Beneath the Golden Tree, a Verbal Battle to Claim Him

Seeing Zhou Sichen in his current state, fused with three Soul Beasts, Mu En and the others were all utterly astonished.

In this state, Zhou Sichen possessed combat strength comparable to a Soul Emperor despite having only the Soul Power of a Level 38 Soul Elder.

When his status as a Level 4 Soul Engineer and his talent for Soul Tools were added in, Shrek had truly found a treasure this time.

In truth, given Zhou Sichen's terrifying strength, they felt there was no need for him to continue studying Soul Tools at all.

As long as he focused on cultivating his Soul Power and the Book of Contracts, he would become an indescribably powerful expert in the future.

However, since Zhou Sichen had displayed such outstanding talent for Soul Tools, Mu En no longer intended to make him give them up.

Not to mention the Extreme Individual Soldier Plan the academy had been promoting in recent years, during his recent trip to the Sun Moon Empire, Mu En had discovered that those people who focused on developing Soul Tools had already created incredibly terrifying things.

Some of them could even threaten his life.

For that reason, from Mu En's long-term perspective, Soul Tools were something that had to be studied and understood.

After all, only by knowing oneself and one's enemy could one emerge victorious from every battle.

Putting away the Soul Nourishing Pill Yan Shaozhe had given him, Zhou Sichen raised his right hand. The Book of Contracts Martial Soul appeared, and the changes on his body gradually faded. Ah Da, Hellfire, and the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear transformed into three balls of light and returned to it.

After withdrawing his Martial Soul and returning to his original appearance, Zhou Sichen stood quietly in place.

Mu En could not help but smile. "Child, even I am amazed by your talent and abilities. One can only imagine what terrifying accomplishments you will achieve if you continue to grow."

Zhou Sichen smiled faintly. "I will."

Then Xuan Zi pushed Mu En as the elders returned to the Sea God Pavilion. Mu En said to Zhou Sichen, "You have expended quite a bit of Soul Power. Let me take you somewhere."

As soon as Mu En finished speaking, Zhou Sichen felt his vision brighten, followed by a sensation of emptiness beneath his feet. When he felt solid ground beneath him again, the golden light around him had already disappeared.

He was now standing in a vast hall. This enormous hall was square-shaped, with sides measuring roughly a hundred meters, and it was filled with an exceptionally dense aura of light.

Having just gone through a battle, Zhou Sichen felt all his fatigue vanish the instant he arrived here.

Zhou Sichen surveyed the hall. Several passageways lay on either side, though he had no idea where they led. There were no windows here, yet the air was remarkably fresh and intoxicating.

"Follow the middle passage on the right to the end. Open the door there, then begin meditating inside. Once you finish meditating, we will have a proper talk."

Hearing Mu En's voice, Zhou Sichen silently walked down the passage on the right. His expression remained calm, but he could not suppress the excitement in his heart.

He had not expected to be able to cultivate beneath the Golden Tree so soon. The reason he had suggested that Elder Sister come to Shrek Academy in the first place was because the Golden Tree was simply too suitable for her cultivation and growth!

When Zhou Sichen arrived before a wooden door at the end of the passage, Mu En's voice rang out again.

"The Sea God Pavilion was originally an exceedingly rare Golden Tree, possessing the aura of light and life. The mighty predecessors of the academy carved the Sea God Pavilion from it without harming the Golden Tree's life."

"The place you are standing in now is the underground world of the Sea God Pavilion. There are one hundred and eight rooms here, encompassing cultivation environments suitable for nearly every type of Martial Soul."

"Every Inner Court Disciple has one opportunity to enter this place for deep meditation. You are now an Inner Court Disciple, so you may meditate deeply here as well."

"Given your talent and strength, the room you are in is located in the deepest part of the underground world, where the roots of the Golden Tree lie."

"Here, I hope you will find the path that belongs to you."

Listening to Mu En's words, Zhou Sichen nodded slightly before slowly pushing open the wooden door.

The moment he opened the door, Mu En's guidance abruptly ceased, and all sound vanished with it.

An invisible force drew his body inside. An incomparably dense aura of light and life rushed toward him, nearly condensed into liquid.

Brilliant gold and emerald-green radiance intertwined, making the entire room shimmer with a strange green-gold glow.

The wooden door was gently pulled shut again by that invisible force. What Zhou Sichen saw now was a room of only around ten square meters. Countless roots hung down from the ceiling, filling every corner of the room.

These roots were all golden-yellow, and the dense aura of light and life originated from them.

Without wasting any words, Zhou Sichen sat down cross-legged and began cultivating.

The instant he entered his cultivation state, the incredibly dense aura of light and life poured into his body. Every bone and meridian in his body seemed to turn translucent green-gold.

The clarity of having his soul cleansed made his mind clearer than ever before. All kinds of thoughts and insights emerged, becoming distinct and vivid within his mind.

The Soul Power within his body began circulating rapidly on its own. Zhou Sichen became completely immersed in this state of a heart as clear as a mirror. Every past experience and hardship surfaced before him. At this moment, he seemed to exist in a purity as empty as the void—the purest version of himself.

In the main hall on the first floor of the Sea God Pavilion, Mu En had once again reclined in the lounge chair at one end of the long table.

The elders seated along both sides of the table could no longer restrain their expressions. Every face was filled with excitement or exhilaration.

Even though Xuan Zi was already two hundred years old, he was like a child who had found his favorite toy, chattering endlessly beside Mu En.

However, as everyone continued talking, Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo began arguing again.

Yan Shaozhe spoke with absolute confidence. "Although Zhou Sichen's talent for Soul Tools is also extremely rare, cultivation will only become increasingly difficult as his cultivation rises. When that time comes, will he still be able to manage both?"

"With his current ability to rival a Soul Emperor at Level 38, there is absolutely no need for him to study Soul Tools. As long as he focuses on cultivating his Martial Soul, he will stand at the very peak of the continent within twenty years—perhaps even just ten!"

Ten years... Zhou Sichen was only twelve years old now. In ten years, he would only be twenty-two...

Yet none of the other elders objected to Yan Shaozhe's words. Instead, they agreed with him.

Level 38 at twelve years old, all while cultivating Soul Tools on the side and reaching the level of a Level 4 Soul Engineer.

What if he focused solely on cultivating his Martial Soul?

Combined with the unique nature of Zhou Sichen's Book of Contracts Martial Soul, he would absolutely become a true powerhouse in ten years...

Xian Liner abruptly stood up, the smile on her face long gone. "Yan Shaozhe, stop spewing nonsense! Do you know what Zhou Sichen's talent for Soul Tools means? It means he could become the first Ninth-Rank Soul Engineer in the history of Shrek Academy! With his unique Martial Soul, he might even go further than that!"

"Go outside and see for yourself. What have the Soul Tools of the Sun Moon Empire developed into now? If we do not start nurturing some true geniuses with talent for Soul Tools, we will only be left farther and farther behind in the future!"

Qian Duoduo stood beside Xian Liner. "Liner is right, Yan Shaozhe. Every time a genius comes to the academy, your side snatches them away first. We can only choose whoever is left over every single time!"

"If Caitou did not have a Support System Martial Soul, would you have tried to snatch him away too?"

They were several old men nearing ninety, yet where was their usual composure now? They were practically no different from old men and women arguing at a marketplace.

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