Douluo: The Peerless King of Beast Tamers

Chapter 283 Xuan Ziwen was shocked, staring blankly for a long time.
Lin Jiayi stepped forward, raised his hand to block Xuan Ziwen, and gently interrupted the technical analysis that the other party was conducting:
"Teacher Xuan, these two are the students that the sect leader specifically assigned to us. We'll be relying on you to guide them from now on."

Xuan Ziwen paused slightly on the precision instrument in his hand, his gaze, hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses, swept over the two young men behind Lin Jiayi.

The displeasure of having his train of thought interrupted flashed across his angular face, ultimately turning into a subtle sigh.

He was most disgusted by such special arrangements that went through back channels, even if the other party was a genius exchange student from Shrek Academy.

As the youngest core researcher at Mingde Hall, he believed more in the power of ability, but since this was arranged personally by the head of Hongchen Hall, he couldn't afford to offend him.

"I understand," Xuan Ziwen replied coldly, his slender fingers unconsciously stroking the surface of the instrument, the cool metallic texture calming him down slightly.

Lin Jiayi seemed to have long been accustomed to the genius researcher's aloofness, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips: "Then I'll leave it to Teacher Xuan."

"Two students." Lin Jiayi then approached the two and lowered his voice, "Teacher Xuan is extremely strict. Whether you can get him to teach you everything he knows depends on your own abilities."

After speaking, he patted the two men on the shoulder meaningfully, then turned and disappeared behind the smart door of the laboratory.

The silence lasted for half a minute in the laboratory before Xuan Ziwen finally put down the instruments in his hands, the crisp sound of metal clashing breaking the silence.

He pushed up his glasses, the reflection in the lenses obscuring his expression: "My name is Xuan Ziwen, and from today onwards I will be your teacher."

His gaze swept over the two men's empty chests, where the Soul Master level badges should have been worn: "I don't care what your Soul Master assessment levels were at Shrek Academy before, you both need to go through my test again here."

He paused deliberately at this point, making the pressure in his words even heavier: "If you can't pass my test later, even if it's someone sent by the Red Dust Hall Master, I won't waste my time on you. You'll have to go to the library and study on your own. Don't waste my time."

Zhou Sichen and Xu Jiujiu exchanged a glance, a hint of eagerness flashing in their eyes at the same time.

"We understand." The unanimous reply, brimming with the sharp edge unique to young people, echoed beneath the laboratory's dome.

Xuan Ziwen crossed his arms and cut straight to the point: "According to your Shrek Academy's ranking system, what level of Soul Master are you now?"

"I am a level six Soul Master with a Soul Power of level sixty-three." Xu Jiujiu spoke first, tossing her ponytail and revealing a confident smile.

Xuan Ziwen nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Zhou Sichen: "And you?"

"A level seven Soul Master, with a Soul Power of level fifty-eight." Zhou Sichen's tone was relaxed, with a gentle smile always on his lips, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

"What?!" Xuan Ziwen suddenly took half a step forward, the metal chair scraping against the ground with a screeching sound.

He stared intently at Zhou Sichen, his eyes behind his glasses almost piercing through him: "You only have five rings. Even the most gifted soul masters are extremely rare to surpass their own soul power level by one level. Are you sure you're not joking with me?"

His voice was filled with undisguised shock. As a researcher of soul tools, he knew better than anyone what kind of miracle this meant.

Zhou Sichen's smile remained unchanged: "The Master of the Red Dust Hall handed us over to Teacher Xuan, which means he must have told Teacher Xuan about our identities. Others may fake it, but I certainly won't."

Xuan Ziwen's breathing suddenly quickened as Jing Hongchen's instructions exploded in his mind—Heir to the Sea God Pavilion Master!
With such a background, there's certainly no need to lie about one's Soul Master level.

But if this is true, wouldn't it mean that the young man in front of us, with his fifth-ring cultivation, can contend with a true Soul Saint?
His fingers trembled involuntarily. As the youngest eighth-level genius soul master in Mingde Hall, he knew what this talent meant.

Even the esteemed Master Kong, known as the number one Soul Master of the Sun Moon Empire, never displayed such terrifying potential in his youth!

The laboratory's temperature control system seemed to have malfunctioned. Xuan Ziwen felt a fine layer of cold sweat seeping down his back. A mix of elation and pressure, like encountering a once-in-a-century treasure, surged into his heart at the same time.

Xuan Ziwen's pupils contracted sharply, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

The information Jing Hongchen gave him was swirling wildly in his mind. Fourteen years old—this number struck him like a heavy hammer blow.

