Qianran hadn't paid much attention to Juzi's cultivation level in the original story.
Juzi ultimately seized military power from Xu Tiannan and became the Grand Marshal of the Sun Moon Empire. At that stage, her personal strength was no longer a determining factor.
Though Juzi appeared to be a charming and innocent beauty, she was, in fact, highly intelligent, deeply strategic, and exceptionally talented in military matters. She was ruthless toward enemies and displayed extraordinary leadership under crisis, embodying the qualities of a great general. This was evident from her meteoric rise: within three years of taking command, she annihilated the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires and nearly crushed the Star Luo Empire, bringing the Sun Moon Empire close to uniting the Douluo and Sun Moon Continents.
Her childhood experiences had made her highly calculating and cautious. In the presence of the suspicious Xu Tiannan, she maintained a facade of obedience, decorum, and humility, always careful to hide her true emotions. She often referred to herself as a mere servant.
Juzi's ability to gain Xu Tiannan's trust was the result of years of careful planning. Early on, Xu Tiannan was ambushed by his younger brother, who nearly succeeded in killing him. Juzi, gravely injured in the process, had saved his life. It was then that her scheme to infiltrate the upper echelons of the Sun Moon Empire likely began.
However, Juzi's sole weakness lay in her cultivation. Her martial soul put her at a disadvantage, and no matter how hard she worked, it was difficult to overcome.
"Is there really no way to change this?" Juzi asked bitterly. If her strength remained weak, her life would always be at the mercy of others. Despite her years of walking on thin ice and earning Xu Tiannan's trust, she knew the day would come when his suspicion would turn toward her. What she craved was the ability to control her own fate—and strength would bring her that security.
"Qianran, you must have a way, right?"
Keke, meanwhile, was massaging Qianran's arm and had already moved behind him to knead his shoulders. She had no intention of remaining stuck at the Soul Emperor level for the rest of her life. At the very least, she wanted to experience the power of a martial soul avatar.
"There's a way, of course. If you sought help from others, it would be impossible. But I'm different. With my methods, you could even have a shot at becoming Titled Douluo. The question is, what's in it for me?" Qianran smiled slyly.
"Oh, come on, Qianran! Don't be so stingy!"
"But can you really help us reach Titled Douluo? Even in the Sun Moon Empire, there aren't many of them," Keke said, her eyes sparkling as she redoubled her effort to massage his shoulders.
She didn't have much hope, though. Becoming a Titled Douluo? She assumed Qianran was exaggerating.
Still, even if she couldn't reach Titled Douluo, becoming a Soul Douluo would be amazing. Even just achieving Soul Sage level would fulfill her lifelong dream. A Soul Sage with a full set of seventh-level soul tools was already an immensely powerful figure in her eyes. Soul Sages could even operate eighth-level soul tools.
Juzi, however, thought differently. Whether Soul Sage or Soul Douluo, neither would help her escape Xu Tiannan's grasp. But if she could become a Titled Douluo...
Her gaze at Qianran changed subtly. She sensed that he wasn't joking. The way he spoke seemed less like boasting and more like stating a simple fact.
"Can it really be done?" Juzi asked, her voice betraying a glimmer of hope.
"Yes," Qianran replied without hesitation.
"What do we have to give in return?" Juzi pressed. She didn't believe Qianran would help them for free. If they wanted to gain from him, they would surely have to offer something of equal value.
"What do you think?" Qianran's gaze roamed over Juzi and Keke. Their slender waists, petite white shoes, and tightly fitted academy uniforms made them a charming sight.
Both Juzi and Keke shuddered under Qianran's scrutinizing eyes, feeling as if they were completely exposed before him. His penetrating gaze seemed to strip them bare.
"Absolutely not," Juzi refused outright. In her heart, power came second to her primary goal: seizing military authority within the Sun Moon Empire to avenge her parents. If she agreed to Qianran's terms, everything she had painstakingly built in Xu Tiannan's eyes would crumble instantly.
"Fine, fine. For the sake of our camaraderie, I'll reluctantly help you out," Qianran said with a playful smile.
"I can enhance the potential of your martial souls. If you follow my methods, breaking through to Soul Sage should be achievable. Anything beyond that, though, will come at an additional cost," he added, teasingly.
In Qianran's estimation, Juzi and Keke's cultivation conditions were among the worst he'd seen in people he was familiar with. Even Nana, who wasn't particularly outstanding, was in much better shape.
Nana's Ghost Martial Soul made her a valuable asset to the Holy Spirit Cult and offered decent prospects as a Control-type soul engineer. In contrast, Juzi and Keke, while considered elite at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, still lagged far behind. Most students at the Academy struggled even to break through to Soul King.
Qianran didn't blame them for using medicinal aids to forcefully boost their cultivation. Without those, their growth potential was still limited by their martial souls. If not for the inherent disadvantages of their martial souls, the Sun Moon Empire would have already overpowered other nations.
Even Juzi was surprised that Qianran agreed to help them. Given their current states, breaking through to Soul Sage would still require a significant investment of resources.
"Qianran, you're the best! I love you!" Keke exclaimed with a laugh, throwing her arms around Qianran's neck and planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Don't thank me yet. If you truly want to improve, you'll have to dedicate all your time outside of lab work to training with me. Let me be clear—if you can't endure hardship, don't even think about it," Qianran warned.
Juzi and Keke's cultivation was fundamentally unstable. Despite being at the Soul King level, their soul power reserves were relatively low, and their soul power was filled with impurities. A combination of medicinal aids and rigorous training would be necessary to correct this.
Only after stabilizing their foundations could Qianran help them further. Otherwise, a shaky foundation would create endless problems in the future.
With the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well at his disposal, Qianran had no shortage of cultivation resources. In fact, since he hadn't yet formed his maid team, most of his resources were going unused. The rewards from his system alone had piled up, including treasures far more valuable than the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's heavenly herbs.
"We get it! Whatever you say, we'll do! We can handle hardship!" Keke promised eagerly. Juzi nodded in agreement, equally curious about what methods Qianran might employ.
Qianran, being a peerless genius, surely had his own unique approach to cultivation.
(Chapter End)
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