After spending some time with Elder Mu—chatting and easing the old man's loneliness—Zhou Sichen finally left the Sea God Pavilion.
His sister and Xiao Tao had not yet returned from obtaining their seventh soul rings, but with Super Douluo Yan Shaozhe accompanying them, Zhou Sichen wasn't worried. Nothing serious should happen under his watch.
After all, both Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao had extremely high requirements for their seventh soul rings. Especially Ye Guyi—her sixth soul ring was already 50,000 years old, so her seventh had to be at least 80,000 to 90,000 years old. Given such high demands, even a full month might not be enough.
Fortunately, with the Dean personally leading the expedition, they weren't worried about missing the registration deadline.
Though Yan Shaozhe might seem a little careless at times, when it came to important matters like this, he would be fully dedicated.
Besides, this mission wasn't led by Elder Xuan, the "Supreme Elder," so it was unlikely any unexpected accidents would occur...
After leaving the Sea God Pavilion, Zhou Sichen went to visit the other elders, including the Dean, Elder Gong, Fan Yu, and many other seniors.
Now that he wasn't just an Inner Court student but also the future hope of Shrek Academy, he naturally had to make the rounds and show respect.
He brought gifts for each elder, making the old men and women extremely pleased.
With these relationships well maintained, it would be easy for Zhou Sichen to ask for valuable items from them in the future.
In short, Zhou Sichen was never one to suffer a loss.
He also told Elder Mu about the Extreme Cold Ice Marrow. As usual, the elder didn't inquire too deeply into Zhou Sichen's fortuitous encounters and left it to him to handle as he saw fit.
Zhou Sichen had expected this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have told Elder Mu in the first place.
While not as rare as Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, Extreme Cold Ice Marrow was still a rare and precious treasure. Zhou Sichen had brought back quite a large amount from the Titan Snow Demon King's treasure vault—enough to greatly enhance the cultivation of any ice-type soul master, possibly even refining their power to the level of Ultimate Ice.
Besides its outstanding effects on ice-type soul masters, even ordinary soul masters could refine small amounts to cleanse their meridians and strengthen their foundation. It was beneficial to cultivation overall.
However, due to its extremely cold nature, non-ice-type soul masters couldn't absorb much of it. Its effects weren't as profound as they were for ice-type users.
Zhou Sichen had already planned out its distribution: he left some with Elder Mu, gave a share to the other elders, and saved portions for Ye Guyi, Cao Jinxuan, Long Xiangyue, and others.
As for the remaining majority, he planned to use it to win over Ling Luocheng. That girl already had feelings for Zhou Sichen, and as long as he played his cards right, securing her loyalty wouldn't be difficult.
Zhou Sichen had no moral qualms about this. On the road to success, some give and take was inevitable. Though he used others, he always offered them something even more valuable in return.
As for himself, the Extreme Cold Ice Marrow was practically useless now.
With the Ice Empress's soul ring and soul bone as his foundation, only treasures on the level of Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow or the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal could offer him any further benefit.
So, using something of little use to him to recruit a talented soul master was definitely a win.
After finishing these social obligations, Zhou Sichen cleaned his villa and headed beneath the Golden Tree to cultivate.
He needed to consolidate the strength he had rapidly gained in the past month—and also help restore and nourish Elder Yi and the Ice Empress.
Deep beneath the Golden Tree, Zhou Sichen sat cross-legged inside a secluded room.
Tianmeng was happily drifting about in the rich atmosphere of light and life energy. After more than a month away, he had dearly missed this place.
Inside Zhou Sichen's spiritual sea, Tianmeng no longer dared to sneakily mess with the Ice Empress. Without a good excuse, that fiery little loli would definitely beat him up.
Once Zhou Sichen's cultivation stabilized, Tianmeng finally spoke up in a wistful tone:
"Hey Sichen… do you think we'll ever be able to form a contract with the Golden Tree? With its power, it'd be nearly impossible for us to die in the future! If we could, I'd pull it over to be our little brother right this instant!"
Hearing that, Zhou Sichen merely smiled bitterly.
He couldn't very well tell him the Golden Tree was currently being consumed and replaced by the mother of a certain God-King, so he just replied:
"I'd love to, but the Golden Tree is protected by the Sea God's Light. Until we're strong enough, trying to claim it by force would be like robbing that person directly. With our current strength, how likely do you think we'd succeed?"
"Besides, don't be too optimistic. Even if you did manage to form a contract with the Golden Tree, you might not even be able to control it."
At those words, Tianmeng visibly trembled. Just a shred of Elder Yi's divine sense had shocked him so deeply—how powerful must a living deity truly be?
