294: Chapter 294 Exorbitant Enrollment Fees and the Dragon's Might to Set the Stage

"Alright!" Xiao Pangzi immediately straightened his back. "Whatever you say is law. I won't ask for reasons, I won't offer discounts. You are my everything!"

"Very good." Jiang Chen's expression turned serious. "Wan Jinqian, take orders: Immediately summon the Little White Dragon and guard the academy entrance. If any passersby ask, tell them that studying here guarantees a spirit pet—but there is one condition: ten thousand spirit crystals a day, not a single coin less."

Ten thousand a day?! This number was enough to scare people to death! A top-tier power like Yu Ling Academy, with heaven-defying resources and countless mentors, only charged twenty thousand a month! Here, they were asking for ten thousand a day—it was even more ruthless than robbery!

Even Xiao Pangzi himself blushed a little. "Master... this... isn't it too ruthless? Next door, it's only two hundred and forty thousand a year. Our three days equals their whole year. I'm afraid no one will dare to come..."

"Do as I say." Jiang Chen waved his hand and turned to leave. "You don't need to worry about the rest. I'm going to rest for a while; just wait to collect the money."

Leaving Xiao Pangzi standing there, looking bewildered and anxious, he still gritted his teeth and executed the order, summoning the Little White Dragon.

At first, there were indeed people watching, but when they walked up and asked for the price, they exploded on the spot.

"Ten thousand a day?! Are you running a scam or robbing a bank?!"

Curses erupted, and some even started hurling insults at his ancestors. Xiao Pangzi kept his head down, not daring to make a sound, feeling nervous inside, but he firmly remembered one sentence: Trust Master, never waver.

He knew this price was outrageous, but he knew even more—Master never did anything without certainty.

Gradually, word spread. Some wealthy heirs came upon hearing the news, and when they saw that pure white, aura-radiating little dragon circling in the air, their eyes went wide on the spot.

Expensive? Expensive my foot! What's ten thousand a day? As long as they could get a spirit pet, stay for a few days, and leave—it was worth it!

Thus, from the evening of the second day, the flow of people at the academy entrance was constant. By night, hundreds had gathered, bustling and lively.

These were all young masters who could throw out ten thousand gold coins without batting an eye. Even if they weren't rich second-generation heirs, they were desperately scraping together every penny just to come here and gamble for a chance to defy their fate—to snatch a spirit pet of their own!

When Jiang Chen appeared, his eyes flickered slightly; clearly, he hadn't expected so many people. He had originally thought getting a few dozen would be good, but looking out, there was a massive crowd, all ruthless characters here for the spirit pets.

That was fine too. Pay first, get the goods later; the process was simple and brutal, exactly to his liking.

At first, these people were still half-doubting. After all, being led with their eyes covered, who wouldn't be nervous? In the darkness, they only felt the ground beneath them undulating, the wind whistling in their ears, having no idea where they were being taken. Their minds were filled with tumultuous guesses, and their hearts were hanging in their throats.

But the moment the black cloth before their eyes was lifted—everyone was instantly dumbfounded.

Spirit pets were running through the forests, flying in the air, and playing in the ponds across the mountains and plains; on the ground, fields of spirit eggs glowed with a faint light, surrounded by swirling spiritual energy, like a fairyland! In that instant, their heartbeats skipped a beat.

At first, no one dared to believe it. How could resources of this level be available for anyone to pick? Not to mention taming them; just getting close made their legs go weak.

But what happened next completely overturned their perceptions.

Jiang Chen casually taught them a contract technique, his movements as smooth as flowing water. He didn't say an extra word, yet he took this group from frantic to skillful, more than doubling their efficiency. The faces that were originally full of suspicion turned into fawning worship in the blink of an eye.

The speed of this change was like being struck by lightning.

Especially that Xiao Pangzi; the way he looked at Jiang Chen now was as if he were seeing a god descend to earth. His overflowing respect couldn't be suppressed, and only one thought remained in his mind: Following Master, I am destined to accomplish something earth-shattering!

