In the end, Xuan Ziwen left.
Of course, not in the biological sense—he simply went to report to the Xishui Alliance.
Jing Hongchen didn't try to hold onto him. He approved Xuan Ziwen's resignation without hesitation. There was no other reason—Ming Lei Douluo had already spoken to him.
That night, the two of them drank heavily, reminiscing about old times. As the conversation went on, Ming Lei Douluo brought up his desire to take Xuan Ziwen with him.
Jing Hongchen was caught up in the mood. Since neither of them had used soul power to dispel the effects of alcohol, he was a little drunk and absentmindedly agreed.
It wasn't until the next day that he realized—he had considered Ming Lei as his junior brother, but Ming Lei had kicked him into a ditch instead.
Still, this was in line with Ming Lei's character.
One small comfort was that Ming Lei had gone to visit their master.
Moreover, at Xuan Ziwen's request, Jing Hongchen assigned a Rank 7 Soul Engineer to the Third Laboratory to continue teaching Ke Ke and the other students.
Normally, a Rank 6 Soul Engineer would suffice for a student lab, but Jing Hongchen deliberately arranged for a Rank 7.
This was likely because of Jiang Jue.
But Jiang Jue's three-step plan at Mingde Hall was nearly complete. Xuan Ziwen had been successfully recruited.
After providing Xuan Ziwen with some additional ideas, the man was utterly shocked, exclaiming that he had discovered a whole new world.
The door he had long struggled to open was finally creaking open, waiting for him to step through and explore.
As for the grand promises Jiang Jue had painted for him at the beginning—Xuan Ziwen had swallowed them whole.
As long as he could continue researching Soul Tools, he cared little for anything else.
So, the task of developing Soul Tools for ordinary soldiers was handed over to Xuan Ziwen. Jiang Jue even personally visited the Xishui Alliance, instructing Masked Douluo to do everything possible to accommodate Xuan Ziwen's needs.
This technology would play an unimaginable role in the future unification of the continent.
It was time to shake up the three former great empires—let them understand that the era had changed!
But the future Sun-moon Empire… could not bear the surname Xu.
Over this period of time, Masked Douluo had also come to an epiphany.
As long as he followed Jiang Jue's lead, he would definitely rise in rank.
He even set a personal principle: Eat brains first, walk later—follow the Holy Son's footsteps.
For Jiang Jue's instructions, Masked Douluo pounded his chest in assurance.
As long as he had brains to eat, Xuan Ziwen would never suffer.
"Now that these plans are mostly in place, I don't need to invest so much effort into Soul Tool research anymore."
"Cultivating soul power is still the foundation."
In his dormitory at the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, Jiang Jue sat cross-legged on his bed, finishing a night of cultivation.
He opened his eyes and spoke softly.
Feeling the surging blood in his veins and the orderly circulation of his soul power, Jiang Jue's lips curled slightly.
After thinking it over for a few days, he realized his approach was still too limited.
Rather than learning to craft Soul Tools himself, why not refine a high-level Soul Engineer instead?
This would not only save him time but also allow him to acquire Soul Tools tailored to his needs.
As for the candidate worthy of residing in his Soul Refining Banner—Jiang Jue had already made his choice.
"Next, it's time to meet my future teammates."
Jiang Jue stood up, adjusted his attire, and walked out.
After agreeing to become a reserve member of the team, Xuan Ziwen had given him a silver-white card before leaving—on behalf of Jing Hongchen.
This card was the key to the training facility for the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament.
Jiang Jue could enter anytime and train alongside the main team members.
As the saying goes, people only remember the champion—not the runner-up or the third-place finisher.
However, the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament was different.
Both the champion and the runner-up were remembered.
The champion, of course, was Shrek Academy.
The runner-up—the millennium-old second place—was the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
Thus, the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy began training more than half a year in advance, determined to finally claim the championship.
Jiang Jue could see it clearly: the battle between Shrek Academy and the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy wasn't just between two schools.
It was a battle between the Sun-Moon Empire and the three former great empires.
It was also a battle between Soul Masters and Soul Engineers.
After having breakfast in the cafeteria, Jiang Jue walked toward the training ground.
The morning was bright, the sky clear, the sun rising—a perfect day.
The training facility was located behind the main academic buildings. The exterior was a square-shaped structure, its walls reflecting a silver glow under the sunlight.
Beep!
With a crisp sound, the door slid upward, revealing a five-meter-wide corridor lined with Soul Tool-powered lamps that emitted a soft white light.
Jiang Jue stepped inside and saw that the corridor led to a spectator platform—resembling a basketball court from his previous life.
Looking down from the platform, he saw a square training field surrounded by Soul Tool-powered protective barriers.
"Boss Ma! For just a few hundred gold soul coins a month, are you trying to kill yourself?!"
A voice full of helplessness echoed through the training field, accompanied by the thunderous roar of cannon fire.
Jiang Jue gazed downward.
A tall young man was sprinting across the field, dodging a barrage of Soul Tool laser beams and cannon blasts while shouting.
"Lin Xi! If you keep messing around like this, you'll suffer in the tournament!"
"Come here and get up close with me!"
Behind Lin Xi, a youth in a tight-fitting red combat outfit, muscles bulging, chased after him while shouting boisterously.
Hearing this, Lin Xi suddenly stopped and turned around.
A yellowish shield appeared in his hand, initially the size of a dinner plate. But as Lin Xi continuously injected soul power into it, the shield expanded outward in rippling waves of pale yellow light, enveloping him completely.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions erupted.
All the incoming Soul Tool beams and cannon shots were absorbed without a trace.
Lin Xi smirked triumphantly.
"Boss Ma, what do you think? Not a single shot got through this time!"
Just as he finished speaking—
BANG!
A sudden impact struck the back of Lin Xi's head.
Behind him, a strange beastly shadow had appeared.
It was a monkey-like creature, standing no taller than 1.5 meters, with long arms that reached the ground. Its entire body was covered in dark red fur that glistened as if crystalline. But its eyes were golden, flickering with an eerie light.
The monkey raised its right arm and punched Lin Xi's head, grinning slyly as if pleased with its sneak attack.
It let out a series of shrill cries while running back toward the red-clad youth, waving its arms as if seeking praise.
"Boss... Lao Da, that was cheating—attacking me from behind doesn't count!"
The red-clad youth spread his arms and smirked at Lin Xi.
"If you're weak, train harder!"
(End of Chapter)