"Your Holiness, that really wouldn't be appropriate!" Xu Mochen paused for a moment, putting on a look of being overwhelmed by the honor. Inside, though, he was ranting furiously: Come on! I came to Spirit Hall in the first place to get my hands on some of Angel God's divinity. If possible, I could even grab some of Rakshasa God's divinity while I was at it! I'm not actually counting on learning anything particularly remarkable from Spirit Hall!
At most, I'd take the opportunity to learn more about things that exist on Douluo Continent but not in the Sun Moon Empire, broadening my knowledge and understanding of the continent. Besides, my cultivation method is special, and Spirit Hall's methods would hardly be of any help. But with the way you're thinking now, it seems you want to fleece the Sun Moon Empire instead? You really are a devious woman!
Xu Mochen considered the consequences of agreeing to this. Clearly, from a conventional perspective, it was no bargain for the Sun Moon Empire. The empire already had a complete education system and curriculum in place.
The Sun Moon Empire's education system covered everyone, from ordinary people to Soul Masters. It had a complete structure for every kind of school, whether a junior, intermediate, or advanced academy, whether private or public, and whether the subjects were literature, mathematics, history, Soul Tool studies, Soul Beast studies, military studies, or anything else.
The Sun Moon Empire had also implemented compulsory education long ago. Its system was already much like that of Blue Star in modern times. After so many years of continuous improvement, it might not be perfect, but it was unquestionably better than Douluo Continent's by a staggering margin!
At least, from what Xu Mochen knew, ordinary people on Douluo Continent had almost no chance of receiving an education. In some fortunate places, someone might run a private school, where ordinary families with means could send their children to learn. Everyone else who had no opportunity to study was illiterate—some of them couldn't even write their own names!
The education ordinary people received in the nations of Douluo Continent was even worse than what people had in ancient Dragon Kingdom on Blue Star! Officials were still appointed through recommendations and connections. The emperor or a provincial governor might give someone a cursory test, then assign them a post if they passed. There wasn't even an imperial examination system! The state of education there spoke for itself.
As for Soul Masters, the nations of Douluo did have an education system of their own. It was riddled with holes, though. To begin with, plenty of advanced academies skipped right over intermediate schools and recruited directly from junior academies, leaving the intermediate schools high and dry. Worse still, countless unregistered fly-by-night academies ran rampant! No one knew what level they were or whether they had any qualifications at all. They just had to trick you into signing up and attending!
Before he'd seen Douluo Continent for himself, Xu Mochen had thought an academy like Shrek, with its shabby campus, crude facilities, terrible food, outrageous admission requirements, and all manner of enrollment-fee scams, was already an oddity. But after getting a real look at the academies on Douluo Continent, he'd realized that places like Shrek were nothing special!
Even stranger, some unlicensed Soul Master academies had become trafficking dens for Soul Masters! They were run by all kinds of riffraff, including bandits and brigands posing as teachers. They specifically targeted Soul Masters from poor families with no influential connections and little ability to pay tuition. Using every trick in the book, they praised their academies to the skies and lured them in!
Then they swindled and conned the students wholesale, making a "Liangshan" out of them. After forcing them into submission through threats and inducements, the academy owners put them through something akin to Stockholm syndrome, doling out petty favors and brainwashing them with a steady stream of propaganda. Over time, those young "students," who had originally come in search of knowledge, became "heroes of Liangshan" who stopped travelers and robbed them!
On top of that, Soul Master academies had no standardized textbooks, and the quality of their education was deeply concerning. There was no unified education authority to oversee or plan things, either. Most teaching consisted of basic theory, while the rest was mostly running with weights and sparring in Soul Fighting matches.
A handful of advanced academies had special training grounds and teaching methods, but they guarded them jealously. Many core training facilities and bodies of knowledge were accessible only to elite students, so graduates ended up with wildly different levels of ability!
Xu Mochen had never visited Spirit Hall Academy, but its teaching methods and knowledge probably weren't much better. In an exchange program like this, the Sun Moon Empire would likely gain little, while Spirit Hall could reap enormous rewards if its people really got to study at the Sun Moon Empire's Military Academy, Genetic Biology Research Academy, and Soul Guidance Technology Academy! It seemed Bibi Dong understood the principle that teaching someone to fish was better than giving them a fish!
But on second thought, would this really be all bad for the Sun Moon Empire? Xu Mochen could set the tuition fees for Spirit Hall, after all! And those students would certainly pay far more than local students. That alone would earn the Sun Moon Empire a handsome profit!
And the foreign students coming to study couldn't possibly be allowed access to the empire's most cutting-edge technology. If they learned only basic material at the relevant academies, without access to advanced technical facilities or a suitable research environment back on Douluo Continent, their impact after returning home would ultimately be limited. What, were they going to go back and plant apple trees?
Even if a few geniuses emerged among them, the Sun Moon Empire could offer generous benefits and excellent research conditions to persuade them to stay and serve the empire. That would simply create another source of talent! The Sun Moon Empire could combine kindness with force; there was no reason it couldn't keep these eager-to-return talents from leaving!
