After seven intense days of cultivation, Yu Chen's spirit power finally broke through the bottleneck, rising from the peak of level 39 to level 40. With the absorption of his fourth spirit ring, his Azure Dragon Martial Spirit would officially elevate him to the Soul Sect realm!
At only twelve years old, reaching the Soul Sect level was beyond extraordinary. Such a feat, once spread, would not only cause a stir in the Heaven Dou Empire but also send shockwaves across the Star Luo and Jia Luo Empires!
Although Dai Mubai's innate talent could not compare to Yu Chen's, the influence of Yu Chen's [Mimic Space] provided immense cultivation benefits. Their speed of progress soared.
Among them, the three girls—Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing—made great strides as well, reaching levels 27, 26, and 26 respectively in spirit power.
The others—Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar—also stuck close to Yu Chen, cultivating beside him day and night. As a result, their spirit power reached levels 24, 25, 24, and 25 respectively.
However, unlike the three girls who shared resting hours within the [Mimic Space], the four boys couldn't maintain such constant exposure. Hence, a slight disparity of one or two levels remained between them and the girls.
Even the merged Blue Tyrant Academy students saw progress, though more modest. Their foundational talent was weaker than Shrek's core students, so despite the benefits of [Mimic Space], their cultivation did not leap forward as rapidly.
Of course, it wasn't only the students who improved. The teachers—Flender, Zhao Wuji, and others—also experienced growth, albeit minor due to their already high ranks as Soul Sages. Liu Erlong, a Contra, showed no noticeable improvement in such a short span.
But Yu Xiaogang, newly evolved into the Golden Sacred Dragon Martial Spirit, had his power soar. From his previous level of 33, he now reached spirit power level 40—an astonishing advancement made possible thanks to the breakthrough granted by his awakened martial soul.
On this seventh day, the newly renovated Shrek Academy bustled with activity. Thanks to Yu Chen's generous donation of Golden Soul Coins and the integration of the Blue Tyrant Academy, Shrek had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Gone was the rundown, makeshift campus that once barely qualified as an academy. In its place stood a modern, decently constructed institution. While not as grand as Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, the buildings were sturdy, and the aesthetic was respectable.
A newly constructed front gate, four to five meters tall and made of specially forged metal, bore the bold inscription: Shrek Academy.
The academy's territory had also expanded dramatically—two to three times its original size. Yu Chen had purchased the surrounding barren hills and wasteland, quickly transforming the area.
Now the grounds were filled with teaching halls, proper dormitories, a spacious canteen, and a combat training hall. The central area had even been repaved with obsidian stone—resistant to explosive battles and durable enough to withstand soul power duels.
What once was merely a clearing now deserved the title of a true training arena.
"Grandmaster!"
"Principal!"
All the students gathered on the newly finished obsidian arena saluted Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong as they arrived.
"Good. All of you have made solid progress over these past days," Yu Xiaogang said, nodding in satisfaction. "But constant sparring and arena combat can lead to fatigue. It's time for a change in your training."
"I've decided," he continued, "that we will head to the Star Dou Great Forest. There, both I and Xiao Chen will acquire our fourth spirit rings."
Everyone turned toward Yu Chen at these words.
Yu Xiaogang, suddenly realizing something, narrowed his gaze on Yu Chen. "Wait, Xiao Chen… all of your previous spirit rings were god-given. Do you even need to hunt soul beasts for your fourth ring?"
As he said this, realization struck everyone else—Flender, Tang San, Dai Mubai. All eyes turned to Yu Chen.
Right then, a system prompt echoed in Yu Chen's mind:
Ding! The Divine Selection System has been activated. Host, please make a choice:
1. Refuse to answer Yu Xiaogang's question — Reward: 1x Millennium Soul Beast
2. Slap Yu Xiaogang in public — Reward: 10,000-Year Phoenix Soul Ring
3. Agree to travel to Star Dou Forest and help acquire your fourth spirit ring — Reward: 63,000-Year Dragon Spirit Ring
You have 30 seconds to choose.
Yu Chen's gaze swept calmly over the options. The second was outrageous—he would never resort to that, regardless of the reward.
The third option, however, aligned with his goal. He needed a high-quality spirit ring to advance, and a 63,000-year dragon ring was a phenomenal reward.
"I'll go," Yu Chen said with a nod. "The god-given rings are rare. I can't expect to get one every time."
Though his words sounded humble, everyone around him twitched at the irony. With six god-given ten-thousand-year spirit rings already, how could he claim such rings were rare?
"Ahem!"
Yu Xiaogang coughed awkwardly but quickly recomposed himself.
"Very well. In two days, we depart for Star Dou Forest. Your mission: help Xiao Chen and me obtain our fourth rings. No teacher intervention. Each spirit ring must be from a beast at least 4,500 years old!"
He paused and locked eyes with Yu Chen. "And Xiao Chen, you're only allowed to use your first martial spirit. No divine assistance."
"Yes, Master!" the group echoed in unison.
But before they could say more, a chilling voice echoed across the arena.
"Young brat... the seven days are up."
A thick, poisonous stench spread through the air as an old man with green hair and a linen robe stepped onto the campus, accompanied by a beautiful girl with long green hair.
Nine dazzling spirit rings hovered beneath the old man's feet.
It was none other than Poison Douluo — Dugu Bo, and beside him stood his granddaughter, Dugu Yan.
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