Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor

At the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, Chen Ming had been led by Qin Ming to an inconspicuous pavilion located halfway up the mountain.

After instructing Chen Ming to wait there for a while, Qin Ming unleashed his soul power and swiftly departed. Though his movement was ghost-like and quick, the fiery glow of his fire-attribute soul power made him stand out conspicuously in the night. Even if Chen Ming didn't intentionally watch, he could still trace Qin Ming's movements.

Not long after, Qin Ming returned to the pavilion. While he didn't appear to be carrying anything new, his demeanor was noticeably steadier than before.

With a slight flick of his wrist, a map made from the hide of an unknown soul beast appeared in Qin Ming's hand. After confirming its accuracy, he handed it to Chen Ming.

"The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy campus is enormous, and it's hard for most people to navigate. Keep this map and memorize the main roads. Tomorrow, I'll guide you through the key areas so you can get your bearings."

"Thank you, Teacher Qin Ming."

Chen Ming nodded and, under the moonlight, opened the map for a glance, memorizing a few key areas and the primary pathways.

"It's getting late. Come with me. I just went to see the teacher in charge of the freshmen dormitories and found a courtyard for you. Though it's slightly secluded, it's close to a mimicry training ground well-suited for poison-type cultivation."

"Your daily meals will be delivered by servants at set times. If you have any special requests, such as specific dishes or not needing food delivered, or if you want to add certain clothing or other necessities, you can communicate directly with the servants."

"The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is the highest educational institution directly under the royal family of the Heaven Dou Empire, and its resources are abundant. Tuition fees are waived for noble families of count rank or higher, as well as for talented soul masters. The outstanding talent displayed in the academy may even earn additional royal subsidies."

At this point, Qin Ming couldn't help but sigh, reminiscing about his stumbling journey in the past.

Why did he, someone who greatly admired Shrek Academy, ultimately choose to teach at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy?

Because, through his years of wandering the continent, Qin Ming had come to understand that surviving in this world without a strong background and resources was nearly impossible.

Though he loved Shrek Academy, he knew that its… well, modest environment wouldn't provide him with the opportunities he needed. Even if he returned there as a teacher, it wouldn't make much of a difference. With his talent, the best he could hope for was to reach the Soul Sage rank in his lifetime.

At the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, however, things were different. Here, he had access to ample gold soul coins, precious resources, valuable information, and top-tier mimicry training grounds—treasures that were incredibly rare for rogue spirit masters.

At the very least, Qin Ming was confident he could achieve the rank of Soul Douluo here and might even have a chance to reach the Titled Douluo level in the future.

As for noble titles? Those were practically handed out here.

Looking at Chen Ming, Qin Ming couldn't help but wonder: if he had been born into such a background with ample resources for cultivation, would his path have taken him further than where he was now?

"Don't think about such disrespectful things. I must remember the kindness Shrek showed me." Qin Ming shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside, and refocused on Chen Ming, leading him toward the courtyard.

After walking for about fifteen minutes along a path paved with bricks engraved with various soul beasts, they arrived in front of a courtyard.

Though described as a small courtyard, it was anything but small. At a glance, he estimated the area to be around 500 square meters.

When the gate to the courtyard was opened, the interior design was remarkably exquisite.

Inside the courtyard, though there were no lights or signs of habitation, it was impeccably clean and tidy. The flowers, trees, and plants were beautifully maintained, the ground showed no trace of fallen leaves or dust, and the bricks and tiles looked as bright as if they were new. Even the intricate carvings on the walls were spotless, with no dust in their crevices.

If Chen Ming had encountered such a courtyard in his past life without any prior knowledge, he might have assumed it was haunted to be kept in such a pristine state.

But in this life, on the Douluo Continent, Chen Ming simply shrugged it off as standard practice. After all, human labor was incredibly cheap here.

"This courtyard is vacant, Xiao Ming. You can stay here for now. If it feels uncomfortable, I'll arrange for you to move somewhere else later."

"By the way, which room would you like to pick?"

"The first one on the left," Chen Ming said casually after a glance.

"Alright." Qin Ming unlocked the door with a key and began placing various items in the room from his storage soul tool.

Before long, the room was fully furnished and illuminated. The bed was made with pillows and bedding, with several sets of brand-new uniforms neatly folded at the foot of the bed. On the table were dishes made from soul beast ingredients, along with a pair of chopsticks for each of them and a jar labeled "Fruit" beside the tableware.

"It's late today, so let's make do with a quick meal. If you have any needs, just inform the person in charge tomorrow."

"Thank you, Teacher Qin Ming." Chen Ming, who always adhered to a polite and respectful demeanor with neutral or friendly individuals, expressed his gratitude sincerely.

Under the light of an oil lamp, the two sat down to eat. Although Qin Ming described it as a simple meal, the dishes were exceptionally delicious.

Even though Chen Ming, as a transmigrator, found the Douluo Continent's cooking techniques somewhat primitive, the high-quality ingredients more than made up for it. Even the simplest seasonings brought out remarkable flavors.

Each dish on the table was made from soul beasts, albeit ones with lower cultivation years. However, they were carefully selected for their reputedly excellent taste, and combined with the chef's decent skills, even someone like Chen Ming, who wasn't easily impressed by the food, found himself reaching for extra servings.

The jar on the table contained fruit wine brewed from various fruits produced by soul beasts. Due to the fermentation techniques of this world, Chen Ming thought it tasted more like an alcoholic fruit-flavored beverage than actual wine.

While Qin Ming mentioned that this wine was popular at the academy, Chen Ming found it mediocre at best. He preferred the medicinal wines he brewed at home using various poisonous insects, which were tailored to assist in cultivation. Still, he refrained from voicing his opinion and just drank politely.

After the meal, Qin Ming packed up the tableware and wine jar into his storage soul tool. Following a brief conversation, he decided to stay the night in the room next to Chen Ming's.

Though Chen Ming felt slightly out of place in the new environment, and even his cultivation seemed a bit off, he soon laughed at himself while lying on the bed.

In Biuochen City, the air was filled with toxins, and even the streets served as a mimicry cultivation ground for poison-attribute soul masters. Having lived in such an environment for years, it was only natural that he felt unsettled in a place devoid of toxins.

"Forget it, I'll sleep on it first," Chen Ming muttered to himself as he sat up cross-legged on the bed and entered a meditative state.

PS: Guess the harem members.