Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 895 Why Just College?
Everyone stood in the sun, their shadows were stretched short, and it was obvious that it was noon.

Zhang Ci looked up at the sky and broke the silence: "Okay, it's noon. Let's eat something to replenish our energy, and then we will start to leave here."

Just then, a breeze blew by, bringing with it the unique fresh scent of the distant mountains and forests.

Chen Xiaojun took a deep breath, feeling the gift of nature, then turned to Zhang Ci and said, "Teacher Zhang, this cave is so spacious and warm, it's a great place for a barbecue. After we finish eating, we can take a good rest here."

Zhu Wuneng quickly agreed, "Yes, there is a cave here where we can have a barbecue! Ah Fu, come here and suck the poison back for me!"

Chen Shurui couldn't help but nod and said, "These Blazing Winged Spiritual Luans are all good things, don't waste them."

When everyone heard this, they all nodded.

After eating dry food for two or three days, my mouth is dry and tastes bitter.

This is the bad thing about the mountains, especially the Shero Mountains, where there are many birds and wolves, and people generally don't dare to make fires and create smoke, unlike in the forest where there are big trees to provide shelter.

Zhang Ci looked at the children with eager eyes, then looked around. This was the vicinity of a dormant volcano, so there was already a lot of smoke, so it should be okay to start a fire.

Zhang Ci thought about it, and finally nodded cautiously and said, "Okay, but be careful not to make the smoke too big and cause unnecessary trouble."

When Zhu Wuneng heard that he could barbecue, he immediately jumped up happily: "Great! I'll go find some firewood now!"

Chen Mu patted him and looked at him like a fool: "Why are you looking for firewood? There is flame grass below, just pick some."

Zhu Wuneng slapped his forehead and said, "Okay."

As he said this, he ran down the cave with springs installed on the soles of his feet.

Chen Mu smiled and shouted at his back: "Look at how anxious you are. The flame grass is over there. Pick it slowly. Don't be impatient."

Chen Shurui was not to be outdone. He rolled up his sleeves and acted like a chef: "Leave these Blazing-Winged Spiritual Phoenixes to me. I promise to turn them into a mouth-watering meal!"

Ma Liang and Ma Wencai came over and volunteered: "Myna, let us do it. We are good at dealing with feathers."

After saying that, they squatted down and began to pluck the feathers carefully, not even afraid of the heat.

Chen Shurui listened and nodded: "Okay, these feathers and other things are all good things. We have to collect them. We can sell them for money or do other things later."

"By the way, keep the parts with the logo. They can be exchanged for points for the academy."

"I remember there is a small stream five miles away. We can go there to get some clean water."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mu immediately volunteered: "Then I'll go get some water, and explore the surroundings to see if there's anything else that needs attention."

Chen Xiaojun took out something and said, "Old Five, be careful. Don't forget to bring this flare. If anything happens, send a signal immediately."

Chen Mu took the flare, nodded, and walked out of the cave.

The others also started to get busy, each doing their own job, busy and orderly. Chen Xiaojun also took out barbecue tools and a lot of spices from his new Void Bracelet.

This void bracelet is his other storage soul guide device. It has a large space of more than 100 square meters. It is a large commercial storage soul guide device given by the Ning family of Liuli Chamber of Commerce.

Otherwise, the storage space of ordinary soul guides is limited. Who would put a barbecue grill or something like that? It would be good enough to have spices.

In the past few years, he has been the Minister of Economic Management, and the families that have interacted with him have given him many good things.

This cave is quite large, nearly thirty meters wide. It seems that such a large cave was specially modified by the Fiery Winged Spirit Luan, otherwise it would be difficult to have such a large cave.

The lava walls and minerals in the cave complemented each other, making it quite warm. The firelight shining on their faces made them look particularly cozy.

Not long after, Chen Mu returned with clear water and reported that nothing unusual was found around.

Watching them busying around, Chen Xiaojun walked out of the cave and saw Zhang Ci standing aside, gesturing with a scroll in his hand. He sometimes frowned, and sometimes nodded thoughtfully.

Chen Xiaojun walked over and saw that it was a map of the nearby mountains.

"Teacher Zhang, are you researching the route?" Chen Xiaojun asked.

Zhang Ci looked up at him and said seriously, "We have now penetrated more than 200 miles, and the edge of the soul beast core area is just ahead."

