Meeting Jing Hongchen's increasingly serious gaze, Xu Jiujiu bit the bullet and nodded, saying sincerely:
"That's right, everyone knows that Mingde Hall's Soul Guided Technology is unrivaled. Neither our Star Luo Empire nor Shrek can even come close, and the other two great empires are even further behind. Jiujiu truly admires the Soul Guided Technology of your academy and Mingde Hall."
"And I genuinely represent our Star Luo Royal Academy in proposing an exchange program for learning."
With three top-grade Soul Bones already offered, she might as well make them worth something. If they could finalize an exchange program, Xu Jiujiu's bleeding heart would feel a little better, and her imperial brother might even save himself a quick-acting heart pill. Every time she went out, he'd get a heartache, which was quite tough on him.
With that, Xu Jiujiu extended a slender finger, pointing at Xu Tianxi, who was standing behind Jing Hongchen, and praised with a smile:
"The lethal blow that Hall Master's student just delivered with the Fixed Soul Cannon Shell—if I'm not mistaken,
that must be Kong Tianxi, your nation's Millennium First Soul Engineer Genius, right? Our Star Luo could never cultivate such a Soul Engineer genius."
Jing Hongchen thought to himself, Of course you couldn't. You might not even be able to produce a six-level Fixed Soul Cannon Shell, let alone let your juniors research it.
It wasn't that Jing Hongchen looked down on the Star Luo Empire; his Mingde Hall's financial resources were undoubtedly the best in the world. The amount they invested in Soul Guided research in a year probably couldn't even match Mingde Hall's quarterly budget.
Xu Tianxi looked surprised: "Does Princess recognize me?"
Although he hadn't expected to meet this princess again under such circumstances, life was like a play, and it all depended on acting. He certainly wouldn't reveal any flaws.
Xu Jiujiu smiled and nodded: "Your Excellency is the Sun Moon Empire's Millennium First Soul Engineer Genius, the youngest Fifth Level Soul Engineer in history. Although Jiujiu lives mostly in the palace, I still need to know such a person."
Xu Tianxi chuckled, thinking, I wonder if you'll want to tear me apart once you find out about the things I've done.
"And these two prodigies from the Hongchen Family, you are both the most outstanding geniuses in the Sun Moon Empire's history. Jiujiu has long admired you both and looks forward to communicating with you in the upcoming competition, and even more in the future..."
Xu Jiujiu then rattled off the identities and talents of Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen as if listing family treasures, showering them with eloquent compliments. She kept her posture very humble, which made Xiao Hongchen's lips curl up slightly.
Jing Hongchen listened throughout, secretly thinking that this Star Luo Empire princess was not only sensible but also very articulate—a true heroine among women.
However, a hero was a hero, and important matters were important matters. An exchange program was very significant. If Shrek's Martial Soul Department proposed it, he could agree without hesitation and then iron out the details. But for the Star Luo Royal Academy, he needed to consider it carefully.
"Princess's intentions, this old man understands. My heart is greatly comforted," Jing Hongchen said politely, then changed the subject, saying:
"But as Princess said, our academy is the world's number one Soul Engineer academy, while your academy is not the world's number one Soul Master academy. Our respective strengths might be a bit mismatched, wouldn't you agree?"
It wasn't that Jing Hongchen looked down on the other side. The Star Luo Royal Academy had historically won against the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy only a handful of times. He didn't believe that Xiao and Meng would learn much good by going there.
But if the other side could offer something that truly tempted him, he wouldn't mind earning some sponsorship fees for the academy.
To put it bluntly, the status was unequal, so they needed to pay more!
Xu Jiujiu naturally understood his meaning, secretly cursing this old man for his huge appetite, but her face remained impassive as she said, "In the next Soul Master competition, I believe we can demonstrate our qualifications for an exchange program with your esteemed academy."
"Oh? Then this old man shall look forward to it." Jing Hongchen's eyes flickered, his gaze sweeping over Xu Jiujiu and Huang Heyun, who was lying on the ground. He thought, These two have some skill.
If he wasn't mistaken, Xu Jiujiu's cultivation was very close to a Soul Emperor, and Huang Heyun was already a quasi-Soul Emperor; they should both be able to break through before the competition.
Two Soul Emperors leading the team was indeed something to be wary of. Their Sun Moon Empire probably only had one person who could become a Soul Emperor this generation: Ma Rulong.
