The astonishing advancements of Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao left Zhou Sicheng with a growing sense of unease, as if an unseen force was watching over and aiding him.
While he was genuinely pleased with the significant boost in the two women's strength—after all, such progress would undoubtedly help them break through higher limits in the future—the feeling of being manipulated or controlled was unsettling.
This lack of autonomy was not something he appreciated.
However, lacking the power to change the situation in the short term, he could only go with the flow and take things one step at a time.
Zhou Sicheng led the two women straight to the cafeteria.
After over a month of braving the elements, it was time to indulge in some comfort.
Each of them packed a meal and returned to Ye Guyi's villa to enjoy it
On their way back, several Inner Court students noticed Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao's return and couldn't resist striking up a conversation.
Upon learning that both had acquired their seventh spirit rings, they were left speechless with astonishment.
While Ma Xiaotao's achievement was somewhat understandable, Ye Guyi was only sixteen years old, wasn't she?
A sixteen-year-old Spirit Sage? What kind of genius was that? These siblings were truly extraordinary!
Zhou Sicheng was accustomed to their shocked expressions. If they knew that his sister's seventh spirit ring was of the 100,000-year variety and that she had already reached level 75, their reactions would be even more dramatic!
Back at the villa, the two women dined gracefully, taking small bites with elegance.
As they ate, Zhou Sicheng reminded them, "After this tournament, your reputations will spread across the continent. Even your former teachers might find themselves outshone by your achievements at this age. Be prepared for both overt challenges and covert schemes."
Listening to Zhou Sicheng's earnest advice, the two women responded warmly.
Ye Guyi replied, "I understand. I'll be cautious."
Ma Xiaotao added confidently, "Even without Shrek's protection, with our current strength, most people wouldn't stand a chance against us."
Zhou Sicheng smiled slightly, "It's good that you understand, but never let your guard down."
Ma Xiaotao nodded, "Enough about us. Let's talk about you. When will you replicate my martial soul?"
Zhou Sicheng waved his hand, "No rush. You've just returned. Let's discuss it in a few days. I've been studying the cultivation of the Bright Holy Dragon martial soul with Elder Mu. We'll delve into it later."
Ma Xiaotao pouted, "Alright..."
Ye Guyi recalled some discussions she overheard among students and couldn't help but ask, "Sicheng, what's the story with Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue? How did they become the Twin Stars of the Outer Court? The news has even reached the Inner Court."
Zhou Sicheng explained, "They've both broken through to level 40, naturally attracting attention from the Outer Court."
Ye Guyi nodded, suspecting that Zhou Sicheng had provided them with some rare herbs.
Though these two younger brothers weren't as gifted as Zhou Sicheng, with the aid of such treasures, their future prospects were promising.
Ma Xiaotao was visibly surprised, "Your two second-year brothers? Spirit Ancestors?!"
She couldn't help but express her skepticism, "Seriously, does your family have some secret treasure trove producing prodigies?"
Ye Guyi rolled her eyes at her, "You're so dense. Obviously, Sicheng gave them some valuable items to boost their cultivation."
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao realized, "That makes sense. My talent was already top-tier, and even I needed external help. It's rare for spirit masters to achieve such rapid progress through regular cultivation alone."
Zhou Sicheng smiled, "Opportunities are part of one's strength, but it's essential not to rely solely on them. True power comes from within."
Ma Xiaotao nodded, "I understand. So, when will you fulfill your promise of crafting the Phoenix Divine Spear soul tool for me? I can't wait!"
Zhou Sicheng glanced at Ye Guyi, "Now that my sister's Bright Holy Sword is gone, I need to gather materials to forge a new one for her. Your Phoenix Divine Spear will have to wait a bit."
Ma Xiaotao protested, "How can you say that? Even though my little master's soul tool is gone, she gained a 100,000-year spirit ring and spirit bone. That's way better than what I got!"
Zhou Sicheng replied calmly, "Crafting a level-seven soul tool isn't simple. The materials required are extremely rare. Give me some time."
Ye Guyi gently patted Zhou Sicheng's hand, "I'm not in a hurry. You can prioritize making Xiaotao's weapon first. She's not yet familiar with soul tool weapons, so the sooner she gets it, the more time she'll have to adapt."
Ma Xiaotao grinned and leaned towards Ye Guyi, "You're the best, little master. Unlike someone else..."
Zhou Sicheng looked at the two women, surprised by their closeness. It seemed their bond had deepened during their month-long spirit beast hunt.
