Today, he was going to seek out someone who could solve his urgent problem once and for all—the perfect partner for his Soul Tool research project: Ning Tian of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect.
Ever since he had devoted himself to studying Soul Tool Technology, a shortage of funds had constantly plagued him. He needed money to gather research materials and build basic Soul Tools.
In his spare time, he could only earn a meager income by smithing and selling ordinary Soul Tool components, which kept his progress severely constrained.
But Ning Tian was different.
As a direct descendant of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, Ning Tian was widely known as the little rich girl of Shrek's freshman class, with a deep family fortune and resources to spare.
If he could bring this young heiress from a top clan into his Soul Engineer research group, the financial problem that had troubled him for so long would be solved in an instant.
He would no longer have to toil at the forge to fund his research, and his Soul Tool development project could finally proceed at full speed.
As for how to win Ning Tian over, Su Ming already had everything planned out. He didn't think it would be difficult at all.
The Seven Treasures Glazed and Nine Treasures Glazed Martial Souls shared the same lineage. Their auxiliary abilities were unrivaled across the Douluo Continent, yet they had one fatal flaw: their wielders had almost no combat ability of their own and were extremely vulnerable.
The various special Soul Tools he had at his disposal, however, offered both offense and defense, with countless ingenious uses. They were perfectly suited to making up for the shortcomings of auxiliary Soul Masters.
All he had to do was show Ning Tian how useful high-level special Soul Tools could be and help her understand that they could greatly improve an auxiliary Soul Master's ability to survive and their upper limit in actual combat.
With her keen mind and drive to grow stronger, she would be completely captivated and join his research team of her own accord.
What's more, Su Ming had another excellent trump card hidden away—one that would be enough to secure Ning Tian's support.
He had long seen through the fact that Ning Tian had entered Shrek disguised as a boy. She seemed to be enjoying an enviable life.
In reality, her position within the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was far from secure. There were bound to be power struggles within the sect, and her succession to the position of sect master was by no means guaranteed.
That was his greatest bargaining chip.
By now, he had mastered the complete summoning power of the Snow Mastiff Armor. His combat strength had soared, and his rise was unstoppable. Becoming a top-tier powerhouse was only a matter of time.
If he wanted to, he could use his strength and resources in the future to support Ning Tian with everything he had and help her secure the position of sect master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect.
As for how Ning Tian could recognize Su Ming's talent, she wouldn't even need to figure it out for herself. The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was especially fond of keeping an eye on talented individuals, so it was certain to know about Su Ming's exploits in the Outer Court over the years.
Su Ming didn't believe Ning Tian would pass up the chance to invest in him.
On one side was Soul Tool research, which could make up for her weaknesses and open up a new path for her. On the other was the promise of helping her reach the highest position in her sect. With both bargaining chips in hand, there was no suspense at all in winning Ning Tian over.
With every detail of his plan settled, a confident glint flashed in Su Ming's eyes, and he quickened his pace.
The cultivation area where teachers helped students improve their Soul Power was right next to the Freshman Grand Competition venue, only a short distance away.
In no time, he had passed through the crowds of students coming and going and arrived at the bustling, noisy competition arena.
The grandstand at the Freshman Grand Competition was full of clamorous voices. Below, the matches on the platforms were in full swing, and dazzling pillars of Soul Power rose one after another.
Su Ming swept his gaze across the stands and immediately spotted the two most conspicuous figures.
On a recliner near the outside sat Xuan Zi in a simple gray robe, showing none of the dignity one would expect from a Shrek elder.
He was lazily gnawing on a glistening chicken leg, a little grease at the corner of his mouth, looking relaxed and carefree.
Wang Yan, sitting beside him, was the complete opposite. He sat upright and solemn, his eyes fixed on every competitor below as he meticulously observed their Martial Soul traits, control over their Soul Power, and combat talent. He was utterly focused.
Without a trace of hesitation, Su Ming strode up onto the grandstand and made his way to the two men as if he knew the way by heart. Addressing Xuan Zi, who was happily chewing away, he spoke boldly, his tone teasing and casual:
"Old Xuan, after watching for so long, how many of this year's freshmen do you think can truly be called geniuses?"
With Xuan Zi's cultivation, he could sense every change in the atmosphere within a hundred zhang.
He had sensed that familiar presence as soon as Su Ming approached, so he wasn't surprised in the least.
He slowly swallowed the chicken in his mouth, then glanced at Su Ming with a teasing look and bantered back:
"Can't you judge a genius for yourself? You're so capable these days, matching a six-ring Soul Ancestor with four rings of Soul Power without falling behind. You're making quite a stir. Why ask this old man?"
Su Ming rolled his eyes, unwilling to bother arguing with the old rascal. He turned instead to the refined and steady-looking teacher beside them, Wang Yan, and asked more seriously:
"Teacher Wang Yan, how many students in this year's class do you think have outstanding talent?"
Watching the old man and young man immediately clash the moment they met, Wang Yan could only raise a hand and rub his forehead, his eyes full of exasperated amusement.
