After finishing his meal, Lin Feng reminded himself of his top priority—cultivation.
He was currently only at Rank 53, leaving ample room for improvement.
Moreover, he still had an unused golden-tier trait to replicate.
After some thought, he decided to head to the volcanic region for training.
"Second Uncle, I'll leave you to your work for now."
"I'm going to the Mimicry Training Zone to cultivate for a while."
"Later, pass a message to Yan'er and ask her to come too."
"Got it, don't worry about a thing," his Second Uncle replied readily. "Leave the rest to me."
——
A few days later, outside the academy gates, a massive signboard slowly rose into view.
The bold, powerful characters for "Monster Academy" gleamed gold in the sunlight.
Passersby stopped in their tracks, gazing up in curiosity. The streets buzzed with speculation.
"Monster Academy? Never heard of it before."
"Word is, Poison Douluo founded it."
"No wonder they've got such a bold name—only recruiting 'monsters,' huh?"
The news spread like wildfire through every alley and avenue.
Everyone was intrigued by this mysterious new academy.
The reactions from other academies, however, were mixed.
"Monster Academy? That's a blatant provocation, isn't it?"
"Only recruiting monsters? Are they implying our students aren't good enough?"
At Blazing Academy, Fire Dragon was livid upon hearing the news. His mustache bristled with anger as he snapped, "I'd like to see how many students they can actually recruit."
"Trying to compete with us long-established academies? They're just asking for trouble."
Several elders standing beside him echoed his sentiment.
Meanwhile, at Skywater Academy—
"Hmph. They're even accepting transfer students? Must be desperate—trying to poach talent from other schools. Absolutely laughable," an elder sneered dismissively.
"Not necessarily."
"To be this confident—without worrying we'll copy their methods—perhaps Monster Academy really has some strength," the headmistress of Skywater Academy said with a grave expression, her eyes thoughtful.
Whether it was wild ambition or true ability—they would find out soon enough, once classes began.
At that moment, inside Monster Academy's training grounds—
Sunlight bathed the earth in a faint golden glow.
Flender stood tall before a group of students, his gaze sweeping over them with undisguised satisfaction.
Before him were nine students: three from the Lin clan—Lin Shui, Lin Jian, and Lin Xue—and three students from Shrek Academy.
Looking at Lin Jian and the others, Flender couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Lin Xue, only nineteen years old, had already reached Rank 38 in soul power.
Lin Shui, age twenty-four, was at Rank 46.
And especially Lin Jian—only twenty-one, yet already Rank 45.
At this rate, reaching the Soul King level within four years would be no problem at all.
The more Flender thought about it, the more thrilled he became. His smile widened as he declared loudly:
"The upcoming entrance assessments are in your hands."
"Remember, make sure to uphold the name of Monster Academy—show the world that we're not just all talk!"
"Yes, teacher!"
The students responded in unison, their blood surging with excitement, eyes burning with eagerness.
Just then, Lin Long walked over with steady steps.
"Master Lin, you're here!"
Flender immediately spotted him and strode over with a broad smile, speaking respectfully.
After earlier conversations, Flender had come to deeply admire Lin Long's knowledge and insight.
In fact, he believed Lin Long was more deserving of the title "Master" than himself.
"I told you not to call me that. I don't like it," Lin Long said flatly, frowning slightly at the title.
"Brother Lin, you're…?"
Caught off guard, Flender looked awkward for a moment, but quickly regained his smile and asked.
Cough cough.
"Our academy is still short on teachers, so I'll fill in for now and lend a hand," Lin Long replied calmly, glancing around.
Flender was overjoyed and exclaimed loudly, "Brother Lin becoming a teacher—this is a huge blessing for our academy!"
Some of the students below looked confused, unsure why Flender treated Lin Long with such respect.
Only Lin Xue wore a proud expression.
She knew her master's abilities well and held him in deep reverence.
Standing nearby, Lin Jian scratched his mouth thoughtfully. While he admitted Lin Long had skills, in his heart he was even more eager for his master—Xiao Yan—to come teach him.
Once Teacher Xiao Yan arrived, he'd definitely be able to push his strength to the next level.
The thought stirred his emotions, and a smile tugged at his lips.
"Next, let me assign the tasks," Flender announced seriously.
"Lin Xue, you and a few others will handle the assessments for Soul Elders."
"Lin Jian and Lin Shui, you two will oversee the Soul Ancestor-level assessments…"
Flender's gaze swept over the group as he calmly gave out instructions.
---
In the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City—
"What? You're all withdrawing from school?!"
In front of the grand gates of Heaven Dou Academy, Qin Ming looked utterly stunned, eyes wide as he repeated the words in disbelief.
His gaze turned to the six figures standing neatly in a row—Lin Feng, Dugu Yan, and the others.
The once-mighty Heaven Dou battle team now had only Yu Tianheng remaining.
"Yes, Teacher Qin," Lin Feng said with a calm, resolute nod.
"But why? What kind of academy dares to poach students from Heaven Dou Academy?"
Qin Ming was flustered, filled with urgency as he pressed for answers.
"We're going to the academy opened by Dugu Yan's grandfather," Lin Feng explained steadily.
The moment he said that, Qin Ming fell silent, unsure how to respond.
Given Dugu Bo's reputation and power, that academy was indeed incredibly appealing.
If Lin Feng and the others truly wished to leave, he had no way to stop them.
"At least… leave Yu Feng and the others," he pleaded. "Heaven Dou Academy can't just fall apart like this."
Still unwilling to give up, he tried a final, desperate appeal.
"Wherever the Young Master goes, we follow," Yu Feng and the others responded firmly, their eyes resolute.
Qin Ming felt despair wash over him.
In that moment, he could already envision Heaven Dou Academy being utterly crushed in the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.
"Teacher Qin, you could come with us, too."
"Shrek Academy has now merged with Monster Academy. Your old dean, Flender, is teaching there now."
Lin Feng smiled as he made the offer.
Qin Ming's eyes widened in shock, and even Dugu Yan couldn't hold back a gasp.
"Wait—Teacher Qin, you used to be from Shrek Academy?"
"How do you know about that, Lin Feng?" Qin Ming asked in surprise.
"It's not hard to find out," Lin Feng replied nonchalantly.
"I see…"
Everyone accepted the answer without much question.
Qin Ming's face revealed hesitation as he began to ponder.
If he stayed, he'd surely be harshly criticized by the academy director.
But if he went to Monster Academy… not only would his benefits remain the same, but its future also seemed far brighter than Heaven Dou's.
Still…
Sigh… Heaven Dou Academy has done a lot for me. I'll stay a few more years for now.
"But if I do decide to come over in the future, don't turn me away," he said with a long sigh, finally declining.
There were things holding him back—things he couldn't say.
"Of course not, Teacher Qin," Lin Feng smiled warmly.
He had already anticipated this response, knowing Qin Ming's loyal and grateful nature.
But in time, Qin Ming would make his own choice.
Shortly after, Lin Feng and the others completed the withdrawal process and stepped out of Heaven Dou Academy.
"We're finally out! I can't wait to see what Monster Academy is like," Shi Mo said with excitement and relief.
---
Advance Chapters on Patreon!
p(a)treon(.)com/HudaLin
-Remove the parenthesis to access patreon normally
Thanks for the Support!