Zhou Sichen forcibly suppressed the pressure building inside him. Talking was meaningless now—only increasing his strength mattered.
With enough power, he could weather any storm, face any fire.
He didn't let any of his inner thoughts show. Elder Mu simply smiled. "It seems you truly are a fortunate one. Gaining such a blessing is a good thing. As long as you're unharmed, that's all that matters."
Zhou Sichen kept his smile. "Unfortunately, this fourth spirit ring didn't boost my combat strength much. Its power is focused on plant-type spirit beasts. This herb is the emperor among plants. With her, any plant-type spirit beast or plant-type spirit master will be suppressed when facing me."
"For everything else, the only benefit is the oppressive aura of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast."
Elder Mu frowned slightly upon hearing this. So this ring's power was rather specialized.
It wasn't bad, but it lacked the broad utility most hundred-thousand-year rings provided.
If Zhou Sichen had used a hundred-thousand-year beast focused on combat, his strength would already allow him to directly defeat ordinary Title Douluo.
Not just exchange blows—but actually win.
Still, it wasn't without value. Suppressing all plant-type spirit beasts and spirit masters was no small feat. It just lacked the overwhelming might one usually expected from such a high-level ring.
Before Elder Mu could respond, Zhou Sichen continued, "Though its combat boost doesn't match that of a typical hundred-thousand-year ring, it's enough to handle an average Title Douluo—especially if they're plant-type."
As he spoke, Zhou Sichen debated whether to mention the sub-body effect.
After all, this year's sub-body was meant for his sister, Ye Guyi. Once she used it, she'd receive a massive boost. He also planned to give some to his parents and others in the future—so hiding it wouldn't work forever.
After some thought, Zhou Sichen decided not to keep it from Elder Mu. He hadn't picked any other immortal herbs for him because the sub-body was, without question, the best of them all.
The phrase "revive the dead, regrow flesh and bone" said it all. If Elder Mu took one of the sub-bodies from the Yearning Heartbroken Red, he might not be able to walk again, but he could certainly extend his lifespan.
Still, Zhou Sichen didn't plan to give it to him just yet—the first was already reserved for Ye Guyi.
He considered delaying the ones meant for his parents and giving one to Elder Mu instead—after all, this coming year would be crucial. He intended to use it to sway Elder Mu to his side, or at least solidify his position within Shrek Academy—perhaps even becoming second only to the headmaster, if not the one holding absolute authority.
Ultimately, it came down to one principle: as long as Elder Mu didn't stand against him when the time came to oppose the God-King Tang San, he would get one. If not, then no deal.
Cold and calculated? Perhaps—but reality was rarely kind.
Even with just half the power of the original, the sub-body of the Yearning Heartbroken Red was still an Immortal Emperor Herb. Its miraculous properties couldn't be underestimated.
There was no question it could prolong Elder Mu's life.
The only question was whether to give it or not.
Zhou Sichen continued, "This spirit ring has a special effect. Once a year, it produces a sub-body. The sub-body retains divine-level effects—it can 'revive the dead, regrow flesh and bone.' A spirit master who consumes one can be reborn physically and, if under level 70, can increase their spirit power by at least five levels."
Elder Mu's eyes lit up at that. At his level, he fully understood the weight of those words.
"Revive the dead" might be an exaggeration, but rebirth of the body? A guaranteed five-level increase in spirit power for those below rank 70?
That was comparable to gaining a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring or soul bone!
Elder Mu grew excited. "You're saying… you can produce one sub-body every year?"
Zhou Sichen nodded. "If an ordinary spirit master consumes one, they'll likely become a genius. And a genius might turn into a monster. It might sound like an exaggeration—but it's easy to test."
He kept his wording modest, leaving the rest to Elder Mu's imagination.
Elder Mu quickly seized on one point. "What about spirit masters above rank 70?"
Zhou Sichen immediately understood the real intent behind the question.
It wasn't for Elder Mu himself. He knew he had little time left—and no matter how much he improved, his strength was already at its peak.
What he really wanted was to know if the sub-body could help Xuanzi.
