The Element Academies of Element City
The three rode on the broad back of the Azure Sea Snow Iron Dragon, speeding southward. They dismounted from the dragon only after leaving the Frozen Forest.
"Go back." Lu Xuan raised his hand and gently stroked the head of the Azure Sea Snow Iron Dragon, which was covered with fine ice scales. His voice softened. "Stay in the Far North and cultivate well. When I become a god, I will certainly not mistreat you."
"Aww~"
The amber eyes of the Azure Sea Snow Iron Dragon suddenly lit up, and a high-pitched yet gentle dragon roar echoed through the forest.
It shook its head with delight, its thick body lowered slightly, and solemnly performed a salute to Lu Xuan, a gesture of submission and respect among Soul Beast.
After doing all this, it turned its head around, its tail lightly sweeping across the ground, and trotted off towards the Far North snowfield.
It, the Azure Sea Snow Iron Dragon, has also latched onto a powerful backer!
Watching the Azure Sea Snow Iron Dragon disappear into the distance at the edge of the snowfield, Ye Lingling raised her hand and gently called out. A soft spiritual light emanated from her body, and the Clear-Charm Spirit-Horned Deer appeared slowly with light steps.
This spirit deer was extremely beautiful, with fur as smooth as cream and antlers that shimmered with a faint blue glow. In terms of appearance, it was top-notch, and its running speed was also above average.
However, the Far North Ice Plains makes it far less comfortable than the Azure Sea Snow Iron Dragon in that Ice Seal world.
Now that the three have stepped out of the Frosty Domain, the chill around them is gradually dissipating, making it the perfect time to change mounts and continue their journey.
But changing her mount wasn't just for convenience. Ye Lingling also harbored a motive of entrapment.
The Clear-Charm Spirit-Horned Deer possessed a gentle and mild temperament, appearing devoid of any ferocity. Coupled with their youthful appearance, they resembled, to outsiders, three young Soul Master traveling together.
If some foolish villain sees them as weak and vulnerable, and acts rashly with the intention of robbing them, then they are simply walking into the trap.
The three rode on the Clear-Charm Spirit-Horned Deer, traversing mountains and valleys for a long time before finally spotting other Soul Master in their sight.
Having spent so long in solitude on the Far North Ice Plains, surrounded by ice, snow, and Soul Beast, the sudden sight of living people of my own kind inexplicably stirred a long-lost sense of familiarity within me.
The young Soul Master merely watched from afar, their gazes lingering briefly on Lu Xuan and his companions. Perhaps unable to discern their strength, or perhaps wary of something, they ultimately refrained from harboring any thoughts of plunder or robbery.
Lu Xuan had no intention of causing unnecessary bloodshed, and seeing this, he did not linger, letting the spirit deer slowly move forward.
Dugu Yan's gaze fell on the highly recognizable academy uniform the other person was wearing, and she said softly, "Those people, they should be from the Godwind Academy, right?"
She tilted her head slightly. "Judging by her age, she's not much different from us."
"Most likely correct." Ye Lingling examined him carefully for a moment, her eyebrows slightly raised. "His aura can't be concealed; his cultivation level seems to be only at the Soul Grandmaster level."
"Lingling, this is what an ordinary Soul Master should be like!" Dugu Yan smiled gently upon hearing this and sighed, "Don't think that all Soul Master are as lucky as us."
Ye Lingling nodded slowly upon hearing this, deeply agreeing in her heart.
The two of them were indeed blessed with extraordinary good fortune, which was the envy of many. From the moment their Martial Soul Awakening, Lu Xuan had been protecting and protecting them.
Whether it was the Immortal Herb that nourished the foundation in the early days, or the carefully selected, high-quality Soul Ring and Soul Bone later on, almost all of them were inseparable from Lu Xuan's planning and assistance.
It was precisely because of this opportunity that others could only dream of that they were able to steadily step into the Soul King realm at the age of eleven or twelve.
As for Lu Xuan, that boy who was only eleven years old and whose cultivation had already reached the Soul Sage, neither of the two women tacitly used him as a reference.
Comparing one's own cultivation progress to Lu Xuan's is simply asking for trouble and making a fool of oneself.
The three rode on the back of the Clear-Charm Spirit-Horned Deer, traveling slowly along the way. During their conversation, they talked about the renowned Five Elements Academy in Element City.
In the beginning, only three academies— Godwind, Blazing Fire, and Skywater— stood in this area, possessing profound cultural heritage and the greatest reputation.
Later, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wanted to expand its influence, so they set their sights on this place and built Thunder Academy.
In recent years, the Elephant Armor Sect also followed suit and settled in Element City, establishing the Elephant Armor Academy, thus completing the name of the Five Elements Academy.
Thunder Academy has always had a close relationship with the original three families. Their style of doing things and the standards for selecting disciples are also very similar to those of Godwind, Blazing Fire and Skywater, and they are implicitly of the same faction.
However, the Elephant Armor Academy established by the Elephant Armor Sect is different. To put it bluntly, it is more like a base for cultivating disciples within the sect, almost like self-production and self-consumption.
While nominally recruiting students from outside the academy, over 90% of its disciples are direct descendants of the Diamond Mammoth lineage, making it extremely difficult for outsiders to gain entry.
Dugu Yan curled her lip. "No wonder we rarely hear of any rogue cultivator geniuses emerging from the Elephant Armor Academy, so that's why."
"The Diamond Mammoth's Martial Soul quality isn't bad; its attack power is above average, and its defense ranks among the top three!" Lu Xuan, who had also read about the Diamond Mammoth, couldn't help but say, "It's just a pity that the cultivation efforts haven't been sufficient, and it hasn't produced any outstanding figures. Otherwise, we wouldn't be without even a Titled Douluo."
The Diamond Mammoth lineage's foundation is still somewhat inferior to that of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. However, if placed alongside the White Tiger Martial Soul, the two can be considered to be Beast Martial Soul lineages of the same level.
It's a pity that the Elephant Armor Sect's approach to education and training is far inferior to that of the White Tiger lineage. If they could find a more suitable path forward, they might have a chance to further develop their foundation.
As for the three schools, Godwind, Blazing Fire, and Skywater, they are standard aristocratic academies with a much more open structure.
Every few years, exceptionally talented disciples emerge, and in recent years, several promising talents have appeared who have the potential to become Titled Douluo.
Lu Xuan listened quietly, his expression unwavering. Although these geniuses possessed considerable potential, they were not related to each other, so he naturally wouldn't waste his time and resources cultivating them.
"Lu Xuan." When Dugu Yan heard him mention the disciples of the Five Elements Academy, she suddenly became curious and asked, "If you were in charge of training them, how would you arrange things without any Immortal Herb or extra Soul Bone?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Xuan pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Then we can only proceed step by step to hone our foundation. In this early stage, the primary focus should be on solidifying our Soul Power base and steadily increasing our level. Once our Martial Soul Awakening, we should determine our future development path as soon as possible before planning our corresponding Soul Ring."
He said calmly, "The acquisition of Soul Ring by Soul Master is a crucial opportunity to compensate for weaknesses and enhance one's potential; it must not be taken lightly or carelessly."
"But in reality, many Soul Master don't have much planning when choosing Soul Ring!"