As the class began, everyone quieted down, and the teacher entered the classroom. True to the introduction, all teachers for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Heaven Dou-level class were Soul Emperors, with the homeroom teacher being a 67th-ranked Soul Emperor. When he entered, everyone became silent.
The homeroom teacher appeared to be a middle-aged man around 40 years old. "Hello, everyone. I am the homeroom teacher for Heaven Dou Class A. My name is Sun Xiang, and my martial soul is the Powerful Vajra Bear. I am a level-66 Soul Emperor. I hope everyone will work hard and aim to graduate early."
Mr. Sun's introduction was brief, and then the students took turns introducing themselves, sharing their martial souls and soul power levels. As expected, most were between levels 30 and 35, with a few reaching levels 35–40, and one or two exceeding level 40.
When Yang Podi introduced himself and his abilities, everyone realized he was the new talent that the academy had enrolled the previous day.
The class content was relatively simple, mostly covering cultivation knowledge. For Yang Podi, it was of little benefit; he felt it would have been more useful to continue his training at home.
Each morning had three one-hour sessions, all taught by Soul Emperor-level teachers. However, given Yang Podi's background—his father being a Soul Douluo—these sessions hardly impressed him.
During the breaks, several classmates approached him, including the sole Soul Ancestor in the class, who tried persuading Yang Podi to join the academy's main team. However, Yang Podi politely declined.
After the morning classes, he went to eat alone in the cafeteria, feeling that the lessons were a waste of time. The content held little practical value for him; he would have preferred meditating in his dormitory instead.
In the afternoon, students had free time. Many went to specialized cultivation environments or chose other activities, as Heaven Dou Royal Academy's training philosophy encouraged students to focus on self-directed practice.
Yang Podi had arranged for his team members to meet at Training Field No. 3 at one o'clock that afternoon. Everyone assembled promptly, including Mr. Li, the team's support teacher, as well as Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling.
Mr. Li began, "Hello, everyone. I'm Li Xiang, a level-56 Soul King with the Black Hawk as my martial soul. I'll be here to assist with any issues you encounter during training. Feel free to reach out anytime."
After getting to know Mr. Li a bit, Yang Podi appreciated his straightforward nature. His introductions and guidance around the academy had shown him to be a practical, no-nonsense person. As an assistant, Mr. Li was a reliable presence.
Once introductions were done, Yang Podi addressed the group, "Starting today, our team is officially formed. You all know my style—I'm strict with others, and even stricter with myself."
"From today, each of you will run 50 kilometers with weights daily. Beyond that, prioritize meditation. I expect everyone to reach level 30 within three years, at which point you'll each participate in at least one solo and one duo Soul Battle daily until you've earned silver Soul Battle badges."
Hearing this, everyone in the group was taken aback. The lowest-ranked members, Tai Long and Bai Xiaofei, were only at level 21, so a nine-level increase in three years felt ambitious. Additionally, training through Soul Battles at level 25 or above added a new level of challenge.
Noticing their hesitation, Yang Podi reassured them, "I've already discussed this with the three elders. The academy will supply materials for medicinal baths. If you follow my plan, you'll all reach the Soul Elder rank within three years."
"Besides the 50-kilometer weighted run each afternoon, I'll gradually introduce other exercises based on your physical limits. Use the academy's mimicked cultivation environments to meditate when possible. They're highly effective for enhancing soul power."
Turning to Mr. Li, Yang Podi continued, "Mr. Li, could you monitor everyone's training daily? There shouldn't be any absences without valid reasons. Also, I've requested funding for medicinal baths and other expenses, so please handle the necessary arrangements."
"If anyone faints or encounters difficulties during training, please assist them promptly, as I won't always be present."
He also handed Mr. Li a list of modifications he wanted for the training field.
Training Field No. 3 was spacious—roughly twice the size of a standard soccer field. Yang Podi planned to turn it into an obstacle course, incorporating barriers like hurdles, water pits, stones, walls, and low wires. All future weighted runs would take place here, helping the team develop agility, resilience, and endurance.
Yang Podi's approach drew from military training techniques, which he believed were highly practical. These exercises would test physical limits while also building adaptability and confidence.
After adapting to this regimen, he would add more weight and introduce other training modules.
As for Tai Long, his skill in crafting weights proved invaluable. He produced a range of options, from a few kilograms to a few hundred, all within a day.
Ye Lingling, as a support soul master, was taken aback by the sight of these weights, her face revealing slight anxiety. Fortunately, Dugu Yan comforted her, helping to ease her nerves.