Chapter 175: Canaan Academy
Under Furina's leadership, the group strolled unhurriedly toward Canaan Academy, located not far from the Water God Church's headquarters. It was an advanced soul master academy that had been established just over a year ago—a newly risen elite institution across the entire continent.
Even from a distance, standing outside the academy and gazing upon it, one could see that Canaan Academy was fundamentally different from ordinary advanced soul master academies. Its refined and orderly layout, its uniquely distinctive architectural style—everywhere exuded the signature elegance of the Water God Church. However, compared to Shrek Academy, with its profound heritage and meticulously exquisite ornamentation, it still fell slightly short in terms of detail and grandeur.
Arriving before the academy's imposing main gate, Furina stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around.
With her back to the magnificent Canaan Academy, she spread her arms gracefully, a touch of just-right pride between her brows, and announced in a clear voice to the companions beside her: "Everyone, welcome to my Canaan Academy!"
Yet very few knew that ever since the foundation of Canaan Academy had been laid and completed, Furina had never truly concerned herself with any of its affairs—large or small. What the interior was like now, to what extent the facilities had been perfected—she herself had absolutely no idea. This so-called tour was, for her, more like an initial exploration of this academy that belonged to her, undertaken together with everyone else.
Ye Guyi, standing at the side, took in Furina's expression and understood everything immediately.
She stepped forward at just the right moment and took the initiative to assume the responsibility of explanation. Her tone was calm and natural, perfectly resolving the awkwardness that Furina herself was oblivious to: "Next, allow me to lead everyone on a proper tour of Canaan Academy. It has been over a year since the academy's completion, and all the various facilities and many areas within have undergone adjustments and improvements. Even Lady Furina, as the headmaster, may not be fully aware of its current complete appearance."
These words warmed Furina's heart. She silently gave Ye Guyi a huge thumbs-up in her mind, filled with gratitude for this considerate aide.
She nodded in agreement, following Ye Guyi's lead: "That's right, exactly so. Then I must trouble Ye Guyi to guide our tour. She has been stationed here long-term and is also a nominal student of Canaan Academy. She knows everything about the academy like the back of her hand."
Furina had already made plans in her heart: she was determined to have Canaan Academy participate in this term's Continental Youth Soul Master Competition and compete against Shrek Academy.
But she herself and Huo Yuhao were both at Shrek, so naturally, they could not represent Canaan Academy. In that case, the only person within the Water God Church who could stand on her own and shoulder the heavy responsibility of competing was Ye Guayi alone.
Even though she had long since distributed top-tier cultivation techniques and rare pills to the children—who came from all across the country with relatively mediocre talents and martial souls—for them to train with, it was still difficult to cultivate them, in such a short time, into geniuses acknowledged by the entire continent, let alone reach the "monster" level as defined by Shrek Academy.
With the current student strength of the academy, even assembling a full lineup of three-ringed contestants for the competition would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Furina had once entertained the idea of imitating the Canaan Academy from the world of Battle Through the Heavens and constructing a Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower containing the Fallen Heart Flame, using the power of the heavenly flame to accelerate the students' cultivation.
But on second thought, although cultivation within the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower was fast, it would cause cultivators to accumulate fire poison that was extremely difficult to purge. With the current abysmal level of pill refinement on the Douluo Continent, there was no way to resolve it independently.
This continent's medicinal herbs didn't even have a complete classification system, and heavenly treasures were even rarer. The vast majority of rare herbs only grew in natural spiritual lands like the Yin-Yang Eyes of Ice and Fire. Wanting to refine a pill to resolve fire poison was nothing short of a pipe dream.
Even though her system points were enough to exchange for the Fallen Heart Flame, Furina ultimately abandoned this idea. Rather than spending points to exchange for a single type of heavenly flame, it was better to save up points and exchange for all the infant-stage heavenly flames at once. Then let Ye Guyi or Wang Qiu'er switch to practicing the Flame Mantra and entrust all the heavenly flames to them.
That way, she could directly create a top-tier powerhouse comparable to the Flame Emperor—far more cost-effective than a single Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
Hearing her words, Ye Guyi gently shook her head, her voice carrying a hint of a gentle smile: "Headmaster, you're too formal. This is no trouble at all. You are the headmaster of Canaan Academy, and as a student, sharing the headmaster's burdens is simply part of my duty."
