One Month

[Little Noble: Plotting against the Tang Sect? Soul Engineer, is it really a good idea to say that in front of me?]

[Soul Engineer: Oh? Could it be that Shrek and the Tang Sect have some connection?]

[Little Noble: Are you joking?]

[Soul Engineer: Huh? There really is a connection?]

[Soul Engineer: I'm curious. If Shrek really does have ties to the Tang Sect, how did the Tang Sect fall so far?]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: What else could it be? They offended people too badly, didn't they?]

Jing Hongchen's eyes lit up.

[Soul Engineer: Oh? Great Sage, you know? Could you elaborate?]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: You have to understand, the Tang Sect built its fortune on Hidden Weapons. Making your fortune from weapons means profiting from war. The fiercer the fighting, the faster you grow. The faster you grow, the more people you offend...]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: The Sun Moon Empire isn't much different in that respect. Your Soul Tools are also a way of profiting from war.]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: The Sun Moon Empire is powerful, while the Tang Sect stubbornly clings to the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. Those who follow the right path find many allies; those who stray from it find few. The Tang Sect's decline is only natural.]

Jing Hongchen narrowed his eyes. Is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven trying to tell me something?

Is he... really a child?

He seemed loud and brash, as though he couldn't keep his mouth shut, but in truth, he was the one who had concealed his identity best in the group!

[Soul Engineer: I've learned something again.]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: If you think you've learned something, send me some knowledge. I've been fascinated by Soul Tools lately.]

Reach out, open his mouth, and ask!

Pay up, hurry!

[Soul Engineer: Great Sage, I...]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: I don't need any advanced technology. Just give me some introductory Soul Engineer course materials.]

Hiss...

Jing Hongchen frowned and pursed his lips. Should I give them to him or not?

He soon made his decision.

Give them to him! Why not?

Introductory Soul Engineer textbooks weren't that important. Even in the Douluo Three Kingdoms, anyone with a little influence could get their hands on a copy. Even if it all came to nothing, the loss wouldn't be great.

Having made up his mind, he replied.

[Soul Engineer: Even introductory textbooks can't fit on just a sheet or two of paper. How should I send them to you, Great Sage?]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: Just send them straight to Shrek City.]

Shrek City?

Jing Hongchen wasn't about to assume the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was from Shrek.

He only thought the other party was still hiding!

Sending them to Shrek City would leave him unable to figure out which of the Douluo Three Kingdoms the Great Sage came from...

[Soul Engineer: All right!]

[Du Busi: You little brat, how did you get mixed up with Soul Tools?]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: I just think Soul Tools are inferior to Soul Masters when it comes to top-level combat strength. But Soul Tools can make life enjoyable!]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: Old Undying, don't tell me you've never used a Storage Soul Tool.]

[Du Busi: ...]

Time flew, and the years slipped by like a shuttle...

Jing Hongchen was quick to act.

But the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy was still quite far from Shrek Academy.

By the time Shen Yichen received the "package" he had sent, nearly a month had passed.

In that month, Shen Yichen had gone from a complete novice to a distinguished Level 3 Soul Engineer.

Granted, in the Douluo Three Kingdoms, that rating was greatly inflated.

But so what? Level 3 was Level 3!

(A junior college degree is a junior college degree, and a bachelor's is a bachelor's. They spring from the same root, but a junior college degree doesn't. In life, each should stick to its own place. Doge meme for self-preservation.jpg.)

However, because he had nothing else to do during this time and tinkered with Soul Tools every day, Shen Yichen had figured out a question that had puzzled him throughout his previous life.

That was...

Zhou Yi's teaching ability was clearly nothing special, and she had offended plenty of people. Could she really do whatever she wanted just because her partner was Fan Yu?

Huh?

Come to think of it, Fan Yu really did have that much clout!

On the surface, Fan Yu was just an ordinary Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, and his skill as a Soul Engineer wasn't much different from Dean Xian Lin'er's. Both were Level 8 Soul Engineers.

But there was quite a gap between one Level 8 Soul Engineer and another.

Xian Lin'er had become a Level 8 Soul Engineer because she could make Level 8 Soul Tools, so she was a Level 8 Soul Engineer.

Fan Yu had become a Level 8 Soul Engineer because he could research and develop Level 8 Soul Tools.

Those... were two different things.

From that perspective, Fan Yu was very likely the most skilled Soul Engineer in the Douluo Three Kingdoms.

Scarcity made things precious...

With his status, protecting Zhou Yi really was no great problem.

Shen Yichen shook his little head. Luckily, I'm here, and the skies over Shrek will brighten!

Shen Yichen could already make Level 3 Soul Tools, but to become a Level 3 Soul Engineer, he still had to go through the formalities and take an assessment.

To keep others from gossiping, Senior Sister Xian Lin'er waved her hand and decided to make Fan Yu the examiner for Shen Yichen's Level 3 Soul Engineer assessment.

That was why Shen Yichen had taken the time to learn about Fan Yu, and about Zhou Yi as well.

The exam was only a few days away.

But compared to the exam, the most important thing was...

The monthly Current Affairs Review was finally about to begin!

And this time, the right to choose the topic had finally landed on Zhang Lexuan at random.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, there was the familiar little river and its familiar flowing water.

The three of them, one old, one grown and one little, sat side by side on the riverbank.

Mu En and Zhang Lexuan wore solemn expressions. Today, they would finally find out where the little one's future would lead?!

Shen Yichen took off his shoes and swished his little feet in the river. His gaze wandered. He had been waiting a long time for this chance to Show Off in Front of Others, too!

"Elder Mu, should I submit the topic now?"

Mu En nodded gently. "Submit it. I am ready!"

"All right!"

As soon as Zhang Lexuan submitted it, a notification sounded for Shen Yichen.

[Ding! There is a new Current Affairs Review topic. Host, please answer as soon as possible!]

[Topic: Take stock of the ranking of geniuses on the Douluo Continent during the Peerless Tang Sect era!]

Here it comes!

The corners of Shen Yichen's mouth curled up. Are you ready to welcome a benevolent man's "epic"?!

[Du Busi: Oh, that's a substantial question. I'm quite curious about it myself.]

[Jing Hongchen: This... who asked it?]

[Great Sage Equal to Heaven: Me!]

As the system's host, Shen Yichen couldn't choose the topics; he could only answer them.

Once or twice was fine, but if he kept going without asking a question, he would surely arouse suspicion.

So he borrowed Sister Lexuan's topic to cover for himself. If he were exposed later, Sister Lexuan would be the only one to know first.

When Zhang Lexuan saw Shen Yichen claim the question in the group chat, she didn't think much of it. Since the child liked it, she would let him have it~

Apart from his cultivation, which she supervised for two hours every day without fail, Zhang Lexuan practically spoiled Shen Yichen rotten in every other aspect of his life.

She gently raised her delicate hands, lifted Shen Yichen by his armpits and scooped him into her arms, her chin lightly rubbing against his little head.

"All right, pay close attention to this review. It's very important to you~"

Enveloped in her gentle presence, Shen Yichen instantly succumbed...