Mu En, "Was I Wrong?"

"Impossible!"

The elders of the Sea God Pavilion spoke in unison. The very notion that Soul Bones could be replaced was already shocking enough.

Yet Tie Wuji claimed that Ten Thousand Year Battle Armor could be forged, and that after evolving, it could even become Hundred Thousand Year Battle Armor. Thousand-year and hundred-year Soul Bones were difficult to obtain... and without a Super Douluo, it was even more impossible to kill a Hundred Thousand Year soul beast.

Most of them had fused with Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones. Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones... were almost nonexistent. Yet someone was now claiming they could forge them. Soul Bones were even more precious than Soul Rings.

Soul Rings could be obtained from every soul beast. Thus, Soul Rings could not be transferred between Soul Masters, while Soul Bones were difficult to acquire but could change owners. There had even been cases in the Soul Master world where Soul Masters hunted other Soul Masters for their Soul Bones...

"A Soul Master's limit is Rank 99. A Soul Engineer's limit is Level 9. Yet Blacksmiths are currently only at Level 6. I have said many times that they should at least be able to reach Level 9 as well, but no one paid attention."

"Because Spirit Refinement metals are already sufficient to create Level 9 Soul Tools. This is like how blacksmiths were not valued before Soul Tools arrived on the Douluo Continent."

"The emergence of Battle Armor has allowed me to take another step forward in forging!" At this point, Tie Wuji exchanged a glance with Qian Duoduo, and they understood each other's intentions.

As they mobilized their Soul Power, helmets of different designs covered their heads. Tie Wuji's looked as ordinary as his hammer martial soul, while Qian Duoduo's was more ornate, bearing draconic characteristics and a heavy, solid aura that suited his Wulong Shield.

Yet from the properties of the soul guidance arrays, everyone could sense that both helmets enhanced spiritual power... Tie Wuji said, "Levels Five and Six are Spirit Refinement, where Soul Power is fused into metal to grant it spirituality. I have determined that Levels Seven and Eight involve spiritual power, allowing metal to possess spirit and soul... That student and I call this... Soul Refinement."

"Above that, Level 9 forging... may perhaps involve fusing life force into it as well, allowing metal to transform into a living entity. I have no hope of entering that level. Even if one becomes a Title Douluo, one's lifespan is still limited. Soul Power is easy to recover... spiritual power is not difficult either, though it takes effort. But life force? I believe no one would dare tamper with it recklessly. This thousand-year helmet has enhanced my spiritual power, giving me a chance to forge Level Seven or Eight Soul Refinement metal and create Ten Thousand Year Battle Armor."

Qian Duoduo took over. "That's right. We have not failed to try compressing soul guidance arrays into armor before. Naturally, the result was that the metal could not withstand it and was ruined. Carving low-level soul guidance arrays into it was not worthwhile either; the returns were smaller than the investment."

"Furthermore, carving miniature soul guidance arrays is extremely difficult... like compressing explosives to the limit. But with the enhancement granted by this helmet, my chances of success have increased."

"As for Ten Thousand Year Battle Armor, Tie Wuji may be able to forge it in the future, but not now. Even evolving Ten Thousand Year Battle Armor is extremely difficult. Just like a Ten Thousand Year soul beast must survive a heavenly tribulation, someone must make sacrifices... So for now, our helmets are all thousand-year grade. With the strength of us Title Douluo, it will not take too long for them to evolve into Ten Thousand Year grade, which is why we fused with them in advance."

"Compared to Soul Bones, Battle Armor is easier to obtain and can evolve. Most importantly, it can be custom-made. Even if some people gather a full set of Soul Bones, their soul skills may not suit them at all... leaving them only with enhanced physical qualities. Battle Armor can even manifest externally for defense and offense. Even if damaged, it can be repaired with Soul Power, spiritual power, and life force. Between the two, which is superior and which is inferior? I don't think that needs saying."

"One final reminder: those who have already fused with Soul Bones can still wear Battle Armor and receive double enhancement... That is a drawback, but also an advantage."

