Qian Duoduo's assumption was the same as most people's—but Zhou Sichen had never been the kind of genius who followed convention.
He was a monster—a true prodigy who constantly defied expectations, delivering surprise after unbelievable surprise.
While Qian Duoduo sat in stunned silence, Fan Yu recounted the past few days he had spent with Zhou Sichen in detail. With every word, Qian Duoduo's ears seemed to stretch wider and his heartbeat grew faster.
By the time Fan Yu finished, Qian Duoduo was staring at Zhou Sichen as if looking at some kind of supernatural being. His eyes were filled with disbelief... and more disbelief.
Zhou Sichen's martial soul talent was already extraordinary—his Book of Contracts was practically a walking bug. But what Qian Duoduo hadn't expected was for his soul tool talent to be just as broken.
A twelve-year-old Class 4 Soul Engineer was already shocking enough. But now? He was Class 5?
Even in the Sun Moon Empire, within the elite halls of Mingde Hall, that kind of talent likely didn't exist.
Qian Duoduo had thought he understood the extent of Zhou Sichen's genius. But now, he realized all he had seen was the limit of his own imagination—not the limit of Zhou Sichen's talent.
And then there was Blazing Sun—the moment Zhou Sichen held the blade, it was as if it had found its destined master, resonating with him like it had been forged solely for him.
This kid wasn't here to borrow his wife's List-Carving Blade—he was here to show off the top-tier Class 5 soul tool he'd just finished crafting!
Just then, the office door burst open without warning. Only one person in the entire Soul Tool Department would dare barge in without knocking: Xian Lin'er.
She walked in with a gentle smile on her face when she saw Zhou Sichen—completely at odds with her fearsome reputation as a she-dragon.
She'd already heard from Qian Duoduo about Zhou Sichen borrowing a List-Carving Blade, and she had been curious to see what his next soul tool would be.
With Fan Yu guiding him, she had expected a pleasant surprise.
But the moment she noticed her husband standing on his office desk, her brow twitched in confusion.
Sure, Qian Duoduo had always been a bit unruly, but he was now a Titled Douluo and the Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department. What was he doing standing on his desk like someone had caught him cheating?
The look on his face—like he'd just witnessed his wife with another man—nearly made her blow her top.
Her smile vanished as she glared at him. "Qian Duoduo, have you lost your mind? Can you please act with some dignity in front of Sichen and Fan Yu?"
Qian Duoduo immediately shivered and leapt down from the desk.
Even facing his furious she-dragon wife, the shock on his face refused to fade.
"Lin'er, you have to listen to me," he blurted. "We've found a real monster!"
Xian Lin'er looked from her unhinged husband to the amused Fan Yu and then to Zhou Sichen, who stood innocently to the side. She sighed and decided to hear him out.
Fifteen minutes later, she found herself standing on the very same desk Qian Duoduo had just been scolded for standing on, completely unable to remain calm.
Qian Duoduo and Fan Yu were doing their best not to laugh. Now that Xian Lin'er had heard the full story, she finally understood their shock—her entire worldview had just been shattered.
Zhou Sichen stood nearby, still wearing his innocent expression.
And honestly, it made sense. Even Huo Yuhao in the original story hadn't caused as much chaos as he just had.
It had only been two months since Zhou Sichen had publicly declared in Sea God's Pavilion that he'd become a Class 4 Soul Engineer.
Now? He'd already produced a peak Class 5 soul tool?
And even more shocking—he was already preparing to attempt a Class 6 soul tool. He had taken quite a few materials from Fan Yu for that very purpose.
As if his martial soul wasn't already heaven-defying, now his talent in soul tool crafting was terrifying as well?
How were these old-timers supposed to live with that?!
After a long while, Xian Lin'er finally realized she'd lost her composure. She casually stepped down from the desk, though her expression still overflowed with excitement.
She turned to Zhou Sichen and said eagerly, "Sichen, the future of our Soul Tool Department is in your hands. With your talent, you could become Shrek's first Class 9 Soul Engineer within twenty years!"
Zhou Sichen replied with a calm smile, "You flatter me, Dean Xian. But I'll never forget how much Shrek has supported me. If that day ever comes, I'll still be a Soul Engineer trained by Shrek Academy."
Hearing this, Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er both clapped and cheered.
Zhou Sichen's goal in reporting his achievements was clear: to attract more resources.
And now that he had proven his potential, Fan Yu was practically funneling all his resources toward him. Whatever Zhou Sichen asked for, Fan Yu provided without question.
Even Qian Duoduo decided to go all in.
"Sichen," he said, "since Blazing Sun resonates so well with you, I'll give it to you as a gift."
Zhou Sichen was a bit surprised. He knew it was an investment to win him over—but this was Qian Duoduo they were talking about. Not even Yan Shaozhe could get the better of this old fox.
But Zhou Sichen didn't hesitate to accept it. He had wanted to keep Blazing Sun anyway, and acting modest wasn't his style.
He replied sincerely, "Thank you, Dean Qian. I'll make sure I live up to your expectations. If you ever need me in the future, I'll never turn you down."
Qian Duoduo beamed and said, "Then I only have one small request—when you become a Class 9 Soul Engineer, just make me a Class 9 soul tool. That's all I ask."
Zhou Sichen chuckled. Now that's the Qian Duoduo I know.
Trading a carving blade for a soul tool that most people would never be able to produce in their entire lives—it might not be a massive win, but it was certainly a good deal.
And for Zhou Sichen, it was practically a guaranteed profit.
With Blazing Sun, he could craft soul tools with greater ease, speed, and quality. Once he eventually became a Class 9 Soul Engineer, what was one more tool for Qian Duoduo?
After shocking the room once again, Zhou Sichen left the office.
He'd been eating "takeout" for days. It was time to return to the Inner Court and enjoy some of that legendary red-grade gourmet cuisine.
It was midday, just the right time for lunch. After eating, Zhou Sichen returned to his villa and took some time to wash up.
Not long after, there was a knock at the door.
Zhou Sichen answered it and was met with an annoyed-looking Ma Xiaotao.
She took one look at his training clothes and immediately snapped, "Didn't you say you'd be at the Soul Duel Arena this weekend? I haven't seen you there once!"
Zhou Sichen smiled wryly. "I've been at Teacher Fan Yu's lab these past few days. He's been guiding me in soul tool crafting."
It was a bit awkward, actually. Han Ruoruo had also gone to the arena over the weekend, hoping for another sparring session—but Zhou Sichen never showed up.
He'd only just entered the Inner Court, yet he was already as elusive as a spirit beast—no one could ever find him, and no one knew what he was up to.
Ma Xiaotao had come knocking every day, but never got a response.
Today, she had been on her way to the arena when she saw him through the window on the second floor of Ye Guyi's villa, wearing his training clothes.
Hearing his explanation, Ma Xiaotao didn't know what to say for a moment.
Eventually, she managed to mutter, "Next time you're going to disappear like that, just give me a heads-up, okay? Don't make me waste time looking for you."
Zhou Sichen nodded. "Got it. Next time, I promise."
****
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