But how could the Star Luo Royal Academy suddenly have two Soul Emperor seeds? Was it good luck, or had they also taken elixirs like them?
"Jiujiu has said what needed to be said. I believe we won't disappoint Senior Hongchen and the three prodigies. We look forward to meeting you again in Star Luo City, and then Jiujiu will gladly fulfill her duties as host."
Xu Jiujiu smiled sweetly, clasped her hands across her chest, performed a complex court etiquette, and then motioned for Man Yi to carry Huang Heyun.
"This old man looks forward to it," Jing Hongchen nodded slightly, watching the three leave.
Once the three disappeared from sight, Jing Hongchen let out a soft breath, took out the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Soul Ring from his storage Soul Guided Device, and pushed it towards Xu Tianxi.
"Tianxi, although this Soul Ring is around twenty-five thousand years old, its energy level far exceeds some thirty to forty thousand-year Soul Rings. Be extremely careful!" Jing Hongchen solemnly warned.
"Don't worry, Dean. Absorbing Soul Rings beyond my level is commonplace for me."
Xu Tianxi laughed heartily, took out an Elixir that temporarily increased his Soul Ring absorption limit, swallowed it, and then sat down in a meditative pose.
His expression gradually turned serious. He laid layer after layer of Soul Power defenses within his meridians, making thorough preparations before using his Spiritual Power to guide the Soul Ring onto himself, beginning to absorb this Soul Ring that severely exceeded his limits.
The moment the Soul Ring attached, a cold airflow, not massive but extremely sharp, pierced into Xu Tianxi's body, wildly assaulting the layers of defenses he had set up with his Soul Power.
The cold airflow was clearly an evil energy derived from darkness, highly corrosive. The instant it entered his body, Xu Tianxi's brows furrowed deeply, feeling a bone-chilling coldness.
In a sense, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's attribute could be called the ultimate evil. On the Douluo Continent, no one would possess purer evil energy than their race. Xu Tianxi's Soul Power had top-tier lightning attributes, yet it crumbled at a touch. Only Ultimate Water could contend with it.
If anyone could see through Xu Tianxi's meridians, they would find that ultimate evil and ultimate water were locked in a tug-of-war within his body, one gray and one black, endlessly attacking and defending.
Concentrating on dealing with the impact of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Soul Ring, Xu Tianxi couldn't help but sigh with emotion:
"Fortunately, no one on the Douluo Continent can awaken something like this; at most, it's a lesser Scorpion Tiger. Otherwise, wouldn't the world be turned upside down? My Dark Gold Black Tortoise Shield can't even suppress it in terms of level."
If someone could awaken the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Martial Soul, it would be on the same level as the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul from ten thousand years ago. The Sacred Angel, a degenerated form of the Six-Winged Angel, could rival an Ultimate Martial Soul, which showed how powerful the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's racial talent was.
Within his Sea of Spirit.
Sensing the cold airflow invading from outside, the soundly sleeping Tianmeng Ice Silkworm suddenly woke up, its round head emerging from the water with a splash. Realizing the situation, it exclaimed in surprise:
"This is a twenty-five-thousand-year-old Dark Demon Evil God Tiger?! Tianxi, do you need Big Bro to help you suppress it? As a Million Year Soul Beast, it's effortless for Big Bro to seal a portion of this Soul Ring's energy."
The spiritual body of Xu Tianxi shook his head: "Not yet. My body has already undergone a transformation under the influence of the Gold of Life, and with the help of medicine, even a normal thirty-five thousand-year Soul Ring would be fine."
"I know this Soul Beast is special, but I prefer to challenge my limits. If I truly can't handle it, I'll ask for your help."
"But the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger isn't just any special, you know. This species isn't even allowed to have their energy absorbed by me in the Star Dou Great Forest. If the Ferocious Beasts find one of these Soul Beasts over ten thousand years old, they'll kill it immediately…"
Brother Tianmeng appeared with a wry smile, vividly illustrating the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's power.
As the top charging treasure of the Great Ferocious Land, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had heard many rumors from Ferocious Beasts and hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts, including those about the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
Beast God Di Tian had issued an order: any Dark Demon Evil God Tiger over thirty thousand years old was to be hunted down and eradicated by the Ferocious Beasts. It absolutely could not be allowed to grow, or it would spell disaster for the entire Star Dou Great Forest.
