Trial, Battle Against Yan Shaozhe

Zhou Sichen pondered briefly before replying slowly, "From the impression my grandfather and father gave me, Shrek is a sacred place for teaching and nurturing people, having trained countless talents for this continent. From what ordinary people say, Shrek Academy represents justice."

"As far as I am concerned, these are all Shrek Academy's strengths. I do not know how to evaluate Shrek specifically, because before today, everything I knew about Shrek came from other people and books."

"So, my current answer to your question may not be much different from the Shrek people speak of."

Zhou Sichen did not blindly choose to praise Shrek Academy. He merely stated his thoughts objectively.

Yet it was precisely this answer that satisfied the elders present even more, because it revealed Zhou Sichen's character.

He did not follow the crowd, and despite his young age, he already had his own opinions.

At the same time, they had learned something else: at least for now, this child had a favorable objective impression of Shrek Academy.

There was actually no need to doubt that. After all, Zhou Zhenxuan had once been an outstanding graduate of Shrek Academy.

The same was true of Zhou Sichen's parents.

"Hehe." Mu En's smile grew even brighter. "Your answer is very good. You will gradually come to understand Shrek in the future. We called you here today to confirm a few matters."

Zhou Sichen nodded respectfully. "This student will answer everything he knows."

Mu En said no more, while Yan Shaozhe rose to his feet and looked at him. "Zhou Sichen, we already know some things about your Martial Soul. I would like to understand how you use it, as well as the specifics of the fusion you displayed when fighting Xiaotao today."

After a pause, Yan Shaozhe specifically explained, afraid that Zhou Sichen might misunderstand. "This is not simply to investigate your abilities. It is a prerequisite for giving you more systematic training in the future, as well as formulating a specialized training plan for a possessor of such a unique Martial Soul. What do you think?"

From the method Zhou Sichen had used to fuse with his Contracted Soul Beasts when treating Ma Xiaotao's evil fire at the end, Yan Shaozhe and the others could conclude that his battle with Ma Xiaotao had not been Zhou Sichen's limit.

And Zhou Sichen had done it deliberately. Otherwise, how could he thoroughly cement his identity as a supreme genius in the minds of these elders?

Was he supposed to wait for them to put him through a long and aimless assessment? That would be far too much of a waste of time, not the result Zhou Sichen wanted.

Hearing this, the smile on Zhou Sichen's face did not change in the slightest. "I understand. But if I only describe it verbally, I am afraid it will be difficult for all of you seniors to truly understand my abilities. So... I may need an opponent."

Yan Shaozhe smiled slightly. "Perfect. As the dean of the Martial Soul Department, this is also my first time encountering a Martial Soul as unique as yours. I will be your opponent."

Zhou Sichen merely nodded, paying no heed to the formidable cultivation of a Titled Douluo.

After all, this was only to help them understand his abilities, not to defeat Yan Shaozhe.

No matter how gifted Zhou Sichen was, or how he had suppressed Ma Xiaotao with the strength of a Soul Elder, every person in this hall could kill him with a single hand.

Zhou Sichen stood and took the initiative to head outside. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Dean Yan."

Yan Shaozhe followed Zhou Sichen out of the Sea God Pavilion's hall with a genial smile.

The others also rose. They wanted to see for themselves whether this boy was truly as powerful as Beibei had claimed, and whether Zhou Sichen might even be concealing some of his abilities.

Xuan Zi pushed Mu En's wheelchair as the elders followed them out of the Sea God Pavilion's hall. Along the way, Xuan Zi used voice transmission to recount how Zhou Sichen had fought Ma Xiaotao.

This made the three elders and Mu En look forward to seeing Zhou Sichen's strength even more.

Outside the Sea God Pavilion, Zhou Sichen and Yan Shaozhe stood facing each other atop a level hill.

Facing an opponent of Yan Shaozhe's caliber, Zhou Sichen was no longer in the mood to play around. He intended to properly demonstrate the abilities of his Book of Contracts Martial Soul and give them a small shock.

He raised his right hand, and the brilliant golden Book of Contracts appeared. Unlike when he had fought Ma Xiaotao earlier, Zhou Sichen did not slowly turn open three pages of the illustrated book.