He had seen the growth curves of countless Soul Masters, and the youngest Level 6 Soul Master he knew was already seventeen years old. Yet the boy in front of him had pushed that record forward by a full three years!
"This is impossible," he muttered to himself, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the control panel, leaving three faint fingerprints on the metal surface.

As an eighth-level Soul Master, he knew better than anyone that creating high-level Soul Tools required not only precise control of Soul Power, but also a profound understanding of complex rune arrays, which was an experience that could take years or even decades to accumulate.

The air in the laboratory seemed to freeze. After a long while, she quietly took half a step back, watching as Xuan Ziwen's gaze shifted from initial shock to almost fanatical inquiry.

The usually aloof researcher was now completely devoid of his previous indifference; his eyes behind his glasses shone brightly, like a collector who had discovered a rare treasure.

“In the eyes of a true Soul Master, Soul Power level is indeed not an absolute constraint.” Xuan Ziwen’s voice trembled slightly: “When I was still a Level 5 Soul Master, I spent three months creating my first Level 6 Soul Tool, but that was already the culmination of all my efforts.”

He suddenly stopped, a sour feeling rising in his throat. His once proud talent seemed so pale in comparison to this young man.

He leaned forward abruptly, almost touching Zhou Sichen's face: "But a fourteen-year-old level seven soul master? Not only have I never heard of one, but there is no soul master in the history of the Sun Moon Empire!"

Zhou Sichen maintained his composed smile: "Believe it or not, I can just make a level seven soul tool right here and now, what do you think, Teacher Xuan?"

Upon hearing that Zhou Sichen was going to make a level seven soul tool on the spot, Xuan Ziwen's eyes flickered slightly. He then turned around and went to the silver long table, taking out a lot of materials from the soul tool.

Xuan Ziwen said, "These are all my treasures. If you can make a level seven soul tool on the spot, then I will give this soul tool to you as a gift!"

His gaze darted back and forth between Zhou Sichen and the materials, his mind in turmoil.

As a research fanatic about soul tools, he knew all too well what this meant.

Once confirmed, this young man will not only rewrite the history of the Soul Guidance Master world, but may also become a key figure in the timely transformation of Soul Guidance Devices in the future.

If he could befriend such a genius… Xuan Ziwen suddenly realized that perhaps he should not be considering becoming a teacher, but rather how to establish an equal cooperative relationship with him.

"If I were to introduce you to Master Kong..." he muttered to himself subconsciously, but then suddenly shook his head with a bitter smile.

How could the heir to the Sea God Pavilion of Shrek Academy possibly join the Sun Moon Empire?

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly put it aside, wanting to witness a miracle first!

"How is it?" Xuan Ziwen slammed his hand on the control panel, causing the precious materials to bounce slightly. Zhou Sichen looked down at the priceless materials before him. The Star Meteor Iron, the material for an eighth-level soul tool, felt cool to the touch in his palm, and he couldn't help but admire Teacher Xuan's boldness.

These materials alone would be enough to exchange for hundreds of thousands of gold soul coins in Shrek Academy's Treasure Pavilion, not to mention that they also contain several spare component materials sufficient to make a level nine soul tool.

“Teacher Xuan is willing to give his student such a generous gift, so Si Chen naturally has no reason to refuse.” Zhou Si Chen smiled and unbuttoned his sleeve.

As for the matter of exposing the Soul Master's talent, Zhou Sichen was not worried at all.

Although Xuan Ziwen is a key member of Mingde Hall, his background in the Tianhun Empire acts as a natural buffer. The delicate balance between bloodline and stance allows him to remain silent on crucial issues.

Not to mention, Zhou Sichen had already prepared a backup plan. As long as he appropriately showed interest in Xuan Ziwen's research direction, this research fanatic would take the initiative to become the gatekeeper of his talent.

The display of martial spirit talent is merely the first step in intimidating Jing Hongchen.

The reason for displaying his martial soul talent was to force Jing Hongchen to increase his protection of him and the other exchange students at Shrek Academy.

The talent of a Soul Master requires skillful control, so that when the time comes, displaying the level of a Level 6 Soul Tool can both showcase the talent and avoid being too shocking.

After all, the fact that the Hongchen siblings could create things beyond their level is within a reasonable range, especially in the Mingde Hall where geniuses gather.

"Let's begin then. I can provide you with any help you need." Xuan Ziwen's voice was filled with undisguised anticipation.

Zhou Sichen chuckled softly, his fingertip brushing across his brow, and his left eye suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light.

Before Xuan Ziwen could react, a beam of emerald green energy shot out and condensed in mid-air into a carving knife that shimmered with jade-like light.

