“Is the soul master world and the evil soul master world two sides of the same coin?
Will leaving the three Douluo nations, where soul masters reign supreme, truly keep you safe?”
Huo Yuhao said with a grin.
“Have you ever considered the possibility that, as a whole, the soul masters on the surface face the gods, while the evil soul masters beneath the surface face the masses—and that this is the true reality of the post-Spirit Hall era?”
“What are you talking about?” Ye Guyi frowned, startled by Huo Yuhao’s astonishing words.
Huo Yuhao looked at this straightforward girl and said, “Miss Ye, whether you believe it or not, this Sun Moon Empire is swarming with evil soul masters.
You must be careful.”
After Huo Yuhao said this, Ye Guyi merely replied softly, “Mm, I understand.
Thank you for the warning.” She then fell silent and began tidying the room.
After watching her finish her work and leave, Huo Yuhao lay back on the bed and resumed his conversation with Ilex and Tianmeng.
“Elder I, do you think I should use the necromancy you taught me to infiltrate the Holy Spirit Church and investigate the situation, or should I first go learn the craft of forging weapons in this Sun Moon Empire?”
Having already reached great heights in his previous life, Huo Yuhao naturally understood that the path of soul tools was the most suitable path for humanity’s evolution and advancement on the Douluo plane.
But the choices he had to make now were not merely about increasing power or iterating technology—he also had to consider the current situation.
If he wanted to establish a foothold in the Sun Moon Empire and await an opportunity to make contact with the Holy Spirit Church, he would have to demonstrate extraordinary talent in soul tool crafting.
Yet, if he wanted to reach the greatest secret of that “Tang the Pure” on the Douluo Continent—the Holy Spirit Church—he had to appear as a blank slate, disposable at any moment, yet possessing some degree of accomplishment in the way of the soul.
In other words, his “good father-in-law Tang San” would never allow anyone with a way out to live knowing the secret of the Holy Spirit Church’s Holy Emperor.
“Since you’re here, make the best of it.
Go learn a craft first, or rather, show off your skills in the Sun Moon Empire!” Ilex offered his suggestion.
Ilex’s voice was cold, but this was because, after hearing Huo Yuhao’s account of his previous life, he had keenly sensed that the threat his disciple faced was, in essence, an ultimate Flo.
“If you go directly to the Sun Moon Empire and display the necromancy I taught you, you’re essentially gambling on whether Tang Hao’s consciousness—or even your father-in-law’s consciousness—will reach out to you based on your performance.”
“These people, whose masks have long since become their faces, will, upon seeing the current you who knows their future schemes, harbor a killing intent of unparalleled severity.”
“In that case, you, a potential threat, would be strangled in the cradle.
I can see that you do not wish to waste this second chance at life.”
Hearing Ilex’s analysis, Huo Yuhao immediately made up his mind.
“Alright, I know what I need to do!”
Several days later, Huo Yuhao arrived at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy to register.
He looked around, taking in the place where he had once met Ju Zi all those years ago.
Unlike his previous life, when he had come here as a Shrek defender and felt a sense of superiority over the Sun Moon people in terms of soul master cultivation, Huo Yuhao now used his divine sense to scan these students around him—who, by the standards of the three Douluo nations, would have had little chance of becoming soul masters—and was filled with admiration for how they had gained the possibility of cultivation through technology.
“Heaven never seals off all paths; life always finds a way!” Huo Yuhao marveled at the wisdom of humanity and the tenacity of life.
“So it’s you, lad?
Barely twelve years old, and you crafted a Rank 4 soul tool in half an hour?” At the new student registration area of the Sun Moon Royal Academy, Huo Yuhao suddenly heard a voice at his ear.
Following the source of the voice, he saw an old man whose body was nearly covered in soul tool machinery.
The moment this elder appeared, the instructors who had been handling enrollment and registration for the new students all bowed in greeting.
“Greetings, Senior Jing Hongchen…”
“It’s me!
My name is Huo Yuhao,” he said, gazing at this man who had been a stepping stone in his rise during his previous life.
A myriad of emotions churned within him.
“Let’s be direct.
I merely suspect that the Rank 4 soul tool you presented the other day has some trick to it,” Jing Hongchen said calmly.
“Could it be that an instructor had already completed the finished product, and you only did the most superficial assembly?”
“I would like to obtain verification.”
“Then please, Senior, set the test for me…” Huo Yuhao showed no irritation at Jing Hongchen’s skepticism.
Then Huo Yuhao watched as Jing Hongchen retrieved a package from his storage soul tool.
He opened it to reveal a pile of scattered alloy pieces and an engraving knife.
“Within half an hour, assemble a Rank 4 Flame Sword soul tool.
Otherwise, lad, you can pack your things and leave.”
As soon as Jing Hongchen finished speaking, Huo Yuhao set to work.
People are imitative creatures by nature.
After witnessing Jing Hongchen’s challenge to Huo Yuhao, murmurs arose from the surrounding crowd—some laced with mockery, others waiting to see him make a fool of himself.
“So young.
They say he actually whipped out a Rank 4 soul tool during the entrance test.
His family really must have pulled out all the stops!”
“Ah!
If it weren’t for Senior showing up so inopportunely, we’d probably have another specially recruited genius junior among us!”
In the Sun Moon Empire, where everything depended on innate talent—a different kind of talent from the bloodline inheritance that determined one’s lot in rebirth—people harbored an instinctive hostility toward family-based privilege passed down through blood ties.
Unfortunately, in the field of soul tool crafting, these people were destined to be nothing more than green leaves framing the red flower that was Huo Yuhao.
When a pillar of flame shot into the sky and Huo Yuhao handed the completed, exquisite Flame Sword soul tool to Jing Hongchen, gasps of astonishment erupted from the crowd.
“Good heavens, how is this possible?”
“Could he be the legendary child of destiny who, upon releasing his kingly aura, compels all to kneel in submission?”
No one would believe that a new student could have bribed Jing Hongchen—unless that new student were Crown Prince Xu Tianran.
But would Xu Tianran, who actually had a throne waiting for him at home, bother playing such games?
When Jing Hongchen’s spiritual sense swept over the soul tool Huo Yuhao had handed him, he too was utterly stunned.
He had never imagined he would witness such a miraculous scene.
“Lad, you—who taught you this soul tool crafting technique?” Jing Hongchen asked, almost incoherent.
“Who taught me?
I read many, many books—I learned from them!” Huo Yuhao scratched his head and then rattled off a list of titles, such as The Mathematical Principles of Soul Power and Principles of Soul Power Control.
“Learned from books?
It should be heaven-bestowed talent!” Jing Hongchen thought to himself, speechless.
As the most powerful soul engineer of this era, he understood many things: in the study of soul tool crafting, if one merely read books, given the comprehension of most people, the result would be utter confusion.
“Senior, then regarding this test you gave me—have I passed?” In this life, facing Jing Hongchen, Huo Yuhao maintained a very humble demeanor.
“Passed?
Of course you’ve passed!” Jing Hongchen hurriedly said.
With such a young genius soul engineer standing before him, he did not want to let this opportunity slip by.
“For now, stay at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
When the chance arises, I will take you to the Mingde Hall’s laboratory.”
And so, the first day of registration was completed.
However, Huo Yuhao chose not to board at the academy but instead returned to the Mingyue Hotel to stay.
“Little Yuhao, this old man senses that your choice to enter the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy is not merely about establishing a foothold in this empire.
You must have other plans, yes?”
Hearing Ilex’s voice echo through his spiritual sea, Huo Yuhao paused for a moment before replying, “Indeed, Master knows me well.
My plan is to forge a divine artifact.”