"We have to turn here and avoid entering more dangerous areas."

The Xie Luo Mountains stretch for thousands of miles from east to west and are also quite wide from north to south, ranging from a few hundred miles to thousands of miles. The mountains on their side are eight or nine hundred miles wide.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaojun also put away his smile and nodded seriously: "I understand, we will be careful. However, for this Blazing Winged Spirit Luan, it is worth walking a few dozen miles more."

Zhang Ci nodded without refutation and continued, "This place is quite dangerous. Most of the soul beasts that are more than ten thousand years old live here. If you hadn't repeatedly assured me that it was okay, I really wouldn't dare to bring you here."

"From here, we can cross five mountains and reach Bailu Mountain where the Blazing Guardian Beast is in two days. Then we will reach the territory of the Shadow Scaled Beast."

"The environment along the way is very complex. We have to take detours in some places. We must act with caution."

“Let alone a 50,000-year-old True King-level high-level soul beast rushing out of the core area, we may even run into a powerful soul beast or a group of soul beasts on the road at any time, and then we will be in trouble.”

Chen Xiaojun chuckled and said, "It depends on your luck. If you really can't avoid it, then you can only fight it head-on."

Zhang Ci rolled his eyes helplessly and responded, "We'll talk about it when the time comes. It's too early to think about it now."

Chen Xiaojun didn't seem to want to stop there, and continued to ask: "Then does the teacher have any other tricks?"

Zhang Ci shook his head and said frankly: "No, if we can beat them, we fight, if we can't, we run away, but in most cases we choose to run away."

………………

Soon, wisps of smoke began to rise in the cave, carrying the appetizing aroma and spreading slowly.

Zhu Wuneng turned the skewer of meat in his hand while swallowing his saliva: "Oh, this smell is simply amazing! I can't wait!"

Chen Shurui smiled and handed him a skewer of grilled meat: "Don't worry, I'll give you the first skewer. Try it and see how it tastes."

Zhu Wuneng couldn't wait to take it, took a bite, and his eyes lit up immediately: "Wow! It's so delicious! The meat is tender and the spices are just right. It's simply a delicacy!"

Everyone sat around and began to enjoy this rare barbecue time.

Zhang Ci also temporarily put down the map and joined them.

Zhu Wuneng shouted happily, "Master, Teacher Zhang, the meat is ready. Do you want wings, legs, breasts, or the precious phoenix heart?"

Zhang Ci sniffed the alluring aroma and exclaimed, "I've heard of the reputation of Chen's new spices for a long time. After tasting it today, it really lives up to its reputation."

Zhu Wuneng proudly introduced: "This is sprinkled with cumin, there is chili powder and pepper salt powder on the table, and there are also various carefully prepared sauces over there, including seafood sauce, truffle sauce, dry pot sauce, everything you can think of."

Zhang Ci's eyes were attracted by the small piece of wing meat that exuded the aroma of cumin. "Let's take this. It looks very appetizing."

Sure enough, barbecue must be served with cumin and juejuezi.

Zhang Ci took a bite and felt extremely refreshed. The barbecue was yellow on the outside and tender on the inside, crispy but not greasy. A warm current instantly flowed through his body.

"The meat is of top quality, and the flavor of the spices makes it even better," Zhang Ci praised.

Zhu Wuneng laughed and said, "Teacher, your reaction is too exaggerated. You look like someone who has never tasted spices."

Zhang Ci smiled bitterly and said, "Although we have some of these new spices at home, the quantity is not large."

"How many good things can I buy with my meager salary?"

"This is all thanks to your Chen family, who have donated a lot of funds and materials to the college in recent years."

Although he was a senior teacher at Chang'an College and had a considerable salary, after deducting the expenses for cultivation and family, there was little left.

Speaking of the changes that the Chen family has brought to Chang'an College in recent years, in addition to the improvement of concepts, theories and influence, the most direct one is the generous donations.

For example, a large sum of money was used to maintain the college's daily needs and academic research, donated to build buildings, and provided a large amount of logistical material subsidies, such as elixirs, drinks, spices, etc.

The Chen family's actions also prompted various forces in Chang'an City to donate to Chang'an College. The college was even discussing various fundraising measures proposed by Chen Xiaojun, such as donating a monument, donating a commemorative album, and naming rights for facilities.

