Yang Jing went with two Dragon Transformation Orders, and as expected, the Dean of the White Dragon Academy didn’t make things difficult for him. Following procedure, the Dean gave him a Jade Order, which would allow him to open the Restriction on the Dragon Transformation Pool and stay inside for two months.

He waited in the White Dragon Academy’s guest house for three days until it was time for the previous group of Dragon Beasts to finish their cultivation in the Dragon Transformation Pool.

The Dragon Transformation Pool, located in the center of the White Dragon Academy, was a pool nearly ten zhang wide.

The pool was constructed from translucent White Jade, adorned with Profound Gold, and covered in Restrictions carved into the image of nine dragons vying for a pearl. The heads of nine True Dragons protruded from the pool walls, spouting pale-golden Dragon Transformation Water into the pool.

A spatial Array had been placed within the Dragon Transformation Pool, so no matter how much Dragon Transformation Water flowed in, the water level never rose in the slightest.

Jade-green lotus leaves stood gracefully upon the water, among which bloomed vibrantly colored lotuses—some as white as snow, others as crimson as fire. Amidst their layered petals, their stamens shone like gold.

At that moment, nine different Dragon Beasts were still cultivating at the bottom of the pool. Only when they heard their masters’ calls did they reluctantly leap out.

Yang Jing discreetly activated his Bright Qi Talent and Grotto Dark Dharma Eye to inspect the Dragon Beasts and gauge their Power.

Most of these Dragon Beasts resembled True Dragons, though a few features retained their original forms, showing they had not yet completed their transformation.

A few other Dragon Beasts took the forms of a Suanni, a Bian, and a Chiwen. Such creatures had richer True Dragon Bloodline, allowing them to manifest the specific forms of a dragon’s offspring. In fact, their Power was even greater than that of the Dragon Beasts who more closely resembled True Dragons.

Having cultivated in the Dragon Transformation Pool for years, these Dragon Beasts all possessed quite high Cultivation, every one of them at Late Stage Foundation Establishment.

According to Ji Yanyi, when a Dong Family disciple entered the White Dragon Academy, their branch family would spend its entire fortune to purchase a Dragon Beast with an excellent bloodline for them.

For any Dong Family disciple outside of the "Three Dongs," the White Dragon Academy was the only path to have their Dragon Beast cultivate in the Dragon Transformation Pool. Using Dragon Transformation Water was an entirely different matter from cultivating inside the Pool itself.

"Minister Yang, most of these Dragon Beasts are battle-hardened and have a wealth of combat experience. You absolutely must not underestimate them!"

Ji Yanyi warned Yang Jing gravely, afraid he would mistake the White Dragon Academy’s students for sheltered fledglings with no real combat experience.

’Yang Jing had flat-out refused to borrow someone else’s Dragon Beast to compete for access to the pool. Even though the owner of that beast would have taken ten days of the allotted time, it was still better than getting no time at all.’

’He had previously watched the Academy’s most important competition for the Dragon Transformation Pool. The Dragon Beasts, with their tough bodies and rapid recovery, fought with complete disregard for their own lives, making the Magical Combat incredibly bloody and brutal.’

’These brawls, held every ten days, gave the Dragon Beasts far more Magical Combat experience than the average Cultivator. He reckoned that if he entered the platform, he’d be torn apart by a Dragon Beast in just two or three exchanges.’

’A one-on-one fight was already that dangerous, to say nothing of fighting two at once.’

"Jeez, you’re such a nag!" Chi Yu said, puffing out her cheeks. "My master is invincible!"

’In her eyes, those ugly Dragon Beasts were no match for Brother Iron Head, let alone Master.’

Nearby, several students from the White Dragon Academy had gathered together. They discreetly sized up Yang Jing and his companions, but their attention was focused on Zuoqiu Feng standing behind him.

"Are you sure it won’t be the Golden Core Cultivator behind him who’s fighting?"

"Positive. He even refused the offer to borrow Dong Jianchen’s Chaofeng."

"Such arrogance! Does he think that even two-on-one, no one from our Dong Family can defeat him?!"

The burly man leading them seethed with anger. He was none other than Dong Jianzhi, the one who had beaten Ji Yanyi so badly two days prior that he coughed up blood. He had a fierce look, and unlike the other students in their wide-sleeved robes, he wore Zha Armor.

His branch of the family hadn’t produced an infant with a Spirit Root in many years and was on the verge of being struck from the family records. Fortunately, in the fifty-seventh year, his mother gave birth to Dong Jianzhi, who possessed a High-level Water Spirit Root.

Dong Jianzhi didn’t enter the White Dragon Academy as soon as he came of age. His branch of the Dong Family had long since fallen into decline and lacked the resources to cultivate him.

He first joined the Dong Kingdom’s Zhenhai Army, where he repeatedly earned Battle Merits. It wasn’t until he was forty that he accumulated enough Merit Points to enter the White Dragon Academy. After joining the True Spirit Lineage, his progress became unstoppable. He successfully reached Foundation Establishment, then formed a Spirit Contract with a Dragon Beast. Furthermore, drawing on the savage aura he had accumulated over years of fighting on the seas, his Power became second to none among the students of the White Dragon Academy.

Everything he had now was granted to him by the True Spirit Lineage, so he naturally followed their every command.

When they told him to injure Ji Yanyi, he did so without a second thought, beating the man until he was bedridden and completely ignoring the academy’s reprimand.

"Dong Jianyang," he said. "Didn’t you say you only ended up in such a sorry state last time because Yang Jing used some underhanded trick on you? Well, I’m giving you a chance today. Go and test his limits."

As a Cultivator who had battled Demons at sea, Dong Jianzhi looked brutish, but he was in fact extremely cautious. ’Yang Jing has made quite a name for himself, and he even defeated Dong Xiji in Magical Combat,’ he thought. ’His combat strength is definitely not weak.’

Dong Jianyang, the student who had led Yang Jing up the mountain that day, paled when he heard this.

But then he remembered the mocking, disdainful looks from his classmates and the severe punishment from his master, and a vicious resolve hardened in his heart.

He leaped onto the Magic Battle Platform and pointed a finger at Yang Jing.

"Yang Jing! Do you dare come up here and fight me!"