Chapter 235: Visit from the Elemental Academies
Yang Potian returned to his quarters, pondering his next steps. Ning Rongrong, being only a young girl, didn't concern him too much. With his recent display of strength, he doubted that allowing her to stay would lead to complications. Even if the five students' skills became more visible, nothing out of the ordinary was likely to happen, especially as long as Yang Tianyue kept her divine trial a secret.
Considering the current strength of both himself and Tianxing Academy, Yang Potian felt confident. The academy boasted nine Titled Douluo: himself, Yang Wudi, Yang Wushuang, Yang Zhentian, Niu Gao, Niu Jinfeng, Dugu Bo, Ye Lingling, and Yang Ping'an. Including Yang Tianyue, who wielded the Sea God's Trident, they effectively had ten Titled Douluo. In terms of raw power, Tianxing Academy ranked among the top three in the Douluo Continent.
Only Spirit Hall and the Star Dou Great Forest surpassed them in power. Spirit Hall had approximately fifteen Titled Douluo, counting the Eight Elders, Seven Worshippers, and the Pope, Bibi Dong. Meanwhile, the core of the Star Dou Great Forest was shrouded in mystery, populated by powerful soul beasts. It was rumored to have at least three 99th-level peerless Douluo-level soul beasts, including Di Tian, Bear Lord, and Bi Ji—not to mention the Silver Dragon King hiding deep within, theoretically making them even stronger than Spirit Hall.
The Star Dou Great Forest was also home to countless ten-thousand-year soul beasts, with an unknown number of hidden hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. In terms of battle readiness, they could overrun both empires. If they ever directed a beast tide toward Tianxing Academy, it could spell disaster, potentially even eradicating the academy. Yang Potian's contingency plan was to retreat to the Great Northern Forest, a natural fortress, should such a threat arise.
As for Seagod Island, he no longer held concerns. Apart from Seagod Douluo Bo Saixi, the island's main force consisted of the Seven Sacred Pillars, whose strength was comparatively limited. Of course, if the Seagod himself were involved, that would be a different matter entirely.
After his experiences in Slaughter City and Seagod Island, Yang Potian's exposure to divine power—the unique energies of the Slaughter God and the divine light of the Seagod—left him both fascinated and cautious about the potential of godhood. He had grown increasingly determined to seek his own path to godhood. Without that, as he saw it, even the strongest were mere ants beneath a true god.
Godhood, however, was elusive. In the original storyline, only Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and Tang San achieved it, each through a divine inheritance. By Yang Potian's estimate, Bibi Dong had long been cultivating the Rakshasa God inheritance. While no one knew her current level of power, even Qian Daoliu had remarked that Bibi Dong had surpassed him—her talent and skill were formidable indeed.
Currently, Qian Renxue was still undercover as the Heaven Dou Empire's crown prince. For her to reach godhood would take three to five years. As for his sister, Yang Tianyue, she hadn't yet reached Titled Douluo. Helping her achieve level 99 quickly while guarding against Bo Saixi's potential betrayal would require navigating numerous obstacles.
Recently, after dispatching scouts, the family had gathered some information on fire-type soul beasts. These beasts tended to inhabit volcanic or extremely high-temperature regions, which were challenging to enter due to both the intense heat and frequent attacks from fire-type beasts.
They were primarily concentrated in three areas: the Flame Valley, the Burning Mountains, and the Flowing Fire Range. The Flame Valley, the domain of Blazing Fire Academy, bordered their school grounds, and Blazing Fire students regularly trained along its edges. The Burning Mountains lay in the Star Luo Empire and housed the Fire Leopard Sect of the lesser four sects. The Flowing Fire Range, an active volcano northwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, lay in a desert region. It erupted intermittently, rendering the surrounding hundreds of miles almost uninhabitable. Fire-attribute soul masters seeking spirit beasts ventured there occasionally, but many, even high-level masters, never returned.
After assessing his options, Yang Potian decided to investigate these three volcanic areas in search of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast—or at least a beast near ninety-thousand years old. He reasoned that another hundred-thousand-year ring might just push him to level 99, allowing him to advance his plans further.
During his training one day, his mother, Niu Jinfeng, informed him that his grandfather Yang Wudi had summoned him to the reception hall, as they had some visitors he was expected to meet.
Yang Potian found this unusual. Generally, the academy's rules handled most matters, and he wasn't involved in daily affairs, especially since the academy housed multiple Titled Douluo more than capable of welcoming guests.
Arriving at the reception hall, he found the situation even stranger.
Both his grandfather, Yang Wudi, and his maternal grandfather, Niu Gao, were there, along with Dugu Bo, who normally didn't engage in such matters. The visitors turned out to be familiar faces: Shui Bing'er of Tianshui Academy, Feng Xiaotian of Shenfeng Academy, Huo Wu and Huo Wushuang of Blazing Fire Academy, and a representative from Thunder Academy named Lei Dong—a nondescript character likely unaffiliated with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; otherwise, he would have been purged long ago.
