Three Years Later: Arrangements

Three years later.

Eastsea City, inside Eastsea Academy.

After that battle three years ago, Wu Changkong's fame soared. The outstanding performances of Zero Class's five students were overshadowed by his brilliance and drew far less attention.

A Battle Armor Master! The news that a middle academy had a Battle Armor Master as a teacher spread throughout the entire Eastsea Alliance.

As a result, although the middle division had failed to achieve good results in the competition, Eastsea Academy's enrollment numbers still rose dramatically.

Combined with the senior division winning the team competition and taking first place in the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament, Eastsea Academy had become a renowned academy across the entire Eastsea Coast.

At that moment, in the principal's office—

Principal Yu Zhen looked at the graduation application Liu Tianran had submitted before him and said proudly, "Liu Tianran is a genius our Eastsea Academy sees perhaps once in a century.

"The team from his class at the Skysea Grand Tournament may well be the strongest team our academy has ever produced.

"But it's a pity that the children of Zero Class have all decided to go to Shrek Academy. Otherwise, our Eastsea Academy might have won another championship."

After saying that, he seemed to hesitate before continuing, "Has he truly not reconsidered staying at the academy to teach?"

"Principal, apart from Teacher Wu Changkong, who has already decided to leave, I'm afraid there are few teachers in the academy—even among the upper-year faculty—who could defeat him, much less guide him.

"And in truth, there is little left for us to teach them. About a year ago, the academy's teachers had already begun letting them develop on their own. At most, all we can teach him is some worldly experience."

By the end, Director Long Hengxu, standing beside the principal, wore a bitter smile. It was certainly a good thing for students to be talented. Yet he had never imagined that one day, a student's extraordinary talent would become a source of distress.

"Perhaps we should approve his application and recommend him to the Eastsea Legion. They have sufficient channels for obtaining resources there. Besides, the military is relatively fairer than other places," Long Hengxu said after a brief hesitation, though he remained firm.

As one of the Federation's three major naval forces, the Eastsea Legion was elite among elites and was stationed along the coast of Eastsea City. When people from Eastsea City and its surrounding regions came of age and wished to enlist, the Eastsea Legion was their first choice.

And as Eastsea City's only senior academy, although Eastsea Academy could not interfere in military affairs,

enlisting in the Eastsea Legion with a recommendation letter from the principal would at least give one a higher starting point. It would allow Liu Tianran to begin as a commissioned officer, saving him considerable time.

Liu Tianran intended to use this opportunity to enter the Eastsea Legion, giving both himself and his clone another channel for gathering energy, as well as a secure place to grow.

Moreover, with the strength of a five-ring healing-type Soul King, he would be quite sought after in the military, providing a reasonable explanation for the future growth of his original body's strength.

Thinking of Liu Tianran's age and the dangers of the military, Yu Zhen furrowed his brows tightly. "Isn't this a little too rushed?"

Long Hengxu shook his head. "It has been nearly a year since Liu Tianran broke through to Soul King. Normally, a genius of his caliber would have already begun preparing a battle armor. He is already one step behind the others."

Still unwilling to accept it, Yu Zhen said, "What if our academy were to devote a great deal of resources to him?

"Eastsea City is one of the five first-tier cities in the east, and our Eastsea Academy is the city's only senior academy. The upper ranks of Eastsea City have invested vast resources in us.

"If we were to direct those resources toward them, we might not necessarily be inferior to the legendary Shrek Academy."

To be frank, ever since Liu Tianran had displayed his talent, Eastsea Academy had deliberately given him certain resources and privileges. However, those were all resources permitted within the rules.

In a sense, he had earned them himself.

Only now was Skysea Academy preparing to openly direct resources toward them.

Long Hengxu smiled bitterly. "That would still be difficult. Besides, those resources are neither here nor there to Liu Tianran. In fact, he expressed a similar desire to me several months ago.

"Principal, he is not like us old fellows. For a genius of Liu Tianran's level, Eastsea City is too small. His stage was never meant to be here. We cannot delay him any longer."

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhen's body trembled uncontrollably. At last, he said, "Fine! Perhaps Eastsea City truly is too small for a genius like him. They should go to a greater stage."

There was no reason for Eastsea Academy to keep Liu Tianran from leaving. Though he had received a great deal of preferential resources, he had returned more than enough glory to Eastsea Academy. He no longer owed the academy anything.

Tianhai Spirit Pagoda.

"Mingyu, have you truly decided to become an inspecting Spirit Envoy?"

