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Huo Tianyang felt that if he didn't break through to the rank of Titled Douluo within a short period, he would be completely unworthy of the trust Su Wen had placed in him.
Indeed, for a sacred place like the Academy, the person overseeing the core of the Virtual World could hardly exert the necessary deterrence if they hadn't even reached the Titled Douluo level. In the past, Huo Tianyang might have viewed this as an unrealistic dream. However, with the public release of Su Wen's numerous cultivation techniques, he felt that becoming a Titled Douluo was no longer a hopeless endeavor.
The simultaneous cultivation of internal and external techniques did more than just increase the accumulation speed of soul power. For a Soul Master like Huo Tianyang, who had practiced for half a lifetime, it represented a profound integration—a perfect synthesis of his own soul power circulation. It was akin to the clarity that comes after studying, the systematic organization of a framework of knowledge.
While Huo Tianyang had his own insights and methods of organization, they were more than a notch below the efficiency of Su Wen's internal cultivation techniques. Su Wen was consciously creating these techniques to unify the self through soul power circulation. In contrast, Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent had historically recognized the effects of soul power circulation routes, but they merely treated them as convenient paths for soul power to travel during cultivation. After all, a fixed route was easier to maintain than allowing soul power to dissipate freely.
Thus, even as a Spirit Douluo, Huo Tianyang's organization remained stuck at the level of managing his own abilities, rarely reaching the level of total integration of soul power circulation. It was like Old Jerry back then, who had been stuck at Rank 9 for an unknown amount of time; after practicing Su Wen's internal techniques, he immediately broke through to Rank 10.
Huo Tianyang believed he could use the opportunity provided by these introductory techniques to break through his current bottleneck and reach Rank 86. With the combination of internal and external techniques, plus the Soul Fusion Technique, the cumulative effect would grant even a Spirit Douluo a three-to-four-fold increase in overall cultivation speed. At that rate, one year would be equivalent to at least three.
Huo Tianyang felt he could manage to increase his rank by one level per year. Recalculating his physical condition, he realized he could make a final dash for Rank 90 before his bodily functions began to decline. For a Soul Master, time was always of the essence. If one failed to seize the two golden windows of rapid and easy soul power growth—before the ages of twenty and thirty—they could only hope to reach a higher realm before their physical state deteriorated in old age. Once the body weakened, although soul power didn't stop progressing entirely, the efficiency would drop drastically.
Now, Su Wen's techniques offered a new chance for many Soul Masters in their prime.
Approximately three months after leaving Blazing Academy, Su Wen finally finished establishing the "Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning" across the major cities within the Heaven Dou Empire. At this moment, his spirit was under constant and significant pressure.
"After absorbing the spirit ring of the Dark Devilgod Tiger, my soul power reached Rank 62, close to Rank 63. Half a year has passed since then, and I've finally broken through to Rank 64."
Two ranks in half a year—but the reality wasn't quite that simple. Su Wen had broken through to Rank 63 just one month after absorbing the tiger's ring. This meant it had taken him five months to advance the single level to Rank 64. As his soul power rank climbed higher, his cultivation speed inevitably began to slow down.
Yet, even so, his speed far exceeded that of an average Soul Master. Under traditional cultivation methods, once a Soul Master reached the Soul Emperor level, breaking through one rank every year or two was considered fast. Su Wen, however, could manage two ranks a year. And this was even while he was intentionally compressing his soul power.
"Before Rank 70, to meet the requirements for soul power solidification, the demand for soul power increases exponentially," Su Wen sighed.
However, he did not believe this would hinder his cultivation. If there was a problem, he would solve it. When soul power cultivation was slow, he would look for the essence of what was obstructing its growth and find a way to resolve it. Previously, Su Wen had addressed the issue of cultivation speed from the perspectives of the accumulation phase and the bottleneck phase. Now, it was simply a matter of a new "special circumstance"—the waste of energy caused by compressing his soul power.
"The 'Visualization of Heaven and Earth' has the characteristic of condensing mental power. When projected onto soul power, it also has a condensing effect. However, the pressure I'm currently under from visualizing heaven and earth is too great; I'll have to wait a while."
He had actually found a solution: using the "Visualization of Heaven and Earth" to condense his soul power at every moment. This would restore his cultivation speed to its normal state—roughly three ranks per year. But because he had projected so many "Mountains of Books and Seas of Learning," the pressure on his visualization was immense. For now, Su Wen had no choice but to endure.
Heaven Dou City.
"Uncle Ning, how is the construction of the Academy progressing on the Star Luo side?"
Su Wen's most urgent task was completing the "Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning" system to open the Virtual World. Only the Star Luo Empire remained. Ning Fengzhi looked at the exhaustion in the depths of Su Wen's eyes and felt a surge of concern.
"Xiao Wen, perhaps you should rest for a while first."
Su Wen shook his head. "My issue isn't that severe. Even if I rest, it won't get much easier. Only by finishing the layout of the system as quickly as possible can I solve the problem at its root."
From Su Wen's words, Ning Fengzhi understood that the system was placing a heavy burden on him. This was expected. Constructing academies across the entire continent—how many would that be? There had to be at least several hundred. Ning Fengzhi could handle boosting a hundred Soul Masters at once, but to do so constantly? He knew he could never persist through that. It was an unimaginably massive drain.
"The Star Luo Imperial Family is already pressing us," Ning Fengzhi began, introducing the situation in the Star Luo Empire. "Star Luo is under military management and worships martial prowess. Their layout is different from Heaven Dou; their large cities aren't as scattered, so setting up the system should be a bit easier. However, before you set up the 'Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning,' you will likely need to visit the Star Luo Imperial Palace."
The reason Ning Fengzhi had advised rest was that he wanted Su Wen to go there in peak condition. While the possibility of Star Luo acting against Su Wen was slim, it couldn't be ignored.
"I understand. I will set off for the Star Luo Empire in a few days," Su Wen nodded. He then shifted the topic to another matter. "Uncle Ning, have you contacted the Great Spirit Arena yet?"
"Don't worry. Have I ever let you down?" Ning Fengzhi remarked with a sigh. In the past, Su Wen had asked him for help gathering intel; now, he, the grand Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, had become the one handling the errands.
"But why are you contacting the Great Spirit Arena? The force behind them is anything but ordinary. Even the Spirit Hall rarely interferes in their operations. Although the major sects and the Spirit Hall enjoy many privileges there, we all maintain a relationship of mutual restraint with them."
The Great Spirit Arena operated independently. There were many rumors across the continent regarding who supported them. Currently, the relationship between the major powers and the Arena was one of mutual respect: the Arena provided privileges to the powerful, and the powerful allowed this continent-wide organization to exist and function normally.
(End of Chapter)