The first ray of sunlight in the morning spilled into the room.
Xu Cheng got up from the messy bed. Clothes were scattered on the ground, symbols of last night's frenzy. Meng Hongchen was still deep in slumber beside him, her slender arm, fair as mutton-fat jade, exposed to the air. Though her delicate body was wrapped in a blanket, its elegant curves were unmistakable, enough to stir anyone's imagination.
But Xu Cheng wasn't in the mood for another round of morning "exercise." Instead, he gently tucked the blanket around her again and stretched lazily.
In his previous life, such intense training day after day would've drained him dry. But now, he felt exceptionally vigorous — the physical advantages granted by being a Soul Emperor were indeed obvious.
The women around him were either stronger, sweet and indulgent mature types, or of equal rank, naturally capable of keeping up with him.
If they were ordinary people… that'd be a different story. After all, Ma Hongjun's first love in the original story was a regular person, and just a few short months nearly had her crying from exhaustion. Part of that was due to Ma Hongjun's intense fire attribute, but also the vast gap in physical constitution between soul masters and ordinary people.
Yes, there was truly a natural barrier between soul masters and regular folks.
Knock, knock, knock~
A sound came from the door.
"Ah Meng, are you in the dorm?" came a hesitant female voice from outside.
Xu Cheng paused. Even without soul power perception, that voice was all too familiar — an image of a tall, graceful figure flashed in his mind. It was Wang Qiu'er, who had just arrived yesterday.
Didn't she just get here?And they're already this close?
He thought for a moment. On the bed, Meng Hongchen smacked her lips in her sleep, kicked off the blanket Xu Cheng had just tucked in, revealing her fair and tantalizing feet. She murmured something dreamily and went quiet again.
Clearly, she was thoroughly worn out from last night — her first time, too — waking her up now wouldn't be easy.
Ahem.
Xu Cheng lightly cleared his throat.
He walked over to the door in two steps and slowly opened it.
Wang Qiu'er's pretty face stiffened slightly. She forced a smile, about to greet Meng Hongchen, but was caught off guard by the person standing in front of her — his towering figure cast a shadow over her. A faint yet distinctly male aura lingered in the air. When she looked up and saw Xu Cheng's face clearly, her expression froze.
That cold yet slightly dazed expression made Xu Cheng chuckle, and he couldn't resist reaching out and pinching both her cheeks.
"Ugh… Let go!" Wang Qiu'er angrily swatted his hand away, her voice filled with suspicion. "What are you doing in Ah Meng's room?!"
"That's what I should be asking. You just arrived at the Sun Moon Empire yesterday, and already you and Ah Meng are this chummy?" Xu Cheng smiled, hands behind his back.
"I was assigned to Teacher Lin Jiayi's lab after you left, same as her. I was supposed to call her 'Senior Sister,' but she told me to just call her Ah Meng. I came today to go to the lab with her… Wait, you! Why are you here!?" Wang Qiu'er huffed.
As she spoke, a faint, lingering scent wafted into her nose. Her face instantly flushed.
To a normal person, a night of ventilation would eliminate any lingering odors, no matter how much of the apartment (bedroom, kitchen, bathroom) saw action. But she wasn't human — she was a divine beast, a Rui Beast...
"Oh, I'm her friend. So… it's normal, right?" Xu Cheng shrugged with a smile.
"Friends can do that?" Wang Qiu'er stared in shock.
In her limited knowledge of soul beast culture, sure, strong soul beasts could have multiple mates — but this "friend" term… is it supposed to be used like this?
Wait a minute. Yesterday, he said I'm his friend… then doesn't that mean we could also…
"Ahem, that's how it is in the human world." Xu Cheng teased her with a grin, watching the little Rui Beast unknowingly fall into his trap.
"Ugh!" Wang Qiu'er's face turned bright red, her fists clenched. The cold arrogance she normally carried was gone — that was only for outsiders. Xu Cheng was a friend.
"I'm not ready yet. Don't you dare do anything!" she took a step back, face tense, eyes locked on Xu Cheng as her heart pounded. He tricked me into being friends — does that mean the next step is having little Rui Beasts together?
"Of course not. I'll let Ah Meng know you stopped by." Xu Cheng raised his hands innocently, then added with a smile, "Had breakfast yet? Want to…"
"No need! At least not now!"
