Douluo: The Peerless King of Beast Tamers

Chapter 286 Mysterious Man

In the laboratory, incandescent light bulbs cast a soft glow, illuminating the precision instruments and scattered blueprints.

Xuan Ziwen was completely focused on adjusting the soul guide core in front of him, his fingertips deftly manipulating the circuits, his expression focused and absorbed.

He stood quietly to the side for a long time, his eyes filled with admiration and expectation.

After he finally stopped what he was doing, he gently handed over a thermos filled with warm tea.

Xuan Ziwen subconsciously took it, tilted his head back and took a sip. The refreshing aroma of the tea instantly dispelled some of his fatigue.

It was only then that he suddenly realized there was another student in the lab.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xuan Ziwen's face. He quickly put on an apologetic smile and said, "I'm sorry, I was too engrossed in the moment."

After a long while, her eyes crinkled with a smile, and she said softly, "I am happy that Teacher Xuan has made this choice."

As she spoke, she took out an exquisitely designed device from her personal soul guide space and carefully handed it to Xuan Ziwen: "Teacher Xuan, this is a level six invincible shield that I made. Please take a look."

Xuan Ziwen took the invincible shield, his eyes instantly becoming sharp and professional.

He examined the device closely, gently tracing the patterns on its surface with his fingers, and then channeled his soul power into it to observe the energy fluctuations of the protective shield.

After a moment, he nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good. Although it doesn't seem particularly skillful yet, it has indeed reached the level of a true sixth-level Soul Master."

Zhou Sichen, who was leisurely drinking water, turned to Xu Jiujiu upon hearing Xuan Ziwen's evaluation, her eyes full of encouragement.

Xu Jiujiu bowed slightly and said humbly, "I only became a level six Soul Master half a month ago. I hope to study hard and improve myself under Teacher Xuan's guidance for the next three years."

Xuan Ziwen laughed heartily and said, "Of course, as long as you are willing to learn, I will definitely teach you everything I know."

His gaze darted back and forth between Zhou Sichen and Xu Jiujiu, and he already knew in his heart that the relationship between the two was not shallow.

After all, Zhou Sichen is the heir to the Sea God Pavilion, and his status is extremely noble. If they weren't special, why would he try to win her over in front of the Star Luo Empire's princess?

Moreover, the cooperation between Shrek Academy and the Star Luo Empire revealed behind this stirred up even more waves in Xuan Ziwen's heart.

He pondered to himself, since Shrek Academy could cooperate with the Star Luo Empire, was it also possible for it to join forces with the Heavenly Soul Empire?
The underlying shifts in the situation are truly intriguing.

But Xuan Ziwen didn't ask any more questions. He knew that at this stage, only by doing his job well and winning trust would the unknown truths gradually come to light.

Xuan Ziwen looked up at the clock on the wall and was surprised to find that time had quietly passed and it was already noon.

He tidied up the tools on the lab table and said, "It's lunchtime now, let me take you to the cafeteria."

Zhou Sichen and Xu Jiujiu exchanged a glance, nodded simultaneously, and said in unison, "Okay."

The three walked slowly along the tree-lined path of the academy. The soul-guided decorations on both sides of the road emitted a dazzling light, which complemented the surrounding green trees and red flowers.

Soon they arrived at the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was bustling with activity, as students from Shrek Academy, including Mo Xuan, He Caitou, and Huo Yuhao, were already gathered around the tables, enjoying their meals.

Upon seeing Zhou Sichen and Xu Jiujiu walk in, everyone put down their bowls and chopsticks and waved to greet them warmly.

"Brother Zhou! Senior Sister Xu! Over here!" Huo Yuhao's voice was exceptionally loud.

Zhou Sichen and Xu Jiujiu smiled politely at Xuan Ziwen, then quickly walked towards their classmates.

The table was laden with all sorts of delicious food, and the aroma filled the air.

While enjoying the delicious food, everyone enthusiastically shared their experiences from the morning's assessment.

Everyone spoke freely, sharing their feelings without reservation.

Huo Yuhao excitedly recounted the difficulties he encountered during the assessment and how he cleverly resolved them, while He Caitou shared his insights into the unique soul guidance technology of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

It must be said that although today was just an assessment and classes had not officially started yet, everyone had already truly felt the power of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy's soul guidance technology from their respective instructors.

The many novel soul tools they had never seen before, and their unique energy utilization methods, amazed everyone and filled them with a desire to learn.

Upon learning that everyone had successfully passed the assessment, Zhou Sichen smiled with satisfaction.

He casually gave everyone a few words of advice, reminding them to cherish this rare learning opportunity, help each other, and make progress together.

