Hearing and seeing are sometimes two completely different things.
Although Bei Bei had mentioned the uniqueness of Zhou Sichen's Contract Book Martial Soul, stating that his contracted soul beasts could grow stronger as his cultivation increased...
And even though Zhou Sichen himself had acknowledged this fact...
This time, however, Mu En had witnessed it firsthand. He had seen with his own eyes how the three soul rings surrounding Zhou Sichen transformed from purple to black—from thousand-year rings to ten-thousand-year rings!
But what shocked Mu En the most was the sheer speed at which this had happened. How long had Zhou Sichen been beneath the Golden Tree? Not even a full day had passed, and yet he had broken through so effortlessly?
Judging by the fluctuations in his soul power, Zhou Sichen had already reached the bottleneck of Rank 40. Even top-tier prodigies like Zhang Lexuan, Ma Xiaotao, and Ye Guyi couldn't achieve such rapid breakthroughs.
Even for geniuses like them, breaking through required at least a month or two, yet Zhou Sichen had done it in less than a day.
And not only had he advanced, but he had even broken through two levels in a single day—setting yet another record.
Furthermore, Mu En had felt a deep resonance when Zhou Sichen was comprehending his path. Though he wasn't entirely sure of the young man's exact thoughts, the sheer determination and unwavering resolve to become strong were more powerful than anything he had ever seen before.
After a long while, Zhou Sichen slowly opened his eyes, exhaling a deep breath of turbid air. At this moment, he felt as if he had been reborn, his entire being refreshed and revitalized.
Retracting his Martial Soul and soul rings, he stood up unhurriedly and walked out of the chamber at a leisurely pace, following the long corridor back to the main hall.
Mu En was already waiting for him there. At some point, his recliner had disappeared. Now, he leaned on a cane, his back hunched nearly ninety degrees. His aged, cloudy eyes gleamed with wisdom as they met Zhou Sichen's gaze.
Upon seeing Mu En, Zhou Sichen bowed slightly in greeting. "Thank you for your guidance. This period of secluded cultivation has granted me significant insights and improvements. May I ask how much time has passed?"
In truth, Zhou Sichen himself wasn't sure. From his perspective, time had been immeasurable. It felt as if he had retraced his steps, reaffirming his beliefs and solidifying his future path.
As he spoke, he naturally stepped forward to support Mu En. This simple gesture stirred something within the old man's heart.
Mu En chuckled softly. "Your talent and determination are the most extraordinary I have ever seen. From the moment you entered until now, not even a full day has passed."
Zhou Sichen was momentarily stunned by this revelation, but he quickly pieced everything together.
Aside from his own exceptional talent, there were other factors at play: his three contracted soul beasts and the awakening of Electus. Electus had absorbed a portion of the Golden Tree's energy, and since it had been refined through his own body, it had significantly accelerated the entire process.
Supporting Mu En, Zhou Sichen calmly replied, "You flatter me, Elder. Talent alone is meaningless without the resources to nurture it. Reaching the pinnacle requires enduring countless hardships. That's why I am deeply grateful to those who have helped me along the way."
Mu En nodded approvingly. Such an answer would satisfy anyone.
"You are a good child." Unable to help himself, Mu En gently patted Zhou Sichen's shoulder. The two of them walked through the long ascending passage, eventually emerging in the first-floor hall of the Sea God's Pavilion.
At that moment, Elder Xuan and the other elders, along with Yan Shaozhe and several academy deans, were still present. They had just finished discussing Zhou Sichen's training plan and were planning to deliberate further later. However, to their surprise, Zhou Sichen had already completed his first meditation session beneath the Golden Tree.
His level of talent needed no further explanation. Even Ye Guyi, who was considered the most compatible with the Golden Tree, hadn't achieved such rapid results.
Seeing Zhou Sichen assisting Mu En, their eyes were filled with excitement and admiration.
After ensuring Mu En was seated comfortably in his chair, Zhou Sichen returned to his original seat.
