Join my Patreon to stay 30 chapters ahead of the Webnovel releases:
https://patreon.com/ZeroMoney
You can also read on my website:
tlmasters.xyz
I'd really appreciate your support. Every membership helps keep me motivated to continue translating and releasing chapters consistently.
*****
"So, to obtain the Myriad Law Record, one must exchange contributions for it?"
"Foreign factions who join can exchange their own secret techniques for the Record?"
"Even Soul Tool technology is acceptable?"
The old man took a deep breath, finally understanding exactly what Su Wen was plotting.
"Senior, our Academy actually established a Soul Tool Hall long ago. At that time, Master Su already intended to develop Soul Tools. Looking back now, he must have already been considering your continent, preparing to bring you into the Academy's fold to research them together," Lin Dong remarked with a sigh of admiration.
Truly worthy of being called Master Su—his foresight was peerless.
Lin Dong wasn't entirely sure of the exact level of their Soul Tool development, but the fact that Su Wen had persisted in building the Soul Tool Hall proved his high expectations for the craft. This had been the basis of Lin Dong's earlier judgment.
Now, having hosted these Soul Masters and Soul Engineers from the Sun Moon Continent, Lin Dong could sense their standing even without detailed explanations. Despite witnessing the peak of Martial Soul cultivation here, they maintained their convictions; deep in their eyes remained a steadfast belief.
That belief was the path of Soul Tools. Even after seeing the growth of Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent, they still believed Soul Tools were not inferior. This spoke volumes about the level of development on the Sun Moon Continent.
Lin Dong hadn't just been raised on Su Wen's ideologies; since his awakening at age six, he had been scouted by the Academy. He had studied Su Wen's theories meticulously and was deeply influenced by his mindset, which harbored no prejudice against Soul Tools. On the contrary, he embraced an inclusive philosophy: as long as it could make one stronger, it was worth accepting.
In this current era, this wasn't just Lin Dong's view; most Soul Masters held similar beliefs. This was the wave of ideological change brought about by the reforms.
"Little friend, would it be possible for us to explore this Scholar's Realm on our own for a while?"
Lin Dong gave the old man a strange look and replied, "The Scholar's Realm has never placed restrictions on anyone. You may look as you please. I am only here to guide you and help you understand this place faster."
Even facing a Titled Douluo, Lin Dong remained poised and dignified. He was never intimidated by the old man's formidable Soul Power; his expression remained steady throughout.
After Lin Dong departed, the old man let out a long, heavy sigh.
He was an ancestor of the Sun Moon Imperial Family and a practitioner of Soul Tool arts himself. His faith in Soul Tools was as strong as any Soul Engineer's, but he couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying development of Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent. Even he had just entertained the thought of practicing both paths simultaneously!
In the past, while he might have considered the possibility, he would have dismissed it immediately because he had never seen a version of Soul Master cultivation that was truly powerful. Now, he had felt it for himself. As he continued to observe the Scholar's Realm after Lin Dong left, that thought only grew more vivid.
The other Soul Engineers from the Sun Moon Continent also felt as if they were moving through a dream. They never imagined another continent—the Douluo Continent—existed beyond their own. Nor did they expect a world where Martial Soul cultivation had reached such a peak that, without any assistance from Soul Tools, it could rival the power of genius-level Soul Engineers of the same rank.
The Scholar's Realm was particularly miraculous. The more they observed, the more they realized how inconceivable its creation truly was. No matter where one was in the world, one could enter with a mere thought to discuss academia, spread knowledge, spar, or even meet old friends...
This time, Su Wen was in no hurry to send them out. The tour lasted for a full three hours.
Mingdu
During those three hours, every Soul Master and Soul Engineer within the Wanbao Pavilion sat cross-legged on the floor, appearing as though they had fallen into a deep slumber. For three hours, not a single person moved.
The Pavilion was a high-traffic area, and new customers arriving were astonished, unsure of what had transpired. Since even the staff were busy touring the Scholar's Realm, these new arrivals found no one to receive them. Bored, they began to observe the strange scene.
Some, driven by greed, noticed the unconscious state of the crowd and attempted to steal from them. However, while the Scholar's Realm pulled the consciousness inward, it did not mean the participants were oblivious to their physical bodies.
When a body was touched or a sense of danger loomed, the participant would be forcibly teleported back. The human body has natural warning mechanisms; when the consciousness is distant from the flesh and no longer in active control, these instincts are often amplified.
A Soul Engineer attempting to steal a storage Soul Tool from a Soul King was caught red-handed on the spot. The Soul King, yanked out of the realm by the attempted theft, was absolutely livid. He wasn't finished—he hadn't explored enough! The Scholar's Realm was a place of supreme opportunity, and to be forced out now filled him with rage. He didn't even know if he'd have another chance to enter, and he had been interrupted by such a petty thief!
"Death to you!"
Similar incidents occurred about a dozen times. After several "villains" were ruthlessly beaten as if they were mortal enemies, the rest of the onlookers didn't dare touch those in "slumber." It seemed that disturbing them meant cutting off their path to fortune—a grudge worth killing for.
After three hours, the Soul Masters and Soul Engineers began to wake up one by one. They looked as if they were emerging from a dream. It took a long time to confirm it wasn't a hallucination, but once they did, their faces were filled with disbelief.
It was all real.
They looked around and spotted a figure standing outside the entrance of the Wanbao Pavilion. Though many of them didn't know Su Wen's name or that he was "Master Su," their first instinct in that moment confirmed it.
He was the one. He was Master Su!
The Soul Masters and Soul Engineers all showed expressions of deep respect. Even if Master Su's contributions were aimed at Martial Soul development, they respected a man of such caliber.
"Senior, I hope you will truthfully report today's experience to His Majesty," Su Wen said with a faint smile. His figure then blurred and vanished into thin air.
The old man took a deep breath. What a sophisticated spatial soul skill.
"Let's go," he sighed, leading the two Titled Douluo beside him away. The hidden Soul Engineers also withdrew.
The old man made no attempt to suppress the news. He knew it was impossible. There were too many witnesses; information about the Scholar's Realm could not be contained.
That very day, news of another continent and the existence of the Scholar's Realm swept through Mingdu like a hurricane. From Mingdu, the news began to radiate outward toward the rest of the Sun Moon Continent.
Meanwhile, after leaving the Wanbao Pavilion, Su Wen appeared in the next instant outside of Mingdu, standing before the Sacred Mountain.
"The Sun Moon Cult... I've been wanting to see them for quite some time."
Su Wen began his ascent up the Sacred Mountain.
(End of Chapter)