Akademiya Branch, Arrival of the Sky Screen

Douluo Continent, Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. This place was originally Dugu Bo's herb garden, but it had undergone a massive transformation.

A massive tree had appeared here at some point, its foliage shimmering in red and blue.

The tree was so vast it resembled a tree city, with numerous buildings distributed across its branches in an orderly fashion.

A sign hung at the entrance of this tree city, bearing the words "Akademiya Branch."

Dugu Bo and his granddaughter Dugu Yan followed behind a fox-eared youth, looking every bit like diligent students.

The fox-eared youth was explaining the properties of the immortal herbs growing near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to them.

Just then, a girl with green hair, purple eyes, and gray clothing came running over.

She looked flustered and somewhat careless in her haste.

"Collei, slow down, don't rush. What happened?"

"Teacher, Grand Sage is here."

"Oh, the Grand Sage has arrived? Let us go and welcome him. You two haven't met him yet, so come along."

"Yes, Teacher Tighnari."

Dugu Bo was extremely respectful toward Tighnari; he had no choice. He still remembered their first meeting, when he discovered his precious territory had been occupied. In his rage, he had launched an attack, only for Tighnari to shatter his Martial Soul Avatar with a single arrow.

Had Tighnari not been kind, he likely would have perished right then and there.

Later, Tighnari helped Dugu Bo treat the poison within his own martial soul, which made Dugu Bo even more grateful.

Upon learning that Tighnari came from the Akademiya, Dugu Bo joined as a member of the Amurta darshan.

He even became Tighnari's student, putting him in the same generation as Collei.

Afterward, Dugu Bo brought Dugu Yan into the Akademiya, where she also began studying under Tighnari.

Dugu Bo was very much looking forward to meeting the Grand Sage Tighnari spoke of. It was only through Tighnari that he learned this Akademiya branch was founded by the Grand Sage himself.

Before long, they met the Grand Sage, though he looked nothing like Dugu Bo had imagined.

The Grand Sage was merely a youth who appeared to be in his twenties.

This Grand Sage was named Ouyang Kong, and he was naturally a transmigrator. He had just finished pulling a double-gold ten-pull to max out Nahida's constellations and was celebrating when he suddenly transmigrated to the Douluo Continent.

Furthermore, he had landed in the dangerous Star Dou Forest.

Fortunately, the standard transmigrator system appeared, allowing him to inherit the Traveler's abilities.

It also enabled him to summon the Lesser Lord Kusanali, Nahida.

With Nahida's help, they established the Akademiya at the Lake of Life. Later, Ouyang Kong summoned more characters to perfect the Akademiya's system.

Now that Nahida was working on building the Akasha, Ouyang Kong, the Grand Sage, had come to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to construct this branch.

Once Nahida finished the Akasha, Ouyang Kong planned to announce the Akademiya's existence to the entire Douluo Continent and begin recruiting from the outside world.

The Akademiya was, at its core, an academy and a gathering place for scholars, so it naturally needed to recruit students.

"Dugu Bo, haha, you're quite the celebrity!"

Indeed, he was the NPC every transmigrator felt compelled to visit.

"Greetings, Grand Sage! You are truly young!"

"Young? I suppose so. Tighnari, how is the research on the immortal herbs?"

"Reporting to the Grand Sage, I have understood their habits and am currently researching the possibility of artificial propagation."

"Good, you are the expert in this field, and I trust you. If you need more manpower, let me know, and I will try to send some your way."

"That will not be necessary. Collei and I, along with these two new students, are quite enough."

Ouyang Kong nodded. He didn't have many people on hand; most of his subordinates were the Soul Beasts from the Star Dou Forest that he had recruited.

Just then, a loud boom resonated through the sky, followed by a blinding golden light that manifested in the air. The entire Douluo Continent could clearly see the anomaly above.

The Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, Spirit Hall, Sea God Island, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Clear Sky Sect, and other factions all turned their attention to the changes in the sky.

Ouyang Kong was no exception. He frowned as he watched the sky; this plot point was not in his memories.

The golden light in the sky gradually dissipated, and a massive sky screen slowly unfurled, with text emerging upon it.

[Sky Screen: Ranking the Top Ten Young Powerhouses (under 50 years old). All those who make the list will receive rewards. The higher the rank, the more bountiful the reward.]

As the text appeared on the screen, a voice echoed in sync.

So it's a sky screen. I wonder if the characters I summoned count? If they do, I should occupy more than half of this list.

As Ouyang Kong thought this, the others on the Douluo Continent reacted in various ways.

In the Pope's Palace of Spirit City, Bibi Dong smiled. She was not yet fifty and believed she could take the top spot on this list.

In Heaven Dou City, Tang Hao, who was hiding in the shadows, sighed. He was already over fifty; otherwise, he would certainly have made the list.

After all, he had once been the youngest Title Douluo on the Douluo Continent.

Inside the Blue Tyrant Academy, Yu Xiaogang looked at the sky screen, lost in thought, then turned to Liu Erlong.

Flender was already over the age limit, but Liu Erlong was not.

"Erlong, you might have a chance to make the list. There aren't many people under fifty whose strength exceeds yours."

Liu Erlong naturally trusted Yu Xiaogang's words implicitly.

"Xiaogang, if the sky screen truly provides rewards, I hope I can use them to help you."

Yu Xiaogang fell silent. He wanted to make the list through his own merit rather than relying on someone else's help; that was the pride deep in his bones.

Among the Shrek Seven Devils, Ma Hongjun complained, "Why under 50? If it were under 20, we'd have a chance. Can someone really be called 'young' at 50?"

"In the world of Spirit Masters, 50 is considered young. Any Title Douluo has spent more than fifty years honing their strength."

Dai Mubai clearly knew more, but one could see from his eyes that he was also eager to make the list and obtain the rewards.

In the Star Dou Forest, the Land of Great Calamity—the former Lake of Life—there now stood a towering tree with pavilions and towers upon its branches. This was the headquarters of the Akademiya.

Nahida, currently within Surasthana, also noticed the sky screen.

An existence that even I cannot perceive? It's somewhat similar to the power that brought me to this world. Kong, does this have anything to do with you?

As for the content of the list, Nahida had little interest; she was, after all, five hundred years old.

As for the Great Beasts—Di Tian, Bear Lord, Scarlet King, Bi Ji, Zi Ji, and the King of Ten Thousand Demons—they had all been recruited by Nahida as sages of the Akademiya.

Di Tian tried to stir up trouble, wanting Bear Lord to test the sky screen, but Bear Lord flatly refused.

"Do you really think I'm stupid? I've been studying too. There is a saying: 'A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days of separation.' Di Tian, you are ignorant and incompetent, but one day I will surpass you!"