Sun Moon Empire Royal Academy.
Inside a coffee shop.
Sunlight spilled across the second-floor balcony, casting a golden glow on a group of young men and women seated under parasols, their faces beaming with youthful energy and smiles.
Everyone was discussing the recent happenings in the academy.
"I heard Mingdetang has developed artificial soul rings recently?"
Among them, a beautiful young girl was the first to bring it up.
Excitement immediately stirred within the group.
"Yeah, ever since His Highness publicly announced it last time, it seems like the technology is on the verge of being fully revealed. But I wonder if it's mature yet…" a male student sighed.
"Hey, my uncle's the vice captain of the Evil Lord Soul Tool Regiment. The military was the first to pilot this, and it was all about artificial soul rings," another boy said mysteriously.
"Come on, Old Zhang, stop acting all mysterious. Just spill it already!" the others egged him on eagerly.
"Pfft, alright then," Zhang grinned. "The artificial soul ring tech was piloted first by the military and soon it'll be rolled out to our academy. From what I've heard, the technology is very mature now. It's an epic-level soul tool revolution! You all know how absorbing ten-thousand-year rings causes soul shock, right?"
"And?"
Someone looked skeptical. "Why bring that up? Soul shock and ten-thousand-year rings are stuff only Soul Kings and above deal with. What's that got to do with us?"
"Heh, it has everything to do with us," Zhang said smugly. "Artificial soul rings don't cause soul shock."
—Silence.
Everyone was stunned for a second.
Then—an explosion of gasps and chatter.
Third Floor of the Café.
Xu Cheng sipped his coffee lightly, a smile forming on his lips.
"Are artificial soul rings really that amazing?" Zhang Lexuan, sitting beside him, looked down at the buzz below with growing interest.
"Far more than that…"
Xu Cheng rested the beauty's soft hand on his leg, gently kneading it while gazing toward the sky.
"Sigh… It'll be widespread soon. And when it is, it won't just affect these elite students—it'll reshape the entire power structure of the Sun Moon Empire."
Soul masters were the true foundation and energy source of the empire.
"Then can I try it?" Lexuan looked down at the heated discussions with growing curiosity.
"You?" Xu Cheng glanced at her.
Dressed in a light blue tattered long dress and a sunhat, her fair skin glowed under the sun like milk, complemented by a gentle, serene temperament—she radiated the perfect warm, big-sister vibe.
It made him feel like he was falling into a forbidden romance all over again.
"I wouldn't recommend it," Xu Cheng turned away, feeling the breeze as he looked across the Royal Academy.
"…"
"Not even curious why?"
When Zhang Lexuan remained quiet, Xu Cheng asked with a smile.
"I trust you."
Her soft voice floated in the air.
Before he could react, he found himself being pulled down by her fair, smooth arm. As he shifted his posture, his head gently rested on something soft.
Slender, graceful fingers began to massage his head, and a wave of drowsiness washed over him.
"Get some sleep. You've been tired for too long," Zhang Lexuan said warmly.
The midday sun enveloped them both.
It didn't feel hot—just the perfect amount of warmth. It brought with it a comforting sleepiness…
Who knew how long he slept.
Xu Cheng yawned deeply. When he awoke, he was surprised to find two people sitting across from him.
Turning to Zhang Lexuan, who continued massaging his head, he noted she didn't avoid the newcomers' gazes.
But what truly caught his attention was the girl beside Ji Juechen—a stark contrast to the handsome sword fanatic.
She wasn't ugly, per se, but compared to Ji Juechen, her presence was… jarring.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hongchen was preparing for advancement into Soul Emperor. The last Deep Sea Silver Jellyfish incident had shown him a new path—metallic lifeform fusion. It was a tough road, but if he succeeded, his future potential would soar to a whole new level.
Ma Rulong and Lin Xi were busy studying artificial soul rings—students always got the most excited about new tech.
But what really puzzled Xu Cheng was… why had Ji Juechen come to find him?
Was he here to challenge him to a fight?
Thinking quickly, Xu Cheng recalled—this sword maniac had become a Soul Emperor, and even managed to one-shot the injured Du Weilen last time.
"Old Ji, here for a visit?" Xu Cheng stretched lazily. It was a nice nap, and more importantly—he hadn't been woken up by someone eyeing his body greedily.
Ji Juechen remained calm and nodded slightly.
He didn't care about Xu Cheng's relationship with Zhang Lexuan. Seeing him asleep, he had quietly waited.
"I heard from Ah Xiao you swept through Shrek Academy without a scratch?" Xu Cheng asked with a chuckle.
"The real strong ones are the exchange students who came to Sun Moon. The rest were weak," Ji Juechen shook his head, clearly unsatisfied.
"So… you're here to challenge me?"
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Ji Juechen seemed to choke a little, his expression turning awkward.
The girl beside him hurried to pat his back, looking concerned.
Ji Juechen shook his head. "Though my time at Shrek helped me grow a lot, especially in synchronizing with the Sword of Destruction, sitting here with you… I still feel like there's a mountain I can't cross. Truth is, I've never seen you as a rival. Since the Star Luo competition, I've realized a lot of things…"
His words made the girl beside him look visibly awkward.
Ji Juechen's swordmaniac reputation was well-known throughout the academy. He had challenged not just students, but even instructors at Mingdetang and soul engineering schools into hiding.
He was like a sword—never hiding its sharpness.
But now, sitting before this young Crown Prince, he had sheathed that sword. This side of him was a first for Jing Ziyan.
"So what do you want from me?" Xu Cheng asked curiously.
"To seek guidance," Ji Juechen said solemnly.
Xu Cheng: "…"
So how is that different from a challenge?
"I don't even dare call it a spar. I'm not worthy. But I've hit a bottleneck… and I hope you can guide me." Ji Juechen's tone was serious.
"Hahahaha…"
Xu Cheng laughed.
This sword nut… he wasn't as nutty as he seemed.
"Sure—"
But then suddenly—
A system notification rang in his head:
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for facilitating the development of artificial soul rings and saving hundreds of millions of lives on the Douluo Continent. Your merit is immeasurable. Special reward: Interstellar Battleship (Basic) blueprint acquired! (Includes basic spatial warp technology, basic starship soul cannon array – Level 11 Soul Tool; includes auxiliary escort ship blueprints)]
"Interstellar… battleship?"
A flash of disbelief crossed Xu Cheng's eyes.
What did it just say?
Say that again?!!
(End of Chapter)