The Great Stage of Douluo, My Name is Qian Xunji

Most of the students who come to school are commoners, with a small portion being the unlucky children of soul master families who failed to awaken Innate Soul Power. They are all very pragmatic, wanting only to learn skills that can earn them a living.

Among these, the Soul Tool, which is considered a "luxury item" on the Douluo Continent, is the first choice.

There is no such thing as patent protection in this world; whoever has the biggest fist owns the goods. To prevent their technology from leaking, major factions do not teach anyone who isn't a core disciple.

Without communication, everyone researches on their own. Some families and factions lack research talent or do not value it, causing their technology to stagnate, or even regress and be lost entirely.

Although most students at the technical academy are of commoner origin, their backgrounds have been screened three times. They live in Martial Soul City for generations, and their entire families believe in Martial Soul Hall, ensuring that their political background checks are flawless before their enrollment applications are approved.

However, the Soul Tool major is too popular, and the number of students admitted is limited. Many high-quality students are rejected and forced to transfer to other majors, such as pharmacy, mathematics, agriculture, and so on.

Of course, there are no subjects related to politics or law. This is an imperial country where people are divided into different ranks. The legal system is extremely unsound; nobles can legally kill people, public security is not very good, powerful fugitives can walk down the street openly without anyone daring to arrest them, the emperor can arbitrarily issue new laws, and the promotion channels for officials are only open to noble soul masters.

Even if Qian Xunji were to actually establish such a subject, these students would have no use for it, though he should probably establish it in the future.

Students in the Soul Tool major must undergo an interview before entering the academy.

Soul Tools are indeed very profitable, but can your family background and talent support you in successfully learning how to craft them?

Ordinary people lack the blessing of a soul master's martial soul, making them much weaker in terms of mental power. The probability of success is not high; are you sure you want to learn this?

By laying everything out clearly from the start, those students seeking stability think twice and choose to give up. Those who remain either have good family backgrounds or consider themselves geniuses.

During their time at school, the academy only provides free materials for crafting Soul Tools three times.

Don't underestimate these three times; the price of materials for crafting Soul Tools is not low.

Soul Tools are generally divided into three parts: the outer shell, the inner shell, and the core. The outer shell is usually made of hard, heat-resistant metal to ensure long-term use without easy damage. The inner shell is different; its greatest characteristic is the amplification and conduction of soul power. Therefore, it requires very precious conductive metals to craft, such as Crystal Silver. By amplifying soul power through the inner shell, soul masters can minimize their soul power consumption when using the Soul Tool. The core is the most critical part of all, requiring the most precious metals and gemstones to craft. Inscribing different arrays requires different levels of soul power to activate; the core can be said to be the entirety of a Soul Tool.

For example, the materials for crafting a spatial Soul Tool are astronomically expensive. Three sets of materials cost at least three hundred Gold Soul Coins. With hundreds of people in the academy, that adds up to tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins. This is just one expense for the Soul Tool major at the technical academy, and there are many other places where money is spent.

And it is a continuous expenditure.

The Soul Tool Academy is the major that requires the most investment and admits the fewest students.

The students are all little geniuses whose mental power has been specifically tested to be far beyond that of ordinary people, who are careful and focused in their work, and who have extremely strong learning abilities.

However, they have no soul power and can only take the Soul Power Storage Pill from Bian Que to use soul power to craft Soul Tools.

Of course, occasionally students from the Soul Master Academy will transfer here to learn about Soul Tools because their talent isn't very good and they want to find another way out.

But they must pass an assessment first.

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

It is too grueling over there; they only sleep three or four hours a day, sleep while hugging a book, and have a small exam every three days and a big exam every five days.

The original schools of these soul master students did not place much importance on academic courses, so their grades were average. Upon transferring in, they immediately became the bottom-tier losers.

Qian Xunji also goes to the school from time to time to give speeches to motivate these students and keep them in a state of excitement.

Afraid that these students might actually die from overwork, Qian Xunji also arranged for healing-type soul masters to perform regular check-ups and treatments to ensure the students' physical health.

However, it is said that the white-bearded healing Soul King recently asked for sick leave and applied for retirement, but unfortunately, it was rejected by Qian Xunji, who then turned around and specially admitted the old man's grandson, who has no soul power, into the school.

Knowing that his grandson had been admitted, the old man never mentioned retirement again. He shows up for work on time every day and actively provides treatment and physical examinations for the students, especially his grandson, for whom he casts a healing soul skill every day to ensure his health. He even brings his own special teacher's meal to give to his grandson, terrified that the child won't be full.

