NineClouds
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Target, Sunset Forest?
🕑 Added 2025-04-08 11:52:26 +0000 UTC--- Chapter 36 ---
A month passed quickly.
Dao Academy's presence and subpar reputation quickly spread to other areas, including Tian Dou City. However, many ignored this new academy because they weren't interested in an academy with a big dream of helping commoners but no "apparent" result.
One day, the academy would fall off due to the lack of funds.
Of course, some are interested in Dao Academy's enrollment, specifically the commoners, because some accepted students spread the news about the treatments they got in the academy.
Even though the lower grades, like white and yellow, are competitive, the courses they get are much better than some advanced spirit academies.
They also learned new theories about the martial soul's origin, quality, and mutation, which helped them select better spirit rings after reaching bottlenecks.
When the "new theories" were leaked, wink-wink, every spirit master in the area was shocked because it was much more comprehensive than any other theories publicized on Spirit Master's Community.
Then, people started to learn the "value" of Dao Academy. Many wanted their children to join but were 'immediately' rejected because the next enrollment period was still five months away.
So, they could only cope, knowing a Master Theorist existed in the Dao Academy, but they couldn't even meet this person.
Of course, some people try to "threaten" Dao Academy and infiltrate Desolate Mountain to learn more about these new theories.
But those people don't end well.
Dao Academy is not without protection because an array of poison clouds (made with Sky Poison Pearl) were skillfully arranged around the Desolate Mountain Range and could weaken anyone below Title Douluo Realm to the point of becoming an animal on the chopping block.
Even Title Douluo might want to rethink their choice of entering Dao Academy without invitation.
So, no one messed up Dao Academy anymore, though Han Yuan believed there would be more people on their doorstep soon. These fish aren't the biggest ones in the pond called Douluo Continent, after all.
...
...
The red-grade students gathered near Han Yuan's hut. They sat on the patch of Blue Silver Grass and looked up at the waterfall with a hint of excitement.
After all, they felt a surreal improvement in their cultivation after following Han Yuan's methods in just a month. They couldn't describe this kind of improvement with words as every day felt rewardful.
Han Yuan prescribed them a medicinal bath for an entire month, which enhanced their cultivation speed, cleaned impurities out of their bodies, and made them physically more durable than some pure attack-system spirit masters with beast-type martial souls, despite some being support or auxiliary-type spirit masters.
Han Yuan also taught them martial arts techniques called Four Basic Arts to build their foundations, Dao Academy's Cultivation Art: Tri-Desolation Manual to kickstart their spirit energy production, and gave face-to-face guidance to develop their martial souls further.
Of course, Han Yuan didn't stop there. He also bestowed them with spirit bones that matched their attributes.
Yes, he goes as far as giving them spirit bones.
We are not talking about candy here, but a legit spirit bone!
Even though they are commoners, they aren't entirely ignorant about the value of spirit bones. Many villagers talk about these legendary treasure tales, and they are no exception because they could only dream of it in the past.
They also knew those noble academies wouldn't generously give spirit bones to their students. Only someone like Han Yuan was benevolent enough to give such precious treasures.
They will remember his kindness their whole life!
What they didn't know was that Han Yuan wasn't so kind. He gave them spirit bones to etch the idea of loyalty into Dao Academy deeper than they could ever imagine.
Each spirit bone Han Yuan handed contained his "spiritual power" that passively whispered suggestive words about loyalty into their minds.
Many people would call Han Yuan for being such a wasteful paranoid, but he likes to be more cautious. To him, Dao Academy is the safe haven he must protect, even with the hefty price of spirit bones.
The red-grade students might not get the best spirit bones in the world, but each is a 10,000-year-old spirit bone with strong life-saving spirit skills and a pure spirit beast's origin that will improve their cultivation speed.
It's a win-win situation for them and Han Yuan.
Han Yuan is currently standing on water.
He stared at the red-grade students and said, "After a month, all of you have undergone a qualitative change. Your physique and mental power have become strong enough to handle and absorb at least a 1,000-year-old spirit ring."
"Do you know what this means?"
"Are we going to hunt for a spirit ring, Headmaster?!" Du Buzi excitedly raised his hand. His hands are itchy to become a "real" spirit master.
It's not just Du Buzi. The others are also excited.
Even those who reached a spirit master realm, like Ye Shan, Huo Xi, and Sun Yi, before joining Dao Academy underwent a miraculous change and reached level 20 in a month, ready to hunt for their second spirit rings.
They might not have a purple spirit ring as their first spirit ring, but having a millennium spirit ring for the second wasn't bad either, which makes them better than the rest of the spirit masters in this era.
Then, they can proudly say that this is what their Dao Academy can accomplish!
Han Yuan smiled and nodded, "Yes, we are."
"Eight of you, me, and Dean Erlong will go to Sunset Forest and hunt for spirit rings tomorrow."
"However, I also have homework for you. I want you to research what kind of spirit beasts are "significantly" important for your martial soul's growth and decide which one to hunt tomorrow."
"Two people with the best selection will get a reward of 1,000 gold coins."
Hearing the rewards, the red-grade students get excited. A thousand gold coins might not be much compared to spirit bones, but they can use it on many things, even giving some back to their parents back home.
A few students like Luo Li, Hong Jia, and Yu Bai, who had never seen gold coins, couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
Han Yuan knew this and used it to trigger their competitiveness, "Well, be creative with your selection, but never forget about compatibility. I will wait for the good result tomorrow."
"The meeting is over! You can train on your own now!" After saying that, he left.
...
...
Han Yuan arrived at his usual training ground, a stone platform carved with runes, surrounded by tall patches of Blue Silver Grass and ancient trees.
As soon as Huan Yuan arrived at the stone platform, a chuckle echoed, and it came from Liu Erlong.
"Hey, Rich Boy! You're really spending money like water there."
Han Yuan shrugged, "What can I say? I have a lot of money but nowhere to spend it."
"If I could use a little money to motivate my students, I'd do it every time."
"..." Liu Erlong's mouth twitched.
"In what world a thousand gold coins was little money? Not even the nobles spend that much instantly."
Han Yuan immediately recalled his drug-! Cough, he meant medicine dealing back in the Free Leaf City.
"Well, it will become ineffective as soon as they can earn money independently."
Liu Erlong snorted and asked casually, "So, we are going to the Sunset Forest tomorrow? Why don't we hunt spirit beasts at the nearby Soul Hunting Forest?"
"I think there are diverse selections of spirit beasts there."
"You're indeed right," Han Yuan nodded. "But I'm bringing them to the Sunset Forest for another reason."
"What reason?" Liu Erlong tilted her head in confusion.
Han Yuan put on a mysterious smile and replied, "According to my intel, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's students are going to hunt for spirit rings there, and I think our Dao Academy can learn some experience from them."
"Let's just say that I'm interested in a few individuals in this group of students."
"Uugh, you and that damned smile again..." Liu Erlong knew Han Yuan was going to do something evil again. At this point, she has no idea what to do with this wicked boy.