Still, Tianmeng didn't think he would lose to the Golden Tree. After all, he was the very first hundred-thousand-year soul beast king on the continent...
Tianmeng chuckled, "I was just dreaming a little. But hey, didn't you say humans should have dreams? Otherwise, how are we different from salted fish?"
Zhou Sichen silently nodded. Since Tianmeng had started following him, even his once naive personality had subtly matured.
But Zhou Sichen wasn't ready to reveal his deeper thoughts yet. He didn't want this cowardly bug to become afraid...
"I know what I'm doing," Zhou Sichen said. "No matter what happens in the future, I won't let you two suffer. Now that I've built a strong foundation, I'm just waiting for the right moment to rise."
Tianmeng nodded earnestly. "With our combined strength—and now that Icey's joined us too—we're bound to accomplish something earth-shattering. One day, we'll even see the legendary Divine Realm…"
Before he could finish, a cold voice interrupted:
"You fat worm! Didn't I tell you that if you dared take advantage of me again, I'd make you suffer?!"
Hearing that voice—and the faint killing intent behind it—Tianmeng instantly shrank back and hid behind Zhou Sichen.
The Ice Empress had already taken on the form of a petite, adorable girl. Her icy gaze was locked onto Tianmeng with deadly intent.
Then she turned toward Zhou Sichen, her tone softening:
"Sichen, you promised me before… you're not going back on your word, are you?"
Without a word, Zhou Sichen stepped aside, exposing the trembling Tianmeng behind him.
Tianmeng Iceworm: "…"
With a delicate shout, the Ice Empress transformed within the spiritual sea into a majestic Ice Jade Scorpion, charging straight at Tianmeng.
"Last time I let you off easy. Today, I'll show you the true meaning of ultimate pain!"
Tianmeng morphed into a ten-meter-long, dragon-like white iceworm and fled in panic across the vast spiritual sea.
"Sichen! Help me! We're brothers!"
Zhou Sichen watched silently, a helpless smile on his face.
Not stepping in to help was already the most he could do.
Realizing his pleas were useless, Tianmeng began to beg:
"Ice... Ice Empress! I'm sorry! I swear I won't do it again! Please forgive me this once—can't you see how sincerely I care about you?"
Her voice grew even colder. "You still dare to say that?!"
"…AHHHHHH!"
As Tianmeng screamed in agony, the gray-black bead floating near Zhou Sichen trembled slightly. Elder Yi's imposing figure slowly took shape.
Glancing at the bug being chased around, Elder Yi couldn't help but smile.
"Your spiritual sea has gotten lively. With that little scorpion girl around, I finally don't have to endure that blowhard bug bragging to me all day."
Zhou Sichen cupped his hands respectfully. "Haha, I owe it all to your help. You even used up your divine sense to help reconstruct the Ice Empress's body…"
Before he could finish, Elder Yi waved him off.
"No need for such flattery. I was only able to survive and gradually restore this shred of divine sense thanks to your help. By now, you're practically half my disciple. Helping each other is only natural."
Zhou Sichen smiled. "I guess I was being too sentimental."
Elder Yi chuckled. "Enough of that. Did I ever say anything sentimental when you rushed back here to help me recover? I know you mean well. You don't need to speak about it—otherwise, it only creates distance. The same goes for you."
Zhou Sichen nodded solemnly. "Understood, Teacher."
Upon hearing the word "teacher," Elder Yi was momentarily stunned, but then the smile at the corner of his eyes fully bloomed.
Elder Yi waved his hand lightly. "Alright, alright. We are both teacher and friend to one another. I've learned much from you as well—should I call you teacher then? Let's just stick to the titles we're used to. As long as you hold me in your heart, that's enough."
Zhou Sichen gave a carefree laugh. Perhaps it was at this very moment that the two of them truly and completely accepted each other, with no barriers left between them.
While watching Tianmeng being mercilessly beaten by the Ice Empress, Elder Yi chuckled and said, "I've already used my divine sense to check. With your current physical condition, you're capable of accepting me as your third martial soul. Are you willing to accept my necromancy?"
Zhou Sichen replied without hesitation, "Of course I am."
Elder Yi continued, "Still, I must explain the pros and cons to you. While I can become your third martial soul, I won't be able to attach soul rings to it afterward. Apart from imparting all the knowledge I've acquired in my life, my martial soul form will share your body. Any energy consumed will come from you."
"Moreover, necromantic magic mostly relies on sacrificing life force. In the future, it might not be of much direct benefit to you…"
Elder Yi spoke at length, sharing all the details he had not mentioned before. Zhou Sichen listened attentively, occasionally nodding in acknowledgment.
