Ning Fengzhi's Failed Breakthrough / Yu What?

Most of the students who came here to study were commoners. A small number were unlucky children from Soul Master families who had failed to awaken Innate Soul Power. They were all practical people who simply wanted to learn a skill that could earn them a living.

Soul Tools, considered a "luxury item" on Douluo Continent, were their first choice.

There was no such thing as patent protection in this world. Whoever had the stronger fists owned the goods. To keep their techniques from leaking, the major factions refused to teach anyone who wasn't a core disciple.

With no exchange of ideas, everyone conducted their own research. Some families and factions lacked researchers or simply didn't value research, and their technology stagnated. In some cases, it even regressed or was lost altogether.

Although most students at the Technical Academy came from commoner backgrounds, their family histories had been screened three times. They had to have lived in Spirit City for generations, and their entire families had to believe in Spirit Hall. Only after passing the political vetting could they be admitted.

However, the Soul Tool program was so popular that it had limited enrollment. Many excellent students who were turned away had no choice but to switch to other majors, such as pharmacy, mathematics, and agriculture.

Of course, there were no law or political science programs. This was an imperial state where people were divided into ranks and classes, and the law was severely underdeveloped. Nobles could legally kill people, public safety was poor, and powerful fugitives could swagger through the streets without anyone daring to arrest them. The emperor could rule autocratically and issue new laws at will, while the path to advancement in the civil service was open only to noble Soul Masters.

Even if Qian Xunji really did set up such a program, the students wouldn't have any use for it. Though it would probably be established someday.

Students in the Soul Tool program had to attend an interview before enrolling.

Soul Tools could indeed make a lot of money, but could your family's means and your talent support you in successfully learning how to make them?

Without a Martial Soul to empower them, ordinary people were at a disadvantage when it came to Spiritual Power. Their chances of completing the course weren't high. Were they sure they wanted to study it?

The academy laid everything out from the start. After thinking it over, students who preferred to play it safe chose to give up. Those who stayed either came from well-off families or considered themselves geniuses.

While students were enrolled, the academy would provide materials for making Soul Tools free of charge only three times.

It might have been only three times, but Soul Tool materials were expensive.

Soul Tools were generally divided into three parts: an outer shell, an inner shell, and a core. The outer shell was usually made of hard, heat-resistant metal so that it could be used for a long time without being easily damaged. The inner shell was different; its main function was to amplify and transmit Soul Power. This required precious conductive metals, such as Crystal Silver. Only by amplifying Soul Power through the inner shell could a Soul Master minimize the amount of Soul Power consumed while using a Soul Tool. The core was the most important part of all, and it also required the most precious metals and gems. Different arrays had to be engraved into it, each requiring Soul Power of a different level to activate. The core could be called the very heart of a Soul Tool.

The materials for making a Space Soul Tool were even more outrageously expensive. The materials for three attempts cost at least three hundred Gold Soul Coins. With hundreds of students at the academy, the total came to tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins. And that was just one expense for the Soul Tool program at the Technical Academy; there were plenty of other places that needed money.

And the spending was ongoing.

The Soul Tool program was the most expensive major, and the one that admitted the fewest students.

The students had all been specially tested. They were prodigies with Spiritual Power far beyond that of ordinary people, great care and concentration, an exceptionally serious attitude, and outstanding learning ability.

However, they didn't have Soul Power. They could only use Bian Que's Soul Power Storage Pills to supply the Soul Power needed to make Soul Tools.

Of course, every now and then, a student from a Soul Master Academy would transfer over to study Soul Tools. Their talent wasn't very good, so they wanted to find another path.

But they had to be evaluated first.

Of course, after transferring, most of these students would end up crying and begging to transfer back.

The workload over there was insane. They slept only three or four hours a day and even held a book while they slept. There was a minor exam every three days and a major one every five.

The Soul Master students' original schools hadn't cared much about cultural subjects, and their grades were average. Once they transferred, they went straight to the bottom of the class and became hopeless cases.

Qian Xunji would also visit the school from time to time to give speeches and motivate the students, keeping them fired up.

Worried the students might actually die from overwork, Qian Xunji arranged for healing-type Soul Masters to examine and treat them regularly, ensuring they stayed healthy.

However, he'd heard that the white-bearded Healing Soul King had recently taken sick leave and submitted an application to retire. Unfortunately, Qian Xunji rejected it, then turned around and specially admitted the old man's grandson, who didn't have Soul Power.

