Chapter 137: The Twin Rising Stars of the Outer Court

A week passed in the blink of an eye. Aside from Ma Xiaotao and Ye Guyi, who still hadn't returned to the academy, Zhou Sichen convened the Shrek Battle Team for the first time this semester.

Zhou Sichen sat casually with Dai Yueheng, Gongyang Mo, Ling Luocheng, and Dugu Xianmeng in the northern mountain pavilion, pouring each of them a cup of fragrant, sweet honey tea.

Each of the four had a different expression.

Dugu Xianmeng was the most obvious—her eyes were practically glued to Zhou Sichen.

Although absorbing the Blood Swan Kiss Petals hadn't been easy for her—any mishap could have caused her to explode from the surge of venom—thanks to Zhou Sichen's personal guidance and the help of the Mysterious Ice Jade Bed, the process had gone smoothly over the past week. She had even broken through to Rank 55.

From her current condition, Zhou Sichen believed she was slowly developing a unique variant of the "Calamity Poison Body." If things went well, she might be able to rapidly grow stronger in the future by devouring toxins.

Of course, the prerequisite was forming a Soul Core from the essence of poison. Given her unique constitution, it might just be possible.

Otherwise, it would be far too dangerous.

As for Gongyang Mo, there was little need to elaborate. Although he appeared effeminate, that was a side effect of his Rainbow Dragon martial soul. After all the time Zhou Sichen had spent with him, he found that the guy was actually solid and dependable.

His martial soul was on par with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda as a top-tier auxiliary-type beast martial soul. If he could one day establish a lineage, he might even create the next Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Clan.

Gongyang Mo now genuinely respected Zhou Sichen and obeyed his instructions without question. Lately, he had also been diligently studying soul tools—especially since Fan Yu had completed the Light Dragon Turtle Shields and distributed one to each member of the team. Gongyang Mo had become quite proficient in using his.

Dai Yueheng, brave and resourceful, had always been someone Zhou Sichen appreciated. But now he looked rather haggard, clearly worn out from Elder Xuan's intense training.

Sitting quietly, he sipped the honey tea Zhou Sichen handed him, clearly waiting for instructions with little strength left to complain.

Ling Luocheng was the most surprising. In just one week, her soul power had jumped from Rank 54 to Rank 58. Her spirit, energy, and presence had all undergone a complete transformation—like a phoenix reborn from the ashes.

Even Gongyang Mo couldn't help but make a few jokes, which were quickly silenced by one cold glance from Ling Luocheng. He dared not say another word.

Zhou Sichen could feel the meaningful look she gave him. He knew she had absorbed the Extreme Cold Ice Marrow, but he wasn't sure whether her Ice Element had broken through to the level of Ultimate Ice.

Ling Luocheng herself was nervous. She had ultimately accepted Zhou Sichen's "gift," but now that they were face to face, she feared he might try to cross a line…

The worst part was, if he did do something like that… would she even reject him?

With that mindset, she now felt awkward around Zhou Sichen. Thankfully, he didn't bring up the matter at all, so she pretended as if nothing had happened.

When Dai Yueheng and Gongyang Mo realized that Ling Luocheng's soul power had skyrocketed, they couldn't help but look at Zhou Sichen.

They had seen this pattern before—both Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao had experienced similar boosts thanks to Zhou Sichen.

The two stared at him with wide, hopeful eyes. They didn't need to say a word—Zhou Sichen knew exactly what they were thinking:

"Daddy, feed us!"

If they too could receive some of those divine resources, they might soar in strength as well.

Gongyang Mo was already on the verge of breaking through Rank 59. With one immortal herb, he could enter the Soul Emperor realm and provide up to a 70% boost to his teammates. That would be the very definition of overpowered!

Zhou Sichen didn't hide anything. He openly said that he had come across the opportunity during his trip to the Extreme North, and that it had been particularly suited for Ling Luocheng, so he gave it to her.

That statement was essentially a signal: He never hoarded resources.

Naturally, this made everyone even more willing to follow him. Who wouldn't want such incredible cultivation resources?

As the group sat there, Zhou Sichen began, "The tournament isn't far off. Aside from improving team synergy during training, you all need to familiarize yourselves with the soul tools you've received."

Everyone nodded silently. No one looked down on soul tools anymore—not when Zhou Sichen had thoroughly demonstrated their power. They now saw soul tools as an extension of their abilities.

The Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy was the strongest in the continent when it came to soul tools. If Shrek's team could master them as well, it would significantly reduce the threat from that rival academy.

They already believed that with Zhou Sichen on their team, the championship was all but secured. However, soul tools would further pave their path to long-term growth and success.

