"Three down, now I only need one more," Max mumbled after recruiting the boy with Angel Wings, checking the token he had gotten from Spirit Hall's branch. "Hmm… Lulu, with her Bun Martial Spirit, can act as support — but the team still needs a proper auxiliary spirit master."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Let me see if I can find another plant-type Spirit — preferably Blue Silver Grass, just to disgust Yu Xiaogang," Max said with a smirk.
He looked back at the Spirit Awakening data, and soon found a potential candidate — a boy with the Blue Silver Grass martial spirit but with only Innate Level 3 spirit power.
"Low innate power, but that doesn't matter," Max muttered. "Talent isn't everything — compatibility and training matter more."
Max soon recruited the boy. The child came from a humble farming family, so Max helped them a bit by giving them some money and noted down the boy's home address for pickup. The family was overwhelmed with gratitude.
With all recruits gathered, Max returned to the house.
"Hmm… still big enough for over fifty spirit elders, so housing isn't a problem," he thought aloud. "But now I need to find an academy."
He rubbed his temples.
"We're in Soto City. There are only two options here… both more or less useless."
He sighed.
"One is Barak Academy — average at best. The other... Shrek Academy," Max muttered as he rolled his eyes. "The place that calls itself the home of monsters."
He clicked his tongue.
"Hmm, I could easily take over Shrek Academy… but what's the point? Let's just leave something for Yu Xiaogang to play with."
He smirked.
"I think it's better if I just create my own academy."
With that decision made, Max began laying down the plans. A day passed quietly, though Arlecchino and the others had still not returned — likely still helping his girls obtain their Spirit Rings.
Suddenly, Max heard the sound of voices from outside. He walked to the front entrance of the mansion and saw Lulu, accompanied by her parents — a middle-aged couple who looked both nervous and curious.
"Hello! Please come in," Max said politely, gesturing for them to enter the large hall he had already prepared for receiving them.
Lulu's mother, holding the hand of the six-year-old girl, looked around cautiously. "This… this isn't a scam, right?" she asked warily.
The baker father gently patted her back and spoke in a quiet tone, "No, I don't think so. He looks like a student too… Maybe the elders are out right now."
While they whispered to each other, Lulu approached Max with a slightly puffed-up expression. "You didn't tell me your name last time you came," she said in a cute voice, hands on her hips.
Max smiled lightly and replied, "I did say it. My name is Mo Tian."
"Oh! My name is Xu Lulu," she said proudly, puffing out her tiny chest.
Max nodded. "Please wait here a bit. Our master is a Titled Douluo, and three others in our group just reached level 10, so she went to help them obtain their first Spirit Rings. That's why they're not back yet."
Both parents looked at each other in shock. "Titled Douluo?" the father asked, wide-eyed.
Max nodded. "Yes. Her name is Arlecchino. The token I showed you before was originally hers."
The couple nodded again, clearly trying to process everything. "The others will arrive soon," Max continued. "Once they're here, I'll explain everything to all of you."
As Max finished settling Lulu and her parents in, the front gates of the mansion creaked open again. A Spirit Hall attendant escorted three more children inside, each with a distinct presence — and all of them had a hint of nervousness in their eyes.
"Ah, you three made it," Max said, stepping forward to greet them.
The first was Yang Ming, the shy grandson of an old tailor. His martial spirit was a Handkerchief, widely regarded as useless by most. He walked in clutching a small cloth in his hands, head lowered slightly. But when his eyes met Max's, he stood a little straighter.
"Good to see you again, Yang Ming," Max said warmly. "This is your new home."
The second was Elior, the boy with angelic wings sprouting from his back. Though his innate spirit power was only level 1, his martial spirit was unique and rare. His silver-white feathers shimmered subtly even under ordinary light, and despite his weak power, there was something noble in his aura.
"I hope you didn't run into too many stares on the way here," Max said with a chuckle.
Li Tian shook his head quietly. "I'm used to it."
"And the last one..." Max looked past the two to the boy who looked timid.
It was Lan Hui, the boy with the Blue Silver Grass Martial Spirit.
"Great, you're all here," Max said, leading them inside. He pointed toward where Lulu was sitting alone and then gestured to the other side. "Lulu, these are your future teammates."
The young girl blinked as the three boys nervously settled near her.
Max looked at them with a lazy grin and began explaining. "All of you come from humble backgrounds. Lulu is the daughter of a baker. Yang Ming's grandfather works at a tailor shop. Lan Hui's parents are farmers. And yet… fate brought you all here."
He leaned back and said, "Your master will be Arlecchino, a peak-level Spirit Master — Title Douluo, Level 95. She's not just powerful… she's dangerous. Most people don't believe she exists, but that just makes it more fun for us."
Max paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"She'll be opening her own academy soon. And you four? You're the first batch of students. That means you'll get the best resources, the most attention, and the greatest opportunities."
The kids' eyes widened, especially Lulu's. "W-We're the first batch?" she murmured, glancing at her father.
Max smirked. "That's right. You're not just students — you're the foundation. The future."
Her father, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke with a proud smile. "If all this is true… then Lulu, you've been given a great chance. Make the most of it."
***
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