After greeting them, Yang Potian took a seat, showing little interest. Feng Xiaotian spoke up first. "Dean Yang, the four elemental academies are hoping to relocate to the Almos Mountains area. What do you think? Is there anything you'd require of us?"
Yang Wudi shook his head. "Dean Feng, it's not that I'm unwilling. I'm sure you understand the current state of the Spirit Master world. Our Tianxing Academy is purely a sanctuary for our families; we have no interest in meddling in any conflicts. It wouldn't be appropriate for us to accept you."
Feng Xiaotian replied quickly, "Dean Yang, there's no need for concern. We're only seeking a peaceful relocation. We won't involve ourselves in any conflicts among the sects or powers in the Spirit Master world."
After a lengthy discussion, Yang Potian finally understood the situation. Following the clash with the Upper Three Sects, the four elemental academies had come under increasing pressure from Spirit Hall, facing both attempts to coerce and to suppress them. The Spirit Master world was in chaos, with every group vying for dominance. Most mid-sized and small sects had already aligned themselves with either Spirit Hall or the two empires, with few managing to stay neutral.
In the original story, the four elemental academies had planned to relocate to Heaven Dou City for safety. However, Yang Potian's actions had changed things dramatically. The renowned Shrek Academy was gone, replaced by Heaven Dou Imperial Academy. Yet, for the elemental academies, joining the Heaven Dou Academy would eventually mean falling under imperial control. And Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's atmosphere was far from suitable for cultivating the elemental academies' unique talents.
In reality, the so-called Elemental Academies essentially represented four distinct family powers: Blazing Fire Academy was led by the Huo family, Divine Wind Academy by the Feng family, Tianshui Academy by the Shui family, and Thunder Academy by the Yu family. Tianshui Academy, however, had a somewhat mixed enrollment, as it accepted civilian spirit masters along with members of the Shui family, while Thunder Academy's situation was grim. The main Yu family line had mostly been eradicated, leaving only a few distant relatives; even their original captain, Yu Tianxin, was missing.
Yang Wudi felt a bit conflicted about accepting these academies. Though they bore the name of "academy," they were essentially sect-like groups, and their inclusion could potentially bring future complications. Both the Heaven Dou imperial family and Spirit Hall were vying to attract the four academies, so officially accepting them could easily invite trouble.
Another concern was the financial strain. Tianxing Academy's operations were primarily sustained by the Po Clan's medicinal alchemy efforts and some commerce in Monet City, but these sources provided only a limited income. The remote location near the Great Northern Forest offered no additional revenue, so incorporating four more academies would put serious pressure on the academy's finances.
With over 1,500 spirit masters at Tianxing Academy, the academy's daily expenses were substantial, especially since they had taken on a policy of investing without regard for cost. If not for Yang Potian's recent gains, they would not have been able to sustain such significant spending. Furthermore, with the exception of Tianshui Academy, the other three academies accepted only nobles or direct clan members, an approach at odds with Tianxing Academy's inclusive recruitment policy.
At present, Yang Potian held a fiefdom of around 300 kilometers surrounding Almos Mountain, essentially his own small kingdom. Yet, its population and resources were insufficient to support too many academies, which could ultimately become a financial burden.
The reason the four Elemental Academies had approached Tianxing Academy was likely due to the region's tranquility. Across the continent, Almos Mountain remained one of the few places where no other forces dared openly interfere. Neither Spirit Hall nor the Heaven Dou Empire would encroach openly. This made Tianxing Academy a rare, neutral power, especially with Yang Potian as a towering figure to shield them.
After pondering for a while, Yang Wudi turned to Yang Potian, who had been silently observing, and asked, "Potian, what do you think? Do you support letting the four academies move into the Almos Mountain area?"
Yang Potian glanced at Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu, replying calmly, "Tianxing Academy doesn't interfere in any of the Douluo Continent's affairs. This means that if you settle in Almos Mountain, your admissions, academy rules, and management must all follow Tianxing Academy's regulations. Can you accept that?"
"Furthermore, our academy is in a remote area, with no extra sources of revenue, and no interaction with other forces. Can you and your students live under such circumstances?"
"Most importantly, if you choose to stay near Almos Mountain, you'll need to sever all ties with previous noble affiliations. Like our academy, you'd only admit students with no entanglements in spirit master conflicts. Are you prepared for that?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Xiaotian and the others fell silent.
Many powerful factions had been competing to recruit their academies, offering abundant resources and incentives, with the Heaven Dou Empire even willing to provide substantial financial backing. Yet Tianxing Academy was the opposite. It offered no funding or support, only a thick rulebook. If they adhered strictly to those regulations, the four academies might vanish even without external pressure.
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