Mu En then spoke slowly, "I hereby declare that, effective immediately, Zhou Sichen is to be listed as one of Shrek Academy's highest-priority candidates for elite cultivation. The academy is to spare no expense in providing him with whatever he requires—whether in Soul Tools or Martial Soul development."
Zhou Sichen bowed slightly. "Thank you, Elder Mu, and to all the elders and deans for your guidance. I will work even harder in the future and live up to your expectations."
Mu En nodded slightly and said softly, "Sichen, show your teachers the results of your progress."
Zhou Sichen stood up and walked to the center of the hall. As he activated his Contract Book Martial Soul, three black ten-thousand-year soul rings emerged around him.
The sight of these soul rings caused the pupils of the elders and deans to contract, their expressions brimming with shock.
Not long ago, Zhou Sichen had possessed three purple thousand-year soul rings. Yet, after merely a single day of meditation beneath the Golden Tree, they had transformed into ten-thousand-year soul rings?
Given the unique nature of his Martial Soul, this also meant that his contracted soul beasts—Ice Jade Scorpion, Hell Phoenix, and Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear—had all advanced to the ten-thousand-year level.
Setting everything else aside, a ten-thousand-year Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear alone was already enough to threaten an average Title Douluo.
When combined with the equally formidable Ice Jade Scorpion and Hell Phoenix, it meant that Zhou Sichen, who had just reached Rank 40, already possessed the combat power equivalent to a Title Douluo!
How could this not drive people mad with excitement?
Throughout the history of the Soul Master world, even the legendary Tang San of ten thousand years ago had never achieved something this heaven-defying!
No wonder Elder Mu had made the decision to invest everything into Zhou Sichen. Now that the elders fully grasped the truth, they would undoubtedly support this move with even greater enthusiasm.
With Zhou Sichen around, other so-called prodigies now seemed insignificant in comparison.
Sensing Zhou Sichen's soul power fluctuations, the elders realized that this child had advanced by two levels in a single day—meaning he was now eligible to obtain a new soul ring.
Once he acquired his fourth soul ring, he would have four ten-thousand-year soul beasts at his disposal...
Given how rare and powerful his first three soul rings were, Shrek Academy would undoubtedly need to find an equally rare and powerful soul beast for his fourth ring.
Otherwise, how could Shrek Academy, the most prestigious institution in the continent, allow itself to be outdone by some minor city like Tianyuan?
After demonstrating his soul rings, Zhou Sichen withdrew his Martial Soul and returned to his seat.
Mu En then continued, "I now declare the Sea God's Pavilion meeting officially reconvened. The agenda: selecting Zhou Sichen's fourth soul ring."
At these words, everyone became utterly serious.
No one thought this was a trivial matter.
Had anyone suggested yesterday that Shrek Academy's highest-level Sea God's Pavilion meeting would convene twice in a row for the sake of a twelve-year-old, Rank 38 student, they would have been laughed out of the room.
But now, no one found it laughable—because the selection of Zhou Sichen's fourth soul ring was truly critical.
In a sense, this decision could shape Shrek Academy's future.
A powerful soul beast with an exceptional bloodline, when contracted through Zhou Sichen's Contract Book Martial Soul, could reach a level of strength that even tens or hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation couldn't match.
Simply put, Zhou Sichen was a walking cheat code for soul beast cultivation. The only trade-off was that any contracted soul beast would become subordinate to him.
With just three contracted beasts of powerful bloodlines, Zhou Sichen had already reached the combat power of an average Title Douluo.
So what would happen with four? Five? Or even more?
Thus, the choice of his fourth contracted soul beast was of utmost importance.
If it was as powerful as the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear, Ice Jade Scorpion, or Hell Phoenix, Zhou Sichen's strength would take another terrifying leap forward.
And if he continued obtaining equally rare and powerful contracted soul beasts, his rate of growth would become nothing short of monstrous.
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