Douluo: I am the True Master

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In the following period, though Xuan Zi still couldn't defeat Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen, he continued to harass them, preventing their soul engineer legions from forming organized support for Kong Deming's side. 

Shrek Academy received Xuan Zi's message promptly and began working on developing the soul bottles. 

With the Sun Moon Empire's sample as a reference, developing the soul bottles wasn't particularly difficult. However, Shrek's current technical capabilities were limited—they could only produce soul bottles at the Level 8 soul-guided device standard, which provided minimal help to Xuan Zi. 

Breaking through to become a Level 9 soul engineer wasn't something Shrek's group of Level 8 soul engineers could achieve just by sheer willpower. Advancement as a soul engineer required the accumulation of vast amounts of knowledge—breaking through wasn't so simple. 

But thinking about how Shrek's strongest forces were being pinned down on the Star Luo battlefield, with the constant risk of being worn down to death, the higher-ups of Shrek made an unprecedented decision. 

The Martial God Douluo, Xian Lin'er, flew to Tian Xing Academy at top speed. Without hesitation, she knelt before Ye Wen and pressed her forehead firmly against the ground in a deep bow. 

"Master Ye, please help our Shrek Academy!" 

Ye Wen, who had been idly watching the situation unfold, was startled awake. He looked at Xian Lin'er in astonishment. 

"What's wrong!?" 

With urgency, Xian Lin'er succinctly explained Shrek Academy's dire predicament and requested that Ye Wen manufacture a batch of Level 9 soul-guided device-grade soul bottles to help Xuan Zi overcome the current crisis. 

After all, in Xian Lin'er's view, Ye Wen—who had disseminated the soul-guided armor technology—must have the deepest understanding of it. With a slight shift in perspective and combined with Shrek's current research progress, producing Level 9 soul bottles should be relatively straightforward. 

Though there was some friction between the two academies, Xian Lin'er believed that Ye Wen would act in the best interest of the continent. 

After all, she had already kowtowed to him—he wouldn't possibly ignore the lives of everyone on the Douluo Continent, would he? 

As expected, Ye Wen waved his hand to lift Xian Lin'er up and agreed to her request, but added, 

"I can help, but you know my Tian Xing Academy is a neutral institution, so..." 

Seeing Ye Wen's pretense, Xian Lin'er, who was naturally impatient, cut straight to the chase. 

"So what, Lord Tianxing!?" 

Ye Wen rubbed his thumb against his index and middle fingers. "You'll need to pay." 

At that moment, Xian Lin'er's mental image of Ye Wen as a Limit Douluo shattered completely, but she quickly regained her composure, gritting her teeth. 

"No problem. For each Level 9 soul power storage device, we'll pay you double the market price." 

Ye Wen nodded in satisfaction and then took the detailed blueprints of soul bottles ranging from Level 1 to Level 8 from Xian Lin'er. After a brief analysis, he swiftly moved his hands, leaving Xian Lin'er dumbfounded as he produced one Level 9 soul bottle after another. 

At first, Xian Lin'er suspected Ye Wen was putting on a show, but when she picked up a soul bottle and infused her soul power into it, feeling her soul power being purified into attributeless energy, she was utterly convinced. 

The Tian Xing Douluo was truly terrifying! 

Furthermore, judging by Xian Lin'er's expertise, she guessed that these Level 9 soul bottles might not even represent Ye Wen's full potential. 

A thought flashed through her mind, making her heart race with envy. 

"Could he actually be a Level 10 soul engineer? Incredible! I want to become his disciple so badly!" 

But she quickly dismissed this thought. She was no longer the young girl she once was; she was now the dean of Shrek's soul-guided department and couldn't possibly apprentice under the headmaster of another academy. 

Though she felt a tinge of regret, her heart was filled with pride for Shrek's honor. 

Soon, Ye Wen finished his work, neatly placing ten soul bottles on the table. 

Though Ye Wen had received large quantities of rare metals, he had used them for other purposes, leaving only enough materials to produce this batch. 

Glancing at the row of soul bottles before him, Ye Wen estimated and then said, 

"The current market price for a Level 9 soul-guided device is around 10 million gold spirit coins. Though soul power storage devices like these aren't yet available on the market, they should technically command double the price. However, considering that your Shrek Academy already owes me money, I'll charge the standard market price of 10 million per unit. But since you promised double, remember to repay me 200 million gold spirit coins later." 

With that, Ye Wen left the room, feigning a slightly fatigued demeanor. 

Xian Lin'er felt no anger toward Ye Wen's pricing; on the contrary, she bowed deeply in gratitude. After all, the 10 million Ye Wen mentioned was only the minimum price for a Level 9 soul-guided device. 

On the Douluo Continent, any decent Level 9 soul-guided device would cost far more than 20 million, let alone strategic resources like Level 9 soul bottles. 

However, this 200 million further strained Shrek's financial situation. 

It was wartime, and many students had already dropped out, adding to Shrek's difficulties. 

Fortunately, Shrek had nearly ten thousand years of accumulated heritage. A temporary financial strain was manageable. 

Upon receiving the ten soul bottles, Xuan Zi immediately intensified his efforts on the battlefield. With such a significant boost in endurance, he was determined to vent his frustration. 

Kong Deming naturally noticed that the soul bottles in Xuan Zi's possession were Level 9 soul-guided devices, but he was astonished. After all, there were no exclusive Level 9 soul engineers on the Douluo Continent yet. However, Kong Deming quickly deduced that Ye Wen must have been involved. 

Fearing that Ye Wen might intervene in the war, he urgently dispatched spies to investigate. The information he received confirmed that Shrek had purchased these soul-guided devices, which put Kong Deming somewhat at ease. 

After all, the presence of a Limit Douluo like Ye Wen would tip the balance of the war too far—if another one sided with the Douluo faction, it would be unbearable. 

The same information was also relayed to the remaining forces of the Star Luo and Tian Hun Empires. 

Ye Wen's reputation soared once again. 

The people of the Douluo Continent realized that they finally had their own Level 9 soul engineer! 

For Ye Wen, the downside was that the two major empires bombarded him with materials and orders for Level 9 soul bottles. 

Xian Lin'er did obtain the blueprints for manufacturing Level 9 soul bottles, but the intricate array patterns required for them were beyond her ability to replicate. She could only sigh in resignation, acknowledging that she still needed further cultivation. 

However, the acquisition of Level 9 soul-guided device blueprints significantly bolstered Shrek Academy's foundations in soul-guided technology, which brought her great comfort. 

After nearly two days of intense fighting, the two battlefronts of the Tian Hun Empire once again fell into a stalemate. 

Though the Dragon Emperor Douluo was formidable, he was severely suppressed by Xiao Ding's gravity control and extreme defense. His ultimate darkness techniques proved ineffective, and he narrowly escaped with multiple fractures across his body. 

And the direction he fled toward happened to be where Ye Xishui was stationed.

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