As Jin Bao expected, the specialty dishes on the second floor were similar to what the Vice Principal had treated them to—dishes made with Spirit Beast meat and medicinal herbs beneficial to the body, prepared by Food System Soul Masters. However, it was clear that the food here at Spirit Hall was better and more delicious than what the Vice Principal could enjoy.
After eating his fill, Jin Bao went up to the third floor, but he came back down after just one glance at the menu. The food there was excellent, but too expensive. For him, if the effects of those dishes were similar to the second floor, the cost of eating a full meal would be too high.
Holding the internal map of the school from his student ID, Jin Bao toured several important places on campus before dark.
Besides the ordinary classroom buildings, there were cultivation rooms, a library, physical training grounds, combat training grounds, challenge arenas, and more.
In short, not only was the area much larger than his previous Elementary academy, but the facilities were also much better. However, many places required points for extended use, and there was a specific place for announcing point-based missions. Some basic public missions could only barely cover daily life and studies. To have better conditions, one had to take on more missions and compete with others.
'Healthy competition under reasonable rules puts pressure on every student. No wonder the Spirit Hall Golden Generation became so strong. But what year is it exactly?' Jin Bao returned to the dormitory and went straight into his room.
It wasn't that he didn't know the current year, but he didn't know how many years had passed since the story began. After all, with his memories being fuzzy, he only remembered that the protagonist was born in the year the previous Supreme Pontiff died, and at fifteen, he participated in the Soul Master Elite Tournament and led Shrek Academy to the championship.
The only thing certain now was that Bibi Dong had already taken office as the Supreme Pontiff, and he hadn't heard anything about Shrek Academy. He could only be sure that the current time was within those fifteen years.
'It seems that to confirm the specific time, I'll have to wait for news of the Soul Master Elite Tournament or find out how many years Bibi Dong has been in power.'
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.
Jin Bao found it a bit strange, but he still went to open the door.
"Whoa!"
The other person was a bit shorter than Jin Bao. Seeing Jin Bao's physique, which almost blocked the doorway, he was naturally startled.
"Hello, my name is Xu Yu, a Support-type Soul Master." Although he was shocked for a moment, he reacted immediately, smiling and extending his hand.
"Jin Bao, Control System Soul Master. Hello," Jin Bao said with a smile.
"control system! What's your Spirit? Mine is the Brilliant Gold Scepter! Let me tell you, I was recommended for admission."
"But I didn't come here just for that. You know, every year there are a few spots for the Outer Academy to advance to the Inner Academy. Only there are the elites of Spirit Hall found."
"The teacher who recommended me said that my Spirit is a very rare support-type Spirit, not much worse than even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. As long as I can enter the Inner Academy, maybe I can join the Golden Generation and have the chance to represent Spirit Hall in the Soul Master Elite Tournament!"
Following Xu Yu into the living room to sit down, Jin Bao realized that the other person's desire to build a rapport was secondary to showing off his status.
However, he really had no impression of a Support-type Soul Master who had participated in the Soul Master Elite Tournament!
"Hey! Are you even listening?" Xu Yu said, seeing Jin Bao looking a bit distracted.
"Then you're really amazing. Although my Spirit is a variant, its control effects are average. My spirit power is currently level 27. What about yours?" Jin Bao looked at him.
"Ahem, looking at your build, you must have eaten a lot of good stuff! I'm not as good; I'm only level 25 right now. But I believe that as long as I'm nurtured with the powerful resources of Spirit Hall, I can definitely reach level 40 before I'm twenty-five!" Xu Yu said.
Jin Bao: "Then congratulations. But do you know how we can get points before school officially starts?"
Xu Yu: "That's what I was going to say. New students like us must have enough points if we want sufficient cultivation resources in the coming year. If you don't have enough points, you can't get extra guidance from teachers, you can't have extra time in the cultivation rooms, and you might not even be able to eat your fill!"
As he spoke, he glanced at Jin Bao's physique. "With your build, you'll definitely eat a lot."
"So, besides basic missions, the fastest way to get points is Soul Duels!"
Jin Bao: "There's no Soul Fighting Arena here. There are only combat training grounds in the academy."
Xu Yu: "You're so slow! Wager matches! Or, are you willing to be a sandbag for those seniors to practice their Spirit Abilities?"
Jin Bao shook his head. "You'd better tell me about the Wager matches."
Xu Yu cleared his throat. "I've already looked into it. They're generally divided into three-person and five-person teams. Besides participating personally, you can also place outside bets, but those are only allowed during the weekend holidays. So, at other times, you need to find suitable teammates to form a team and defeat enemies to earn points!"
Jin Bao: "You've recruited others?"
Xu Yu: "Of course! Why else would I be back so late? I've already recruited three people. Including you and me, that makes exactly five. But there's already a Control System Soul Master among them... By the way, what are the effects of your Spirit Abilities?"
Jin Bao: "My First Spirit Skill can provide a shield for myself or a teammate, and my Second Spirit Ability can consume the spirit power of enemies touched by my Spirit." Facing Xu Yu, Jin Bao naturally didn't intend to fully explain his abilities.
"Shields? That's a support-type skill! But if they're sturdy enough, you can act as a Defense System Soul Master. Protect me well, and I'll lead you to win points. What do you think?"
Jin Bao smiled. "Sure! Thank you so much."
Xu Yu: "It's nothing. We are roommates, after all! We'll go tomorrow afternoon. Let's have lunch together then!"
Watching Xu Yu return to his bedroom, the corners of Jin Bao's mouth curled up slightly. This Xu Yu clearly had an understanding of some internal rules; it wouldn't hurt to learn more from him.
In any case, he had confidence in his own strength. Most importantly, he needed to seize the time to achieve a Breakthrough to level 30.
After returning to his room, Jin Bao couldn't help but sigh. Although his current image wasn't that handsome, it was highly deceptive.
Just now, Xu Yu had been fooled by his disguise as a simple and honest person. He could maintain this persona until he reached the rank of Spirit Elder.
Another point was the opportunity to advance to the Inner Academy that Xu Yu mentioned. This was also an opportunity he needed to strive for. After all, he hadn't forgotten the promise between him and Mei Lele.
For the Soul Master Elite Tournament, those on Spirit Hall's side must be at least level 40 to take the field. When would he be able to reach that level?