Zhong Yiheng

In the dean's office at Sword City Advanced Soul Master Academy, the dean stared at the financial reports, his face clouded with worry.

Because of the academy's location, nearly all the outstanding talent was snapped up by Spirit Hall's Advanced Soul Master Academy. There was not even a chance to pick up anyone they had overlooked.

And after being eliminated in the preliminaries of the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament five times in a row, the academy found it increasingly difficult to recruit talented students. That, in turn, left its students too weak to make it past the preliminaries.

"Big brother, a young man at the gates says he wants to discuss buying the academy. Do you want to see him?"

"Show him to the reception room."

Hopefully, he's interested in the academy itself. At that thought, he shook his head bitterly. What did the academy have left that anyone would want? The visitor was probably after its land.

Zhong Yiheng rose and walked to the reception room next door. Before long, the teacher arrived, accompanied by a very ordinary-looking young man.

One glance was enough to make him frown. The visitor looked about thirty, yet he was not even a Soul Master. Still, he decided to hear him out first. "Please, sit. I'm the dean of this academy, Zhong Yiheng, a level 76 Soul Saint."

As he spoke, he released a faint trace of his aura, wanting to see how the visitor would react.

"Hello, Dean Zhong." Feng Yi sat opposite him, his back straight and his tone perfectly steady, as though he had not been affected at all.

"My name is Feng Yi. I'm here to discuss purchasing this entire academy outright."

Zhong Yiheng did not reply immediately. Instead, he studied Feng Yi for a while, but could discern nothing. For now, he could only assume the man possessed exceptional courage.

"May I ask what you, or the people behind you, intend to do after buying the academy?"

"First, the academy will be renamed. That's certain. As for the current teachers and students, they can decide for themselves whether to stay or leave. That includes you, Dean Zhong. You're welcome to remain at the academy if you wish."

Feng Yi's words did tempt Zhong Yiheng. He truly could not bear to part with the academy. If it could continue to exist, he was willing to stay even if he was no longer its dean.

But he did not impulsively agree. How could such a good thing simply fall from the sky? He continued, "Then what exactly do you intend to do with the academy after buying it? If it's inconvenient to answer, never mind."

The answer would determine whether he stayed, as well as the price he would ask for later.

"There's nothing we can't tell you. We intend to compete in the Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament in two years, and we need an entry slot."

Feng Yi answered directly. This was one of the basic directions for development that Li Chen had set.

"With all due respect, have you prepared a team? The students remaining at the academy aren't particularly talented, and we can barely recruit anyone with innate soul power above level 5." Zhong Yiheng did not conceal the academy's dire situation. "If all you need is an entry slot, we can give you ours, provided you compete under the name of Sword City Advanced Soul Master Academy."

"We haven't assembled a competing team. Most likely, all the participants will be selected from within the academy. Also, Dean Zhong, I think you may have misunderstood. The Soul Master Tournament is only our first step. We intend to win the championship, make a name for ourselves, and then recruit talented students from across the Whole Continent."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yiheng's first thought was that Feng Yi was merely boasting. After all, who knew the academy's situation better than he did?

Even if they brought in one genius to carry six others, or two to carry five, reaching the finals would be their limit. Winning the championship on the strength of just one or two people would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

In the past, he would have shown the man the door. Now, however, he merely felt that their goal resembled the dream he had held when he first founded the academy. He might as well give them a chance. At worst, they would be eliminated in the preliminaries for a sixth consecutive tournament, and the academy would finally close.

Noticing the change in Zhong Yiheng's expression, Feng Yi stopped discussing the purchase. "It seems you don't quite believe us, Dean Zhong. How about this? We can sign a wager agreement, betting on whether we win the next Soul Master Tournament. If we take the championship, you'll join the force behind me."

His lord had given him only two tasks: buy an academy and recruit powerful individuals. A Soul Saint like this man was already a good catch.

He was very confident about this wager. After all, once his lord made a move, wouldn't the other teams be nothing but clay chickens and earthen dogs?

Winning the wager would kill two birds with one stone. Once Zhong Yiheng became one of them, wouldn't the academy naturally belong to them too? That would save his lord a large sum of money while also securing a Soul Saint.

This piqued Zhong Yiheng's interest. Since the man was so confident, why not take the bet? Losing would only mean joining them. "If you fail to win the championship, you must guarantee that the academy operates normally for the next ten years, recruits at least thirty new students each year, and is neither closed nor sold for any reason."

He paused, then added, "Also, I'll retain the title of honorary dean for life, and copies of the academy's expenditure accounts must be sent to me regularly. I won't interfere with you. I only want to ensure you keep your promises."

Feng Yi raised an eyebrow. "It sounds as though you care more about the academy than yourself."

"Of course I do." Zhong Yiheng leaned back in his chair, fatigue seeping into his voice. "I've poured twenty-three years into this place, and now I'm watching it collapse. If I could still keep it going, do you think I'd be sitting here discussing a sale with you?"

Feng Yi fell silent for a moment, then gave a soft chuckle and held out his hand. "Then it's settled. How about six hundred thousand for the purchase price? We'll pay it in full within a week."

Zhong Yiheng waved a hand. "There's no rush. We've settled the wager, but the result is still undecided, isn't it? If you win, I'll join you, and the academy should belong to you anyway. If you lose, you'll pay double the purchase price, and I'll allow you ten years to pay it off."

He had his own reasoning for this. If they won the wager, the academy would survive and become famous across the continent, fulfilling his dream.

Even if they lost, the academy would still survive for at least another twelve years.

"Then it's settled, Dean Zhong. We'll come to take over the academy in a week. Please make the necessary preparations beforehand."

With that, Feng Yi rose to leave. Zhong Yiheng turned to the teacher beside him. "See our honored guest out."

Before long, the teacher returned and sat opposite Zhong Yiheng. "Big brother, you're just going to agree to their terms like that? That man's soul power fluctuations weren't even at the level of a Soul Master."

"It isn't a question of whether I believe them. The academy has no other option. We can barely afford the teachers' salaries anymore." Zhong Yiheng shook his head. "Besides, for a mere Soul Scholar to remain perfectly composed before a Soul Saint, he's either deliberately suppressing and concealing his cultivation, or he has something to rely on."

"But none of that matters anymore. Go notify the academy's teachers. Tell them all to gather in the meeting room after classes."