After the rankings of the exchange competition were announced, Feng Qingxuan, the dean of the Godwind Academy, publicly announced that an important matter would be announced the next morning, and asked teachers and students from all five academies to gather at the trial grounds on the closing day.
As the news spread, the teachers leading the teams from various colleges were all speculating that what Feng Qingxuan was about to say was definitely not simple.
The next day, shortly after dawn, the stands around the training ground were already full of people.
The accompanying teachers and substitute players from each college whispered among themselves, their low murmurs rising and falling in the arena. All the noise gradually subsided when Feng Qingxuan appeared at the entrance.
The five teams were already lined up in the arena. Godwind Academy was in the center, Skywater Academy was on the left, Thunder Academy on the right, and Blazing Fire Academy and Elephant Armor were at the two ends.
The team members' expressions varied. The Godwind Academy members all had calm expressions, while Shui Bing'er from the Skywater Team stood quietly at the head of the team, her emotions unreadable. In contrast, members of the Thunder Academy and Elephant Armor teams exchanged glances from time to time, and the atmosphere became noticeably more tense.
Feng Qingxuan walked up to the high platform and stood still.
He didn't deliberately release his Soul Power, but the aura of Titled Douluo simply existed naturally, causing the entire trial arena to fall silent. He slowly swept his gaze across the entire arena, pausing briefly in the direction of the five academy deans, before speaking.
Two years ago, after the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament concluded, the outside world speculated about what methods Godwind Academy had used.
Feng Qingxuan's voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present clearly. Some people in the stands leaned forward slightly.
"Today, I will give you all a clear answer. The improvement in the strength of the Godwind Academy stems from elixirs."
After a brief silence, as if a pebble had been thrown into the stands, a sudden murmur arose.
The teachers from each academy turned their heads and whispered to those around them, some looking surprised, others frowning in thought. Pills were not uncommon on the continent, but pills that could comprehensively boost the strength of an entire team were rare.
The fact that Godwind Academy had progressed to a level capable of rivaling the Spirit Hall in just two years was beyond the comprehension of most people present.
Feng Qingxuan ignored the commotion below the stage and continued, "Our academy has cultivated a specialized team of alchemists who have successfully restored some ancient pill formulas and refined various types of pills to aid cultivation. You have all witnessed the efficacy of these pills in the previous All-Continent Competition and this year's Exchange Competition."
His wording was very restrained, only mentioning "internal training within the academy" and "alchemist team," without involving any specific individuals. This was the official line he had decided on long ago, providing a reasonable explanation to the outside world while keeping the real core information firmly hidden.
Feng Qingxuan paused for a moment, then continued, "The procurement, distribution, and sale of the pills will all be handled by several teachers I have designated. Details regarding which pills are available, their prices, and how to purchase them will be sent to the team leaders of each academy later. Here, I will only announce three principles."
The entire audience held their breath, everyone waiting for his next words.
"First, regular auxiliary pills will be supplied in limited quantities each month, with a fixed quota each month. Once sold out, they will be carried over to the next month."
"Secondly, some rare pills are available in limited quantities; once sold out, they will not be restocked."
Third, there are no restrictions on academies or sects regarding eligibility to purchase; competition will be fair and based on the rules.
The three sentences elicited varying reactions from the deans in the stands.
Shui Qinglan picked up her teacup, her gaze calmly fixed on the stage. She already knew the general content of these three principles before the exchange competition, and now it seemed like nothing more than a formality. The tacit understanding between the Skywater Academy and Godwind Academy didn't need to be written down.
Huo Xiao frowned slightly. He subconsciously glanced at Shui Qinglan, trying to glean something from his old friend's face, but Shui Qinglan simply lowered her head to sip her tea, her expression blank.
Huo Xiao withdrew his gaze, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee—he wasn't sure whether "fair competition" was a good thing or a bad thing for the Blazing Fire Academy.
Yu Leiting's face was ashen. Just yesterday, he had joined Huyan Shan in putting pressure on the Godwind Academy, and today Feng Qingxuan publicly announced the rules for selling pills, his words leaving no room for error.