When his gaze fell on Huo Yuhao, he paused slightly and said a few more words: "Yuhao, you have a great talent for soul tools. This is a rare opportunity, so you should seize it."

"Here you will find the most advanced technology and the best mentors. I believe you will be able to achieve even greater breakthroughs here."

Huo Yuhao's eyes were firm, and he nodded heavily, his tone full of determination: "Brother Zhou, I understand. I will not let you and our teacher down. I will definitely study hard and bring the advanced technology here back to Shrek Academy!"

Zhou Sichen stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, her eyes full of trust and expectation: "I believe in you. Don't bear any difficulties alone. Remember that we are here for you."

The afternoon sun slanted into the laboratory, gilding the outlines of the precision instruments with a golden edge.

When Zhou Sichen and Xu Jiujiu walked into the laboratory side by side, Xuan Ziwen was hunched over his desk, deep in thought over a stack of design drawings.

Upon seeing the two return, his eyes immediately lit up with excitement. Zhou Sichen's groundbreaking ideas always opened up entirely new research perspectives for him.

"Sichen, regarding the dual-core energy conversion device you mentioned this morning, I've tried to optimize the local structure..." Xuan Ziwen eagerly unfolded the blueprints, his fingers tracing the complex circuit diagram rapidly.

Zhou Sichen was immediately drawn to it. He leaned in to examine it closely, his eyes scanning the drawing precisely. Suddenly, he raised his hand and gently tapped a certain point:

“Teacher Xuan, if we use the Soul Guidance Folding Technique here, we might be able to reduce energy loss by 15%.”

Xu Jiu stood quietly to the side, watching the two Soul Masters' heated discussion.

Their words were filled with amazing ideas, and their still-developing theories sparkled with wisdom in their collision.

Time slipped away quietly as they focused on their studies, until the sunlight outside the window gradually turned into twilight, and the three of them realized with a start that their agreed-upon study time had passed.

Zhou Sichen quickly adjusted his state, temporarily sealing away the inspiration that had sprung up in the morning, and opened the heavy book of soul guides.

His mental strength was comparable to that of a Title Douluo, and his reading speed was astonishingly fast; he could quickly transform each line of text into a clear three-dimensional model in his mind.

As time passed, Zhou Sichen's gaze swept across the laboratory, but he suddenly felt something was off. It was already this late, and there were still only the three of them in Xuan Ziwen's laboratory.

As night fell, before leaving the lab, Zhou Sichen casually asked, "Professor Xuan, didn't you say that all the professors in the academy would take on several students? Why don't you have any other students?"

Xuan Ziwen took off his glasses and wiped the lenses, completely unaware of the deeper meaning behind the question: "Originally, there were three students, but because the headmaster arranged for you and Jiu Jiu to take care of me, my three students are now being taught by Teacher Zhu."

His voice was calm and ordinary, yet it stirred up waves in Zhou Sichen's heart.

He silently memorized the name "Teacher Zhu." If he wasn't mistaken, this was none other than Huo Yuhao's current mentor, a highly capable Level 7 Soul Master. Back in the dormitory, Zhou Sichen immediately found Huo Yuhao, who had just finished a day of studying and was sitting on the edge of his bed organizing his notes.

"Yuhao, have you ever seen a student named Orange at Teacher Zhu's place?" Zhou Sichen asked casually.

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao looked up and shook his head in confusion: "No, Brother Zhou, there is no such person among Teacher Zhu's students."

This answer jolted Zhou Sichen awake.

He leaned against the window, gazing at the brightly lit college outside, the night breeze gently stirring the curtains.

In the original novel, Huo Gua and his group entered the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy more than two years later, by which time Ju Zi had already begun to show his talent.

Now, the earlier timeline means that Ju Zi might still be an unknown low-level Soul Master, or even still struggling to cultivate in an ordinary class.

"Searching rashly might expose us," Zhou Sichen muttered to himself, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the windowsill.

Given his status as the heir to the Sea God Pavilion, if he were to deliberately seek out an unknown student in an ordinary class, it would inevitably arouse suspicion from all sides.

Moreover, at this point, the oranges had not yet shown their future potential, so acting rashly would not only be meaningless but could also disrupt the original plan.

As night deepened, Zhou Sichen gazed at the deep starry sky, a relieved smile playing on his lips.

The gears of fate have begun to turn; some encounters need not be rushed.

He knew that the era of oranges had not yet arrived, and what he needed to do was to accumulate strength during this period.

“Wait, Orange,” he murmured. “When the time is right, we will meet again.”

As dusk enveloped the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, the streetlights lit up one after another, casting dappled shadows on the tree-lined path.

Zhou Sichen and Xu Jiujiu walked side by side, their steps steady and firm, and soon they arrived at the front of their mentor's dormitory building.

