Chapter 56: The Unexpected Arrival of Huo Wu
After reaching an agreement with Qian Renxue, she quickly departed. After all, her public identity was that of the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. If the esteemed Crown Prince were to be missing for too long, not only would the astute Ning Fengzhi become suspicious, but even Emperor Xue Ye might start to doubt.
Upon returning to his sect, Xiao Yu immediately set about establishing the academy. With Xue Qinghe's protection, the official authorities of the Sylvia Kingdom did not dare to trouble Xiao Yu. Consequently, a picturesque and tranquil piece of land, spanning over a thousand acres, was allocated to Xiao Yu.
Having established business relations with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, Xiao Yu no longer worried about finances. Once he acquired the land, he promptly allocated twenty million gold soul coins for the academy's construction.
The development of the academy was a long-term plan. More importantly, Xiao Yu aimed to absorb the talented students who were free from other affiliations into the Nine Stars Palace. To achieve this, the academy needed to foster a strong sense of belonging among its students.
This couldn't be like Flender's free-wheeling style, where students were left to their own devices. If they succeeded, it was credited to his excellent teaching; if they didn't, well, they were considered not to have graduated from his academy.
A substantial investment was made. Mimetic training grounds, soul dueling platforms, and various other training facilities were quickly established. Even the student cafeteria and dormitories were constructed with no expense spared to ensure they were the best.
In terms of administration, Xiao Yu appointed Mu as the dean and the meticulous and serious Xuanwu as the head instructor, responsible for daily affairs.
For the curriculum, Xiao Yu modeled it after the second Douluo world's Shrek Academy, establishing an inner and outer academy. The outer academy was divided into six grades, with semi-annual assessments. Students who passed the assessments could advance a grade.
Those who reached the Soul Ancestor level before the age of twenty could participate in the inner academy's assessments. In the first Douluo world, the Spirit Hall's three Soul Kings around the age of twenty were already considered the golden generation, so the requirement of reaching level forty by twenty was quite stringent.
The inner academy served as a talent reserve for the sect, lacking a structured curriculum and focusing mainly on practical combat. The sect issued tasks akin to hiring mercenaries, which students could choose to undertake.
Due to the significant threat posed by these tasks, the sect heavily tilted its resources towards the inner academy, offering high-level soul tools, premium medicinal pills, and even soul bones.
The inner academy's program lasted three years. After three years, students meeting the criteria could graduate. During their time in the inner academy or at graduation, the sect would try to recruit outstanding students into the Nine Stars Palace.
Of course, if inner academy students were unwilling to join, the sect would not force them, emphasizing voluntarism. Xiao Yu did not want the sect to have members who were unwilling and might flee or betray them when faced with danger.
Even if students did not join the Nine Stars Palace, they would still remember the academy's kindness. Academy life was the most cherished memory for a soul master. Xiao Yu believed that if the Nine Stars Palace ever needed them, many former students, even if not sect members, would come to support.
Just like in the original work, during the continental war following the collision between the Sun Moon Continent and Douluo Continent, the Shrek Academy's headmaster's call gathered nearly sixty titled Douluo from across the continent. Undoubtedly, these titled Douluo were all excellent graduates of Shrek Academy.
Six months later, the Nine Stars Academy was officially established and began enrolling students.
During these six months, Xue Qinghe, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, and several other prominent partners of the Nine Stars Palace had extensively advertised the academy for free. Ye Renxin and Yang Wudi, who had joined the Nine Stars Palace, leveraged their connections, writing sincere invitations to their friends, encouraging them to send their juniors to enroll in the Nine Stars Academy.
Ye Renxin, being the foremost healer in the Douluo Continent, had many powerful individuals indebted to him. They responded, indicating they would consider sending their talented juniors. Yang Wudi's closest friends included the leaders of the Strength, Defense, and Agility Clans.
Apart from the Tang family's loyal servant Titan, the other two clan leaders, Niu Gao and Bai He, readily agreed to send their eligible clan members to apply. Especially the Agility Clan, which had struggled after leaving the Clear Sky Clan due to their lack of offensive power and high pride, making them unwilling to join other soul master sects.
They had become the most financially strained of the four single-attribute clans, often relying on the other three clans' support, particularly the Power Clan. Now that Yang Wudi had a request, Bai He offered full support, boldly claiming he would send all the Agility Clan's outstanding young members to the Nine Stars Academy every year.
Moved, Yang Wudi decided to help the Agility Clan further. Xiao Yu, almost tearfully, offered a batch of close-combat soul tools at a nearly loss-making price to the Agility Clan.
Dugu Bo wanted to help, but his erratic behavior meant he couldn't find many friends to invite.
On the first day of enrollment at Nine Stars Academy, a continuous stream of people arrived, forming a long, winding line at the academy gate that stretched out of sight.
"Brother Xiao Yu, this is wonderful! There are more applicants than we imagined!" Ye Lingling exclaimed excitedly inside the academy. She knew how much effort Xiao Yu had put into this and was genuinely happy for him.
Xiao Yu was also pleased. Despite all his preparations, he had feared complications. Seeing the successful enrollment and the continuous stream of applicants, he smiled in satisfaction.
However, Xiao Yu's good mood was interrupted by a sudden appearance.
"Why are you here?" Xiao Yu frowned, staring at the figure in front of him.
Huo Wu pouted indifferently. "Why can't I be here? Your Nine Stars Academy is open to both commoners and nobles. What's wrong with me applying?"
Xiao Yu was speechless for a moment before saying, "That's true, but as the daughter of the Blazing Fire Academy's dean, is it reasonable for you to come all the way here instead of staying at your own academy?"
Huo Wu rolled her eyes at Xiao Yu. "Why do you care? I have the freedom to study wherever I want. Who says the dean's daughter must attend Blazing Fire Academy? Can't I choose a different environment?"
Xiao Yu sighed helplessly. "Stop causing trouble and go home. If your elders find out, they'll think I kidnapped an innocent girl and come after me."
"Who's an innocent girl?" Huo Wu's face reddened slightly as she spat at Xiao Yu. "I meet all your academy's admission standards. If you dare to kick me out, I'll shout that your academy is fraudulent and discriminates against qualified applicants. Let's see how you handle that."
"You..." Xiao Yu was momentarily at a loss. Huo Wu had hit his weak spot. On the first day of enrollment, any disturbance caused by her would severely impact the following days.
"Brother Xiao Yu, just let her stay!" Ye Lingling tugged at Xiao Yu's sleeve, reluctant but practical. "If she causes a scene, it will harm our enrollment. Plus, as the daughter of the Blazing Fire Academy's dean, any trouble she causes will be hard for us to manage."
Xiao Yu nodded reluctantly, thinking that Blazing Fire Academy's status in the Heaven Dou Empire meant they would likely send someone to fetch her in a few days.
(End of Chapter)
๐ Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! ๐
Hello, beloved readers and supporters!
I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon community, you'll unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including:
๐ Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore new chapters, experiencing the twists and turns of our tales well ahead of regular readers. Your journey through our stories doesn't have to wait!
๐ฌ Connect with the Community: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage in exciting discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.
๐ Support the Creator: Your patronage directly contributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the content you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!
Patreon.com/anish_44ย