The eight-month period of study began.
The teacher of the auxiliary-type soul master class was a recently promoted Soul Sage who had taught at Shrek Academy for many years, possessing ample experience in instructing auxiliary-type soul masters. However, this expertise was largely useless for An Zhen, who had only chosen the auxiliary department to slack off in the back.
An Zhen could excel in any position. Dean Yan Shaozhe didn't consider transferring him to another class. Instead, he directly approved An Zhen's exemption from attending regular classes. His intention was for An Zhen to live on Sea God Island. Firstly, the presence of the Golden Tree guaranteed the absolute best cultivation environment. Secondly, aside from Elder Mu's guidance, the academy could provide An Zhen with superior private tutoring for theoretical knowledge, even including personal instruction from Yan Shaozhe himself.
But An Zhen refused—he couldn't bear to be apart from Huo Yutong.
Yan Shaozhe had no choice but to let An Zhen have his way.
In the mornings, An Zhen received instruction from Mu En in front of the dormitory building.
In the afternoons, An Zhen carried a stack of books from the Inner Academy's restricted library—the very place Wang Yan longed to enter—into the virtual world. Of course, these books weren't for An Zhen; they were for Yi Laike, who wanted to deeply understand this world's supernatural system. An Zhen, meanwhile, continued practicing Who Wakes First from the Great Dream.
As for taking books out of the restricted library, such an act was unthinkable for other students and teachers—most didn't even have access. But for An Zhen, it was a smooth, unimpeded process.
In the evenings, aside from intimate moments with beautiful girls, An Zhen received instruction from Yi Laike. He temporarily set aside Who Wakes First from the Great Dream; otherwise, it would disturb his senior sister's sleep.
An Zhen felt like a sponge, constantly absorbing knowledge.
Basic theoretical knowledge.
Monarch's Descent.
Yi Laike's soul lessons—currently focusing on soul control and spiritual power application, integrating Monarch's Descent with Who Wakes First from the Great Dream.
If not for the affectionate moments with his "big sister" and the beautiful girls, An Zhen might have thought he was back in his final year of high school.
Three months after the freshman assessment.
"Finally succeeded."
Lying face down on the soft bed, a pleased smile spread across An Zhen's face.
He had achieved the third layer of Who Wakes First from the Great Dream—Awakening. With Yi Laike's guidance, it should have been faster, but other studies had reduced his practice time, delaying his breakthrough until now.
"What did you succeed at?"
"Succeeding in coaxing the young lady into bed," An Zhen blinked.
His dorm room now held an additional occupant—a girl of dreamlike beauty. Her large, pink-blue eyes seemed to speak, framed by long, curled lashes. Her flawless cheeks still held a hint of a girl's tenderness. She wore a pink-and-blue strapped dress that revealed her delicate shoulders, and her fair legs, still glistening with droplets of water, were bare.
"No mischief allowed!" Wang Dong'er declared earnestly, hands on her hips.
"Of course not."
For An Zhen, the greatest gain over these months was the deepening affection between him and the girls.
Every rest day, Huo Yutong went to the Soul Tool Department for study, leaving An Zhen and Wang Dong'er with time alone.
"It feels… strange somehow."
Perched on the edge of the bed, her pert bottom resting lightly, Wang Dong'er felt an inexplicable thrill—as if she were doing something immoral. But strictly speaking, she was An Zhen's first girlfriend. Besides, Yutong had already slept in An Zhen's arms in reality!
"It's all your fault."
Her foot, freshly clad in a white sock, nudged An Zhen's calf. Then, her fair cheek pressed against his chest through his T-shirt as she nestled her fragrant, soft body into his embrace.
"Yes, yes, my fault, my fault."
Such a clingy, coquettish girlfriend.
Faced with Wang Dong'er's adorable antics, An Zhen found it utterly impossible to refuse her.
"Vitality, energy, and soul—these three can influence each other."
Martial Souls.
Souls and Spirits.
"Martial Souls inherited through bloodlines."
"Soul Rings retaining sentience."
"A combination of a soul beast's soul, energy, and a soul master's blood?"
"But to create the construct you described, a bridging mechanism is likely needed. I recall the contracts from my world could fulfill that requirement."
An Zhen and Yi Laike were researching the Soul Spirit.
Progress was excellent—summed up in four words: smooth sailing.
An Zhen was the one sailing smoothly.
His contribution was limited to proposing a general framework based on fragmented knowledge from the original work.
The virtual world proved invaluable.
Currently, only consciousness could enter from the outside (aside from divine sense), but the NPCs within the virtual world possessed souls—albeit devoid of consciousness. With An Zhen manipulating energy and souls, and with zero risk of negative consequences, they could experiment freely.
"You're squandering a treasure, boy."
The speaker was a handsome man with ash-grey hair—or rather, his entire being seemed grey. Clad in a grey robe, he resembled a phantom, yet his form shimmered with faint golden light, radiating sacred and majestic authority. His every movement exuded an extraordinary aura.
One glance confirmed it—a supreme expert.
"With such a perfect simulated environment, it's an ideal path for creation and experimentation. Yet you only utilize its most basic functions."
It was like wielding a multifunctional divine artifact solely to bash things.
An Zhen's theoretical knowledge was exceptional among his peers, but one couldn't expect a top-tier middle school student to participate in cutting-edge scientific research.
"Isn't that why I have you, Teacher?" An Zhen replied. "Feel free to experiment. I'll support you fully."
An Zhen replicated a Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit.
For the human template, he replicated Jiang Nannan—in her state at level 30, before acquiring her third soul ring.
This pair offered the highest compatibility An Zhen could find.
The experiments continued.
Days later.
"Done."
"This old man recalled some more things, just enough to fill the final gap."
The construct was somewhat challenging, but within the virtual world, with endless attempts at his disposal, failure would disgrace his title as the Death God Necromancer.
For Yi Laike, the limitation was his own state—a mere wisp of a remnant soul could only recall so much. The past few months had brought remarkable recovery, far exceeding his expectations. Even the most life-rich environments in the physical world couldn't match this effect. High-level existences were truly beneficial—like a divine beast cub. Though weak, it could be a transformative treasure for hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.
"A master-servant contract?"
A small pink rabbit, devoid of sentience, perched atop Jiang Nannan's head.
Without Yi Laike, the Soul Spirit might not have emerged in the Douluo Continent for another ten thousand years.
It was the creation of a supreme expert, blending knowledge from two worlds.
The Douluo Continent had no concept of contracts. Martial Souls represented a clear path of supernatural development, but this very clarity limited the diversity of supernatural professions.
"Other contracts could work too. The contract merely provides the link. The master-servant contract is more convenient, ensuring the Soul Spirit cannot defy the soul master's commands."
An Zhen remembered that contracting a Soul Spirit required mutual willingness.
A soul beast willingly signing a master-servant contract?
What a deception.
But I am human.
(End of Chapter)
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