Chapter 24: Continued Provocation - Douluo's spirit bead sword

**Chapter 24: Continued Provocation** "Alright, everyone, settle down and get ready for class. Before we begin, let me introduce our new young classmate. I believe after witnessing the recent battle, you're already aware of his remarkable skills," Zhou Yan announced, her gaze turning to Tian Lin. "Come on, little Tian, give us a self-introduction." Jun Tian Lin nodded and stepped up to the podium. "Hello, everyone. My name is Jun Tian Lin. I am seven years old, my spirit is the Demon-Suppressing Sword, and I am an eighteenth-level Assault System Spirit Master!" His words caused a stir among the students, especially Ao Er Duo. What did it mean to be an eighteenth-level at seven? Ao Er Duo had reached the eighteenth level at fourteen. Could his talent really be that frightening? No wonder he was granted a special admission to the Royal Academy by the dean himself. Despite this, Ao Er Duo still looked down on Tian Lin. A commoner was still a commoner. So what if he had talent? With insufficient resources, his achievements would be capped at Soul Emperor at best. Even if Tian Lin could defeat him, Ao Er Duo believed he could easily crush him through his family's influence. A sinister glint flashed in Ao Er Duo's eyes, indicating he wasn't planning to let things slide. After Tian Lin finished his introduction, he returned to his seat. Their class consisted of both Control and Assault System Spirit Masters, thus having two instructors. One was Zhou Yan, their homeroom teacher, whose spirit was a butterfly, making her a Control System Spirit Master. The other was a middle-aged man named Ye Ping, whose spirit was a wolfdog, making him an Assault System Spirit Master. The lessons mostly covered theoretical knowledge, like which spirit beasts were suitable for Control and Assault System Spirit Masters. They also discussed skill pairings and tactical setups during team battles. Unlike Tian Lin's past life's schools, the Spirit Academy only held theoretical classes in the morning, giving students the freedom to practice in the afternoon. They could choose to cultivate spirit power in simulation grounds, practice soul skills in open areas, or even battle in the Soul Battle Arena. Although the dean had entrusted Tian Lin's guidance to Zhou Yan, she was from the Control system. Hence, Ye Ping, from the Assault system, was the one who actually taught Tian Lin. Compared to the attractive Zhou Yan, Ye Ping seemed quite sleazy to Tian Lin's dismay. Finally enduring the dreary theoretical lessons, Tian Lin preferred self-cultivation post-lunch, practicing swordsmanship in the afternoon and meditating on spirit power at night. In the woods, Tian Lin swung his demon sword with vigor, entirely different from himself in the morning. He emitted a chilling killing intent, each move precise and deadly. At that moment, he was practicing the Seven Kill Sword Technique, a set of moves designed to dispatch opponents swiftly. The first move allowed him to accumulate his killing intent. Not far from him stood three figures skulking behind a large tree, one of whom was Ao Er Duo, accompanied by his underlings. "L-Leader, that guy is really scary. Shouldn't we avoid provoking him? Can't we just keep to ourselves?" one of the followers stammered, clearly frightened by Tian Lin's intimidating aura. "Idiot, we're nobles! To be humiliated by a commoner and not exact revenge would be a disgrace," Ao Er Duo snapped. "Don't worry, it's not just us this time. I've even hired a student with Heavenly-level strength. Dealing with a one-ring Spirit Master like him will be a piece of cake." "Hmph, so what if he has talent? Tonight, I'll cripple him, and let's see if the academy still favors him," Ao Er Duo sneered venomously at Tian Lin. The Seven Kill Sword Technique was indeed far more formidable than the Shu Mountain introductory sword techniques. Tian Lin was new to it and hadn't mastered it yet. When Sword Douluo used the spread of killing intent, his entire aura would coalesce and remain constant, only bursting at the decisive moment, causing terror. Tian Lin's killing intent, however, accumulated slowly and dispersed easily. This was partly due to his limited practice time but, more significantly, his lack of real battle experience. As dusk settled, Tian Lin wiped the sweat from his brow and sheathed his sword. "That's enough for today. Time to cultivate my spirit power. I need to quickly reach level twenty, then I can learn the Sword Control Technique," Tian Lin mused. He had long since mastered the introductory Shu Mountain sword techniques and awaited sufficient power to start on the Sword Control Technique. The Shu Mountain sword arts and the Seven Kill Sword Technique were polar opposites; the former promoted natural order, while the latter brimmed with killing intent. Tian Lin harbored ambitions to fully master both styles and eventually create his own unique techniques. "Stop! You think you can just leave like that?" Suddenly, a group of people emerged from the woods, encircling Tian Lin. There were about ten of them, aged around seventeen or eighteen, one of whom Tian Lin recognized—Ao Er Duo. "You again? Aren't you getting tired of this? What do you want this time?" Tian Lin asked, exasperation evident. "What else? To give you a good beating!" Ao Er Duo replied arrogantly. Tian Lin shrugged. "Just you? If everyone you brought is like you, I could take you all on alone. Save yourself the embarrassment." "Hmph, I'm not alone today. I'll show you what a true powerhouse looks like," Ao Er Duo declared, glancing respectfully at someone behind him. "Senior, please." "Don't worry, Ao Er Duo junior. Leave him to me," a young man said, stepping forward with his hands behind his back. "Kid, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy isn't a place for commoners like you. I suggest you leave, or else don't blame me for being ruthless." Tian Lin felt that this guy was much stronger than Ao Er Duo, likely not just a beginner-level student. But if they thought he’d cower, they were sorely mistaken. "Tian Lin, eighteenth-level Assault System Spirit Master, Demon-Suppressing Sword as my spirit!" Tian Lin declared, with a blue flash manifesting his sword, displaying his resolve. The senior sighed, "You've chosen death, don't blame me then. Chu Jie, a twenty-eighth level Control System Spirit Master, with the Copper Ring spirit!" Chu Jie then showed his Copper Ring, accompanied by two yellow spirit rings floating around him. Being twenty-eight level marked him as a Heavenly-level student. Tian Lin faintly recalled the Copper Ring spirit from a past All Continent Spirit Master Elite Tournament. It was part of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team, which explained this. Sadly for him, during the tournament, his Copper Ring met the overwhelming strength of Dai Mubai and was swiftly defeated without a fight. Still, having the qualification to participate indicated above-average talent among commoners. This was perfect. Tian Lin welcomed the opportunity to test his new Seven Kill Sword Technique on this opponent.