Instead, he casually tossed the Book of Contracts into the air. The book, as though cast from gold, floated miraculously in place before slowly opening.

Zhou Sichen himself charged directly at Yan Shaozhe, while the Three Purple Soul Rings rising from his body lit up one after another.

The next instant, as the Soul Rings on Zhou Sichen's body lit up, three streaks of icy jade, black-red, and darkgold light shot from the automatically opened Book of Contracts, moving alongside Zhou Sichen's body.

Zhou Sichen casually grabbed the darkgold streak of light as though picking up a darkgold sphere, then hurled it directly toward Yan Shaozhe.

The darkgold light rapidly approached Yan Shaozhe. When it came within three meters of him, it expanded sharply in the wind and transformed into a three-meter-tall Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear.

The Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear stretched its body freely, darkgold light flickering over its pair of sharp dreadclaws as it struck directly at Yan Shaozhe.

Seeing this, Yan Shaozhe could not help raising a brow. So Zhou Sichen did not foolishly stand still when releasing Soul Skills—he could also use such an unexpected method.

Among Soul Masters of the same level, probably no one could block the charging Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear!

However, the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear's opponent at this moment was a Level 95 Super Douluo.

Soul Power surged around Yan Shaozhe's body. Even against a Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear nearing the Ten Thousand Year Level, he did not dare to be careless.

Two yellow, two purple, and five black Soul Rings rose and pulsed around him. The terrifying pressure of a Titled Douluo directly forced the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear back.

At the same time, he curled the fingers of his right hand into a claw. Pale golden Soul Power flared over it, as though transforming his right hand into a golden talon, and he struck at the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear.

At that moment, the charging Zhou Sichen had already undergone a dramatic transformation. Ah Da and Hellfire had unexpectedly fused with him at the same time.

His original black ponytail had become shoulder-length hair streaked red and blue. His body seemed to be covered in armor formed from ice and fire that merged together, a long icy jade scorpion tail swaying behind him while a pair of enormous fiery-red wings spread from his back.

Those were merely the visible changes. From Yan Shaozhe's perspective, after fusing with two Contracted Soul Beasts nearing the Ten Thousand Year Level, Zhou Sichen's aura was already not much weaker than that of a top-tier Soul King.

His Phoenix Wings spread wide as Zhou Sichen streaked forward with a fiery-red tail of light, crashing directly into the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear that had been forced back.

Strangely, the two did not collide. The instant they made contact, the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear merged directly into Zhou Sichen's body.

His appearance changed once more. An additional layer of darkgold armor covered Zhou Sichen's body, while the elements of ice and fire fused together and fit perfectly over it.

Boosted by the speed of his Phoenix Wings, Zhou Sichen arrived before Yan Shaozhe almost in the blink of an eye. His right arm had silently transformed into a dreadclaw identical to that of the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear.

However, because Zhou Sichen himself was human, this dreadclaw did not appear as thick and massive. Yet the knotted muscles displayed that Zhou Sichen's strength was equally terrifying.

"Darkgold Dreadclaw!"

The Dreadclaw shot out and collided directly with Yan Shaozhe's pale golden claws. Naturally, Yan Shaozhe could not possibly use his full strength, but having witnessed the battle between Zhou Sichen and Ma Xiaotao, the power of this strike was still enough to rival that of a Soul Emperor.

"Clang!"

The two pairs of claws crashed together, their terrifying power colliding with a deafening boom like metal striking metal.

What surprised Yan Shaozhe was that, against this attack comparable to one from a Soul Emperor, Zhou Sichen did not yield in the slightest. He even began to wrestle with him in a contest of strength.

From that single clash alone, Yan Shaozhe confirmed one thing: after fusing with three Contracted Soul Beasts, Zhou Sichen's strength was already no weaker than that of a high-ranking Soul Emperor.

The many senior elders of Shrek Academy watching this scene all raised their brows, gaining a general understanding of Zhou Sichen's strength.

What remained was, naturally, excitement.

At merely Level 38, as a Soul Elder, he could actually achieve such a level? And this was not even Zhou Sichen's limit!

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