A month passed like this, and Li Minghong finally cleared the challenge dungeon, obtaining a very simple-named cultivation technique: "Shadow Art."
However, after this cultivation technique integrated into Li Minghong's mind, he realized that this seemingly ordinary technique was anything but ordinary!
The cultivation technique has three layers and requires a very small amount of spirit power to maintain.
The First Layer allows for perfect concealment of one's spirit power level and spirit ring age. This means that unless a god descends, it's impossible to detect Li Minghong's true spirit power level and spirit ring age. Additionally, it slightly weakens his aura.
Roughly, Spirit Grandmasters and below wouldn't be able to detect Li Minghong's aura at all.
Li Minghong directly reached the First Layer after the cultivation technique integrated into his mind.
The Second Layer increases the effect of weakening the aura, making it undetectable to Soul Emperors and below.
The Third Layer is even stronger; unless a god breaks through the boundary, they won't be able to detect Li Minghong's aura even in the God Realm.
Although it has no offensive capabilities, it solved Li Minghong's immediate urgent problem and will be extremely useful in the future.
The cultivation method is also very simple: just continuously use this technique, and it will slowly break through on its own.
"Oh my, I realize now that I'm both overworking and being a hidden schemer, stacking buffs here!"
Li Minghong sighed with emotion.
"Since I've got the cultivation technique, I'll prepare to leave for Soto City in the next two days."
Just as Li Minghong stood up, the spirit power within his body suddenly vibrated.
"My spirit power has broken through to rank fourteen!"
Under Li Minghong's intense efforts this month, sleeping only two and a half hours a day, he finally broke through one rank. This was truly… too slow!
This made Li Minghong even more eager to go to Soto City.
He packed his luggage, and the next day, he asked the dean and Stone Uncle for a long leave. As for the reason...
It was that his grandfather's severe illness had relapsed.
Seeing Li Minghong's filial piety, the two didn't say much and immediately approved, telling him to take good care of his grandfather.
He took a carriage and headed to Soto City.
Soto City and Nuo Ding City both belong to Fasinuo Province, so it didn't take long to arrive.
Walking into Soto City, he couldn't help but sigh; it was much more prosperous than Nuo Ding City.
He walked onto the main street and saw a fruit stand, where he began to pick and choose from the display.
"Hey! What would you like to eat?"
The shopkeeper saw Li Minghong and enthusiastically greeted him.
Because of Li Minghong's attire, he seemed to be from a well-off family.
Li Minghong received five silver Spirit coins every month, which was more than enough for him to spend, so he didn't stint on buying clothes or anything else.
"How much for this apple?"
He casually picked up an apple and weighed it in his hand.
"This one, two copper Spirit coins per jin!"
Li Minghong nodded at the words, and while picking, he asked, "Do you know the way to Shrek Academy? I've always heard that Shrek Academy students are exceptionally strong after graduating, and it seems they can directly become a viscount of the Heaven Dou Empire?"
Hearing this, the shop assistant was stunned for a moment, then immediately put on a smiling face again.
"From this small shop, go straight left for about a kilometer, and you'll reach Shrek."
At this point, the person seemed to open up.
"Let me tell you, a relative's child had innate spirit power of six! That was quite good! But when he went to Shrek Academy to register, he was still turned away, and the one Spirit coins registration fee was not refunded!"
The shop assistant shook his head and sighed.
"Although it's said that a great reputation is never undeserved, I think..."
At this point, the shop assistant hesitated.
"What is it? Keep going!"
Li Minghong also wanted to hear what the shop assistant had to say.
Hearing Li Minghong's words, the shop assistant leaned close to Li Minghong's ear and whispered, "I think Shrek Academy's students are so strong after graduating precisely because they only recruit geniuses."
"Think about it, no matter how you train a genius, aren't they still a genius?"
The shop assistant was also kind, finding Li Minghong somewhat likable and buying things at his shop, so he quietly reminded him.
"We locals of Soto City don't go to Shrek to register! Previously, the son of our Soto City Lord had innate spirit power of nine! The Shrek dean personally came to recruit him, but the city lord didn't agree! Those who come to register for Shrek are basically outsiders!"
"Moreover, the reputation of their academy's teachers here is really bad. I think you should think it over carefully before deciding whether to register!"
Hearing this, Li Minghong chuckled.
He waved his hand and said, "Alright! Thank you!"
After leaving the shop, he turned left.
"Hey! Take care!"
The shop assistant smiled as he saw Li Minghong off, then turned around and found the bag full of apples still sitting there.
"Hey! That brat! Not buying anything! And I said so much! Ungrateful little rascal!"
Meanwhile, Li Minghong walked leisurely with his hands behind his back, occasionally observing his surroundings.
"Looking at the personalities of the Shrek teachers in the original work, it's clear that their relationship with the residents of Soto City probably wasn't very good."
"It's just a third-rate academy composed of a cunning merchant and a bunch of ruffians."
He kept walking forward, and the number of people around him decreased, and the environment became increasingly desolate.
After walking a kilometer, he finally saw the so-called Shrek Academy.
"Although the original work described it as dilapidated, I didn't expect it to be this broken!"
The gate of Shrek Academy before him consisted of two dilapidated wooden poles supporting a moss-covered board, on which the five large characters "Shrek Academy" were crookedly written in charcoal.
Seeing this, Li Minghong couldn't help but scratch his butt, greatly shocked.
"Flander really knows how to save money. This is definitely the academy that spends the least money on the entire continent!"
Li Minghong felt that even a pigsty in the countryside might be better than this.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
A man with rectangular glasses and deep-set features flew over. What was most striking about him was his distinctive hooked nose.
"Uh, I'm just looking at this academy because I heard it's very powerful."
Hearing Li Minghong's words, Flander was quite pleased, and in a good mood, he directly asked, "What is your innate spirit power level? What is your Martial Soul?"
"My innate spirit power is rank one, and my Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass."
Hearing this, Flander's eyes immediately widened, and his expression instantly changed.
"Scram, scram, scram! Little brat, don't stay here and affect our academy's reputation!"
Upon hearing this, Li Minghong was furious, and then he simply! Turned and left.
Beat Flander to vent his anger? Don't be silly, is he going to seek death?
After he turned and walked away, a boy with peach blossom eyes and white hair, and another boy with a head full of red hair, were walking arm in arm, beaming with joy, towards Shrek Academy.
[Dungeon Activated: Young Ma Hongjun]
The incoming people were Oscar and Ma Hongjun.
"It's fine for Ma Hongjun to go! But you, Oscar, also have evil fire, don't you!"
Behind him, Flander's scolding voice came.
"Why was only Ma Hongjun's dungeon activated? What about Oscar's?"