Tomorrow is the day to head back.
Inside the camp,
Su Hao was still writing training plans.
As his reputation gradually spread, more and more elite spirit tamers came seeking him out.
It caught him off guard.
Gold truly shines wherever it goes.
But too many also troubled him.
Even if he could compress it to one plan per hour, he couldn't design training plans for every spirit tamer's spirits.
He, the great spirit cultivator Su, had to use his brain to conceive these plans!
It was exhausting!
Most importantly, while his brain's analysis might be sped up further, handwritten plans couldn't be rushed.
One hour was the limit.
Brain: Hurry up, hurry up.
Hand: I can't do it, my liege.
Why make things hard for himself? Su Hao didn't bother compressing the time further; two or three hours was fine.
It wouldn't make him seem too unproductive.
A bit of slacking kept him from overworking.
As for money?
Earning a little less was okay—he wasn't a money-grubber like the Dream Moth. Wasn't earning over two million in a few days enough?
"Guno?!?!"
Staring at the one, two, three, four, five, six... so many zeros in Su Hao's account.
The little guy fell into deep thought.
Sure enough, his way of making money was all wrong, guno~!
...
The next day, the research team began their return journey.
Except for a short break for lunch, they traveled all day. By the time they reached the starting point, Deer Snow Town, the sky was already dusky.
The spirit cultivators were exhausted.
Especially the female ones—fatigue and drowsiness were manageable.
But not being able to bathe for over ten days in the wild was tough, especially for those like Tang Xin from the south.
One by one, they rushed into the inn and slammed the doors shut.
Elite spirit tamers like Zhong Yunrui, however, were long used to it, whistling as they went off to find fun.
Before leaving, they invited Su Hao.
But...
He refused with righteous indignation.
Not because he was shy, but because he still had to earn money to eat.
"I've got three orders left. I'll finish them tonight."
—Not every spirit tamer came to consult him.
Some thought their own training plans were good enough, others didn't bother to get on his radar... cough, didn't recognize his brilliance.
Also, while others could easily see his analysis of spirits' strengths and weaknesses,
the quality of his training plans wasn't something these spirit tamers could grasp at a glance—it needed time to verify.
In the end, it came down to a lack of fame.
And being a spirit cultivator was a profession that thrived on reputation.
Professional ratings? Junior? Intermediate? Senior? Too vague.
Many spirit tamers, especially wealthy ones, preferred famous spirit cultivators.
The earning power of an average spirit cultivator versus a renowned one was worlds apart.
For example, Professor Meng was a well-known senior spirit cultivator.
Many sought her consultations, but money was just the basics—you needed an appointment, even a certain status.
At Master Chen Ping's level, he no longer did consultations at all. Only天王-level spirit tamers or personal connections could get him to act.
"But once Brother Zhong and the others verify the excellence of my plans, the name of me, the great spirit cultivator Su, should spread a little.
"At least, I can develop a few steady clients."
...
Back in Deer Snow Town, they registered with the original zone's management, collected their pay, and the job was officially over.
The Water Spirit Foal was part of the "pay." Su Hao took it to the management office to register, input its info, and upload it to the Spirit Tamer Alliance. From then on, he had three spirits under his name.
Dream Moth, Flame Crow, Water Spirit Foal.
Plus himself, they could make a full mahjong table.
"If I contract one more spirit, could we five-stack for a game?"
Though Su Hao doubted the operational skills of Flame Crow and Water Spirit Foal.
After resting a night in Deer Snow Town, the team members began to leave one by one. Someone chartered a bus, and Su Hao was about to hitch a ride.
As he came downstairs, he ran into Professor Meng and a few others having breakfast.
"Xiao Su."
She waved him over.
Su Hao put on a warm, pleasant smile and walked over. "Good morning, Professor Meng."
Professor Meng, well into her forties but still elegant from good upkeep, sized up the young man.
She hadn't known who Su Hao was at first.
Hiring some spirit cultivators for the team was just to reduce workload and save time—they were tools, and she didn't care who they were.
But later, when those spirit tamers sought Su Hao for consultations, it caught her attention.
A little digging, and she realized it was that Su Hao.
The one who, at a young age, had discovered a new evolution path for a spirit.
Maybe there was some luck involved, but fortune only favors those who put in the effort.
She admired talented, hardworking juniors.
So she asked directly, "Interested in coming to Molong University?"
She paused, "Though Molong University isn't a top-tier school, its spirit cultivation program isn't far behind. If you want to come, the university can admit you directly under a special recruitment status.
"Not only that, the school can allocate resources your way—you can enter any original zone within the Dragon Kingdom, my lab will be open to you, and if you achieve certain results and are willing to stay on, the school can help you build your own research team and lab.
"At a prestigious school, it's hard to get such good treatment."
After her words, Professor Meng's students were stunned.
Who was this Su Hao?
It wasn't that they were ignorant—modern society had too much scattered info. They knew about the Dream Moth evolution paper, but who remembered the author?
Most of them hadn't even read the paper.
Even Su Hao was a bit surprised.
He had to admit, Professor Meng's offer was quite generous.
In terms of research resources alone, Molong University wasn't far behind the top schools.
Building a spirit cultivation lab and assembling a research team cost a fortune.
Su Hao had looked into it.
High-level spirit cultivators all had assistants or students.
For instance, Professor Meng's team and lab were one of Molong University's flagship assets.
Su Hao also wanted to build a team to better leverage his panel's value.
But it was too early.
He had neither the funds nor the strength.
Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't rely on others' help—a team built by his own hands wouldn't be beholden to anyone.
He pretended to think for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "Thank you for your regard, Professor Meng, but I've already decided to major in spirit combat, so..."
Professor Meng looked a bit regretful but didn't press further.
After a few more words, Su Hao left.
Only when Professor Meng finished breakfast and left did her students start whispering, all asking who Su Hao was.
Someone, out of curiosity, pulled out their phone and searched. One look...
"Whoa! Awesome! Incredible!"
Luo Cheng walked over to glance at it, staggering as if struck by thunder.
It was one thing to be outdone in spirits—after all, spirit cultivation was his forte—but why...
"It seems like my cultivation skills and research ability can't match his either?!"
"Be confident..." his senior said.
Luo Cheng looked at him like he'd found a lifeline.
Then he heard,
"Take out the 'seems like.'"
Luo Cheng: "???"
...
An City,
The sky wasn't as blue as in the original zone, and the bustling crowds were noisy, but it was the city he knew best.
Su Hao took a deep breath.
"I'm back. From now on, I can seriously prepare for the college entrance exams."