Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
******
After learning about the current state of the Sun Moon Continent from Chrysanthemum Douluo, Su Wen was in no hurry to set out. At the very least, he needed to finish handling the affairs of the Academy first.
"If you wish to travel to the Sun Moon Continent, you can wait for the Spirit Hall's next expedition," Chrysanthemum Douluo suggested.
Indeed, the Spirit Hall conducted regular explorations of the Great Ocean, and one of their objectives was to acquire Soul Tools from the Sun Moon Continent.
"Oh? When does the Spirit Hall depart?"
"Spirit Hall arranges a voyage once every twenty years. There are still five years left until the next one. You can afford to wait."
Su Wen was speechless.
Five years? Five years from now, would I still need to rely on the Spirit Hall to reach the Sun Moon Continent?
"I wonder if I might take a look at the Spirit Hall's nautical charts."
"Oh? Does Master Wen intend to travel to that continent on his own?" Chrysanthemum Douluo's gaze turned peculiar, looking at Su Wen as if he were looking at a man with a death wish.
"I won't set out until I am certain of my success. I will wait for the Spirit Hall's movement."
Chrysanthemum Douluo shrugged.
"Although I sat in on one voyage, I truly don't know the specific navigation routes. After all, someone else was responsible for piloting the ship, and I don't understand those technicalities. I'll go back and ask for Her Majesty the Pope's instructions."
Su Wen was not annoyed that he failed to obtain the charts.
"Did Elder Ju come all this way just to deliver news of the Sun Moon Continent?" Su Wen asked.
"Certainly not. I came to remind Master Wen that the Academy is meant to be established all across the continent. If it remains too independent, it will be very difficult to achieve true integration."
Su Wen narrowed his eyes, his expression neutral. "Is the Spirit Hall reminding me, or warning me?"
"It is merely a reminder to Master Wen that there is no need to be so at odds with the Star Luo Empire. After all, they occupy half of the continent. By opposing them, the construction of the Academy will only face obstacles."
"I think that sissy had a point," Battle Heaven Douluo voiced his opinion after Chrysanthemum Douluo had departed.
Ning Fengzhi also spoke up, sharing his perspective.
"The Academy is indeed standing from the perspective of the entire Spirit Master world to seek benefits for all, but this world is inherently built on solidified social classes. Spirit Master is the most noble profession in this world. To become a Spirit Master, especially a powerful one, inevitably creates an unbridgeable chasm in status between oneself and ordinary Spirit Masters, let alone commoners."
"On this continent, classes are inevitable, and those powerful forces will surely continue to exist. If you want the Academy to endure, you cannot place yourself directly in opposition to the entire noble class."
Su Wen sighed. "Uncle Ning, how could I not understand these things?"
"I know that classes cannot be eliminated. As long as there are human Spirit Masters, and as long as they have their own desires and emotions, there will be classes and gaps in status. This is unavoidable. My creation of the Academy—is it not an attempt to avoid the pitfalls brought about by this very solidification?"
"The Spirit Master world is certainly divided by many powerful masters who have carved up the continent's resources. But there will always be lucky individuals with mutated martial souls, Spirit Masters born with special talents, and all sorts of fortuitous opportunities."
"The Academy's goal of 'promoting the development of the Spirit Master world'—is it not an investment in these Spirit Masters? By allowing these newly rising geniuses to grow, we accelerate the progress of the entire Spirit Master world."
The waves of the Yangtze River behind push those in front. Only by ensuring that every generation produces excellent Spirit Masters—and that they have the potential to replace the previous generation of powerhouses—can mutual progress be achieved. History must look forward; the Spirit Master world must develop toward greater heights. Any force that does not conform to this law of development will eventually be swallowed by the torrent of history.
"Actually, besides the Soul Bone Pavilion and the Soul Tool Pavilion, I plan to establish another branch—the Soul Ring Pavilion."
Ning Fengzhi was just marvelling at Su Wen's foresight regarding the future of the Spirit Master world when he heard this sentence, finding it difficult to understand.
"The Soul Ring Pavilion? Does researching soul rings have any direct impact on Spirit Masters?"
Research related to soul skills, martial souls, and cultivation is most closely related to a Spirit Master's life; these were the three original pavilions of the Academy recognized by the world. Now, Su Wen wanted to add a Soul Bone Pavilion, which was understandable. Even the Soul Tool Pavilion could be seen as a benefit for the average Spirit Master. But what was a Soul Ring Pavilion for?
"The Soul Ring Pavilion will be established, but it won't be widely publicized. This is because the research project I have tentatively set for it concerns the method by which Spirit Masters obtain their soul rings."
"The method of obtaining soul rings?"
"Uncle Ning, you've overlooked one thing: soul beasts."
"The development of the Spirit Master world is destined to see more and more genius Spirit Masters emerge. However, the rise of every single Spirit Master is accompanied by the fall of powerful soul beasts. Even a Title Douluo level master only lives for a few hundred years, yet they may need to hunt three or four soul beasts that took tens of thousands of years to grow. The progress and prosperity of the Spirit Master world will only lead to the increasing desolation of soul beasts. Without finding a substitute for soul beasts, the faster the Spirit Master world develops, the faster it will bring about its own demise."
Ning Fengzhi fell silent. Looking at it this way, the significance of the Soul Ring Pavilion seemed even more profound. This was a project involving the very future of the Spirit Master world. However, to complete such research, who knew how much time it would take or how many generations of accumulation would be needed to realize the acquisition of soul rings from other angles?
"Since ancient times, Spirit Masters have only been able to obtain soul rings from soul beasts. Your idea is good, but you can't exactly create 'artificial soul rings,' can you? The technology required for that isn't something the current Spirit Master world can satisfy."
Artificial soul rings were too far ahead of the current Douluo Continent. One had to realize that right now, the continent didn't even have basic soul-powered machinery, making high-difficulty technology like soul ring synthesis an impossibility. Even someone as flexible-minded as Ning Fengzhi could not imagine how an artificial soul ring could be achieved. He lacked any concept of soul-tool technology.
"Haha, it doesn't necessarily have to be an artificial soul ring. There are many directions. We could utilize only the bloodline power of soul beasts, or enter into contracts with them where the soul beast voluntarily bestows the ring. All these methods hold hope."
Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly. While these methods sounded feasible, achieving them would certainly be anything but easy.
"The priority right now is still to finish establishing the Academy."
Su Wen did not continue the discussion. He was currently enduring the immense operational pressure of the "Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning" every second, and he wished to resolve this issue immediately. The sooner the construction was finished, the sooner he could escape the weight of that pressure.
Su Wen's efficiency was high. Another two months passed—four months since his arrival in the Star Luo Empire.
Spirit City.
Out of respect for the Spirit Hall, Su Wen prepared to build one more Academy here in Spirit City.
This would be the final Academy to be built on the continent.
(End of Chapter)