"After all, if you can wear it, so can others."

Once the two finished speaking, Tie Wuji knew his position as a Sea God Pavilion member was secure. Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er, however, looked provocatively at Yan Shaozhe.

The Spirit Department was number one? Comparable to the Sun Moon Soul Guidance Department's number one? In the end, they had merely pushed Soul Masters and Soul Tools to their limits. Now, they had directly created something capable of changing the Soul Master landscape, no less impactful than the soul guidance system brought about by the collision between the Sun Moon Continent and the Douluo Continent.

"I have decided to fully support the Soul Guidance Department and nurture Blacksmiths and Battle Armor Masters!" Elder Song said.

She was originally Xian Lin'er's mother and Qian Duoduo's mother-in-law... so supporting the Soul Guidance Department was only natural. But now, she was declaring that she would support it with all her strength.

"For Shrek's strength, the Spirit Department has always selected people before the Soul Guidance Department in previous years. After all, the Soul Guidance Department cannot compare to Mingde Hall. The Spirit Department is stronger than them, so we had nothing to say. But now that we have an invention surpassing theirs... this time, let us choose a few people. We want students from the spiritual department."

Xian Lin'er slapped the table hard and began mocking them. It was not merely because Yan Shaozhe had abandoned her after leading her on. Shrek Academy was, after all, the continent's foremost Spirit Department academy, while those wishing to study the Soul Guidance Department would all go to Sun Moon.

There was no way for them to refute the selection arrangement... Now, the tides had turned completely.

Cai Meier maintained her cold expression. She had always been quiet by nature. Even Xian Lin'er herself had admitted that Cai Meier was gentler and prettier than her. There was nothing to say about Yan Shaozhe choosing her first, but he had still led her on and abandoned her... and he had behaved frivolously with other women as well.

Even if Yan Shaozhe abandoned Cai Meier, it likely would not have stirred much emotion in her. She would only have treated it as a lesson... Yet Xian Lin'er had remained upset about it for decades, and was now already ninety years old.

"I have no objections. For Shrek's strength. But you must provide every student willing to join the Soul Guidance Department with at least a full set of Spirit Refinement Battle Armor."

Cai Meier spoke slowly. Yan Shaozhe shook his head helplessly. After marrying her, he had almost never acted frivolously toward anyone else, because Cai Meier would never make trouble when it came to major matters. Both Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo admired Cai Meier greatly. She truly was perfect.

Evolution, repair, defense, ease of acquisition... Battle Armor had more advantages than Soul Bones. External Soul Bones could accomplish some of those things, but their drop rate was already one-thousandth that of regular Soul Bones, then multiplied by another one-thousandth.

Even the six standard Soul Bones, even Ten Thousand Year ones, had not been fully gathered by countless continental powerhouses. To say Battle Armor could change the Soul Master landscape... was not an exaggeration at all.

"Of course!" Xian Lin'er said stubbornly, though she no longer sounded as confident as before.

"Dean Qian, you must give our Shrek City Defense Army a set as well. Shrek City's external defenses remain critically important!"

Shi Xing, the Time Douluo and lord of Shrek City, made the request solemnly, only to be refused by Qian Duoduo.

"Elder Shi, I cannot do that. Thousand Refinement Battle Armor can indeed be issued one set per person, but even if I gave it to them, they would not be able to use it. Compared to Soul Bones, Battle Armor does possess many advantages, including repair, evolution, and defense..."

"But it has a usage requirement. It demands a certain level of spiritual power and Soul Power!" Qian Duoduo said. Shi Xing nodded. "That is only proper. Even Soul Bones are the same. If Ten Thousand Year or Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones are given to low-level Soul Masters, even if they can use them, the consumption will be terrifying. Is the requirement that high?"

