“Little Yuhao, you worked hard for months to create this device, and you’re sure you don’t want the technical patent?” Xuan Ziwen was quite perplexed.
As someone deeply passionate about soul tool technology, he understood the hardships involved in the research and development process.
“Compared to the meager profits a patent would bring, I’d much rather create a major event.” Huo Yuhao put on a passionate and impassioned demeanor.
“Teacher, you know that I’m very interested in things that benefit the masses.”
“Then suit yourself.
You really are an odd one, lad,” Xuan Ziwen remarked with a sigh.
What Huo Yuhao had asked Xuan Ziwen to do was simple: spread the word about these two green robe-like portable soul tools and their manufacturing process.
He knew exactly what this meant: the Sun Moon Empire would soon gain the capability to simultaneously overwhelm the three Douluo nations.
If this had been the Huo Yuhao of his previous life—the one fanatically devoted to Shrek Academy, with that fervor extending even to the three Douluo nations by association—he would never have acted this way.
Unfortunately for the three Douluo nations, he was Huo Yuhao, not the domesticated dog of the Tang family from his previous life—Dai Yuhao.
“In fact, back when Sanshi was talking with Jiang Nannan about how the Heavenly Soul Empire had already fallen, how you had become the emperor of the Dou Ling Empire, and how I could take over the Sun Moon Empire just by accepting Ju Zi…
I should have realized it then,”
On his way back to the Mingyue Hotel, Huo Yuhao entered his “Spectator” state within his spiritual essence, leafing through the records of the Peerless Tang Sect as he murmured, as if conversing with old acquaintances from his past life.
“Just as the Heaven Dou Empire meant nothing more to Tang San than the backdrop for his title of Blue Hao King, your blind acceptance of Shrek’s narrative was probably not purely due to fanaticism either.”
Upon returning to the Mingyue Hotel, Huo Yuhao was surprised to find that Ju Zi had come to dine there that day.
And her appearance was clearly no coincidence—she was there specifically for him, because the moment she spotted him, she immediately looked his way and called out a greeting.
“Senior Ju Zi, what are you doing here?”
After tossing Huo Yuhao a food fruit, Ju Zi said, “Naturally, I came to talk with you.”
In his previous life, her actions after he had fallen unconscious still felt to him as vivid as if they had happened yesterday.
With a complicated expression, he asked, “Senior Ju Zi, what exactly do we have to talk about?”
“Of course, it’s about that armor soul tool you invented that feels no different from wearing ordinary clothes.” Ju Zi’s tone was still as languid as ever.
“I can sense that this weapon is a meticulously designed instrument of war.
Care to share your strategy?”
“Senior Ju Zi, you’re overthinking things!
What kind of strategy could someone like me, who just learns a craft and does a bit of research, possibly have?” Huo Yuhao put on an innocent, harmless look and spoke in a weak voice.
Ju Zi wasn’t particularly serious either, continuing in her easygoing manner: “Do you think I can’t tell that your Star Luo accent indicates you have countless connections to the most powerful of the three Douluo nations—the Star Luo Empire?”
“And yet, you, with such ties, have presented that armor soul tool that wears like an ordinary green robe, effectively arming the entire Sun Moon Empire.
Because with the same population, the Sun Moon Empire can mobilize far more military forces than the three Douluo nations.
And the appearance of this soul tool would make every mobilized soldier of the Sun Moon Empire equivalent to a soul master of the three Douluo nations.”
“So don’t try to tell me you’re just doing research.
You must have a grudge against the Star Luo Empire.” It was only at this point that Ju Zi’s expression turned serious.
“If that’s the case, then the Star Luo Empire is simply out of luck.
But I truly don’t have any strategy,” Huo Yuhao replied, still maintaining the facade of a pure, innocent flower.
This was because he knew that the one listening to his words at this moment was not just Ju Zi, but also a Divine King seated before the central hub of the divine realm—one whose face bore a look of compassionate benevolence and pity for all beings.
At this point, Ju Zi spoke again: “If you’re unwilling to be candid, then so be it.
How about I tell you a story of mine?”
“Oh, by all means, Senior, please continue.” Huo Yuhao adopted a posture of eager listening.
“Many years ago, my hometown was still territory of the Star Luo Empire.
At that time, the Star Luo Empire produced a genius general, the White Tiger War God Dai Hao, who was said to be invincible wherever he went.” Ju Zi began narrating her tale in a measured, flowing manner.
“For my family—a family living on the border like that—we initially saw this as the dawn of hope, because everyone hoped that General Dai Hao’s army would quickly repel the Sun Moon Empire.”
“But soon, people discovered the true source of this so-called White Tiger War God’s military achievements.
Killing innocents and claiming them as military merits!
By slapping a label of ‘Sun Moon sleeper agent’ directly onto us commoners, the Star Luo soldiers could slaughter us with clear consciences.”
“Later, that area of my home was conquered by the Sun Moon Empire and became part of its territory.
The Sun Moon Empire had never been particularly interested in the Star Luo Empire, because its true covetous gaze was fixed upon the rich resources of the former Heaven Dou Empire.
Thus, the sparsely defended border between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire once again became a hunting ground for that White Tiger War God to earn his accolades.”
“My father became one of that White Tiger Duke’s military achievements in such circumstances.
From the moment my father died, I swore that the meaning of my life would be to eliminate the White Tiger Duke and avenge my father.”
Hearing Ju Zi reach this point, Huo Yuhao fell silent.
Had he not known this in his previous life?
Back then, Ju Zi had never told him the first half of this story—only that her father had died when Dai Hao’s army attacked the Sun Moon Empire.
But how could he not have guessed what kind of beast in human skin his own father, Dai Hao, truly was?
Just thinking about how, in the divine realm, he had been held hostage by that “Sea God” and “Asura God” dual-god fused “Divine Realm Enforcer,” his “pure and innocent good father-in-law” Tang San, who had kept his mother in his grasp, and how he had spent tens of thousands of years with these people as “Dai Yuhao,” made him feel like he had lived his life as a complete joke.
Now, hearing Ju Zi’s words directly expose Dai Hao’s deeds, Huo Yuhao found it hard to keep his composure.
“Then, Senior Ju Zi, what do you plan to do?” Huo Yuhao asked blankly.
“Even if the Sun Moon Empire goes to war with the Star Luo Empire and wins, the Star Luo Empire—or the White Tiger Dai family—would only need to surrender, lay down their arms, and submit with proper etiquette to become wealthy landowners once again.
No matter how much you hate them, what can you really do to him?”
This was Huo Yuhao provoking Ju Zi.
Having come back for a second round, he knew what Ju Zi would do and what cards she held in her hand.
None of these were things that Dai Hao—or Dai Yuhao, the dog who had once been his bloodsucking tool—could possibly handle.
Then he heard Ju Zi’s voice: “In essence, the three Douluo nations are the most cunning bloodsuckers.
Their control and exploitation of commoners is no different from that of the Spirit Empire, the very entity they denounce as the most evil existence.”
“If there’s any difference, it’s that the Spirit Empire at least truly cherished soul masters, even the low-ranking ones, as treasures, while the three Douluo nations are environments ruled entirely by the law of the jungle.” Ju Zi locked eyes with Huo Yuhao and said, “Yuhao, if you’re willing to cooperate with me, there’s no reason we can’t destroy them, just like they claim Tang San destroyed the Spirit Hall.
Would you consider it?”
“I’ll think about it…” Huo Yuhao still maintained the posture of an outsider.
“Like Tang San?” In his previous life, Huo Yuhao had not failed to consider this matter, but…