Wei De achieved a swift victory in the first bout, yet Solomon and the others showed no elation. Their composure was absolute, for in their minds, such an outcome was merely what was expected.
Over the following two days, the opponents they encountered were weak, allowing them to advance with ease. However, on the third day, a noteworthy incident occurred: Leng Xiangxue’s opponent was Tuo Yaye, the very person who had defeated her during the "Newcomer Tournament."
But to everyone's astonishment once more, Leng Xiangxue vanquished him in a mere three moves, her demeanor clearly indicating she had not exerted her full strength.
As a ghastly pallor washed over him, Tuo Yaye could only repeat one phrase: "Impossible? How is this possible?"
Leng Xiangxue spared him a cold glance and uttered a profound statement: "You are already obsolete!"
This remark was not aimed solely at Tuo Yaye; it encompassed every student not enrolled in the Virtual Class.
Only by studying under Zhong Shenxiu would one truly grasp the meaning of keeping pace with the times and prioritizing innovation.
A mere adherence to the theories of predecessors without any innovation prevents one from keeping up with the tide of the age; sooner or later, such stagnation leads to elimination. Zhong Shenxiu here had merely served as a catalyst.
Zhong Shenxiu was already beginning to influence this world, though the time elapsed has been too short for the full extent of it to manifest.
Before long, the world would usher in a profound transformation.
Time flew by, and the competition proceeded normally until the very end, where every single member of the Virtual Class triumphed over the crowd, actually securing qualification for the "Academy Ranking Tournament"!
This was achieved purely through strength, with not a shred of fabrication involved.
The person most delighted by the "Virtual Class's" success was undoubtedly Director Liandel! This single event validated his discerning vision in finding such a capable instructor. Surely, no one would dare question his decision again.
If it were only the top students achieving this, it would not be surprising. What stunned everyone was that even students from the aristocratic classes had earned entry rights—this was no ordinary feat. In such a short time, their strength had improved to this degree. This was no longer a question of the students’ learning capacity, but entirely a testament to the instructor’s personal ability!
From that point onward, everyone in the "Huddle House Academy of Magic and Martial Arts" knew Zhong Shenxiu as the miracle worker. Those who once had the chance to join the "Virtual Class" but gave up midway now beat their chests in regret!
How could they have been so blind as to leave? Now, regret was useless!
While others were still marveling at the tournament results, Zhong Shenxiu led his students into their second secret training session.
This was not the time for complacency, as the official start of the "Academy Ranking Tournament" was only a month away—that was the real focus.
Given Zhong Shenxiu's nature, he either did nothing or strove for perfection. Since he allowed his students to participate in the "Academy Ranking Tournament," he was determined to see them achieve outstanding results!
Judging by this alone, Zhong Shenxiu had indeed changed significantly. For the sake of those around him, he was willing to sacrifice some of his own time—something unimaginable for him in the past. Of course, the former Zhong Shenxiu had very few people around him, alas!
A month passed quickly. When Zhong Shenxiu and his group returned, they found a strange lack of major change in Wayne and the others. Their expressions were placid, their movements natural. If there was any difference, it was that the intimidating aura they previously exuded had vanished, yet their eyes seemed sharper and more vibrant.
There were seven days remaining until the official start of the "Academy Ranking Tournament." Zhong Shenxiu granted everyone three days of rest before they would travel to the competition venue together on the fourth day.
The venue was not in "Dream Night City" but in a nearby city—
The City of Haute!
Though the "Academy Ranking Tournament" was upgraded this year, its rules saw little alteration.
Because the ultimate winner of the "Academy Ranking Tournament" would directly determine entry into the "Royal Grand Competition," cities with fewer academies would merge their qualification rounds with neighboring cities to reduce the overall number of participants in the "Royal Grand Competition."
Otherwise, if every major city sent just one academy, the capital would be completely overwhelmed!
The "Academy Ranking Tournament" required participation organized by academy units, meaning the competition would feature team battles. Each academy could register a maximum of two hundred participants, but only fifteen students from each academy would be allowed on stage during the actual matches!
The academy that secured the championship title in every "Academy Ranking Tournament" would earn the right to participate in the "Royal Grand Competition." If they won the championship twice cumulatively, they would advance directly in the "Royal Grand Competition" without needing to enter the elimination rounds!
It was precisely because of these regulations that the "Academy Ranking Tournament" was fiercely competitive every year.
Zhong Shenxiu’s party departed in the morning and finally arrived at the City of Haute by evening!
Upon arrival, they witnessed what it meant to be crowded. Once their carriage entered the city, it could no longer proceed normally. The streets were thronged with people; walking would have been faster than riding!
The shops lining the streets were packed with patrons coming and going in an endless stream—a picture of booming prosperity!
Although the City of Haute did not have a night market, the impending "Academy Ranking Tournament" had drawn an enormous influx of people, ensuring the streets remained busy even after dark.
Crowds meant business opportunities. Many merchants displayed all sorts of promotional advertisements, eager to catch the consumer's eye. This, in turn, further stimulated the visitors to the City of Haute, leading many to decide to take advantage of these few days for a major shopping spree, naturally amplifying the excitement!
Fortunately, the participating academies had fixed lodging arrangements; otherwise, arriving at this late hour, all the major inns would have been utterly full! However, Zhong Shenxiu did not head to the academy-arranged hotel but instead made for a branch of the "Dark Commerce Guild" in the city.
During this time, the "Dark Commerce Guild" had firmly established itself, reaching a position where no other guild could challenge its dominance!
Since Zhong Shenxiu reintroduced the skeletal warriors he had collected from the ancient tomb into production, a massive output of goods had flooded the market. In just two months, they captured ninety percent of the Winter Moon Empire’s consumer market, and the continuous rollout of promotional policies drove consumers into a frenzy!
