Chapter 57: Donghai Academy

"Thanks!" Gu You said as he turned to leave.

Yuan Yuan was momentarily stunned. By the time she regained her senses, Gu You had already disappeared from sight. An indescribable feeling arose in her heart.

The new girl beside her seemed curious, her gaze following Gu You's departing figure. She murmured to herself, "He looks familiar..."

"What looks familiar?" Yuan Yuan had sharp ears and caught her words.

"Yuan Yuan-jie, doesn't he look like the guy from that viral news story? The one where the model student received a banner of honor?"

Hearing this, Yuan Yuan suddenly realized—this wasn't just a resemblance—this was him!

Donghai Academy

Gu You carried his admission certificate. He had initially thought it would be a proper document, only to find it was just a small yellow metal plate.

"You call this an admission certificate? Seriously?!"

Despite its small size, it served an important function—it was the pass for entering and exiting the academy. Upon arriving at Donghai Academy, he would need it for registration and receiving school supplies.

Although the Blacksmith Association wasn't far from Donghai Academy, walking would take time, and running was too much effort. Gu You wasn't about to tire himself out for no reason.

Instead, he opted for the Soul-Guided Bus—cheap and efficient.

Upon finding the Donghai Academy bus, Gu You's mood noticeably improved.

The bus was spacious, designed to hold up to fifty people. Some passengers were students like him, while others were adults—he had no idea why they were heading to Donghai Academy since the admissions season was already over. Maybe they were current students returning from an outing. However, he noticed that none of them wore the yellow metal admission plates around their necks.

Through the bus window, the cityscape passed by. The streets were lined with shops, and endless streams of vehicles wove through traffic. The entire city exuded an industrial and fast-paced atmosphere, far busier than Tianhai City.

Towering buildings blurred past the window. After twenty minutes, the bus came to a stop beside a massive wall.

"We've arrived at the academy! Please disembark!" the driver announced.

Gu You stretched his arms and stepped off the bus.

In the distance stood towering walls. If he didn't know better, he might have mistaken this place for a prison.

These walls belonged to Donghai Academy. Not far ahead was the main entrance, an imposing stone gate that radiated a powerful presence.

The Structure of Donghai Academy

Donghai Academy was a large institution, offering both intermediate and advanced education. Thus, the school was divided into:

The Intermediate Division The Advanced Division

One shouldn't assume that the gap between intermediate and advanced was small. In reality, the difference was immense.

The Intermediate Division was part of the mandatory education system. Although it charged tuition, the Federation government subsidized most of the costs. Donghai Academy was a Soul Master school, with the Intermediate Division occupying two-thirds of the campus, while the Advanced Division—despite its smaller size—was the academy's true core.

Anyone who was a Soul Master and had a recommendation from an elementary academy within Donghai City or its surrounding towns could enroll in the Intermediate Division, which lasted six years.

However, by the end of those six years, less than one in ten students would make it into the Advanced Division.

Unlike the Intermediate Division, the Advanced Division was not part of the mandatory education system. Students had to pass a series of rigorous entrance exams to be admitted. Those who made it this far were considered true elites.

To put it simply:

Elementary academies taught the basics of Martial Souls and Soul Masters. Intermediate academies trained students to apply those basics, refine their Martial Soul, and determine their future path. Advanced academies were for true specialization and mastery. Entering the Academy

Gu You stepped onto campus. The pathways were lined with lush green trees. A wide road stretched out horizontally, while another stone-paved road extended straight ahead, giving the campus an ancient and refined atmosphere.

No one stopped him at the gate. Most likely, Soul Masters assigned to security were observing the new arrivals from the shadows. If someone without an admission plate tried to enter, they would have been blocked immediately.

The Donghai Academy bus departed, carrying away several passengers who never entered the school, confirming Gu You's guess that some had only taken the bus for convenience.

Meanwhile, other students who got off put on their admission plates—though some had different colors from his own.

The main teaching building of the Intermediate Division was located on the eastern side of campus—a twelve-story structure.

The higher the grade level, the higher the classroom floor. As a first-year student, Gu You would be assigned to a classroom on the first or second floor.

Thanks to his metal admission plate and the recommendation letter from Mu Chen, Gu You smoothly completed his registration process.

He received:

Two sets of free uniforms A dormitory key Learning materials (to be distributed later when classes started)

Gu You was assigned to Class Zero of the first year.

From this moment, he knew—it was time to meet Tang Wulin and begin "modifying" him...

"Keh! Keh!"

A twisted grin spread across Gu You's face.

"Tang Hao, you came after me, huh? Well then... I'll make sure to straighten out your grandson. Let's see how you like that!"

Gu You slung his bag over his shoulder, bypassed the teaching building, and headed for the dormitory complex.

The dormitories were just as tall as the teaching buildings—twelve stories high. His room was on the top floor, Room 000.

After wandering around for a while, he finally found his dorm and pushed open the door.

Inside was:

A luxurious bunk bed for four people Two long desks and four chairs Two wardrobes A ceiling light

Clearly, this dorm was specifically designed for its occupants.

Gu You flopped onto the bed, contemplating his new classmates in Class Zero.

He would soon meet the main characters.

And that one tragic figure from the Douluo series—Donghai's own Wu Zhangkong...

But he was also puzzled—in the original story, joining Class Zero required signing a contract.

"So why didn't I have to sign anything? Did they let me in just because I'm handsome?"

Gu You shook his head, dismissing the thought as nonsense.

The brain is a wonderful thing. Sometimes it overthinks, but other times... it works wonders.

The Night Before…

"Wu Zhangkong, I have something to tell you," said Long Hengxu.

"A new student is joining Class Zero. The principal personally approved it, so don't say I'm abusing my authority."

For once, Long Hengxu spoke with confidence. He had long been annoyed by Wu Zhangkong's cold demeanor. That guy acted like he looked down on everyone—even him!

But even Long Hengxu had to admit:

Wu Zhangkong was strong.

He had trained a group of absolute monsters in Class Zero, turning them from Class Five rejects into elites. He even produced Tang Wulin, a student who could somehow unleash a Martial Soul Fusion Technique and punch through everything in his path.

"You know the rules. Class Zero doesn't accept weaklings..." Wu Zhangkong replied coolly.

(End of Chapter)