Once Elder Mu passed on, Shrek's strongest remaining force would be Xuanzi, a rank-98 powerhouse. But on the continental stage, even that wasn't enough.
Among rank-98s, Xuanzi was on the weaker end—still overshadowed by those at rank 99…
Zhou Sichen answered, "The effect is greatly reduced, but it still enhances the body and spirit power—just not as dramatically as it would for those under level 70."
His words were deliberately restrained. Even regular immortal herbs were incredibly effective on Title Douluo. The specific gains were hard to quantify, but they wouldn't be small.
Especially not with the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
Elder Mu sighed lightly. While less effective, it was still better than nothing.
Xuanzi had reached his limit, and advancing further was as difficult as climbing to heaven. Even with Shrek's vast resources, he hadn't broken through.
Now, Zhou Sichen's fourth ring offered a sliver of hope.
Still, Elder Mu was reluctant to ask directly.
Instead, he casually asked, "Since you can only make one per year… have you decided who gets it?"
Zhou Sichen replied without hesitation, "This year's sub-body will go to my sister. She's incredibly talented, and her martial soul is the Holy Angel—it's the bane of evil soul masters. If she grows stronger quickly, it'll be a huge asset in combating them."
Elder Mu nodded silently. Zhou Sichen wasn't wrong. That was exactly why he had been pouring so many resources into Ye Guyi.
Zhou Sichen added, "I haven't decided the others yet. But I'll only give them to people I trust with strong potential."
It was a blunt way of saying it—but such rare treasures couldn't just be handed out to outsiders.
Elder Mu understood completely. What pleased him most was Zhou Sichen's transparency. Sharing such a divine ability without reservation showed genuine trust.
After all, someone like Elder Mu had the power to imprison Zhou Sichen and harvest a sub-body every year. With that, Shrek could mass-produce geniuses.
But as the saying went: "A thousand pieces of gold can't buy a single great general." All the talent in the world couldn't compare to a prodigy like Zhou Sichen.
He nodded slowly. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "I want to ask you for one sub-body."
Zhou Sichen wasn't surprised in the slightest. He had been prepared for this the moment he chose to be honest.
He answered cheerfully, "No need to ask, Teacher. You're my mentor. Even if you didn't ask, I'd have prepared one for you."
He smiled brightly. "And this time, aside from the fourth ring, I also brought back a few other treasures from that place. They're all at the immortal level and have effects similar to the sub-bodies."
Elder Mu's eyes lit up even more. "Oh? And how do you plan to use them?"
Zhou Sichen's smile remained. "One of them can solve Ma Xiaotao's evil fire problem. It will completely purify her Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul and evolve it into a true Fire Phoenix."
Elder Mu's gaze sharpened. If Ma Xiaotao's evil fire could be resolved, then she, like Ye Guyi, would be a super genius—and another bane of evil soul masters.
The academy had tried countless ways to help her over the years with little success.
And with her strength increasing, the evil fire grew even more volatile. Thankfully, Zhou Sichen's Ultimate Ice had helped suppress it temporarily.
Now he was saying he could solve it?
No matter what Zhou Sichen had found, he must have been thinking of Ma Xiaotao when he claimed it—Elder Mu was sure of that.
Zhou Sichen had only been at the academy for two months, yet gained so much. Elder Mu had already made him his final personal disciple, grooming him as Shrek's future hope.
His greatest fear? That Zhou Sichen might one day betray Shrek.
But now even that concern was gone. The Zhou family had openly expressed support—even recommending that Zhou Sichen remain at Shrek.
And now, after just a week away, he returned with all this?
A hundred-thousand-year fourth ring… a cure for Ma Xiaotao…?
Elder Mu was thrilled—not just by Zhou Sichen's growth, but by his loyalty to Shrek and himself.
After a moment, Elder Mu said, "How you handle your treasures is entirely your decision. I won't interfere."
"As for the sub-body from your fourth ring—I don't need it. I'd like you to give one to Xuanzi instead. No rush—once you've helped those closest to you, then give him one."
The meaning was clear. He understood how rare this item was. To suggest giving it to Xuanzi instead of keeping it for himself was already a huge show of restraint.
