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"Senior Zhantian, I assume your visit this time means you are already aware of my intentions?"
The Zhantian Douluo was not at all surprised by Su Wen's question. He had come specifically to discuss the collaboration Su Wen proposed: opening Spirit Arena sectors within the "Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning" spaces of the Academy.
Clearly, Su Wen reaching out to the Great Spirit Arena for this partnership involved layers of strategic depth. The Zhantian Douluo recalled the various justifications he had memorized and analyzed them once more, finding them incredibly sound.
It wasn't just about giving face to the Great Spirit Arena; it was a multi-faceted investment. For the Academy to stabilize, it couldn't rely on a single faction. While the Spirit Hall was the only truly unified power spread across the continent, the Great Spirit Arena was equally pervasive. Though their internal unity was slightly weaker, they possessed invaluable experience. By bringing both the Spirit Hall and the Great Spirit Arena into the fold, the Academy would remain secure even if the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires attempted to interfere.
Furthermore, the potential benefits of Su Wen's specialized Spirit Arenas were immense—not just for the Great Spirit Arena itself, but for the deities backing it. Because of this, the Arena would likely exert maximum effort to help the Academy resist external pressure.
Fortunately, Su Wen was unaware of the elaborate reasoning the Zhantian Douluo had concocted. Had he known, he would have been speechless. He truly didn't have that many hidden agendas. He simply wanted to save trouble, utilizing the Great Spirit Arena's existing experience and network to launch the Spirit Arena project as quickly as possible.
Of course, he did have some ulterior motives—specifically, testing the depths of the Great Spirit Arena. From what he could see, his test had been successful, flushing out a whole nest of deities.
The God of War and the God of Speed—who, in the original story, were inherited by Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing—as well as the God of Defense and even a God of Wealth. Su Wen had initially guessed there might be a God of Gamblers, but according to the Zhantian Douluo, the betting operations of the Arena were actually under the purview of the God of Wealth.
Though these were all Second-Class Gods, a cluster of them held enough collective influence to make First-Class Gods hesitate. For instance, the Spirit Hall, established by the Angel God, had never tried to push out the Great Spirit Arena; instead, they tacitly accepted its existence and followed a policy of mutual non-interference.
As far as Su Wen knew, the continent also held inheritances for the Fire God and the Phoenix God. As for whether the God of Food and the Nine-Colored Goddess had established inheritance sites, he wasn't certain. After all, they seemed to grant Divine Trials directly across dimensions.
"Will the Spirit Arena project require a significant amount of your energy?" the Zhantian Douluo inquired.
This was the primary point the Great Spirit Arena needed to confirm. Su Wen's current state was becoming difficult to hide; his mental energy appeared exhausted, seemingly under immense strain from maintaining the "Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning."
This wasn't just something Title Douluo like Zhantian could perceive; every Spirit Master who came to the Academy for inheritance and saw Su Wen could feel the heavy pressure he was under. Paradoxically, this made them even more grateful to him, causing them to treat the Academy's teachings with even greater reverence.
Su Wen remained composed in the face of the question. "You can rest easy on that front. Once I finish opening the spaces within the various branches in the Star Luo Empire, I will begin the Spirit Arena project."
He paused, looking at the Zhantian Douluo. "The project won't consume much more of my energy. I don't think you need to keep traveling back and forth, Senior. Simply follow me until the 'Mountain of Books' is fully opened, and you will see for yourself."
The Zhantian Douluo frowned, considering whether to accept the offer to accompany Su Wen for a period of time.
A bodyguard? That was the first thought that entered his mind. Still, if it were for Su Wen, acting as a bodyguard for a while wasn't out of the question. Besides, Su Wen already had another protector by his side who was above Level 95. Zhantian preferred to believe Su Wen wasn't just looking for a free bodyguard, but rather had something specific he wanted to demonstrate.
"Very well. I would also like to witness the miraculous creation of the 'Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning' up close."
From that day on, a burly middle-aged man with an aura as deep as an abyss accompanied Su Wen. When Ning Fengzhi was alerted by Gu Rong, he also frowned while observing the Zhantian Douluo.
Above Level 95? Where did Wen-er find such a powerhouse?
However, seeing that it wasn't a threat—but rather felt like a protective presence—Ning Fengzhi only wondered for a moment before letting it go. He was actually relieved that Su Wen had such a formidable guard.
On the other hand, "Xue Qinghe" reacted strongly to the Zhantian Douluo's appearance.
"Have you found any information?" she asked the Qianjun Douluo. He lowered his voice, reporting fragments of intelligence.
"The Great Spirit Arena?" Xue Qinghe nodded slightly, seemingly coming to a realization.
---
"You want to join the Academy?"
Su Wen looked at the child standing before him. He felt a strange sense of affinity toward him. He reached out and patted the boy's head.
Six-year-old Bai Sheng nodded vigorously, looking at Su Wen with pure adoration. "Master Wen, I heard that your martial soul is a book, yet you are the strongest Spirit Master of your rank on the continent. I want to become a powerhouse like you."
"Oh?" Su Wen smiled. From the boy's words, he could tell that his martial soul was likely perceived by the public as a non-combat type.
The development of the Spirit Master world on the Douluo Continent was actually still in its early stages; many martial souls had not yet reached their peak potential. Take book martial souls, for example—most were just ordinary books. Someone like Xiao Zhan, who could evolve a book into something like the "Fire Demon Book," was a rare exception.
However, thousands of years from now, the "Fire Demon Book" would likely become a recognized sub-category. If Xiao Zhan's descendants proliferated, people would no longer assume a book martial soul was incapable of combat. Perceptions change over time, and every shift is the result of a Spirit Master proving their worth through their life's work.
"What is your martial soul?" Su Wen asked curiously. He suspected the sense of affinity came from the nature of the soul itself.
"My martial soul... it seems to be drawing paper," Bai Sheng said, sounding a bit uncertain. He summoned his soul.
It was a long strip of paper—or rather, an unrolled, blank scroll. "They say my soul is just paper, but I feel like it should be paper for painting."
"Your feeling is correct. Your martial soul is not just basic paper," Su Wen laughed, patting Bai Sheng's head again. He felt that he could personally teach this little fellow.
"But if it's just drawing paper, I can't fight," Bai Sheng said, his tone dejected.
"Your name is Bai Sheng, right?"
"Yes."
"Your martial soul is not just drawing paper. It is a 'Picture Scroll'—a scroll that can record and contain all things in the world," Su Wen said, looking at the boy with a serious expression.
(End of Chapter)