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The first section of the Spirit Hall Newspaper prominently featured Gu La's paper.
The Spirit Hall had its share of capable individuals, and the other sections were filled with analyses and verifications of Oak's paper, offering guidance to soul masters who lacked intellectual acumen.
Reading the Spirit Hall Newspaper had become a trend in the soul master world, and Shrek Academy was no exception. Even commoner soul masters could afford it, and almost everyone had a copy.
The specially formulated ink from the Spirit Hall emitted a faint aroma in the morning light. Ma Hongjun unfolded the still-warm Spirit Hall Newspaper, the title gleaming on the delicate, cicada-wing-like cloud-patterned paper.
The front page boldly displayed "On the Eighteen Paradigms of Mental Power Manifestation through Visualization Diagrams," with the name "Oak" deliberately enlarged.
"Wow, the Spirit Hall is so sneaky!"
"This isn't an academic journal—it's practically a comic book!" Ma Hongjun waved the newspaper, stomping his feet on the floor as sweat glistened on his round face.
He jabbed at the fine print in the corner of the paper with his finger: "A new original diagram will be added on the seventh day of each month. Eighteen diagrams, published over eighteen months! And if you want the higher-quality special edition, you have to buy it directly from the Spirit Hall. They're making a fortune!"
As he spoke, he thought of his own debts and nearly burst into tears.
Tang San leaned against the window frame, his Purple Extreme Demon Eye glowing faintly with golden light. The newspaper rustled softly in his hands as the seemingly random lines reassembled themselves in his vision.
"After three reproductions, it still retains such profound charm..."
He muttered to himself, unconsciously tracing patterns on the sandalwood table with his fingertips. After carefully reading through the paper again, he felt that the visualization diagrams were no less effective than the Purple Extreme Demon Eye—though they lacked the eye-strengthening effects of the latter.
Fortunately, he could learn the true original version from Gu La.
"The details in the visualization diagrams are intricate. Mass printing on newspapers can easily lead to errors. Soul masters would spend any amount of money for proper cultivation."
"But the Spirit Hall Newspaper is monthly—it'll take a year and a half to publish everything. Is the Spirit Hall trying to give their own people an advantage?"
Tang San found it strange. Would a behemoth like the Spirit Hall stoop to such petty tactics?
Gu La chuckled softly: "Xiao San, you might be right. Look, the first visualization method they released is the Universal Visualization Diagram, suitable for all non-attribute soul masters."
(T/N: For clarification, Normal-type)
"And non-attribute soul masters either have low-quality martial souls or auxiliary ones. I suspect they'll gradually release obscure visualization diagrams, and by the time everything is out, the Spirit Hall will have already thoroughly researched them."
"Ah." Ma Hongjun fumed: "Isn't that too despicable? It's not even their research—they have no right to do this!"
Gu La wasn't bothered. As long as the Spirit Hall published everything without tampering, a slight delay didn't matter much.
He closed his eyes and sensed around. Not feeling any faith energy wasn't surprising.
"Could faith energy be used to create a replica of the Creation Plates?"
Gu La estimated Groudon's abilities and felt it was unlikely—even the Earth Plate might only result in a half-finished product.
He took out the parchment: "Don't complain about fate. My teacher sent me the original visualization diagrams. You should take the time to memorize them."
The eighteen diagrams unfurled slowly, and even Xu Xiaoyan was included. Gu La could now borrow his avatar's power without fear of exposing his identity, especially since he had another layer of disguise.
Surprisingly, Xu Xiaoyan hadn't immediately informed her sect elders after learning Gu La was Oak's disciple. Instead, she played the part of an innocent quail, feigning timidity.
"The original visualization diagrams? Better than the Spirit Hall's reproductions?"
Dai Mubai spotted the blind spot.
"Indeed."
Gu La glanced at him, impressed by his quick wit.
Oscar's expression lit up with excitement: "Ah! Gu La is incredible! If I were a woman, I'd fall for you!"
He nearly lunged forward to plant a kiss on Gu La, but Xiao Wu intercepted him protectively, preserving Gu La's dignity.
Still, Oscar's words created an awkward atmosphere.
Realizing belatedly, all nine of them were aware of Gu La's "complicated" romantic situation. The outsiders refrained from getting involved.
Oscar pretended not to notice and took a visualization diagram to practice elsewhere, his heart pounding with fear of being caught in the crossfire.
"What's worrying you?"
Gu La acted nonchalantly, casually shaking open a parchment scroll. The hidden patterns shimmered like flowing streams in the sunlight, outlining a mysterious winged design.
"Ah, there's also this."
Gu La retrieved an Ultra Ball. The system's beginner pack had given him ten Ultra Balls, and recently, Dai Mubai and two others had shown excellent results in personality adjustments.
Gu La decided to subjugate the three of them, with Xu Xiaoyan as an added bonus. He planned to assign the Ditto he had exchanged earlier to them, completing the personality modification plan.
"What is this? A soul tool?"
Dai Mubai asked curiously.
Ning Rongrong sniffed disdainfully: "A mere soul tool can't compare to the treasures Gu La has brought out. This is a Portable Mimicry Environment Ball—it can absorb soul masters and transform into an environment suited to their martial souls."
"Not only does it require no expensive materials or effort to maintain, but it's also portable. You've hit the jackpot!"
"Stay humble, stay humble."
Gu La modestly waved his hand. If he kept talking, he'd feel guilty about using the three of them as experiments.
"Are you giving these to us?"
Ma Hongjun pointed at himself, his gaze burning with admiration for Gu La.
Gu La cleared his throat: "You can't resell them."
Everyone burst into laughter. Ma Hongjun's face turned red, but he didn't protest. He knew better than to bite the hand that fed him—he understood that Gu La's training methods were for his own good.
"Alright, stand still and don't resist."
Gu La flicked his wrist, tossing out four Ultra Balls with pinpoint accuracy, landing them on the heads of the four.
[Congratulations! You have successfully captured four unknown Pokémon!]
Gu La reviewed each one, naming them on the panel.
[Xu Xiaoyan]
[Attributes: Ice/Fairy]
[Potential: Elite]
[Individual Value: 105]
[Nature: Timid]
[Evaluation: An extraordinary ice-type Pokémon whose combat power increases at night. Has potential for further growth and possesses absolute control abilities. Recommended as a main team Pokémon.]
[Reward: Random high-level Ice-type TM.]
Gu La suddenly gained four high-level TMs. Unfortunately, Xu Xiaoyan wasn't well-suited for ice-type moves—once her martial soul evolved, her soul skills would change attributes.
Soon, everyone emerged from the Ultra Balls. Xu Xiaoyan was the most excited. Inside her ball, she had been in an expansive snowy plain beneath an endless starry sky. The falling starlight made her feel her martial soul stirring, as if evolution was within reach.
'Is this the true value of the continent's leading theorist? Even a single treasure from his disciple holds the potential to help my martial soul evolve…'
"Should I tell the sect? But once they find out, I'll have to leave. I'll never see Sister Xiao Wu again, and if they discover I leaked the information, we'll become enemies..."
Xu Xiaoyan was deeply troubled.
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