After learning that his grandson had been admitted, the old man never mentioned retiring again. He showed up for work on time every day and diligently treated and examined the students. He paid special attention to his grandson, using a Soul Skill to treat him once every day to make sure he was healthy. He even brought his specially prepared teachers' meals home for the boy, afraid the child might not be getting enough to eat.

After enrolling, the little chubby boy quickly fit into the academy's atmosphere. Every day, he raised his hand in salute and praised His Holiness the Pope.

Qian Xunji brought over the textbooks from the Technical Academy for Qian Renxue to look through.

The little blonde girl's face turned pale as she read them. "Do I have to study all of these?"

The pile of books in front of her was stacked higher than Qian Renxue herself, like it could bury her outright. Any one of them was thick enough to use as a brick to hit someone.

"Your talent lies in cultivating your Martial Soul. Why are you so fixated on all this?" Qian Xunji picked the little girl up, unable to understand.

"But..." Qian Renxue's voice was muffled. "But my older brothers and sisters all get full marks. If I don't get full marks, won't that be embarrassing?"

"Why are you comparing yourself to them?" For once, Qian Xunji was clear-headed. Hearing his adopted daughter's worries gave him a headache. These heroes might all look like children, but their souls belonged to adults. They had already studied on Honor Continent, and quite a few were learned scholars. Qian Renxue was simply setting herself up for humiliation by comparing herself to them.

Bian Que was the clearest example. He was still serving as both dean and teacher at the Pharmacy Academy.

Chrysanthemum Douluo had learned his alchemy techniques and could barely be considered half his disciple.

If the three heroes—Dongfang Jing and the others—started teaching classes on swordsmanship, military strategy, and Soul Power cultivation, Qian Renxue would probably have to attend their lectures too.

"Xiao Xue, you need to learn to play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses!" Qian Xunji said, patting the golden head.

"...Oh!"

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect

As expected, Ning Fengzhi had failed to break through after taking a Soul Power Breakthrough Pill.

"Just as I thought. How could the innate flaw in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul possibly be overcome with a single Soul Power Breakthrough Pill?" Ning Fengzhi had been prepared for it, but when his breakthrough really failed, he still let out a disappointed sigh.

"I wonder whether Rongrong's Innate Soul Power of level nine will be enough to break through the restriction."

Despite his sigh, Ning Fengzhi still had duties to fulfill as sect leader.

He saved one of the remaining Soul Power Breakthrough Pills for Rongrong to use when she tried to break through to level seventy-nine. He gave another to a pharmacist in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to see whether they could decipher the pill recipe, and he awarded the last to a core member of the sect, helping them become another Soul Douluo.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was wealthy. In Ning Fengzhi's eyes, trading those items for five Soul Power Breakthrough Pills that could help Soul Saints become Soul Douluo was well worth it. They could create Soul Douluo themselves.

If Spirit Hall hadn't limited purchases, he would have bought more. He even wanted to purchase some Soul Power Breakthrough Pills that could help Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo advance.

Ning Fengzhi still regretted it and kept offering more money in hopes of buying them, but Spirit Hall simply refused to sell.

At the same time, Ning Fengzhi's wariness of Spirit Hall continued to deepen.

How many Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo could Spirit Hall produce now that the Soul Power Breakthrough Pill had appeared?

Ning Fengzhi didn't dare think about it.

His intuition told him the number would be too much for him to accept.

Setting aside everything else, Salas, the Spirit Hall Master of Heaven Dou City and one of the four Platinum Bishops, was at level eighty-seven. He was already old and had exhausted his potential, with no hope of becoming a Titled Douluo. Yet with the help of the Soul Power Breakthrough Pill, he now had a glimmer of hope.

Just then, Ning Rongrong came in, pulling along a silver-haired boy with an ethereal air. "Father, I've reached level twenty."

The silver-haired boy behind her was naturally Li Bai. After the little princess broke through, he hadn't managed to provide her with enough emotional satisfaction, and she'd nearly cried in frustration.

Ning Rongrong had reached level twenty at the age of nine. For an auxiliary-type Soul Master who had difficulty cultivating, that would have made her a top-tier genius in previous years.

But then Qian Xunji had poached the best and brightest.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had Li Bai, who was level twenty-five.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had Sikong Zhen, who was level twenty-four.

The Star Luo Empire had Pei Qinhu and A'Ke, both level twenty-four.

Skywater Academy had Wang Zhaojun and Zhen Ji, who could use a Martial Soul Fusion Skill and had reached level twenty-four.