Because their innate talent was too domineering and vicious, the Ferocious Beasts didn't even allow them to participate in their charging treasure gatherings. If one accidentally snuck in, Bear King would immediately swat it to death with a paw, showing no pity for talent, nor daring to cultivate such a Soul Beast.
However, no matter how much Tianmeng Ice Silkworm said at this moment, Xu Tianxi could no longer pay attention.
He was already fully immersed in this inner battle. The power in his muscles, bones, and blood, as well as the Spiritual Power in his Sea of Spirit, were all fully mobilized to resist the invasion of the Evil God's aura and the shock of the soul.
Outside, a clear moon hovered behind Xu Tianxi's head, his eye sockets twitched uncontrollably, his shoulders trembled slightly, and a faint soul mist wafted from his body. The three members of the Hongchen Family, being experienced, recognized these as signs of extreme pain being endured with utmost willpower.
Jing Hongchen's face completely sank, his eyes shifting with regret. He had still underestimated the terrifying energy of this Soul Ring. If anything happened to Xu Tianxi, he would have no choice but to forcefully intervene and then tend to his injuries back home.
Xiao Hongchen stared intently at Xu Tianxi. Old Xu, you absolutely must hold on. I'm still waiting for you to catch up to me in terms of Soul Power.
Meng Hongchen clasped her hands together, silently praying for Xu Tianxi's safety, her bright eyes filled with worry.
In a corner that the trio barely noticed, the massive fallen body of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger began to dissipate into wisps of gray mist, slowly vanishing.
Within the Eye of Life, Electrolux watched with satisfaction as Xu Tianxi challenged his limits. Suddenly, he noticed the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's body dissipating, and a smile touched his lips.
"Although it's an extremely faint Evil God aura, it certainly has some merit. Before me, the Necromancer Saint God, there's no reason for you to simply vanish."
The next moment, a gray halo, imperceptible even to Jing Hongchen, spread out beneath Xu Tianxi's legs. It encircled the evil energy as the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's body turned to ash, silently drawing it back and guiding it towards the Eye of Life on Xu Tianxi's brow.
"Absorbing these energies will allow me to recover faster. The cultivation system of this world is different from mine, but this method of hunting Soul Beasts and absorbing Soul Rings to advance seems like it could be modified—"
"Let me try to recall that part of my memory. It seems to involve forging some kind of contract."
Electrolux observed Xu Tianxi's condition while frowning in deep thought. He had lost too many memories, and even with the nourishment from the Gold of Life, he hadn't recovered much. He vaguely remembered a certain ritual. If it could be applied here, it might allow the Soul Masters of this world to possess even greater power.
"Earlier, little Tianxi asked me to observe this demonic beast. That bead, which condensed its essence, is a good thing—"
Unable to recall the details of the ritual for the moment, Electrolux's thoughts turned back to the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. The black bead it tried to send away before its death possessed extraordinary energy, making him ponder how it could be used to bring the greatest benefit.
Unconsciously, six hours passed. Day turned to night, and only a crescent moon hung in the sky, casting a refreshing, silken moonlight.
As if in response to the moonlit night, Xu Tianxi, who had endured a day of hardship with blood qi swirling around his body, suddenly opened a pair of eyes that glittered like electricity. A faint gray mist flashed and then disappeared.
"Hoo~~!"
Exhaling a long, turbid breath, Xu Tianxi brushed off his robes and stood up. A joyful smile spread across his pale, bloodless face, and he said in a somewhat hoarse voice,
"Dean, I succeeded."
This time, he hadn't asked Tianmeng Ice Silkworm for help, enduring the Soul Ring's impact until its power was exhausted. The energy of this Soul Ring also didn't disappoint him; during its absorption, he sensed four breakthroughs in succession. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, his Soul Power level had now reached forty-four.
He had been at level forty for almost half a year before absorbing the Soul Ring. Excluding that one level, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Soul Ring had not only helped him break through to level forty-one but also provided him with two additional levels of improvement.
Furthermore, he confirmed that his Martial Soul, strength, Spiritual Power, and elemental attributes had all undergone a significant leap in quality after absorbing the Soul Ring, benefiting him immensely.
Coupled with his powerful new Soul Skill, he now possessed the confidence to face most Soul Emperors without fear, even without using the Deep Sea Silver Demon Whale, if he were to unleash his full strength.