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Following the Academic Director to the back mountain of the academy, Grandmaster felt more and more uneasy.
As they reached the back mountain, a melodious song drifted over. Grandmaster stopped dead in his tracks.
Flender reached out and grabbed Grandmaster's shoulder, pinning him in place to prevent him from turning around and fleeing.
At this moment, Grandmaster's face was covered in tears. His eyes were full of struggle and his expression was pained.
"Xiaogang, how long are you going to keep running away!?" Flender shouted. "Besides, Xiaogang, you're the one who brought us here. What are we supposed to do if you leave?"
Pressed by Flender, Grandmaster was forced forward step by step. Beside a small lake stood a simple thatched cottage, blending seamlessly into the surroundings.
There was a fence around the cottage, and inside the fence were various flowers. A woman stood among them, holding a watering can.
Sensing someone approaching, she turned her gaze toward the Shrek group.
Her eyes locked onto Grandmaster.
"Xiaogang, is it you?" she murmured.
Even though she had anticipated this, the moment they actually met, it still felt somewhat like a dream.
"Erlong, why is it you?" Grandmaster spoke with great difficulty.
Liu Erlong remembered her promise to her father and composed herself.
Facing Grandmaster's question, she replied as calmly as possible: "What, is it impossible for me to open an academy?"
But even so, tears couldn't help but slide down from her eyes as she looked at the man before her, wanting nothing more than to pounce forward.
"Erlong, let's talk business first." Flender coughed twice to divert everyone's attention.
The merger of Shrek into Blue Tyrant Academy had been mentioned in the letter Yu Yuanzhen sent to Flender. Flender was well aware that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had reached its limit; if Liu Erlong became emotional and violated the agreement, the entire clan might take forceful measures to separate the two again.
"This time, Shrek is merging into Blue Tyrant Academy. Little San and the others need to represent the academy in the Spirit Master Tournament."
Liu Erlong gathered her emotions and instantly became assertive.
"Big Brother Flender, since you've come to my academy, with our relationship, isn't my academy essentially yours? This Blue Tyrant Academy has nothing to do with the clan; I'm the one in charge. You will be the Dean of our academy from now on. I'll also give orders—starting tomorrow, our academy will be renamed Shrek Academy."
Transforming from a sorrowful woman waiting for her lover into a crisp, capable, and domineering female leader, the shift was so stark that Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and the others were left dumbfounded.
Time passed.
The level 50 bottleneck was indeed difficult to break through.
In the past, Su Wen could increase by one level in just over three months. Now, having reached level 49, he remained stationary.
After returning to Tian Dou City, a full five months passed. One could say six months had passed since Su Wen originally broke through to level 49.
In those six months, the members of the Royal Team made breakthroughs one after another. Ao Siluo and Yu Feng reached level 38, Ye Lingling reached level 37, and the Shi Mo brothers reached level 39.
As for Yu Tianheng, he had received the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum from Dugu Bo. After consuming it, he broke through level 40. Under the clan's arrangement, he went to the Star Dou Great Forest to obtain his fourth spirit ring. Upon his return, his spirit power directly reached level 44.
"Little Wen, if you don't break through soon, I'm going to hunt for Yan'er's spirit ring first."
After waiting for five months following her breakthrough, although Dugu Yan had become more proficient in the Spirit Ascension Method during this time, the cost-effectiveness of waiting was starting to decline.
It wasn't just Dugu Yan waiting for Su Wen for five months; Ning Rongrong was the same. Ning Fengzhi had also asked Su Wen if he still wanted Ning Rongrong to wait for him to hunt spirit rings together.
On the other hand, Xiao Zhan was unhurried.
"Grandpa Dugu, level 50 is a major bottleneck. Isn't it normal for me to break through a bit slowly?" Su Wen also felt helpless about being stuck for six months.
Is this the price for breaking through too quickly?
Sigh, it actually took half a year to break through.
Su Wen circulated the spirit power in his body. An invisible barrier was shattered by him. His spirit power fluctuations began to become intense, rising and falling, before finally stabilizing at a certain level.
"You broke through?" Dugu Bo was incredibly surprised.
"A natural process." Su Wen revealed a smile, yet he wasn't excited to the point of losing his composure; clearly, this was expected.
"Phew..." It was unclear if Dugu Bo was sighing in relief or adjusting his own mood.
"Grandpa Dugu, I'm going to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Our target this time is the Void Silver Moon Tapir."
"Good."
"Uncle Ning, I've broken through. We can head to Wraith Island," Su Wen said as he arrived at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
"Level 50..." Sensing Su Wen's spirit power fluctuations, Ning Fengzhi's heart couldn't help but stir.
Too heaven-defying.
While one could find some special examples to rival Su Wen in combat power, this cultivation speed was truly beyond logic.
If he knew what Ning Fengzhi was thinking, Su Wen would silently retort.
Because even though he was stuck at level 49 for five months, he wasn't without gains.
First was the further development of the four elements—Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind—and the digestion and comprehension of various spirit skills.
Secondly, through the development of the Ring Replacement Method, his understanding of spirit origins and spirit ring origins became deeper. He further developed his first spirit skill, and combined with sensing the buffs provided by various replicated spirits, he also completed the book spirit's own buff to himself.
Books encompass all things.
The most superficial result was Su Wen's development of the book spirit's enhancement of spiritual power. At a deeper level, Su Wen developed a new state that allowed him to mobilize various methods simultaneously in battle.
One book, one world; one page, one heaven and earth.
By now, Su Wen had preliminarily developed this secret technique that belonged to him.
Fire Demon Style? Close-combat mage? Those were things of the past.
"The one you want to hunt this time is the space-attribute Void Silver Moon Tapir. Its concealment and survival methods are a bit troublesome. Uncle Bone possesses the power of spatial traversal, making it easier for him to deal with."
Sword Douluo was stronger, but facing a Void Silver Moon Tapir—a beast of only 40,000 years—Bone Douluo was indeed more suitable.
Su Wen nodded, following Ning Fengzhi's arrangement.
"Uncle Ning, let Rongrong come along this time. Wraith Island has a primitive spirit forest; there should be a spirit ring suitable for her there."
Ning Fengzhi nodded. "She and I were both thinking the same thing."
With Bone Douluo, one of the sect's pillars, going, along with the Poison Douluo, safety was naturally guaranteed.
Furthermore, Xiao Zhan seemed to be going as well.
This lineup was actually stronger than any lineup he could have arranged for Ning Rongrong alone.
"Grandpa Bone, I'll have to trouble you this time," Su Wen said respectfully to Gu Rong behind Ning Fengzhi.
Gu Rong glanced sideways at Chen Xin.
Chen Xin, who had fought with him for half a lifetime, immediately understood that look.
See? For Rongrong's third ring, I still have to go personally. To hunt a space-attribute spirit beast, what use is that Seven Kill Sword of yours?
Would you like me to continue with the next chapter, where the group arrives at Wraith Island? Or perhaps explore Su Wen's new "One Book, One World" secret technique in more detail?
(End of Chapter)