"Are you watching?" Su Chen murmured. "The lights of Tian Dou City are brighter than they have ever been. Your sacrifices were not in vain. This land, these people, will keep living on well. Your convictions, we will carry forward. Your guardianship, we will continue to uphold."
The night breeze blew, the leaves outside the window rustling as if in response to his words.
Under the same night sky, at the other end of Tian Dou City, in a small courtyard, a little girl sat on the steps, looking up at the stars in the sky.
"Grandpa, you said Lord Qian Renxue and the others turned into stars, is that true?" The little girl turned her head and asked the old man sitting behind her.
The old man smiled and patted the little girl's head. "It's true. They turned into the three brightest stars, watching over us from the sky forever."
"Can they see us?" the little girl asked again.
"Yes," the old man said. "As long as we have them in our hearts, they can see us."
The little girl nodded, then shouted loudly at the sky: "Lord Qian Renxue! Commander Zhao Feng! Lord Lin Mo! Thank you! I will grow up well! And I will protect this land just like you!"
Her tender voice echoed in the night sky, traveling far, far away.
In the sky, three stars suddenly twinkled at the exact same time, as if responding to the little girl's shout.
...
Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, another year had passed.
The atmosphere of the Heroic Spirits Memorial Day remained solemn and majestic, but the sorrow had gradually faded, replaced by a warm and resolute strength. People no longer just wept and mourned; they began to think about how to carry forward the spirit of the heroic spirits.
The Tian Dou Empire's imperial family issued a decree—to establish "Heroic Spirits Academies" nationwide, specifically to cultivate young Soul Masters with a spirit of guardianship. The academy would not teach combat skills, nor would it teach soul power cultivation; it would only teach one thing: conviction.
The drafter of this decree was Su Chen.
Su Chen stood before the very first foundation stone of the Heroic Spirits Academy, holding a shovel, ready to dig the first scoop of earth. Behind him stood the Emperor of the Tian Dou Empire, civil and military officials, representatives of various factions, and tens of thousands of ordinary civilians.
"Everyone." Su Chen turned to face the crowd. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "Today, we establish the Heroic Spirits Academy here, not to cultivate powerful Soul Masters, but to cultivate people with conviction. The sacrifices of Lord Qian Renxue, Commander Zhao Feng, and Lord Lin Mo tell us a truth—true power does not come from Martial Souls, nor from soul power, but from within. Only when the heart is strong enough can one truly protect what they wish to protect."
In the crowd, some sobbed softly, some nodded silently, some clenched their fists, and some closed their eyes to pray.
Su Chen continued, "The Heroic Spirits Academy will have no entrance exams, no graduation exams, no tuition fees, no age limits, and no status restrictions. As long as you have a heart to protect, as long as you are willing to inherit the conviction of the heroic spirits, you can come here to learn."
These words caused a sensation. No tuition fees, no age limits, no status restrictions—this meant anyone could enter the Heroic Spirits Academy to learn. This was simply unheard of in the strictly hierarchical Douluo Continent.
Some questioned it, some opposed it, and some mocked it as a sheer fantasy. But Su Chen remained unmoved; he believed that the power of conviction required no thresholds.
The first scoop of earth was dug, and the construction of the Heroic Spirits Academy officially began.
Three months later, the academy was completed. Rather than an academy, it was more akin to a massive memorial hall. In the center of the academy stood a tall tower. At its peak were enshrined the statues of Qian Renxue, Zhao Feng, and Lin Mo, and the body of the tower was inscribed with the names of heroic spirits—those who had sacrificed their lives in the great war a millennium ago.
Surrounding the tower were classrooms, a library, and training grounds, but all the buildings shared a common characteristic—simple and solemn, without any superfluous decorations, bearing only one sentence carved into their walls: "The heroic spirits are immortal; our guardianship will never cease."
The first batch of students numbered only three hundred. There were ten-year-old children, fifty-year-old elders, noble scions, commoners, Soul Masters, and ordinary people. Their reasons for coming here varied, but they all shared one common trait—they all wanted to become people like Qian Renxue, Zhao Feng, and Lin Mo.
Su Chen stood on the podium, looking at the three hundred faces below, a complex emotion welling up in his heart. Among these people, some were extraordinarily gifted, some had mediocre aptitudes, some were high-spirited, and some had confused looks in their eyes. But they all chose to come here, choosing to inherit the conviction of the heroic spirits.
"Everyone," Su Chen spoke, his voice calm and resolute. "Welcome to the Heroic Spirits Academy. Here, I will not teach you how to fight, nor will I teach you how to elevate your soul power. I will only teach you one thing—what conviction is."
"Conviction is not a slogan, not empty words, not pretty platitudes to be挂在嘴边. Conviction is the power that makes you make the right decision when you face a choice; it is the courage that makes you keep moving forward when you are in a desperate situation; it is the light that guides your way when you feel lost."
"Lord Qian Renxue, as the Angel God, could have stood high above, enjoying the glory and power of a deity. But when she saw the continent fall into crisis, she chose to sacrifice herself, fusing her soul into the seal, trading a millennium of solitude for the continent's peace. This is conviction."
"Commander Zhao Feng, as the commander of the Heroic Spirits Army, could have led the army to retreat and preserve their lives. But when he saw Lord Qian Renxue sacrifice herself, he chose to stay, chose to protect, trading a millennium of steadfast guarding for the continent's safety. This is conviction."
"Lord Lin Mo, as the inheritor of the Holy Angel Abyssal Dragon Emperor Martial Soul, could have left alone to find other solutions. But when he saw Lord Qian Renxue and Commander Zhao Feng needed help, he chose to join them, chose to sacrifice, trading the self-detonation of his soul for the destruction of the Seed of the Void. This is conviction."
Su Chen's voice grew louder and more resolute: "They tell us that conviction is not for showing off, not for parading, but for practicing. True conviction is believing in light even in the darkest moments, holding onto hope even in the most desperate moments, and choosing to move forward even in the most difficult moments."
Below the stage, three hundred pairs of eyes sparkled with light. Some shed tears, some clenched their fists, some murmured softly, and some prayed silently. They might not have fully understood Su Chen's words, but they all felt that power—the power of conviction, the power of the heroic spirits.
"From today onward, you will become the inheritors of conviction." Su Chen looked at everyone, saying word by word, "You do not need to become powerful Soul Masters, nor do you need to become high-ranking, influential figures. You only need to remember one thing—no matter what difficulties you encounter, no matter what choices you face, you must ask yourselves: If Lord Qian Renxue, Commander Zhao Feng, and Lord Lin Mo were here, what would they do? And then, do exactly as they would do."
The voices of three hundred people rang out in unison, resolute and forceful: "Yes!"
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