As the Soul Tool broadcast concluded, a transmission directly entered Zhou Sichen's ears:
"Sichen, come to the referee's lounge on the second floor."
Recognizing the voice as Qian Duoduo's, Zhou Sichen turned to Chen Zifeng and said, "Let's put our duel on hold for now. I have something urgent to take care of."
Chen Zifeng was momentarily stunned before he nodded vigorously. He couldn't be happier about this development.
Zhou Sichen then withdrew his Martial Soul, his three ten-thousand-year soul rings vanishing into his body. He stepped down from the Soul Dueling Platform and made his way through a side passage toward the referee's lounge on the second floor.
That lounge was usually occupied by a Soul Douluo-level teacher with an earth attribute. His primary duty was to repair any damage caused to the Soul Dueling Arena, though he rarely made an appearance unless absolutely necessary.
Upon reaching the lounge, Zhou Sichen knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in," Qian Duoduo's voice responded from inside.
Zhou Sichen pushed open the door, revealing a spacious office. Several desks and sofas were arranged neatly, while a main desk featured a row of Soul Tool microphones connected to the arena's speaker system—one of which Qian Duoduo had likely used for the earlier announcement.
The room also contained several meditation cushions, some greenery, and decorative plants, giving it a simple yet refreshing atmosphere.
A row of one-way Soul Tool glass panels provided a clear view of the arena below. Qian Duoduo and a burly middle-aged man sat in front of them, closely observing the ongoing matches.
Zhou Sichen's sudden departure had naturally puzzled many Inner Court students. However, the duels continued, and at this moment, two other students were already engaged in combat.
Seeing Zhou Sichen enter, Qian Duoduo adjusted his glasses and grinned. "Sichen, come sit."
"Greetings, Dean Qian. Greetings, Teacher Zhou." Without hesitation, Zhou Sichen gave a slight bow before taking a seat on the sofa opposite them.
Teacher Zhou was the earth-element Soul Douluo responsible for repairing the battlefield.
Once seated, Zhou Sichen took the initiative to ask, "Dean Qian, what was the purpose of your message just now?"
Qian Duoduo's shrewd face beamed with a smile. "Sichen, don't blame us for acting on our own. The thing is, your Martial Soul is quite special. Since you can fully control your contracted soul beasts, that makes you the perfect instructor, doesn't it?"
"The Inner Court students may be stronger than those in the Outer Court, but they still lack experience in directly facing powerful soul beasts. If your contracted soul beasts could help train them, it would greatly benefit their future growth."
Zhou Sichen nodded slightly. He had already guessed as much. However, this also meant that his contracted soul beasts would be thoroughly analyzed by others.
While true strength made such concerns irrelevant, Zhou Sichen's rapid progress was far beyond what these Inner Court students could keep up with. By the time they adapted to his current power, he would have already taken another major leap forward.
Understanding this concern, Qian Duoduo reassured him, "You don't need to worry about exposing your secrets. These kids aren't even capable of handling your ten-thousand-year Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear yet."
"Besides, the academy will compensate you accordingly. We won't let this take up your time and energy for nothing."
Zhou Sichen chuckled. Elder Mu and the others already knew that his contracted soul beasts could cultivate and recover on their own.
Qian Duoduo continued, "You only need to rotate one contracted soul beast per month in the arena. With your control, there's no risk of your beasts accidentally killing anyone."
Injuries were normal in Soul Dueling, and even more so when fighting soul beasts—especially such powerful ones.
As long as no one died, getting hurt would actually help these Inner Court students grow stronger.
And honestly, this arrangement wouldn't affect Zhou Sichen much. Losing one contracted soul beast temporarily wouldn't slow his progress significantly. Besides, soul beast cultivation was inherently slow. As long as the academy provided valuable enough resources, it was a fair trade.
Even if Zhou Sichen wasn't at the academy, should he ever encounter danger outside, he could recall his contracted soul beasts remotely using his Book of Contracts Martial Soul. This was something he hadn't hidden from Elder Xuan and the others.
After all, Zhou Sichen had always known that he wouldn't remain at Shrek Academy forever. Eventually, he would venture across the continent for experience.
By leaving a contracted soul beast at Shrek, he essentially created an emergency distress signal. If he suddenly recalled that beast, it would be a clear sign that he was in mortal danger.
This way, the upper echelons of Shrek could immediately be alerted to his situation.
Of course, that was just a precaution for the future—one of many thoughts Zhou Sichen had been considering.
For now, since Dean Qian had made the request, Zhou Sichen saw no reason to refuse.
His contracted soul beasts could help temper the Inner Court students, and in turn, he could observe more Martial Souls and abilities through them. It was mutually beneficial.
Moreover, Shrek Academy had invested heavily in him. If he refused to give back in some way, those old guys might start overthinking things.
Since it wasn't a major inconvenience, Zhou Sichen thought for a moment before nodding.
"I accept," he said calmly. "Rest assured, Dean Qian. I'll make sure to properly train our Inner Court geniuses."
"Hahaha!" Qian Duoduo laughed heartily. "Good, good! That's all I needed to hear."
Then, as if remembering something, Qian Duoduo added, "Oh, and there's one more thing I need your help with."
Zhou Sichen raised an eyebrow.
Was he starting to gain real authority at Shrek Academy? Why did it feel like more and more responsibilities were being pushed onto him?
Elder Xuan's voice was particularly gentle as he spoke next. "You've heard of the Beast Battleground, haven't you?"
The moment Zhou Sichen heard those words, he immediately understood.
They wanted his contracted soul beasts to help subdue the wild and unruly soul beasts there?
After all, soul beasts weren't as intelligent as humans. They followed the law of the strong. If the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear entered the Beast Battleground, unless there was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast present, it would become the undisputed ruler.
If that happened, the bear could command all other soul beasts, and since it followed Zhou Sichen's orders, managing the Beast Battleground would become much easier for the academy.
Zhou Sichen nodded slightly. "You want me to help tame the soul beasts in the Beast Battleground?"
"Exactly!" Qian Duoduo chuckled. "Ever since Old Gong heard about you, he's been thinking about you nonstop."
"I know this will take some of your time and energy, but the academy will compensate you well. Elder Mu has already decided—you'll be granted unrestricted access to train beneath the Golden Ancient Tree once a week."
Zhou Sichen's eyelid twitched. He completely ignored whatever Qian Duoduo had said about Old Gong.
All he cared about was weekly access to the Golden Ancient Tree.
Did they realize what they were offering him?
Even in the original storyline, no one had ever been allowed to train beneath the Golden Ancient Tree this frequently.
After all, the tree's energy was finite. No matter how nourishing it was, even the best resources would run dry if drained indefinitely.
But if he could cultivate there regularly, his growth speed would skyrocket.
In truth, one of the main reasons he had come to Shrek Academy was for the Golden Ancient Tree. If he could establish long-term contact with it…
A bright smile spread across Zhou Sichen's face.
"It is every student's duty to contribute to the academy," he said smoothly. "I will always remember how much Shrek Academy has nurtured me."
****
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