Time jumped to one week later.
Because Skydream had been pestering Huo Yuhao, wanting to take advantage of this free time to go shopping and make up for everything she was owed.
After calculating the time and realizing there was indeed a bit of a surplus, Huo Yuhao agreed to Skydream's idea.
While the two were leisurely strolling through a small town not far from the Extreme North, the three original empires of the Douluo Continent and the distant Sun Moon Empire had already been thrown into an absolute frenzy.
Almost every faction had once again turned its gaze toward Shrek City, and simultaneously, countless powers began pouring into it.
On the surface, Shrek City maintained its peace; however, if a keen observer were to look closely, they would find that the city's security forces had tripled in just one week.
At this moment, inside the Golden Tree of Shrek Academy.
Over a dozen Sea God Pavilion Elders sat together, listening to a report from Qian Duoduo, the Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department.
"...After seven days of testing, we can essentially confirm that the effects of this 'Soul Power Storage Core' are identical to its manual.
"During this period, Dean Xian Lin'er, Fan Yu, and I all attempted to completely seal our own Soul Power, relying solely on drawing energy from the 'Soul Power Storage Core' to perform Soul Tool fabrication.
"In our trials, relying only on our own knowledge paired with the 'Soul Power Storage Core', we all successfully manufactured Class 6 Soul Tools.
"This basically confirms that as long as one's knowledge is sufficient, anyone can use a 'Soul Power Storage Core' to create a Class 6 Soul Tool.
"Currently, our Soul Tool Department has recruited ten ordinary people without Soul Power in Shrek City as experimental subjects and taught them Soul Tool knowledge.
"So far, the fastest-progressing individual has already been able to use a 'Soul Power Storage Core' to carve some basic Soul Tool formations. If they continue at this rate, they will likely become a true Class 1 Soul Tool Master within four or five months via the 'Soul Power Storage Core'..."
Qian Duoduo reported.
Seven days ago, the Soul Tool Department received a special package. The sender's name was "Skydream."
To the people of the Soul Tool Department, this name was no stranger.
An elusive Class 8 Soul Tool Master who had suddenly appeared in Shrek City two years ago and threw out an innovative Soul Tool every few months.
The crowd from the Martial Soul Department wasn't particularly interested, thinking at most that this person "had some skill," but only "some."
However, as Soul Tool Masters themselves, they knew it was absolutely not as simple as just "having some skill"!
If a Soul Tool Master could research one or two innovative Soul Tools in their lifetime, they would be considered exceptionally gifted. After all, the development of Soul Tools absolutely does not rely on hard work, but on that fleeting flash of inspiration!
And this "Skydream"? He produced a new product every three or four months, and every single time, the sold item featured a completely fresh creative concept!
If such a person wasn't a genius, then what was?!
Moreover, based on the intelligence gathered over the past two years, this Master Skydream was not from the Sun Moon Empire, but was a native of the three original empires.
Add to that the conditions of being "Innate Rank 9," "under 40 years old," a "Class 8 Soul Tool Master," and "proficient in Soul Tool fabrication"—it almost instinctively made the Soul Tool Department want to recruit him.
However, bringing Master Skydream into the Soul Tool Department meant he had to join Shrek first.
And an "outside" Soul Master, especially an eight-ring Soul Douluo who wasn't raised by Shrek themselves, was ultimately hard to trust.
It was for this very reason that for the past year, every time the Soul Tool Department elders applied at the Sea God Pavilion Meeting to recruit "Skydream," they were rejected without hesitation by the Martial Soul Department Elders.
But now... a turning point had arrived.
Seven days ago, this Master Skydream sent them a package containing ten 'Soul Power Storage Cores' and an instruction manual.
Furthermore, a sentence was attached inside the package:
"I have submitted identical packages to the Tianhun Soul Empire, Star Luo Empire, Dou Ling Empire, Sun Moon Empire, Body Sect, and others."
A simple sentence, yet it revealed Master Skydream's intent.
He was preparing to choose a faction as his backing!
It made sense. For a "wild" Class 8 Soul Tool Master, everyone would fight to have him; even if rejected, they would at most feel it was a pity.
After all, most factions within the original three empires of the Douluo Continent had one or two Class 8 Soul Tool Masters.
However, once this wild Class 8 Soul Tool Master became Class 9... the significance changed completely!
A Class 9 Soul Tool Master could be called the most precious strategic resource, with a value far exceeding a typical Titled Douluo!
Therefore, various factions would not allow such a precious strategic resource to "wander outside." One faction had to take over this resource before the others would back off.
But if this resource remained "wild" or fell into the hands of a rival... then, apologies, but to avoid an uncontrollable situation, they would ultimately choose the "destroy what we can't have" strategy.
Thus, according to any normal person's logic, Master Skydream now needed a sufficiently powerful faction to act as his protector and guarantee his safety.
Clearly, as a free agent, Master Skydream had plenty of choices.
The Soul Tool Department, which had been lusting after "Skydream" for who knows how long, was naturally not going to miss this chance. Coupled with this newly developed, era-defining product, the 'Soul Power Storage Core', the Soul Tool Department wished they could just kidnap "Skydream" back to Shrek right now!
So, after simple experiments confirmed the effects of the 'Soul Power Storage Core', the Soul Tool Department convened another Sea God Pavilion Meeting!
"...In summary, I believe we should recruit this Master Skydream. For our Shrek, this is also a massive opportunity!"
Qian Duoduo finished and sat down, waiting for the other Elders to voice their opinions.
However, just as he sat, one Elder spoke up: "I disagree. Allowing an entity of unknown origin to enter Shrek Academy and directly serve as Vice Dean of the Soul Tool Department is completely unreasonable! Besides, it's just a mere Soul Tool! It is, in the end, nothing more than an external object!"
"Agreed."
"I think that's well said."
Qian Duoduo's expression turned slightly ugly. These old fogies really are one and all decaying and stagnant... aren't you just afraid that if our Soul Tool Department rises and gets a larger budget allocation, you'll have less to feast on!
Just as Qian Duoduo was about to speak, Xian Lin'er beside him could no longer sit still and slammed the table as she stood up!
"Shut up! What do you know? As of right now, the 'Soul Power Storage Core' released by this 'Skydream' clearly has limitations!
"He might very well have an unrestricted version in his hands! Think about it yourselves—if your own junior disciples had an external power source storing Soul Emperor-level Soul Power to replenish themselves during battle, wouldn't that be equivalent to having an extra life?!
"And that is only the most basic application!"