From this point onward, the soul master academy founded by Yun Yibai, Yang Wudi, Niu Gao, Dugu Bo, and others officially came into existence.
The former Haoyue Academy was now renamed to Wuji Academy!
Niu Gao was appointed Headmaster and concurrently the Dean of the Defense Institute.
Yang Wudi took the role of Dean of the Alchemy Institute.
Dugu Bo served as an elder of the soul master academy.
Former Haoyue Academy headmaster Li Changping became Wuji Academy's Director of Education, temporarily responsible for administration and daily teaching affairs.
The existing teachers and students of the academy remained unchanged. However, starting with the next intake, the academy would begin building its reputation and start recruiting students with stronger innate talent.
Although Wuji Academy had been established, Yun Yibai wasn't in a rush to make the three clans fully merge or transform their identities. After all, the academy was still in its early stages, and resources were limited — it would take time to upgrade and grow.
Meanwhile, Yun Yibai, Yang Wudi, Niu Gao, and the newly returned Dugu Bo began selecting a new site for the academy's permanent campus.
Land ownership was not a problem at all — Dugu Bo's status was more than enough to secure a vast area.
After all, Haoyue City didn't truly belong to them, which made it inconvenient for long-term development. As for construction, no one had more say than the Yu Zhi Clan (御之一族), who were masters in that field.
Eventually, they selected a location south of the Sunset Forest, bordering it to the north, with access southward to Star Dou Forest and the Star Luo Empire, and to the west, the proximity of Heaven Dou City.
While the new academy was under construction, Yun Yibai and Dugu Yan returned to Heaven Dou City along with Oscar, Niu Tian, and Yang Tai.
The three — Oscar, Niu Tian, and Yang Tai — became active in the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, honing their skills. Yun Yibai continued his cultivation, aiming to reach rank 50 as soon as possible, while Dugu Yan entered seclusion to focus on increasing her spirit power.
Feng Xiaotian was also striving to improve. Unlike before, he had listened to Dugu Yan's advice and no longer sought out Huo Wu. He simply waited, just as Dugu Yan had suggested, to see the results.
While Yun Yibai and the others pressed forward, others across the continent hadn't been idle either.
In the West of the Heaven Dou Empire...
Within the Balak Kingdom, just outside Soto City, there was a small village where an Advanced Soul Master Academy was located. At this moment, six students were undergoing intense weight training. Their movements were highly skilled, indicating they were already well-adapted to this type of training.
"Flender, the next phase of the training plan can begin. Have you found someone to fill out the team?"
"I have."
Flender followed with a heavy sigh.
"Still thinking about that innate full spirit power Food-type Soul Master you mentioned?"
The Grandmaster's tone was flat, hard to read — neither sympathetic nor dismissive.
"Of course! A Food-type Soul Master with innate full spirit power — you've no idea how outstanding his soul skills were. If he were still with us, these kids would be even stronger in battle. You wouldn't understand — you never had that experience."
Flender was still grieving the loss of Oscar, and his emotions slipped out before he could stop himself.
"Sorry," Flender muttered after a moment, avoiding the Grandmaster's eyes.
"It's fine."
The Grandmaster replied calmly, but what he felt deep down — only he knew.
Flender had misspoken.
The Grandmaster had known that feeling, and even more painfully so than Flender ever could.
Elsewhere on the continent...
In a region under the control of Spirit Hall, there existed a special soul beast forest known as the Forest of Death. Within a secluded section of this forest stood a complex of buildings at odds with the surrounding wilderness — the site of Spirit Hall's Genius Training Camp.
Only the most talented Soul Masters recognized by Spirit Hall had the chance to train here.
"Very good. Full of spirit and vitality — as expected of the carefully selected elite disciples of Spirit Hall, the promising youth personally chosen by His Holiness the Pope."
At the center of the compound's training field, a middle-aged Soul Master — clad in flowing golden robes and with twin wings extended from his back — looked down upon seven young men and women below.
"I am your new instructor. My name is Snow."
As he spoke, he released his spirit rings: two yellow, two purple, and two black.
"Snow. Martial Soul: Azure Sky Eagle.
Rank 61 Agility Attack–type Battle Soul Emperor."
"In the coming days, I will be training with you all."
His voice was cool and detached.
"Now, report your names, ranks, and Martial Souls!"
From the seven below, the first to step forward was a young man:
"Xie Yue, Rank 49 Power Attack–type Battle Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Moon Blade."
Next was a blonde girl:
"Hu Liena, Rank 48 Control-type Battle Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Fox."
"Yan, Rank 49 Power Attack–type Battle Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Flame Lord."
"Sun Chuantao, Rank 46 Power Attack–type Battle Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Ringblade."
"Li Kai, Rank 45 Defense-type Battle Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Black-Horned Wild Boar."
"Zhang Ping, Rank 45 Agility Attack–type Battle Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Golden-Waist Swallow."
"Xu Yu, Rank 44 Support-type Battle Soul Ancestor. Martial Soul: Radiant Gold Scepter."
"Excellent," Snow praised coldly.
"Let's begin. Your first task — do everything you can to defeat me."
The difficulty was high, to say the least. But for these seven who had emerged from the Forest of Death, this challenge was not something to fear — each of them had already walked the edge of hell.
As one, the seven activated Martial Soul Possession, their spirit rings appeared one after another.
Boom!
Yun Yibai's lightning-wreathed fist smashed into the jaw of a ten-thousand-year soul beast in front of him.
"Roar!"
The soul beast howled — whether in pain or fury was unclear.
In the Sunset Forest, Yun Yibai was engaging in fierce combat with a ten-thousand-year-old soul beast to sharpen his combat skills.
This wasn't his first time.
Since breaking through to rank 49 two months ago, Yun Yibai had chosen this brutal method to accelerate his training and hone himself.
Moments later, the Ten-Thousand-Year Evil Spirit Panther was forced to flee.
Lightning, by its nature, suppresses dark-type soul beasts like the Evil Spirit Panther.
Combined with Yun Yibai's strength, which was now enough to match a ten-thousand-year beast, the battle tipped in his favor.
"Your training method is the craziest I've ever seen," someone said.
"I've never heard of a Soul Master deliberately seeking out soul beasts for live combat like this."
Yun Yibai accepted a towel from Dugu Yan with a silent smile.
He knew people like that existed — and there were many of them.
In Spirit Hall alone, countless genius Soul Masters died every year in trials like this. It was like raising venomous insects — only the strongest survived, and only the best were deemed worthy to serve Spirit Hall.
"Of course, that's only because Senior Yang is here. Otherwise, those soul beasts would have swarmed me long ago."
"You little brat!" Yang Wudi chuckled angrily.
So now he, a dignified Soul Douluo, had become the kid's bodyguard?