His initial goal was just to have a spirit pet by his side, but now? His perspective had exploded! He felt he was already a child of destiny; how could he stop here?

With the blessing of the contract technique, everyone found a spirit pet that suited them within a very short time. Their trust in Jiang Chen was maxed out, soaring off the charts. Who would dare to question him? This wasn't just a dean; he was clearly a heaven-chosen talent!

Over the next few days, the news spread like wildfire.

Millions of people flocked here!

Ten thousand a day?! Expensive? Of course it's expensive! But that's for ordinary people. These young masters saw it clearly: What does expensive matter? As long as they can get a spirit pet, it's worth the money!

Moreover, there was a rule here—for those who didn't have a spirit pet, the Dean would personally take you to find one!

This rule was legendary.

Not to mention wealthy heirs, even the poor were desperately squeezing in here. What is a spirit pet? It's something that money can't buy and is a matter of fate! No matter how rich you are, you might not necessarily encounter a high-level spirit pet in the wilderness that is willing to acknowledge an owner. But here, ten thousand gold coins, and it's yours! The opportunity is right in front of you; to miss it would be foolish.

It was as if the whole world was declaring: Step into this place, and glory will be bestowed upon you; this opportunity must not be missed!

After the news spread, the popularity skyrocketed. Once they knew they were "guaranteed a spirit pet," thousands of people flooded in every day for the next ten days or so, in an endless stream. In less than half a month, the total revenue exceeded one hundred million!

This number completely crushed the old-school super academy next door. At first, the other side hadn't taken this small, shabby academy seriously at all—the name sounded like it was riding on hype, and a bunch popped up every year, none lasting more than three months.

Yu Ling Academy? Heh, just another bunch of clowns trying to borrow the name to fish for resources.

But when they heard "pay ten thousand and get a spirit pet," the entire academy was shaken.

Who would go? That's what they thought before. Now? Everyone was crazy!

Taking out loans, pawning things, borrowing money... they had to come even if they had to smash their pots and sell their iron! They wanted to suck up every inch of air in this land! If they didn't act now, they would really be finished!

Before, losing a few hundred spirit beasts hadn't raised any alarm. But during this time, tens of thousands of spirit beasts had gone missing mysteriously, and around this small academy, tens of thousands of spirit pets of the same origin had appeared out of thin air—how could they not wake up?

Something was wrong!

Something was very wrong!

The other side immediately sent people to sneak in for an investigation.

This suddenly rising academy was no longer just a threat; it was a knife pointed straight at their heart. Every day, the long line in front of the door wrapped around three streets, and its popularity far exceeded the desolate scene in front of their own gate—they had lost all face!

Wang Liang, as the representative figure at the entrance, was responsible for welcoming new arrivals daily. Because he was located closest, he was naturally sent to investigate the truth. He also paid ten thousand gold coins and snuck into the back mountain of the academy in the middle of the night.

He had been to this area and was very familiar with it. But the more familiar he was, the deeper the chill in his heart became.

Sure enough... this Dean had planned this long ago! He wasn't running a school at all; he was hollowing out their foundation! Wang Liang would never go easy on such a person. He had already made up his mind—collect evidence, and as soon as he went back, report it to the academy and kick this bunch of parasites out for good!

But just as he was secretly calculating, his shoulder was suddenly tapped lightly.

He turned around abruptly and saw a person standing beside him; it was that youth who had looked so childish not long ago, but who was now the Dean of this land—Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen's lips curled slightly, his smile gentle: "What a coincidence, we meet again."

Wang Liang couldn't keep a straight face, let out two dry laughs, and for a moment, didn't know how to respond.

But Jiang Chen seemed completely indifferent, raising his hand to point into the distance, his tone firm: "Your spirit pet is a speed type; its offense is weak and its defense is brittle, so it can't protect you at all. You need a true combat force, one that has both offense and defense, to go further on this path."