"From now on, for the next three months, I will reveal all of my knowledge to you in the simplest way possible. I hope you will gain something from it."
The smooth, mirror-like surface of the lake rippled gently, sunlight scattering into shards of glassy color upon the waves.
On the moss-green stone path beside the lakeshore thickets, Chen Fu addressed a group of teachers and students, young and old.
Shrek's Soul Tool Academy had truly started very late,only two hundred years had passed from building a teaching framework to actually teaching. In some worlds, two hundred years would be enough for a technological revolution that reshaped civilization. But not in the Douluo World.
Force suppresses civilization; power stifles progress.
Even in the Sun–Moon Empire, which relied on soul tools as its foundation, its essence was still nothing more than a concentration of military might.
How long did feudal dynasties persist, and how long did it take to break them?
Gunpowder placed nobles and commoners on the same line between life and death. To preserve their existence, societies eventually had to embrace civilization.
To Chen Fu, the Sun–Moon Empire felt like a group of soul tool beneficiaries who, after enjoying the privilege of being the first to innovate, used steel cannons to seal off all future paths of development.
Were the Sun–Moon Empire's soul engineers stupid? Was the Mingde Hall backward? Chen Fu did not think so. He always considered the perspective of others. If he were in their place,especially after witnessing the power of Chiyang,he would likely only push for the normalization of soul power and soul tools in his later years.
As for what happened after he died, that would be a problem for the next generation. Each generation handles its own burdens.
But sometimes life is ironic: the old noble soul masters who blocked the path of new nobles like Chen Fu also blocked his path to enjoying the privileges of an elite class.
Chen Fu cared about results. If the rules of this world could not help him achieve the result he wanted, then he would forge new rules with steel and flame.
"If the continued development of soul tools requires normalization, then Senior Jing Hongchen… have you perhaps been exploring the wrong direction with your hands tied?"
Pulling his drifting thoughts back, Chen Fu looked at the hundred-plus teachers and students of the Shrek Soul Tool Academy and felt a sudden wave of emotion.
He had once led a group of researchers too… though he had eventually destroyed them all in a single stroke.
"Build people to raise tools, build tools to raise people",this was the fundamental difference between Chen Fu's research philosophy and that of Mingde Hall.
Technology could break through limits. People, however, rarely could.
Yet everything has two sides. Mingde Hall's philosophy of "raising tools through people" indeed played a very "effective" role in maintaining authoritarian power.
Rigid tools were hard to control; intelligent humans were not.
Compared to Mingde Hall's many concerns, Chen Fu felt far more relaxed.
Those people had cut off his ties to this world and kicked him out of the privileged circle.
If he broke the order of this world now, what he would gain was the world itself; what he would lose was nothing but shackles.
"Teacher Fanyu, begin dividing the groups. We will start laying section A1 according to the blueprint."
Chen Fu returned to the present and spoke softly to the dean of the Soul Tool Academy standing before the crowd.
"Alright. We'll follow the original plan."
Everyone had long known that Chen Fu possessed the strength of a Rank 9 strategic soul engineer. But until Fanyu actually saw a "true" Rank 9 soul tool with her own eyes, she couldn't quite accept it. Only when her student summoned a small silver-blue sword from the void did the entire academy finally and fully submit.
Fanyu divided the teachers and students into small groups and assigned tasks.
Chen Fu had sent his young disciple Ning Tian to teach the academy his theories and fundamentals in advance, so everyone was well prepared.
Chen Fu normally disliked cooperating with the Soul Tool Academy, mainly because he had no time. But with the hardworking Ning Tian around, he thoughtfully gave her more opportunities to train.
Thanks to her help, the academy completed the first-generation upgrade of their [Blazing Sun] soul tool. It was still large, but far more stable and convenient. However, because everyone had shifted their focus to preparing the [Ascension] Project, all follow-up work on the Blazing Sun had been put aside.
[Ascension Project group member list uploaded]
[Blueprints sent]
With Youlan's assistance, Chen Fu led the academy,each equipped with his upgraded second-generation combat-soul apparatus,into the first phase of trial construction.
In the combat apparatus HUD of each user, Youlan marked all required tasks with precision indicators, progress bars, and preset procedures.
Metal modules that had been forged since last year were retrieved from the spatial soul tools provided by the Lin Pavilion. Under Youlan's coordination, they were assembled piece by piece in their designated positions.
Compared to ordinary people, soul masters had overwhelming advantages in infrastructure work.
Massive layers of soil were parted like butter under the inner court's earth-attribute soul masters. The soul engineers carried their assigned modules, assembling and calibrating according to the command system. Then Chen Fu himself laid the core high-precision conduit, locking each layer into place. Finally, Youlan performed the final calibration, reinforcement, and sealing.
After confirming that everything was functioning perfectly, the first section of the conduit was successfully completed.
Although segment A1 was the simplest single unit, it still greatly boosted morale.
A soul saint with a tree-type martial soul was temporarily summoned to assist with earth sealing together with earth-attribute soul masters.
For safety, the lakeshore area around Sea God Lake had been sealed off. Any student who crossed the boundary would be immediately expelled.
Ma Xiaotao had already informed the elders of Sea God Pavilion. After a full Sea God Pavilion meeting where they understood the project in detail, the elders unanimously approved the plan.
It was a project that would overturn all traditional understanding of Rank 9 soul tools: a gigantic particle collision field surrounding Sea God Lake, affecting everyone from Rank 1 soul masters to Rank 99 Limit Douluo.
"Ascension",as the name implied,was meant to allow Limit Douluo who had reached the peak in all aspects to dissolve their rings into their bodies and achieve physical godhood.
Compared to the highly restricted and singular "God Ring," Ascension emphasized both precision and raw power. It even supported soul bones. It was truly a path of using quantity to force qualitative transformation.
For many Titled Douluo whose potential was nearly exhausted, reaching Rank 95 Super Douluo would be almost guaranteed; breaking through to Rank 98 Limit Douluo would no longer be a dream.
As for losing soul skills due to ring dissolution,did the elders really not understand? After becoming Super Douluo, aside from hundred-thousand-year soul rings, most soul skills were less practical than their own fists.
And the body after dissolution was truly powerful. Had they not seen how that little girl from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan could beat fully armed Battle Soul Masters senseless just by swinging her pagoda?
Besides, the final beneficiary of this plan would be their Pavilion Master.
A host of Super Douluo, Limit Douluo, and an actual physically ascended Pavilion Master… even if Shrek rebuilt Spirit Hall itself, no one would dare object.
Of course, Shrek was a neutral academy and did not join power struggles. Yet once the Ascension device was completed, even without doing anything, elite soul masters from around the world would gather at Shrek, making it a holy land of cultivation.
With such a bright future, the massive project,prepared for more than a year,was unanimously approved and given full clearance.
…
"When we study this part of history, we cannot help but sigh. The Mentor truly treated Shrek well, even though his Youlan logs clearly recorded his disdain for teaching at the academy."
"Later scholars often summarize everything with 'gains and losses,' but I find this too one-sided. Was the deified Mentor Chen Fu completely devoid of human emotion?"
"Those who analyze him from the so-called perspective of an omniscient observer often make themselves narrow-minded. He gained many things there, including friendships. Perhaps, in some moments, the Mentor truly held a faint warmth toward Shrek."
,Excerpt from "Reflections on Visiting the Ascension Ruins"
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