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

With the existence of that 100,000-year-old snow lotus, the Snow Empress can rebuild her strength. And since the Ice Empress has not left the far north, under the Ice Empress's protection, if the Snow Empress successfully rebuilds her strength, her age will be perfectly matched.

Sometimes what you see with your eyes may not be the truth.

The Snow Empress was a uniquely blessed being, born from the pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth, a snow maiden of ice and snow, much like the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, an auspicious beast born of heaven and earth. She could even be disregarded as a soul beast. Even a powerful figure like Elder Xuan couldn't discern the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's human form, so it's understandable that the Snow Empress's situation was special.

In fact, when he said those words to Tianmeng Bingcan, he already had a judgment in his heart.

Of course, from other people's perspectives, it would be impossible to make these connections.

Xu Zihuang waved to Yun Luo, who was not far away, and handed him the enrollment information form. Then, glancing to the side, he saw Ke Ke's resentful face.

Keke pouted and gave a soft snort.

"Are all young girls these days so obsessed with looks? I don't know what's so great about you. I'm so cute, and you still complain about me."

She had just clearly sensed the stark contrast in the white-haired girl's attitude towards the two of them. If her attitude towards Yu Tianhuang was merely slightly indifferent, then her attitude towards her was pure disgust.

Despite her humble origins, she had never experienced such injustice in her life.

Xu Zihuang smiled without saying a word. At this moment, he certainly wouldn't say anything to provoke Keke. And Bingxue's different attitudes towards the two of them were one of the reasons that confirmed his suspicions.

Assuming that the Snow Empress is indeed a reincarnated human, then her aversion to humans becomes understandable. As for why she is treated differently, there's only one reason: from a young age, she used various top-tier natural treasures to solidify her foundation, cleansing her body of impurities, and was subtly transformed by the Life Gold. In essence, her body is a weakened version of Life Gold—pure, immaculate, close to nature, and free from the impurities that humans often possess.

This is part of the reason why he is so popular with the opposite sex.

Afterwards, Xu Zihuang and Keke sat outside the main gate of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy for the entire day. Compared to Shrek Academy, the students applying to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy did indeed have significantly lower quality martial souls and cultivation talents, but there were quite a few strange and unusual martial souls among them. There were also students with high-level martial souls, but they were few in number, mostly from large families and noble families.

During this time, Keke also took the initiative to tell him the contents of the letter from Ju Zi.

Currently, Orange is eliminating the rebellious sea spirit beasts in the southern sea area of ​​the Sun Moon Empire, and has repeatedly made meritorious contributions, and has been promoted to the position of squad leader of a spirit master division.

Keke also said that after a year or two of intensive training at Mingde Hall, she would go find Ju Zi and join the army together.

As a best friend and confidante, Keke is undoubtedly extremely qualified, being loyal, kind-hearted, and devoted to her friends.

Dusk was approaching. Today was the last day for registration at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, and by now, there were hardly any students left in the square to participate in the assessment.

Keke seemed to be getting excited, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Actually, joining the army to protect my country has been my childhood dream. My sister Orange and I were both born in the south of the empire, which was the fiefdom of His Highness the Purple Emperor back then. When His Highness the Purple Emperor was still alive, he led the army to guard the border between the southeast of the empire and the Star Luo Empire, suppressing that so-called White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire for decades, who dared not set foot on our country's territory even once. How about that, pretty impressive, right?"

Because of what happened to Ju Zi, she had no good feelings towards the Star Luo Empire and the White Tiger Duke, and her tone became vicious.

"In the eyes of us commoners, His Highness Prince Zihuang is a hero who protects our country and its people. If His Highness Prince Zihuang were still alive, Sister Ju Zi's family wouldn't have suffered such a tragedy." At this point, she suddenly realized something, looked around nervously, and gave Xu Zihuang a plea.

"Don't say what I just said!"

"Don't worry, Senior Keke," Xu Zihuang replied with a gentle smile, but Keke couldn't see the deep look in his eyes.

The new semester officially began the next day at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. With the influx of new students, the academy was filled with more vitality.

Xu Zihuang's pace of learning at Mingde Hall noticeably accelerated. Thanks to the innate abilities of his Golden Eye Martial Soul, he memorized the crafting methods for many level-eight soul tools, and even a level-nine one.

Jing Hongchen was unaware of the abilities of his Golden Eye Martial Soul, so he never stopped him from observing other high-level Soul Masters making Soul Guidance Devices.