They easily made their way up to the third floor and stopped in front of a door with a gold plaque.

Zhou Sichen raised her hand and knocked on the door. The three soft knocks were particularly clear in the quiet corridor.

"Please come in." Zhang Lexuan's gentle voice came from inside the house.

Pushing open the door, a warm yellow light wafted in. Zhang Lexuan was sitting at her desk organizing documents. Soul guide books and hand-drawn blueprints were laid out on the table, exuding a rigorous and professional atmosphere.

Seeing the two enter, she put down her pen and gave them a friendly smile: "You've come at the right time. I'm really not suited to learning soul tools. I've tried for most of the day but haven't achieved anything."

Zhou Sichen smiled and said, "Senior Sister is really working hard, but for you, knowing how to use a soul tool is enough."

Zhang Lexuan nodded in deep agreement: "That makes sense, this book is giving me a headache."

Zhang Lexuan stretched and yawned: "I'm not watching anymore, let's hurry up and cultivate, I feel like I'm about to break through!"

Zhou Sichen and Xu Jiujiu exchanged a smile and each released their martial spirits.

Meanwhile, Lin Jiayi in the monitoring room witnessed Zhou Sichen and Xu Jiujiu entering Zhang Lexuan's room.

He stared at the screen, his fingers tapping the console unconsciously.

He paid close attention to Zhou Sichen's every move, but when he remembered Zhang Lexuan's previous notification, he felt relieved.

Shrek Academy has always emphasized the balanced cultivation of martial souls and soul tools, and this extra training is in line with Shrek's tradition.

Lin Jiayi got up and went to Jing Hongchen's office, where the crystal chandelier emitted a cold light.

Jing Hongchen sat in a large leather chair, flipping through the Soul Master level test report of the Shrek Academy exchange student.

His gaze swept over each piece of data like a hawk's, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

“Apart from Mo Xuan…” Jing Hongchen’s voice was low and hoarse as he tapped his fingertips heavily on the report: “Those little Shrek students are stronger than I expected.”

He was unaware that the soul tool reform promoted by Zhou Sichen a year ago had led to a qualitative leap in the overall level of Shrek Academy in a short period of time.

Seeing this data now forces him to re-evaluate this rival academy.

A fourteen-year-old five-ring Soul King and a level six Soul Master—such talent would be a once-in-a-century prodigy even in the Sun Moon Empire.

Looking at Zhou Sichen's Soul Master evaluation data, a complex light flashed in Jing Hongchen's eyes: "This guy's talent is truly amazing."

Lin Jiayi stood aside, equally awestruck by this talent: "It's just a pity he's not from our Sun Moon Empire, otherwise..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jing Hongchen raised his hand to interrupt him.

Jing Hongchen brought up a photo of Zhou Sichen on the Soul Guidance Screen. In the picture, the young man had a smile on his lips, but his eyes revealed a maturity beyond his years.

"Xiao and Meng have also made considerable progress." Jing Hongchen said thoughtfully, "There is indeed a gap in one-on-one situations, but when the siblings join forces, they may not lose to anyone."

Lin Jiayi followed his gaze, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, as the most dazzling genius siblings in the Sun Moon Empire, are not only the future of Mingde Hall, but also the sharpest weapon of the future empire.

"I just wonder how they are doing at Shrek Academy," he said in a low voice.

“No need to worry.” Jing Hongchen leaned back in his chair, a hint of confidence flashing in his eyes: “With the Dragon God Douluo personally taking care of things, there will naturally be no accidents, just like I will protect Zhou Sichen.”

After saying that, his expression suddenly turned serious. "Have you sent over the information that person requested?"

Lin Jiayi's expression instantly turned serious: "It's already been sent over."

He paused, a hint of unease in his voice: "That person asked me to arrange for Zhou Sichen to go to the Sun and Moon Auction House in three days, but the specific purpose..."

He clenched his fist: "Master, those evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Cult are cunning and treacherous. The Crown Prince is colluding with them to seize power. Why should our Mingde Hall get involved in this mess? Zhou Sichen is exceptionally talented. Once he is targeted by the evil soul masters..."

Jing Hongchen raised her hand to silence him, her gaze sharp as a cold star: "Your concerns are not without merit, but that person spoke personally and made a promise."

He stroked the soul guide token on the table, the token used to contact the mysterious man: "Given his status, he wouldn't joke about something like this."

Lin Jiayi gritted his teeth and finally bowed, saying, "Yes, I understand."

A brief silence fell over the office, with only the dim light from the soul-guided screen flickering on their faces.

Jing Hongchen stared at the data flashing on the screen, secretly calculating in his mind.

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(End of this chapter)