It was precisely because this academy's foundations were so terrifyingly deep that it had burst onto the scene and gradually swallowed up the Element Academies, which had once stood alone across the continent.
The talented students who had once belonged to the Four Elements Academies had now all become students of Rainbow Academy.
This was the butterfly effect caused by Long Yun, an old monster who had lived for tens of thousands of years, flapping his wings in this world.
"Good morning, Dean!"
A few energetic young people approached. Leading them were the sisters Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er. Beside them walked red-haired Huo Wu, along with Feng Xiaotian, who wore a cheerful smile.
When they saw Long Yun, they all stopped respectfully and bowed.
Long Yun nodded at them, his expression gentle.
"Have you all been keeping up with your cultivation? You can't slack off even a little when it comes to controlling the power of the elements."
Shui Bing'er nodded obediently.
"Don't worry, Dean. We train hard in the simulated environments every day. We won't bring shame to the Academy."
Long Yun said no more. He continued toward the enormous pool in the very center of the Academy.
The pool was called the Pool of Life, and its waters brimmed with dense spiritual energy from heaven and earth.
As soon as he neared the edge, the placid surface suddenly churned violently.
A gigantic Demon Soul Great White Shark surged out of the water, sending up a spray of sparkling droplets.
When the giant shark saw Long Yun, its fierce gaze instantly softened. It brought its enormous head up to the shore.
It even wagged its tail ingratiatingly.
Long Yun reached out and gently stroked the shark's smooth head.
"Xiao Bai, looking lively today."
The Demon Soul Great White Shark called Xiao Bai contentedly narrowed her eyes. A faint rumbling sound rose from her mouth as she savored the caress.
Meanwhile, in Spirit City.
Qian Renxue had not stayed in Heaven Dou City. Instead, she had rushed back to Spirit Hall overnight.
She plunged straight into the Top Secret Archive, deep within Spirit Hall.
Stored there were Spirit Hall's oldest and most essential historical records, dating back to its founding.
Thick dust swirled through the air as Qian Renxue pored over the ancient books, many of them yellowed and brittle with age.
At last, on the lowest shelf, thick with dust, she found an ancient journal sealed beneath layer upon layer of restrictions.
The moment she opened it, Qian Renxue's pupils contracted sharply.
One name was recorded there in unmistakable script: Qian Renhan.
What was more, the journal clearly stated Qian Renhan's identity.
She truly was an ancient ancestor of the Qian Clan—and the very first Angel God!
Qian Renxue's head buzzed. She stood there, completely stunned.
Even she, the current inheritor of the Angel Godhood, would never have learned of such a world-shaking secret if she hadn't deliberately searched through this forbidden archive!
"That man called Long Yun..."
Qian Renxue gripped the journal so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her heart surging like a raging sea.
He had said Qian Renhan was his wife.
Could that man who had casually shared drinks and conversation with her at the Soul Fighting Tavern really be her ancestor, from countless generations ago?
The thought had barely surfaced when Qian Renxue forcefully shoved it away.
That was absurd!
How could a human live for tens of thousands of years?
Even if he had truly become a god, he should have long since ascended to the Divine Realm. Why would he still be wandering around Douluo Continent like an ordinary person?
Qian Renxue gritted her teeth and returned the journal to its place.
"No. These ancient books aren't enough to be certain. I have to go to the Angel Temple and investigate for myself."
She turned and strode toward the Angel Temple, her steps hurried.
Once Xiong Jun had finished absorbing his reward, the screen high in the sky began to flicker again.
The eyes of every living being across the continent were drawn back to it in an instant.
Bullet comments swirled wildly along the edges of the screen like falling snow.
Every one of them was filled with envy and resentment.
"A hundred thousand years of cultivation! That's a hundred thousand years! I'd be lucky if I could even become a Soul Saint in my lifetime!"
"You don't understand. The most terrifying thing is that Divine Beast Behemoth Soul Bone. It grants the bloodline of a divine beast. It's not something us humans can get by hunting Soul Beasts!"
"Why do all these good things go to the Soul Beasts? I refuse to accept it!"
Watching Xiong Jun wield that domineering, unmatched power, the human Soul Masters wished they could turn into Soul Beasts right then and there and undergo the Sky Screen's baptism.
These divine-level rewards, utterly impossible to replicate, made everyone's eyes burn with envy.
Inside the Pope Palace of Spirit Hall.
Bibi Dong sat upon the papal throne, a layer of frost shrouding her beautiful face.
Several elders stood below, all silent as mice.
They had originally been plotting to organize a team to hunt down the hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts once the Sky Screen revealed their locations.
But now that they had seen Xiong Jun casually tear space apart with a single terrifying strike, they all felt a deep headache coming on.
With strength like that, who could they send?
Even if the Pope led the team herself, she would likely be in for a rough time against Xiong Jun, whose strength had now surged.
Bibi Dong rubbed her brow, her eyes fixed on the Sky Screen.
"Even the number ten has proven this troublesome. The number nine is bound to be even stronger than Xiong Jun."
A powerful sense of unease rose within her.
The waters of this continent ran far deeper than she had imagined.
"Your Holiness the Pope, do you think the number nine might be Beast God Di Tian, the one who beat Xiong Jun senseless?" Ghost Douluo cautiously ventured.
Bibi Dong did not answer. The weight in her eyes only deepened.
What she wanted to know even more was what astonishing reward the number nine-ranked Soul Beast would receive.
On the Shrek Academy training field.
Yu Xiaogang stood at the front of the crowd, both fists clenched tight. His face had turned as red as a pig's liver.
The Soul Master theories he had always prided himself on had been ground into the dirt by the Sky Screen today.
He claimed to have studied countless Soul Beasts and believed there wasn't a single one on the continent that could escape his notice.
But Xiong Jun—and that so-called Divine Beast Behemoth—were Soul Beasts he had never even heard of!
"Impossible! This absolutely cannot be!"
Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth, his face twisted with humiliation.
"I've studied Martial Souls and Soul Beasts for decades. There's no way there could be powerful Soul Beasts in this world that I don't recognize at all!"
He watched the Sky Screen, which was about to change, and swore to himself.
He had to identify the number nine. He had to reclaim the dignity he deserved as the Grandmaster!
In the Star Dou Great Forest.
Xiong Jun had finally stopped roaring. His massive body crouched in place, both dark-gold eyes fixed on the sky.
He was thoroughly dissatisfied with being ranked number ten.
He wanted to see which blind fool had the nerve to rank above him.
If that fellow turned out to be in the Star Dou Great Forest, he'd go kill him himself. He'd use the Behemoth God Claw to give him a proper fight!
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