Because Jing Hongchen simply didn't believe he could understand it.

And that was indeed the case; even level eight soul tools were quite complex for him at this stage. But that didn't stop him from memorizing the methods for making these soul tools. He would write them down first, and try them out when his abilities were sufficient.

The high-level soul masters at Mingde Hall mostly crafted level-nine soul tools in their own sealed laboratories, leaving him with virtually no opportunity to observe. The only level-nine soul tool he remembered was an example given during a Mingde Hall student visit and explanation session. That example was a level-nine fixed-position soul cannon.

A level 9 fixed-mount soul-guided cannon can also be classified as a level 9 soul-guided device.

Even with his Golden Eye Martial Soul's talent and powerful mental strength, it took him a full five months to replicate the blueprints for that level-nine fixed-mount soul-guided cannon.

Five months have passed, which means he only has about six months left to study at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

His soul power cultivation also progressed steadily to level 59, just one step away from reaching the level 60 bottleneck.

"Phew—" Inside the dormitory, looking at the thick stack of blueprints on the metal table, Xu Zihuang let out a long sigh of relief.

"Finally finished."

Conservative estimates suggest there are at least five hundred drawings. Each drawing is about half the size of a metal tabletop, and is densely covered with annotations.

He spent five consecutive months concentrating his mind to replicate the design blueprints of that level-nine fixed-mount soul-guided cannon, and even with his strong mental power, he felt a sense of exhaustion.

Xu Zihuang carefully stored the design blueprints for the Level 9 fixed-position soul-guided cannon into his storage soul-guided device, and then pinched the space between his eyebrows with his right hand.

If he hadn't used the power of the Life Gold to open up a second sea of ​​consciousness, he might not have been able to persevere.

But the rewards are also quite substantial.

After that, Xu Zihuang stopped cultivating and went straight to bed to sleep.

He had never been so tired in all these years, and he slept soundly for days.

Chapter 287 Unexpected Turn of Events and the Return Overnight

When Xu Zihuang regained consciousness, it was already the afternoon of the next day.

He opened the French windows on the balcony, breathing in the warm, fresh air while gazing at the dazzling sunset in the west, and his mind immediately cleared.

The feeling of complete relaxation is truly wonderful.

Today, the sky over Mingdu was clear for the first time in a long time, with rose-gold clouds slowly rolling in, painted by the sunset. A gentle evening breeze caressed Xu Zihuang's face, lifting a few strands of purple hair from his forehead and temples.

My gaze and mind went blank at the same time.

He had been at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy for nearly two years. Only he himself knew the full extent of his gains. What he had shown to the higher-ups of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Even Fan Yu and He Caitou only had a general understanding of his abilities at the Soul Master level.

Although he has not actually tried to make a level 7 soul tool, he does indeed possess the ability of a level 7 soul tool master.

Soul power cultivation can never explain everything. After all, with his terrifyingly deep foundation, his total soul power at level 59 is almost comparable to that of some ordinary Soul Saints, which can fully support him to complete the inscription of the level 7 core magic array from beginning to end.

In addition, Xu Zihuang also memorized the manufacturing methods of hundreds of level 7 and 8 soul tools and a level 9 fixed-mount soul cannon.

If Jing Hongchen knew all this, he would probably be so angry that he would spit out blood.

Jing Hongchen is an outstanding person in many ways, but he has a flaw in his personality. He is stubborn and easily angered, and he is inflexible and unyielding, which can also be described as being headstrong and self-willed.

He is destined to pay the price for his arrogance.

After another hour of meditation, Xu Zihuang adjusted his body to its best condition and went to the cafeteria in the sixth-grade dormitory building for dinner.

It was still the same top-tier cuisine made with the finest parts of soul beasts, and this meal cost over a hundred gold soul coins. In the two years he spent at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, he had spent at least tens of thousands of gold soul coins on food.

But he didn't care about these things. As a high-level Soul Master, he was never short of money, so he naturally wouldn't be demanding of himself in these areas.

There's no need to suffer these meaningless hardships.

Xu Zihuang had just sat down with his tray when Fan Yu and He Caitou, who knew what he had been doing lately, came over.

Both master and apprentice could not hide their excitement.

Fan Yu cast a questioning look at Xu Zihuang, and when Xu Zihuang smiled and nodded at him, he couldn't help but clench his fists.

That's the design blueprint for a level nine fixed-mount soul-guided cannon. Even if someone offered him a 100,000-year soul ring and a 100,000-year soul bone in exchange, he wouldn't agree.