In addition to the direct funding from the Imperial Ministry of Education, the Chen family also successfully attracted more funding from the Chang'an government.

As soon as Chen Cong and Chen Xiaojun went to the Chang'an government office, the effect was immediate.

What's more, when the Chen family trades with other forces, they will secretly prompt the other party to give some donations or benefits to Chang'an College.

Because of this, the academic output of the college has grown significantly, and the welfare benefits of faculty have nearly doubled, with even more generous benefits such as pensions.

This quickly allowed Chen Cong and the Chen family to win the hearts of most faculty and staff, including some senior teachers.

After all, no one can resist money, especially at a time when the college’s teaching results are constantly improving.

Although Zhang Ci was born into a second-grade powerful family and possessed a mutated sixth-grade martial spirit, the Wild Wind Eagle, he was still considered a commoner in the world of soul masters, and his family could not provide him with too many training resources.

His martial soul mutated from the second grade to the sixth grade, which was already a considerable improvement, while Ma Wencai only improved from the second grade to the fifth grade.

Zhu Wuneng wiped the remaining oil stains from the corners of his mouth with satisfaction, his face filled with a contented smile.

Seeing this, Gao Cuilan gently handed him a tissue and said with a hint of reproach: "It's really ugly. Don't wipe it with your hands all the time. Don't you know that?"

Zhu Wuneng chuckled and responded nonchalantly: "Teacher, Master, what were you two talking about just now?"

Chen Xiaojun glanced at her and said with a smile: "Teacher, he is actually worried about you. He is afraid that you will be roasted and eaten by the soul beast. Then he will not be able to explain to others."

Zhang Ci also smiled and continued, "Well, I am always worried every day when I take care of you precious students."

Su Ningxia covered her mouth and chuckled, "Hehe, the counselor is worried about you too."

Chen Shurui nodded and agreed, "Yes, yes, yes. The deputy class teacher looked worried and about to cry that day. He seemed to be very distressed about you."

Chen Mu also joined in the teasing, "Cousin, do you regret being your teacher's assistant?"

Zhang Ci was amused by everyone and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "How can it be so exaggerated as you say."

The deputy class leader is their counselor Mu Zilian, who is also Chen Mu's cousin. This class can be said to be led by the couple Zhang Ci and Mu Zilian.

There was a hint of helplessness in Zhang Ci's words, but also a hint of warmth.

He looked at Chen Mu, his eyes flickering with a bit of smile, "Shu Rui, don't talk nonsense, your deputy classmate is very dedicated to her duties and has never regretted it. Besides, with her around, I feel a lot more at ease."

Chen Shurui chuckled and shrugged, "I was just joking to liven up the atmosphere."

"But seriously, teacher, you and the deputy class leader are the pillars of our class. With you around, we feel especially at ease."

Zhang Ci rolled his eyes at them and said, "Eat yours."

Just as everyone was immersed in warmth and joy, enjoying the rare leisure time.

At this moment, a slight vibration came from deep in the cave, attracting everyone's attention.

This sudden change made everyone's nerves tense.

Chen Mu was the first to react. He quickly put down the food in his hand and looked around vigilantly: "What's going on? Is there a soul beast approaching?"

Zhang Ci frowned, motioned for everyone to keep quiet, and then tiptoed towards the direction where the vibration came from. The vibration was getting stronger and stronger.

"What's going on? Is it an earthquake?" Zhu Wuneng stood up vigilantly, and his hands unconsciously clenched a little.

Zhang Ci's eyes also became serious, "Everyone be careful, it might be an earthquake. Quick, move to the inner side of the cave, it's relatively safe there."

Under Zhang Ci's command, everyone moved quickly and orderly to the inside of the cave, with their backs against the hard stone wall.

Gao Cuilan held Zhu Wuneng's hand tightly, while Chen Bin and Chen Shurui stood on both sides of Chen Xiaojun.

As the shaking intensified, everyone began to sway, but because they were leaning against the mountain wall, they were able to stand steadily.

The vibration lasted for five minutes and then gradually subsided.

It looks like a minor earthquake, and the cave seems very solid, with no landslides or anything.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but they did not let down their guard.

"Is everyone okay?" Zhang Ci looked around and felt relieved only after confirming that everyone was safe.

At this moment, Ma Liang suddenly pointed to a corner of the cave and shouted, "Look! What is that?"

