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Su Wen observed the elder with curiosity.
On the Sun Moon Continent, it wasn't just most Title Douluos who were stuck—practically all of them were trapped below Rank 95.
This was a defining characteristic of this land. Due to the immense drain on their energy, soul masters here had to dedicate vast amounts of time to Soul Tool engineering. To ensure their soul power cultivation didn't bottleneck their research, many relied heavily on drugs and external supplements to boost their ranks during their early years. However, they rarely took the time to properly refine that soul power or rebuild their foundation. Consequently, many soul masters lacked a solid base, causing them to hit an iron wall at Rank 94.
In fact, the vast majority were bottlenecked even before reaching Rank 90.
It wasn't that soul power cultivation couldn't rely on external aids. Su Wen himself was a prime example; of his first forty ranks, perhaps only twenty were the result of pure meditation. His first three soul rings and the immortal herbs he consumed had all provided "unnatural" boosts to his power.
However, even with those boosts, Su Wen's foundation at those levels utterly eclipsed that of any peer. He didn't need to perform tedious purification or intentional rank-bottlenecking; he simply needed to master the use of his power through constant expenditure and recovery, acclimating his body to his soul skills.
This was standard practice for any elite soul master with a proper heritage on the Douluo Continent. Training soul skills and combat techniques was, in itself, the process of tempering one's soul power. If power is gained through drugs rather than meditation, such "polishing" through use becomes even more vital.
But soul masters on the Sun Moon Continent—especially the engineers—spent their time practicing fine motor control and exploring their mental strength to better craft tools. They neglected the "polishing" of the power itself.
It was a trade-off. The downside was a shallow soul power foundation. The upside was that their mental strength was exceptionally developed, allowing their research to proceed smoothly. Because this path facilitated the breakthrough to the Title Douluo realm for many, it was considered the "correct" way to cultivate here.
Unfortunately, they were eventually betrayed by their own soul power. Were it not for the foundation issues, the mental strength of these Title Douluos would likely make the Rank 95 bottleneck easier to cross than for those on the Douluo Continent. Over half of them would have likely reached Rank 95 or higher.
So, seeing a Rank 95+ engineer today was a genuine surprise for Su Wen. Had this man prioritized soul power refinement in his youth? Or had he encountered a different kind of fortuitous opportunity?
While Su Wen pondered, the three engineers from the Imperial Family were observing the illusory world around them.
"What exquisite illusion work. You've created a space that feels almost tangible. This must involve the power of Space as well, yes? Fusing illusions with spatial manipulation..." The elder marveled.
He had expected Su Wen to be a master of illusions, but he hadn't expected this level of sophistication. It was now clear that escaping this realm wouldn't be as simple as a mental pulse; because it was reinforced by space, finding a weak point would be incredibly difficult.
The elder turned his full attention toward Su Wen, according him the highest level of respect. Before them stood a man who could suppress his soul power to Rank 70 so effectively that even the elder couldn't sense his true depths—not just through illusion, but through a terrifyingly high mental rank.
No, it wasn't just the rank; it was the level of application. The elder was confident his own mental strength wasn't far behind, perhaps even an equal match. However, Su Wen's mastery of its derivative abilities was on a different plane. To the elder, this man didn't feel like an engineer at all. He felt like a pure soul master—one who specialized entirely in the mental attribute!
Both sides observed one another in a tense, silent stalemate until Su Wen broke the quiet.
"Gentlemen, I believe you are aware of the bargaining chips I bring to this meeting."
Su Wen looked at the three of them calmly, showing no sign of intimidation. The elder narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Su Wen. He wondered where this young man got his confidence.
While Su Wen's mental strength was high—making him a potentially formidable combatant—they were currently inside the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Treasures, the very heart of the Imperial Family's territory! Even the Sun Moon Imperial Cult couldn't match the Imperial Family's grip on Radiant City right now. The Imperial Family had already begun purging the "pests" from the city's defenses.
Two fists against four hands? The elder thought. The Cult has two Holy Sons, while the Imperial Family only has one Crown Prince? He scoffed inwardly. That was only what was seen on the surface. While the Holy Sons only had to cultivate, the Crown Prince's burdens were far heavier. Had he not been distracted by the affairs of state, the Prince would likely stand alone as the "One Super" above the "Two Powers" among the continent's top geniuses.
"Young man..."
"Su Wen."
"Su Wen, do you truly believe you have an exit strategy?" the elder asked with a jovial smile. He made no movement, channeled no soul power, and didn't even lock his gaze on Su Wen, yet he radiated a sense of extreme danger.
The two Title Douluos beside him felt their skin crawl. Knowing this elder's past deeds, they were internally trembling.
"I am everywhere," Su Wen said plainly.
He prepared to showcase a bit of his hand. Only by doing so would the subsequent negotiations proceed with the proper level of sincerity from the other side. Since the elder had asked instead of attacking, he was clearly testing Su Wen's worthiness as a negotiator.
Within the illusion, Su Wen's figure blurred and vanished, reappearing simultaneously in several locations at once.
The elder frowned. He didn't consider this much of a threat. He had assumed Su Wen's confidence came from prior communications with the Imperial Cult—that if the Imperial Family turned hostile, the Cult would launch a coordinated rescue. Now, it seemed he was wrong. Su Wen was simply, purely confident in his own abilities.
"Heh. I can do this even outside of an illusion, Senior. What do you think of that?" Su Wen said, finally coming to a halt three meters in front of the elder with a smile.
He can do this in reality?
The elder's pupils constricted. Inside an illusion woven by Su Wen, such a feat was natural. But if he could do it in the outside world...
The elder knew Su Wen was a master of mass-illusions capable of influencing crowds undetected. Combined with the fact that the three of them had been dragged into this realm without the slightest resistance...
He concluded that even in the real world, Su Wen could use minute mental interference to make reality mirror his illusions perfectly.
Su Wen saw the elder's train of thought and decided to offer a gentle correction.
"Senior, please don't underestimate me so much. *Be a little bolder.* What I just demonstrated wasn't an illusion!"
(End of Chapter)