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In truth, a significant portion of the continent's scholars was already present within the "Academic Realm" at that very moment. Hearing Su Wen's proclamation, they were overcome with excitement.
For a scholar, research requires more than just funding and equipment; collaboration is indispensable. Historically, however, many scholars belonged to rival factions, leaving them with almost no opportunity to communicate. Even after the founding of the Academies, geographical distances made joint research impossible.
But now, everything had changed. By joining the Academy and launching a unified research project, scholars could collaborate regardless of their affiliation. This was a revolutionary shift for academic efficiency.
Information sharing. Resource sharing. Inspiration sharing.
To conduct research under such conditions would be an absolute joy. The Academic Realm had the potential to gather every scholar on the continent into a single space for academic debate and theoretical exploration.
Yet, its significance extended far beyond the scholarly world. For various other industries, the existence of the Academic Realm meant breaking through countless technological bottlenecks of the past. Its implications were vast—much like how the internet transformed Su Wen's previous world by solving the problem of communication, the very structure of society was destined to change.
Without the development of any soul-tool technology, Su Wen had managed to realize this project purely through his development of soul skills. Naturally, the most difficult aspects were the formations and the power of space. Without spatial power, solving the problem of connecting across the entire continent would be impossible for a simple soul skill.
In this regard, the power of space was paramount.
Su Wen departed the Academic Realm, leaving behind a storm of heated discussion as its inhabitants began to explore the possibilities of this new digital frontier.
---
*Spirit City.*
"Teacher Wen, what a masterful move!"
Bibi Dong withdrew from the Academic Realm and turned to look at Su Wen, her gaze incredibly complex. Everything was clear now; no further explanation was needed.
The problem of unifying the Academies had been solved—and solved brilliantly. From this moment on, the Academy had truly become the second-greatest Holy Land on the continent. Its influence over soul masters already exceeded that of the Great Spirit Arena and was rapidly gaining on the Spirit Hall itself.
Currently, the Academy only prioritized its direct disciples, while all other personnel were treated as external members with roughly equal benefits. However, if the Academy were to ever become a truly independent political entity, its influence could surpass the Spirit Hall within a few years.
The Spirit Hall's foundation was built on serving all soul masters on the continent, but the Academy was even more aggressive: it directly provided them with tangible benefits and growth.
Chrysanthemum Douluo stared at the head soul bone in Su Wen's hand with a peculiar light in his eyes.
"Teacher Wen, that soul bone just now... could it be the core of the entire Academic Realm?"
His words immediately drew everyone's attention. Even though Bibi Dong had arrived slightly late, she had still witnessed Su Wen holding the soul bone.
"Indeed. This soul bone is the core of the Academic Realm; wherever I am, the Academy is," Su Wen said. He withdrew the skull and held it in his palm, his expression indifferent.
"Masterful indeed," Bibi Dong said, a dangerous glint flickering in her eyes. "Are you not afraid that someone might try to snatch this soul bone from your hands?"
Su Wen met her gaze and allowed a faint smile to play on his lips.
"I do not believe there is anyone on this continent today capable of taking this bone from me."
Bibi Dong withdrew her mental pressure, her expression turning heavy. She did not refute him. That soul bone had been hidden by Su Wen using spatial methods; while it appeared to be in his hand, it was actually anchored in a separate dimension.
---
Inside the *Star Luo Imperial Palace*, Emperor Dai Jie's face was grim.
He had just exited the Academic Realm. Having experienced it firsthand, he knew that the Academy had become a behemoth akin to the Spirit Hall. It didn't need decades of accumulation or ancient heritage; its starting premise alone was enough to win over the hearts of countless soul masters.
Previously, these soul masters were scattered and unorganized. Now, with the opening of the Academic Realm, the cohesion of the Academy's members would become terrifyingly high. It wasn't just a matter of "one side in trouble, eight sides supporting"—it was a certainty that if one member was wronged, the entire continent would hear of it instantly.
It would become nearly impossible to hide the "ugly truths" of the world. Because the entry requirements were so lenient—merely activating a soul mark—even commoner soul masters could find protection.
In the future, the Academic Realm would open sections similar to a Mercenary Guild, where tasks could be posted and accepted. Commoner soul masters could find help hunting soul beasts through the network, making it much harder for rogue hunting teams to "black-eat-black" (betray) their clients. Everyone would be forced to play by the rules.
In the past, major events—even the annihilation of the Clear Sky School—suffered from delayed information. Many soul masters in the Star Luo Empire only learned about the attack on Su Wen at the border and the subsequent fall of the Clear Sky School days after Su Wen had already left the capital.
Now, that delay was gone. The Academic Realm connected the entire continent in real-time. The dream of "traveling to the North Sea in the morning and the Cangwu Mountains by evening" was now a virtual reality.
---
*Shrek Academy.*
The original, dilapidated Shrek site had been abandoned. The Shrek group had relocated to the border between the two great empires, finding a secluded valley on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest to set up their new campus.
Liu Erlong still had some personal wealth, and Flender would head out periodically to buy supplies, which allowed the academy to function in isolation.
However, while the Academic Realm had removed the barriers to information for the rest of the world, Shrek Academy only heard the news five days later. It was only when Flender traveled to a nearby city for supplies that he heard the talk among other soul masters.
"The Academic Realm?"
Yu Xiaogang and the others looked grim. Every time Su Wen did something big, it made their lives miserable. Yu Xiaogang and Tang San felt the pressure most acutely.
"You can enter at any time, from anywhere? You can duel, trade, and even conduct business inside?" Dai Mubai asked, his face darkening.
Oscar stared blankly, murmuring, "Isn't that... just a second world?"
"Exactly. People are already calling the Academic Realm the 'Second World' of the Douluo Continent—a virtual world," Flender said, relaying the rumors he had heard.
While the others were lost in a silent stupor, a sharp light suddenly flashed in Tang San's eyes.
Since incorporating Su Wen's internal power circulation route into his Mystic Heaven Skill, Tang San had regained much of his confidence. Even though Su Wen had achieved the miracle of creating a virtual world, Tang San quickly absorbed the pressure and began to calculate the advantages this presented.
"Teacher, I think our chance has come."
"Little San, what are you saying?" Yu Xiaogang asked, confused. What chance could there be?
"Teacher, the opening of this realm is a great thing for the Academy, but for us, it is an opportunity," Tang San said confidently.
"This is our chance to infiltrate the Mountain of Books and the Sea of Learning!"
(End of Chapter)