The Glory of the Sun and Moon in the Peerless Tang Sect

As for Wang Dong, he rarely interacted with others, so his specific progress in cultivation was unknown.

Chapter 230: The Current Situation One Year Later and Huo Yuhao the Ratman

Soul Guidance System Test Area No. 12.

Soft, soul-guided light filled every corner of this vast experimental area.

Xu Zihuang was sitting upright in front of a long metal table, fiddling with various small parts on the table. A year and a half had passed, and he was now over 1.8 meters tall. His physique was not particularly muscular, but rather well-proportioned and unassuming.

Her deep purple eyes, exuding an air of nobility, possessed an indescribable air of grandeur that unconsciously made others feel inferior. Her nobility was tinged with a profound and captivating depth.

Her long black hair was tied into a wolf tail and pinned behind her back, with a few strands of eerie purple hair falling between her temples and her high nose bridge, making her look capable yet elegant.

He picked up the dark metal cannon barrel, which was over a meter long, with his right hand, and held a crystal blue metal sphere in his left hand. The sphere, about the size of a fist, was covered with dense, strange patterns.

The thick metal cannon barrel weighed well over a hundred pounds, but he easily manipulated it with just a few fingers on his right hand. His slender, fair fingers flicked the end of the metal barrel a few times, revealing a groove just the right size to accommodate the metal ball.

That metal sphere is actually the core of all soul tools, the core magic array. More accurately, it is an aggregate of core magic arrays.

Inscribing a core magic array on a specific rare metal is not difficult; it's merely the basics for a Soul Master. The real challenge lies in fusing several core magic arrays into a single, unified whole, serving as the core of a Soul Tool, as Xu Zihuang has done. Moreover, he has forged a full eight level-five core magic arrays on this crystal-blue metal sphere.

Back in the finals of the continental advanced soul master academy competition, Xu Zihuang's opponent, Xiao Hongchen, unleashed over a hundred of these metal sphere-shaped core array aggregates. However, the actual number created by Xiao Hongchen himself was less than half of them.

The task of fusing those core magic arrays, which are so different in nature, into a unified whole is an extremely demanding test of a Soul Master's skills. Not only are the requirements for the precision of the inscription on the core magic arrays extremely high, but also a tremendous amount of effort is required to coordinate and adjust them.

Of course, these were no problem for Xu Zihuang. Possessing the Golden Eyes, a spiritual attribute martial soul, he could completely control errors to a minimum when inscribing core formations, even creating perfect core formations with no or near-zero errors. Furthermore, relying on his powerful spiritual strength, he could perceive the soul power fluctuations of the core formations in their operation with exquisite detail, allowing him to make the most precise and appropriate adjustments.

Xu Zihuang placed the metal ball into the metal cannon barrel, and with a series of clicking sounds, a top-quality level 5 long-range attack soul tool was completed.

When he and He Caitou were carrying out the Extreme Individual Soldier Project, the two of them had different focuses in their study of soul tools.

He specializes in close-range soul tools and the creation of soul tools that require precise physical control, while He Caitou's research focuses on long-range soul tools and fixed-position soul tools, especially the creation of advanced fixed-position soul-guided projectiles.

Although Xu Zihuang had spare energy after completing his regular studies, he did not intend to study the production of various soul tools in an all-round way.

In this level 5 ranged attack soul tool, apart from the core magic array assembly which was made by him, all the other parts were actually provided by He Caitou.

Like Xu Zihuang, He Caitou had already become a level 5 Soul Master. If he could break through the level 50 bottleneck in a short time and obtain a suitable Soul Ring to advance to the Soul King realm, creating a level 6 Soul Tool would be a natural progression.

Even Fan Yu, known for his strictness, felt only pride and satisfaction towards Yu Tianhuang and He Caitou. With their talent in soul tool making, as long as their cultivation level was high enough, they were almost certain to become level nine soul masters in the future.

Perhaps he can personally train two level-nine Soul Masters for the three empires that originally belonged to the Douluo Continent.

