The third year covered far more material than the first year.
After seeing how well her younger brother was doing, Qian Renxue worked even harder. She had come to this field late, and her Soul Tool studies were something she had taken up after the fact, so there was a lot she didn't know.
Over the course of the year, Qian Renxue made great progress, from theory and practical work to advancing from a Second-Class Soul Engineer to a Level 3 Soul Engineer.
Now she was only one step away from becoming a Level 4 Soul Engineer.
Qian Renxue had awakened the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul and possessed Innate Full Soul Power at level twenty. Her talent was exceptional—otherwise, she would never have become the Angel God.
Xuan Ziwen also praised Qian Renxue as the most talented student he had ever taught, someone who understood everything with a single hint. Whenever she had a question, he patiently answered it.
Before entering the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Ye Guyi had already been a Second-Class Soul Engineer. After a year of systematic training, she had now become a Level 3 Soul Engineer and was only one step away from becoming a Level 4 Soul Engineer.
As for Qin Chuan, well, that was a complicated story.
During his year at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Qin Chuan studied Soul Tools while keeping up with his Soul Power cultivation.
The academy provided some potions to help students quickly improve their Soul Power, but Qin Chuan turned them all down. Soul Masters couldn't rely on potions all the time; they needed to take things one step at a time.
Qin Chuan's Soul Power Level had now reached twenty-seven. After his baptism at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, his cultivation speed had increased considerably.
Qin Chuan and Xiao Hongchen had gotten to know each other through their fights. They'd sparred frequently, and Qin Chuan had also become a Level 3 Soul Engineer, only one step away from Level 4.
Through their sparring and matches, Xiao Hongchen had also gained a deeper understanding of Soul Tools.
This outcome had been within Jing Hongchen's expectations, and he was quite pleased to see it.
What gave Xiao Hongchen the most headaches was his younger sister, Meng Hongchen. Qin Chuan always seemed to find excuses to get close to her, and every time they met, he'd say something flirtatious, like, "You're even prettier than before." For a while, Meng Hongchen's pretty face was always lit up with a smile.
Now, after a whole year, his little sister looked at Qin Chuan differently.
When it came to her own brother, she'd say, "Brother, you went to bother Qin Chuan again?"
But when it came to Qin Chuan, she'd say, "Qin Chuan, you're here."
Xiao Hongchen was on the verge of tears. His little sister was about to become Qin Chuan's sweetheart, and it wasn't as if he hadn't tried to stop it. For instance, he'd forbidden her from seeing Qin Chuan.
But the very next day, Xiao Hongchen went out to buy materials for making Soul Tools. As he passed a small restaurant, his expression suddenly darkened.
Qin Chuan and Meng Hongchen were eating together inside, chatting and laughing. How could he let that stand?
Xiao Hongchen didn't choose to confront them directly. Instead, he took the roundabout approach and complained to his grandfather.
To his surprise, Jing Hongchen didn't stop them after hearing about it. Instead, he told Xiao Hongchen to get along with Qin Chuan from then on, wearing a faint smile as he spoke.
The day before the break, the three members of the little group—Qian Renxue, Ye Guyi, and Qin Chuan—gathered in Qin Chuan's dorm room.
"Little brother, do you have a thing for Meng Hongchen or what? I've seen you getting all cozy with her more than once this past year," Qian Renxue asked, sounding jealous.
Ye Guyi also gave him a questioning look.
Qin Chuan smiled and shook his head. "Don't judge things by appearances. Let me ask you first: why did I bring you to the future, ten thousand years from now?"
"To learn advanced Soul Tool technology and change the future fate of Spirit Hall, of course."
"Exactly! Take the three of us, for example. We're already Level 4 Soul Engineers. But if three Level 4 Soul Engineers went back ten thousand years, could we bring about a major change in the development of Soul Tools at Spirit Hall?"
"No," Qian Renxue said, shaking her head.
"On the Douluo Continent today, people are still deeply resistant to Soul Tools. Soul Masters believe that if they keep cultivating day after day, they can still fight even the most powerful Soul Tools. And that's not to mention your era."
"To change that ingrained way of thinking, the first thing we have to do is show them how powerful Soul Tools can be. Spirit Hall has one major advantage: we have many Titled Douluo, each with a solid foundation. They're in a completely different league from the people of the Sun Moon Empire, who've been taking potions since childhood."
"In a one-on-one fight, as long as no one uses Soul Tools, Spirit Hall would win without a doubt."
"But once Soul Tools come into play, our Titled Douluo might not even be able to get close to them. That's the main reason the Sun Moon Empire has yet to conquer the Douluo Continent."
Qin Chuan took a deep breath and summed up, "To get back to the point, one reason I'm getting close to Meng Hongchen is that we're already enemies with Shrek Academy. I can't exactly go to Shrek Academy just to marry a wife in the future. I'm not crazy."
"On top of that, I want to use this opportunity to get closer to Jing Hongchen and find a chance to invite him back to our era, ten thousand years ago. As the dean of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, he has a great deal of power and resources at his disposal."
"Are you not worried Jing Hongchen will turn around and tell the Sun Moon Empire?" Qian Renxue asked.
"He won't. Everyone has something they're striving for, like having their name remembered throughout history. Besides, I can guarantee that once he's aboard our ship, he won't be able to jump off so easily." Qin Chuan chuckled.
Qin Chuan added, "Teacher Xuan is talented, too. You should spend more time with him."
"I understand," Qian Renxue said, nodding.
After seeing Qian Renxue and Ye Guyi off and watching them return to their room, Qin Chuan closed the door and flopped onto the warm bed.
He opened the system page.
Current Snow Hatred Value: 510900
Qin Chuan clicked his tongue. "Over the past year, the Holy Spirit Cult's reputation has grown louder and louder. I never imagined Mom could be this terrifying when she went mad."
The academy would start its break tomorrow, a month-long vacation. Bibi Dong would come to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to pick up the three of them.
Bibi Dong was already on her way.
Before that, one piece of news had sent shock waves across the continent.
The Evil Soul Master who had plagued the continent for a whole year had finally been brought to justice that day.
Many of the Titled Douluo who had come to hunt him down recognized the dead man: Sleep Nightmare Douluo.
It was said that, in order to cultivate, he had used nightmares to slaughter an entire village. The massacre had caused public outrage, and Soul Masters had hunted him down, but he had still managed to escape.
Who would have thought that the Evil Soul Master responsible for the darkest year in the history of the Douluo Continent, spreading fear and slaughtering people at will, had been this man all along?
They also found a human-skin disguise mask on him, along with an Eighth-Grade Soul Tool Scythe. That matched the rumors about the woman wielding a scythe.
Thus, the year-long hunt for the Evil Soul Master ended in triumph with the death of Sleep Nightmare Douluo.
Xuan Zi was so overcome with emotion that he wept. At last, he could tell the spirits of the children they had lost that they had been avenged.
Bibi Dong had watched the scene from hiding, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of her mouth.
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