Ning Jingchen quickly picked up the Level-1 soul tool Bai Chen had just created. He examined it repeatedly in his hands before finally setting it down and letting out a long breath.
Hua Tianyu asked nervously:
"Sect Master… how is it?"
Although he was a Titled Douluo, he belonged to the traditional camp and knew almost nothing about soul tools.
At most, he could tell that Bai Chen's technique looked extremely skilled. Beyond that, he understood nothing.
Ning Jingchen glanced at him, his voice trembling slightly.
"Elder Hua… our sect may have just produced a genius comparable to Tang San, the Sea God from ten thousand years ago!"
"You mean…!"
Hua Tianyu immediately became excited.
Ning Jingchen did not answer directly. Instead, he said in a deep voice:
"Elder Hua, please inform the other high-ranking members. We need to seriously discuss the sect's future development strategy."
"Yes!"
Both men clearly understood what it meant to be a Level-1 Soul Engineer at the age of six.
Even within the Sun Moon Empire, such talent would likely be unprecedented.
With monstrous talent both as a soul master and a soul engineer, Bai Chen had already reached a level where Ning Jingchen was willing to adjust the entire development path of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect for his sake.
What happened afterward was unknown to Bai Chen.
After all, he was still only a six-year-old child, and had no qualifications to attend the sect's high-level meetings.
What he did know was that the very next day Ning Jingchen came to find him.
The sect had agreed to his request.
He and Ning Tian would be sent to the Sun Moon Empire to study for five years.
After those five years, his future would be decided based on his achievements.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's requirement was simple:
Within five years, Bai Chen must become at least a Level-3 Soul Engineer.
If he failed, he would have to return to the Three Douluo Empires with Ning Tian.
But if he could truly become a Level-3 Soul Engineer by the age of eleven, the sect would allow him much greater freedom in choosing his path.
For ordinary people, becoming a Level-3 Soul Engineer at eleven would be pure fantasy.
But for Bai Chen, it was not difficult at all.
As a transmigrator, he had possessed a higher starting point from the very beginning.
Awakening powerful martial souls had also given him a learning speed far beyond ordinary people.
If he still couldn't meet such a requirement, he might as well give up entirely.
Half a day later, a carriage left Heaven Dou City, heading toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
Aside from the driver, only four people were seated inside:
Bai Chen
Hua Tianyu
Ning Jingchen
Ning Tian
They had decided that after helping Bai Chen obtain his first soul ring, they would immediately send Bai Chen and Ning Tian to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.
The academy did not reject students from other nations.
In fact, as long as the price was right, they welcomed talented individuals from the Three Empires.
They had even established a junior academy specifically for children between six and twelve years old.
That was the division Bai Chen and Ning Tian planned to enter.
Perhaps because it was the first time she had ever traveled so far from home, Ning Tian looked somewhat nervous.
She tried hard to appear calm, sitting upright with a serious expression.
But the stiffness in her posture betrayed her unease.
Seeing this, Bai Chen felt a bit helpless.
No matter how strong her personality was, she was still just a six-year-old girl.
In fact, for someone her age to act this mature already showed how extraordinary she was.
He decided to speak up.
"Young Miss, are you scared?"
"I'm not scared!"
Ning Tian immediately denied it.
But judging from her raised voice and overly quick response, she was clearly frightened.
Bai Chen smiled.
"Then how about I show you a magic trick?"
"Magic?"
Not only Ning Tian, but Ning Jingchen and Hua Tianyu also turned their heads curiously.
"That's right. Magic."
In his previous life, Bai Chen had spent a lot of time around children for certain reasons.
To entertain them, he had learned a few simple magic tricks.
Magic mainly relied on misdirection and an understanding of human psychology.
He might not be able to fool someone like Hua Tianyu.
But tricking a child like Ning Tian would be effortless.
He took out a copper soul coin from his pocket and asked:
"Look. How many coins are here?"
"One. Why?"
Ning Tian frowned, confused by such an obvious question.
Bai Chen chuckled.
He tossed the coin into the air and quickly caught it.
"And now? How many?"
"…Still one."
"Wrong."
He opened his palm with a grin.
"Three."
Three copper soul coins lay quietly in his hand.
"Th-this… how did you do that?!"
Ning Tian stared in shock and quickly asked.
Bai Chen smiled slightly.
"Why don't you guess?"
"Is it your martial soul ability?"
"Nope."
"Did Elder Hua secretly help you cheat?"
"Nope."
"Then… then…"
Ning Tian looked completely baffled.
She clearly couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she tried.
Bai Chen looked at her with quiet satisfaction.
Yes.
Curious, lively, full of wonder about the world around her.
That was what a child should be like.
Bai Chen didn't oppose children becoming mature earlier than others.
But he didn't want them to lose their innocence too soon either.
Childhood was one of the most important stages in a person's life.
It was the most carefree time—and once it passed, it would never return.
He didn't want this overly mature girl to lose the joy of childhood.
He hoped that whenever she looked back on her life in the future, she would remember her childhood as a happy one.
Bai Chen smiled.
"So? Are you still scared now?"
"…"
Ning Tian's body trembled slightly.
The intelligent girl seemed to quickly understand the meaning behind his words.
She puffed up her cheeks and said stubbornly:
"I already told you—I wasn't scared at all!"
"Yes, yes. Of course."
Bai Chen laughed.
"Then Young Miss, would you like to see another magic trick?"
"I do!"
Watching the two children bicker and laugh, Ning Jingchen and Hua Tianyu exchanged a glance.
Both of them couldn't help but smile.
With their cultivation levels, they could easily see through Bai Chen's little trick.
But since Bai Chen clearly didn't want to reveal the secret to Ning Tian, they naturally wouldn't ruin the fun.
They had both noticed how tense Ning Tian had been earlier.
Yet after Bai Chen's playful distraction, her nervousness had quietly disappeared.
Along with it, the invisible barrier between her and Bai Chen had also vanished.
And so the rest of the journey passed in laughter and cheerful conversation between the two children.