Joining the Spirit Pagoda

Because Wu Changkong had been expelled from Shrek Academy, he was no longer one of Shrek's people.

So, someone who had been thrown out by his alma mater could not put on airs as a member of Shrek before Elder Chen.

Thus, Elder Chen spoke calmly.

"Teacher Wu."

"In the end, you are merely a teacher."

"Some decisions still have to be made by the students themselves."

"What do you think?"

His tone was gentle, yet carried an unquestionable certainty. The meaning behind his words was perfectly clear.

You, Wu Changkong, were only a teacher at Eastsea Academy.

You were not Han Li's guardian.

Whatever decision Han Li wanted to make was his freedom. It was not Wu Changkong's place to say he was "not in a hurry."

Wu Changkong's expression remained cold as he met Elder Chen's gaze without yielding in the slightest.

"The student is still young. He does not know which decisions are good for him and which are bad."

"I am only afraid that someone might take advantage of his vulnerability."

His voice was even colder than Elder Chen's.

Though he did not say much, every word was barbed.

The phrase "take advantage of his vulnerability" was clearly accusing the Spirit Pagoda of trying to recruit Han Li while he was young and ignorant, with ill intentions.

The two men stared coldly at each other.

Elder Chen narrowed his eyes, while Wu Changkong's gaze was sharp as a blade.

Their gazes collided in midair, as though sparks might fly.

No one else in the room even dared to breathe loudly.

Then, a voice rang out.

"Elder Chen, what benefits does the Spirit Pagoda offer?"

The voice was clear and calm, carrying the bright quality unique to a young man, yet devoid of any youthful nervousness or hesitation.

The speaker stepped out from the crowd and into the open space between Elder Chen and Wu Changkong, calmly looking at Elder Chen.

Han Li.

The moment he spoke.

The stalemate in the room was instantly shattered.

The chill on Elder Chen's face immediately melted away, replaced by a brilliant smile.

He looked at Han Li with a kindly gaze, as though the icy confrontation with Wu Changkong moments ago had never happened.

Wu Changkong's expression, meanwhile, became even uglier.

Han Li asking about the Spirit Pagoda's benefits at this moment could not have made his intentions clearer.

He was interested in the Spirit Pagoda, and he had taken the initiative to show it.

For Wu Changkong, who had been determined to take Han Li to Shrek, this was nothing less than a blow to the head.

Thus, Elder Chen beamed as he patted Han Li's shoulder, his tone as affectionate as that of an elder in the family.

"Little Li, come."

"Let's go to the top floor. I will explain everything to you slowly."

"Our Spirit Pagoda has an extensive talent development program. I'll introduce it to you piece by piece."

As he spoke, he shot Wu Changkong a provocative glance. Its meaning was obvious.

Can you stop me?

Then, he draped an arm around Han Li's shoulders and led him toward the door.

Han Li did not look back. He followed beside Elder Chen with unhurried steps and left the room.

The door gently closed behind them, and their footsteps gradually faded down the corridor.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Ye Yingluo let out a long breath.

Xie Xie and Tang Wulin exchanged a glance, and both saw relief in the other's eyes.

Gu Yue lowered his eyes slightly, lost in thought.

Wu Changkong remained standing where he was, his white robes seeming especially cold beneath the room's light.

He looked at the closed door, watching Han Li's figure vanish beyond it, and his expression grew increasingly gloomy.

Of course, Han Li had not originally intended to join the Spirit Pagoda.

After all, his own resources were sufficient.

The Green Liquid from the Heavenly Bottle could accelerate the growth of Plant Soul Beasts.

And now that he possessed thirty-two levels of Soul Power, each drop of Green Liquid condensed by the Heavenly Bottle could increase a Plant Soul Beast's age by three hundred and twenty years.

Three hundred and twenty years meant that if he added Green Liquid every day for about a month, he could produce a Ten-Thousand-Year Plant Soul Beast.

According to market prices, a Ten-Thousand-Year Plant Soul Beast could sell for at least a hundred million Federal Currency.

With such a steady and efficient source of income, his need for wealth was not actually that great.

Money, resources, cultivation materials—he could solve all of those himself. There was no need for him to rely on any faction.

But he had killed the Phantom Crystal Butterfly and obtained an External Soul Bone.

Together with the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear Right Palm Bone he had obtained earlier in the Spirit Ascension Platform, he had acquired two such top-grade Soul Bones in Eastsea City in quick succession.

Once could be called good luck, but twice was bound to draw too much attention.

Therefore, he would inevitably attract the eyes of many people.

If he did not join the Spirit Pagoda, other factions—even the Holy Spirit Cult—would inevitably make a move against him later.

So rather than being constantly investigated, tested, and harassed by all sorts of factions...

It would be better to save himself the trouble by accepting Elder Chen's invitation to join the Spirit Pagoda, gaining an official identity and a powerful backer.

Furthermore, the Spirit Pagoda itself was one of the continent's four great powers. By joining its core disciple ranks, his resources, status, and safety would all be guaranteed.

Perhaps because of his talent, perhaps because of Principal Yu Zhen's recommendation, or perhaps because Wu Changkong's attempt to poach him had provoked Elder Chen...

The identity Elder Chen offered Han Li far surpassed that of an ordinary student.

Core disciple.

A core disciple of the Spirit Pagoda was equivalent to an inner disciple of Shrek Academy.

This was the highest tier in the Spirit Pagoda's training system. It meant priority access to resources, priority permissions, and priority cultivation guidance. They were the young generation most valued within the Pagoda.

However, according to Elder Chen, although the two statuses were equivalent, the Spirit Pagoda had always been extremely wealthy, and its treatment was more than five times that of a Shrek Academy inner disciple.

When Elder Chen said this, his eyes were narrowed, and his smile carried a hint of mockery toward his longtime rival.

The Spirit Pagoda and Shrek had competed for talent for decades, always trying to outdo one another.

Now that he had signed a genius of Han Li's caliber before Shrek could, he would probably wake up laughing from his dreams after returning.

Han Li was surprised, but not shocked.

The Spirit Pagoda already possessed the technology of artificial Soul Spirits, enough by itself to make it richer than a nation.

Not to mention the Spirit Ascension Platform, a terrifying tool capable of raising a Soul Spirit's age.

These two core businesses, Soul Spirits and the Spirit Ascension Platform, supported the Spirit Pagoda's vast empire, granting it endless wealth and resources across the continent.

Offering core disciples treatment five times better than Shrek's was merely a drop in the ocean for the Spirit Pagoda.

Han Li merely nodded quietly, silently committing the details of these benefits to memory.

Time flew by.

After the final examinations ended, summer vacation arrived as well.

Eastsea Academy's campus became much quieter in the sweltering heat. The usually bustling fields and corridors now appeared empty.

The students went home to their families.

Han Li, however, stayed at the Spirit Pagoda to cultivate.

Elder Chen also arranged a private cultivation room for him.

At the same time, the Pagoda's resources were opened to him as a priority. All kinds of precious treasures that assisted cultivation and meditation arrays were available.

Han Li did not stand on ceremony. Since he had already joined the Spirit Pagoda, he would not miss out on any of the benefits he was entitled to.