Her words carried a touch of lighthearted jest, drawing knowing smiles from everyone. Furina's position as headmaster of Canaan Academy had long been within everyone's expectations. The academy had been founded with the full might of the Water God Church, and Furina was both the Pope of the Water God Church and the Water God universally acknowledged by the people. Taking the nominal position of headmaster was only perfectly reasonable.
Furina responded with a light sound of affirmation and a confirming nod. Then, remembering matters of the academy's management, she asked, "By the way, who is now responsible for the academy's day-to-day affairs? I recall that when it was first built, it was entrusted to the joint management of Lei Bao and the other three Protectors. After more than a year, are the four of them still the ones overseeing it?"
Ye Guyi patiently answered, "Yes. Nominally, Protectors Lei Bao and the other three are all vice-headmasters of the academy. However, the one who actually administers the academy and coordinates all its affairs now is Protector Feng Chuixue. He is extremely methodical in management and keeps the academy in perfect order. You may rest assured."
"Initially, the four Protectors had discussed entrusting the academy's management authority to Monsieur Neuvillette, but Monsieur Neuvillette flatly refused. He bears many important duties for the Water God Church, and his affairs are numerous and complex. He simply cannot spare the extra energy to manage the academy."
Furina smiled inwardly: Neuvillette has truly worked hard.
"As for the academy's teaching staff, quite a few have been added and replaced over this past year or so. Although Canaan Academy is publicly advertised as an advanced soul master academy, in accordance with your decree, it also simultaneously runs junior soul master academy classes and has specially established schools for the common populace."
Hearing this, Bei Bei couldn't help but show a puzzled expression and couldn't resist asking, "The academy... actually takes in commoners and has established schools for ordinary people?"
In his understanding, Canaan Academy—which aspired to surpass Shrek and become the continent's number one academy—should, by all logic, have its core focus on cultivating soul masters with full force and unearthing geniuses. Yet Furina had deliberately mixed soul master education with ordinary education. It was truly baffling.
Furina's expression remained calm as she slowly explained: "Because I possess, in my hands, basic cultivation techniques suitable for ordinary people as well. Commoners entering the schools to study can master the methods of using soul tools that I've developed which do not require soul power to operate. Systematic knowledge-based education can also allow them to participate in the foundational crafting of soul tools in the future. All of this is not only to elevate the cultural literacy of the common populace but also to establish correct moral values."
"Even for soul masters, I believe they absolutely must receive systematic moral and cultural education and must never value martial prowess over literary learning."
Furina held deeper considerations in her heart. Looking across the history of the Douluo Continent, from the first part to the third, many soul masters possessed formidable strength but had moral character that was truly worrying.
Especially the protagonist of the fourth part and the teacher who instructed him in operating fighter jets—they were utterly devoid of any moral bottom line. In the mid-to-late stages, their actions were ruthless and cruel, indistinguishable from evil soul masters, or even worse.
She absolutely would not permit her Water God Church and Canaan Academy to ultimately turn out a bunch of morally bankrupt, unbridled demons and monsters.
Thus, starting from cultural and moral education, guiding students from the very root, had become one of Canaan Academy's core tenets.
Bei Bei, after listening, nodded thoughtfully. If comprehensive education could truly reshape the cognition of soul masters and commoners alike, perhaps it could genuinely reduce the emergence of evil soul masters from the source.
After all, the vast majority of evil soul masters, aside from the inherent evil nature of their martial souls, were more so products of extremely twisted personalities who had never received proper moral education.
If Furina's measures could be truly implemented, it would undoubtedly be a benevolent deed benefiting the entire continent. Of course, the premise for all this was that the academy's teachers could truly teach with dedication; otherwise, it would all be empty talk.
Seeing how immersed everyone was in the discussion, Xiao Xiao, standing to the side, couldn't help but urge softly: "Alright, alright, let's not stand here chatting about theories anymore."
"Hurry and take us inside to see what Canaan Academy actually looks like, what they usually teach. I want to make a good comparison and see whether Shrek is truly better, or if your Canaan comes out on top!"
Ye Guyi, hearing this, smiled and made a gesture of invitation, saying gently: "Very well, then. Everyone, please follow me inside for the tour."
---------
I started a new translation and I would be very happy if you decided to check out my new translation for a rather rare fandom. It's a crossover based on Mondaiji (Problem Children Are Coming from Another World, Aren't They?)
Mondaiji: Am I A Dragon Species? https://www.webnovel.com/book/36661423108025005