Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a long time.
Good heavens, was that ridiculous?
Then he asked, "What about the ninth evolution?"
Bai Lan looked at him and slowly replied, "The ninth evolution is called Primordial Chaos Bamboo. It can take root in the void, create its own domain, and devour all energy, transforming it into primordial chaos energy."
The office fell silent for a long time.
Yan Shaozhe leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the six-year-old before him, his expression complicated.
Even just hearing what Bai Lan had described, he could feel how extraordinary it was.
Starting as the most ordinary bamboo, it would evolve step by step until it could take root in the void, create its own domain, and devour chaos.
How could this be called bamboo?
This was a Plant-type Soul Beast with god-level potential!
"Can you be sure that all these evolutionary paths are achievable?" Yan Shaozhe asked.
Bai Lan shook his head. "I can't be completely sure, but that's what the information from the Contract Book shows so far."
Yan Shaozhe nodded.
He didn't press further.
As the Dean of the Martial Soul Department, he had seen far too many geniuses.
Some had extraordinary talent but lacked the right temperament.
Some had unbreakable resolve but limited talent.
Some had both, yet got stuck at a certain bottleneck and never advanced again for the rest of their lives.
But Bai Lan was different.
His talent wasn't merely good or even exceptional. It had no limit.
As long as he could keep moving forward, as long as he could contract powerful enough Soul Beasts, as long as he could complete one evolution after another—
His future was boundless.
"I understand."
"Starting today, you'll be placed on the Outer Courtyard's list of students receiving special training."
"You'll receive additional cultivation resources each month, and a dedicated teacher will guide your training. You can come directly to me if you run into any problems."
Yan Shaozhe stood up.
Bai Lan rose and bowed. "Thank you, Dean."
Yan Shaozhe waved for him to sit, then walked over to the window and gazed outside.
"Once you reach level twenty, I'll take you somewhere."
His voice sounded distant as he spoke. "There's a Soul Beast there that would be well suited to be your second Contract Beast."
Bai Lan couldn't help asking, "What kind of Soul Beast?"
Yan Shaozhe turned around to look at him, a mysterious smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"A Soul Beast with spatial abilities."
Spatial abilities?
Bai Lan's heart raced.
That was incredible.
Yan Shaozhe saw his expression and shook his head with a laugh.
"Don't get excited too soon."
"Although that Soul Beast meets the condition of being 'unable to resist,' contracting it won't be easy."
"We'll discuss the details once you reach level twenty."
He returned to his desk and sat down again.
"How long do you think it'll take you to break through to level twenty?" Yan Shaozhe asked.
Bai Lan thought it over.
He was currently at level eleven.
That meant nine levels to go before he reached level twenty.
For an ordinary Soul Master, that really could take several years.
But he wasn't an ordinary Soul Master.
With Innate Full Soul Power, his cultivation speed was already far beyond that of ordinary people.
The Contract Book came with a Contract Space. His Contract Beast could cultivate inside it, and the results would be reflected back to him. It was like two people cultivating at once.
On top of that, Shrek was giving him priority access to resources...
"About half a year," Bai Lan said after thinking it over.
Yan Shaozhe raised an eyebrow. "About half a year?"
Bai Lan nodded. "I'll break through to level twenty in six months at most."
Yan Shaozhe stared at him for quite a while, then suddenly laughed.
His gaze grew even more penetrating.
"Breaking through to level twenty in half a year, starting from level eleven—that's nine levels."
He spoke slowly. "Bai Lan, do you know what that means?"
Bai Lan nodded. "It means I'll need to gain an average of one and a half levels per month during those six months."
"Not quite." Yan Shaozhe stood and walked over to the window. "Cultivating Soul Power isn't an arithmetic problem. The further you advance, the slower it gets. Going from level eleven to level fifteen might take only half a year, but going from level fifteen to level twenty takes many people a year or even longer."
He turned and looked at Bai Lan. "What makes you think you can do it in half a year?"
Bai Lan didn't answer right away.
He was silent for a few seconds, then raised his hand. The Contract Book appeared in his palm.
"Because of this."
Yan Shaozhe's gaze fell on the illusory book.
"You said earlier that it was like two people cultivating at once," Bai Lan said. "But that's not all."
He opened the book. The words Iron Core Bamboo were clearly visible on the first page.
"My Contract Beast can cultivate on its own inside the Contract Space."
He explained, "Some of the Soul Power it cultivates is fed back to me. In turn, when I cultivate, I also help it grow."
"It works both ways."
Yan Shaozhe's eyes shifted slightly.
"And," Bai Lan continued, "Iron Core Bamboo is a Plant-type Soul Beast. Photosynthesis and growth are its natural abilities. As long as it has sunlight and Soul Power, it can slowly grow on its own."
He looked up at Yan Shaozhe. "So strictly speaking, it's not two people cultivating at once. It's two and a half."
Yan Shaozhe fell silent for a moment.
Then he laughed.
"Two and a half..." He shook his head. "I've certainly never heard of cultivation efficiency like that."
He returned to his desk, took a sheet of paper out of a drawer, and spread it on the tabletop.
"Half a year, is it?" He picked up his pen and wrote a few lines. "Then let's set up a six-month plan."
Bai Lan leaned over to take a look.
The paper read:
[Bai Lan's Cultivation Plan · Reach Level Twenty in Six Months]
First Stage (Level 11 → 15): Two months
One Soul Gathering Pill per day
One-on-one instruction once a week (provided by a senior teacher from the Martial Soul Department)
One practical assessment per month (opponents will gradually advance from the Junior Class)
Second Stage (Level 15 → 18): Two months
Double the Soul Gathering Pills, two per day
Increase the frequency of practical training
Enter the Simulated Soul Beast Forest for survival training
Third Stage (Level 18 → 20): Two months
Full allocation of resources
Personal instruction from Yan Shaozhe
Enter seclusion for the final month
Yan Shaozhe finished writing, set down his pen, and looked at Bai Lan. "Any objections?"
Bai Lan read it carefully, then shook his head. "No."
"Then it's settled." Yan Shaozhe folded the paper and put it in the drawer. "The first stage starts tomorrow. I'll have the teacher in charge come find you."
Bai Lan stood and bowed solemnly. "Thank you, Dean."
Yan Shaozhe waved a hand. "Don't thank me yet. If you can't reach level twenty in six months, I'll be disappointed."
Bai Lan smiled. "I won't disappoint you, Dean."
By the time Bai Lan left the Dean's office, it was already dark.
He carried the wooden box full of Soul Gathering Pills as he walked back to the dormitory.
The night breeze was cool, stirring the leaves along the roadside with a soft rustling sound.
As he walked, he worked out his plans.
Breaking through to level twenty in six months—that was the goal he'd set for himself.
It sounded outrageous, but he knew what he was doing.
In his previous life, he'd read countless web novels and learned one thing.
In the face of a cheat, what people called common sense was meant to be broken.
The Contract Book's two-way cultivation, Iron Core Bamboo's natural abilities, the talent of Innate Full Soul Power, and Shrek's special training...
With all four buffs stacked together, cultivating at a normal pace would be the real waste.
Before you continue