The moment the carving knife appeared, the rare materials in the laboratory simultaneously emitted a resonant humming sound.

The meteorite iron, which was originally as hard as iron, now had fine ripples on its surface, as if it were greedily absorbing the life force emanating from the carving knife.

Xu Jiujiu subconsciously covered her mouth. She had never seen such a strange sight before. Even her engraving knife had never made the material possess such spirituality.

Xuan Ziwen's breathing suddenly quickened, and he didn't even notice his gold-rimmed glasses slipping down to the tip of his nose: "This is... a list carving knife? Just the rich vitality alone is incomparable to ordinary carving knives, but it seems that there is no list carving knife like the one in your hand nowadays."

His voice trembled, and the thirst for knowledge unique to researchers burned brightly in his eyes.

Zhou Sichen flicked his wrist, and the carving knife drew a beautiful arc, bringing up a string of emerald-colored light flakes: "The carving knife in my hand was not originally like this. It was the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife, ranked ninety-ninth."

His voice was calm and unhurried, yet it stirred up a storm in the laboratory.

The legend of the Soul Devouring Blade is known to everyone in the Soul Master world. That cursed blade that devours the life force of its user has been transformed in the hands of the boy in front of us.

"I accidentally lifted the curse and restored this carving knife to its original form." Zhou Sichen's fingertips brushed across the blade, and the jade's luster suddenly intensified.
"Based on my experience using this carving knife, its current form is enough to rank it among the top ten carving knives."

Xuan Ziwen's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he reached out to touch the carving knife, but froze in mid-air.

He suddenly remembered that ancient records showed that none of the holders of this item had lived past the age of forty.

The boy before them not only broke the curse, but also transformed the murderous blade into a treasure brimming with life... This was no luck, but a talent that could rewrite destiny!

"I see. It seems you're not only exceptionally talented, but also quite lucky." Xuan Ziwen's sour words concealed an envy that even he himself didn't realize.

Xu Jiujiu's pupils suddenly contracted, and her fingertips unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt.

Under the cold white lights of the laboratory, the carving knife, which shimmered with the glow of jade, hovered in Zhou Sichen's palm. The fine golden patterns seemed to move across the blade as if they were alive. Each glimmer of light caused ripples to spread across the surrounding materials. This was not the Soul-Devouring Blade she remembered at all!

Six months ago at the Starlight Auction House, that carving knife covered in blood patterns and exuding an ominous aura made countless Soul Masters hesitate.

Looking at this blade brimming with vibrant life force, I felt a tightness in my throat for a long time, as if I had swallowed a whole sour lemon.

“How is this possible…” she murmured to herself.

Back at Shrek Academy, Zhou Sichen's usual weapon was the "Blazing Sun" carving knife, ranked seventy-eighth. That weapon, known for its high-temperature forging, was worlds apart from the one before him.

Who would have thought that the legendary murderous blade that was said to devour the life force of its user would be transformed in his hands?

She recalled how, when Old Xu sold the Soul-Devouring Blade to Zhou Sichen for 80,000 gold soul coins, she had jokingly remarked that the deal was a complete loss.

Looking back now, I realize I was too optimistic back then.

If she had known earlier that the murderous blade could transform into such a wondrous treasure, she certainly wouldn't have auctioned it off. Even if she were to give it to Zhou Sichen, she wouldn't have let him off so easily; she would have demanded more benefits from him.

As a level six Soul Master, Xu Jiujiu also possessed a List Carving Knife, but compared to Zhou Sichen, who wielded two carving knives, this was still far superior.

"Eighty thousand gold soul coins..." Xu Jiujiu gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on the halo flowing across the surface of the carving knife.

"Princess Jiujiu's expression... could it be that she regrets selling it?" Zhou Sichen suddenly spoke, lightly flicking the carving knife with his fingertips, the emerald halo drawing an elegant arc in the air.

These words fell lightly, yet they instantly made Xu Jiujiu's ears turn red. She knew that Zhou Sichen was deliberately putting on an act for Xuan Ziwen.

She opened her mouth and smiled, "How could I be so stingy? Besides, this carving knife was originally part of Old Master Xu's collection, and I can't interfere with his decision. But I have to admire your luck."

Listening to their conversation, Xuan Ziwen could probably guess some of the reasons.

After all, Starlight Auction House is the largest auction house in Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire. This is equivalent to Zhou Sichen buying a peerless treasure at the lowest price at Xu Jiujiu's house.

Although Xuan Ziwen was unaware of the illicit affair between the two, it seemed that Xu Jiujiu was now more envious and jealous than he was.

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(End of this chapter)