Su Ming spoke with an easy, carefree confidence:
"If you don't believe me, then let's make a bet. Let your young mistress study Soul Tools with me for a while. After that, I'll have her face you in a direct match.
"Then you can see for yourself whether she can beat you head-on with the power of Soul Tools."
Those thoroughly provocative words struck Wu Feng's competitive streak at once.
She immediately widened her eyes, lifted her chin, and shot back with an air of arrogance. Her voice was thick with disdain and scorn:
"Fine, let's bet! Who's afraid? They're nothing but piles of scrap metal cobbled together. What could they possibly do?
"When we actually fight, I'll use one Dragon Fire Scorches the Plains and burn every last one of those so-called Soul Tools to ashes!"
Ning Tian watched the two of them argue over her as though she were the stake in their bet and helplessly shook her head, her expression caught between amusement and exasperation.
But as she watched Su Ming remain composed and confident from start to finish, the beliefs she had always held began to waver.
After a moment's thought, she spoke softly, full of curiosity and questions:
"Senior Su Ming, are Soul Tools really as powerful as you say? As far as I know, they're just auxiliary tools for low-ranking Soul Masters. Before becoming a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, a Soul Master might gain a slight advantage by using them.
"But once a Soul Master breaks through to the seventh ring, their Martial Soul Origin becomes fully stabilized and their Soul Power grows immensely rich. Soul Tools then become almost useless, and can hardly threaten high-ranking Soul Masters."
After hearing Ning Tian's question, Su Ming's expression lifted slightly. His eyes held the confidence and pride of someone ahead of his time as he slowly explained:
"That's just your conventional wisdom, an outdated belief that's long since fallen behind the times."
He knew how much Douluo had changed over the past ten thousand years. Soul Guidance Technology had undergone a revolutionary transformation; it was no longer the useless accessory it had once been.
"Back then, Soul Tools really did lose much of their effectiveness after the seventh ring. They couldn't keep pace with the combat strength of high-ranking Soul Masters.
"But times have changed. The Sun Moon Empire has spent centuries advancing Soul Guidance Technology and has already developed countless new high-ranking Soul Tool techniques and forbidden weapons.
"Today's top Soul Tools have long since broken free of the old era's limitations."
Su Ming's gaze turned distant, his tone utterly certain:
"Without exaggeration, the rapidly advancing high-ranking Soul Tool Technology of today completely overwhelms the Original Heaven Soul, the Douluo Empire, and the Star Luo Empire, which are still dominated by traditional Martial Soul cultivation.
"Fighting them would be like fighting a swaddled baby. There's no difference at all."
Besides, the Soul Tools my team is researching are different. We're pursuing a brand-new field that no one has ever explored in depth. Our ideas are novel, our system is unique, and we've completely broken free of the limitations of conventional Soul Tools.
"Once our research is complete, the power and practical value of what we create will far surpass ordinary Soul Tools. In terms of overall strength,
"our work will be even more powerful than the mainstream research coming out of Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department."
Su Ming walked along the tree-lined path with his hands clasped behind his back and a relaxed, cocky smile on his lips. His expression brimmed with confidence.
The boy stood tall and straight as sunlight filtered through the plane trees along the path, scattering dappled light across his handsome profile.
It made his confidence shine all the brighter. It didn't seem the least bit hollow; instead, it somehow made people inclined to believe him.
Wu Feng, Ning Tian, and Nanmen Yun'er, walking beside him, all noticed that deep-seated confidence. They couldn't help turning to look at him.
Wu Feng, ever straightforward, secretly sized up Su Ming's self-assured appearance. She grumbled inwardly, unable to hold back her complaints:
When it came down to it, weren't they just a bunch of iron lumps hammered and pieced together? Soul Tool research had always followed the rules, and the Soul Tool system across the entire continent was already well established.
Where did he get all that confidence to claim he could rival Shrek's Soul Tool Department? He was being far too conceited.
Ning Tian, however, didn't share Wu Feng's shallow view.
As a genius of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had far broader horizons than her peers. She knew that Shrek's Soul Tool Department represented the highest level of research among the continent's younger generation. Ordinary Soul Tool researchers wouldn't dare put themselves on the same level.
If Su Ming dared to make such a bold claim, then either he was arrogant and all talk, or he had a truly groundbreaking research direction in hand.
She lowered her eyes and lightly traced the pattern on her cuff with her slender fingers, silently weighing her options for a long while.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had immense wealth, but it had always lacked a distinctive system for developing high-ranking Soul Tools of its own.
If the sect could get involved in Su Ming's unique research project, it would be of tremendous benefit to its future.
After careful consideration, Ning Tian finally looked up. Her gaze was clear and earnest as she spoke to Su Ming:
"Senior Su Ming, I've decided to join your research team."
