The next morning, the three of them used their flying soul tools and headed toward the direction of Mingdu.
Mingdu was located in the north-central part of the Sun Moon Empire, while their current position was on the southern coast of the Sun Moon Empire. From south to north, they had to cross more than half of the entire empire.
Because Ju Zi and Ke Ke had shallow soul power foundations, they could only fly for one or two hours at a time before needing to stop and recover their soul power. They flew and stopped repeatedly along the way, only arriving at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy late at night.
The three of them didn't go back to shower or rest. Instead, they first went to find Xuan Ziwen to report the results of this training trip.
That very night, Xuan Ziwen and Zi Mu happened to be in the laboratory.
Xuan Ziwen listened thoughtfully to Ju Zi's report, occasionally glancing at Xu Zihuang with a strange look in his eyes.
Ju Zi focused on describing the experiences of this training, including how Yu Tianhuang perfectly controlled the all-terrain exploration soul tool. However, the fact that the Double-Headed Nether Wolf dropped two head soul bones was deliberately concealed by her.
Even though Xu Zihuang didn't care about that at all.
When he heard that the mutated Thousand Jun Ant could actually corrode the shell of the all-terrain exploration soul tool, Xuan Ziwen's expression finally changed.
One must know that the shell of that all-terrain exploration soul tool was forged from a variety of extremely hard, rare metals. If the formic acid spat out by the mutated Thousand Jun Ant could corrode the shell of the all-terrain exploration soul tool, then it might also apply to the shaping of rare metals and the engraving of core formations.
After all, some rare metals were extremely hard to change in shape or engrave with a carving knife.
"Where exactly in the Ming Dou Great Forest did you encounter that group of mutated Thousand Jun Ants? I'll send someone to catch a few. They might be helpful for soul tool creation."
"It was in the southern peripheral area of the Ming Dou Great Forest," Ke Ke answered with a yawn.
"Teacher Xuan, do you have anything else? If not, we'll go back to rest first. We're truly exhausted from testing the performance of that all-terrain exploration soul tool for you this time."
Ke Ke had always been this casual when interacting with Xuan Ziwen. This was also the way of interaction that Xuan Ziwen liked. Straightforward, no need to beat around the bush.
"You were the ones clamouring to go out for training before, and now you're complaining about being tired?" Xuan Ziwen scolded with a smile.
"Get lost, get lost."
Ke Ke laughed charmingly as she pulled Ju Zi and ran out. Zi Mu stood to the side, watching the two leave the laboratory with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
Xu Zihuang was the last to leave. Before exiting, he said to Xuan Ziwen, "Teacher Xuan, I've recently gained some insights in my cultivation and need to go into closed-door cultivation for a while. I'd like to request a leave of absence."
When he had absorbed that 50,000-year Evil Eye Tyrant soul ring, combined with the soul power accumulated from half a year of cultivation, his soul power level had jumped to level 53, close to level 54. In the following two months, he smoothly broke through to level 54. In other words, before coming to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, his soul power had already stayed at level 54 for four months.
Now, after nearly a month of training, he once again touched the bottleneck of level 55. This was the cultivation speed of a genius.
As a soul master with an ultimate attribute, he only needed to accumulate enough soul power to naturally break through the bottleneck.
At this rate, within the two and a half years at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, he would definitely be able to break through to level 60.
"Anyway, your level is already sufficient. You can enter the Ming De Hall to study at any time. Arrange your own time," Xuan Ziwen agreed readily.
Then Xu Zihuang and Zi Mu's gazes met for a moment, and he also walked out of the laboratory door.
Ju Zi and Ke Ke were waiting outside. The laboratory door hadn't been closed, so they had heard the conversation between Xu Zihuang and Xuan Ziwen.
Ke Ke muttered speechlessly, "What a freak. He just goes out once and gains enlightenment. We were even thinking of having dinner with you. Whatever, Sister Ju Zi and I won't disturb you anymore."
After saying that, the two said goodbye to him and left first.
But before leaving, Ju Zi turned her head and gave Xu Zihuang a strange look filled with both tenderness and determination.