Watching her flustered retreat, Xu Cheng chuckled, then greeted a passing girl before slowly closing the door.
"Wow! That's Ah Meng's room!"
"Oh my god, it's Prince Xu Cheng! Then last night must've been…"
"Ehehe, when Ah Meng gets to the lab, we definitely have to tease her about it!"
A few girls chattered excitedly in the hallway.
Xu Cheng didn't pay them any mind. He returned to the room, glanced at the time, and then gently woke the still-sleeping Meng Hongchen. After telling her that Wang Qiu'er had stopped by, the sleepy "Sleeping Beauty" instantly jolted awake. Hair a mess, she jumped up, muttering "oh no, oh no," before hastily throwing on her Mingdetang female student uniform. Blushing, she asked Xu Cheng for a kiss, then darted off toward the lab like a whirlwind.
Xu Cheng smiled helplessly.
He, too, headed off toward the Royal Academy's outer faculty buildings.
There, he began his usual lectures for Ning Tian, Xiao Xiao, and Mo Xuan.
Wang Dong had been sent to Elder Kong's place for protection, worried about another sneak attack by Da Ming and Er Ming. Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan was spending some cozy family time at the palace, so the classroom now had only a few students.
Strictly speaking, Xu Cheng himself belonged to Mingdetang's manufacturing division.
But because his mentor, Elder Cheng, was busy researching artificial spirit rings, Xu Cheng was mostly left to his own devices. Before Shrek Academy's exchange students arrived, he was mostly occupied with military and political duties, occasionally dabbling in experiments. As a prince and leader, he was used to leaving the time-consuming research to the experts while he oversaw the big picture.
It was only after the Shrek students arrived that he volunteered to temporarily manage this small class.
"Not bad. Looks like you've all advanced to first-class soul engineers."
Xu Cheng nodded slightly. The three students were all taking it seriously, and he was happy to teach bright learners.
As for Mo Xuan's suspicion — whether Xu Cheng was trying to recruit them...
Of course, the thought of recruiting them existed. But it wasn't through handing over critical technology. Was he afraid they'd learn the real stuff? Ha — hardly.
To put it one way: calling it a battle between Trisolarans and cavemen might be an exaggeration, but the Sun Moon Empire's accumulated heritage was indeed terrifying — enough to make the entire original continent tremble.
[T/N: Three-Body Problem reference]
The soul tool system was akin to his previous life's industrial foundation — mature logistics, terrifying coordination, cutting-edge R&D, and a massive financial structure. These elements led to the rapid rise of certain great powers.
Industrialization affects every household. Once transformed for war, with mature logistics, abundant energy, and steel measured in billions of tons, the resulting force is earth-shaking.
The Sun Moon Empire was no different. Xu Cheng could mobilize all of Mingdetang to develop new-generation mechas and missiles not just because of his influence and authority, but also because of that deep-rooted foundation.
Even though the empire wasn't fully industrialized and relied on manual labor, the hundreds of level-seven and dozens of level-eight soul engineers formed its true production lines. In wartime, with proper coordination, they could unleash a terrifying force.
That's why, in the original story, the sudden burst of mecha production stunned even the protagonist Huo Yuhao — it was all thanks to Mingdetang's deep reserves.
That's also why Juzi could, with her army, conquer the entire continent in a few months.
As for technology? That's another story.
Like in Liu Cixin's sci-fi, when the "angelic" aliens gave humans tech to achieve interstellar travel, they couldn't make use of it, like elementary students trying to read a PhD dissertation. There were countless barriers between them and understanding the tech, the product of a civilization's millennia of research.
Even if you had the blueprint, could you even understand it?
Of course, Xu Cheng didn't know that the blueprint he handed out once almost drove a level-eight soul engineer to suicide. He only knew that after failing publicly, that guy rarely showed his face again.
"Prepare yourselves. There's only one month left before winter break. Try to get your first-class soul engineer badge before heading home. You should know the Sun Moon Empire's certification standards are much stricter than other places." Xu Cheng smiled.
"Not only do you need to replicate over three different types of first-class soul tools, but also assemble them into complete forms and successfully test-fire them — and there's a time limit…"
Seeing the nervous expressions on their faces, Xu Cheng couldn't help feeling a bit amused.