It is common for Soul Masters to go into seclusion when they reach a critical moment in creating Soul Tools. Neither He Caitou nor Fan Yu came today. Xu Zihuang was the only one in the vast Experiment Zone No. 12, which belonged exclusively to Fan Yu.

Xu Zihuang stood up and stood at the edge of the test field to test the power of the soul tool. The metal cannon barrel he was holding in his right hand was lifted up to the level of his shoulder by his amazing wrist and arm strength.

As the soul power was slowly injected into it, the originally jet-black metal cannon barrel was instantly transformed into a translucent ice-blue color. Then, a dazzling ice-blue light burst forth from it, drawing a brilliant streak in the air and striking an uneven metal wall a distance of over a hundred meters.

Sharp-edged ice crystals spread across the metal wall at a visible speed, eventually connecting to form a thick layer of solid ice that enveloped the metal wall.

Not only that, but even the ground and walls within a radius of about 100 meters were covered with glistening ice crystals.

This is a Level 5 Freeze Cannon, an improvement upon the Level 5 long-range soul tool, the Freeze Ray, by Xu Zihuang. Compared to the Freeze Ray, this Freeze Cannon requires more soul power, and its power is naturally much greater.

This freezing cannon is already more powerful than the fourth soul skill of many ice-attribute soul masters, but it is still lacking compared to the fifth soul skill of a soul king. Under normal circumstances, a soul king-level soul master would consume at least 30% of their soul power to fully activate their fifth soul skill, while using this freezing cannon consumes much less soul power.

Soul tools are indeed a product of the evolution of the times, enabling soul masters to possess considerable combat power, but they cannot defy the rules of this world. If soul tools could unleash greater power with less soul power, then traditional soul masters would have no reason to exist. However, fixed-installation soul tools are an exception.

Because the requirements for materials in fixed-installation soul tools are too demanding, they are destined to be unable to be widely adopted.

The biting cold swept over him, but Xu Zihuang was completely unaffected, storing the level-five freezing cannon into his storage soul tool.

Ordinary students in the Soul Guidance Department can successfully create soul tools using the academy's resources, but they must pay for the materials and various rare metals if they want to take them away. However, for Xu Zihuang and He Caitou, who are the executors of the Extreme Individual Soldier Project, this rule does not apply.

They can take away any soul tools made here free of charge.

Xu Zihuang stretched his body slightly before turning and leaving the No. 12 test area.

The seven-day cycle of courses continued, but in the soul tool making course, Fan Yu didn't rigidly force him to learn anything. Instead, he spent more time giving him experience and guidance, allowing him to think and allocate his time independently. This was very similar to Elder Mu's approach.

The importance of imagination and creativity to Soul Masters is undeniable. And Fan Yu's long-term considerations are based on this very point.

Despite the heavy workload and the academy's high expectations, his talent was so exceptional that he could easily handle and even exceed the goals set for him by Fan Yu and Elder Mu.

Therefore, he was usually quite relaxed and seemed to be under less pressure than the students in the Martial Soul Department and Soul Guidance Department of Shrek Academy's outer court.

Skillfully navigating the complex passageways within the Soul Guidance System testing area, Xu Zihuang only realized that night had completely enveloped the area when he passed through the metal gate and arrived outside.

There was about a month left before the end of the semester, and it was winter, so it got dark earlier than usual.

In the darkness, a few sparse soul-guided streetlights emitting a cold, eerie glow dotted the quiet road, which was deserted. The Soul Guidance Department was always this desolate.

Fine drizzle still drifted in the sky, appearing exceptionally clear under the illumination of the soul-guided streetlights. The golden-red trees lining both sides of the street rustled in the cold wind, and water droplets slid down their smooth, crimson leaves, falling like a vibrant red rain.

Amidst the sounds of raindrops and falling leaves, a crisp sound of footsteps approached from afar.

Xu Zihuang looked up as if sensing something, and what appeared in her line of sight was a tall girl. The girl was wearing the yellow school uniform of the third year of the Martial Soul Department of Shrek Academy, and her medium-length platinum blonde hair was very eye-catching, with the front of the hair slightly curled and draped over her shoulders.

