Extreme Research Institute

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Extreme Research Institute
Alias(es)	ERI 77
Type	Neutral Character (AI)
Affiliation	Initially supported by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect; later incorporates external elders, researchers, students, and allied factions 4 89
Occupation/Role	Research institute and academy dedicated to spirit master cultivation, martial soul development, and limit-breaking research 4 18
Location	A cordoned-off site in Seven Treasure City 4
Status	Active; expanding its influence through research, recruitment, and inter-faction cooperation 91 97
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Background / History

Ning Qinghe established the institute in Seven Treasure City after gathering people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with low spirit power and poor martial souls for long-term training and experimentation. The site was designed to function as both a research institution and an academy. 4

Within its first ten days, the institute assembled researchers, a security team, an external-affairs team, a training zone, and a breeding zone. Its early spending was immense—more than one hundred million Gold Soul Coins over two years—prompting objections from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect’s elders. 4 5

Its first major proof of concept came through the training of one hundred students capable of safely absorbing thousand-year spirit rings. Reports on Ning Yishan’s 1,800-year ring absorption recorded increased soul power, accelerated cultivation comparable to Innate Soul Power level 6, a combat-capable first soul skill, and martial soul evolution. 7 10

The institute subsequently grew from roughly one thousand students to more than ten thousand. Its focus broadened beyond soul-ring absorption to body tempering, soul power control, medicine, martial soul evolution, self-created soul skills, diagnostic Soul Tools, and cultivation methods. 13 21 22

Following its public exchange meeting, the institute began accepting outside students, researchers, and partner factions in exchange for resources and contribution points. It later attracted high-level spirit master factions, including the Clear Sky Sect, and became a major force comparable in public perception to Martial Soul Hall. 47 49 89 91

Organization and Facilities

Division / Facility	Known Function
Research staff	Conducts cultivation, medicine, spirit ring, martial soul, and spirit beast research. 4 18
Security team	Guards the institute and its classified work; later includes strong patrols and concealed high-level defenders. 4 111
External-affairs team	Handles notices, recruitment, visitors, exchanges, and cooperation with outside powers. 4 20 47
Training zone	Conducts extreme physical training, soul power control practice, and individualized cultivation plans. 4 22
Breeding zone	Maintained as part of the original institute complex. 4
Cultivation rooms	Includes gardens, sculptures, cultivation rooms, forging equipment, dormitories, and rest areas. 26
Inner courtyard	Houses important personnel and core data laboratories. 57
Outer academy	Accommodates guests and ordinary students, including Shrek Academy’s group. 113

Research and Methods

Limit-Breaking Cultivation

The institute’s central goal is to break established spirit master limits through research into martial souls, physical conditioning, spirit power, soul rings, and related disciplines. 18 47

• Uses extreme physical training to push trainees into limit states, supplemented by nutrition and adjusted according to individual progress. 22
• Studies soul-ring absorption limits through large-scale data collection and practical verification. 5 7
• Demonstrated that high-level soul-ring absorption can improve cultivation speed and potentially evolve martial souls. 7
• Develops plans intended to help Spirit Douluo-level members advance toward the Title Douluo realm. 77 86

Medical and Pharmaceutical Research

The institute conducts medicinal-herb testing, poison research, drug refinement, and cultivation-support research. 69 79

• Dugu Bo developed the first stage of the Poison Body Method, allowing resistance to one-tenth of his toxins. 24
• The institute acquired access to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well’s medicinal resources, including immortal herbs and numerous thousand-year and ten-thousand-year herbs. 69 70
• Dugu Bo’s Pill Condensation Method enabled the restart of the Title Douluo Cultivation Project. 77
• Its researchers eventually produced the Completion Potion, a medicine intended to compensate for defects; test subjects began succeeding during trials. 134

Knowledge Exchange System

The institute distributes booklets detailing needed resources, research projects, improvement methods, and exchanges based on contribution points. 47 50 63

• Resources, techniques, and supplied items are converted into contribution points for exchange within the institute. 89
• Outside factions may send researchers to study and later establish their own research institutes. 48
• Students from external powers may enroll if they follow institute rules. 49 50
• The institute does not provide its research for free, framing its work as the collective product of its researchers. 113
• Leaking techniques or institutional knowledge is treated as an irreconcilable betrayal. 87

Defenses

• Soul Cannons — An enclosed defensive area was prepared with Soul Cannons aimed at it for the Martial Soul Hall delegation. 26
• Layered patrols — Tang Hao bypassed multiple patrol teams before reaching the inner core area, indicating a guarded perimeter, outer courtyard, and training area. 57
• Title Douluo-level cannon fire — Tang Hao was ambushed by more than a dozen Title Douluo-level attacks from Soul Cannons after infiltrating the institute. 57
• High-level defenders — Chen Xin, Gu Rong, Dugu Bo, Yu Yuanzhen, and Clear Sky Sect elders later participated in the institute’s defense against Martial Soul Hall. 99 102 103
• Battle record — The institute repelled Martial Soul Hall’s invasion despite casualties and damage to both the facility and Seven Treasure City. 103

Relationships

• Ning Qinghe — Founder, dean, and principal decision-maker; directs recruitment, research policy, diplomacy, security, and expansion. 4 47 89
• Ning Fengzhi / Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect — Original financial and political backer; the sect funded the institute’s early development and continued to support its growth. 4 10
• Dugu Bo — Joined as a member and later served as dean; contributes poison, medicine, herb, and cultivation research. 18 21 70
• Clear Sky Sect — Initially rebuffed because of Tang Hao, then accepted as external elders after offering compensation, techniques, formulas, and a bounty on Tang Hao and Tang Xiao. 77 88 89 91
• Breaking Clan and Defense Clan — Their leaders Yang Wudi and Niu Gao joined as future outer-courtyard elders, receiving institute support for Title Douluo breakthroughs. 86
• Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan — Yu Yuanzhen pledged the clan’s full support and arranged for Yu Luomian to bring personnel to the institute. 97 111
• Heaven Dou Empire — Reached agreements covering mutual learning, resource exchange, talent cultivation, pilot branches, and assistance in establishing an institute in Heaven Dou territory. 94 97
• Shrek Academy — Permitted to stay in the outer academy and study in return for assisting operations against Martial Soul Hall branches. 113
• Martial Soul Hall — Major hostile force; its attacks and political opposition transformed the relationship into open enmity. 99 103 116

Major Arcs

Arc	Institute’s Role
Founding and early trials	Established in Seven Treasure City to train low-talent spirit masters and gather data on cultivation limits. 4 5
Validation of soul-ring theory	Proved that trainees could safely absorb thousand-year rings, securing further funding and secrecy. 7 10
Public disclosure and exchange meeting	Revealed its methods, offered technology-for-resources exchanges, and opened enrollment to major powers. 47 50
Expansion through alliances	Recruited external elders, Spirit Douluo factions, the Clear Sky Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. 86 89 97
Conflict with Martial Soul Hall	Withstood a Title Douluo assault, protected its Clear Sky Sect members, and repelled Martial Soul Hall’s subsequent invasion. 57 99 103
Heaven Dou cooperation	Negotiated broad research and educational cooperation with the Heaven Dou Empire, including proposed pilot branches. 94 97

Notable Quotes

“The Extreme Research Institute aims to break the existing limits of spirit masters and shatter the established concepts of spirit masters.” 18

“As long as you have enough points, you can even send researchers here to study; we will teach them with all our might, and you can subsequently develop your own research institutes.” 48

“The Extreme Research Institute does not mind exchanging ideas and learning with others, but we do not accept giving things away for free.” 113