"Mr. Xu, how long did it take you to earn your badge?" Xiao Xiao asked curiously, eyes sparkling.
"Me?" Xu Cheng scratched his head. He remembered taking the exam on the weekend of his first week. Instructor Lin Jiayi had stared at him dumbfounded — all the data said Xu Cheng was new to soul tools, but he'd clearly crammed knowledge like it was beamed into his brain.
"About a week, I think," he said with a chuckle.
He'd spent a week using "cheats" to replicate all 20+ types of first-class soul tools. Otherwise, he could've passed on day one.
"ONE WEEK?!" Xiao Xiao and Ning Tian stared wide-eyed at him.
"You analyzed three types in a week?"
Xu Cheng just smiled, saying nothing.
When they eventually took the exam, they'd see the leaderboard — the top six times for that tier, all belonging to one name: Xu Cheng.
Only then would they fully experience the oppressive academic tyranny of this scholarly demon king.
Mo Xuan was dumbfounded. Even among geniuses… there were levels.
"Alright, class dismissed."
Xu Cheng waved his hand and turned to leave.
Just outside the door, he ran into Meng Hongchen and Wang Qiu'er.
The two stunning girls stood in the hallway, drawing the gazes of every passerby, chatting idly.
"Hey, Brother Cheng!"
"Xu… Xu Cheng."
"You two? Class with Director Lin already ended?" Xu Cheng was surprised.
Each girl had her own appeal — Wang Qiu'er's looks were truly top-tier, her tall figure powerful and elegant. Though not as explosive as Ma Xiaotao, she was very striking. Her cold, aloof aura made her uniquely attractive.
Meng Hongchen was slightly less beautiful but exuded a gentle, noble temperament, like the sweet, well-behaved girl next door with a touch of princess-like grace. As Mirror Hongchen's granddaughter, her status matched royalty. Everything about her speech and bearing was refined.
"Hehe, before winter break, Mingdetang plans to hold a competition — manufacturing vs. control system duel. Both the outer courtyard and the Mingdetang students can watch. Oh, and Grandpa said there'll also be a new student duel — a battle between outer courtyard students of the same year, kind of like a warm-up before the main event. Teacher Lin sent Qiu'er and me to ask if you want to participate." Meng Hongchen grinned and leaned forward playfully.
"Mingdetang duel + outer courtyard duel?" Xu Cheng instantly understood.
The duel was the "dumpling," and the outer courtyard matchup was the "vinegar." Grandpa Hongchen just wanted that vinegar bad enough to make dumplings.
It was all meant for the newly joined disciples from hidden sects and great clans.
The Mingdetang duel was a flex — a way to show off their muscles and strength. A reality check for those newly arrived, proud youths who might still have some Shrek filter on. Time to show them the terrifying power of soul tools.
As expected of Grandpa , nothing but benefits to this plan. The only downside… was that he couldn't weasel out of it.
If Xiao Hongchen or Ma Rulong were around, he could slack off. But they were off at Shrek Academy, not returning anytime soon.
Now, if they wanted to show off, he was the best and most fitting candidate.
Xu Cheng smiled helplessly, silently grumbling at the old man's scheming — and then suddenly remembered what happened last night… Could it all be that coincidental?
Tsk…
Well, regardless — he did get the benefits. Grandpa treating him like family? He could accept that.
"Sure, I'm in." Xu Cheng agreed with a grin.
"Yay!" Meng Hongchen made a victory sign, then happily latched onto Xu Cheng's arm. She turned to the slightly hesitant Wang Qiu'er, "Let's go, Qiu'er!"
"Ah… okay, let's go." Wang Qiu'er's pale earlobes turned rosy.
She stepped forward… and latched onto Xu Cheng's other arm.
Xu Cheng: "…"
Meng Hongchen: "…"
Meng Hongchen blinked at Wang Qiu'er, then at Xu Cheng. What the heck happened while I was gone?
Wang Qiu'er felt the weight and warmth of the arm against her, her heart racing.
Ah Meng said friends share things… I gave her half my breakfast this morning, and now she's sharing an arm with me… That's fair, right?
(End of Chapter)