Ju Zi's Tangerines, Breaking Through to Soul Ancestor

The award ceremony ended.

The four of them had dinner together in the cafeteria.

The silver-haired siblings were not upset over losing the match.

The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

After dinner, Xu Tinglan hurried back to his dormitory.

He sat on his bed and took out the metal box.

Inside was a sword-type Soul Tool.

The sword was three chi and seven cun long. Its blade was semi-translucent ice blue, as though condensed from water, with fine ripples slowly flowing within.

The hilt was made from pale cyan-blue Soul Bone, and a clear blue Soul Guidance crystal was embedded at its pommel.

Its name was the Tide Trace Sword.

Jing Hongchen's gift was precisely the model best suited to him.

The richness of his inventory was plain to see.

Xu Tinglan gently stroked the blade. A chilling sensation spread through his hand, and his mind became utterly clear.

He could not help but praise it aloud.

"What an excellent weapon."

"I wonder why Yan Shaozhe is so opposed to Soul Tools that he will not even let students use them."

"Ah, that stubborn old fossil."

The night passed without incident. At the first light of dawn, Xu Tinglan rose early.

He took out a map and followed its directions all the way to the Fifth Experimental Zone.

The metal building, reflecting the sunlight, was particularly eye-catching.

Xu Tinglan arrived at the main entrance and used his metal card to verify his identity.

After passing through layer upon layer of doors, he spotted a familiar figure in the laboratory.

As though sensing something, the man looked up toward the entrance and smiled.

"You're here?"

"Teacher Xuan."

Xu Tinglan took three pieces of metal from his storage Soul Tool. They were the Hundred-Refined Metals he had forged before.

They were all different colors: Blood Crown Stone, Moonlight Stone, and Titanium, which he had forged just a few days ago.

"These are gifts from your student. Please guide me well from now on, Teacher Xuan."

The man smiled and waved a hand, signaling for him to sit.

"You have a thoughtful heart, child."

He accepted the metals from the youth and quickly realized that these pieces were far from ordinary.

Xuan Ziwen carefully examined the Titanium in his hand. It was a rare metal produced only in the Sun Moon Empire.

He exclaimed in surprise.

"There isn't even the slightest impurity. Where did you get this?"

"I forged it."

Delight appeared on the man's face.

"Your forging skills are quite good."

"Let me think. I'll use this Titanium to make you a Flight Soul Tool. Consider it my welcoming gift."

Ordinary Flight Soul Tools required at least four rings to use.

The Sun Moon Empire had special technology that allowed a One-Ring Soul Master to use one by adding special gemstones and an Aggregation Core Array.

Of course, they were very expensive.

Xuan Ziwen shook his head and called out in a rather helpless tone.

"Ju Zi, come over. Stop hiding behind there and secretly eating tangerines."

Behind the metal table, a timid young girl was hiding.

Her hair was a brilliant golden-red, and she still held a half-eaten tangerine in her hand.

She raised the tangerine and asked softly.

"Want some?"

The girl's soft, gentle voice gave people a strangely heart-itching feeling.

"No, thank you." Xuan Ziwen took a deep breath.

Xu Tinglan was somewhat surprised. He had not expected Ju Zi to be studying under Xuan Ziwen so early.

But why did this girl seem a little timid?

It was hard to imagine that she would become the future regent empress of the Sun Moon Empire.

Xuan Ziwen took out a book and said to them both, "She has no foundation in Soul Tools either, so I'll teach the two of you together."

The title of the book was Soul Guidance Core Array Inscription.

"Everyone's energy is limited, and each person will have different priorities when researching Soul Tools. Ju Zi chose defensive Soul Tools. What about you?"

Xu Tinglan answered.

"I choose close-combat Soul Tools. More precisely, swords."

He did not intend to spend too much time on Soul Tools.

For now, as long as he could forge a Spirit Forged Sword, he would have achieved the small goal in his heart.

In the future, he would progress no further than Soul Forging, perhaps even Heaven Forging.

Xuan Ziwen nodded.

"Indeed. Your martial soul's defensive power is already absurd enough. Learning defensive Core Arrays as well would only waste your energy."

Ju Zi poked her head out, her lovely brows faintly furrowed as she asked softly,

"You chose swords... Is your purpose to kill people?"

The question stumped Xu Tinglan, and he instinctively asked in return.

"You chose defensive Soul Tools. Could it be for protection?"

Ju Zi looked at what she held in her hand and replied as though it were only natural, "Of course. I want to protect those harmed by war."

Xu Tinglan lowered his head, trying to hide the upward curve of his lips.

He truly could not hold it in any longer.

Thinking of how Ju Zi would one day become the empire's marshal, command its three armies, and send troops in every direction—

And yet now she wanted only to protect others?

Xu Tinglan chuckled. "There is a saying..."

"Dignity exists only upon the edge of a sword, and truth exists only within range."

Xuan Ziwen's eyes flickered as he unconsciously savored those words.

Understanding dawned on his face. "What a saying—dignity exists only upon the edge of a sword."

Ju Zi lowered her head as well, deep in thought.

Over the following days, Xuan Ziwen patiently taught the two students about Soul Guidance Core inscription.

He also explained the properties of numerous metals.

Xuan Ziwen truly deserved to be a Level 8 Soul Engineer. The knowledge he explained was profound yet easy to understand, and each point could be cross-referenced with the others, deepening their impressions.

Under his guidance, the youth was confident that he could more quickly improve his understanding of metals.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Aside from attending classes and cultivating, Xu Tinglan received Xuan Ziwen's personal instruction. Time flowed away like water.

Xu Tinglan sat cross-legged in the cultivation room.

The floor beneath him was covered in earth-element Rock Crystal, while Deep Sea Silver was embedded all around him. Every piece was rare metal.

This was a cultivation room built by Sun Moon Academy.

Several thousand years ago,

a prominent figure in the Sun Moon Empire discovered that rare metals emitted minute elemental energy, which could raise the concentration of spiritual energy in the surrounding environment.

However, it was almost impossible to absorb directly.

But with an Energy Gathering Soul Guidance Core, that energy could be amplified.

This increased the cultivation speed of Soul Masters.

The principle was similar to a simulated cultivation environment.

Using this Auxiliary Cultivation Room required spending one's rare metal quota, making it extremely expensive.

Still, it was worth it.

Xu Tinglan slowly opened his eyes. A glint flashed through them, and excitement filled his handsome face.

"I've broken through to Soul Ancestor!"

He looked around at the surroundings of the Auxiliary Cultivation Room.

Xu Tinglan could not help but laugh aloud.

When he had read Peerless Tang Sect in his previous life, he remembered that Sun Moon Academy had Auxiliary Cultivation Rooms.

But Huo Gua had always cultivated in his own dormitory.

At the time, Xu Tinglan had not understood why.

Only now did he understand. That foolish boy had merely wanted to save some rare metal quota and take it back to Shrek!

Hard to judge.

Thinking of this, Xu Tinglan shook his head.

He strode out of the Auxiliary Cultivation Room and headed toward the Forging Workshop in the Fifth Experimental Zone.

The Forging Workshop was usually frequented by low- and mid-level Soul Engineers.

After Xuan Ziwen learned of his forging talent, he applied for a private Forging Workshop for him.

Over the past half year, the Hundred-Refined Metals he forged had earned the recognition of many high-level Soul Engineers.

Xu Tinglan no longer lacked rare metals.

That was why he could use the Auxiliary Cultivation Room from time to time.

Arriving at the Forging Workshop,

Xu Tinglan took out a head-sized piece of Moonlight Silver. This one piece alone was quite heavy.

It weighed roughly forty kilograms.