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, and saw that a crack had appeared in a corner of the cave during the previous vibration, and a soft light was faintly visible from the crack.

Ma Liang walked forward, and when he was almost there, he accidentally kicked a strange stone. The stone emitted a faint fluorescence and stood out against the reflection of the lava wall.

He bent down curiously and looked at it carefully.

"Hey, come and see what this is?" Ma Liang greeted everyone excitedly.

Hearing this, everyone gathered around.

Chen Shurui narrowed his eyes, carefully identified it, and said in surprise: "Isn't this the 'Spiritual Marrow Stone'?"

"This is a rare ore that can be refined into high-quality Horcrux materials!"

Zhang Ci also came over, carefully observed the Spiritual Marrow Stone, and nodded: "Yes, this is indeed a Spiritual Marrow Stone."

"It seems that we are lucky to encounter this rare ore here."

Zhu Wuneng's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "Then let's quickly mine some, this kind of ore is a rare treasure!"

So, everyone took out their mining tools and started digging carefully.

Mining tools are a must when going out. Who doesn't want to dig something?

This rare mineral is not only priceless, but also extremely helpful in improving soul power cultivation.

With the joint efforts of everyone, a large pile of spirit marrow stones were quickly collected.

They were very excited and carefully collected the minerals and brought them back to the college for further research and use.

Zhang Ci sighed softly and said with emotion: "I never thought that our luck would be so good."

Chen Xiaojun's eyes were sharp as he analyzed, "There must be more than this amount of minerals. They were probably scattered when the volcano erupted in the past."

"The specific reasons still need to be investigated, but it seems that this place is worth our careful exploration."

Chen Mu reminded from the side: "But we don't have much time."

Chen Xiaojun waved his hand and said, "It's okay. We will report to the college and let the college handle it. Teacher Zhang, what do you think?"

Zhang Ci nodded and agreed: "Let's handle it this way for now."

Seeing that Zhang Ci had no objection, Chen Xiaojun said, "Teacher, I have a few more things I need to consult you about."

As he said that, he pulled Zhang Ci out of the cave.

Zhang Ci asked in confusion, "Xiaojun, what do you want to ask?"

Chen Xiaojun nodded slightly and asked, "Teacher Zhang, has our college's mountain patrol department set up any forward exploration bases?"

Zhang Ci replied: "Rarely, only occasionally when we need to go deep into the mountains will we set up a temporary one."

"Of course, the maps we explore and turn in will also earn us some points."

Chen Xiaojun looked around and analyzed, "I have observed this along the way. This is near a volcano. Although there are not many soul beasts entrenched here, there are abundant resources and soul beasts within a radius of dozens of miles."

He paused, then continued, "I think we can use this cave as a base to explore the surrounding resources."

"In addition, this way, we can avoid the hardship of long journeys and improve our training efficiency."

Zhang Ci frowned when he heard this and asked, "Efficiency? What kind of efficiency can there be here? We don't need to stay here for a long time."

Chen Xiaojun explained: "Our senior students either have too little practical experience, or they find ways to come here to hunt souls or gain experience."

“I think we can give them more opportunities.”

Zhang Ci seemed to understand what Chen Xiaojun meant and asked, "Are you saying that our senior students lack practical experience?"

Chen Xiaojun nodded and said, "The teaching of our college's senior department is more theoretical, and the practical aspects are more free."

Zhang Ci raised his eyebrows, "So, your suggestion is to set up a temporary base outside the Patrol Camp fifty miles away as a training ground for the students."

Chen Xiaojun said slowly: "Well, I have read the relevant course materials. The first three years of the advanced department do focus on the inculcation of theoretical knowledge, and practical exercises are mostly limited to places such as the Great Fighting Spirit Arena."

"In the last three years, it is basically internship and self-study. Overall, our teaching method is indeed biased towards theory, with a bit of an ivory tower flavor."

Zhang Ci smiled softly and responded, "We are just an academy after all."

Chen Xiaojun shook his head and said in a heavy tone: "Why is it just a college? Or why is it just an ivory tower type of college?"

“In other words, the poor performance of our senior colleges over the past few decades may not be unrelated to this teaching model.”

Zhang Ci fell into deep thought after hearing this.

Chen Xiaojun continued, "We are an official academy and an important part of the defense system, equivalent to a paramilitary organization."

