Douluo Continent, my martial soul is a mushroom.

Chapter 41 The Imperial Clan: Mimicry Cultivation

Chi Ping envisioned two initial funding sources for Shrek Academy: developing medicinal herb cultivation and selling light industrial machinery.

For the academy to develop, medicinal herbs are indispensable. Shrek Academy is an academy that trains Soul Masters, and Soul Masters cannot live without competition and combat. Furthermore, in Chi Ping's plan, dietary supplements and medicinal cuisine will also become a benefit of Shrek Academy in the future. Rather than relying on others, it's better to be self-reliant.

Moreover, Chi Ping is confident that, relying on the mycelium's ability to transform and control the land, the medicinal herbs produced in his cultivated medicinal fields will be among the top in terms of yield and quality!

In terms of light industrial machinery, Chi Ping certainly couldn't do it on his own, so he approached Tang San.

When Tang San acquired the Human-Faced Demon Spider's spirit ring, he hunted the spirit beast almost entirely alone. At that time, he used a type of mechanical hidden weapon called the "Zhuge Divine Crossbow." This was the handheld hidden weapon that Ning Rongrong and Chi Ping discussed during their heart-to-heart talk. Chi Ping had seen the Zhuge Divine Crossbow and knew that Tang San's mechanical design and manufacturing skills were quite high.

So Chi Ping presented his design requirements to Tang San. His long-term efforts paid off, and Tang San agreed to Chi Ping's request free of charge.

The two collaborated to design blueprints for a series of production and engineering machinery, including textile machines, harvesters, seeders, mill waterwheels, and more. After the blueprints were built in the workshop within the college, the actual machines were produced.

Chi Ping and Tang San's craftsmanship goes without saying; the machines they created were far more efficient than existing technology. After obtaining Ning Rongrong's consent and using the name of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School Merchant Guild, they were snapped up as soon as they hit the market, earning Shrek Academy its first pot of gold.

You have to spend the money you earn.

In the spring of Douluo Calendar 2644, before the medicinal fields went into production.

Chi Ping and Flander were walking back to Shrek Academy from Soto.

"Dean, is the construction team you hired reliable?"

With the academy about to be rebuilt, Chi Ping felt somewhat anxious and uncertain.

Shrek Academy hardly resembles a high-level Soul Master academy. Aside from its facilities, its size is far too small. Therefore, Chi Ping and Flander decided to buy all the land in Shanzhang Village and rebuild Shrek Academy on its foundation. The two have just finalized a land purchase agreement with the city lord of Soto City.

"Don't you know who I am!" Flander said arrogantly. "Although the Rock Elephant Engineering Team can't compare to the Royal Clan, it's still one of the top construction teams in the Heaven Dou Empire. You know Heaven Dou City? The Rock Elephant Engineering Team participated in the city defense construction there. It's only because I, Four-Eyed Cat-Owl Flander, have a lot of influence, plus the generous funds you provided, that we were able to invite them to the Principality of Barak."

As he spoke, Flander felt a pang of heartache.

The Yu Clan specializes in defense and has a high level of expertise in construction engineering; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the number one construction family in the Heaven Dou Empire. The Rock Elephant Engineering Team is a construction team led by Soul Masters. They are efficient and technically skilled, though slightly inferior to the Yu Clan, but still well-known throughout the Heaven Dou Empire.

However, the Rock Elephant Engineering Team's prices were exceptionally high, with deposits measured in tens of thousands of gold soul coins. If it weren't for the need to ensure freshmen could live in the new campus during the second half of the year's enrollment and secure a spot in the Elite Soul Master Competition, he would never have hired this engineering team.

"You're really generous, kid! Selling such great skills just like that," Flander remarked.

Selling only finished products wouldn't be enough to raise the funds to renovate Shrek Academy within six months. What Chi Ping and his team were selling was the technology, the mechanical design blueprints. The finished products were just for demonstration purposes.

"Out with the old, in with the new; you have to give up something to gain something. Time waits for no one. We must complete the campus renovation before the second half of the year to qualify for next year's Elite Tournament. The income from the Great Soul Arena alone isn't enough to start building the campus so quickly. Besides, neither Xiao San nor I care, so why are you so distressed?"

Chi Ping took it all in stride. The machines he and Tang San were currently selling focused on innovative mechanical structures. These innovations were easy to replicate, so there was no need to hide them; they might as well use them to make their first fortune. If the innovations were in terms of energy, such as using electricity or soul power, he wouldn't sell them.

Flander was still there, clicking his teeth.

"Easy for you to say. That's nearly two hundred thousand gold soul coins! It flowed into the academy's account and then flowed out again. I didn't even have time to enjoy it before it was all gone."

Before Chi Ping joined Shrek Academy, the Great Soul Arena wasn't a reliable source of gold soul coins. Back then, Shrek Academy was incredibly poor because it refused to be controlled by nobles. To maintain the academy's normal operations, Flander developed a stingy nature. It was only after Chi Ping joined Shrek, through the cumulative effect of their interactions, that Flander's greed lessened considerably.

Chi Ping advised, "But you can look on the bright side. Shrek Academy will soon have a new campus, new dormitories and teaching buildings, and even its own mimicry training ground!"

The so-called mimicry cultivation refers to allowing a Soul Master to cultivate their Martial Soul in an environment most suitable for them. While this may not be the most efficient method, it can certainly provide a significant boost.

For example, forests or places with abundant vegetation are suitable for cultivating plant-type martial souls like Blue Silver Grass, while the atmosphere of a restaurant kitchen is more suitable for food-type martial souls. Beast soul masters, depending on their martial soul, will find it helpful to cultivate alongside similar animals.

The specific auxiliary effects are closely related to the Soul Master's own Martial Soul. Generally speaking, the stronger and more powerful the Martial Soul, the more benefits one will gain from cultivating in a simulated environment.

However, Shrek Academy can only establish plant-type and food-type mimicry training grounds at present, and training grounds for beast soul masters such as beast gardens can only be discussed later.

In a sense, the mycelium of Ikehachi is a super mimicry training ground.

Flander sighed. "That's it. As long as it helps you little monsters, the money earned is money earned and spent."

Although Ikehira didn't know why it was he who was seeking comfort from Flander who ended up comforting Flander, he was indeed feeling much better now.

"Dean, please take me back directly. We still need to figure out a way to help Village Chief Zhang and his people relocate their village. After all, we've been cooperating for over twenty years; we can't just give them money and then abandon them!"

The transaction may be over, but the friendship remains.

Chi Ping knew what it felt like to leave one's hometown. Since Shanzhang Village had sold itself to Shrek Academy, Chi Ping was responsible for properly resettling the villagers of Shanzhang Village on behalf of Shrek Academy.

Let's go!

Flander activated his Martial Soul Possession, grabbing Chi Ping's shoulder like a hen and flying rapidly towards Shrek Academy.

(End of this chapter)