Douluo Continent: The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda? A Soul Beast Pagoda!

Judging from its appearance and workmanship, it is by no means an ordinary product; at least, it is not something that one would find in a place like Niuma Village.

Jiang Bai picked up the bracelet, examined it for a moment, and then put it on his right wrist.

The bracelet automatically adjusted its size to fit snugly on his wrist, neither too loose nor too tight.

He calmed his mind and infused a wisp of soul power into the bracelet.

The space was estimated to be about thirty cubic meters.

The interior was empty, with only a few things piled up in the corners.

Jiang Bai used his mental power to examine those items.

Several exquisitely bound books and a few small porcelain bottles, labeled with words such as "wound medicine," are common healing medicines.

Then, Jiang Bai's gaze settled on the deepest part of the space.

There was a neatly stacked pile of gold coins there, gleaming alluringly under the perception of soul power.

Gold Soul Coins!

Jiang Bai's heart skipped a beat. He carefully "counted" them; there were about one hundred and fifty!

One hundred and fifty gold soul coins!

"Mom..."

Jiang Bai murmured, his feelings a mixture of emotions.

"If you have so much money, why didn't you take it out sooner...?"

Jiang Bai took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart.

Without much hesitation, I started packing my luggage.

A few changes of clothes, a cotton quilt, a water bag, and some dry food.

He put all these items into his bracelet.

Thirty cubic meters of space is more than enough to hold all of this.

After tidying up, Jiang Bai took one last look around the cabin.

The ground was rammed earth, the bed was made of wooden planks, the wooden table was rough, and small decorations woven by my mother from blue silver grass hung on the wall...

"It's time to go," Jiang Bai said in a low voice.

He locked the door. Although it didn't really matter whether the broken wooden door was locked or not, it was a ritual, a farewell.

Jiang Bai did not immediately go to the village entrance to wait for the people from the Spirit Hall.

He walked in another direction from the village.

That is the cemetery of Niuma Village.

The cemetery is located on a small hillside to the west of the village. Dozens of earthen graves are arranged quietly, most of them without even a tombstone, only a simple stone as a marker.

Jiang Bai walked through the cemetery and came to the deepest grave.

A simple wooden stele stands in front of the grave, inscribed with the words "Tomb of the Loving Mother Jiang Ningzhi," the handwriting childish—carved by Jiang Bai himself.

He knelt down in front of the grave, took out the prepared incense and candles and a few fruits from his bracelet, and arranged them neatly in front of the tomb.

"Mom, I've come to see you," Jiang Bai said softly, lighting incense and candles.

Wisps of smoke rose and drifted slowly in the morning breeze.

"Tomorrow, the people from the Spirit Hall will come to pick me up. I'm leaving Niuma Village to go to a very far place."

The wind blew across the hillside, and the wild grass rustled as if in response.

"You don't need to worry about me."

Jiang Bai continued, kowtowing three times.

"I know how to live and how to become strong. I will forge my own path in this world."

He stood quietly in front of the grave for a long time, until the incense and candles burned out.

……

Fifteen minutes later.

Jiang Bai walked down the hillside and headed towards the village entrance.

After returning from the cemetery, Jiang Bai went to the old locust tree at the entrance of the village.

About half an hour later, dust rose from the end of the dirt road.

Five figures clad in silver-white armor came into view, the armor reflecting a cold luster in the sunlight.

The leader rode an exceptionally fine white horse, followed by four riders in a guard formation, with a carriage in the middle.

They were the guardian knights of the Spirit Hall.

The procession stopped at the village entrance, and the dust kicked up by the horses' hooves slowly settled.

The leading knight, who was about thirty years old, dismounted and scanned the surroundings before finally settling on Jiang Bai.

"You're Jiang Bai?"

The knight commander's voice was steady and powerful, with the crispness characteristic of a soldier.

"It's me." Jiang Bai stood up and dusted himself off.

The knight commander sized him up a few times, confirming that his age and appearance matched the description in the intelligence report, and nodded.

"By order of His Majesty, we are here to escort you to Spirit City. Prepare to depart."

There was no further pleasantries, nor any intention to go into the village to rest.

Jiang Bai readily boarded the carriage.

"Hold on tight." The knight commander mounted his horse and waved his hand, giving the order, "Let's go!"

Five riders and one bicycle turned around and sped away along the way they had come.

……

a few days later.

The leading knight said across the carriage, "Little guy, we're almost at Wuhun City."

Jiang Bai perked up and leaned closer to the car window.

The first thing that catches the eye is the majestic gray outline on the horizon.

As the carriage continued its journey, its outline gradually became clearer.

Towering city walls!

It is entirely constructed from massive, neatly cut granite blocks.

And on each of the city walls, there is a giant relief sculpture!

On the city wall, patrolling soldiers were clearly visible. They were all dressed in the Spirit Hall's standard silver-white light armor, and their ranks were orderly.

A look of surprise flashed in Jiang Bai's eyes.

However, the carriage did not head directly towards the massive city gate.

The leading knight pulled on the reins, and the group turned and headed east along a wide road towards the east side of Wuhun City.

After about a few kilometers, another, slightly smaller group of buildings came into view.

A tall, arched gatehouse can be seen from afar.

The entire gatehouse is made of light gray granite, with each stone polished smooth and flat, and joined together seamlessly, giving it a heavy and sturdy appearance.

The main gate is shaped like the Chinese character "山" (mountain), with the central archway resembling a gentle yet powerful crescent moon, spanning over ten meters in height.

The slightly shorter secondary arches on both sides are also nearly ten meters high, with clean and smooth lines.

The edges of the archway, the pillars, and the beams above are all carved with exquisite patterns.

The four gilded characters "Martial Soul Academy" are carved in the center of the lintel.

Behind the gatehouse lies a vast campus built against the mountain.

At this moment, a few students were coming and going at the academy gate, most of them wearing uniform light gray academy uniforms, and ranging in age from seven or eight to their teens.

The carriage stopped in front of the gatehouse.

The knight dismounted, walked to Jiang Bai's carriage, and knocked on the window.

"Alright, little one, we've arrived at the academy. Take this and go straight in to complete the enrollment process."

He handed Jiang Bai a sealed parchment envelope, stamped with the seal of the Spirit Hall.

Jiang Bai took the envelope, jumped off the carriage, and bowed respectfully to the knight commander.

"Thank you, Uncle!"

The knight commander's face softened slightly, and he nodded.

"Go in. Cultivate diligently, and do not let down this talent and His Holiness the Pope's expectations."

"I will."

The five knights said no more, turned their horses around, and galloped off towards Wuhun City.

Jiang Bai watched them leave, then turned around, looked up at the tall gatehouse, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

There were indeed guards at the entrance, two young men in their twenties.

They glanced at the envelope in Jiang Bai's hand, then at the retreating figures of the Spirit Hall knights behind him, a knowing look in their eyes, but made no attempt to stop him.

It's a joke. The child was personally escorted by the Guardian Knights directly under the Spirit Hall, and he was carrying a document stamped with the hall's seal. How could they dare to stop him?

They even skipped the routine inquiries.

Jiang Bai successfully entered the academy.

Following the signs on the school road, Jiang Bai walked along the main road for about ten minutes until a three-story building with a simple and elegant appearance came into view.

There were significantly fewer people coming and going here, making it very quiet.

He walked around the first floor and quickly found the room with the sign that read "New Student Admission Office".

The door was ajar, and the faint sound of papers turning could be heard from inside.

Jiang Bai composed himself, raised his hand, and knocked on the door three times, neither too hard nor too soft.

"Enter."

A slightly cold female voice came from inside.