Soul Tool Science... no longer exists."
Qian Duoduo sat in his office, his eyes vacant, speechless for a long time.
The matter began yesterday. After his failure, though the elders did not openly reprimand him, their disappointed gazes left him feeling disheartened. Determined to improve, he revisited the design blueprints with renewed vigor.
However, upon his second examination, things started to seem increasingly off.
The various linkage matrices—despite his half-baked knowledge as an eighth-level soul engineer—were only partially understandable to him. When he attempted further experiments, he found that the more he tested, the more errors emerged.
Even the most fundamental formation cores, when engraved in the usual manner, failed to function as they should. Instead, it felt as if the key mappings were scrambled. For instance, a rune meant to adjust the range of a soul tool ended up affecting its firing speed instead.
These formation cores were the foundation of the entire field of soul tool engineering, built upon fundamental inscriptions. They were the cornerstone taught in the very first semester at most academies in the Sun Moon Empire—simple yet crucial. After all, the towering construct of soul tool science was built upon them.
Ironically, this was not Xu Cheng's doing.
In the history of the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool development, similar situations had occurred before—particularly during the research of concealment-type soul tools. The essence of these devices was to disrupt soul power and spiritual power, causing fundamental distortions in their functions. The interference they created resulted in foundational changes to formation cores.
But unlike Qian Duoduo, who was utterly lost, the Sun Moon Empire had been fully aware of what they were doing. Since they understood the principles and purpose behind interference-type soul tools, they had never caused such a disaster.
However, Qian Duoduo was merely following instructions blindly, without even understanding which components made up the interference system. Thinking he could bypass the thousands of years of accumulated knowledge from the Sun Moon Empire was nothing short of laughable.
"Impossible... I can't have made a mistake..." Qian Duoduo muttered, staring at the metal casing in his hands. It was a small-scale launch matrix from the blueprints, which was supposed to be part of a massive propulsion system. Yet now, it was completely beyond his control.
"What are you mumbling about?"
A flicker of movement, and Yan Shaozhe appeared in the office.
Glancing around, he saw the same old run-down wooden desk and worn-out sofa. He nodded slightly—despite acquiring a large sum of money, his old friend and rival hadn't embezzled any of it for personal gain. Instead, he had invested everything into their work.
"Soul tool science... no longer exists."
Qian Duoduo, seemingly unaware of Yan Shaozhe's arrival, continued murmuring to himself.
To him, this realization was a catastrophic blow.
As a researcher who had devoted fifty years to soul tool science, climbing step by step to become an eighth-level soul engineer, he had long since dedicated his life to this field. His ultimate goal had been to break through to the ninth level.
But now, the very foundation of soul tool science had collapsed.
With the foundation gone, what meaning remained in the grand structure of soul tool knowledge built upon it?
By the time Yan Shaozhe truly registered what was happening, Qian Duoduo was already pressing a ninth-level focused soul tool ray—purchased from the Sun Moon Empire's black market—against his own forehead.
"Shit, he's lost it!!!"
"That's the situation."
Yan Shaozhe sighed, addressing the gathered elders, while Qian Duoduo lay unconscious nearby.
"I have reason to believe that the Sun Moon Empire deliberately released that so-called blueprint!" Xian Lin'er fumed.
"You're the Dean of the Soul Tool Department, yet you couldn't even see that?" Yan Shaozhe sneered.
"I..." Xian Lin'er was frustrated. She was a battle maniac, not a researcher. The entire department had been propped up by Qian Duoduo, while she focused on practical applications of soul tools.
"Elder Zhuang, how is Duoduo?" Elder Lin coughed and turned to their only healing-type soul master.
"His condition is bad. My martial soul can keep him calm for now, but he's in a coma. Curing him... will be difficult. At the very least, he needs to resolve this internal crisis on his own." Elder Zhuang forced a smile. He could heal the body, but the mind... that was another matter.
"So, was there some kind of hallucinogenic poison on the Sun Moon Empire's blueprints?" Elder Song asked grimly.
"No..."
Before the others could speculate further, Mu En spoke slowly.
After coughing twice, he continued, "I examined the blueprints before coming here, even using the power of the Golden Tree. There was nothing unusual about them. The problem must lie within the contents of the blueprints themselves."
He turned to Yan Shaozhe.
"Repeat what Duoduo was mumbling earlier."
Yan Shaozhe hesitated. "Soul tool science... no longer exists."
The words felt absurd to say.
If soul tool science no longer existed, then what about the soul tool in his hands?
To those unfamiliar with the field, this statement was pure nonsense.
"Soul tool science..." Mu En closed his eyes and pondered.
Then he looked at Xian Lin'er.
"Summon the highest-ranking soul engineer currently in the academy."
"But... this is the Sea God Pavilion," Xian Lin'er hesitated.
The rules set by the predecessors of Shrek Academy stated that only those who had made significant contributions could enter the Pavilion.
"Is this really the time for that?" Yan Shaozhe glared at her.
"Understood!"
Xian Lin'er vanished, returning minutes later with a bewildered middle-aged man, dragging him by the collar.
