Qian Duoduo truly lived up to his reputation as an unwavering sycophant.
Even when his wife refused to share a bed with him, he continued to grovel, so it wasn't surprising that his behavior had become even more obsequious.
After all, Qian Duoduo had been this way even when Xian Lin'er didn't do anything to encourage him.
By comparison, Yan Shaozhe wasn't as much of a bootlicker. He at least had his dignity and maintained some boundaries despite his affections.
"Perhaps that's why Qian Duoduo is the weakest among the four deans. With a personality like his, it's no wonder he's stuck at the Title Douluo level," Qian Ran mused.
Every Hyper Douluo radiated supreme confidence—an essential trait for reaching such heights. At the Title Douluo level, cultivation was no longer just about accumulating soul power; it required profound breakthroughs in mindset and understanding.
By that logic, Yan Shaozhe wasn't likely to progress much further either—unless Qian Ran intervened. Otherwise, his achievements in this timeline would probably fall short of those in the original story.
What Qian Duoduo and the others didn't realize was that Qian Ran, despite crafting a complex soul tool with remarkable efficiency, was still multitasking effortlessly.
He resembled an advanced CNC machine, flawlessly executing a pre-programmed set of instructions to construct the soul tool without error.
After roughly six hours, the final step was complete.
What emerged was a melee soul tool—a katana meticulously crafted by Qian Ran and inspired by the weapons wielded by protagonists in the anime he used to watch.
Among soul tools, melee weapons like this were the most challenging to create. The blade's slender design required intricate and highly precise engraving of soul formations.
By comparison, ranged weapons like soul cannons were much easier to make at the same level. Ensuring they reached eight-ring potency was relatively straightforward.
Xian Lin'er was the first to pick up the crimson katana, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Qian Ran's soul tools had one guarantee—they were always visually stunning. All those hours spent watching anime weren't for nothing.
"What a beautiful weapon. This one must be tailored for someone with fire-element abilities," Xian Lin'er remarked, sensing the dense fire-element energy radiating from the weapon.
"Exactly. I made it specifically for Xiaotao. Her current level is perfect for wielding it," Qian Ran replied with a faint smile. Since he had to make a soul tool for the examination, it was only natural to prioritize one of his women.
With Ma Xiaotao's strength, she could unleash the full power of this eight-ring soul tool.
"You're something else." Xian Lin'er rolled her eyes at Qian Ran, feigning exasperation.
Most people taking the soul engineering certification would opt to create the simplest and most familiar soul tool to ensure success.
But Qian Ran didn't need to worry about such things. The thought of failure had never even crossed his mind.
"I initially thought crafting an eight-ring soul tool would push my limits, but it turns out it wasn't much of a challenge. I'd wager I could handle a straightforward nine-ring soul tool as well," Qian Ran said casually, leaning closer to Xian Lin'er to share his thoughts.
Even Qian Ran was underestimating himself.
After merging with the Golden Dragon bloodline, his immense strength made crafting soul tools far less taxing than he'd anticipated.
Creating eight-ring soul tools didn't excite him much, as they offered little improvement to his combat power. Nine-ring soul tools, however, were a different story.
"Are you serious?" Xian Lin'er's eyes lit up with joy. Any increase in Qian Ran's strength made her genuinely happy.
"Well, we'll see. Nine-ring soul tool materials are rare, and their designs take considerable time to perfect. Below the nine-ring level, many soul tools follow standardized templates thanks to the collective wisdom of past creators, making them relatively easy to produce.
"But nine-ring soul tools are a different beast. Aside from certain military models designed for mass production, each one is a unique masterpiece, incorporating extensive theory and innovation. They're rarely shared publicly."
"I can't wait for the good news. You're incredible—you surprise me every day," Xian Lin'er said with a bright smile.
"Lin'er, since Qian Ran made a fire-element soul tool specifically for Xiaotao, why don't we invite her over to test its power?" Qian Duoduo suggested, unable to hide his envy as he watched Xian Lin'er and Qian Ran chat so animatedly.
Xian Lin'er's conversations with him rarely went beyond dismissive responses like "oh," "hmm," or "I see."
But with Qian Ran, she couldn't stop herself from engaging, constantly finding new topics to discuss and praising him endlessly.
The disparity was painful.
He was even tempted to ask Xian Lin'er to take him on as her disciple.
"Sure," Xian Lin'er replied succinctly, cutting off the exchange.
Defeated, Qian Duoduo went off to summon Ma Xiaotao.
Inner Court
Ma Xiaotao was ecstatic when she heard that Qian Ran had crafted an eight-ring soul tool specifically for her.
Even Shrek Academy's strongest soul engineers, like Qian Duoduo, only managed to reach the eight-ring level by producing the simplest tools. If asked to design a custom soul tool tailored to a specific soul master's abilities, they wouldn't have the expertise.
Ma Xiaotao was still using the seven-ring soul tool Qian Ran had made for her previously.
Now, Qian Ran had gone a step further and created an eight-ring soul tool for her!
"Qian Ran really loves me the most—thinking of me even during his soul engineer certification," Ma Xiaotao said, beaming with joy. Of course, it wasn't that Qian Ran favored her exclusively; she just happened to be the only one in his circle strong enough to wield an eight-ring soul tool.
Wang Dong'er, Tang Ya, and the others weren't quite there yet.
But that wasn't how Ma Xiaotao saw it. To her, Qian Ran's actions were proof of his deep love for her.
"Soul engineer certification?" Wu Ming, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Why was Ma Xiaotao suddenly so excited?
"Qian Ran made me a custom eight-ring soul tool. Isn't that amazing?" Ma Xiaotao said proudly, stretching lazily as she stood.
"An eight-ring soul tool? Qian Ran? He's an eight-ring soul engineer?" Wu Ming's eyes widened. To her, Qian Ran was still just a kid—a young, promising boy. The idea that he could already craft eight-ring soul tools seemed absurd.
This was even more shocking than him reaching the eight-ring Soul Douluo level. After all, most eight-ring soul engineers were well into their seventies. Even the elites of the Mingde Hall were middle-aged at the youngest.
"Don't believe me? Come watch me test it out. You can see for yourself," Ma Xiaotao said, placing her hands on her hips and looking at Wu Ming smugly.
"Fine, let's go. I'd like to see what he's capable of," Wu Ming huffed. She wouldn't admit it, but she was a little envious of Ma Xiaotao.
Ma Xiaotao and Wu Ming were known as the "two volcanoes" of the inner court. But Wu Ming had earned her title far earlier than Ma Xiaotao.
Originally, the nickname referred exclusively to her, with Ma Xiaotao only gaining recognition later. But now, the tables had turned—even Ma Xiaotao's strength had surpassed her own.
(End of Chapter)