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The sun was bright and a gentle breeze swept by as Tang San and Xiao Wu left Shrek Academy together, heading toward Soto City. Xiao Wu skipped and hopped along the way, like a lively little rabbit.
Half an hour later, they entered Soto City. Xiao Wu's eyes lit up as if a new world had opened before her, and she looked around in surprise. "Brother San, look! That person's Spirit is a fan! And that stall, they're selling Fire Soul Fruit!" Xiao Wu excitedly tugged on Tang San's sleeve, her feet barely able to stay still.
Seeing Xiao Wu's unworldly expression, Tang San shook his head slightly. "Xiao Wu, stop looking around. We're not here to play."
Xiao Wu paused and looked back at Tang San with an innocent expression.
Tang San gently reminded her, "We need to hurry to Spirit Hall to collect our Spirit Master subsidy, and then return to the academy for class. If we miss today's lessons, the teachers and Dean Flender will be angry."
"Alright, Brother San. Then let's go quickly." Xiao Wu pouted, grumbling reluctantly, but still obediently nodded. "But you have to promise me that you'll definitely take me out to play next time, okay?"
"Okay," Tang San smiled, raising his hand to pat Xiao Wu's head. "Next time, I'll take you to eat candied hawthorn, alright?"
"Hehe, you said it! No backing out!"
A few minutes later, the two arrived in front of Soto City's Spirit Hall. Just then, Xiao Wu looked at Tang San happily. "Brother San, this is great! The two of us together can get two hundred gold Spirit Coins this month! When we reach Rank forty, won't we be able to get a thousand gold Spirit Coins a month?"
Tang San shook his head slightly. "Yu Xiaogang said that the Spirit Master subsidy issued by Spirit Hall is only for Spirit Masters below Rank forty. Once your spirit power exceeds Rank forty, it won't be issued anymore."
"Oh? Is that so..." Xiao Wu pouted, a little disappointed.
Tang San continued, "And don't think Spirit Hall is being kind by giving out money. Yu Xiaogang said that all these gold Spirit Coins are allocated by the two great empires, and Spirit Hall only distributes them on their behalf. He even said that Spirit Hall forcibly seized the right to distribute subsidies from the two great empires."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu's face immediately darkened, and her small fists clenched. "Hmph, as expected, Spirit Hall is no good! I've always hated them!" In her opinion, her mother died at the hands of Spirit Hall, so how could Spirit Hall be any good? If she could, she would wish to personally destroy Spirit Hall.
"Xiao Wu, let's go," Tang San said, gently stroking Xiao Wu's head while looking at the solemn and tall gate of Spirit Hall. "Let's get the subsidy first, then go back to the academy. We still have lessons today."
"Okay, Brother San." Xiao Wu nodded obediently.
The two walked side by side into Spirit Hall. The hall was splendid, with marble floors reflecting a faint light, appearing solemn and desolate. Soon, guided by a staff member in a gray-blue robe, they completed their spirit power Rank test. Both were in their thirties, which drew some surprised glances from those around them.
Next, they arrived at the Spirit Master subsidy registration desk. A middle-aged staff member sat behind the desk, beginning to register their Spirit Master information. Xiao Wu finished her registration first. When the staff member took Tang San's Spirit Master certificate and saw the name "Tang San," his expression changed, and his pupils slightly narrowed.
Isn't this the Blue Silver Grass Spirit Master that His Holiness the Pope is searching for everywhere?
After a moment of being stunned, the staff member suddenly showed a strange smile and said hurriedly, "This Spirit Master, please wait a moment. I have something I need to take care of, and I'll be back soon. Please do not leave."
Tang San raised an eyebrow, his gaze slightly wary as he looked at the other person. Although he was puzzled, he ultimately didn't react, just nodding. "Okay, please be quick. We'll wait for you here."
The staff member nodded slightly, quickly walked out of the hall, passed through a long corridor, and rushed to the Spirit Hall Bishop's office. A moment later, he burst into the room, panting, and stood before a stern-faced middle-aged man in a gold-trimmed robe, speaking in a low and urgent voice. "Sir! That Tang San, the one His Holiness the Pope is looking for, he's, he's outside right now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Soto City Spirit Hall Bishop suddenly stood up from his chair, a look of excitement on his face and a fervent gleam in his eyes. "What did you say? Tang San? Are you sure you didn't mistake him?"
The staff member quickly nodded. "Absolutely! He reported his name, and I personally saw his Spirit Master certificate. His Spirit is Blue Silver Grass, and he's now in his thirties! With this rate of spirit power growth, who else could it be but him?"
"Good, very good... Tang San has finally appeared..." The Soto City Spirit Hall Bishop took a deep breath, calmed himself, and said with a hint of excitement.
The staff member asked tentatively, "Then... Sir, should I send someone to control him directly?"