"Mu Lao, this is Bai Xuan, a seven-level soul engineer and one of our department's instructors. Aside from Qian Duoduo, he is the most skilled soul engineer currently in the academy."
"Do not be afraid, child."
Mu En's warm, reassuring tone washed over Bai Xuan like the light of the Golden Tree.
"Whatever you see and hear today must not be spoken of outside this room. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" Bai Xuan answered excitedly, sensing the weight of the situation.
"Can you replicate this soul tool?" Mu En handed him a small propulsion device.
"A seventh-level soul tool? I should be able to complete it in about half an hour," Bai Xuan affirmed confidently.
Under Mu En's approval, he began working immediately. The pressure of being watched by so many high-ranking elders made him focus even harder. In just twenty minutes, he successfully reconstructed the core formation, then encased it in a polished metal shell before handing it over respectfully.
"It's done?" Mu En asked.
"Yes! I guarantee that this formation core is identical to the original. Both are the same tier and should have no functional discrepancies."
Mu En pondered for a moment.
"Lin'er, take him to Duoduo's office and have him recreate another one."
"Understood!"
Once again, Xian Lin'er vanished with Bai Xuan.
Minutes passed. Then ten. Then twenty. Forty minutes later, they still hadn't returned.
Just as Yan Shaozhe was about to check on them, Xian Lin'er reappeared, her expression grim. Bai Xuan, on the other hand, looked utterly lost, murmuring to himself:
"Why... why is this happening?"
The elders exchanged puzzled glances.
Mu En sighed. As expected...
"Child, tell us what happened."
Bathed in the light of the Golden Tree, Bai Xuan took a deep breath and spoke.
"Soul tool science... no longer exists."
The room fell silent.
His words were identical to Qian Duoduo's.
--------
In the hidden interference soul tool that had caused an uproar in Shrek, Xu Cheng was unaware. He only felt extremely comfortable, lying on the small bed with a warm jade in his arms. The beauty in his embrace clung tightly to his chest, her face serene and elegant.
Sunlight streamed into the office.
One of Zhang Lexuan's feet was exposed to the air, her five slender toes slightly curled. Under the sunlight, they appeared crystal clear, like round grapes, along with her ankle, forming a perfectly curved line that was utterly tempting.
Xu Cheng smiled and shook his head at the sight.
He pulled up the blanket, wrapping her delicate foot, and gently played with her hair.
"Still not waking up?" Xu Cheng chuckled.
"Have you seen enough?!" Zhang Lexuan's breathtakingly beautiful face gradually turned red, the blush spreading to the tips of her ears. She opened her eyes, her mesmerizing gaze filled with both embarrassment and anger as she glared at Xu Cheng.
Since she had been caught, there was no point in pretending.
Yet, being held in Xu Cheng's embrace, she couldn't bear to push him away...
So contradictory.
Xu Cheng smiled brightly at Zhang Lexuan, while she pouted and turned her head away in frustration.
"There's still the tutoring fee..."
Zhang Lexuan suddenly turned her head, looking at Xu Cheng in confusion.
"It's not enough…" Xu Cheng shook his head, smiling.
"You… you stay away from me! I still don't feel well," Zhang Lexuan's delicate face trembled.
But she was already against the wall, and the other side was blocked by Xu Cheng.
Seeing his face getting closer, Zhang Lexuan gritted her silver teeth: "This time, I'm going to be on top!"
Then, she flipped over.
Accompanied by a soft moan—
The room was filled with springtime passion...
-------------------------------------------
Everyone sat in the hall.
They stared at a seemingly insignificant metal box.
Bai Xuan, who looked much better now, began to explain: "This might be the core of the blueprint, the key to concealing soul power fluctuations. Essentially, it likely interferes with the foundation of soul tool formations and spiritual power, achieving a shielding effect..."
"But this thing is useless," Xuan Zi said with some doubt. "It couldn't even interfere with my detection, let alone Elder Mu's, who had the Golden Tree's blessing."
"I don't know about that..." Bai Xuan shook his head.
"The one that appeared above Shrek that day was on a completely different level. I didn't realize its presence until it was right there, and it gave me a serious fright. But this hidden soul tool… I doubt it could even block an ordinary Soul Emperor's detection," Mu En shook his head.
"But this does confirm my suspicion. The blueprint Lexuan obtained is most likely an early version, or even a discarded draft. Placed in plain sight, perhaps just left there casually, with no intention to harm. They knew that as long as they handed this thing over to us, without even needing to do anything, we would end up confusing ourselves."
"Looking at the current situation, they clearly aren't afraid of us stealing it, because even if we get the blueprint, we'll just be overwhelmed by the complexity of the soul tool design..."
Everyone felt a heavy weight in their hearts.
Only now did they truly realize the vast gap between the Sun Moon Empire and Shrek Academy in terms of soul tool technology—
Like a chasm separating heaven and earth.
When Qian Duoduo woke up and learned the truth, he came to his senses and walked away in a daze.
Meanwhile, after the elders left, Yan Shaozhe stayed behind to whisper a few words to Elder Mu.