He nodded helplessly, "Alright, I'll ask Teacher Fan Yu and Dean Qian for more materials to craft your weapons sooner."
With Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao's return, the Shrek team was now complete.
Besides Zhou Sicheng, the team now boasted two Spirit Sages: one at level 75 and the other at level 72, both possessing top-tier martial souls.
This lineup wasn't just championship material—it was strong enough to establish a sect.
For instance, a small sect like the Tang Sect...
Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao didn't hide their strength from the team. After all, with daily training, there was no way to conceal it.
Ma Xiaotao's Phoenix Domain alone was enough to make Dai Yaoheng and the others envious. Learning that Ye Guyi had acquired a 100,000-year spirit ring and spirit bone only intensified their feelings.
Gongyang Mo even considered asking Zhou Sicheng to become his godfather. After all, those who received resources from Zhou Sicheng experienced tremendous growth. If he could obtain similar opportunities, his chances of breaking through to eight rings would significantly increase.
Perhaps Zhou Sicheng even had a way to help him surpass his limits and reach the nine-ring level!
Everyone laughed at Gongyang Mo's antics, but deep down, they all shared similar thoughts.
However, it was worth noting that among the team, only Ye Guyi, Ma Xiaotao, Dugu Xianmeng, and Ling Luocheng had received substantial resources from Zhou Sicheng.
Although Dai Yaoheng and Gongyang Mo had also benefited from his help, their improvements weren't as significant, leading to some mixed feelings.
Gongyang Mo couldn't help but say, "Captain, if you prefer beauties, I can dress up as a girl for you!"
Ma Xiaotao looked at him with disdain, "Get lost!"
Dai Yaoheng chuckled, "Gongyang Mo's Rainbow Dragon martial soul is quite beautiful. He could probably pass as a girl. I, on the other hand, wouldn't be able to pull it off..."
Listening to their complaints, Zhou Sicheng said helplessly, "It's not that I'm playing favorites. I just don't have suitable treasures for you right now. If I did, I wouldn't be stingy."
Gongyang Mo grinned, "I knew our captain wouldn't neglect his brothers for beauties!"
Upon hearing this, the four women stared at Gongyang Mo in silence.
Realizing his mistake, Gongyang Mo quickly explained, "I didn't mean anything by it. Please don't misunderstand, dear goddesses!"
Zhou Sicheng patted his shoulder, "Tomorrow, I'll let you test some soul tool bombs."
Gongyang Mo was on the verge of tears...
Dai Yaoheng laughed, "Leave Gongyang Mo to me, Captain. No need for you to get involved."
After the jokes, Zhou Sicheng waved his hand, "Everyone's trained hard today. Go rest early. Dismissed."
After everyone had dispersed, Zhou Sicheng didn't go with Ye Guyi. Instead, he walked alone to a villa on Sea God Island and waited quietly outside.
Before long, a figure appeared at the villa's entrance. Upon seeing Zhou Sicheng, the person lit up with joy and ran over.
"Sicheng! You finally came. This is a Tier 2 Soul Tool I just made—take a look!"
This young man was named Mo Xuan. He was quite a unique presence in the academy. Nineteen years old and having just broken through to Rank 50.
Many students might not recognize him, but Zhou Sicheng had been paying attention to him ever since he joined the academy. It wasn't until the inner court began implementing the soul tool curriculum that they truly began interacting.
Mo Xuan was a Support-type Soul Master, though his support abilities were fairly average by conventional standards. His basic enhancement ability increased allies' capabilities by 5%, and for each additional soul ring, the amplification increased by another 5%.
Even after acquiring his fifth ring, his overall enhancement was only around 30%, making him fairly ordinary among enhancement-type Support Soul Masters.
And yet, within the academy, he was given special treatment. Elder Mu had even granted him a rare privilege: as long as Mo Xuan reached the Soul Douluo level, he would be allowed to enter the Sea God's Pavilion.
Such treatment was the pinnacle of recognition in Shrek Academy—and the reason for this favoritism lay in the uniqueness of his martial soul.
Unlike typical combat team support Soul Masters, Mo Xuan was more suited for battlefield or army-scale operations.
His martial soul—a type of aura-based ability—granted area-of-effect support. Even with just his first soul ring, he could enhance allies within a radius of one kilometer.
With each new soul ring, the range expanded by another kilometer. While the percentage of enhancement wasn't especially high, when applied on the battlefield or in large-scale formations, his capabilities became terrifying.
