Soul Tool Joint Conference

On the way back, Huo Yuhao noticed that some of the especially tall buildings had banners hanging from them, clearly bearing the words: "The Soul Tool Joint Conference is about to begin."

Curious, Huo Yuhao quickly asked Lan Mei about it.

Hearing Huo Yuhao's question, Lan Mei casually glanced at the banners and said, "That thing? I remember it was initiated by Shrek Academy. They joined forces with some sects from the Three Great Empires to participate in discussions on plans for developing soul tools."

"Come to think of it, when this happened, it caused quite a stir within the former Three Great Empires of the Douluo Continent. A lot of nobles opposed the spread of soul tools, but the ones getting headaches over their opposition were the Royal Families of those three empires. The big shots in our Shrek City couldn't care less about them."

"Anyway, soul tools are divided into military and civilian types. We commoners don't understand military soul tools, but we know all too well how useful civilian soul tools are. Still, most non-standard civilian soul tools have a major flaw: they lack a stable source of soul power."

"If an ordinary household doesn't have a Soul Master, nobody uses soul tools. After all, if you buy a soul tool but have no energy source to power it, it's no different from buying scrap metal. Better not to buy it at all."

"The Soul Guiding Lamps you see by the roadside and those used in homes are collectively known as standard civilian soul tools. Their energy is supplied by Shrek City's Soul Supply Department. Apparently, there are three groups totaling twelve hundred Soul Masters on standby at all times to replenish their soul power."

"Shrek Academy students above Fourth Year also help replenish the energy once a week. Even visiting Soul Masters can sign up to participate, and they earn a decent sum of Gold Soul Coins every time they help out. I used to go when I had nothing else to do."

Listening to Lan Mei's explanation, Huo Yuhao looked at the banner and finally gained some understanding.

But clearly, none of this had ever been mentioned in the Original Work.

Still, the lack of a stable soul power source...

Was likely one of the major factors limiting the development of civilian soul tools.

The people of the Douluo Continent had practically put their entire technology tree into soul power research.

Unless there was a breakthrough in soul power research, everything else was just empty talk.

No wonder Xuan Ziwen's status in Mingde Hall had skyrocketed after he created the Sealed Milk Bottle in the Original Work.

But the one who truly changed everything in the end was Kong Deming, with his Solar Energy to Soul Power Conversion Technology.

Of course, the God Realm was also partly responsible. After the God Realm was blown away by the Space-Time Turbulence, the seal that had locked down the Douluo Continent disappeared along with it, allowing the people of the Douluo Continent to fly into outer space.

"Honestly, if someone could create a stable soul power source that didn't rely on human input, I bet people all over the world would worship him as a god."

Lan Mei looked at Huo Yuhao and made the teasing remark.

"The little lady's right. If someone could come up with a stable soul power source, I reckon the people of the Douluo Continent would be burning incense and praying to him." The driver of the horse-drawn bus chimed in with a laugh.

Huo Yuhao's gaze shifted, his eyes deepening.

After they got home, Lan Mei immediately began preparing the ingredients, while Huo Yuhao handled the kitchen utensils in the back. Once everything had been washed clean, he would make some grilled skewers for Lan Mei as promised.

After setting up the utensils and charcoal, he immediately went to help Lan Mei prepare the ingredients.

"Finished?" Lan Mei sat on a small stool and noticed Huo Yuhao sitting down beside her.

"Mm." Huo Yuhao nodded and seriously began helping Lan Mei prepare the ingredients.

"How was the Sunlight Blueberry you ate last night?" Lan Mei asked as she washed the vegetables.

Huo Yuhao paused, then replied in an unreadable tone, "Very good."

"It doesn't have much effect at night, unfortunately. After you finish grilling later, Sister Lan Mei will give you two more. Today's nice and sunny, perfect for cultivation." Lan Mei said.

"Alright. By the way, Sister Lan Mei, does this Sunlight Blueberry have any usage restrictions?" Huo Yuhao asked.

