The female teacher's gaze was full of joy—if she could recruit an S-class student, she'd earn rich rewards from the academy. St. Freya Academy was famous for its wealth: not only did outstanding students receive generous scholarships, but teachers whose students excelled were also rewarded.
This was why, in only two years, the academy had recruited so many teachers, most poached from other soul master academies with high salaries.
It wasn't that their old academies treated them badly—St. Freya simply paid too much.
After all, even soul masters had families to support. For the sake of their children's future, they naturally wanted higher income.
As for Gu Yue, already a 38th-rank Soul Elder at only eleven, her talent would make her a key student even at Shrek, let alone St. Freya. As long as she passed the test, S-class was easily within reach.
"You're Gu Yue, right? Welcome to St. Freya Academy. Next, I'll personally take you to the entrance examination. Your results will determine which class you're assigned to."
The female teacher gave a gentle smile and handed over the registration work to a nearby senior student—an upperclassman from St. Freya Academy.
She personally led Gu Yue into the academy for the exam.
The upperclassman glanced at Gu Yue with envy—being personally led by a teacher to the exam was proof of extraordinary talent.
Unlike himself, whose potential had already reached its limit. For any further progress, he'd have to try for the Golden Guard selection.
Looking at Gu Yue's form on the table, a flash of shock appeared in his eyes—her talent reminded him of those few monsters in the academy who, like the city lord, were S-class.
As for himself, he was rated D-class, and it was uncertain if he'd ever break through to Soul King.
"Teacher, can you tell me what's on the entrance exam?" Gu Yue asked curiously. Judging by how cautious the teacher was, it seemed very important.
"St. Freya Academy is different from other soul master schools—not only do we test your soul power, but also your combat skills and adaptability. Your exam results will determine your rating," the teacher explained patiently.
"Rating?" Gu Yue grew even more curious.
"Yes. The academy divides students into S, A, B, C, and D classes. If you're rated as A, it means you have the potential to become a Title Douluo."
The teacher explained patiently, "Of course, the rating isn't fixed. The academy will re-evaluate based on your performance and test results."
"After all, students grow and may get lucky opportunities. The rating can change."
"The higher the rating, the better your class assignment, the stronger your teachers, and you might even get personal guidance from Excellency Ice Moon Sword Douluo."
By the end, the teacher looked at Gu Yue with barely concealed excitement—this was an S-class seedling, a super treasure. Today was her lucky day.
At St. Freya, Jingliu always treated students equally, even D-class students. She was willing to teach anyone.
However, in the past two years, the academy had expanded rapidly and student numbers had surged. Even someone as energetic as Jingliu couldn't devote time to every student. Thus, the rating system had been introduced.
Only those who worked hard and improved could hope for personal instruction from Jingliu.
This decision was actually proposed by Lu Jingming.
After all, the academy's rating wasn't based solely on talent, but on comprehensive qualities: combat skills, adaptability, soul power control, and more.
Of course, it couldn't be denied that talented students usually got higher ratings—after all, in Douluo Dalu, talent was key.
"We're here. This is the examination site," the teacher's clear voice brought Gu Yue back to reality. They arrived at a school building.
Inside, down a long corridor, they reached a spacious room.
There were many metal pods in the room. Gu Yue saw that some pods were already closed, with students of similar age inside, clearly taking their exams.
The teacher took out her teacher card and swiped it on a slot beside a pod. With a soft "beep," an empty pod slowly opened.
She smiled at Gu Yue and explained, "This is a soul tool that connects to a simulated universe. It's different from standard login devices—this is specially developed by the academy, called Holographic Strategy. Once inside, it will match you with suitable opponents for a real-combat test."
The teacher spoke with pride—this was unique technology of the academy.
"Holographic Strategy has six difficulty levels. If you pass the five-star test, you'll be rated S-class. If you pass six-star, you'll get personal guidance from a Title Douluo and huge training resources." The teacher explained the rules in detail.
Gu Yue's eyes lit up. She was no stranger to simulated universes—she'd often left Star Dou Forest in the past two years to learn about new human inventions.
But this Holographic Strategy was her first time hearing of it. However, she knew that the developer of the simulated universe, Lady Black Tower Herta, lived in Haiyuan City, so it made sense that the academy could improve on it.
Soon, under the teacher's guidance, Gu Yue lay inside a metal pod.
The pod's interior was surprisingly comfortable, with a faint, calming fragrance that seemed to dispel tension and anxiety.
As her mind linked with the virtual world, a flash appeared before her eyes. When she opened them again, she was on a vast square.
The environment was as real as the outside world. Solid stone slabs beneath her feet, blue sky overhead, and a gentle breeze carrying a hint of freshness.