After a brief pause, she made her limits and request clear. Her tone was sincere but neither servile nor arrogant:
"I have just one condition. If your Soul Tool research makes a major breakthrough and produces mature results in the future, I hope you'll give the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect priority in benefiting from them and putting them to use."
Su Ming's eyes brightened when he heard that. He nodded at once, without the slightest hesitation.
He understood perfectly: Ning Tian was the young mistress of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, backed by the vast resources and immense wealth of a top sect.
With her on the team, their toughest challenges—research funding, rare materials, and high-ranking Soul Tool components—could all be solved in an instant.
Providing some of his research results to the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was a mutually beneficial arrangement. It was no trouble at all for him.
"No problem. It's a deal!" Su Ming agreed readily, his smile broadening.
"Since you've officially joined my team, I'll take you to my private lab now. You can get a look at our research project in advance."
With that, Su Ming turned and led the three of them toward a secluded area deep within the academy.
The four of them walked along the academy's leafy paths as the breeze stirred the branches with a soft rustle.
After walking in silence for a while, Wu Feng, her curiosity bursting, hurried forward and came up beside Su Ming.
"Hey, Su Ming, you've been talking for ages. Who's actually on your research team?"
She looked him up and down, her face full of curiosity:
"You said your project was a unique, high-ranking field of research, and incredibly difficult. So your team must have a lot of people, right? Otherwise, how could you handle such a novel, large-scale project?"
At that, Ning Tian and the gentle, quiet Nanmen Yun'er, who had been walking alongside them, both looked up at Su Ming, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.
After all, a project capable of surpassing Shrek's Soul Tool Department had to be backed by a large, elite professional team.
Su Ming, walking at the front and leading the way, slowed to a stop.
As he felt all three of them staring at him, a hint of guilt flashed through him. His confidence suddenly dwindled by half.
But with three new members watching, he couldn't let his nerves show. He forced down his embarrassment and did his best to look calm and collected, putting on an air of mystery as he defended himself:
"You don't understand. The higher the level of research, the more top secret it is, and the fewer people know about it. The bar for my project is incredibly high.
"We only take in the most exceptional talents. Ordinary students aren't qualified to participate, so of course the team is small. Quality matters more than quantity!"
Ning Tian and Nanmen Yun'er, walking behind him, nodded thoughtfully at his grand-sounding explanation.
But while he managed to fool Ning Tian and Nanmen Yun'er, he couldn't fool Wu Feng, who was sharp-eyed and straightforward.
She immediately noticed Su Ming's shifty eyes and faltering confidence. Widening her eyes, she demanded suspiciously:
"Small? I think you're just feeling guilty! Stop dodging the question and tell me straight: how many people are on your team?"
With nowhere left to turn, Su Ming slowly turned around, avoiding their gazes. The corners of his mouth drooped as he lowered his voice to a soft, feeble murmur and answered:
"Two."
In that instant, it was as if even the wind in the forest had stopped.
Ning Tian's delicate features stiffened, and her gentle face was instantly filled with shock.
Nanmen Yun'er also widened her eyes slightly, her expression one of utter disbelief. She clearly hadn't expected that answer at all.
After a brief two seconds of dead silence, a piercing cry suddenly rang out, making the surrounding branches shiver. A few yellowing leaves drifted straight down from the treetops.
"What?!"
Wu Feng's eyes bulged and her mouth fell wide open. Her voice was full of disbelief, frustration, and exasperation:
"Two people?! Just two people in total? What kind of groundbreaking Soul Tools can two people research? Su Ming, you've got some nerve!
"So you've been leading us on this whole time, tricking Ning Tian into joining your beggar's workshop, huh?"
Seeing the three of them looking stunned and exasperated—especially Wu Feng, who was outraged—Su Ming immediately took offense. He furrowed his brows and retorted:
"What do you mean, a beggar's den? And what do you mean, tricking you? Wu Feng, could you at least make it sound a little less awful?"
He puffed out his chest, forcing himself to regain some confidence, and said indignantly:
"My team has incredibly high standards. We'd rather go without than settle. Not just anyone can join! Ordinary talent in large numbers
"will only hold back the research. So what if there are only a few of us? You can't measure the caliber of a team by its size!"
"You're still making excuses! What else would you call a two-person workshop?" Wu Feng refused to let it go, complaining at length.
Su Ming couldn't be bothered to argue anymore. He pursed his lips and unconsciously quickened his pace, hurrying ahead with a hint of uncertainty:
"What do you know? Talk is cheap. Once we get to the lab and you see what we're working on, you'll realize how shallow you are!"
With that, he strode ahead, deliberately putting some distance between himself and the three behind him to avoid their gazes.
Wu Feng continued following, grumbling and complaining all the way, her endless stream of muttered remarks trailing behind them.
Ning Tian and Nanmen Yun'er exchanged a look, both amused and exasperated. Their curiosity and confusion only grew as they hurried after Su Ming, soon arriving at the entrance to the mysterious private lab.