Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
******
"Of our many students at Shrek Academy, has not a single one managed to obtain the inheritance of these techniques?" Tang San's face was heavy with a leaden gloom.
Shrek Academy had since merged into Blue Tyrant Academy. The original students of Blue Tyrant remained, now counted as disciples of Shrek. With such a large number of Soul Master students, Tang San found it hard to believe that the Scholastic Palace could reject them all.
In particular, the current student body consisted almost entirely of commoners, recruited according to the former standards of Blue Tyrant Academy. If the Scholastic Palace targeted Shrek Academy in its entirety, they would face immense public pressure and risk losing a massive amount of credibility among the commoner Soul Master class.
Liu Erlong's expression was complicated as she let out a long, deep sigh.
"The ordinary students haven't been targeted. They've all joined the Scholastic Palace and learned various techniques, including the Internal Arts. Some have even found their own paths for Martial Soul development and cultivation through the Palace's guidance. Right now, every one of them is fully immersed in their training, striving to master the basics of those techniques in the shortest time possible."
Most of the current students were at the rank of Soul Master or Grand Soul Master. If they could master the Internal and External Arts early, successfully cultivate the Body Tempering Method, and add the Soul Ascension Method to the mix, their future paths as Soul Masters would be fundamentally transformed.
In the past, the Douluo Continent had no concept of "building a foundation." However, with the emergence of Su Wen's Soul Ascension and Body Tempering methods, absorbing spirit rings of a higher age limit had itself become the foundation. Even those with poor natural talent, as long as they were willing to put in the hard work, could exceed the normal limits of absorption for every ring. Through successive evolutions of their Martial Souls, they could reach heights that their original talent never could have supported.
Currently, the students of Shrek Academy were so preoccupied with studying these profound techniques that they had no time to spare for the Shrek Seven Devils. In fact, having benefited so greatly from the Scholastic Palace, many had developed a strong sense of resentment toward the Seven Devils—specifically toward Tang San, who was seen as the root cause of the "special treatment" Shrek Academy was receiving from other Soul Masters.
"What is the actual effect of the Internal Arts?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Liu Erlong hesitated for a moment before reciting the statistical data she had gathered.
"Essentially all the students in the academy have begun practicing the Internal Arts, but only ten have truly mastered the full cycle of soul power circulation. According to them, after practicing the Internal Arts, their overall cultivation speed has increased by more than fivefold."
"Fivefold? That much?" Yu Xiaogang's brow furrowed tighter and tighter, finding such a staggering disparity difficult to accept.
That was five times the speed!
Liu Erlong shook her head. "It's not quite what it seems. The students in our academy are all commoners. In the past, most of them practiced ordinary, mid-level meditation methods. Although they adapted those methods to themselves through trial and error, they were still far inferior to high-level meditation methods."
If a Soul Master's raw, unassisted meditation efficiency was rated at a 10, a low-level method might raise it to 11 or 12, and a mid-level method to around 15. As for high-level meditation methods? The top-tier ones could push it to nearly 30, while standard ones hovered around 20. Every high-level meditation method required a powerhouse of at least the Soul Saint level to refine it, often over several generations.
Now, by practicing Su Wen's Internal Arts, that cultivation speed could be boosted to 50 or even 60. It was terrifyingly potent—several times more effective than even the best high-level meditation methods. If one practiced both Internal and External Arts simultaneously, it truly might reach the tenfold difference Su Wen had claimed.
"However, while the speed of soul power accumulation has increased, the bottlenecks in soul power still exist," Liu Erlong added. "According to the theories of the Scholastic Palace, a Soul Master's cultivation is divided into the 'Accumulation Phase' and the 'Bottleneck Breakthrough Phase.' The latter can also be called the 'Integration' or 'Adaptation' phase depending on the perspective. Every rank of a Soul Master's cultivation involves these two processes. Genius Soul Masters have higher quality Martial Souls, so both accumulation and breakthroughs are much easier for them; that is why they are several times faster than ordinary Soul Masters."
"The Internal Arts improve efficiency during the Accumulation Phase. But because the soul power accumulates faster, even when a bottleneck is encountered, the constant circulation of the Internal Arts exerts a stronger impact against that bottleneck, making the integration process slightly faster. Overall, when accounting for both stages, the Internal Arts roughly double a Soul Master's total cultivation speed, rather than quintuple it."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang finally let out a small breath of relief. Fortunately, it's only double. Even if doubling was still terrifying.
"If they cultivate both Internal and External arts, I estimate it will only double again."
Triple!
No wonder Su Wen could leap from Rank 20 to Rank 50 in a mere six years. With these two techniques, it was as if Su Wen had effectively spent eighteen years of effort to make that jump. It was still exaggerated, but it fell within the realm of what a genius might achieve.
"The techniques primarily improve efficiency during the accumulation period. While they slightly affect the rhythm of breaking through bottlenecks, the effect isn't as pronounced as the accumulation boost," Liu Erlong said, her tone shifting. "Therefore, the Scholastic Palace also has a technique specifically designed to accelerate the smoothing of bottlenecks: the Soul Integration Art."
Yu Xiaogang's heart sank. It's so comprehensive.
If Su Wen had truly developed these techniques step-by-step for his own cultivation, it was a frightening realization. He had solved cultivation difficulties from every possible angle—starting from theory, dividing the process into stages, and tackling the problems of each stage to maximize speed.
"Such a complete system... Su Wen must have stumbled upon some great fortuitous encounter!" Just as Tang San had obtained ancient texts to learn the Mysterious Heaven Skill and his various other methods, Yu Xiaogang firmly believed Su Wen had discovered something by chance.
"Is there any hope of obtaining the full Internal and External arts from the other students?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Liu Erlong looked troubled. "The inheritance is performed via direct memory infusion. They understand it, but if they were to try and perfectly replicate the internal meridians and map out the circulation routes for someone else, it would take a considerable amount of time."
Yu Xiaogang understood immediately. It was possible, but no student would cooperate.
"What about the Clan? Given Tianheng's relationship with Su Wen, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan should have received the inheritance of the Internal Arts long ago, right?" He could only place his hopes on the Clan now.
Liu Erlong remained silent for a long time. She looked at the Shrek Seven Devils, her gaze lingering on Tang San for an extra moment.
Tang San's heart tightened. Liu Erlong's reaction clearly indicated that the news from the Clan was not good. At least, not for him.
"Xiaogang... Eldest Uncle wants you to return to the Clan to receive the inheritance of the Internal Arts."
Return to the Clan?
A bitter expression appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face. He understood the subtext. Once he returned to the Clan, he likely wouldn't be allowed out again. It meant abandoning Shrek, and abandoning his disciple, Tang San.
Tang San's fists clenched tightly, bloodshot veins beginning to surface in his eyes.
"Little San is my only disciple. I cannot abandon him." Yu Xiaogang patted Tang San's shoulder and led him away.
Watching the master and disciple depart, Flender sighed, forced to make a decision.
"Children, get ready. We need to head out once more."
(End of Chapter)