to the cheapest window and purchased a simple plate of rice and vegetables. Though it was the most basic meal available, he ate it with relish. To him, having food to eat was a blessing in itself; he was not a picky eater, and the price was incredibly low—just two copper coins. Since he would receive a monthly stipend of one gold coin, he could easily get by and even save some money if he was frugal.
As he ate, Huo Yuhao observed his surroundings, only then noticing that the most expensive dishes on the menu cost several gold coins. After finishing his meal, he hurried back to the dormitory. He knew his current strength was far inferior to that of his peers, and he could not afford to waste a single moment.
Back in his room, he immediately sat cross-legged on his bed in meditation, beginning to cultivate the Mysterious Heaven Method. Although his cultivation speed could not compare to Tang Ya's or Bei Bei's, it was already much faster than before. Moreover, because he had cultivated continuously on his way to the academy, almost all of his impure soul power had been converted into the soul power of the Mysterious Heaven Method. This transformed soul power also brought him many benefits, as the process of circulating the Mysterious Heaven Method simultaneously repaired his meridians. Although the changes were very subtle, as the saying goes, "every little bit adds up." If he continued to persevere over the long term, his physical constitution would improve significantly.