Xu Zihuang knew that Ju Zi would soon leave the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy and gradually begin to carry out her revenge plan. This was also the reason he decided to go into closed-door cultivation.
He wanted to become Ju Zi's weakness, but he didn't want Ju Zi to delay her steps toward revenge because of him.
His and Ju Zi's goals did not conflict. According to his plan, Ju Zi would become a great help to him.
Xu Zihuang returned to the dormitory, first looked for He Caitou, and asked He Caitou to pass on the message to Fan Yu that he had returned to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
Only then did he wash up briefly and enter a meditative cultivation state.
With the sloughed skin of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm pasted on his chest, his body would not be stained by external dirt, so a simple wash was enough.
This time, Xu Zihuang was once again fortunate enough to enter a state of deep meditation.
His mind was completely immersed in his spiritual sea. It felt as if only an instant had passed, yet also as if he had spent countless years within it.
The originally calm spiritual sea suddenly surged with shocking waves. The vast spiritual power seemed to sublimate, blooming with brilliant golden light.
The change in the spiritual sea instantly awakened the sleeping Tianmeng Ice Silkworm. The chubby body of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm emerged from the spiritual sea, wriggling its fat body and releasing its sealed spiritual power to complete the fusion with Xu Zihuang's spiritual sea.
"I didn't expect Zihuang's spiritual power to break through again in such a short time. It seems the day when I can hold my head high in front of Bing Bing is not far away." The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm laughed excitedly.
One of the remaining six golden rings on its body suddenly shattered, turning into a dazzling golden sun that hovered above Xu Zihuang's spiritual sea, like the sun sinking below the horizon as it submerged into the spiritual sea.
The originally surging spiritual sea completely boiled, even rising with golden mist. Only after a long time did it return to calm.
Xu Zihuang suddenly opened his eyes, a trace of purple-gold light flashing through them. His tangible yet intangible spiritual power extended outward until it barely stopped at a diameter of four kilometres.
Everything within this range was under his perception. When spiritual power reached a certain level, it could achieve the effect of spiritual detection.
This closed-door session, because his spiritual power realm had broken through and he had fused another portion of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's spiritual origin, caused the range of his spiritual power release to directly double.
However, his current spiritual power realm was still only at the early stage of tangible and intangible.
For example, the Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler at the peak of the tangible and materialised realm could extend its spiritual power to a limit of nearly a hundred kilometres.
He would at least need his spiritual power release distance to reach more than twenty kilometres before he could begin to touch the bottleneck of the tangible and materialised realm.
The later stages of spiritual power cultivation became increasingly difficult to break through, because the span was simply too great.
At the same time, his soul power cultivation smoothly broke through to level 55 during this deep meditation.
Part of his mind was paying attention to the outside world, while another part was communicating with the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm in the spiritual sea.
Xu Zihuang's avatar quietly hovered above the spiritual sea. Opposite him was a huge figure, a hundred meters long. The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's snow-white, enormous body wriggled. Having calmed down, its brilliant golden little eyes held less excitement and more seriousness.
"Zihuang, although this breakthrough in your spiritual power realm is a good thing, it has also pushed the tolerance limit of your spiritual sea to its utmost. Until you find a suitable top-tier head soul bone, you should temporarily put your spiritual cultivation on hold."
"Tianmeng, I didn't expect to break through in spiritual power this time either. But when I fuse my sixth soul ring, this problem should be resolved."
Xu Zihuang nodded slightly, landed on the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's chubby head, and asked with a smile, "By the way, tell me about that matter with your Bing Bing."
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had nothing but complete sincerity toward him, so naturally, he was willing to truly accept the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
Trust is built together by both sides. And only when interacting with the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm did he feel a sense of relaxation. It could be said that the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was the one who understood him best.
"You're bringing that up? Then I'm wide awake!" The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm immediately became excited and swayed its head. But more than that, it was because it had felt Xu Zihuang's attitude toward it had gradually changed over the years.
After three years of interaction, it could see Xu Zihuang's personality clearly.
Once it gained Xu Zihuang's trust, Xu Zihuang would definitely acknowledge and repay it.
At that moment, the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm directly transformed into the most affectionate being in the soul beast world and began to recount the story between itself and the Ice Emperor.
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