Wang Yupeng asked the youth before him. Over the past three years, Zhou Mingyu (sword) had grown considerably taller, while his Soul Power cultivation had reached rank forty-five. He had also successfully fused with his second soul spirit.

"Yes, Master. I've made up my mind."

Wang Yupeng looked at his most prized disciple, feeling both proud and troubled.

Ever since he had risen to fame in a single battle three years ago, wielding Ultimate Ice and mastering a sword domain, he had defeated many challengers in the Spirit Pagoda who claimed to be geniuses.

Not only had he remained undefeated among his peers, but he had also defeated talented youths several years older than himself one after another. As a result, he had established considerable prestige among the Spirit Pagoda's younger generation and even showed faint signs of becoming their leader.

In Wang Yupeng's eyes, this disciple was practically flawless. Yet just a few days ago, he had suddenly asked to become an inspecting Spirit Envoy and spend several years training among the Spirit Pagoda's grassroots branches.

Inspecting Spirit Envoy was a special position established by the Spirit Pagoda to assess, inspect, and supervise branch pagodas in various regions. Those who held the position generally traveled year-round, and it was not considered a particularly desirable post.

This left Wang Yupeng deeply puzzled. This should have been the time for Zhou Mingyu (sword) to forge ahead and establish his status among the younger generation. Why would he give up such an opportunity?

Zhou Mingyu (sword)'s future goal was to control the Spirit Pagoda and become its Pagoda Master. Aside from possessing sufficient personal strength, he also needed to cultivate a force and trusted subordinates who could act on his behalf and remain absolutely loyal to him.

The title of leader of the younger generation sounded impressive, but in truth, it was of little use.

Every genius he had beaten into submission had a sect, family, or faction behind them. The conflicts of interest behind those people were tangled and complex.

Perhaps he could occasionally have them do a few inconsequential things under his command. But asking them to stake everything and join him in opposing the Qian Gu Family, which had operated within the Spirit Pagoda for years—would they do it?

His decision to become an inspecting Spirit Envoy had also been carefully considered. Most of the Spirit Pagoda's middle and upper ranks already belonged to their own factions and would not casually change allegiances.

Therefore, Zhou Mingyu (sword) chose to begin at the grassroots level. Tigers and leopards lurked in deep mountains; qilin lay buried in open fields. No matter how perfect the Spirit Pagoda's talent selection system was, there would inevitably be overlooked talents and those whose abilities went unrecognized.

The nature of an inspecting Spirit Envoy's work would help him discover talented people and uncut jade among the grassroots ranks.

Besides, he possessed a secret weapon. Over the years, the original body had worried that the clone might be suppressed by the Dragon King bloodline. Therefore, whenever it created clones or extracted energy, it deliberately removed the bloodline factors from the energy it gathered.

Over time, a considerable amount of bloodline energy had accumulated within the sea of consciousness. While this energy was entirely useless to both the original body and the clone,

it was an invaluable treasure to the Soul Masters under his command. Zhou Mingyu (sword) had conducted experiments and found that it could greatly stimulate their martial soul bloodlines, allowing their potential to advance another step.

Given enough time, his subordinates would grow into a force that even the Spirit Pagoda's upper ranks could not underestimate.

Of course, Zhou Mingyu (sword) would not foolishly expose his trump card. He merely claimed that it was the effect of Ultimate Ice's pure energy. With the precedent of the first Pagoda Master, Huo Yuhao, no one doubted him.

Moreover, he would leave safeguards behind. They would not affect cultivation under normal circumstances, but anyone who betrayed him would naturally meet no good end.

At last, after Zhou Mingyu (sword)'s repeated requests, Wang Yupeng agreed to his application. However, he set a limit of only three years.

But that was enough time for Zhou Mingyu (sword) to begin building his own force.

Within Eastsea Academy, Liu Tianran had graduated as he wished and received a recommendation letter to the Eastsea Legion. At that moment, he was lying leisurely on his bed, resting.

[Zhou Mingyu (sword) has already begun taking action;

Li Ziming has been studying and training under Zhenhua ever since breaking through to Soul Douluo, laying the foundation for his attempt to become a Divine Blacksmith;

Xie Jiayun is doing quite well in the Western Legion. He is already a colonel, his cultivation has reached eight-ring Soul Douluo, and he has begun entering the legion's upper ranks;

Zuo Qiu Lun is in secluded cultivation within the Body Sect, studying the Body Sect's secret arts. It seems he will not be coming out anytime soon.]

Overall, they had all passed the period of lying low and entered a phase of development.

[Then it's time to let that clone move. Let me see what surprises the legendary Shrek Academy can bring me.]