And while teaching them all kinds of knowledge, the Sun Moon Empire could also introduce them to its customs and ideas, gradually leading them to accept—and even blindly admire—this new culture and its values. That way, the empire could use its soft power to turn those returning students into people sympathetic to the Sun Moon Empire!
Then, once those people gained a foothold in their own countries and factions, they'd be assimilated by the Sun Moon Empire's civilization. They might even become mindless boosters of every aspect of the empire, helping spread its culture throughout their own countries and factions! In this way, the Sun Moon Empire could indirectly control Douluo Continent through its people's ideas.
After thinking it over, Xu Mochen pretended to mull things over for a while. Then he drew a slow breath, closed his eyes, and opened them again as he exhaled. At last, as if he'd made a momentous decision, he nodded to Bibi Dong. "As for the exchange program, the Sun Moon Empire agrees. However, Spirit Hall will need to pay tuition commensurate with the value of what it receives. You should understand that teaching another country our true expertise will cost us a great deal!"
"Still, considering the long-term relationship between your organization and our country, we can agree to your request. Of course, if students from our country do come to study at your academy, they'll also pay higher tuition."
"That goes without saying. Spirit Hall would never let your country suffer a loss!" Hearing Xu Mochen's assurance, Bibi Dong finally felt the weight lift from her heart.
Then Bibi Dong smiled warmly at Xu Mochen. "Once the arrangements between your country and my organization have been settled, I'll have my disciple take you to Spirit Hall Academy to make the necessary arrangements. I hope you'll learn plenty of useful things there." Xu Mochen smiled and replied with a few courteous words.
Behind Xu Mochen, Gu Yuntong grew anxious when he heard how readily Xu Mochen had agreed. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but Mo Wuying stopped him with a shake of his head. Mo Wuying didn't know why the Crown Prince had agreed, but he was sure His Highness had his reasons! At least when it came to decisions like this, the Crown Prince had hardly ever been wrong.
Now that Xu Mochen had agreed, everything else went smoothly. Both sides quickly discussed and negotiated the specific diplomatic arrangements, eventually reaching a cooperation agreement. They also agreed that four years later, Spirit Hall's delegation would be formally invited to visit the Sun Moon Empire.
Once all the arrangements were in place, Mo Wuying would remain behind in secret to protect Xu Mochen, while Gu Yuntong and the others continued on their way to visit the other seven kingdoms and duchies. Xu Mochen also decided to see the Yan Yang Fleet off at the harbor before their departure.
During the farewell, Xu Mochen told Gu Yuntong and the others all about his plans and intentions. By then, Gu Yuntong understood everything and couldn't help admiring the Crown Prince's far-reaching foresight.
After exchanging their farewells and instructions, Xu Mochen formally said goodbye to the others. Escorted by Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, he returned to Spirit Hall. Along the way, he drew a deep breath. He knew perfectly well that from this point on, he would begin to put his ambitions and grand designs into action on Douluo Continent!
After Xu Mochen returned to Spirit Hall, Hu Liena personally led him to a carriage, and they set off for Spirit Hall Academy. On the way, Hu Liena wanted to grow closer to Xu Mochen so she could draw more information out of him. She was also worried that after being away from home for so long, he might be feeling homesick, so she kept the conversation going.
"Um, Your Highness, calling me Miss Hu and all that feels too formal. I'm only a few months older than you. If you don't mind, just call me Sister Nana."
Xu Mochen naturally put on a well-behaved look. "Then thank you, Sister Nana. You don't need to call me Your Highness anymore, either. Just call me Xiao Chen."
After saying that, Xu Mochen began grumbling to himself: On this trip, I first accepted Qian Renxue as my big brother, then Ning Fengzhi as my uncle, followed by Dai Weisi as my older brother, and now I've even accepted Hu Liena as my older sister! Good grief, I've only just arrived on Douluo Continent, and in less than a month I've already picked up four relatives!
Seeing that Xu Mochen had finally accepted her kindness, Hu Liena relaxed. She immediately began giving him a detailed introduction to Spirit Hall Academy. "Spirit Hall Academy is where Spirit Hall trains the talented younger generation. It isn't inside Spirit Hall itself, but in the eastern part of Spirit City."
"Spirit Hall Academy has the best teachers of any Soul Master academy on the continent. Its teachers are all at least Soul Ancestor level, and its dean is one of Spirit Hall's Titled Douluo elders."
"As the Holy Land of Soul Masters, Spirit Hall naturally provides its academy with the finest educational resources on the continent. It has all kinds of Mimicry Training Grounds, and every day the students receive various spiritual herbs or products made from them. Students who perform exceptionally well also receive additional rewards from Spirit Hall."
"Spirit Hall Academy isn't like the other academies out there. It isn't divided into junior, intermediate, and advanced levels. Its students range in age from six to twenty-four. Unlike other academies, where students advance by age—for example, six-year-olds are in first grade and seven-year-olds are in second—Spirit Hall Academy doesn't care about age. To advance, a Soul Master's cultivation level and combat ability are all that matter!"
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