The forest road gradually widened after midday.
Snow became thinner beneath the wheels of passing merchant caravans, while signs of civilization slowly appeared more frequently along the roadside.
Travelers carrying supplies moved between towns cautiously, and occasionally spirit masters could be seen crossing the roads atop spirit beasts or horses.
Lin Yuan walked silently among them.
His black coat concealed most of his appearance while the pressure surrounding his body remained completely restrained.
After the incident with the bandits, he had become more aware of something important.
The Asura Prison attracted attention too easily.
Not ordinary attention.
Fear.
Even spirit masters instinctively reacted to the pressure hidden within his martial soul.
The feeling reminded him of natural predators suppressing weaker creatures.
Dangerous.
Especially while he remained weak.
Lin Yuan’s gaze lifted toward the distant horizon.
A massive city wall gradually emerged through the snowfall ahead.
North River City.
The first true city he had encountered since leaving the town.
Compared to the isolated settlement where he grew up, the difference was overwhelming.
Tall stone walls surrounded the city like a giant fortress while armored guards patrolled the entrances continuously.
Countless people moved in and out through the enormous gates carrying goods, weapons, animal hides, and spirit beast materials.
Noise filled the air.
Merchants shouted loudly.
Children ran through crowded streets.
Spirit masters walked openly among civilians without hiding their identities.
For a moment, Lin Yuan simply stood there quietly observing everything.
This— Was the real Douluo Continent.
Not peaceful villages hidden from conflict.
But cities built entirely around power, trade, and survival.
The line entering the city moved steadily forward.
When Lin Yuan finally reached the gate, one of the guards glanced down toward him briefly.
“Travel permit?” Lin Yuan remained silent for half a second.
Then calmly removed a Spirit Hall-issued awakening token from his coat.
The guard’s expression immediately changed slightly after seeing it.
Spirit Hall.
Even low-level identification connected to Spirit Hall carried authority ordinary civilians could not challenge casually.
Especially for children with cultivation talent.
The guard stepped aside.
“You can enter.” Lin Yuan nodded faintly before walking through the city gates.
The moment he entered North River City, a completely different atmosphere greeted him.
Warm air mixed with the scent of food drifted through crowded streets lined with stone buildings.
Spirit tool shops displayed weapons openly while spirit beast meat roasted above outdoor fires nearby.
Everywhere— People.
More people than Lin Yuan had seen in his entire life combined.
He walked quietly through the crowded streets while observing his surroundings carefully.
Spirit masters were far more common here.
Most possessed weak cultivation, but compared to isolated towns, the difference remained enormous.
Occasionally, Lin Yuan could even sense spirit power fluctuations strong enough to pressure ordinary people nearby instinctively.
Grand Spirit Masters.
Spirit Elders.
Perhaps even stronger.
This was no longer a place where talent alone guaranteed superiority.
Lin Yuan exhaled slowly.
Good.
That was exactly what he wanted.
A larger world meant faster growth.
Eventually, he stopped outside a massive building near the city center.
Spirit Hall.
The familiar emblem stood engraved above the entrance.
Lin Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He needed information.
More importantly— He needed resources.
His cultivation speed had already surpassed ordinary civilian limits.
Without proper spirit master knowledge and training methods, future progress would slow considerably.
After several moments of thought, Lin Yuan stepped inside.
The interior was surprisingly quiet compared to the streets outside.
White stone floors reflected warm lantern light while Spirit Hall attendants moved calmly through the large lobby.
Several spirit masters stood near reception counters discussing missions and spirit beast hunts.
The moment Lin Yuan entered— Several gazes shifted toward him instinctively.
Not because of his appearance.
But because of the faint pressure hidden within his body.
Even restrained, traces of the Asura Prison still affected nearby instincts subtly.
Lin Yuan ignored the attention calmly and approached the nearest counter.
A young woman wearing Spirit Hall robes looked slightly surprised upon seeing him.
“A child?” Then her gaze landed on the token in his hand.
Her expression became more serious immediately.
“How may Spirit Hall assist you?” Lin Yuan answered calmly.
“I’m looking for information about spirit master academies nearby.” The woman nodded while retrieving several documents.
“Primary academies?” “No.” Her movements paused slightly.
Lin Yuan continued quietly: “Intermediate and advanced academies.” The woman stared at him carefully.
Most children his age had not even begun official cultivation.
Yet the calmness in Lin Yuan’s eyes felt strangely mature.
“What rank are you?” Lin Yuan considered briefly before answering truthfully.
“Spirit Scholar.” A faint spirit power fluctuation naturally escaped his body.
The woman’s pupils contracted slightly.
Level ten spirit power.
At his age?
She quickly regained composure.
“There are several academies within North River Province accepting talented spirit masters,” she explained while organizing the documents.
“However, admission standards vary significantly.” Lin Yuan listened silently.
Most academy names meant little to him.
Because in truth— He already knew where his path eventually led.
Shrek.
Slaughter City.
The continent’s future storm.
Still, entering an academy first remained necessary.
He needed combat experience, spirit rings, and access to cultivation resources unavailable to wandering civilians.
Then the woman suddenly hesitated before asking quietly: “Have you considered joining Spirit Hall directly?” Lin Yuan looked toward her calmly.
Another invitation.
Expected.
She continued carefully: “With your talent, Spirit Hall can provide far better opportunities than ordinary academies.” Lin Yuan’s gaze lowered slightly.
He understood the logic.
Spirit Hall valued geniuses highly.
Especially civilian geniuses without backgrounds.
But at the same time— He also remembered the future.
Remembered the conflict between Spirit Hall and Tang San.
Remembered the tragedies surrounding Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue.
His expression remained calm.
“I’ll consider it.” The woman seemed somewhat disappointed but did not press further.
Then suddenly— A sharp voice echoed from deeper inside the hall.
“Innate full spirit power?” Several nearby spirit masters immediately turned toward the source.
A middle-aged man wearing silver-trimmed robes walked rapidly toward the counter while staring directly at Lin Yuan.
The pressure surrounding him was far stronger than ordinary Spirit Elders.
Spirit Ancestor rank.
The man stopped several meters away before studying Lin Yuan carefully.
Then his gaze slowly sharpened.
“What is your martial soul?”