"Therefore, we must not only train superiors, but also train practical soul masters!"

"Besides, the number of soul beasts has increased a lot over the years."

"Although the authorities only require us to clear the soul beasts within a fifty-mile radius as a buffer zone, it is essential to conduct a preliminary exploration to a distance of two hundred miles."

Zhang Ci said with some concern: "If this happens, the casualties may increase, and it will be difficult for us to explain it."

Chen Xiaojun smiled slightly and explained: "Then we can take voluntary principles as the principle, increase the points reward, and attract senior students to participate."

"In this way, we will be almost the same as those mercenaries."

"Anyway, many senior students like to fight and join organizations such as mercenaries."

"Moreover, we can also purchase some resources such as medicinal herbs, minerals, and soul beast materials, so that they can also reduce some purchase costs and achieve a win-win situation for both parties."

He paused, and added: "Also, the environment here is like a high-level fire-type mimic environment, which is very suitable for fire-attribute soul masters to practice, and the resources are relatively abundant."

"You saw the Spiritual Marrow Stone just now. This is an undeveloped virgin land."

"More importantly, this will also reduce the workload and casualties of the Rangers."

After listening to Chen Xiaojun's words, Zhang Ci said helplessly: "Xiaojun, why are you telling me this? I'm just a small teacher. You can directly ask Dean Chen."

Chen Xiaojun smiled and replied, "No, it's more appropriate for you to ask."

Zhang Ci was stunned. He didn't say anything and just looked at Chen Xiaojun quietly.

Chen Xiaojun's eyes flashed with a sly look, and he continued, "Teacher Zhang, please don't underestimate yourself."

"In the academy, you are a mentor who is deeply respected and loved by students. They will listen to your words carefully."

"Besides, I know that you have a close relationship with Vice Dean Yinhuang. Since you made this suggestion, he will definitely pay more attention to it."

"After all, it's all for the future of the college and the development of the students."

After hearing what Chen Xiaojun said, Zhang Ci felt a little amused and helpless.

Chen Xiaojun was complimenting him, but in his heart he had to admit that what he said made sense.

"However, you must first give me a detailed plan, including how to set up a forward base, how to attract senior students to participate, how to ensure safety, etc."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaojun nodded and said, "Don't worry, Teacher Zhang, I've been prepared for a long time, just waiting for you to say this!"

As he spoke, he handed Zhang Ci a thick plan, which listed in detail the matters and arrangements for setting up a forward base.

Chen Xiaojun added: "This is just a blueprint. You can modify and polish it as you wish."

Zhang Ci couldn't help but be stunned. He just responded casually, but his head seemed to be hit by a hammer. He muttered: "It's obvious that they have been waiting for me to fall into the trap!"

Chen Xiaojun saw this and chuckled, saying, "How can that be, Teacher Zhang?"

"If this fails, you won't lose anything. We are all concerned about the development of the college. But if it succeeds, you will have made an invaluable contribution!"

He paused, then continued, "Besides, are you really willing to be just an ordinary senior teacher?"

"You are only thirty years old, but you have already reached the level of a mid-level Soul Emperor. You are no less capable than the descendants of the big families."

"Think about Sister Zilian. She is willing to spend her life with you wholeheartedly."

"Most women from aristocratic families are inevitably used for marriage alliances. You can imagine how much pressure she must have endured to marry you."

"Don't you want to stand out and make her look better in front of her family?"

After hearing Chen Xiaojun's words, Zhang Ci felt a complex and indescribable feeling in his heart. His hands clasped together involuntarily, revealing his inner turmoil.

He knew Chen Xiaojun's intention and understood why he wanted to make this suggestion through him.

It is simply because, if Chen Xiaojun directly puts forward this plan, it may be misunderstood as the Chen family's intention, which is too strong and may cause some unnecessary suspicion, backlash or excessive attention.

In addition, this is also a way for Chen Xiaojun to win over himself.

This action proved that Zhang Ci was qualified and worthy of being won over, whether because of his potential or because of the connections he had behind him.

Thinking of this, Zhang Ci subconsciously took the plan handed over by Chen Xiaojun and carefully read it page by page.

After he finished browsing, he couldn't help but nodded and said, "Well, this plan is indeed very well thought out."

"Then I'll try to modify it and submit it to the master to see what he thinks."

(End of this chapter)