Over the millennia, the number of top-tier soul beasts on the Douluo Continent had not diminished. However, those on par with the Ice Jade Scorpion, Hell Phoenix, and Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear were still exceedingly rare.
All of the elders and deans, including Yan Shaozhe, brought out their extensive knowledge, listing the strongest soul beasts that could potentially serve as Zhou Sichen's fourth soul ring.
Titan Snow Demon, Titan Giant Ape, powerful dragon-blooded species, Dark Demon Evil God Tiger...
Some of them even mentioned soul beasts that had long been thought extinct. It was as if these powerful creatures were being meticulously selected like commodities.
They also factored in Zhou Sichen's current abilities to narrow down the choices.
For instance, since Zhou Sichen already possessed both Ultimate Ice and Fire, the Titan Snow Demon could be ruled out.
The Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear provided overwhelming offense and defense, the Hell Phoenix granted flight, and the Ice Jade Scorpion's Ultimate Ice was peerless in both offense and control...
What Zhou Sichen lacked the most at the moment was a restorative ability.
If he could acquire a healing-type soul beast, he would become entirely self-sufficient. A powerful healing soul beast as his support would be invaluable beyond measure.
Among healing-type soul beasts, none were more prestigious than the Emerald Swan.
Unfortunately, the Emerald Swan species was far too rare—far more scarce than even the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear.
Of course, this was just one possible direction.
The actual acquisition of a soul ring would still depend on luck to some extent.
After all, according to Zhou Sichen's requirements, the fourth soul ring they sought needed to be at least twenty thousand years old.
Mu En and the others did not find this excessive. Given Zhou Sichen's physical constitution, he was already capable of withstanding three ten-thousand-year soul rings.
A twenty-thousand-year soul ring for his fourth was entirely within reason.
Moreover, it had to be one of the strongest twenty-thousand-year soul beasts, powerful enough to rival ordinary forty- to fifty-thousand-year-old ones.
Of course, given the unique nature of Zhou Sichen's Contract Book Martial Soul, even if he absorbed a mere ten-year soul ring, it would eventually grow stronger as his power increased.
But doing so would be an utter waste of his talent and potential.
After all, even among top-tier soul beasts, the gap between a ten-year, hundred-year, and ten-thousand-year soul beast was immeasurable.
Most importantly, a hundred-year or thousand-year soul ring would provide Zhou Sichen with only negligible benefits.
A ten-thousand-year top-tier soul ring, on the other hand, would further elevate his talent and foundation. There was simply no comparison.
This was precisely why Zhou Sichen had chosen to come to Shrek Academy.
Having such a powerful institution assist him in acquiring soul rings was far more efficient than struggling alone.
Although his family was influential, they were nowhere near the level of the continent's true powerhouses.
Take, for instance, the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear he had contracted as his third soul ring. Now that it had reached fifteen thousand years in age, it was already capable of rivaling an ordinary Title Douluo.
The Zhou family did not have a Title Douluo among them. Securing such a high-level soul ring for Zhou Sichen would only become increasingly difficult in the future.
Even acquiring his third soul ring had cost his family significantly.
Zhou Sichen's own thoughts were rather straightforward. He had many soul beasts in mind that he favored, but there was no guarantee they would be found at this stage. Luck played a role.
As long as it was a top-tier soul beast that complemented his existing abilities, he would be satisfied.
After hearing Zhou Sichen's reasoning, Mu En and the others nodded repeatedly. His thinking aligned closely with their own.
This meant they didn't need to worry about guiding him in developing his judgment or decision-making skills. They simply had to help him execute his plan step by step.
There was no denying it—Zhou Sichen's existence had created an unprecedented sensation among these top-tier powerhouses of the continent. Even Mu En, who stood at the very pinnacle, found himself experiencing an unusual feeling.
Could it be that a truly perfect person existed in this world?
No matter what advice these experts offered, it seemed as if Zhou Sichen had already considered it beforehand. Not only that, but he could also articulate his own insights and opinions, impressing them even further.
One discussion led to another, lasting for most of the day. Eventually, they narrowed down their selection and identified a few promising soul beasts for Zhou Sichen's fourth soul ring.
Once their plan was finalized, Mu En issued a direct order.
Elder Xuan, a Rank 98 Super Douluo, and Elder Song, a Rank 97 Super Douluo, would personally venture into the Star Dou Forest to capture Zhou Sichen's fourth soul ring.
The reason Zhou Sichen was not accompanying them was not just to minimize risk, but also to give this newly enrolled student more time to familiarize himself with the academy.
If Zhou Sichen could truly develop a sense of belonging to Shrek, then all of their efforts would not be in vain.
Although... based on their observations, Zhou Sichen was already inclined toward Shrek Academy.
Two Super Douluos personally setting out to secure a soul ring for him—this deeply moved Zhou Sichen. He bowed respectfully to the two elders.
"I will always remember your kindness," Zhou Sichen said sincerely. "Although your strength is unmatched across the continent, the Star Dou Forest is full of dangers. Please take care of yourselves."
Elder Xuan and Elder Song patted Zhou Sichen on the shoulder.
"Sichen, you don't need to worry about us," Elder Xuan assured him. "Just stay here at the academy and wait for our good news."
As he watched the two Super Douluos depart, Zhou Sichen's heart filled with joy.
Finally... finally, he was experiencing what it felt like to have everything handed to him without lifting a finger.
With two Super Douluos personally handling the task, there was almost no chance of failure.
For the first time, Zhou Sichen could truly sit back and reap the rewards.
That said, while he was fully willing to make use of the academy's resources, he was also someone who never forgot those who had helped him. That was something beyond question.
Zhou Sichen understood that every investment had its return. He would never forget Shrek's support, but at the same time, he would never allow himself to be tamed like a loyal dog.
With this matter settled, Zhou Sichen followed Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and the other deans as they left the Sea God's Pavilion.
On the way, Yan Shaozhe, no longer carrying the air of a high-ranking dean, casually chatted with Zhou Sichen as if they were family.
"Sichen, how has your grandfather been lately?"
Hearing this oddly familiar question, Zhou Sichen smiled and replied, "Grandfather is doing well. He often speaks of you all. However, before I came here, he told me that I should act just like any other student. He said I shouldn't use my connection to him or rely on his relationship with you."
Hearing this, Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er exchanged glances and smirked knowingly.
That old man, Zhou Zhenxuan, was certainly proud of himself.
With Zhou Sichen's talent and strength, did he even need connections?
Of course, it was precisely because of this family connection that Elder Mu had decisively chosen to invest in Zhou Sichen's future.
Otherwise, no matter how exceptional Zhou Sichen was, he would have had to go through rigorous testing before gaining access to the academy's top-tier resources.
Bei Bei, in particular, had played a major role in this. He had shamelessly referred to the twelve-year-old Zhou Sichen as "big brother" without batting an eye, exaggerating his strengths beyond reason.
Even though Yan Shaozhe and the others had only known Zhou Sichen for a short time, they could already see that this child was not only outstanding in talent but also composed and mature beyond his years.
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