Chapter 97: Ning Fengzhi's Breakthrough Fails

After the little chubby boy enrolled, he quickly integrated into the academy's atmosphere, raising his hand to salute and praise His Holiness the Pope every day.

Qian Xunji brought the textbooks from the technical academy over for Qian Renxue to look through.

The little girl with golden hair turned pale as she looked at them. "Are all of these required?"

The pile of books in front of her, which was taller than Qian Renxue herself, felt like it could bury her alive. Any one of them was thick enough to be used as a brick to smash someone.

"Your talent lies in martial soul cultivation; why are you so obsessed with these things?" Qian Xunji picked up the little girl, not quite understanding.

"But..." Qian Renxue's voice was muffled, "But the older brothers and sisters all get full marks. If Xiao Xue doesn't get full marks, wouldn't that be very embarrassing?"

"Why are you comparing yourself to that bunch?" Qian Xunji was rarely in a clear-headed state, and listening to his cheap daughter's troubles gave him a headache. Although these heroes all had the appearance of children, their souls were adults. They had already studied back in the Honor of Kings continent, and many of them were learned scholars. Qian Renxue comparing herself to them was simply asking for abuse.

The most typical example is Bian Que, who is currently serving as both the dean and a teacher at the Pharmacy Academy.

The Super Douluo Chrysanthemum Douluo learned his alchemy techniques and is barely considered his half-disciple.

If the three heroes like Dongfang Jing were to open classes to teach sword techniques, military strategy, soul power cultivation, and so on, Qian Renxue would also have to listen to their lectures.

"Xiao Xue! You must learn to play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses!" Qian Xunji said, patting her golden head.

"...Oh!"

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect

After taking the Soul Power Breakthrough Pill, Ning Fengzhi failed to break through, as expected.

"Sure enough, how could the innate defect of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul be broken by a single Soul Power Breakthrough Pill?" Although Ning Fengzhi had been mentally prepared, he still sighed with disappointment when the breakthrough actually failed.

"I wonder if Rongrong's innate level nine soul power can truly break the restriction."

Sighing was just sighing; as the Sect Master, Ning Fengzhi still had to fulfill his duties.

As for the remaining Soul Power Breakthrough Pills, one was saved for Ning Rongrong to use when she breaks through to level 79, one was handed over to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's alchemist to see if the pill formula could be deciphered, and one was awarded to a core member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, adding yet another Soul Douluo powerhouse to their ranks.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was wealthy and influential; in Ning Fengzhi's view, trading those items for five Soul Power Breakthrough Pills capable of helping a Soul Saint reach the Soul Douluo realm—artificially creating Soul Douluos—was not a loss at all.

If not for the purchase limits imposed by Martial Soul Hall, he would have wanted to buy even more, perhaps even some that could assist Soul Douluos and Title Douluos in their breakthroughs.

Even now, Ning Fengzhi felt regret and kept offering more money to purchase them, but unfortunately, Martial Soul Hall simply refused to sell.

At the same time, Ning Fengzhi's wariness toward Martial Soul Hall continued to deepen.

With the emergence of the Soul Power Breakthrough Pill, how many Soul Douluos and Title Douluos could Martial Soul Hall produce?

Ning Fengzhi dared not dwell on it.

Ning Fengzhi had an intuition that the number would be one he could not accept.

Not to mention anything else, Salas, the Martial Soul Hall branch master of Heaven Dou City and one of the four Platinum Bishops, was already level 87. Having grown old and exhausted his potential, he had no chance of reaching the Title Douluo realm, yet with the help of a Soul Power Breakthrough Pill, he now had a glimmer of hope.

Just then, Ning Rongrong walked in, pulling along a silver-haired youth with an ethereal and otherworldly temperament. "Father, I've reached level 20."

The silver-haired youth behind her was naturally Li Bai. He hadn't provided enough emotional value after the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect made her breakthrough, almost making her cry from anger.

Ning Rongrong reaching level 20 at nine years old, especially as an auxiliary system soul master who found cultivation difficult, would have been considered a top-tier genius in previous years.

But because of Qian Xunji's "home-stealing" plan.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had the level 25 Li Bai.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had the level 24 Sikong Zhen.

The Star Luo Empire had the level 24 Pei Qinhu and A Ke.

