A month passed in the blink of an eye.
With the Freshman Assessment drawing closer, the atmosphere in the freshman classes grew tense. The stronger students worked harder and harder, hoping to secure a higher ranking, while the weaker ones needed no encouragement—they trained like their lives depended on it, afraid they would fail the assessment and be eliminated.
Recently, though, one thing had stirred up quite a commotion across Shrek.
A Soul Tool called the "Milk Bottle" had suddenly appeared on the market in large quantities. Though it was only a Level 2 Soul Tool, it was completely different from the Milk Bottles of the past.
Level 2 Soul Tools were generally suited to Soul Grandmasters above Level 21. But this Milk Bottle was so special that demand far outstripped supply. Even some Level 7 and 8 Soul Engineers were scrambling to get their hands on one, hoping to figure out how it worked.
Many students in the freshman classes had bought a Milk Bottle, and its effect was astonishing. As long as it was charged in advance, it could fully restore the Soul Power of a Level 21 Soul Grandmaster in just a few dozen seconds.
What's more, people had learned that all these Milk Bottles came from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. As a result, the moment classes ended each day, countless Shrek Academy students swarmed Ning Tian and Wu Feng, hoping to preorder one from her.
Though it was only Level 2, its ability to replenish Soul Power quickly even worked on Soul Kings. One gulp let you release an extra Soul Skill—who wouldn't love that?
"Please stop coming to me! Chu Feng invented the Milk Bottle. Could you please go ask him instead?" Ning Tian looked at the crowd surrounding her and was nearly driven mad.
"Ning, I'm willing to pay double to preorder a Milk Bottle. Please give your senior a chance."
"Exactly, Ning. That Chu Feng you mentioned isn't even a Soul Engineer. How could he have invented such a high-level Soul Tool? Don't joke around."
"That's right. Since you're a student at Shrek Academy, it would be best if you could persuade Sect Master Ning to give Shrek students priority~"
Students from Shrek surrounded Ning Tian, chattering away. Most of them were senior students from the upper years.
With Wu Feng and several classmates protecting her, Ning Tian finally made it back to the dormitory after a long struggle, barely managing to shake off the crowd.
"Argh! That damn Chu Feng—what a pain!"
"And Dad, too. Couldn't he have just sold them quietly? He had to slap the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's name on them!" Ning Tian ran a hand through her disheveled hair, thoroughly irritated. People came to bother her every day. She'd send one batch away, only for another to show up. It was so annoying.
"I never thought Chu Feng would actually sell the technology to the Sect Master. With a Soul Tool this popular, how much money did he make?" Wu Feng looked conflicted. She'd mocked Chu Feng last time, but judging by things now, the Soul Tool technology had to be worth over a million Gold Soul Coins...
Thinking back, Ning Tian's offer of 200,000 Gold Soul Coins had really been insulting.
"Hmph, who cares how much he made? The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect definitely got the bigger share!"
Whenever money came up, Ning Tian couldn't help feeling proud. The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had built its fortune through business, and she trusted her father. He would never make a deal at a loss.
No matter how much Chu Feng earned, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had definitely earned more.
"True~"
At that, Wu Feng finally smiled smugly.
Still, she had to admit the Milk Bottle worked wonders. Her Red Dragon Martial Soul was powerful, but it also consumed a tremendous amount of Soul Power.
With a Level 2 Milk Bottle, her Soul Power had effectively doubled, and her combat strength had soared. When the Freshman Assessment came, she was confident she could crush every opponent except Chu Feng!
Shrek City.
On a bustling street, a new, modestly decorated shop had opened. Several gleaming golden characters above the entrance read: Big Bear Treasure Shop.
From its decor, it looked like an ordinary shop selling Soul Tools. It wasn't large, and it didn't have many Soul Tools inside, yet its prices were several times higher than those at other shops. As a result, business grew even quieter.
A young man reclined in a rocking chair, a cup of hot tea beside him. The setting sun bathed his handsome face in a distinctive glow.
The young man was, of course, Chu Feng. The academy was too boring; running a leisurely little shop was much more pleasant.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had already started mass-producing Level 2 Milk Bottles, and business was booming.
But the Milk Bottles weren't the real money-maker. The main source of income was the blueprints for several other Soul Tools he had provided. In just one month, he had received over a million Gold Soul Coins in dividends, since he owned a 70 percent share of the profits.
And that was only the first month, before the production lines were fully operational. Once the entire supply chain was up and running, he would earn roughly two to three million Gold Soul Coins a month—enough to buy a decent Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone in half a year.
The Soul Tool industry was simply this profitable. It made no sense at all.
Just as Chu Feng was imagining a bright future, a figure in a black robe appeared at the shop entrance, blocking the sunlight shining on him.
"Who's that?"
"Move aside. Don't block my sun."
Chu Feng slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the entrance, somewhat exasperated.
"Shopkeeper, I want to buy a hundred Dragon-Slaying Sabers." A sinister voice came from beneath the black robe, thick with wickedness.
"Each person may buy only one a month. If you're all from the same faction, your limit is ten a month. You've already used up your quota for this month." Chu Feng answered calmly, pretending not to sense the man's hostility.
Most of the Soul Tools in the shop were just there to fill the shelves. He had bought them himself and priced them several times higher than elsewhere. What he truly sold were the Soul Tools he made himself, marked with the "Panda" trademark. He sold only a limited number each day.
The "Panda" brand wasn't very famous yet, but some sharp-eyed bigwigs had noticed something unusual. They said nothing, instead sending people to quietly buy his Soul Tools every day. Though his products cost several times more than Soul Tools of the same type, they always sold out.
Naturally, his Soul Tools had attracted the attention of Evil Soul Masters. They didn't dare cause trouble in Shrek City, but that didn't mean there weren't any Evil Soul Masters in the city.
"Oh? So you know where we're from, kid?" the leader in black robes asked curiously, though his voice clearly carried murderous intent.
"I don't know. But the people in your group have very similar auras. I can sense that much." To keep them from flying into a rage, Chu Feng played it safe.
Still, he had to admit that these Evil Soul Masters were excellent at disguising themselves. Even with his powerful spiritual strength, he couldn't sense the evil aura on them. At most, he could detect an unusual viciousness about them; aside from that, there was nothing different.
Of course, he had ultimately seen through them with his Fiery Golden Eyes. A special power concealed each person's evil thoughts in the deepest part of their heart. As long as they didn't use their full strength, they were difficult to detect.
Of course, the main reason was that they were weak, and their evil thoughts weren't strong either. Even a Titled Douluo would have a hard time identifying these Evil Soul Masters.
"You're a little strange, kid. But we like your Soul Tool craftsmanship. Come with us." The leader in black robes spoke in a hollow voice. The murderous intent he'd shown at first was gone, but it was clear he meant no good.
"What do you mean? You want to fight in Shrek City? You may be strong, but if you start something here, you'll still die." Chu Feng wasn't the least bit afraid. He smiled at the man, even goading him a little.
He was somewhat surprised. The black-robed man was only a trash Soul Emperor, capable of unleashing at most Soul Douluo-level strength. What gave him the confidence to start a fight here?
The black-robed man chuckled at that, speaking with a hint of pride. "You underestimate us. We're only holding back because the price would be too high. But..."
"You're valuable enough for me to make an exception, heh heh heh~"
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