Chapter 6: Douluo Continent's First Academy (Part 2)

  "The war was won in the end, but the role of our Tangmen hidden weapons was also greatly questioned. From then on, various countries began to drastically reduce their procurement of our hidden weapons. Although we Tangmen made a lot of money, according to the wishes of the first generation master, most of the income was donated. It was used to improve the lives of poor civilians and build schools and other public facilities. So, we didn't have too much surplus."

  "At that time, the Tang Sect itself had thousands of people. The speed at which it rose and fell was really too fast, in just over two hundred years, our Tang Sect rapidly declined. The once greatest sect on the continent no longer saw its former glory. By the time it reached my generation, only three people were left: me, Dad, and Mom. In a conflict while hunting soul beasts, Dad and Mom also left me. The Tang Sect was left with only me, this solitary sprout."

  At this point, tears flowed down Tang Ya's smooth and delicate face, and her fists were clenched tightly.

  Huo Yu Hao muttered: "Teacher Xiao Ya, are our Tang Sect's hidden weapons really no match for those Soul Guidance tools?"

  Tang Ya sighed and said, "From a certain perspective, it can be said that way. The Dayue Continent brought not only soul-guiding instruments but also a large number of rich mineral resources. These rare minerals are excellent soul-conducting materials, making them particularly suitable for crafting soul-guiding instruments. This led to the rapid development of soul-guiding instruments over the next few thousand years. Our Tang Sect's hidden instruments became even less marketable. However, in terms of refinement and ingenious design, our Tang Sect's hidden instruments are absolutely superior to soul-guiding instruments. Especially some top-notch hidden instruments, it is even more so. It's just that the crafting of those hidden instruments is also very complicated."

  Bèi Bèi patted Táng Yǎ's head and said, "The development of soul-guiding devices has indeed had a huge impact on our Tang Sect's hidden weapons. When I first met Little Yǎ, she still stubbornly believed that hidden weapons were definitely stronger than soul-guiding devices. But the fact is that soul-guiding devices can replace our Tang Sect's hidden weapons as a widely accepted weapon, and there's logic to it. First of all, it's because they're too easy for the masses to accept. Especially those who won't attack, after getting a soul-guiding device, they almost instantly become battle-soul masters. And what they need to pay is just their soul power. So, I discussed with Little Yǎ and decided that if our Tang Sect wants to develop, we absolutely can't be like before, stuck in our own world. To make our Tang Sect shine again, not only do we need to understand soul-guiding devices, but also integrate the production of our Tang Sect's hidden weapons with soul-guiding devices, creating even more powerful soul-guiding devices. Only then can our Tang Sect find its development opportunity. Therefore, all my Tang Sect disciples, apart from cultivating their own martial souls, must also study soul-guiding devices."

  Huo Yu Hao said: "Little Ya teacher, senior brother. The Soul Guide is so strong, why did the Dayue Empire lose to our Three Kingdoms Allied Forces back then?"

  Bibi smiled calmly and said, "That's because at the time, although the soul guide device wasn't weak, even the strongest soul guide device couldn't compare to the combat power of a Title Douluo. However, over these few thousand years of development, some particularly powerful soul guide devices have begun to appear, even threatening the Title Douluos. But soul guide devices also have a problem - the stronger the soul guide device, the more it requires an equally strong Soul Master to wield it. Without sufficient soul power support, the might of the soul guide device is greatly limited. Therefore, after our two continents merged, an interesting phenomenon appeared: on our side, we've been studying how to make soul guide devices as much as possible, while the Dayan Empire has been focusing on cultivating powerful Soul Masters. Over these few thousand years, it seems that there's been some balance achieved."

  With Beibei and Tangya's introduction, Huo Yuhao finally had a preliminary impression of Shrek Academy.

  Tang Ya wiped away her tears with Bebe's sleeve and said to Huo Yuhao, "Little Rain, for you, the most important thing now is to be able to stay in Shrek Academy. Bebe and I are already third-year students. After I got the Thousand Year Soul Ring this time, it should be no problem for us to enter fourth year together. Once we enter fourth year, the elimination rate won't be so high. In a few more years, we'll all have the opportunity to enter the inner courtyard for further studies. But you're different, you've just entered the academy as a first-year student, and the competition is the most intense. The academy holds a new student assessment every three months. Only those who pass the assessment can stay. Although our Tang Sect has a quota for face-to-face interviews, whether or not you can continue to study at the academy depends on your own abilities. This is something that no one else can help you with, do you understand?"

  Huo Yuhao nodded seriously and said, "Teacher Xie, I will definitely do my best. However, with your and Big Brother's abilities, why aren't you both Inner Court students yet?"

  Tang Ya said: "It's not easy to get into the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy. The school motto has never changed. The outer courtyard was established later, in response to the demands of the three major empires, and is mainly used to cultivate more talent. However, only students who enter the inner courtyard can be considered true Shrek Academy students in a certain sense. They are all geniuses, freaks, or even monsters. Outer courtyard students will have an exam after six years, and if they pass, they can graduate. Only a very small number of people who excel in the exam will have the opportunity to take another inner courtyard exam, and only those who pass again will be allowed to enter the inner courtyard. The study period for the inner courtyard is also six years long. It's said that those who can graduate from the inner courtyard are at least Soul Emperor-level powerhouses! They will also receive the best treatment and invitations from all countries, including the Daybreak Empire."

  "This is so awesome!" Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel a sense of longing when he heard this, and secretly thought that if one day he could become an inner courtyard graduate of Shrek Academy and return to the Duke's mansion to bring out his mother's remains, his mother would be at peace too. Thinking of this, his fists clenched tightly.

  Babe said seriously: "It's not just awesome. I once saw a senior fellow from the inner courtyard who single-handedly entered the Starry Forest, defeated three 10,000-year-old soul beasts with his bare hands without harming their lives, and even brought them back to the academy. It is said that this was the assessment task he drew for the tenth grade of the college."

  Tang Ya said, "I also heard that there was once a senior in the twelfth grade who had reached the level of Soul Sage above 70 when he graduated. He even had a red ten-thousand-year soul ring. That senior was later retained by the college and cultivated as the next principal."

  Listening to their stories, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel a sense of eagerness. These past few days spent with Tang Ya and Bei Bei had made him deeply understand just how much having a good teacher could help his cultivation. Without a doubt, Shrek Academy was the best choice! He secretly vowed that no matter how hard he had to work, he would definitely stay in the outer court for now and strive to enter the inner court of Shrek Academy in the future.

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  A new week, seeking collection and recommendation votes. Shrek Academy is here! For everything we used to be familiar with, for the Tangmen and the glory of Shrek. Let's rush our invincible Tangmen to the top of both lists! Please.