That was why Zhou Sichen had gathered them—not just to train but also to teach them how to properly use their soul tools.

Their martial souls were already top-tier. Combined with soul tools, their combat potential would reach an entirely new level.

Take Gongyang Mo, for example. His Rainbow Dragon was a support-type martial soul. Aside from its flying ability, he still needed protection in battle. But now, with soul tools equipped, he could defend himself and even assist his teammates in combat. His mobility and efficiency had soared.

Meanwhile, aside from Zhou Sichen's efforts with the Shrek Battle Team, two Outer Court students had also made a stunning return—Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue.

Both second-year students had shockingly advanced to four-ring Soul Ancestor level!

They were now known throughout the Outer Court as the Twin Rising Stars!

Their achievement had sent shockwaves through the entire Outer Court. Even Cai Mei'er had personally come to meet the two of them.

Shrek's higher-ups were aware of Zhou Sichen's connection to Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue, but even they were surprised by the boys' meteoric rise.

After all, not everyone could be a monstrous genius like Zhou Sichen.

Thirteen-year-old Soul Ancestors—excluding Zhou Sichen—was a record-breaking feat in itself.

Of course, Cai Mei'er understood that Zhou Sichen had likely given them a fortuitous opportunity. Without that, the duo's talent wouldn't have allowed them to break through four to five levels in a single month.

Still, the Shrek upper echelon didn't ask many questions. As long as they were students of Shrek, that was enough.

Moreover, their achievement served as powerful motivation for other Outer Court students, pushing them to train even harder.

Huo Yuhao was deeply impressed by their strength—and admittedly a bit envious. He didn't know how they had advanced so fast, but he had a good guess that it had something to do with Brother Zhou.

That thought sparked a trace of jealousy.

Other people's big brothers gave out resources—what about his?

This holiday, Huo Yuhao hadn't gone home. Instead, he stayed behind to train. He was now at Rank 19, just one step away from advancing to Rank 20.

Though his cultivation speed wasn't fast, his perseverance had greatly impressed his teacher, Fan Yu.

At this point, Huo Yuhao was already a Level 1 Soul Engineer, and had started attempting Level 2 Soul Tools. His talent in this field was exceptional, and Fan Yu fully acknowledged it.

Even so, he often faced criticism from others. With his soul power level, he should've been expelled from Shrek long ago. But thanks to his Martial Soul Fusion Technique with Wang Dong—and Zhou Sichen's care—he was allowed to stay.

Even Fan Yu had made an exception for him, because he truly was a promising candidate for soul tool cultivation.

After all, when he first entered the academy, his soul power was only around rank 12. A year later, he had advanced by a full seven ranks. Though he had consumed quite a few medicinal pills, this speed was still nothing short of astonishing.

If he could maintain this rate of improvement, his soul power wouldn't become a hindrance.

And so, Shrek Academy had made an exception and allowed him to stay, permitting him to continue his dual cultivation of martial soul and soul tools.

Though he faced his fair share of criticism, Zhou Sicheng would occasionally check in on him and even provide him with some cultivation resources.

While no one knew what he truly thought deep down, at the very least, he didn't seem to be going down the wrong path—he remained a highly moldable talent.

After all, without the massive cheat that was the Skydream Iceworm, his current progress could already be considered extremely rapid for an average person.

As for Wang Dong, Zhou Sicheng had also interacted with her on occasion. So far, this daughter of the God King hadn't shown any unusual behavior.

Even though Huo Yuhao's talent wasn't as exceptional as it was in the original story, he still had a good relationship with Wang Dong, and the two were developing well together.

Wang Dong also had her own thoughts about Zhou Sicheng—especially after Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue returned and had already broken through to the Soul Ancestor level. Her curiosity about Zhou Sicheng deepened.

Given her background and status, she had always used the highest-grade resources at home. She had expected to stand out easily at Shrek Academy.

But now, she felt a tremendous pressure. Cao Jinxuan, who was the same age as her, had already reached the Soul Ancestor level, while she had yet to break through rank 30. Her competitive spirit was beginning to flare intensely.

As a result, she had begun putting more effort into her cultivation, which in turn had boosted Huo Yuhao's cultivation speed as well.

Inside the dormitory, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao were cultivating their Haodong Power on the bed. After finishing their cultivation session, Wang Dong turned to look at Huo Yuhao.

Feeling her gaze, Huo Yuhao smiled. "Wang Dong, why are you looking at me like that?"

Wang Dong pondered for a moment before speaking. "What kind of treasure do you think could've allowed Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue to break through to the Soul Ancestor realm in just a one-month break?"

Huo Yuhao thought for a bit and replied, "Medicinal pills, soul bones... or maybe some kind of secret technique?"

