"What do you intend to do?" Kong Deming's words were as good as accepting Feng Piaoling's conditions.
Feng Piaoling replied, "One year from now, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duel Elite Tournament will be held in the Star Luo Empire. This time, I led many talented soul masters away from Shrek Academy, and some brainless people there actually sent assassins after us."
"Currently, those geniuses and I harbor deep resentment toward Shrek. If we participate in the tournament, it will inevitably draw the attention of Shrek's high-ranking officials. They will attempt to persuade us to return, and if persuasion fails, they will resort to lethal force."
"When that time comes, I will take the opportunity to propose that I will only return to Shrek if I see Zhang Lexuan. After that, I'll leave the rest to you, Elder Kong..."
If possible, Feng Piaoling did not actually want to participate in this so-called soul master tournament. After all, Shrek was not an organization that played fair; the risk was simply too high. However, this involved the Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife, which contained Life Gold. He had to go.
Speaking of the Ominous Soul-Devouring Knife, Feng Piaoling felt a sense of helplessness. Over the past few years, he had tried to use Xu Tianran's influence to search for it, but it was as if the item was bound to Huo Yuhao—no matter what he did, he couldn't find it. The knife seemed to exist only in legends, and the only recent news of it involved it failing to sell at various Great Soul Arena auctions.
Although Xu Tianran held immense power, it was limited to the Sun Moon Empire. Furthermore, pursuing the carving knife too aggressively would arouse Xu Tianran's suspicion, which would be extremely disadvantageous for him.
"Very well," Kong Deming agreed immediately. He then reached into his robes and pulled out a moon-shaped azure metal token.
"This is my Azure Moon Token. Holding this is as if I were there in person. Furthermore, the Azure Moon Token itself is a Class 9 one-touch defensive soul tool. If you encounter danger, it can sense it in advance and automatically generate an azure light barrier."
"It can be opened or closed via mental intent. In terms of defensive power, it surpasses Jing Hongchen's Red Dust Blessing. It is sufficient to withstand a full-power strike from a Title Douluo. However, it can only be used three times before it needs to be recharged."
"You can use it to save your life three times, or you can use it at a critical moment to request three things of me. Whether it is learning soul tool craft or other matters—as long as it does not involve imperial succession struggles or harm the Sun Moon Empire—I will do my best to satisfy your request. After three uses, I will take the token back."
"Thank you, Elder Kong." Feng Piaoling had not expected such a significant gain from this encounter. With this, whether he needed help hunting a hundred-thousand-year soul beast or anything else in the future, it would provide immense assistance. He did not doubt the old man's strength for a second; Kong Deming was a powerhouse capable of going toe-to-toe with the three Ultimate Douluos.
Kong Deming waved his hand. "This is what you deserve. But let me make one thing clear: if you fail to convince Zhang Lexuan to return to her roots, everything I have promised you will be void."
As he spoke, he gestured to dismiss the guest. Feng Piaoling nodded and turned to leave.
Once he was gone, Kong Deming summoned a Class 9 soul tool master who specialized in stealth. "You heard everything that boy Feng Piaoling said. Go and investigate immediately. If that child was truly schemed against by that old fellow Mu En, make sure to gather all the evidence."
"Yes."
The figure responded respectfully and vanished back into the shadows of the assembly hall. Kong Deming turned toward the window, looking in the direction of Shrek Academy with a thoughtful expression.
...
The Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy was located on the southern outskirts of Radiant City (Mingdu City).
Three days later, after settling Jiang Nannan's mother nearby, Feng Piaoling arrived at the gates. Thanks to Crown Prince Xu Tianran's arrangements, a short, stout middle-aged man was already waiting at the entrance early that morning, accompanied by several teachers.
Upon seeing Feng Piaoling's group, he broke into a smile. "You must be Feng Piaoling? I am Lin Jiayi, the Dean of Instruction at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy."
"Welcome. From now on, you and your partners will have the opportunity to study at the Hall of Virtue twice a week. If you can pass the Hall of Virtue's assessment in the future, you can even become a permanent member."
"On the trays before you are the student handbook, a map of the academy, and the keys to your residence. Now, please follow these teachers to undergo a simple test to record your physical condition and collect your uniforms. If you ever need help within the academy, feel free to come to me."
The group took their items, with Feng Piaoling walking at the front while the others from the Soul Hall followed naturally behind him.
The group of nine followed the teachers toward the testing area Lin Jiayi had mentioned. As they walked, they examined the map. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Academy was significantly larger than Shrek Academy; in terms of area alone, it was no smaller than a medium-sized city.
It was divided into three main zones: the Teaching Zone, the Dormitory Zone, and the Experimental Zone. The Experimental Zone was dedicated to soul tool experimentation and was where the Hall of Virtue was located.
While the teaching and experimental areas were somewhat similar to Shrek's layout, the conditions here were much better, and the admission requirements were less stringent, allowing for more students.
The academy had twelve teaching buildings for six grades, with two buildings per grade. There was no need for city lord recommendation letters here; as long as one obtained a soul ring before the age of twelve, they could enroll. Afterward, students were no longer divided by age but by their soul tool mastery level.
If you reached the level of a Class 1 soul tool master, you could move to the second grade; Class 2 allowed entry into the third grade, and so on. As long as one became a Class 3 soul tool master by age eighteen, they could remain at the academy until at least twenty-five. Reaching Class 5 by age twenty-five granted the eligibility to take the Hall of Virtue entrance exam.
Feng Piaoling was currently a Class 4 soul tool master. For him, increasing his soul tool rank was like filling a progress bar; as long as there was someone to teach him, he could rapidly level up to whatever rank his current cultivation and spiritual power allowed.
Therefore, he planned to raise his soul tool skills to his maximum possible rank. This would help him craft his own Class 10 or even higher soul tools—god-tier equipment—in the future. This would significantly boost his strength while he simultaneously guided the members of the Soul Hall, planning for the future.
"It's been nearly half a year since we left Shrek Academy. Including myself, most of us are over twelve years old, so we're essentially coming in through the back door," Feng Piaoling sent a voice transmission to the others.
"But you don't need to learn how to manufacture soul tools. You only need to become proficient in using them to enhance your combat and survival capabilities, becoming soul tool controllers. Moving forward, besides practicing the Azure Lotus Sword Manual and the Shadow Clone (Doppelgänger Phantom) technique, you must diligently train in the Heaven-Reaching Demon Eye I taught you. This will help improve your combat techniques and your ability to adapt on the battlefield."
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