Xu Zihuang was lying prone on the metal table, carefully drawing the blueprint of a bow-shaped soul guidance device.
Any soul guidance device required a detailed design drawing before it could be crafted.
For this bow-shaped soul guidance device, he had long had a concept in mind. With his ability as a top-tier level 6 soul engineer, it naturally came to him with ease.
While drawing the design, he was also splitting his attention to think about other matters.
Although Ju Zi had not shown much abnormality earlier, the emotion deep in her eyes could not be concealed.
From the looks of it, Ju Zi had very likely recognized him. Compared to six years ago, his appearance had changed tremendously. Combined with her reaction after he released his martial soul earlier, if Ju Zi had recognized him, it must have been through the characteristic of his Golden Pupil martial soul.
Xu Zihuang carefully recalled, and one scene after another clearly emerged in his mind.
A moment later, he understood.
So that's how it was.
In that case, if he wanted to interact with Ju Zi in the future, it would be equivalent to having a huge advantage.
Unknowingly, the exquisitely designed pattern of the bow-shaped soul guidance device gradually appeared on the paper, from the materials used to the arrangement and combination of the core arrays, with clear annotations for every single detail.
The soul guidance device Xu Zihuang designed was of the wind attribute.
As the saying goes, fire borrows the power of wind, and wind and lightning are born together. Only in this way could the destructive power and penetration of the Thunderfire Arrow be maximized, while also greatly increasing its range.
The silver bow he had taken out earlier was only the most ordinary ten-stone bow, with a limit range of about three hundred meters. However, thanks to the second acceleration from the core array inside the Thunderfire Arrow, the range could be increased to two thousand meters.
Such a range was already quite astonishing. After all, the attack distance of ordinary long-range soul engineers was only around two hundred meters. To go further while maintaining lethality, one needed to use fixed-installation soul guidance devices.
Just like long-range soul skills, the power of long-range soul guidance devices would also decay with distance.
With the amplification of a wind-attribute bow-shaped soul guidance device, the maximum range of the Thunderfire Arrow was expected to exceed four thousand meters, comparable to a fixed-installation soul guidance cannon of the same level.
But compared to a fixed-installation soul guidance cannon, the Thunderfire Arrow was much easier to produce, and the rare metals it consumed were far fewer, greatly reducing costs.
However, to craft this bow-shaped soul guidance device, quite a few high-quality materials were still needed. The rare metal to bear the core arrays was secondary; the laboratories of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy never lacked rare metals. No matter how rare and precious, he could buy them with money.
What he needed most now was the main material.
Since it was a bow-shaped soul guidance device, the main body needed to possess outstanding toughness and resilience, as well as a high affinity for the wind element.
The bones and meridians of wind-attribute soul beasts were excellent choices.
Elemental affinity?
Xu Zihuang suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a special soul beast that only lived in the Sun Moon Empire—the Silver Wolf.
Silver Wolves innately possessed an extremely strong affinity for all kinds of elements and used their powerful spiritual force to control them, allowing them to display a variety of multi-attribute soul skills.
At this moment, a voice of disbelief interrupted Xu Zihuang's train of thought.
"So you're also a level 5 soul engineer? And you have the perverted soul ring configuration of three purple and two black as a Soul King—are you an all-round fighter? You monster, how on earth did you cultivate from childhood until now?"
Xu Zihuang turned his head. The one speaking was Ke Ke, who had come to his side.
Ke Ke was only about 1.6 meters tall; even standing, she wasn't much taller than the seated Xu Zihuang. Her petite figure gave her the look of a pocket-sized loli, but she was actually already nineteen years old this year.
Xu Zihuang stood up and stretched his body; in an instant, his height towered over Ke Ke. Yet this casual action frightened Ke Ke so much that she hurriedly raised both hands to protect herself, almost crouching down with her head in her arms.
"What are you doing?!"
Wang Shaojie's fate was still lying there. She had just unintentionally called Yu Tianhuang a monster; she was genuinely a little afraid that Yu Tianhuang would give her the same kick.
Although she possessed innate divine strength, when it came to physical toughness, there was still a certain gap between her and Wang Shaojie. If she took a hit, the outcome would only be worse than Wang Shaojie's.
However, to Ke Ke's surprise, not only was Yu Tianhuang not angry, he even gave her a gentle smile that left her dazed.
"Senior Sister Ke Ke, don't you know? Our Shrek Academy has another nickname—Monster Academy."
Ke Ke suddenly discovered that this genius youth from Shrek Academy wasn't so difficult to get along with after all.
Also… he really looked so good when he smiled!
"Stop being lovesick." Ju Zi walked over and lightly patted Ke Ke on the back.
Ke Ke, snapping out of it, blushed slightly, turned around, and stuck her tongue out at Ju Zi.
"Am I that shallow? I'm just a little curious, that's all."
Xu Zihuang also smiled and greeted Ju Zi.
"Senior Sister Ju Zi."
