Chapter 693
Ren Xue
Dai Chengfeng and Qian Renxue walked out of the area where the Hall of Worship was located side by side and entered the main road of Wuhun City.
It was early morning, and sunlight pierced through the thin mist, illuminating the magnificent white buildings and bathing the entire Spirit City in a sacred glow. Along the streets, the Templar Knights, clad in silver armor, patrolled in perfect unison. In the distance, the golden domes of the Papal Palace and the Douluo Palace gleamed in the sunlight, showcasing the Spirit Hall's majesty and glory.
"I first came to Wuhun City when I was six years old," Qian Renxue said softly, her eyes filled with reminiscence. "My father brought me here and told me that this is the holy land of soul masters on the continent, and also the place that our Qian family has protected for generations."
Dai Chengfeng squeezed her hand: "For you, this place is not just a sacred place, but also home."
Qian Renxue nodded, a complex look flashing in her eyes: "Yes, it is home. But sometimes, home can also bring suffocating responsibilities and expectations." She turned to look at Dai Chengfeng, "Do you know? Before I met you, my life trajectory was almost predictable—to complete the Angel God Trial, inherit my grandfather's position, become the Arbitration Elder of the Spirit Hall, protect this holy city, and protect the glory of the Spirit Hall."
"So what different scenery do you see now?" Dai Chengfeng asked with a smile.
Qian Renxue stopped and looked at him intently: "I see a possibility. Not just my possibility, but the possibility of the Spirit Hall, and even the possibility of the entire continent. What you said that day, about the future path of the Spirit Hall, about the relationship between Soul Masters and commoners... I've thought about it a lot."
The two continued walking forward and unknowingly arrived at the central square of Wuhun City. In the center of the square stood a huge statue of a six-winged angel, and below the statue, a group of young soul master students were doing morning exercises under the guidance of their teacher.
“Those are the elite students of the Spirit Hall Academy,” Qian Renxue explained. “Every year, the Spirit Hall selects talented children from all over the continent and trains them to become the future of the Spirit Hall.”
Dai Chengfeng carefully observed the young Soul Masters. The oldest was no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, and the youngest was probably only eight or nine. But their eyes all shone with a thirst for power and a longing for the future. He had seen this kind of look in the eyes of the Shrek Seven Devils before, and he had also seen it in his own eyes.
“The Spirit Hall has indeed cultivated many outstanding Spirit Masters,” Dai Chengfeng said sincerely. “But the problem is that it only cultivates Spirit Masters who are loyal to the Spirit Hall.”
Qian Renxue was silent for a moment: "This is a problem with the system. The Spirit Hall provides resources, so it naturally requires loyalty. But this also creates a lot of conflict. Many small sects and families, because they are unwilling to completely depend on the Spirit Hall, do not receive the best resources for their children's upbringing."
"What if there were a way to ensure that all talented Soul Masters, regardless of their background, could receive equal opportunities for training?" Dai Chengfeng suddenly asked.
Qian Renxue's eyes lit up: "Just like you said the other day, establish a Soul Master Academy Alliance?"
“It’s not just an alliance.” Dai Chengfeng’s gaze was profound. “I envision a completely new system—the Continental Soul Master Education System. Led by the Spirit Hall and supported by the two great empires, it will establish Soul Master academies at different levels throughout the continent. Junior academies will be responsible for discovering and guiding children with potential, intermediate academies will impart basic Soul Master knowledge and skills, and senior academies will focus on elite training. All academies will follow unified teaching standards, share some resources, but maintain their own characteristics and competition.”
“Such a system…” Qian Renxue pondered, “It can indeed allow more talented Soul Masters to be discovered and nurtured, but it also means that the Spirit Hall can no longer monopolize top-tier Soul Master resources.” “However, the Spirit Hall will become the leader and rule-maker of this system,” Dai Chengfeng pointed out. “This is more influential than simple resource monopoly. Moreover, in the long run, a continent with more outstanding Soul Masters emerging is also beneficial to the Spirit Hall—more Soul Masters mean more sources of faith, and a stronger group of Soul Masters means greater power to combat evil Soul Masters and Soul Beast uprisings.”
Qian Renxue was awestruck by this grand vision: "It will take time, a lot of changes, and it will require persuading a lot of people."
"That's why I say this is the 'path of the future'," Dai Chengfeng said with a smile. "This path won't be smooth sailing, but it's worth trying. And first, we need to prove that the new methods can cultivate talent that is no less than, or even surpasses, the traditional methods."
"You want to prove this in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament?" Qian Renxue keenly grasped the key point.
Dai Chengfeng nodded: "That's right. If I could lead a team that is not from the Spirit Hall Academy, nor from the royal academies of Heaven Dou or Star Luo, but from a newly established academy, a team composed of soul masters from different backgrounds and origins, and still win the championship, that would be the most powerful challenge to the existing training system."
A thoughtful glint flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes: "You already have a plan?"
"I guess so," Dai Chengfeng didn't reveal everything, "but first, I need to establish my own academy and train my own team. This takes time and resources. Fortunately, I still have five years."
“Five years…” Qian Renxue murmured, her eyes filled with heartache. “Grandpa’s demands are too harsh. Five years to become a Soul Douluo, that’s almost an impossible task. The fastest record in history to reach Soul Douluo is Tang Chen of the Clear Sky Sect, who took a full eight years to go from Soul King to Soul Douluo.”
Dai Chengfeng smiled confidently: "Aren't records meant to be broken? Besides, I have some... special advantages."
He couldn't tell Qian Renxue about his memories as a transmigrator—the information about immortal herbs, the lands where gods inherited their legacy, and various fortuitous encounters. But with these memories, he could indeed potentially reach the Soul Douluo level within five years.
The two continued their stroll and arrived at a teahouse located in the eastern district of Wuhun City. The teahouse was elegantly decorated, and there weren't many customers, mostly elderly Soul Masters, who sat by the window leisurely sipping tea and chatting.
After choosing a quiet corner to sit down, Qian Renxue ordered two cups of tea and some snacks. She waved her hand to set up a soundproof barrier, ensuring that their conversation would not be overheard.
"Tell me your plan." Qian Renxue looked at Dai Chengfeng seriously. "Five years may seem like a long time, but it's fleeting for a Soul Master. To reach the Soul Douluo level, you need to level up at least thirty levels. That means you need to level up an average of six levels per year, which is almost impossible, especially at the Soul Emperor and Soul Saint stages."
Dai Chengfeng took a sip of tea and slowly said, "Traditional cultivation methods are naturally out of the question, but I don't intend to rely solely on traditional methods." (End of Chapter)