Above her beautiful face were water-blue eyes that revealed tender feelings. The clear eyes reflected the soul-guiding light and Xu Zihuang's reflection. In her slender hands, she held a golden oil-paper umbrella.

This oil-paper umbrella was meticulously crafted using oil paper extracted from the sap of several plant-type spirit beasts. It features various exquisite patterns, faintly revealing the shapes of strange plants and flowers, and is covered with a layer of glaze-like, crystalline yellow beeswax, making it both water-repellent and extremely resilient.

As the oil-paper umbrella moved slightly, the girl's gaze met Xu Zihuang's. Her delicate nose wrinkled slightly, her eyes filled with tenderness, and she quickened her pace to stand before Xu Zihuang.

Xu Zihuang took the oil-paper umbrella from the girl's hand with perfect ease, then hugged her in his arms and said softly.

"Don't come here if the weather is bad in the future."

The girl was Ning Tian. A year and a half had passed. Girls generally develop earlier than boys, and Ning Tian's height hadn't changed much from a year ago, remaining around 1.72 meters. However, her well-developed figure had shed her former immaturity and made her more graceful and poised.

Standing next to Xu Zihuang, if it weren't for her still somewhat youthful appearance, she would easily be mistaken for a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl nearing adulthood.

“I’m not as busy as you and Senior Brother He. I don’t have much to do after class.” Ning Tian revealed a captivating and elegant smile, and put his arm around Xu Zihuang’s free arm.

For the past year and a half, whenever Xu Zihuang needed to come to the Soul Guidance Department to study, she would come and wait for him to go back together after the course ended. Rain or shine.

Ning Tian's sincerity was seen by many students in the academy. The male students were mostly envious, while the female students who were still hoping for Xu Zihuang gradually backed down.

Compared to Ning Tian, ​​the sole heir to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, they really had no advantages. On the other hand, they also subconsciously felt that Yu Tianhuang and Ning Tian were indeed a perfect match, leaving no room for them to interfere.

The ambiguous atmosphere and Ning Tian's captivating beauty could easily stir one's heart. However, his gaze remained clear as he led Ning Tian forward along the road.

"Let's go." Xu Zihuang smiled gently. As they walked, he asked Ning Tian.

"By the way, how is Senior Xiaoya's cultivation progress? If Senior Xiaoya also successfully breaks through to level 40, we can go to the Star Dou Great Forest together to obtain suitable soul rings."

He had stayed in the Sea God Pavilion for the past few days, where Elder Mu guided his cultivation. It was understandable that he couldn't learn about everyone's situation immediately.

“Senior Sister Xiaoya went into seclusion three days ago. With only about a month left until the end of the semester, she's under a lot of pressure. To graduate from the outer academy, she must break through to level 40 and successfully obtain her fourth soul ring within this month. However, judging from her performance before her seclusion, breaking through to level 40 shouldn't be a problem for her. Furthermore, Senior Brother Bei has also obtained a Soul Ascension Pill, making thorough preparations for Senior Sister Xiaoya,” Ning Tian replied clearly.

At this point, a hint of hesitation and shyness suddenly appeared on her pretty face, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.

Xu Zihuang had been watching Ning Tian closely, and asked with a smile.

"what happened?"

Ning Tian hesitated for a moment before parting her red lips slightly.

"Tianhuang, my family members might come to Shrek City in a few days."

"Your parents?" Xu Zihuang raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"No, it's an elder in my family. He said that the Star Dou Great Forest has been quite turbulent in the past year or two, and he plans to personally accompany me to obtain my fourth spirit ring. He also knows about our relationship and sent someone to tell me that he really wants to meet you."

Ning Tian blushed and shook his head, then looked up at Xu Zihuang. His expression remained unchanged, but his eyes held a hidden expectation.