Zhou Sichen nodded with a smile. "You're too kind, Teacher. Since you asked, I'll delay the one for my parents and give this one to Elder Xuan."
Elder Mu was deeply moved.
He had learned more about Zhou Sichen's past recently. A twelve-year-old boy with little history—easy to understand.
A genius since childhood, Zhou Sichen had always been loved by Zhou Zhenxuan. After awakening his martial soul, his status soared.
His mutated Book of Contracts martial soul gave him strength far beyond his peers.
Most importantly, he had two other exceptional companions—both among the top talents in the outer court.
Elder Mu now knew the truth about Ye Guyi and Zhou Sichen. They weren't blood siblings but childhood sweethearts. Their little "secret" was known by the elders in their clan.
But Elder Mu didn't mind. What youth wasn't passionate?
Especially someone like Zhou Sichen—so gifted, it was natural for him to have a few romantic connections.
Even when Yan Shaozhe tried to matchmake him with Ma Xiaotao, Elder Mu had no objections.
As far as he was concerned, so long as they could handle Ye Guyi, it was fine.
Their conversation remained light—a simple chat between master and disciple. Elder Mu didn't pry further. As long as Zhou Sichen remained loyal to Shrek, nothing else mattered.
Solving Ma Xiaotao's issue would be like gaining a future Super Douluo.
That girl's talent even exceeded Yan Shaozhe's.
Zhou Sichen shared the parts of his journey he could—leaving out anything about Tang San. He wasn't about to shoot himself in the foot.
He described how dangerous the place was and how he had passed multiple trials to obtain his fourth ring and a few treasures.
Not long after, the other Sea God Pavilion elders arrived—Yan Shaozhe, Qian Duoduo, Xian Lin'er, and Cai Mei'er. Elder Xuan and Elder Song had also returned—three days earlier, in fact.
They had brought back a rare ten-thousand-year soul beast for Zhou Sichen.
Elder Mu explained that it was a Silver Shadow Beast—an incredibly rare and powerful creature with the ability to copy the abilities of others.
In a sense, it could become an all-purpose powerhouse.
Long ago, a hundred-thousand-year Silver Shadow Beast could reportedly fight ten at once, having copied all their abilities. It had no weaknesses…
Zhou Sichen was surprised. Could this be the same beast that became Huo Hang's fifth ring in the original?
That spirit ring had granted him Spiritual Imprint, a powerful ability that let him copy one of his opponent's soul skills.
Zhou Sichen thought the beast was fantastic—but he already had his fourth ring.
Otherwise, it would've been perfect.
Elder Xuan was originally excited to tell Zhou Sichen about the beast they'd found after days of searching with Elder Song.
They had combed nearly the entire Star Dou Forest without finding a suitable candidate.
With Zhou Sichen's first three spirit rings all being top-tier, how could they bring back something subpar? That would be an embarrassment!
So they went deeper and deeper into the forest, expecting to find a powerful beast…
Only to run into the Red King, the ninth-ranked among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.
They hadn't even reached the core zone yet—how had they run into a beast of that level?
Their luck had truly been terrible. And the Red King even bared its fangs at them!
Elder Xuan, naturally hot-tempered, wanted to teach the Red King a lesson—maybe even capture it for Zhou Sichen.
That would've immediately given him the strength of a Super Douluo.
But that was unrealistic. If Ferocious Beasts were that easy to kill, everyone would have one.
Besides, if the Red King was around, the others might be close as well…
Choosing not to invite trouble, the two elders retreated. The Red King, thinking they were afraid, left in arrogance.
Elder Xuan and Elder Song had noticed something, though—the Red King seemed to be guarding something.
But with their mission in mind, they didn't investigate further.
Soon after leaving, they encountered the Silver Shadow Beast and brought it back.
Given Zhou Sichen's special martial soul, it could be nurtured to the hundred-thousand-year level—and its abilities might evolve further.
The mission was a success.
As Zhou Sichen listened, his brow lifted slightly.
The Red King… guarding something?
Auspicious Beast?
****
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