"Do you want to go to the Star Luo Continent?" After listening to Yunze's explanation, Gu Yue Na asked.
Yunze picked up his cup, took a sip of water, and replied:
"I haven't really decided what I'll be doing a few months from now. Going to see the Star Luo Continent isn't a bad idea."
"There are some places there worth taking a look at."
"Those places?" Gu Yue Na's interest was piqued. It seemed this Star Luo Continent had some rather extraordinary sites.
"I don't know exactly," Yunze shook his head. "I once read a book in the academy's fifth-floor archive called Secrets of the Continent."
"It recorded some hidden matters not circulated to the outside world, including things about the Star Luo Continent."
"What caught my attention the most were four small spaces discovered within the Star Luo Continent."
"Small spaces… do you think they contain something useful to you?" Gu Yue Na asked. She was also intrigued. Spaces like that usually held treasures.
Yunze shook his head again:"The book only mentioned the existence of such small spaces. It didn't say what was inside."
"Apparently, two of them are in the hands of the Tang Sect, one belongs to the Spirit Transferring Pagoda, and the last is controlled by the Star Luo royal family."
"None of the four has anything to do with the Sun Moon Royal Academy. The fact that we even know about them is already pretty lucky. As for what's inside—there's no way to know."
The secrecy around these small spaces was tightly maintained. Over the years, very little had leaked.
But since the original discoverers weren't members of those factions, some early information slipped out and was eventually collected and compiled into the book by the Sun Moon Royal Academy.
"Hm…" Gu Yue Na pursed her lips, feeling a bit slow-witted again. She wanted to ask how they were supposed to find such places, but worried Yunze would think she was stupid.
Noticing her hesitation, Yunze turned his head and said:"Once we're there, we can let Di Tian search. He's sensitive to spatial fluctuations. With enough time, finding one or two small spaces shouldn't be a problem."
"Speaking of which, even on this continent there are some small spaces. We can have Di Tian try searching for those as well."
"But… all those spaces are controlled by powerful factions. Wouldn't barging in cause trouble?" Gu Yue Na said with a smile. Though judging by her tone, she didn't seem opposed—she actually looked eager.
"If those small spaces had been created by them, then I wouldn't touch them. But they only discovered them—they didn't create them."
"Strictly speaking, those spaces don't truly belong to them. So why shouldn't we go inside?"
"It's like two people spotting money dropped on the street. Just because one person saw it first, does it automatically become theirs?"
Yunze explained. According to the records he'd seen, those spaces already existed by themselves—they were simply discovered by those factions.
If the rule was "whoever finds it owns it," then there would be far fewer conflicts in this world—and Yunze himself probably wouldn't even be here.
But was that possible?
As long as the temptation was great enough, even if something was rightfully yours, others would still try to take it.
Before talking about ownership, people always talk about strength first. Without strength, there's no point arguing about ownership.
He wasn't planning to monopolize those small spaces—he just wanted to explore them, treat it as adding a little fun to an otherwise monotonous life.
"Hehe, you've got a point. Then it's settled—we're going to the Star Luo Continent!" Gu Yue Na said happily.
"Mm." Yunze nodded. Once the decision was made, that very night he called Xu Lin.
Not only did he confirm he and Gu Yue Na would be going, he also asked Xu Lin to arrange a spot for Di Tian to come along.
Xu Lin agreed readily. Having another Limit-tier powerhouse join them meant Yunze and Gu Yue Na's safety was even more assured—something he welcomed.
With this matter settled, Yunze no longer gave it much thought, waiting patiently for the exchange trip to begin.
Over the following six months, his days were filled with crafting soul tools, cultivation, tinkering with mechas, and studying soul tool arrays. When in the mood, he'd stroll around outside.
Life wasn't particularly exciting, but it wasn't dull either—steady and orderly.
After half a month of secluded cultivation, Gu Yue Na returned to the academy. Her sudden surge in soul power nearly shocked Dean Xu Lin speechless.
Discovering that her talent had not only remained intact after taking the pill, but that her martial soul had even evolved by chance—further increasing her talent—left him utterly dumbfounded.
The Soul-Rising Pill etched itself deeply into his mind, unforgettable. He repeatedly contacted Yunze, hoping to buy some.
Yunze had Di Tian respond on his behalf: the pill would not be publicly sold for now, but he was willing to donate five pills to the academy.
These five pills were all personally refined by Yunze: two low-grade Soul-Rising Pills, two mid-grade, and one high-grade.
Thus, starting with the donation of these five pills, Dragon Phoenix Hall and the Sun Moon Royal Academy established a long-term sponsorship partnership.
After negotiations, Dragon Phoenix Hall would sponsor the academy with 10 billion federal coins annually, along with ten supreme Foundation-Building Pills and five Soul-Rising Pills.
In return, the academy would recommend twenty outstanding freshmen each year to join Dragon Phoenix Hall.
Those students wouldn't need to actually work there. Simply being affiliated with Dragon Phoenix Hall was enough.
In other words, they would be counted as members, but the Hall wouldn't interfere with their actions.
On the contrary, every year they would be given cultivation resources worth tens of millions, to help them grow faster.
All they had to do was lend their strength when Dragon Phoenix Hall required it.
This was a perfectly reasonable demand. After all, joining a faction always meant giving back to it. Otherwise, what would be the point?
At first glance, it seemed like Dragon Phoenix Hall was taking a loss. But in the long run, they weren't losing at all.
Most outstanding graduates of the Sun Moon Royal Academy eventually entered the military. Once those invested-in students rose to become military generals—or even military leaders—Dragon Phoenix Hall would gain influence over the armed forces.
Even if they couldn't completely control the military, being able to sway it was already enough.
Spending only a few days' worth of revenue to gain influence over the military—this was a deal too good to pass up.
The Hall also had plans to sponsor the Federal Research Institute and the major military branches, though for now they hadn't taken action.
This couldn't be rushed—pushing too hard could easily backfire.
Dragon Phoenix Hall's growth was booming. Every day brought in billions of federal coins. No one could rival the speed of their wealth accumulation.
In pure liquid funds—not even counting hard assets—no force on the continent could compare to them.
The sheer magnitude of their accumulated wealth was staggering, enough to make countless others envious.
But with Di Tian, a quasi-divine powerhouse, standing guard, no one dared make a move against them.
Shrek Academy had remained relatively quiet during this time. Aside from restricting Dragon Phoenix Hall's access to medicinal ingredients, they had taken no further action.
On the surface, it all looked peaceful. But whether it truly was, only they knew.
(End of Chapter)