When Feng Qingxuan uttered the words "fair competition," Yu Leiting heard it as meaning "no mercy."
But he said nothing, only clasped his hands together in front of him, his knuckles turning slightly white.
On the other side of the Elephant Armor Academy, the expressions of the accompanying teachers were not very pleasant from the beginning.
They hadn't even recovered from their bottom-ranking performance in the exchange competition, and now the one-year agreement was like a thorn in their side. The initiative in selling the pills was completely in the Godwind Academy's hands, and they didn't even have a chance to bargain.
Huyan Zhen didn't come today, so the teachers could only exchange glances, none of them daring to express their opinions on their own.
Feng Qingxuan didn't say another word. He nodded slightly to the audience, handed over the follow-up matters to the teachers in charge of selling the pills, and turned to walk down from the platform.
The entire process was devoid of deliberate intimidation or excessive emotion; it was as clean and efficient as sheathing a sword.
The teachers in charge of this matter then delivered the prepared paper details to the deans of each college one by one.
It was written clearly on a few thin pages of paper.
There are two types of regular pills for sale. The first type is the Meridian-Warming Pill, which warms and nourishes the meridians, widens their resilience, and long-term use can improve the speed of Soul Power circulation and assist in daily cultivation.
The second type is the Soul-Fortifying Pill, which consolidates the foundation of Soul Power, prevents Soul Power from becoming unstable due to rapid breakthroughs, and stabilizes the compatibility between the physique and the Martial Soul. Both types of pills have a fixed quota each month, and once sold out, they will be carried over to the next month.
There are also two types of rare pills. The Vajra Limit-Expansion Pill tempers the body, enhances physical strength and resilience, and is particularly effective for Defense System and Power Attack System Soul Master.
The Ice Muscle Limit-Expansion Pill is for female Soul Master only. It enhances physical resilience, aids cultivation, and has a nourishing effect on the physique of female Soul Master. Both types are extremely limited in quantity and will be sold to the highest bidder on a first-come, first-served basis.
At the end of the page was a note. "We also have high-end pills with special effects such as compensating for Martial Soul defects and enhancing Support System. Due to their extreme difficulty in refining, they are not included in the monthly sales plan. If you are interested, please contact the academy's responsible teacher privately for further discussion."
Shui Qinglan took the list and slowly scanned the paper. Her gaze lingered for a moment on a line of notes, then she calmly placed the paper on the tea table beside her, picked up her teacup, and took a sip. She already knew all this; every word on the paper was unsurprising.
Huo Xiao held the pages in both hands, reading slowly. Each time he scrolled down a line, his fingers, which were tapping their knuckles, would pause. His gaze lingered on " Vajra Limit-Expansion Pill " for a moment, then moved to the words "Highest Bidder Wins," and finally settled on the last line of notes, his lips pressed into a thin line. He looked up and glanced in the direction Feng Qingxuan had left, as if he wanted to chase after him and say something, but he forcibly restrained himself.
After receiving the details, Yu Leiting only glanced at them twice. His gaze skipped the first two categories and landed directly on the remarks at the end. He stared at the words "private communication" for a moment, then expressionlessly folded the paper and put it into his pocket before standing up from his seat.
Meanwhile, at the Elephant Armor Academy, the accompanying teacher took the details, glanced at them, and his expression immediately changed.
The reason for the change in attitude was hidden in the last line of notes. The teacher's hand, gripping the paper, trembled slightly as he lowered his voice and said to his colleague beside him, "High-end pills can only be discussed privately—do you think Godwind Academy will give us a friendly reception if we, the Elephant Armor, try to negotiate in private?" Another teacher leaned over and glanced at the paper, his face also darkening.
The two exchanged a glance. One of them folded the list neatly and tucked it inside his robe, the action resembling more the concealment of a crucial intelligence document than a list of pills. The other whispered, "The sect leader needs to know this as soon as possible."
The sect leader they were talking about was not in the training ground at the moment.