Strategic alliances are an art form. The earlier and more significant the investment, the greater the returns after victory. This was a theory Ning Tian had learned from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School.
As early as when she personally witnessed over a dozen Titled Douluo and even more Soul Douluo from Shrek being cut down like vegetables by Sun Moon Empire Soul Engineers, and then being conveniently taken along herself, she understood one truth: anyone who sided with Shrek was doomed.
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After recovering from her initial shock, Ning Tian had already begun to consider whether to try contacting the Sun Moon Empire and purchasing a batch of Soul Guided Devices to strengthen her defenses.
Coincidentally, the other side also had intentions of pacification. Ning Tian immediately seized the opportunity, launching a financial offensive against Kong Tianxi, who was in charge of the matter. She tried to use the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School's most skilled method of "making friends" to develop connections within the Sun Moon Empire.
She thought that if this continued for several months or years, once everyone became familiar with each other, they could try discussing deeper cooperation. If the Sun Moon Empire offered a high enough price, then more things could be on the table.
But now she found that it seemed quite a few people from the Original Three Kingdoms shared this ambition!
Her own plans hadn't even begun to take shape, and her sect was still remotely communicating through informants in Mingdu, yet this group from Zheng Tian Academy had already moved over entirely?
Where was their pride from fighting the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy before? Gone?!
"These guys are just too reckless. That Kong Tianxi really meant what he said about poaching talent from the Three Kingdoms. I need to think of more suggestions for the sect."
Ning Tian rubbed the strands of hair falling across her forehead in annoyance, then smoothed down her chest, encouraging herself that it wasn't a big problem.
It was just a small Zheng Tian Academy, after all. Their Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School was a large and established organization, capable of offering far more leverage than them. Even if she was a little behind, she could catch up with their deep roots.
It wasn't Ning Tian boasting. While the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School might no longer hold the glory of being the second-ranked sect in the world, it was still among the top-tier sects. Its long history was rarely matched by other sects, and due to its own reasons, its attitude towards Soul Guided Devices was very open-minded, making it a long-standing major client in the Sun Moon Black Market.
Most of the top sects and families from the Original Three Kingdoms were arrogant and self-righteous. Which one of them could see the situation clearly and make choices like theirs? Even if they could, they couldn't possibly be as rich.
"But with such a big commotion, I wonder what they're up to now. Does the Sun Moon Empire have so many new things happening every day? No wonder it's developed so powerfully—"
*Slam!*
In a simple, large building filled with cages, Xu Tianxi slammed a gavel onto the table and shouted, "Bring in the prisoner!"
Xiao Hongchen opened a cage holding a death row inmate and dragged out a sallow, emaciated middle-aged man, throwing him forward.
Xu Tianxi calmly glanced at him and began the routine pre-activity inquiry.
"Name, what crime did you commit, what is your cultivation level, and are you willing to exchange for an early release from this world during the upcoming life-or-death transformation? If you perform significant meritorious service, a reduced sentence can be considered."
"Don't even think about lying. There are top-tier masters and cutting-edge equipment here. If you dare to utter a single lie, you'll be sent on your way immediately."
Xu Tianxi understood the principle of giving people hope before undertaking a task. If the other party's crime wasn't too outrageous, he wasn't entirely unwilling to help, as the Sun Moon Empire's legal system couldn't possibly be perfect.
Of course, if they were utterly heinous, then it was better for them to die sooner and be reborn.
The sallow, emaciated middle-aged man lowered his head, his voice filled with bitterness.
"My name is Fei Hu. I'm a construction Soul Engineer, level 30 Soul Power. I've been working away from home for years, sending 180 Gold Soul Coins home every month. I did it for seven or eight years. Early this year, I came home early, wanting to give my wife a surprise, but I saw her with another man.
I killed that bastard and asked my wife what was going on. She and her mother said some very nasty things, telling me to get lost. I couldn't bear it, so I killed her too. I was caught by the Mingdu police while chasing her mother and sentenced to death."
"I don't care about meritorious service for a reduced sentence. Just give me a quick end."
No, you absolutely have to care about this. If I hadn't known about this, it would be one thing, but now that I do, I at least have to make you live a few more years.
Xu Tianxi was greatly shaken, having never expected such a tragedy to occur in another world. He felt that the Sun Moon Empire's laws were very inhumane.
Xiao Hongchen listened, dumbfounded. "You, with your cultivation, working on a construction site? I remember the market rate is generally 200. You sent most of your money home, and your wife still cheated on you? That's really tragic!"
The middle-aged man nodded sullenly, his eyes soon becoming teary. "I, I never thought something like this would happen. We had a clear understanding. I'd work hard outside to support her, and she'd live a good life at home. We even said we'd have a baby by the New Year..."
"Alright, alright, alright, we're conducting experiments here, not holding a grievance meeting. If you have grievances, then work hard to earn merit and get out early to seek revenge—oh no, to settle your scores. Remember to come find me then; for now, do your experiment well, or you won't have a future."
Xu Tianxi couldn't bear to watch and almost blurted out his true thoughts. He signaled for someone nearby to release the Soul Beast.