Ju Zi was quite a bit taller than Ke Ke, with a well-proportioned figure. She wasn't the voluptuous type, but she was still very well-endowed—at least compared to the flat Ke Ke beside her, it was a dimensional strike. Her tender skin showed not a single pore, as if water could be squeezed out of it. The silver-white school uniform perfectly accentuated her graceful figure.
Below the silver-white knee-length skirt were a pair of straight, flawless legs, as fair and impeccable as the skin on her face.
Ju Zi looked at Xu Zihuang and asked curiously,
"Yu Tianhuang, you said your martial soul is the Golden Pupil. Is your martial soul really your eyes? And your second martial soul is the Blue Electric Tyrant Dragon—are you a descendant of the Blue Electric Tyrant Dragon clan from the Douluo Continent side?"
Ju Zi's ability to disguise herself was no worse than Xu Zihuang's. When she asked this question, it was very natural. She always gave the impression of being a little lazy and airheaded; no one could see the hatred she carried deep in her heart.
Xu Zihuang nodded frankly.
"My first martial soul is indeed my eyes. Although I am a descendant of the Blue Electric Tyrant Dragon clan from ten thousand years ago, I am not from the current Blue Electric Tyrant Dragon clan in the Dou Ling Empire. I am from the Heavenly Soul Empire."
From the Heavenly Soul Empire?
Ju Zi murmured in her heart, but showed no change on the surface.
Xu Zihuang continued, "By the way, Senior Sister Ju Zi, Senior Sister Ke Ke, do you know where I can buy the bones of a Silver Wolf soul beast? It has to be at least three thousand years of cultivation."
"Silver Wolf?" Ke Ke's eyes spun, then she said in a sweet voice,
"I know! This morning in the dorm building, I heard that Nana from the sixth-year Combat Control Department successfully hunted a five-thousand-year Silver Wolf while training in the Jingyang Mountain Range and is planning to sell it. But I have to warn you first—the bones and fur of a Silver Wolf are top-tier materials for making soul guidance devices, and the meat is also very delicious and can nourish a soul master's body. If you want to buy the whole Silver Wolf, be prepared to spend a lot of money. If you're not in a hurry, you can wait until the Silver Wolf is sold and disassembled, then buy just the bones separately. That should save some money."
Whether it was because she had an extremely good impression of Xu Zihuang, or because of her naturally warm-hearted personality—or perhaps both—Ke Ke told Xu Zihuang everything she knew without reservation.
Combat Control Department's Nana?
Upon hearing Ke Ke's words, the first person Xu Zihuang thought of was one particular individual.
Among the sixth-year students of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, the only one named Nana was probably that Ghost Nana.
Her parents' souls were imprisoned by people from the Holy Spirit Church, and she herself currently had ties with the Holy Spirit Church.
Nana's martial soul was the Ghost, and her cultivation talent was outstanding even within the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. The most direct proof was that she was qualified to represent the academy in the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament.
Her childhood experiences could make her a very loyal subordinate—provided someone rescued her parents' souls.
In the future, Xu Zihuang was destined to destroy the Holy Spirit Church for revenge. Since he would inevitably clash with them, under the premise of ensuring safety, he didn't mind helping Nana once and taking her under his wing.
Compared to Huo Yuhao and Dai Luoli, Nana's current displayed value far exceeded theirs, and there was no need to worry about being bitten by the dog he saved.
The pros and cons were not hard to weigh.
Xu Zihuang looked at Ke Ke and nodded. "Money isn't an issue. Senior Sister Ke Ke, if you have time, could you take me to find this Nana? I'm planning to start making that soul guidance device soon, so buying it earlier would save trouble."
"Another rich kid, huh?" Being called "senior sister" a few times made Ke Ke a little lightheaded. She crossed her arms over her chest and said proudly,
"Fine, fine. I really can't do anything about you. Who told Teacher Xuan to ask us to take good care of you? Come with me—Nana and the Combat Control Department are in this building too."
As for Wang Shaojie's matter, she had long forgotten about it.
Both she and Ju Zi came from commoner backgrounds and didn't have much fondness for Wang Shaojie, who liked to flaunt his royal status. At most, they maintained a superficially amicable relationship out of classmate camaraderie.
In comparison, Zimu, who was also from nobility but treated people kindly, was much better.
However, because Zimu had always liked Ju Zi, and Ju Zi had clearly rejected him several times, their relationship was also quite delicate.
"Sister Ju Zi, come with us too. It'll be good to get some fresh air. Staying cooped up in the lab every day is driving me crazy. I don't know when we'll get to go out for training again."
Before turning to leave, Ke Ke grinned mischievously and nudged Ju Zi with her shoulder.
Because of the height difference, Ke Ke's shoulder bumped right into Ju Zi's…
The graceful curve was highlighted, compressed, then bounced back.
Both Ke Ke and Ju Zi froze. That strange sensation even made Ju Zi tremble slightly all over. She glared at Ke Ke with slight anger in her eyes.