Even the Heaven Dou Royal Family, whose Martial Soul was a Swan and whose combat ability wasn't very strong, had been given Xiao Qiao, Swan Dream. She was a level-twenty-five Power Attack System Soul Master with the Light and Dark Swan Martial Soul, which had two forms.

And then there was Spirit Hall's ridiculously overpowered team.

Ning Rongrong's level really didn't look like much anymore.

"I want Big Brother Li Bai to come with me to hunt for a Soul Ring. Can I, Daddy?" Ning Rongrong pleaded, clinging to Ning Fengzhi's arm.

The Soul Beast they had chosen to hunt was quite far away. The round trip would take a good while (in reality, just a few days), and Ning Rongrong couldn't bear to be apart from Li Bai. (She was afraid someone else might lure Big Brother Li Bai away.)

"Don't be ridiculous. Your Big Brother Li Bai still needs to cultivate. How could he come with you to get a Soul Ring?" Ning Fengzhi said, then turned to look at Li Bai.

"Rongrong has been spoiled by me and the two elders. She didn't mean any harm. I'll make sure to teach her a lesson this time." As he spoke, he tapped Ning Rongrong on the head.

"No, Sect Leader. Rongrong isn't to blame. I already agreed to go with her." Li Bai spoke up to stop him. He and Ning Rongrong had already come to an agreement: he would go with her to hunt a Soul Beast, and she would cover for him while he bought wine.

In the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, only Ning Rongrong dared to let Li Bai drink behind Sword Douluo's back.

After hearing this, Ning Fengzhi smiled in a refined manner and glanced at Ning Rongrong, whose cheeks were flushed. "Since that's the case, I won't say anything more. Be careful on the way, and don't hesitate to ask if you need anything."

At the end, Ning Fengzhi added, "Anything but wine!"

When Yu Xiaogang brought Tang San to Spirit City, he was in a very complicated mood.

He still remembered how Spirit Hall had unceremoniously driven him out of Spirit City.

The son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect's leader had been thrown out, along with his luggage, before he'd even managed to pack his things.

People came and went at the towering city gate, whispering as they watched the man being driven out...

At that moment, Yu Xiaogang felt as though his pride had been ground into the dirt. He swore he would never reconcile with Spirit Hall.

And yet now, he had compromised...

Yu Xiaogang had already found out where Bibi Dong lived.

Bibi Dong was only a deacon now. She no longer lived in the Saintess Hall, the former residence of Spirit Hall's core members, but in an ordinary house in the city. There were no strict guards or security measures, so meeting her wouldn't be difficult.

Tang San also looked around curiously. He and his teacher had followed a merchant caravan to Spirit City, and the journey had been relatively safe. Spirit City had a kind of prosperity different from Heaven Dou City.

Heaven Dou City's prosperity belonged to the rich and the nobles. The buildings along its streets were beautiful and luxurious, and every passerby looked well-off, decked out in gold and silver. Ordinary commoners, meanwhile, wore drab gray clothes and stood aside, serving their betters.

Spirit City, on the other hand, had a solemn, sacred air in both its decorations and colors. The enormous Angel God Statue was just an ordinary stone statue, without brilliant gems or any other adornments.

Spirit City belonged to neither of the two great empires. It was governed internally by Spirit Hall and served as its headquarters.

Spirit City had its own system of rules. There were no nobles there, and no one dared to cause trouble. Soul Masters who wanted to commit crimes gave the city a wide berth, after all, several Titled Douluo were stationed there...

Although Yu Xiaogang knew where Bibi Dong lived, and finding the place hadn't been difficult, getting inside proved to be a problem.

Bibi Dong was still working at Spirit Hall. Only an old man stood guard at her home, while an old woman handled the shopping and cleaning. They didn't know any Yu Xiaogang, nor had their mistress told them to expect a visitor that day. Now they were eyeing him with suspicion.

"You say you're a friend of our mistress and want to pay her a visit, but why haven't we heard her mention you?" The old man watched through the crack in the door, wary of the ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a stiff expression, and the cool-eyed child behind him.

Even though this was Spirit City and nobody dared cause trouble, it was better to be careful. You only had one life, after all.

As the gatekeeper, he knew Bibi Dong's acquaintances. She had only one disciple, a little girl named Hu Liena, who usually came by with her older brother. Her other visitors were all colleagues from Spirit Hall, dressed in Spirit Hall uniforms. There was no way he was letting this suspicious-looking stranger in.