Chapter 235: Post-War Planning

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Sun-Moon Hall. 

Su Yu looked at the list in his hands, feeling quite satisfied. 

"This is perhaps the most successful transformation yet." 

The list contained the selected candidates for the next Soul Combat Tournament, as well as those for the one after that. 

It was clear that these students were no longer solely focused on the application of soul tools. 

The study of martial souls, the exploration of their abilities, and even the creation of unique soul techniques had now become essential components of a soul master's training. 

Of course, the soul tool specialization still remained a major field. 

After all, this was the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, and the greatest strength of the Sun Moon Empire still lay in its soul tools. Soul engineers would undoubtedly continue to be the dominant force within the empire's academies. 

However, the previous educational approach, which centered entirely around soul engineering, had now shifted. 

In addition to studying the development and crafting of soul tools, students were now also required to train in martial soul cultivation. 

A slight sense of guilt crept into Su Yu's heart. Although this change made the new generation more versatile and well-rounded, it also increased their academic burden. 

"Hall Master, perhaps we should consider introducing specialization tracks." 

It was time to divide students into specialized fields. 

"Yes, we've already begun preparations for that," Jing Hongchen replied. "By the fourth year, all students will undergo a specialization selection. 

Regular students will focus on a single area of expertise. 

Additionally, we will establish an elite class. Students in this class will train in two or more disciplines simultaneously, and they will become the primary candidates for the Soul Combat Tournament representing the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. 

Of course, students from regular classes may also participate in the selection process. If they can prove themselves through sheer strength, they will have the right to represent the academy in the tournament." 

Jing Hongchen's plan was meticulous and well-structured. 

During the war, as one of the Sun Moon Empire's top combatants, he had remained stationed in Sun-Moon. Aside from coordinating Sun-Moon Hall's resources to support the war effort, he had spent the rest of his time making these preparations. 

There was no other choice—the outcome of the war had already been decided. 

The Sun Moon Empire's victory was inevitable. 

Making arrangements for post-war reconstruction ahead of time was simply common sense. 

"Bai Feng, Fourth-Year Elite Class: Combat Soul Master, Soul Engineer, and Battle Armor Master." 

Looking at his disciple's name on the list, Su Yu felt immense pride. 

After returning from Shrek Academy to Sun-Moon, Bai Feng had successfully condensed his second soul ring on his own and rapidly advanced his soul power to Rank 26! 

At such a terrifying pace, he was practically a monster among his peers. 

Forget his own grade—even students in higher years were completely overshadowed by his progress. 

Originally a third-year student, Bai Feng had been directly promoted to the fourth year and placed in the elite class. 

His training path was exceptionally comprehensive. 

He pursued absolute strength. 

His primary focus was on becoming a Battle Armor Master. However, to excel in this path, he first needed to master the combat techniques of a Soul Master. Additionally, he had to thoroughly understand his own battle armor, ensuring that it was tailored specifically for him. This required him to study soul engineering so that he could craft his own armor. 

At the same time, his knowledge of soul engineering provided a foundation for studying runes. Other aspects of soul master abilities—such as domains—could be supplemented with rune applications, allowing him to achieve well-rounded development. 

Bai Feng's choice was practically perfect. 

If there was any way he could be even more versatile, it would be if, in the future, forging technology advanced to the Heavenly Refinement level—allowing him to add blacksmithing as a fourth discipline on top of the existing three. 

After all, battle armor crafted from personally forged Living Metal would undoubtedly be superior to anything created by an outsider. 

However, mastering all four disciplines was nearly impossible. 

Unless one possessed a martial soul inherently related to blacksmithing and could seamlessly integrate combat with forging, it would be exceedingly difficult to attain expertise in blacksmithing while excelling in other fields.

A soul master's energy is ultimately limited. It's not impossible to train in multiple fields simultaneously, but once too many directions are pursued, it will inevitably impact one's development. 

A soul master has a fixed amount of time each day to meditate. Their body needs time to adapt to stronger soul power, and there is a nearly fixed limit to how much their soul power can increase each day. While it's possible to continue improving by spending more time, the cost-benefit ratio diminishes significantly. 

Therefore, the remaining time can be used to study soul tools, learn combat techniques, and more. 

Practicing combat techniques inevitably causes physical strain, but while recovering, one can still use their mind to study soul tools. Setting aside one or two days each week to focus on crafting soul tools, without the need to train in combat, is entirely reasonable. 

However, adding blacksmithing into the mix would complicate things. 

While blacksmithing may seem like just a small part of crafting soul tools, if one were to focus on becoming a full-fledged blacksmith, it would no longer be a minor step. 

Blacksmithing requires talent, and there's no doubt about it. 

"The learning load has increased, but cultivation itself is a joy. When enduring the repetitive training, being able to feel your growth and becoming stronger in every aspect is what truly allows a soul master to reach the highest levels of cultivation." 

Su Yu didn't feel guilty about the increased academic load for the soul masters, as it was a natural outcome of the times. 

The development of the times naturally leads to the enrichment of various foundational teachings, making learning more difficult for the new generation. But this is an inevitable result of progress. 

Moreover, as time advances, the learning difficulty decreases due to the appearance of new equipment and the refinement of knowledge. 

In fact, the more comprehensive foundational knowledge allows soul masters from the new generation to find their paths and learn in ways that suit them. 

If it weren't for these advancements, like with Shrek Academy in the past, many students with talent for soul engineering would have found it hard to acquire advanced knowledge in the field. 

Or, if their expertise lay in combining soul tools with runes, but Shrek had no inheritance in that area, an excellent student might have been wasted. 

Thus, the updating and upgrading of basic knowledge is inevitable. 

With that thought, Su Yu shared his suggestion with Jing Hongchen. 

"Hall Master, education is a critical aspect as well. After the war, I think we should promote basic education throughout the cities and regions of the continent. 

We need to make education accessible to both soul masters and civilians." 

Jing Hongchen's eyes flickered upon hearing this, and he quickly understood Su Yu's meaning. 

However, this would require a significant amount of manpower and resources. 

"The demand for manpower and resources isn't something we can't handle. On the contrary, the more manpower and resources required, the more necessary it is to carry out this plan. 

The war has disrupted many people's normal lives. At this time, mobilizing civilians and soul masters to construct academies under the banner of the Federation could effectively ease the impact of the war." 

Hearing Su Yu's analysis, Jing Hongchen nodded in agreement. 

It was indeed a viable plan. 

However, funding would still be required. 

"With the Sun Moon Empire's treasury, is there any reason we couldn't afford this? Furthermore, for the Douluo Continent today, food is actually the true hard currency." 

The war consumed primarily food. And with soul masters contributing to farming, the food produced would be more than sufficient to fund such a project. 

"In the past, multiple empires helped shape the Douluo Continent, and soul masters were seen as strategic resources. There was no focus on developing other sectors. But with the Federation's unification, soul masters no longer need to focus solely on combat. They can now contribute their talents across various industries." 

(End of Chapter)