Ke Ke knew she was in the wrong, smiled awkwardly, shrank back, avoided eye contact, and mouthed,
"It wasn't on purpose…"
It would be fine if it were just the two of them in private, but right now, there was a male student, Yu Tianhuang, present.
Immediately after, the two of them involuntarily looked toward Xu Zihuang and saw that his gaze was clear. In their hearts, they couldn't help but feel another trace of fondness for this genius youth from Shrek Academy.
Ju Zi observed Xu Zihuang for a good while before saying, "Let's go. The Combat Control Department is also on this floor."
Ju Zi and Ke Ke walked ahead, while Xu Zihuang followed behind them.
After leaving the laboratory, the two led Xu Zihuang to the other side of the corridor before stopping.
There were only a few dozen sixth-year students at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, and they were all quite familiar with each other. Visiting each other's labs was common, especially in the Combat Control Department.
Simply put, the Combat Control Department consisted of special battle soul masters who used soul guidance devices to enhance their own strength. They did not craft soul guidance devices but were proficient in using all kinds of them, thereby greatly increasing their combat power and survivability.
Ju Zi and Ke Ke often came here to test the soul guidance devices they had just made.
Thanks to Ju Zi and Ke Ke, the three of them passed the security check smoothly and entered the Combat Control Department's laboratory.
Besides the three of them, several other people were gathered here—evidently Combat Control Department students. They were all standing around the edge of a field comparable in size to a soul dueling arena.
In the center of the field, two soul masters were sparring.
One of them instantly caught Xu Zihuang's attention.
It was a female student over 1.8 meters tall. In terms of looks, she couldn't compare to Ju Zi or Ke Ke, but she had healthy wheat-colored skin. Her dark red long hair was tied up in a ponytail, giving her a valiant and heroic air.
Two yellow, two purple, one black—five soul rings revolved around her body. After releasing her martial soul, her body became illusory, and when moving at high speed, she gave off an unreal feeling.
Her speed was incredibly fast. A fiery red light suddenly flashed from her body, and the soul guidance longsword in the hands of the male student opposite her was directly sent flying, landing on the metal floor nearby with several crisp clangs.
"I lost." The male student smiled bitterly, but he didn't feel it was unacceptable. Nana was a top student in their Combat Control Department, and her combat ability ranked among the best in the entire Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
Losing to Nana was nothing to be ashamed of.
As soon as the victor was decided, Ke Ke enthusiastically waved at the tall female student.
"Nana!"
Without a doubt, the female student who had just won was none other than Ghost Nana from the Combat Control Department.
Everyone's gaze shifted over. They were all familiar with Ke Ke and Ju Zi, but they didn't recognize the extraordinarily handsome and refined Xu Zihuang, and immediately began whispering among themselves.
Nana walked over to the three of them with some confusion. Like most of the opposite sex, she couldn't help taking an extra glance at Xu Zihuang.
"Ju Zi, Ke Ke, what did you come to find me for?"
They were familiar, but Nana's relationship with Ju Zi and Ke Ke was certainly not as close as the one between Ju Zi and Ke Ke.
Xu Zihuang took the initiative and said, "I heard from Senior Sister Ke Ke that you hunted a five-thousand-year Silver Wolf during your training and want to sell it. I'd like to buy it."
"I've never seen you before," Nana instinctively countered.
"You're sure you want to buy that Silver Wolf?"
"I'm an exchange student from Shrek Academy. But that's not important—just name your price."
Upon hearing the words "Shrek Academy," Nana's brow twitched, but she didn't say anything more. With a flash of light, the corpse of a wolf-type soul beast about three meters long appeared in front of her.
This wolf-type soul beast was entirely silver-white, its fur gleaming like metal, reflecting intense light under the soul guidance lamps.
The blood flowing from its mouth and nose had not yet dried, meaning the Silver Wolf had not been dead for more than twelve hours.
Nana explained, "This Silver Wolf has around five thousand five hundred years of cultivation and has been dead for less than twelve hours. If you want it, fifty thousand gold soul coins will do."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Zihuang very straightforwardly tossed her a gold card worth fifty thousand gold soul coins and stored the Silver Wolf corpse on the ground into his storage soul guidance device.
Just like with Ju Zi, Xu Zihuang was not in a hurry to have deeper contact with Nana. A brief meeting was enough; there would be opportunities later.
Ke Ke had originally wanted to slack off a bit longer in the Combat Control Department, but was dragged back to the lab by Ju Zi.
On the other side, Xu Zihuang parted ways with the two girls and went to the special area within the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy for dissecting soul beast materials, having someone extract the Silver Wolf's bones.
The Silver Wolf's meat and fur were also fully utilized: the fur was made into a fine and comfortable blanket, while the meat was frozen and stored by Xu Zihuang. When needed later, he would take it to the second floor of the dormitory cafeteria and pay the chefs to turn it into nourishing dishes.
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