The Spirit Hall Academy is located at the southeastern edge of Spirit Hall City, in an area close to the Star Dou Great Forest. This location is over a thousand kilometers away from the main hall of Spirit Hall. For an ordinary person, traveling between the two places would take at least half a month.
There are two reasons for placing the Spirit Hall Academy in such a secluded corner:
First: To conceal the students and teachers of the Spirit Hall Academy as much as possible, providing them with the quietest and most peaceful time for cultivation.
Second: To facilitate the setup of simulated training environments.
A simulated training environment is a place that relies on natural surroundings but is artificially divided and modified to amplify one specific attribute to its extreme, making it an arduous place.
Taking the Spirit Hall Academy as an example, the area where they are located was originally just an ordinary forest. However, through years of changes by the people of Spirit Hall, it has become a perilous land that combines extreme climates such as strong winds, raging waves, fierce flames, lava, swamps, dense jungles, and violent thunderstorms.
Such a place is a death trap for ordinary people. Even relatively weak soul masters are very likely to perish there.
Although such perilous lands are extremely dangerous, they also offer significant benefits.
They can, to a certain extent, greatly accelerate the cultivation speed of soul masters!
Take Yan's Flame Lord spirit for instance. Because his spirit has an innate affinity for fire, when he is in a land of flames and near lava, the fire attribute elements in the world will gravitate towards him during cultivation.
In a high concentration of fire attribute elements, the fire attribute within Yan's soul power will be ignited, greatly enhancing the vitality of his soul power.
The most direct effect of increased soul power vitality is the accelerated speed of soul power circulation. Soul power that originally took nearly a hundred breaths to circulate a full cycle within the body might now only take a dozen breaths.
This change also greatly accelerates the accumulation and generation of soul power, which naturally leads to a rapid increase in a soul master's strength.
This is also one of the points contributing to the fifty percent certainty that Ying Yan Yang mentioned earlier.
With Wang Zhong's talent, coupled with the auxiliary effect of the simulated training environment, even Ying Yan Yang cannot determine how much Wang Zhong's strength will improve.
"Your Excellency, there is a letter of request here, submitted by Ying Yan Yang, concerning Wang Zhong."
In the Principal's office.
Bibi Dong, having changed back into her silver-white robe exclusively for the Pope, sat at the principal's desk with a crown on her head. She picked up the letter of request placed on the desk by Ghost Douluo with one hand, resting her chin on the other, and began to read it seriously.
"An application for a simulated training environment. Ying Yan Yang really dares to ask."
Bibi Dong's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, her tone filled with displeasure.
It was not that the simulated training environment was particularly precious, nor that it was difficult to activate. What truly displeased Bibi Dong was Ying Yan Yang's attitude of disregarding the lives of students.
Moreover, this matter involved Wang Zhong.
While simulated training environments can indeed accelerate soul masters' cultivation speed, a perilous land is still a perilous land. Without a certain level of strength as a foundation, entering it is simply seeking death.
Furthermore, the simulated environments at the Spirit Hall Academy are dozens of times more extreme and arduous than those in external academies or the royal family.
It can be said that any soul master who has not obtained their third soul ring and reached the Soul Venerable level will die if they enter!
Precisely because of this terrifying level, the simulated training environments at the Spirit Hall Academy have never been opened to students below the third grade.
"I presume it must be that third-year student named Lu Xiao Shuang who challenged young Wang Zhong, making him a bit anxious."
"He wants to use the simulated training environment to enhance Wang Zhong's strength in the shortest possible time."
"Although it may not allow him to surpass his opponent, it should significantly narrow the gap between them."
Yue Guan stood beside Ghost Douluo, stroking his chin as he speculated.
"I understand his intentions, but this request is too reckless," Bibi Dong said, her fingers tapping the desk, her expression cold.
She had already begun to secretly contact Wang Zhong, with the aim of taking him as her disciple naturally, reasonably, and at the most opportune time.
However, Ying Yan Yang's current actions were tantamount to pushing the disciple she favored towards the brink of a cliff.
Upon hearing Bibi Dong's words, Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo understood.
Wang Zhong's status as a direct disciple of the Pope was likely inevitable, now only a trigger and the right time were needed.
"Your Excellency, I believe that while others may not be able to, young Wang Zhong might surprise us." Ghost Douluo spoke with a calm and confident voice.
"Oh? And your reasoning?" Bibi Dong asked, her expression serene and light.
"Your Excellency, do you recall how Wang Zhong, with his bare hands, grasped the first soul skill of that young fellow named Feng Yuan Sheng in their first match?"
"That young fellow's spirit is a mutated Fiery Fierce Tiger, and his first soul skill is an attack method that compresses and ignites flames.
"Although Feng Yuan Sheng's first soul skill was not fully condensed, the high temperature contained within the compressed flames was undiminished."
"Wang Zhong not only caught that attack and sent it back, but his hand suffered no injuries. This sufficiently proves that his body is extremely strong."
"If we only use soul power as a standard for judging strength, then we may be underestimating Wang Zhong!"
Ghost Douluo stated his understanding without arrogance or subservience, his tone devoid of any fluctuation, and lacking any of the former wariness he held towards Wang Zhong.
Bibi Dong's attitude already spoke volumes. If he did not know his place and continued to treat Wang Zhong with his old tone and mindset, he might die the very next day!
As the Pope, Bibi Dong's authority was supreme, and she would not tolerate anyone questioning her decisions.
For those who were useful and loyal to her, Bibi Dong always had immense patience and tolerance, but usefulness was the prerequisite, and loyalty was the foundation!
Without the latter as a backing, no matter how useful one was, they could not escape death!
"Are you implying that we should agree to Ying Yan Yang's request?"
In response to Bibi Dong's question, Ghost Douluo bowed slightly and humbly said, "Everything is at the discretion of His Holiness the Pope. Ghost Douluo merely offers his thoughts and suggestions."
"Is that so." Bibi Dong rested her chin on her hand, her eyes closed, lost in thought.
"There is one more matter, Your Excellency."
"Miss Qian Renxue has arrived at the Spirit Hall Academy. We dared not stop her and could only let her enter."
At this moment, Yue Guan spoke with a trace of apprehension, delivering this piece of news.
Bibi Dong heard this, her beautiful face remained impassive. She gently closed her eyes and said calmly, "Good, I understand."
"Let her do as she pleases."
"You may both withdraw now."
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo simultaneously withdrew and left the office, leaving Bibi Dong alone, one hand propping her chin, her eyes closed, her delicate body leaning back in the chair behind her, like a sleeping fairy.