Chapter 23: The Academy's Noble Pretender - Douluo's spirit bead sword

**Chapter 23: The Academy's Noble Pretender** The following morning, Tian Lin donned the uniform of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, grabbed his student ID, and stepped out of his dormitory. Say what you will, but the aesthetic sense of this academy was commendable. The campus was beautifully constructed, and the uniforms were equally appealing. Pairing that with Tian Lin's youthful yet handsome face, he attracted quite a few admiring glances from elder sisters along his path. "Aw, look at that little fellow. Isn't he adorable? Is he a student at our school too?" "Seems like it. Look at him, wearing our academy's uniform." "But isn't he too young? Has he even been weaned yet?" "You can't say that. Maybe he's older than he looks, just a little short-statured." The chatter about him was openly audible to Tian Lin as he walked. The voices came from supposed nobles, who seemed oblivious to the notion of discretion or basic etiquette, gossiping right in front of others. Tian Lin chose to ignore them, heading straight to his classroom specified on his ID. He had been assigned to the Tianwei Section Three, which was Zhou Yan's class. Since classes hadn't started yet, students were busy playing around instead of practicing their skills. As Tian Lin entered, his presence was met with surprise from many of the students. Due to the Academy's system of class allocation based on rank rather than age, students in this class ranged from as young as eleven or twelve to as old as seventeen or eighteen. "Hey little guy, are you looking for someone?" a female student approached and asked. "No, I'm here to study. Look, here's my student ID," Tian Lin replied, showing his ID, leaving them stunned that such a young boy was indeed their classmate. "Hahaha..." Someone burst out laughing, soon followed by everyone else. Then, a mature-looking teenager walked over, scolding, "Where did this squirt come from? You think you can just whip up a fake ID and strut into Heaven Dou Royal Academy? Get lost." "This ID is genuine, issued by Headmaster Meng Shenji himself," Tian Lin replied nonchalantly, unwilling to engage in a dispute, instead leveraging Meng Shenji's authority. "If you doubt it, go ask him." The teenager hesitated, acknowledging that if the ID was personally issued by Meng Shenji, then this boy, especially if well-connected, might indeed be significant – Heaven Dou Royal Academy was no stranger to nurturing hidden talents. "Well, then, tell me who your parents are and what's your level?" the teenager prudently decided to probe further details. If Tian Lin claimed to be someone like Meng Shenji's illegitimate child or the offspring of powerful Soul Saints, he would walk away. "My father is a village storage manager, a Soul Master at around level twenty. My mother is an ordinary rural woman, no soul power," Tian Lin answered earnestly. Hearing this, the teenager breathed a sigh of relief. Given Tian Lin’s ordinary background, he was convinced that the ID was a fake, as entry to Heaven Dou Academy also required a noble lineage. This realization ignited his anger, "You impudent kid! A mere commoner daring to toy with me, claiming the Headmaster issued your ID? Do you even know who I am? I'm Aldor, class leader and son of the Grand Duke of Balak Kingdom. Even I don't have the status to be personally received by Headmaster Meng Shenji. Who do you think you are?" The Balak Kingdom was one of the vassal states of the Heaven Dou Empire, known for its military strength. Aldor was likely here for diplomatic exchange, much like Yu Tianheng and Tian Lin – a common practice of forging connections. Given such status, it wasn't unusual for Aldor to be the class leader. But to Tian Lin, position and lineage mattered little compared to actual prowess. "How old are you, dare I ask, and what's your level?" he queried boldly. "Hmph, eighteen years old, level twenty-four Assault-type Soul Master. Are you scared now, kid?" Aldor boasted proudly. "Eighteen and only level twenty-four? No wonder you've never met the Headmaster!" Tian Lin rebutted with a shake of his head, finding a vacant seat to dismiss Aldor entirely. Though Tian Lin wished to disengage, others didn’t intend to let him off so easily; his words had clearly provoked Aldor. "You insolent brat! What did you just say? I’ll teach you a lesson today!" Aldor, enraged, revealed his Martial Spirit—a sunflower, famed as the hereditary spirit of the noble family from Balak Kingdom, considered premium among plant spirits. Unfortunately, such a fine spirit was wasted on its inept master. "First Soul Skill: Fallen Petals!" Aldor's hundred-year-old soul ring glowed, unleashing sharp petals aimed at Tian Lin. "A hundred-year skill, is that all?" Tian Lin chuckled softly, not even bothering to stand as he countered with a single hand, his fingers mimicking a sword. "Shushan Sword Technique, Rippling Clouds!" Tian Lin’s precise finger movements deflected every petal effortlessly within seconds. He taunted, "Got any stronger tricks up your sleeve? Show me what you’ve got." "You vile brat! Fine, then. Second Soul Skill: Floral Storm!" Floral Storm was significantly superior, a whirlwind of petals designed for relentless assault. This time, Tian Lin couldn't fend it off with mere fingers and called forth his demon sword. However, he still refrained from using any soul skills or the Seven Kill Sword Technique, continuing to defend with the Rippling Clouds move. As before, the petals were shredded by the demon sword, and just as Aldor realized what was happening, Tian Lin lunged at him with his sword. Frozen in fear, Aldor stood immobile as the sword stopped an inch from his neck. "This move is called 'Moonlit River'. With your level of skill, I don’t even need a soul skill to defeat you," Tian Lin taunted as he withdrew the sword. The onlookers slowly began to believe Tian Lin’s earlier claim, considering his ease in besting Aldor, previously thought to be the class’s strongest. Could he be human or just a monster? Aldor refused to accept defeat, contemplating rallying his cronies to gang up against Tian Lin. Suddenly, a voice boomed from the doorway, "Enough! What’s going on here?" Zhou Yan stormed in, furious. "Aldor, if you want to fight, do it in the Soul Battle Arena. You know fighting isn’t allowed in class, yet you used two soul skills against a new student. You’re impressive." "I’m reporting this to your parents. After class, you’re running ten laps around the academy as punishment." Zhou Yan, inspired by Qin Ming, had adopted his teaching methods, which included running laps—a classic from Shrek Academy. Aldor's face fell. Ten laps around the vast academy would likely cripple his legs, not to mention the wrath of his parents once reported. He turned his anger towards Tian Lin. It was all his fault.