The Bishop immediately waved his hand. "No! Absolutely not! The Elder Hall already issued an order: if Tang San appears, no one is to act without authorization, to avoid alerting him.
Especially without a powerful expert present, if he escapes, no one can bear the consequences! How about this, you go back immediately and continue distributing the Spirit Master subsidy, as if nothing happened. Remember, do not show the slightest abnormality. I will immediately send someone to Spirit City to report to His Holiness the Pope."
An hour later, Tang San and Xiao Wu returned to Shrek Academy, carrying heavy money bags. Their steps were light, and they chatted and laughed along the way, clearly quite pleased with the subsidy.
"We got two hundred gold Spirit Coins today. That's enough to last us for a while," Xiao Wu said happily, swinging the money bag in her hand.
Seeing this, Tang San also smiled. "Xiao Wu, we can save this money for now. The Yu Xiaogang will also help us with our cultivation resources."
"Okay, Xiao Wu will listen to Brother," Xiao Wu nodded obediently.
The two quickly walked into Shrek Academy. As soon as they passed through the gate, they heard a commotion from the training ground. They exchanged glances and immediately quickened their pace toward the training ground.
On the training ground, Flender, Yu Xiaogang, Zhao Wuji, and several other teachers were lined up, and all the students of Shrek Academy were standing in lines according to their enrollment time. After Tang San and Xiao Wu arrived, they immediately joined the Shrek Seven Devils, meeting up with Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, and the others.
Seeing all seven present, Flender nodded with satisfaction. Scanning the entire field, Flender spoke in a booming voice. "Alright, since all you little monsters are back, today we officially begin the next stage of teaching. For this, I want to introduce you to our Shrek Academy's teaching team."
He pointed to the old man next to him holding a long staff. "This is Teacher Li Yu Song. His Spirit is the tool Spirit Dragon Pattern Staff, a Rank sixty-three attack-type Battle Soul Emperor."
Then he pointed to another old man. "This is Teacher Lu Qibin. His Spirit is the tool Spirit Star Luo Chess, a Rank sixty-six control-type Battle Soul Emperor."
Then came Zhao Wuji, Shao Xin, and others. Only at the very end did Flender turn his gaze to the Yu Xiaogang. However, at this point, he completely changed his speech, not mentioning the Yu Xiaogang's spirit power Rank or what his Spirit was.
Instead, he said, "The next person I want to introduce, his name is Yu Xiaogang, and he is my good brother of many years.
He is a genius who, through years of diligent research, developed the Ten Core Competitiveness Theories of the Spirit world, and is respectfully known as the Spirit Theory Yu Xiaogang by the world!"
"In the coming days, with him guiding your Spirit Cultivation, I believe it's only a matter of time before our Shrek Academy becomes the number one academy on the continent."
When everyone heard Flender's introduction, their originally indifferent expressions immediately became serious. Even the usually unruly Ma Hongjun and Oscar subconsciously put away their playful expressions, looking at the Yu Xiaogang with a few more glances of scrutiny and surprise. After all, someone who could be hailed as a Spirit world theory Yu Xiaogang and receive such high praise from Flender was clearly no ordinary person.
Only one person's expression paused slightly as if she was deep in thought. It was Ning Rongrong. She tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes, as if recalling something.
"Yu Xiaogang? The name Yu Xiaogang... I think I've heard it somewhere."
Everyone looked at her.
Ning Rongrong continued, "Before, when I was chatting with Grandpa Jian and Grandpa Gu, I think I heard them mention something about Yu Xiaogang... Mmm, yes, that's the name.
I remember they said that when they went to Spirit City on business more than twenty years ago, they happened to hear people from Spirit Hall say that someone named Yu Xiaogang plagiarized Spirit Hall's information to publish his own work and was then expelled by Spirit Hall. And this guy was eventually kicked out by his sect after being discovered to have an unclear relationship with his own sister."
"I also heard that this Yu Xiaogang's Innate spirit power was only half a Rank, and his spirit power could never break through Rank thirty in his lifetime.
I just don't know if it's the same person! And they also seemed to say... that Yu Xiaogang's set of Spirit Ten Core Competitiveness Theories was simply for deceiving children. Isn't that just basic common sense? For example, he said that plant Spirits might not necessarily be unable to absorb animal spirit rings.
Everyone should know that theory, right? For example, my Spirit is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Am I supposed to go find a pagoda Spirit Beast to kill and absorb its spirit ring? There are no pagoda Spirit Beasts in the forest..."
As Ning Rongrong's words fell, the Yu Xiaogang's originally calm face instantly turned ugly, and he was panting like an ox. At that moment, it was as if years of accumulated grievances, unwillingness, and anger all erupted in his heart.
"You, what are you talking nonsense about?!"