Standing not far from the Soul Beast area, Ye Guyi sliced open an iron cage with a sword, releasing a hundred-year-old tiger-shaped Soul Beast. It looked sick. Ye Guyi gave it a pat, and the beast obediently lowered its head, not daring to act presumptuously in front of the terrifying bipedal creature.
"Everyone, stand on the black and white points of the Yin Yang Diagram. The ritual is about to begin."
Xu Tianxi directed the two to step into the already drawn Yin Yang Diagram, where they stood obediently.
Next, Xu Tianxi looked at the hundred-year-old tiger-shaped Soul Beast and asked, "Are you willing to live on in a different way in the future?"
"Roar~" The hundred-year-old tiger opened its eyes wide and roared.
"Very good. Next question, are you willing to spend the rest of your life with Mr. Fei Hu, or his descendants, becoming each other's closest battle partners?"
"Roar?" The tiger's roar seemed a bit more confused.
"Excellent. Then, the final question, are you willing to forge an equal contract from this moment on, entrusting your lives to each other?" Xu Tianxi asked his three soul-searching questions.
The tiger responded with a roar as always, and Fei Hu mumbled, "I'm willing."
"Very good. Now, look at each other, feel each other's will with your spiritual power, and try to communicate your feelings. The ritual will begin soon."
Xu Tianxi clapped the gavel again.
He secretly thought it was fortunate he had foresight, fully considering the drawback of Soul Beasts not being able to speak. He had specifically set it up so that if a Soul Beast simply responded with a sound, it indicated consent. From the current situation, the Soul Beast's emotions were very stable.
Next, a strange conversation ensued for five minutes, with the human saying, "Tiger, listen to me, I'll treat you well from now on," and the Soul Beast saying nothing. Everyone wasn't exactly dumbfounded, but they were certainly amazed by the novelty.
Human-beast communication – a first!
Perhaps it was due to Ye Guyi's punch that made it docile, or some other reason, but the hundred-year-old tiger-shaped Soul Beast didn't resist even when its neck was grabbed and gnawed on. It just seemed to have an expression of utter resignation on its face. Xu Tianxi thought he must have seen wrong and muttered to himself, "When I develop a complete Soul Spirit system, I'll grant you eternal life." He then silently chanted the incantation Electrolux had created, along with his own additions, while his hands flashed rapidly like a charlatan forming seals, as the two warmly embraced.
"Heaven and Earth connect, human and beast unite! This life, this contract, never to abandon each other—*Done!*"
A mysterious golden ripple bloomed from Xu Tianxi's eyes. The formation beneath the man and tiger glowed, enveloping them both.
Seconds later, everyone watched in stunned silence as the tiger, which had just been gravely ill, suddenly slumped its head and died. Beneath Fei Hu's feet, a third Soul Ring, bright and radiant, appeared next to the existing white and yellow ones.
"!"
A powerful tiger's roar echoed from the Soul Ring. The ring shimmered, and a yellow light mass leaped out—it was a tiger identical in appearance to a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, but noticeably larger, though its form was somewhat ethereal.
With the emergence of the new Soul Ring, Fei Hu's Soul Power also increased, making him a Level 31 Battle Soul Grandmaster.
"Excellent, a great start!" Xu Tianxi struck the gavel again, announcing the success with a beaming smile.
Click! Meng Hongchen snapped away with her camera, documenting this historic moment.
After settling Fei Hu and the Hundred-Year Soul Beast, Ji Juechen dragged away the tiger's carcass. Xu Tianxi then announced the next experimental subject.
"Next up, state your name and accomplishments—"
Time flew by. Two days passed in a flash, and cases involving Ten-Year, Hundred-Year, and Thousand-Year Soul Beasts concluded through experimentation.
With Electrolux as a backup, the success rate of the experiments gradually rose from 60-70% at the start to 95%, even 100%.
Xu Tianxi's Soul Spirit experiments entered a new phase: personally undertaking experiments with top-tier Ten Thousand Year Soul Beasts.
Releasing the Sixty Thousand Year Silver Moon Wolf King, which had been captured earlier, Xu Tianxi greeted it with a smile. He then introduced his experiments, saying with a grin:
"Brother Wolf, how about we roam the continent together from now on? I know, with your intelligence, you should understand what I mean."
"Awoo~!"
The Silver Moon Wolf King proudly raised its head, completely unwilling to acknowledge this deluded human.
Seeing this, Jing Hongchen was about to go over and give it a piece of his mind, but Xu Tianxi stopped him. He then sighed and said to the Silver Moon Wolf King:
"I had planned to talk to you in a normal way, but since you insist, I'll give you an eye-opener."
Connecting and expanding his Sea of Spirit, Xu Tianxi sharply lifted his eyes, and a silvery-white glow met the Silver Moon Wolf King's gaze directly.
The Silver Moon Wolf King only felt its vision go black; it was enveloped by a massive Spiritual Power halo and entered a completely new world.
"Hmph, how dare a Soul Beast disrespect us. A mere silver wolf, how laughable."
A spiritual power far exceeding that of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast descended. The Silver Moon Wolf King was immediately pressed to the ground, its fur trembling in fear.
Terrified, it looked up, searching for the source of the terrifying pressure.
Then it saw—a giant white silkworm?
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