Currently, the Guild had taken over the equipment market. Its superior quality at low prices, excellent after-sales service, and nationwide warranty support had won the favor of vast numbers of consumers. Moreover, its current membership had swelled to a staggering number, setting an unprecedented historical record!
A common saying circulated among the populace, perfectly illustrating the "Dark Commerce Guild’s" standing in people’s minds: I'm not buying a product; I'm buying a brand!
Many consumers had developed a habit: first checking for the "Dark Commerce Guild’s" exclusive trademark, and then inquiring whether the item was an officially sourced unit or a grey market import!
Given such a phenomenal opportunity, the "Dark Commerce Guild" naturally implemented promotional offers to spur consumption. Thus, when Zhong Shenxiu and his group reached this branch, they were met by a dense, dark mass of people waiting in line!
It was noteworthy that everyone waiting in line was a "Member"!
But weren't members supposed to skip the queues? Why was there such a long line waiting?
The primary reason for this phenomenon was the sheer volume of members, all pressing to get inside. If left unchecked, these people would surely block the exhibition hall completely.
Therefore, even members had to queue during the promotional period. As for those who weren't even members, they lacked the eligibility to purchase, as the "Dark Commerce Guild" was exclusively open to members for these few days.
However, the high-tier members were spared the torment of queuing and enjoyed even greater discounts, though the membership fees they paid quarterly were hundreds or thousands of times that of ordinary members.
Even so, many people vied daily to upgrade to high-tier membership just to enjoy this superior preferential treatment!
Watching such a crowd lining up simply to make purchases, Zhong Shenxiu, though outwardly calm, felt a profound satisfaction inwardly. His "Dark Commerce Guild" achieving such success justified the extensive time he had invested in its development!
Zhong Shenxiu had now effectively become the wealthiest man in the Winter Moon Empire. The monthly net income generated by the "Dark Commerce Guild" was dozens of times that of the empire’s treasury. In essence, money, at this point, was merely a long string of digits for Zhong Shenxiu!
As Zhong Shenxiu’s group approached the entrance of the Guild, they were halted by several staff members who demanded they present their high-tier membership cards. Since this was his first visit to the city, the local staff did not recognize their behind-the-scenes boss had arrived, and they were fortunate not to have been dismissed like disruptive children!
Zhong Shenxiu remained silent, merely gesturing toward Robin. Although they lacked high-tier cards, they possessed tokens signifying their identity!
Robin then produced a metal plaque and flashed it before the staff members. Instantly, the guards were struck with shock, quickly bowing respectfully to Robin and ushering the group inside with deference.
Every "Dark Commerce Guild" member was taught to recognize these tokens on their very first day of training, so they immediately knew what it signified!
They had never imagined such a colossal figure would grace their branch; they were overwhelmed with anxiety.
Led by an attendant, Zhong Shenxiu and his party were escorted to a private reception room on the top floor. Soon after, the relevant high-ranking executives rushed in, their faces etched with worry.
Zhong Shenxiu disliked wasting words. He requested a place to rest and then departed with his group.
The executives exchanged nervous glances, their frantically beating hearts still far from calm!
People from the main headquarters had arrived, and they possessed the "Token of the Moon"! Good heavens!
Ignoring their astonishment, we focus on Zhong Shenxiu’s group.
After settling into their respective rooms, Zhong Shenxiu did not rest immediately but began reading.
His current collection of texts had reached a terrifying scale. Not to mention the library of books he had extorted from the "Dirt-Dry Magic and Martial Arts Academy," the spoils from the tomb expedition alone provided him with countless ancient tomes!
If a normal person tried to read these books at a regular pace, it might take several centuries to finish them all!
Although Zhong Shenxiu had been busy, he still dedicated a portion of every day to reading.
Through his recent studies, he deduced a conclusion: due to the impact of the "War," the strength of the people in this world had diminished by more than one or two times, and many powerful techniques had been lost entirely since that conflict.
Furthermore, the subject that currently held Zhong Shenxiu’s most intense interest was "Summoning Arts." Although he had acquired many advanced techniques related to "Summoning Arts" from the ancient tomb, without the underlying theoretical foundation, he could only grasp them superficially, much like when he first studied "Space Magic."
He had searched his collection of books several times but found no basic explanations for "Summoning Arts." It seemed he would have to travel to the "Spring Dew Empire" in the future to acquire the necessary literature.
Zhong Shenxiu was currently engrossed in ancient "Dark Magic" texts and several necromancer journals. He was making headway in his research on the previously encountered skeleton that retained its strength. A little more study of these ancient "Dark Magic" techniques, and he could begin experimentation!
The night passed in silence. On the second day, Zhong Shenxiu took Robin and the others to the inn where Wayne's group was staying.
While other academies were engaged in their final practice sprints, Zhong Shenxiu led his students on a leisurely tour of the City of Haute’s historical sites, looking utterly carefree.
"Are there any other interesting places?" Zhong Shenxiu turned to ask Elina. She had visited this city once before, so she served as their guide.
Elina suggested, "Perhaps we should go see the competition venue, just to familiarize ourselves with the layout."
Zhong Shenxiu pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement!
The main venue for the "Academy Ranking Tournament" was located on the west side of the city. This area, once saline wasteland, offered a large open space where the construction of the "Competition Arena" unexpectedly revitalized the local commerce!
When Zhong Shenxiu and his group arrived, many other academies were already there conducting reconnaissance. Since it was a team competition, tactics were crucial, and terrain and environment played a vital role in formulating those tactics. Thus, many academies scouted the location in advance! While surveying the terrain, they were also gauging the strength of rival academies!
As Zhong Shenxiu’s party walked slowly forward, a small disturbance suddenly flared up ahead, caused merely by the arrival of a few people!