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The second year of admissions for the Tian Xing Academy arrived as scheduled. Due to the influence of the Tian Xing Douluo incident, this time, various influential factions sent high-ranking members of their sects to offer congratulations.
This group of people subtly inquired about information regarding the Tian Xing Douluo. However, Ye Wen, who had lived through two lifetimes totaling over 40 years, wasn't about to reveal anything easily—this was his greatest trump card for maintaining an aura of power.
As expected, this year's enrollment was exceptionally popular, with a large number of noble-born young soul masters coming to register.
Even if they couldn't become Ye Wen's direct disciples, being associated with the influence of a Title Douluo was still something many soul masters dreamed of.
Inheriting the three-part process from the previous recruitment, these noble youths who had reached the Great Soul Master level by the age of 16 weren't without merit.
However, Ye Wen was somewhat disappointed with the turnout for the Hidden Dragon Assembly. Only participants from nearby provinces attended. Clearly, the impoverished and disadvantaged mutant soul masters at the bottom rung of society struggled to reach the Tian Xing Academy in time, even with Ye Wen's recruitment efforts.
For the Hidden Dragon Assembly tests, Ye Wen decided to model them after the numbered plate-snatching trials he had seen in Hunter x Hunter from his past life. This kind of test would not only evaluate the attention spans of these lower-tier soul masters but also their overall comprehensive qualities.
If they lacked even basic adaptability, they were simply mediocre ordinary soul masters.
However, some soul masters didn't possess strong combat abilities, so Ye Wen prepared a "loser revival" test. The main focus here was on a soul master's endurance and perseverance—thus, a marathon became Ye Wen's preferred method.
Given the uneven quality of the participants, Ye Wen observed closely to identify those with potential and extraordinary willpower. Though these soul masters might lack in raw talent, they weren't without redeeming qualities. Ye Wen decided to admit them first and monitor their development before making further decisions.
The remaining participants from the first round of the Hidden Dragon Assembly moved on to one-on-one arena matches. Based on their performances, Ye Wen evaluated them.
The top ten were directly taken as Ye Wen's nominal disciples. However, those who caught Ye Wen's eye but didn't make it into the top ten were allowed to enroll alongside the revived group for systematic learning and secondary observation.
To be honest, the enhancements provided by martial souls to soul masters below level 20 were quite limited—it was the best time to assess a soul master's innate potential.
There were plenty of rough gems among the participants, and Ye Wen invited them all into the academy. Poor martial souls? Weak physical attributes?
These issues didn't concern Ye Wen in the slightest. With the essence of immortal herbs from the Ice-Fire Twin Lotus Eye at his disposal, he could create a batch of geniuses with innate full soul power whenever he wished.
After the conclusion of the second semester's opening, Ye Wen received an unexpected visitor—the current leader of the Merfolk Clan.
Though Ye Wen had considered establishing trade relations with them, given the unique nature of the Merfolk Clan, he wasn't sure if they would actually come.
"Greetings, you must be Principal Ye Wen that Misael spoke of. I've heard much about you. I am Hite, the current leader of the Merfolk Clan."
Hite was a towering figure, his muscles chiseled like those of ancient Greek statues. His wavy, short sea-blue hair and thick beard gave him an air of authority.
"An honor to meet you, Your Excellency," Ye Wen said with a respectful bow.
Though Hite was half-human, half-soul beast, Ye Wen assumed he would prefer to be addressed in human terms—after all, most soul beasts were rather simple-minded.
As part of the Merfolk Clan, they were naturally gifted with powerful mental strength and possessed a unique ability: mind-reading. Yet, when Hite tried to read Ye Wen's mind, he found himself completely unable to do so. Either Ye Wen was a pure-hearted individual with no distractions, or his mental strength was on par with Hite's.
After exchanging pleasantries, they got straight to the point.
"How does your side propose trading with our clan?"
"That depends on what specific resources your esteemed clan is interested in. Rest assured, I won't let your side suffer any losses."
The two engaged in a series of friendly negotiations, and in the end, Hite was satisfied as they reached an agreement.
A powerful partner delivering themselves right to his doorstep—Ye Wen certainly wasn't going to pass up such a golden opportunity. He requested that Hite send a Title Douluo from the Merfolk Clan to take up permanent residence at the Tian Xing Academy.
The reason for this request was clear: the rapid expansion of the Tian Xing Academy had attracted a mixed crowd. If Ye Wen wanted to cultivate his own loyal faction, he needed to screen out those with impure intentions. The Merfolk Clan's mind-reading ability was practically tailor-made for this purpose.
Though the Merfolk Clan wasn't large in numbers, each member was highly talented. Aside from the Sea Goddess Douluo stationed at the Sea God Island, the clan boasted five other Title Douluos.
Their combat strength at the 100,000-year level in the ocean was nothing short of terrifying.
Forming ties with a god-level faction and sending a Title Douluo as a liaison wasn't a decision Hite took lightly, but after hearing rumors of a mysterious 98th-level Title Douluo with bizarre soul ring configurations at the Tian Xing Academy, he quickly agreed.
Ye Wen was deeply grateful. After all, there were no restrictions or prohibitions on the Douluo Continent to control soul masters. Having a Merfolk Title Douluo assist him was a timely solution to a pressing issue.
Truthfully, there were ways to control soul masters—poison, for example—but using poison would alienate his subordinates.
Hite's generosity stemmed entirely from the rumors he'd heard before arriving—that the Tian Xing Academy housed a 98th-level Title Douluo with peculiar soul ring configurations.
Though the Merfolk Clan wasn't particularly prominent on the Douluo Continent, they were staunch supporters of the Sea God Island. Moreover, Poseidon, the Sea God, was famously generous. Those who joined the Sea God Island underwent divine trials and received various benefits, including soul rings beyond normal limits.
Thus, Hite suspected that the Tian Xing Douluo behind the Tian Xing Academy might belong to a certain god's faction.
Such a force was best left undisturbed—if provoked, it could spell disaster for the Merfolk Clan. However, forming a relationship with them would be highly beneficial. Since Ye Wen also sought cooperation with the Merfolk Clan, Hite saw no reason to be stingy.
The opportunity to gain the friendship of a god-level faction wasn't something just anyone could achieve.
With the influx of new students, the once spacious Tian Xing Academy suddenly felt cramped. Ye Wen had no choice but to begin a second phase of expansion.
On the existing foundation of the academy, three new training grounds were established in different directions to accommodate more soul masters.
As for the newly admitted nominal disciples, though Ye Wen oversaw their training, they weren't yet qualified to train in the core area of the Blue Silver Forest.
After all, there were too many secrets there.
Still, Ye Wen didn't mistreat them. He allowed them to establish accommodations closer to the core area—a privilege earned through their hard work in becoming his nominal disciples.
These disciples, hailing from humble backgrounds, trained with great diligence, requiring almost no supervision from Ye Wen, which filled him with satisfaction.
All affairs of the academy proceeded smoothly.
During this period, Dugu Bo broke through to the Soul Douluo level.
To celebrate, Ye Wen organized a large-scale soul-hunting expedition.
Led by Ye Wen, the group included Ah Yin, Lu Feng, Dugu Bo, and a newly promoted Soul Sage teacher named Tie Man, whose martial soul was the Iron Armor Rhino.
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