On the Douluo Continent, Elder Yi's strength could be considered akin to the founder of all Evil Soul Masters. Although this came with both advantages and disadvantages, for Zhou Sichen, it was something he could handle easily.
He would never slaughter the innocent to fuel powerful necromantic spells, but the number of Evil Soul Masters on the continent had grown vast.
If he used those Evil Soul Masters to cast necromantic spells, it would not only eliminate threats to society—it would also put them to good use.
What's more, those Evil Soul Masters shared a common origin with Elder Yi's powers. The connection, though not deep, was still present. Perhaps using them as fuel would make the necromancy even more effective?
And in this world dominated by martial souls, opportunities to use necromantic magic would be rare anyway. Most likely, its most common use would be to purify the lingering souls of the dead…
Or perhaps to absorb those Evil Soul Masters into his Ten Thousand Soul Banner and use them to further Zhou Sichen's ambitions…
In short, Zhou Sichen had nothing to lose.
More importantly, once Elder Yi became his martial soul, the Necromancer's Demi-Plane he governed would also fall under Zhou Sichen's control.
That would be the same as Zhou Sichen gaining a pocket realm out of thin air—immensely useful for future endeavors.
The only uncertainty was whether he'd have the chance to access Elder Yi's Tower of Eternity. If he could gain control over that as well, it would provide Zhou Sichen with a solid foundation to stand against a certain God King in the future.
Zhou Sichen's eyes were filled with determination. "Elder Yi, rest assured. I understand the consequences."
Elder Yi nodded. "As long as you understand. I'll admit I have personal motives in this, but even so, this is currently the best option available."
"However, with the current strength of my divine sense, I'm still far from being able to become the foundation of your martial soul. Our next major objective should be to search for something that can rapidly restore my divine sense."
"The sooner I become your martial soul, the sooner you'll be able to learn and master the wonders of necromantic magic."
Hearing this, Zhou Sichen thought of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Blade that would be auctioned in the upcoming tournament…
Zhou Sichen replied, "Don't worry. It won't take long…"
Elder Yi nodded again. "In that case, I won't disturb your cultivation any further. I've already begun outlining how to integrate necromantic magic with your current cultivation system. It won't be long before we make a breakthrough."
Zhou Sichen was delighted to hear this. It seemed that the Soul Spirit System was finally close to being developed.
Although the Soul Spirit System wouldn't completely resolve the conflict between humans and soul beasts, at this point in time, it was undoubtedly the most effective solution.
With this new system, Zhou Sichen could not only draw more Soul Masters to his side—even the soul beasts might become valuable allies.
The path he had chosen was long and arduous. Naturally, the more allies he had, the better. Even if some served only as shields, it was still better than walking this road alone.
Zhou Sichen cupped his hands respectfully to Elder Yi. "Thank you for your hard work."
Elder Yi chuckled. "You're doing that again…"
As he spoke, Elder Yi once again transformed into a gray-black pearl, absorbing the life force around him to recover while also contemplating the sudden inspiration he had just received.
Before long, the Ice Empress had finished beating up Tianmeng. Feeling much more at ease, she reverted to her young girl form and returned to Zhou Sichen's side, glancing at Elder Yi, who had once again turned into a pearl.
The Ice Empress muttered under her breath, "I was hoping to get a lesson or two from Elder Yi after I finished with Tianmeng, but who would've thought he'd already gone back into recovery after just a few words."
Zhou Sichen smiled. "There'll be plenty of time for that later—no need to rush."
Tianmeng crawled over miserably, looking at Zhou Sichen with a face full of indignation. "And here I thought we were brothers! You just stood there and watched me get tortured by the Ice… Ice Empress! How could you be so heartless…"
Zhou Sichen ignored the drama king and turned to the Ice Empress. "You should also take some time to recover. Tianmeng's spiritual origin is incredibly resilient. Beating him up probably drained quite a bit of your power."
The Ice Empress chuckled. "You really do know him well—no wonder you're brothers. But don't let this pervy worm corrupt you."
Zhou Sichen responded with a slight smile and exited his spiritual sea.
Inside that spiritual sea, Tianmeng lay flat on the ground, looking utterly lifeless as he whimpered pitifully. He may not have been seriously injured, but the pain—oh, the pain was real.
Wasn't this supposed to be a "lie flat and let others handle it" situation? Turns out he was the one being handled instead?
Damn it!
****
If you want to support me or read advanced chapters (21+), consider checking out my pat.
patr*on.com/Salsita2k