Douluo: Peerless Beastmaster King-Chapter 34 - : Beneath the Golden Tree – A Battle of Wits for Recruitment

As they watched Zhou Sichen in his fused state with three soul beasts, Mu En and the others were filled with astonishment.

In this state, Zhou Sichen, with only the soul power of a rank thirty-eight Soul Elder, possessed combat strength equivalent to a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse.

And if they factored in his Grade-4 Soul Engineer status and his exceptional talent in soul tools, it was clear—Shrek Academy had struck gold this time.

In truth, given Zhou Sichen's terrifying strength, they believed he had no real need to continue studying soul tools.

If he simply focused on cultivating his soul power and his Contract Book Martial Soul, he would undoubtedly become a peerless powerhouse in the future.

However, since Zhou Sichen had already demonstrated such outstanding talent in soul tools, Mu En had no intention of making him abandon that path.

Not to mention, in recent years, Shrek Academy had been actively promoting the Ultimate Soldier Plan. And after his recent visit to the Sun Moon Empire, Mu En had witnessed firsthand the terrifying advancements in soul tool technology made by those who primarily focused on their development.

Some of these advancements were even capable of threatening his own life.

With that in mind, from a long-term perspective, Mu En saw the study of soul tools as a necessity.

After all, knowing one's enemy was key to victory in every battle.

Storing away the Soul Nourishing Pills given to him by Yan Shaozhe, Zhou Sichen raised his right hand, summoning his Contract Book Martial Soul. The transformations on his body gradually faded as A'Da, Hellfire, and the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear turned into light and returned to the book.

Retracting his martial soul and returning to his original appearance, Zhou Sichen stood obediently in place.

Mu En couldn't help but smile. "Child, your talent and abilities have even left me astounded. I can only imagine what terrifying achievements await you as you continue to grow."

Zhou Sichen smiled faintly. "I will make sure of it."

With that, Xuanzi pushed Mu En's wheelchair, and the elders returned to the Sea God's Pavilion. As they walked, Mu En turned to Zhou Sichen. "You've expended a considerable amount of soul power. Let me take you somewhere."

As soon as Mu En finished speaking, Zhou Sichen's vision blurred, and the ground beneath him disappeared. The next thing he knew, his feet were firmly planted once again, but the golden glow that had previously surrounded him was gone.

He found himself standing in a vast hall—about a hundred meters across in all directions—bathed in an overwhelming aura of radiance.

Though he had just fought an intense battle, simply being in this place immediately dispelled all his fatigue.

Zhou Sichen carefully observed the hall. On both sides, multiple corridors extended into unknown directions. There were no windows, yet the air was astonishingly fresh, almost intoxicating.

Mu En's voice echoed. "Follow the middle corridor on the right until you reach the end. Open the door at the end, and meditate inside. Once you've finished, we'll have a proper discussion."

Hearing this, Zhou Sichen silently followed the designated path. His expression remained calm, but inside, he could barely contain his excitement.

I didn't expect to be allowed to cultivate beneath the Golden Tree this quickly.

The main reason he had advised his sister to come to Shrek Academy was because the Golden Tree was an ideal place for her to cultivate and improve.

As Zhou Sichen arrived at the wooden door at the end of the corridor, Mu En's voice sounded once more.

"The Sea God's Pavilion was originally a rare Golden Tree, brimming with light and life energy. The great predecessors of the academy carved out the Sea God's Pavilion without harming the tree's life force."

"The place you stand in now is the underground world of the Sea God's Pavilion. There are 108 rooms here, each designed to accommodate different martial soul cultivation needs."

"Every Inner Court disciple is granted one opportunity to enter for deep meditation. As of now, you are officially an Inner Court disciple, which means you have the right to cultivate here."

"Given your talent and strength, the room you are about to enter is located in the deepest part of the underground world—the very heart of the Golden Tree's roots."

"In this place, I hope you will find your own path."

Listening to Mu En's words, Zhou Sichen nodded slightly, then slowly pushed open the wooden door.

As he stepped through, Mu En's guidance abruptly ceased, and all sounds vanished.

An invisible force pulled his body forward, while an overwhelming wave of light and life energy surged over him—so dense that it almost felt like liquid.

Golden and emerald hues intertwined, illuminating the entire room with an ethereal green-gold glow.

The wooden door closed softly behind him as if guided by the same invisible force.

Zhou Sichen now found himself in a small room, no more than ten square meters in size. Countless roots descended from the ceiling, filling every corner of the space.

These roots, astonishingly, were all golden in color—the very source of the powerful aura of light and life.

Without hesitation, Zhou Sichen sat cross-legged and began meditating.

The moment he entered a meditative state, the dense light and life energy instantly surged into his body. His bones and meridians seemed to transform, becoming translucent with a green-gold hue.

A profound sensation of mental clarity washed over him, as if his very soul was being cleansed. Thoughts and insights surfaced in his mind, clearer and more vivid than ever before.

His soul power circulated at an accelerated pace, and Zhou Sichen completely immersed himself in this state of absolute purity. His past experiences and hardships flashed before him, yet he remained centered, existing in an unparalleled state of self-awareness.

Back in the first-floor hall of the Sea God's Pavilion, Mu En had once again reclined in his chair at the head of the long table.

The elders seated on either side of the table could no longer contain their excitement. Their expressions were filled with elation and anticipation.

Even Xuanzi, at nearly two hundred years old, was babbling like a child who had just found his favorite toy, chatting incessantly into Mu En's ear.

However, as the discussion continued, Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo found themselves in yet another heated argument.

Yan Shaozhe spoke confidently, "While Zhou Sichen's talent in soul tools is indeed rare, as his cultivation increases, his training will become more difficult. At that point, will he still be able to balance both paths?"

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"With his current strength, where he can match a Soul Emperor at only rank thirty-eight, he doesn't need to study soul tools at all. If he focuses solely on his martial soul, he could reach the very peak of the continent in less than twenty years—perhaps even ten."

Ten years... Zhou Sichen is only twelve years old now. That means by the time he's twenty-two...

The other elders did not refute Yan Shaozhe's words. In fact, they agreed.

A twelve-year-old at rank thirty-eight—while simultaneously training as a soul engineer and reaching Grade-4 proficiency.

If he focused solely on his martial soul, what heights could he reach?

However, Xian Lin'er abruptly stood up, her usual smile completely vanished. "Yan Shaozhe, stop talking nonsense! Do you even understand what Zhou Sichen's talent in soul tools means? It means that he has the potential to become Shrek Academy's first-ever Grade-9 Soul Engineer! And with his unique martial soul, he could go even further!"

"Have you even looked outside? Do you know how much the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology has advanced? If we don't cultivate true geniuses in soul tools, we'll only fall further behind!"

Qian Duoduo stood beside Xian Lin'er. "Lin'er is right, Shaozhe. Every time a genius joins the academy, your department snatches them up first. We always get stuck with the leftovers!"

"If Caitou hadn't had a support-type martial soul, would you have stolen him too?"

At this moment, these elders, nearly ninety years old, had completely lost their usual dignified composure.

They argued like a group of elderly vendors in a street market, bickering over the best produce.

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