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"A Picture Scroll?"
Little Bai Sheng was momentarily captivated by the intensity in Su Wen's voice. He muttered the words to himself, repeating them like a mantra. "A scroll that contains all things..."
"That's right. As long as you are willing to work hard, your martial soul can eventually reach that level," Su Wen encouraged.
Regardless of the current reality, Su Wen knew it was vital to set an ambitious goal for a martial soul's development. Accepting the potential of one's own soul from within was the first step toward truly unlocking its power. Bai Sheng had been lost, unsure how to develop a combat-oriented path for a piece of paper, so Su Wen provided him with a northern star.
"Master Wen, is that really possible?" Bai Sheng asked, feeling as though he were in a dream. Coming back to reality, he looked at Su Wen with a hint of hesitation. "My innate soul power is only Level 3."
"Hahaha! Innate soul power is by no means the only standard for judging a genius," Su Wen laughed. "Do you know why I founded this Academy?"
Bai Sheng shook his head blankly.
"Because there are too many Spirit Masters on this continent like you—those whose innate soul power is low, but who are exceptional in other ways," Su Wen explained. "In the Heaven Dou City Academy, there is a student named Lin Dong. His innate soul power was only Level 1. But with the Academy's help, I believe his future achievements won't be inferior to those geniuses born with full innate soul power. That is the meaning of the Academy."
To provide a path for the masses.
Hearing Su Wen "fleece" the child from a distance, Ning Fengzhi's lips twitched.
I don't believe a word of it. If he hadn't heard Su Wen give about five different versions of his "dream" to various people, he might have actually fallen for it. At this point, even Ning Fengzhi couldn't figure out Su Wen's true motive. Was it personal ambition, or was he truly doing it for the sake of the Spirit Master world? Was it for the "one" dream he spoke of, or the million others?
Ning Fengzhi shook his head with a wry smile. There was no point in obsessing over it.
"Master Wen, I understand now," Bai Sheng said, his small face turning serious and determined. "I want to join the Academy!"
Bai Sheng appeared to be an orphan. After registering his information, Su Wen arranged for him to live and train within the Academy and personally set up a curriculum for him.
As a month passed, the Star Luo City Academy's operations stabilized and entered a regular rhythm. During this time, Su Wen conducted a recruitment drive, sending the Spirit Masters who had gained experience in running the Star Luo branch to other cities across the empire.
---
*The Star Luo Imperial Palace*
"Su Wen has left?"
"Yes. He has departed, heading toward the East Sea. However, before he left, he stopped by the Spirit Temple," Dai Davis reported.
"The Spirit Temple?" Dai Jie frowned. He had no idea what Su Wen was doing there, and it made him instinctively uneasy.
Was Su Wen planning to use the Spirit Hall to counter the Star Luo Empire's influence over the Academy? That would be a classic case of "driving the tiger to swallow the wolf."
"Father, the way Su Wen is directly reforming the system and reshaping the order we established... it seems he has no intention of collaborating with the Star Luo Empire at all."
Dai Jie remained silent for a long time before speaking. "It doesn't matter. Whether he wants to cooperate isn't the key. What we need is his 'Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning.' Once he finishes creating them, the ultimate ownership of the Academy's branches will still fall into our hands."
As long as they were built within the borders of the Star Luo Empire, they fell under the Empire's jurisdiction. Even the Spirit Hall's branch temples in the empire were mostly intertwined with local Star Luo powers.
"By the way, have you identified that mysterious powerhouse by Su Wen's side?"
Dai Davis looked troubled. "Father, that Title Douluo seems to have appeared out of thin air. There is absolutely no record of him in the royal archives."
"Who did Su Wen have contact with before and after that man appeared?"
"Father... Su Wen has been in contact with a massive number of Spirit Masters every day this month."
Hearing this, Dai Jie let out a helpless sigh. A flicker of anxiety crossed his eyes.
It was a normal assumption that the Academy, built on Star Luo soil, would be controlled by local nobles. But that assumption was based on the Academy lacking sufficient strength. If the Academy now had another Title Douluo, the level of deterrence was far beyond what a single Dugu Bo could provide. A Title Douluo stationed at a regional headquarters was no joking matter.
---
Su Wen hadn't left the city immediately; he had gone to the Spirit Temple first.
"A visit from Master Wen! Please forgive us for not greeting you sooner."
Gao Yun, the Master of the Star Luo City Spirit Temple and a Platinum Bishop, was surprised by Su Wen's arrival. He had visited the Academy before and spoken with Su Wen, but he hadn't expected the young man to seek him out before leaving.
"May I ask what brings Master Wen here today?"
"I have come regarding the development of the Academy," Su Wen replied.
"Oh?"
"The Research Department is the core engine for advancing the Spirit Master world," Su Wen explained. "Currently, we have three halls focusing on Martial Souls, Spirit Skills, and Soul Power cultivation. However, there are many other branches we haven't covered yet."
"Are you planning to add new research halls?" Gao Yun realized.
"Correct. On top of the original three, I intend to add two more: the Spirit Bone Hall and the Soul Tool Hall."
"Huh?" Gao Yun was stunned.
Wait a minute. I'm happy to discuss the Academy, but you can't just come here to pluck wool off our backs! A Spirit Bone Hall? Just the name sounded like it would incinerate money and bones alike. Was Su Wen here for an investment? Even if the Spirit Hall was wealthy, they couldn't just hand out spirit bones to support research projects across the entire continent.
Su Wen smiled wryly. "Bishop, there is no need to worry. I will handle the spirit bones myself."
Truthfully, Su Wen wasn't sure if his Academy held the most high-quality spirit bones on the continent, but as an individual, he felt he was second to none. Even Bibi Dong likely didn't have more personal spirit bones than he did.
Gao Yun remained wary. A Soul Tool Hall was just as bad! If spirit bones were a money-sink, weren't soul tools the same?
"Regarding this, Bishop, please simply relay my message to the Pope," Su Wen said calmly.
He had actually made this request to Bibi Dong before the Continental Spirit Master Tournament. At the time, she hadn't refused, but she hadn't offered support either. She was likely waiting to see what Su Wen could actually make of the Academy.
"This..." Gao Yun hesitated for a moment before cupping his hands. "I will do my best to relay your intent to Her Holiness."
Research into Soul Tools? He shook his head. He didn't see the benefit. Knowledge was power, sure—but shouldn't it be knowledge related to a Spirit Master's actual cultivation? Studying soul tools felt like focusing on external objects.
(End of Chapter)