"Then let's meet. Since that senior is your elder, isn't he also my elder?" Xu Zihuang showed no fear. From Ning Tian's words, he guessed that the elder he mentioned was probably at least a Title Douluo-level expert, and it wouldn't hurt to get acquainted with him.

"Mmm." Ning Tian murmured softly, his voice slightly nasal and filled with joy. Having met the elders and gained their approval carries a deeper meaning.

Thinking of this, she stopped walking with a blush still on her pretty face, and Xu Zihuang, understanding her intention, lowered the oil-paper umbrella he had been holding up a little.

The fine rain and the crimson leaves on both sides of the road continued to fall, landing on the ground, on the surface of Poseidon Lake, and on oil-paper umbrellas.

Under the Soul-Guiding Streetlights, Xu Zihuang stood still, while Ning Tian stood on tiptoe, their light and shadow overlapping.

The scene seemed to freeze at that moment.

It seems like a fleeting moment, yet it is also an eternity.

However, this beautiful scene was shattered by a black-haired boy who rushed past them.

"Splash, splash, splash—" Water splashed everywhere amidst the low footsteps.

Like Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian, ​​the boy came from the Soul Guidance System Experimental Zone.

He was no more than 1.6 meters tall and had a thin build. Beneath his messy black hair were a pair of deep blue eyes. Despite being a vibrant young man, his demeanor was rather gloomy.

Xu Zihuang raised the golden oil-paper umbrella again, revealing his and Ning Tian's faces.

The expressions of the two people didn't reveal much, except for Ning Tian's slightly heaving chest and the mist in his eyes, which proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

Upon noticing the boy's appearance, Xu Zihuang's heart stirred slightly.

"Huo Yuhao".

Indeed, the boy passing by them was Huo Yuhao. At fourteen years old, Huo Yuhao was even shorter than many of the eleven-year-old first-year students. Long-term malnutrition had caused him to miss the optimal period for physical development.

Without an umbrella, he looked particularly disheveled in the pouring rain. He seemed to sense Xu Zihuang's gaze, stopped, and turned back. But seeing Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian's intimate gestures, he bit his lip tightly, turned, and ran away quickly.

Envy, jealousy, resentment, and inferiority—all sorts of negative emotions surged within him, and his deep blue eyes became bloodshot.

Huo Yuhao's outburst wasn't solely due to these factors. It was largely the result of accumulated negative emotions over a long period. He was incredibly repressed. Although he displayed some talent in crafting soul tools, he still didn't receive much attention within the Soul Guidance Department. After all, his soul power level was only so-so. While he was studying in the Soul Guidance Department, this was ultimately Shrek Academy. It couldn't be like the Sun Moon Royal Soul Guidance Academy, which completely disregarded cultivation talent and relied solely on potential-stimulating drugs to improve soul power cultivation.

Moreover, Huo Yuhao has a withdrawn personality, so the students in the Soul Guidance Department naturally wouldn't get close to him.

Following Bei Bei's advice, Huo Yuhao set Yu Tianhuang as his role model, but for the past year and a half, he has only experienced setbacks. His envy and jealousy of Yu Tianhuang have begun to brew, gradually developing in a more negative direction.

Why is it that I, despite my best efforts in cultivation, am still teetering on the brink of expulsion, while Yu Tianhuang can enjoy a vibrant academy life and effortlessly achieve accomplishments that I could never attain in my lifetime? Why?!

This wasn't the first time he'd had this question in his mind.

He began to resent, resent the unfairness of the world. How could he possibly gain the power of revenge and sever the lineage of the White Tiger Duke if things continued this way?

Xu Zihuang withdrew his gaze, not paying too much attention to Huo Yuhao, and led Ning Tian toward the area where the Martial Soul System was located.

"Let's go."

Ning Tian's shyness only showed in front of Xu Zihuang. After Huo Yuhao interrupted her just now, she returned to her usual elegant and dignified demeanor.

However, her cherry lips were noticeably redder than before.

Chapter 231 The Fifth Soul Ring - The 50,000-Year-Old Evil Eye Tyrant