Wang Dong nodded. "All of those are possible. But I've seen their foundations—they're solid. Doesn't seem like they used any shortcuts or risky methods. Looks like Big Brother Zhou is really treating them well."

Huo Yuhao chuckled. "It might not necessarily be Big Brother Zhou. He's in the Inner Court, sure, but even he must have limited resources. I think it's more likely their families helped them."

Wang Dong shook her head. "Even if Tianyuan City is a big city, it's unlikely they could get their hands on such high-level treasures. It has to be Big Brother Zhou's help. Looks like the Inner Court's resources really are something. We should work hard too and aim to get in as soon as possible."

Huo Yuhao nodded seriously. "I'm almost at rank 20. Once I become a rank 2 soul engineer, with you and Xiao Xiao, our team's overall strength will increase significantly. We've still got a few years—we can definitely make it to the Inner Court."

Wang Dong rolled her eyes at him. "Hmph. If it weren't for Big Brother Zhou and Senior Bei Bei helping you, and the boost from our Haodong Power, your talent alone wouldn't have cut it. Getting into the Inner Court is no easy feat."

Huo Yuhao wasn't discouraged by her words. In fact, this wasn't the first time Wang Dong had said something like this, and he had grown used to it.

He firmly believed that diligence could make up for shortcomings. As long as he continued to walk his path step by step, he would achieve something in the future. At the very least... he had to avenge his mother!

Seeing Huo Yuhao's determination, Wang Dong sighed. She pulled out a black brocade box from her soul tool and placed it in front of him.

Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up in surprise. "What's this? A gift? We're bros—you don't have to be so polite!"

Wang Dong gave him a look of disdain. "Who's your bro? But yes, it's a gift for you."

"You've fed me grilled fish for nearly a year and never asked for a single coin. Think of this as a little payback."

Huo Yuhao quickly waved his hands. "No way! You've helped me so much. Treating you to some grilled fish is the least I can do!"

Wang Dong couldn't be bothered to argue with him and said bluntly, "Just take it. With your current strength, you're still far from qualifying for the Inner Court."

"This is a five-thousand-year whale glue. After all your time at Shrek, you should know what that is, right? With it, your physical attributes will improve significantly. It might even help you break through to rank 20."

As soon as he heard the words whale glue, Huo Yuhao's eyes went wide.

Of course, he knew what whale glue was now. But he could never afford it himself. He never expected Wang Dong to give him such a precious item!

Huo Yuhao was overwhelmed with emotion, which earned him a solid kick off the bed from Wang Dong.

"Stop being all sentimental. Take it, use it, and once your strength increases, you'll have plenty of chances to pay me back!"

Huo Yuhao nodded heavily, finally not hesitating anymore. He silently etched this kindness into his heart.

…

Sea God Island, North Mountain.

After finishing their training, Zhou Sicheng led everyone to the cafeteria for a meal. Dai Yueheng dragged his exhausted body over to Zhou Sicheng and muttered weakly:

"Captain, your training regimen is way too intense. What happened during the break to make you change this much?"

Gongyang Mo, standing nearby, also groaned, "Yeah, Captain. If we keep training like this, I'll be ruined in a week!"

Ling Luocheng and Dugu Xianmeng exchanged glances. They didn't speak, but fatigue was clearly visible in both their eyes.

Dugu Xianmeng was doing relatively better—her poison techniques were already integrated with her soul tools. But even she was struggling with the sheer intensity of the training.

Zhou Sicheng smiled faintly. "Training needs balance between tension and relaxation. I'm pushing you now so that when I'm not around, you won't slack off too much on your own."

Dai Yueheng looked exasperated. "How is that a valid reason? I know you mean well, but learning how to use soul tools isn't something you master overnight. Not everyone's a monster like you…"

Zhou Sicheng brushed off the praise—he'd heard that sort of thing far too many times by now.

He lightly patted Dai Yueheng's shoulder. He couldn't exactly tell them he was doing all this to prevent the tragic one death, three severely injured outcome from the original storyline, could he?

After nearly a year of being together, Zhou Sicheng had come to understand them. They all had good hearts. Since there was no enmity between them, he naturally didn't want to see them meet such tragic fates.

Of course, with Zhou Sicheng's involvement this time around—and with Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao having already broken through to the Soul Sage level—even if Xuanzi remained as inactive as he was in the original plot, chances were high that the same outcome wouldn't repeat itself.

But Zhou Sicheng wasn't just trying to prevent canon events from happening—he wanted to help them become strong enough to protect themselves in the long run.

Who knew? These people might just become his trusted allies in the future.

The only question was… would Dai Yueheng be willing to beat up one of his ancestors?

****

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