"They… Heh, these kids are really interesting," Elder Mu showed a faint smile. "They've set their sights on Zhou Yi…"
"Should we do something about it?" Yan Shaozhe's expression darkened. After all, this was a direct slap in his face.
If Zhou Yi's matter was exposed, it would likely trigger a chain reaction.
After all, ever since they lost in the Continental Soul Master Tournament, the quality of new students at Shrek Academy had plummeted. Although the enrollment office was still packed with people, Yan Shaozhe knew that the truly powerful noble families and hidden sects from the three former nations of the continent had only sent a handful of students. The majority of applicants were now from minor noble families...
If another scandal broke out, then—
"Let them be…" Mu En closed his eyes.
"Elder Mu!" Yan Shaozhe became anxious.
"Leave now," Mu En shook his head and stopped speaking.
What did Shrek need the most right now?A firm resolve to eliminate corruption.A reason for the noble families to regain their trust in Shrek!
That was why he had strongly advocated for the development of soul tools, even going so far as to use certain means to acquire blueprints.
But failure had dealt him a harsh slap, erasing his rushed ambitions.
So, besides soul tools—There was still the Martial Soul Department.
The trust that noble families had in Shrek had been built over ten thousand years, and its collapse would also take time. Even though there were fewer top-tier talents among this year's freshmen, he was certain that many were still observing—watching Shrek's actions.
Didn't people already know about Zhou Yi's matter?In reality, everyone was aware.
Otherwise, Zhou Yi's class wouldn't be filled with students from minor noble backgrounds.
Previously, he had sent Xuan Zi to apologize sincerely and demonstrate Shrek's goodwill, but it had little effect. Most likely, Xuan Zi had put on an arrogant attitude again. Mu En was exhausted but said nothing.
Now, however, another perfect opportunity had arrived.
As long as they publicly punished Zhou Yi and rectified school discipline, he believed the noble families would see it. They would once again be willing to entrust their children to Shrek…
But his student was too short-sighted, focusing only on so-called Shrek honor.
Do you think you can cover up the truth?The more you try to suppress it, the more of a joke you become…
Yan Shaozhe glanced at Elder Mu again, then turned and left.
But as soon as he stepped out of the Sea God Pavilion, his expression became firm.
His teacher had grown old and muddle-headed. Ever since they decided not to support the tournament, Shrek had lost completely, stopping at the Top 16. One wrong step led to another, and that was what caused the current situation.
As the Martial Soul Department Dean, he had to correct this!
A few students from the Sun Moon Empire wanted to stir up trouble in the Martial Soul Department?Not if he had anything to say about it!
-------------------------------------------------
"Ugh… My waist is so sore." Xu Cheng rubbed his back.
After an intense few hours, even with his Soul Emperor physique, he felt a little exhausted.
Looking outside, the sun was high in the sky—it was noon. At 2 PM, he still had to teach the Shrek exchange students about soul tool principles.
"Time to go..."
"Ugh… I'm never looking for you again," Zhang Lexuan murmured as she slowly woke up.
Her beautiful eyes glared at Xu Cheng with annoyance.
They had been going at it all morning...
Seeing the scattered soul tools on the ground—
He had swept them off his desk to make space…
It was almost like a scene from a certain one-armed hero and a certain fairy.
Except he and Zhang Lexuan weren't close relatives. In the royal family, strength determined one's status. Some legitimate princes were only recognized as such because of their power, not bloodline. So Xu Baili's lineage and his father Xu Zhen's lineage had only been connected five hundred years ago...
"Xu Cheng, get up…" Zhang Lexuan grumbled.
"What did you call me?" Xu Cheng squinted.
"Teacher..." Zhang Lexuan blushed and turned away.
"Still want tutoring?"
"N-no more tutoring." Zhang Lexuan surrendered immediately.
At that moment, Wang Dong knocked on the door.
Zhang Lexuan almost jumped up in shock. She hurriedly covered Xu Cheng's mouth with her fair jade-like hand, clutching his arm tightly as she whispered, "Don't open it! Whatever you do, don't open it! Just pretend you're not here."
"That comes with a condition…" Xu Cheng gently pushed away Zhang Lexuan's delicate hand, smiling mischievously as he pointed at his lips.
"…" Zhang Lexuan rolled her eyes at him before reaching out her slender, fair arm—smooth as white jade—to wrap around Xu Cheng's neck. Tilting her graceful swan-like neck, she sealed his lips with hers.
"Hmm? Strange… Is Teacher Xu Cheng not here?" After a while, Wang Dong's puzzled voice came from outside the door.
Then, the sound of footsteps gradually faded as he walked away.
At that exact moment, Zhang Lexuan let out a soft breath, finally releasing Xu Cheng.
Her face was tinged with a rosy blush, carrying a hint of a beauty's unique charm and coyness.
"Hurry up and get lost!"
Xu Cheng didn't tease her further and got up swiftly.
Zhang Lexuan let out a quiet sigh of relief, yet deep down, she felt an odd sense of emptiness.
She secretly glanced at Xu Cheng. Just one night together, and she had already started to grow attached…
Xu Cheng chuckled. See? You're not happy when I leave either.
"Let's go."