Chapter 190: The Goal! The One-Character Battle Armor Master!

The first lesson for the new students was about Battle Armor Masters, and it immediately piqued the interest of the young boys and girls in the class.

Shen Yi looked down at the rows of bright eyes, and a hint of satisfaction flickered in her gaze. She nodded and said in a calm tone, "You might wonder why the first lesson is about Battle Armor Masters. There's no complicated reason behind it. It's because before entering Shrek Academy, you should have already completed your foundational courses."

"I believe that anyone who's entered Shrek Academy must have already completed their basic coursework. Therefore, there are no basic courses here. All the courses you will take will be based on the premise of becoming a Battle Armor Master."

"A Battle Armor Master will be your sole goal for the next five, ten, fifteen, or even twenty years!"

"Ah?!" The students erupted in shock.

"Quiet," Wu Changkong spoke up, his voice calm and steady.

The classroom immediately fell silent. Shen Yi nodded to Wu Changkong, then continued, "As Elder Cai mentioned during the opening ceremony, thirty-five years old—that's the maximum age for the outer academy. If by thirty-five, you still haven't become a one-character Battle Armor Master, you might as well go home, carrying the disgrace of leaving Shrek Academy without graduating."

"Becoming a one-character Battle Armor Master before thirty-five is the minimum requirement for graduation from the outer academy. It is the baseline for Shrek Academy."

"At the same time, I must tell you that the current graduation rate for the outer academy is only thirty-three percent. That means, under normal circumstances, only one-third of the students will ultimately become Battle Armor Masters. So, do not hold any illusions. If you don't work hard, why should you be one of the three out of ten who succeed?"

Shen Yi's voice was firm, and a heavy silence fell over the classroom as many students began to reflect on her words.

"If you become a one-character Battle Armor Master before twenty-five, you qualify to participate in the inner academy exam. If you fail, you can either graduate from the outer academy and leave, or stay and aim to become a two-character Battle Armor Master before thirty. Only then will you get a second chance to apply for the inner academy," Shen Yi continued. "So, you don't have as much time as you think."

The new students were stunned, processing this information.

"Now, let's talk about what a Battle Armor Master is. I believe that when I ask this question, most of you will immediately think that a Battle Armor Master is just a more powerful mecha designer, right?"

Several students nodded unconsciously.

"Heh, that's actually a common misconception in today's spirit master world," Shen Yi smiled. "This idea is wrong. Battle Armor Masters and mecha designers are two completely different professions. While they share some similarities, their essence is worlds apart. You could think of Battle Armor Masters and mecha designers as two paths on the same road."

"Both professions are advanced forms of the soul instructor occupation. Mechas are the ultimate form of warfare-type soul tools, where the user is human. Battle Armor, on the other hand, is the ultimate form of auxiliary-type soul tools, where the user is the martial soul itself. Essentially, Battle Armor is like armor worn by your martial soul."

"A one-character Battle Armor Master is just the beginning of your journey as a Battle Armor Master. It's merely the basic form of Battle Armor. Only when you reach the two-character Battle Armor Master stage can you name your Battle Armor and merge it with your life, making it a part of your body and martial soul. That's when you can truly call yourself a Battle Armor Master."

The distinction between Battle Armor and mechas was new to many in the class. Without coming to Shrek Academy, they would have continued thinking of Battle Armor as a type of mecha.

Shen Yi continued, "So far, Battle Armor is divided into four levels: one-character, two-character, three-character, and four-character Battle Armor Masters. While there are only four levels, the gap between each is enormous. To become a Battle Armor Master, you need a second occupation, and there are four main second occupations related to Battle Armor: designers, manufacturers, repairers, and forgers. According to past data, the most successful occupations are mecha design and mecha manufacturing."

"A mecha designer designs their own Battle Armor, and because they know themselves so well, the compatibility between their Battle Armor and their martial soul is high. A mecha manufacturer builds their own Battle Armor, and because they personally handle the core formation and fine details, the integration is also much higher. Forgers and repairers each have their advantages. Forgers create the metals needed for Battle Armor, while repairers are more efficient in upgrading three-character and four-character Battle Armor."

"Since no one can excel at all four professions, starting now, you'll either need to earn more contribution points to hire others for the tasks you can't complete, or you'll need to form study groups with your classmates to tackle the Battle Armor project together."

"The effectiveness of Battle Armor is tied to its compatibility with the martial soul and the body. The best results can provide a powerful enhancement equivalent to a twenty-level soul power increase."

The students were starting to stir, many of them already looking around at their peers, looking for potential partners.

"Hmph!" Wu Changkong didn't speak this time, but his cold snort carried a silent threat. Immediately, all the students fell silent, trying to suppress their excitement.

Shen Yi said, "To be a one-character Battle Armor Master, you need a soul power level of fifty, which is the level of a Soul King. To complete a one-character Battle Armor, you need at least level three in your second occupation, along with the necessary metals, designs by a master designer, manufacturing by a master manufacturer, and oversight from a repair master. The Battle Armor must have over sixty percent compatibility with your martial soul and consist of at least nine components. Only then can it be considered a true Battle Armor."

Shen Yi spoke quickly, and the students had no time to think, only able to follow her rhythm, fearing they would miss a detail.

Jing Shaoyu, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan listened carefully. For them, completing a one-character Battle Armor wasn't the challenge—it was the soul power level and the rare metals. As for other conditions, they were already prepared.

Soul power wasn't a concern for them, so their immediate focus was on acquiring rare metals. They needed a forger. In fact, they had one choice: Tang Wulin. His forging level was at least level four, possibly even reaching the fifth-level spiritual forging stage.

But they immediately ruled him out. Gu Yue would never agree to let Tang Wulin join their Battle Armor project, and Jing Shaoyu also didn't want to have too much interaction with him—it didn't align with his interests.

So, as for obtaining the metals for the Battle Armor, they could either hire a forger from the Forging Association or find a talented forger among the classmates. They planned to pursue both avenues: Xu Xiaoyan would focus on the Forging Association, while Jing Shaoyu would keep an eye out for talented students in the class.

As for Gu Yue, she would keep in contact with Leng Yaozhu, just in case they needed outside assistance.

The morning's class lasted three hours, with no break until noon when the class finally ended.

After class, the students filed out of the classroom, and Jing Shaoyu and his friends made their way to the cafeteria.

"Shaoyu, Xiaoyan, Gu Yue," came Xie Xie's lively voice from behind. The trio turned to see Xie Xie and Tang Wulin waving at them as they walked over.

"Finally got a chance to talk to you guys, heh," Xie Xie said.

"How's it going with you two?" Jing Shaoyu greeted them politely, and Xu Xiaoyan smiled and asked, "Didn't Shen Yi say you guys are work-study students now?"

"Yeah! It's terrible!" Xie Xie looked distressed. "You wouldn't believe it, but work-study students have to pay for their meals. I'm okay, but what about Wulin? Will he really starve to death?"

"Shut up!" Tang Wulin laughed and scolded him. "I've got it all figured out!"

"Really?" Xie Xie's face lit up. "What's the solution? Tell me!"

"Well… hehe, it's a secret!" Tang Wulin grinned mysteriously, then turned to Jing Shaoyu. "Shaoyu, I'll head out first to put my grand eating plan into action!"

"Good luck," Jing Shaoyu smiled.

With that, Tang Wulin hurried out of the classroom, Xie Xie following right behind him.

As they watched the two leave, Jing Shaoyu, Gu Yue, and Xu Xiaoyan realized that this might be the only piece of friendship left in their little team.

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