Not long after, at the East Sea Spirit Pagoda.
"Lu Wei, Pagoda Master of the East Sea Spirit Pagoda branch."
"Greetings, Lord Lu Li, Spirit Envoy."
Inside the Pagoda Master's office, a sturdy, middle-aged man stood before Lu Li and spoke with solemn respect.
He looked to be in his forties and wore a formal suit. His resolute face was full of deference as he spoke plainly.
The various branches of the Spirit Pagoda belonged to different factions. Broadly speaking, there was the faction of Tower Master Qiangu Dongfeng, and the factions of Vice Tower Masters Han Tianyi and Leng Yaozhu.
And he was one of Leng Yaozhu's trusted followers.
So, even setting aside the fact that Lu Li was one of the Spirit Pagoda's four great Spirit Envoys, his status as her personal disciple alone was enough to earn Lu Wei's respect.
What was more, this young man, only eighteen years old, was already a Titled Douluo whose cultivation was no weaker than his own.
"Pagoda Master Lu, there's no need to be so formal."
Lu Li smiled and shook his head, speaking softly.
"I came to see you this time because I need your help finding a suitable place to stay."
"A place to stay? Are you planning to stay in Eastsea City..."
"For a while?"
Lu Wei was taken aback by the question.
"Yes, I'll be here for a while."
"I'd like to find somewhere suitable by today, if possible. Sorry for the trouble, Pagoda Master Lu."
Lu Li smiled and nodded as he replied.
"Don't worry, Lord Lu Li."
"Leave this matter to me."
Lu Wei suppressed his excitement. His thoughts were already running wild with unrealistic fantasies. It looked like this Spirit Envoy would be staying in Eastsea City for a long time!
As the dignified head of a branch pagoda, he...
would have to show this man what true loyalty looked like!
"..."
"Actually."
"It doesn't have to be this big."
That afternoon, Lu Li took the keys to a large villa in the city center. Looking at its luxurious interior, he sat on the sofa, at a loss for words.
The villa was enormous.
It would be inconvenient for him to live in it alone.
Despite his surprise, he couldn't help thinking that Lu Wei was a real operator. Even if he wasn't giving the villa to Lu Li, he would probably have gifted it to someone else to build a relationship...
This guy really knew how to get ahead.
"Oh well, if it's big, it's big."
"I'll make do with it."
Lu Li quickly came back to his senses. More than this, he was looking forward to finding out what kind of tasks he would get next.
As for [Challenge Xie Xie], he could wait until Dongsea Academy officially opened and look into it then. He had plenty of time; the academy would open in just two days.
"I'll spend the next two days cultivating."
As he thought, Lu Li immediately sat cross-legged on the sofa and began meditating. His movements were practiced, and he quickly entered a meditative state.
"..."
"I still can't break through my bottleneck."
Meanwhile.
At Dongsea Academy's teachers' dormitory.
Wu Changkong sat cross-legged on his bed in yellow duck pajamas. Feeling that his cultivation had made no progress, he sighed.
Sure enough, even if he worked hard to cultivate as he had before, his unchanged cultivation told him it was nothing but wishful thinking.
"The level-sixty-nine bottleneck."
"It's held me back for too long..."
Wu Changkong sighed and murmured.
The gap between him and Lu Li would only keep growing. Could someone like him really catch up?
Could someone like him really reach the top?
"..."
Two days passed in a flash.
After the opening ceremony and a series of other arrangements for the new students, the first lesson of the school year for the first-year students officially began.
First-year Class One, on the first floor of the teaching building.
By now, most of the students were already seated in the classroom. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie were among them.
"Xie Xie, what do you think our first lesson will be about?"
Tang Wulin sat beside Xie Xie, his face brimming with anticipation as he asked curiously.
"I dunno."
Xie Xie sat quietly, showing little interest. Instead, he eyed the people around them warily.
From what he knew, there were three top talents among the new students in Class One, all with cultivation above the Soul Grandmaster level.
His talent was still a little behind theirs.
Gradually, as the students waited in anticipation, Lu Li and Wu Changkong entered the classroom together and stood at the front, by the lectern.
"Quiet."
Wu Changkong's cool gaze swept over the entire class. Just two words, backed by the formidable presence he had built through years of teaching, were enough to quiet the room completely.
"My name is Wu Changkong. My Martial Soul is the Heavenly Frost Sword, and I'm a level-sixty-nine Power Attack System Battle Soul Emperor."
"From now on, Teacher Lu Li and I will serve as your homeroom teachers and guide you through your classes."
Wu Changkong spoke slowly, his expression cool.
Lu Li nodded slightly in response. He said nothing, only smiled faintly, but in the eyes of the students, his danger level far surpassed Wu Changkong's.
The aura of a powerful expert radiated from him, leaving them too intimidated to even look him in the eye.
"Everyone, introduce yourselves."
"Let's start with the student on the far left."
Lu Li looked toward the student on the far left and smiled slightly as he spoke. That student was none other than Tang Wulin and Xie Xie's seatmate.
"I'm Xie Xie. My Martial Soul is the Light Dragon Dagger, and I'm a level-eighteen Agility Attack System Battle Soul Master."
"My name is Tang Wulin. My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass. I'm a level-fourteen Control System, one-ring Battle Soul Master. It's nice to meet you all."
The two of them introduced themselves in turn.
Xie Xie's cultivation didn't cause much of a stir in the class, but Tang Wulin's introduction left everyone completely stunned.
Class One was supposed to be the strongest among the new students...
How had a Blue Silver Grass Soul Master ended up here?
"Blue Silver Grass can cultivate that fast?"
"Did he pay to get in?"
"Shh, maybe his family has connections. Keep your voice down, or he'll hear you..."
Whispers rose throughout the classroom.
"No, what do you people know?"
Before Tang Wulin could speak, Xie Xie, who knew he had real ability, got worked up.
But he couldn't tell anyone that he'd been beaten up, so he could only glare at them through gritted teeth.
"It's okay, Xie Xie."
"Don't let this affect your mood."
Tang Wulin smiled and shook his head at the murmurs around him, taking them in stride. He'd faced this sort of pressure many times since he was a child.
If things like this could bring him down, then he wouldn't be who he was.
"Quiet."
Lu Li spoke calmly.
In an instant, an invisible pressure seemed to erupt throughout the classroom. His powerful presence silenced everyone who had been talking.
That included Xie Xie, even though he was on their side.
"Phew..."
Sitting in the front row and feeling the terrifying pressure radiating from Lu Li, Xie Xie felt a chill run down his spine. His eyes were full of fear.
He was genuinely afraid.
This wasn't the first time he'd felt Lu Li's powerful aura, but even so, he couldn't help wondering just how strong the man before him really was.
Without meaning to, he started comparing himself to Lu Li. When he was the same age as Lu Li, would his cultivation surpass his?
Don't make Teacher Lu Li laugh!
"Teacher Lu Li's cultivation..."
"Is probably even higher than Teacher Wu's."
Xie Xie silently speculated.
[Congratulations, host. You have completed the task] [Dear host, your imposing aura is overwhelming. Just one glance made Xie Xie retreat without a fight and bow to you] [Task completed beyond expectations. Reward issued] [Congratulations, host. You have received one million Federal Coins]
"..."
Hearing the voice in his mind, Lu Li's mouth twitched. He'd noticed how stunned Xie Xie looked, of course, but he hadn't expected that to complete the task early.
"These tasks really are easier than I imagined."
Lu Li couldn't help thinking. Now that he thought about it, what was the difference between this and having the food fed straight into his mouth?
Well, the only difference was...
It was even faster than feeding it to him.
Before you continue