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"Sigh, Brother Li, I understand."
Looking at his old friend's conflicted expression, Brother Ma immediately knew the reason.
"You have connections within the Sun Moon Imperial Cult; you'd receive far more support there. I, however, don't have that luxury. To reach the absolute vanguard of this new path, the more support I have, the better—and the Imperial Family is offering more."
Both the Imperial Family and the Cult had sought them out, using the "Ten-Thousand-Year Core Formation" direction as bait to lure them in.
"Brother Ma, to be honest, while I know the Imperial Family offers more resources, I must remind you: the Cult possesses information the Imperial Family does not. In terms of researching this specific direction, it will undoubtedly be much more convenient on our side," Brother Li said to his old friend after a moment of hesitation.
As the two continued their exchange, a voice suddenly cut through their conversation.
"Gentlemen, why not study under me instead?"
Su Wen's voice rang clearly in their ears.
"Who's there!"
The two Title Douluos' expressions shifted instantly, their skin crawling with a sudden chill. They looked around, only to realize they were no longer in their private booth—they had been transported to a completely foreign environment.
"No, this is an illusion!" Ma Tianlong said deeply.
His martial soul was the Great-Headed Spirit Ape, a wisdom-type soul beast with a natural talent for mental strength. His mental capacity was more than double that of soul masters at his rank, and with targeted training, that multiplier was even higher. His mental prowess was the primary engine behind his rapid progress in Soul Tool engineering, and it was the bedrock of his conviction that his failure to break through wasn't due to a lack of talent.
His mental strength had long met the requirements, and his soul power was sufficient, yet he still couldn't craft a Super Soul Tool.
Li Yuan, while lacking Ma's innate mental gifts, was a top-tier engineer in his own right. His mental strength was far from ordinary, and he too soon realized the anomaly.
But that wasn't what shocked and angered them most. What they found truly inconceivable was that someone had managed to drag two Title Douluos into an illusion without them noticing a single thing.
The moment they realized the trap, neither remained idle. They immediately attempted various methods to shatter the mental construct, desperate to escape. Regardless of the stranger's intentions, they had no desire to negotiate within a realm where everything was illusory and dictated by an opponent.
Unfortunately, no matter how they struggled, they could not break free. As the realization sank in, their faces darkened, and they stared at the figure ahead with immense wariness.
"Gentlemen, there's no need to look at me like that." Su Wen shrugged. "I simply happened to overhear your conversation and felt we shared a certain destiny, so I brought you into my Illusory Realm."
Ma Tianlong and Li Yuan exchanged a look, shock flashing in the depths of their eyes. He was eavesdropping the entire time, and neither of us sensed him.
"If I understand correctly," Su Wen continued, "the developmental direction for Soul Tools you were discussing happens to be my project."
???
Ma Tianlong and Li Yuan were momentarily dazed. They had no idea what he meant. Your project? This is a project for every engineer on the continent!
Could he be the person heading the research within the Imperial Family or the Cult? Was there such a terrifying "old monster" hidden within their ranks?
"I am referring to the Ten-Thousand-Year core formation," Su Wen said calmly. "That is the result of my research. The samples in the hands of the Imperial Cult and the Imperial Family? I crafted those."
"What?"
Ma and Li were stunned. They had never imagined that the revolutionary samples held by the two superpowers had come from the same person. No wonder the designs were nearly identical; they had previously speculated that they were artifacts unearthed from some ancient ruin.
"How do you intend to prove that, Your Excellency?"
"If I made them, I made them; I require no proof. If you wish to study the Ten-Thousand-Year core formation, I believe studying with me will be far more productive than following the Imperial Family or the Cult," Su Wen stated plainly.
"You aren't a soul master from either faction?" Ma Tianlong asked, his eyes narrowing.
Su Wen nodded.
Ma Tianlong sucked in a breath. Outside of the two great powers, there was a soul master who had cultivated to such a terrifying level?
"Words are empty," Li Yuan said, narrowing his eyes. "Shouldn't Your Excellency show Brother Ma and me some sincerity?"
At that moment, Li Yuan recalled something his son-in-law had mentioned. He was beginning to connect the dots, but he needed confirmation—and he wanted to ensure he reaped the maximum benefit for himself.
Su Wen waved a hand, and a phantom image appeared beside him. The image was of Su Wen himself, currently smelting a piece of Deep Silver. After forging it into a core blank, he began the process of inscribing the soul formation.
The footage was sped up, showing the crafting process ending in a flash. Though it was too fast to catch every minute detail, Ma and Li were certain the process was flawless. And the Soul Tool produced...
"Your Excellency... how should we address you?"
Su Wen smiled. "Most people call me Master Wen."
"Master Wen?" The two frowned. They hadn't expected this man, who claimed to have pioneered the Ten-Thousand-Year formation, to demand they address him with a title of "Master" or "Teacher."
"As for why I have such a title, you will find out shortly."
Su Wen pulled the two of them into the Academic Realm. Then, he continued walking forward until he reached a magnificent building.
The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Treasures.
"You—"
Liu Ye's face froze. Seeing the familiar face, the words she was about to say caught in her throat.
"Bring your manager," Su Wen said.
He didn't mean a regular floor manager. He meant the manager in charge of the project to find Su Wen.
Liu Ye fled the scene immediately, acting as if she were escaping a predator, terrified that she might be placed under another silent illusion.
Within moments, Su Wen felt waves of soul power radiating from the building. Among them were the auras of three Title Douluos and five Soul Douluos. Beyond those, there were more hidden fluctuations, none of them weak. The mental strength of the three Title Douluos locked onto Su Wen instantly.
Su Wen's expression didn't flicker. His own mental power pulsed, dragging those three Title Douluos into an illusion in the blink of an eye.
"Your Excellency truly has remarkable methods," a white-haired elder with a deeply wrinkled face said slowly as he walked out.
"And your soul power cultivation, Your Excellency, is truly unfathomable," Su Wen replied meaningfully.
Among the three engineers, two were at Rank 94, but this elder's soul power was as high as Rank 97.
"Haha, it's simply a matter of having lived a bit longer," the elder waved a hand dismissively. "Since Your Excellency has come to our door again, I assume you aren't here for a fight."
"Indeed. I have come today because I have a matter to discuss."
(End of Chapter)