Skywater Academy had the level 24 Wang Zhaojun and Zhen Ji, who possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

Even the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, whose martial souls were swans and lacked high combat power, had been stuffed with the Swan Dream Xiao Qiao, a level 25 power attack system soul master with two forms of the Light and Dark Swan martial soul.

Added to that was Martial Soul Hall's overpowered team.

Ning Rongrong's current level was truly not much to look at.

"I want Brother Li Bai to accompany me to hunt for a soul ring, can I, Father?" Ning Rongrong hugged Ning Fengzhi's arm and acted spoiled.

The location selected for this hunt was quite far, and it would take a fair amount of time to go and return (in reality, only a few days), but Ning Rongrong couldn't bear to be away from Li Bai (fearing that Brother Li Bai would be seduced away by others).

"Don't be ridiculous. Your Brother Li Bai still needs to cultivate, how can he accompany you to obtain a soul ring?" Having said that, Ning Fengzhi looked at Li Bai.

"Rongrong has been spoiled by me and the two elders, but she has no bad intentions. I will educate her properly this time." As he spoke, he tapped Ning Rongrong on the head.

"No, Sect Master, this isn't Rongrong's fault. I have already agreed to go with her." Li Bai spoke up to stop him. He had already negotiated with Ning Rongrong: he would accompany her to hunt soul beasts, and Ning Rongrong would cover for him to buy wine.

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

After listening, Ning Fengzhi curled his lips into a scholarly smile and glanced at the blushing Ning Rongrong. "Since that is the case, I have nothing more to say. Be careful on the road, and if you need anything, just ask."

Finally, Ning Fengzhi added, "Except for wine!"

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Chapter 98: Yu Who?

When Yu Xiaogang brought Tang San to Martial Soul City, his mood was extremely complex.

He still remembered the scene of being ruthlessly driven out of Martial Soul City by Martial Soul Hall back then.

As the son of the sect master of the dignified Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, he hadn't even finished packing his things before he was tossed out, person and luggage alike.

People came and went at the tall city gate, whispering as they looked at the person being kicked out...

At that moment, Yu Xiaogang felt his self-esteem shatter into pieces, and he swore to be at odds with Martial Soul Hall forever.

However, he had compromised now...

Yu Xiaogang had already inquired about Bibi Dong's residence.

Bibi Dong was currently just a deacon, so her residence was not the core Saintess Palace of Martial Soul Hall from before, but an ordinary mansion in the city. Without strict guards or defenses, it was not difficult to meet her.

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

The prosperity of Heaven Dou City belonged to the rich and the nobles; the buildings along the streets were beautiful and luxurious, and the passersby were all dressed in gold and silver, looking like they came from well-off families, while ordinary commoners wore dusty clothes, standing aside to serve these masters.

As for Martial Soul City, whether it was the decorations or the colors, it carried a sense of solemnity and holiness. The giant statue of the Angel God was just an ordinary stone statue, neither adorned with brilliant gems nor any other decorations.

Martial Soul City did not belong to the two great empires; it was managed internally by Martial Soul Hall and was considered the headquarters of Martial Soul Hall.

Martial Soul City had its own set of management rules. There were no nobles in Martial Soul City, and no one dared to cause trouble there. Those soul masters who wanted to do evil would simply walk around Martial Soul City, after all, there were several Title Douluos stationed there...

Although he knew Bibi Dong's address and finding it wasn't difficult, the problem arose when he actually wanted to go inside.

Bibi Dong was still working at Martial Soul Hall, and her mansion only had an old man guarding the gate, plus an old woman who purchased supplies and cleaned. They didn't know any Yu Xiaogang, nor had they heard their mistress mention that there would be guests today, so they were currently looking at Yu Xiaogang with vigilance.

"You say you are a friend of our mistress and want to pay a visit, but how come we have never heard the mistress mention it?" The old man looked warily at the stiff-faced, ordinary-looking middle-aged man and the cold-eyed child behind him through the gap in the door.

Although this was Martial Soul City and no one dared to cause trouble, it was better to be safe than sorry. He only had one life, so it was better to be careful.

As the gatekeeper, he was an acquaintance who knew the mistress, Bibi Dong. Bibi Dong only had one disciple, a little girl named Hu Liena, who usually came most often with her brother. As for other visiting guests, they were all Bibi Dong's colleagues from Martial Soul Hall who wore Martial Soul Hall uniforms. In any case, he would not let this suspicious-looking stranger directly inside.