Lan Mei answered at once, "Of course. One person can eat at most two a day. And if the Soul Master using the Sunlight Blueberry is stronger than me, then the effect of this Soul Skill will become extremely weak."

"Two a day?" Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered.

"I have another question. Does the Sunlight Blueberry really only increase a Soul Master's cultivation speed?" There was something more behind Huo Yuhao's words.

Lan Mei glanced at him. "Don't underestimate the effect of increasing cultivation speed. Back then, even Xiaotao's teacher praised my Soul Skill for being incredibly powerful."

"I'm not underestimating it. I'm just curious whether this Soul Skill might have other effects." Huo Yuhao hurriedly explained.

Hearing that, Lan Mei fell silent for a moment. "To be honest, I don't know if there are other effects either. This Soul Skill is entirely a Mutated Soul Skill. It might even continue mutating in the future. Maybe other effects will appear someday."

Only then did Huo Yuhao nod in understanding.

After that, the two chatted on and off, spending nearly an hour and a half sorting through all the ingredients.

"Alright, finally finished. Little Yuhao, go get the grill ready. Sister Lan Mei wants to taste your cooking." Looking at the prepared and packaged ingredients, Lan Mei nodded in satisfaction and spoke to Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao went over to the grill.

There were bags of charcoal on the ground. He first spent some effort lighting it, then waited until the flames burned red and hot, allowing the remaining unlit charcoal to ignite fully as well. Otherwise, the flames could flare up while grilling and burn someone. That was what people called an open flame, and it could easily scorch the food.

Once that was done, Huo Yuhao used a small hammer to gently break the larger chunks of charcoal into smaller pieces, spreading them evenly through the grill's trough. That way, the meat would heat more evenly while grilling.

Feeling the indoor temperature begin to rise, Huo Yuhao gathered a little over two-thirds of the scattered charcoal together, creating a heat level slightly above medium.

The next thing he would grill was marinated meat skewers, and low heat was not suitable for grilling those.

"Little Yuhao, you really know what you're doing." Lan Mei watched Huo Yuhao's movements in surprise. On the plate beside her sat over twenty meat skewers, along with some skewered vegetables.

"I learned by watching other people do it." Huo Yuhao explained with a smile.

Once the charcoal's temperature and flames were suitable, Huo Yuhao immediately picked up the pile of meat skewers and placed them on the grill.

As for the vegetables, he put them over the area with less charcoal.

Before long, the rich aroma of meat drifted from the grill.

The flames forced fat from the meat skewers, which dripped onto the charcoal. The surface of the meat gradually tightened, and with the help of his Spirit Eye Martial Soul, Huo Yuhao perfectly controlled the heat, turning the skewers at just the right moment every time.

There were some seasonings beside the grill, though not many, and the selection was rather plain.

As for the vegetables, he brushed them with oil, brightening their color while keeping them from burning. The low heat gradually turned their surfaces golden-brown, causing the vegetables to curl up. At that point, he added salt and a little Chili Powder.

Finally, he brushed on a layer of Aunt Lan's special sauce. Since the vegetables had not been marinated and lacked any underlying flavor, this was the final step to add some taste. Thus ended the vegetables' grilled ordeal.

"Sister Lan Mei, have these vegetable skewers first. The meat skewers need a little longer." Huo Yuhao placed the vegetable skewers onto another clean plate.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Lan Mei carried the plate over to a nearby table. She lowered her head and sniffed it, and her eyes immediately lit up. "It smells amazing. It can really compete with Mom's barbecue."

As she spoke, Lan Mei immediately picked up a piece of baby bok choy and put it into her mouth. Enduring the scalding heat, she blew out breaths as she chewed, and her eyes grew increasingly satisfied.

Dear readers, this book has successfully advanced to the third round of PK. Thank you all for your support.

This book will include slices of daily life, though it may feel a little padded at times. Of course, once these chapters are over, the first minor climax of the plot will arrive.