Those who offered stronger individual buffs couldn't match his massive area of effect. Across the entire continent, there seemed to be no other Soul Master capable of providing such wide-range group amplification.
Zhou Sicheng currently had a good relationship with him and often visited to guide him in soul tool crafting.
In the original storyline, Mo Xuan wouldn't begin studying soul tools systematically for several more years—and only after joining the Tang Sect.
Zhou Sicheng's goal in approaching him now was obvious: to recruit this walking battlefield amplifier into his own circle.
When it came to individual strength, Zhou Sicheng was without equal. But in the future, if he ever led a military force, then gaining Mo Xuan would be the equivalent of commanding hundreds of thousands of troops.
Thus, Zhou Sicheng was very attentive and intentional about their friendship.
He stepped forward with a faint smile. "Mo Xuan, when are you planning to get your fifth soul ring?"
Mo Xuan waved his hand lightly. "No rush. I've already reported my advancement to Rank 50. Dean Yan will arrange for someone to help me obtain the fifth ring when the time comes. After all, I'm a support-type Soul Master—I'm not good at combat."
Zhou Sicheng chuckled. "No worries. Just focus on learning about soul tools. Once you become a top-tier Soul Engineer, you'll not only retain your support role—you'll also no longer be someone helpless in battle."
Hearing this, Mo Xuan recalled the time he had watched Zhou Sicheng duel using soul tools.
He knew full well that Zhou Sicheng was a monster-level genius. Now that he understood the true potential of soul tools, Mo Xuan was determined to learn them properly.
Even if he couldn't become as powerful as Zhou Sicheng, he at least wanted the ability to protect himself.
Mo Xuan nodded. "Absolutely. With you guiding me, I'm sure I'll be fine."
The two chatted as they walked into the villa, where Zhou Sicheng began helping him with the finer points of crafting soul tools.
An hour later, Zhou Sicheng left Mo Xuan's place and returned to Ye Guyi's villa.
Seeing him return so late, Ye Guyi couldn't help but ask, "Sicheng, do you think that guy Mo Xuan is trustworthy in the long run?"
Zhou Sicheng shook his head. "I'm not sure either. But we've got time. Getting closer to him now certainly won't hurt. The future is too uncertain to make definitive judgments."
Ye Guyi nodded, choosing not to dwell on it. "There's something I wanted to discuss with you."
Zhou Sicheng looked at her. "What is it? You sound pretty serious."
Ye Guyi spoke slowly, "I'm currently at Rank 75. Over the past few years at Shrek, I've learned everything I could. Aside from cultivating under the Golden Tree, there's not much here that can help me anymore. After the tournament, I want to go on a journey across the continent to train myself."
Given Ye Guyi's current strength, as long as she didn't act recklessly, she would have no trouble traveling the continent.
Zhou Sicheng also had no plans to remain at Shrek after the tournament, and the place he was headed wasn't suitable for Ye Guyi either. Her decision to travel the continent was indeed a good one.
Who knows—perhaps in a few years, this little angel would become the leader of the Pingfan Alliance!
Zhou Sicheng sat down in front of her, gazing into her resolute eyes as he gently held her soft hand. "I support you. It's a good thing that you have your own plans. Just promise me one thing—make your safety the top priority."
Ye Guyi smiled faintly. "Then it's settled. You're not allowed to go back on your word."
Zhou Sicheng nodded, though something about the whole situation left him uneasy. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.
That night, Zhou Sicheng cultivated through the night. The next morning, feeling clear-headed and refreshed, he made his way to Fan Yu's laboratory.
He had promised to deliver some soul tools, so of course he needed to fulfill that as soon as possible.
Currently, Zhou Sicheng could proficiently inscribe Tier 7 core formations. However, he didn't have many materials for crafting Tier 7 soul tools, so he would have to borrow from the elders...
After all, it was all for the sake of Shrek's geniuses—he trusted the elders would understand.
Sure enough, when the money-grubbing Qian Duoduo learned of Zhou Sicheng's request, he responded with a face full of reluctance...
Fortunately, there were more generous seniors as well. Elder Lin directly handed Zhou Sicheng a token and told him to retrieve whatever he needed from the Treasure Pavilion. The costs would be added to Elder Lin's account.
Naturally, Zhou Sicheng saw no reason to refuse. After all, Elder Lin was the manager of the Treasure Pavilion. With her backing, Zhou Sicheng could now rightfully claim to be... financially powerful!
****
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