This is no exaggeration. If the design blueprint for a level-nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon were put up for auction in any of the three original empires of the Douluo Continent, it would cause a frenzy among countless forces.

Especially the royal families of the three great empires.

The Tier 9 fixed-position soul-guided cannon is a truly top-tier strategic resource. If used well, it can change the course of a war.

"Caitou, go and ask them to add a few more dishes." Fan Yu patted Caitou on the shoulder, then sat down opposite Xu Zihuang.

"Yes, teacher." He Caitou chuckled excitedly and hurriedly ran to the window where top-quality dishes were sold.

Fan Yu looked at Xu Zihuang with a complex yet gratified expression, and said wistfully through soul power, "Tianhuang, you can keep those blueprints yourself. To be honest, you have already contributed enough to the academy, and you have the right to dispose of them as you see fit."

“Teacher Fan Yu, I don’t have any use for the design blueprints of that Level 9 fixed-position soul-guided cannon for the time being. I have seen the academy’s training and attention to me, and I am willing to hand them over to the academy for research.” Xu Zihuang smiled gently, and all I could see in his eyes was sincerity.

His words were not unfounded. Because not just anyone can create a level nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon.

Even if he handed these blueprints over to Shrek Academy, it would be difficult to successfully manufacture them for at least several decades, and it wouldn't affect the overall situation.

Weighing the options, it's better to use it to gain favor. Even if it's just for the dragon pill in Elder Mu's possession, it's worth it.

Fan Yu pondered for a moment, his eyes filled with even greater satisfaction, and smiled.

"As I just said, it's your right to handle it however you want. However, if you're willing to hand it over to the academy for research, just have Dean Xian and Dean Qian make a copy. You can keep the original yourself."

For any Soul Master, the blueprints they draw themselves hold immense significance. This is especially true for the design blueprints of a Level 9 fixed-mount Soul Guidance Cannon.

Xu Zihuang did not refuse, and their telepathic communication ended there.

Because He Caitou had already come over with two large, thick hands, each carrying a plate with three dishes that looked and smelled delicious.

"Let's eat first," Fan Yu said to the two of them. During the meal, the three of them chatted, but their overt conversation avoided discussing any sensitive information.

After dinner, the three parted ways. Fan Yu and He Caitou both had their own research to do, while Xu Zihuang returned to his dormitory to begin his evening meditation practice.

Having successfully drawn up the design blueprints for a level-nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon, his studies at Mingde Hall could now come to a close. Ultimately, opportunities to learn the methods of creating soul-guided devices of this level were rare. For the next seven months, he planned to focus on thoroughly understanding and mastering his knowledge of soul-guided devices and cultivating his soul power.

Besides that, there was another thing that concerned him: the mid-term assessment to be held three days later at the Soul Guidance Device Trial Grounds of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

This is also a common practice at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. The learning atmosphere at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy is much more relaxed than at Shrek Academy; there's no need to constantly worry about failing the entrance exams the following year and being eliminated by the academy.

However, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy specifically set up this mid-term assessment to examine the students' progress over the past six months, while also serving as a form of supervision and motivation.

Those who achieve excellent results in this midterm assessment will receive a reward in terms of rare metal quotas.

The assessment method is the same as Shrek Academy, involving practical combat. The difference is that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy can use soul tools, but only if they are made by themselves.

As for the students in the actual control of the Soul Guidance System who cannot make Soul Guidance Devices, they will be assessed separately.

Xu Zihuang was paying attention to this midterm assessment, not because he needed to participate, but because he wanted to use it to observe the girl named Bingxue.

The higher-ups at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy weren't going to be incompetent. The appearance of the Ice and Snow Maiden Martial Soul user immediately garnered their attention.

After confirming that ice and snow indeed possessed the ultimate ice attribute, Jing Hongchen was in a much better mood for a while.

This is the first time a Soul Master with such exceptional attributes has appeared at their Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. They desperately need such outstanding, talented Soul Masters.

The talent that Bingxue displayed at the Soul Master level excited Jing Hongchen even more.

In just six months, he went from having absolutely no experience to becoming a Level 2 Soul Master and even skipped a grade to the third year.

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy divides students into grades based on their abilities.

Becoming a Level 1 Soul Master allows one to advance to the second year of study, while becoming a Level 2 Soul Master naturally allows one to advance to the third year of study.

All of this made Xu Zihuang even more certain of his guess.