"A little. Thousand Refinement requires a Rank 60 Soul Emperor, Spirit Refinement requires a Rank 70 Soul Saint... The as-yet-unseen Soul Refinement should require a Rank 80 Soul Douluo. Tie Wuji cannot even complete Level 9 forging, so that should require a Title Douluo. However, if one's spiritual power is strong enough, the requirement can be lowered by ten ranks. A Rank 50 Soul King can use it, and so on. Still, the increase in strength is quite good, even slightly stronger than Soul Bones... by around a dozen ranks. The most powerful Soul Refinement Ten Thousand Year Battle Armor may even allow a Title Douluo to fight a Super Douluo."

No one was surprised by this. Although Soul Bones could not be manifested externally for defense, they could enhance physical qualities and grant soul skills. The extent of the enhancement did not seem too different.

Soul Bones were ultimately dead objects, while even Spirit Refinement, the second level of Battle Armor, already possessed spirituality. In the future, it might even gain intelligence and life. The spiritual power requirement thus made sense, especially considering its functions of repair and evolution.

"However, we can try carving Level Three or Four soul guidance arrays into Hundred Refinement metal and make ten-year Soul Bones... Perhaps Rank 40 or 50 Soul Masters could use them. But I estimate that few people would choose them, because the enhancement would simply be too poor..."

That was true. Even Mu Baobao would have agreed if he were here. In the era of Legend of the Dragon King, let alone Battle Armor, there had not even been ten-year Hundred Refinement Mecha.

Even so, it could still build Shrek an army of Soul Saints, Soul Douluo, and Title Douluo.

"It seems the discussion is nearly finished. Then I announce the conclusion of this Sea God Pavilion meeting. Tie Wuji shall become a new member. After retirement, he may also enter the Enshrinement Hall and become an elder. The Spirit Department shall transfer students from the spiritual department to assist the Soul Guidance Department in researching Battle Armor."

"But at least Thousand Refinement or Spirit Refinement Battle Armor must be provided to those involved!" Mu En's aged voice, the master of the Sea God Pavilion, rang out as he delivered the final decision.

Tie Wuji was incomparably excited. Entering the Sea God Pavilion was the shared goal of Shrek's students and teachers, but only a few people from each generation could achieve that dream. He was already over ninety years old.

Yet even that could not compare to the accomplishment of advancing another step in forging. Mu En immediately asked them another question, and the atmosphere fell into a silence of contemplation over forging.

With such epoch-making Battle Armor, how could that student remain unknown? "You and Qian Duoduo said that Battle Armor was invented by a student of the Soul Guidance Department. Which genius was it? Shrek is honored to have them."

"As a student, resources should be allocated to nurture him. A position in the Sea God Pavilion should even be reserved for him!" After remaining silent for a long while, Qian Duoduo stood and answered Mu En. "You should all know him very well. He is the shared disciple of Xian Lin'er, Tie Wuji, and myself—your great-grandson, Mu Baobao."

"Elder Mu, forgive my disrespect, but was your choice regarding him truly correct?" Qian Duoduo straightened his back, already prepared for what was to come. "Perhaps an Ultimate Ice Dragon is inferior to an Ultimate Radiant Sacred Dragon, but he accomplished this feat while nearing Rank 60."

"Both Tie Wuji and I possess the strength of Title Douluo. Our spiritual power may not be outstanding, but it is at least not weak. Then how powerful must his spiritual power be?"

"Perhaps my guess is wrong. Perhaps half of his martial soul is mechanical, or perhaps he was born for the Soul Guidance Department. But I still must say this: as his teacher... I have to fight for him."

Xian Lin'er and Tie Wuji also stood, firmly supporting Qian Duoduo. Mu Baobao was their disciple as well.

"Perhaps I truly was wrong. After all, they are both my great-grandsons... Even if he lacked that talent, I should not have favored one over the other!" Mu En closed his eyes and murmured. "Then where is he? Why did he not come?"

The expressions of Qian Duoduo and the other two softened slightly. "He and Ma Xiaotao have already gone out."

"Ah, will you not even give me a chance?"

Mu En felt somewhat regretful.