These two old friends always had to trade barbs whenever they met, neither willing to yield. Despite his helplessness, Wang Yan still took a moment to think before answering earnestly.
"This year's class is unquestionably the best group of freshmen Shrek Outer Court has seen in recent years. Their overall talent far exceeds that of previous classes. Quite a few students have already broken through to the three-ring Soul Elder realm ahead of schedule."
Wang Yan pointed toward the arena below and counted them off one by one, his eyes filled with approval:
"Dai Huabin of the White Tiger Duke Mansion has a top-grade White Tiger Martial Soul, a solid foundation, and ferocious combat strength. He's a top-tier genius among Beast Martial Soul users;
"Ning Tian of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect possesses a top-tier auxiliary Martial Soul, and both her resources and talent are first-rate;
"Besides them, Xie Huanyue has a special constitution and an impenetrable defense, Chu Qingtian is the fastest of his peers, and Wang Dong's Butterfly Martial Soul is extremely rare and full of potential. They're all rare talents, one in ten thousand."
As soon as Wang Yan finished speaking, Xuan Zi wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth and casually tossed the chicken bone into a nearby trash can. He looked at Su Ming with a knowing smile:
"What's this, Su? It's rare to see you here today. You spend every day shut up in the smithy fiddling with those chunks of metal and Soul Tool components, and you can't even be bothered to focus on your cultivation. Now you've got time to come watch these little ones compete?"
His old eyes narrowed, a smile that saw through everything on his face. He hit the nail on the head:
"You've never lifted a finger without something in it for you. This old man heard that not long ago, you specifically recruited that freshman named Huo Yuhao into your Soul Tool research team.
"You didn't come all the way to the arena today just to keep an eye on these geniuses, did you? Planning to poach a few of them to do your grunt work and help with your research?"
Having his intentions seen through at a glance didn't faze Su Ming. He simply smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"Not bad, Old Xuan. You're well-informed. You even heard about that. Then tell me, what do you think of my eye for talent? How do you rate little Huo Yuhao's potential?"
Xuan Zi rolled his eyes dramatically, looking utterly unimpressed. His tone made it clear he didn't think much of it:
"Terrible judgment. That Huo Yuhao you picked isn't much to look at. His Martial Soul is nothing more than an ordinary Spirit Eye with a white Ten-Year Soul Ring. It's true that a Mental Attribute Martial Soul is rare and unique, but it has too many drawbacks.
"Mental-type Soul Beasts are already exceedingly rare across the Douluo Continent, and high-level ones are even rarer. Getting Soul Rings for it later will be as hard as climbing to heaven.
"As I see it, the boy's path to growth will be full of hardship, and his potential is limited."
Su Ming immediately took offense and shot back, brimming with confidence:
"Ha! I knew you were short-sighted and couldn't judge people! You've lived for a hundred years and still can't recognize a true genius!"
He spoke with ringing conviction, every word firm:
"Other people only see how unimpressive his white Ten-Year Soul Ring is, but they have no idea.
"That kid has the greatest talent for Soul Tools of anyone I've ever met! He's naturally suited to Soul Tool research. His insight, creativity, and focus are all top-tier. His future achievements will go far beyond this!"
At this, Su Ming took the opportunity to vent his frustration, sounding as if he was disappointed in them for not living up to expectations:
"And you stubborn old fogeys! You cling to traditional Martial Souls and shut yourselves off from progress. Why can't you pay more attention to the development of Soul Tools?
"This is no longer an age when people can conquer the world with Martial Souls alone. The future belongs to Soul Tools!"
"Sun Moon Empire has already risen rapidly on the strength of its Soul Tool Technology, leaving the other three empires of the continent far behind. The gap keeps growing.
"You have Shrek's best resources at your disposal, but instead of devoting yourselves to innovation in Soul Tool Technology, you spend every day closing ranks with that penny-pinching Yan Shaozhe.
"You keep suppressing the development of Soul Tools and clinging to the same old ways. You're hopelessly short-sighted, shutting yourselves off from progress!"
That blunt accusation instantly darkened Xuan Zi's face. He bristled and fired back:
"Out of line! What would a snot-nosed brat like you know?"
Xuan Zi knitted his brows, his tone full of the stubborn pride of an older generation powerhouse:
"The Martial Soul Origin is the foundation that lets a Soul Master stand firm between heaven and earth! With sufficient cultivation and a powerful enough Martial Soul, you can be invincible!
"Those cold lumps of scrap metal are worthless before absolute strength. I could smash every last one with a single slap. How could they even compare to orthodox Martial Souls? What utter nonsense!"
Seeing the old man and young man trading barbs as their tempers flared, ready to start arguing in public again, Wang Yan—caught between them—felt his head throb.
He hurried over and held the two agitated men back, trying to mediate and calm them down.
He was afraid the two big shots would argue until the grandstand at the Freshman Grand Competition became a battlefield and they lost all restraint.