Emma

"Hello? Are you there?"

"I'm here, I'm here. Lord Su Xuan called for me—how could I not be here?"

Su Xuan asked irritably, "Enough nonsense. How's the progress on your end?"

Wood Spirit sounded quite aggrieved.

"Lord Su Xuan, I've already been doing exactly as you instructed. Stop rushing me. And this kind of long-distance communication consumes a great deal of energy. Call less often in the future. You're weak right now, and it's all my energy being spent."

"Get lost. Hurry it up over there. Set up the base stations as soon as possible—use radio waves directly, then phones and computers. Bring about the information age, and there'll never be communication troubles again."

Wood Spirit was speechless.

"You really know how to dream. How many days has it even been? I gathered every blacksmith and engineer in Spirit City to help, and only yesterday did we finally finish forging the parts for Emma's first robot body. And I have to make every circuit and loop myself. That bunch of natives doesn't understand any of it. Lord Su Xuan, give me more good stuff when you come back. I've been staying up late working for weeks."

"Got it. I still need to make a trip to Heaven Dou. Get as much done as you can on your end. Also, remember the soul masters—their unique power in this world. Use them as workers. It might produce unexpected results."

Wood Spirit considered it carefully for a while. "Perhaps you have a point. I'll give it a try later."

"Alright, that's it then. Bye."

Su Xuan ended the exchange.

This conversation had been relayed through the Ambrosial Arbor as a base station, with the Soul Contracts on their bodies serving as the medium. Just as Wood Spirit had said, it consumed an enormous amount of energy.

Su Xuan thought it over carefully and sighed. Perhaps he had been a little too impatient. Still, pursuing scientific development—he did not know whether the laws of science even applied in this world. There might be countless difficulties ahead. But...

Su Xuan walked to the window and looked out at the bustling crowd below. They were the true common people of Douluo Continent. They had no chance to control their own fates. On this continent, where bloodlines and martial souls determined everything, life was far too unfriendly to ordinary people.

Su Xuan lowered his gaze. If he wanted to change this reality, then perhaps science was the best method—and perhaps the only one.

"Big brother~~"

Gu Yuena rushed in and threw herself into Su Xuan's arms like a swallow returning to its nest, adorably rubbing her head against him.

Su Xuan smiled bitterly. He had forgotten another matter. In the future, he would also have to resolve the conflict between soul beasts and soul masters. The road ahead was long indeed.

"What is it?"

"Hu Liena and Zhu Zhuqing said they've recovered. We can set out now."

Thinking of that left Su Xuan speechless again. Two days ago, after beating Tang San up, he had left Yu Xiaogang's room and returned to the Spirit Hall branch. There, he discovered that Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena had practically taken up residence in the toilet. Not until nighttime, when their stomachs seemed completely emptied, did they emerge while bracing themselves against the walls, looking utterly drained.

They just had to eat food made by my little sister. Fine then—a three-day enhanced diarrhea package. Are they better now?

Su Xuan did not dwell on such trivialities. "Alright. We'll leave tomorrow morning. First, we'll pick up Tang San from Yu Xiaogang's place, then head straight for Heaven Dou."

Tang San had been staying at Grandmaster's home these past two days. As for Xiao Wu, she seemed rather unhappy lately. She had kept herself shut in her room and had not come out at all. The three beautiful girls had not yet met this pink Rabbit.

Wood Spirit pondered, "Perhaps it's a good idea. After all, ordinary people's abilities are indeed limited."

At that moment, a robot walked over. Its entire body was made from genuine steel, and it looked remarkably solid.

The robot spoke, its voice unexpectedly lively and melodious, like a lark's. "Ugly. It's truly ugly!"

Wood Spirit spread his hands helplessly. "The craftsmanship in this world is just that bad. What, were you expecting the body of a beautiful girl?"

Emma gritted her teeth. "I refuse to believe it can't be done! As the old saying goes, man can conquer nature! Starting today, I'll work myself to death and grind hard for a while. This fierce-looking steel body doesn't suit the soul of a sweet young maiden like me at all. Today's little goal: build ten worker robots."

Wood Spirit was speechless. Just like her master, this girl was utterly unrealistic. "Wake up, Emma. Think about it. The blacksmiths here spent over a week just forging the modular parts for one body like yours, and you expect to finish ten robots in one day? That's completely unrealistic."

"Are you stupid? Isn't the master's mother especially fond of him? Have him ask her for a few Titled Douluo to refine steel for us!"

You master and servant really are unexpectedly alike when it comes to treating soul masters as tools, Wood Spirit complained inwardly.

"What good can come of having ordinary people refine steel every day? Go ask for people right now."

"I can go, but I can't guarantee I'll get them."

Emma was speechless. "Of course you won't get them! What I mean is, can't you communicate remotely? Relay the call to them and have the master ask himself!"

Wood Spirit sighed helplessly. Fine, fine. The greater the effort, the greater the reward. If Lord Su Xuan saw how well he had done when he returned, perhaps he would give him more good things.

"Alright, alright. I'll go first. Stay here."

"Go on, go on."

Wood Spirit left the secluded valley and headed for Spirit Hall.

Emma, meanwhile, recalled the first time she had gained consciousness.

Star City A.

"Hahaha, Dr. Zhang, look at how pretty this girl is. How cute she is. I feel like we're destined to be together. How about her?"

"Oh, Prince Su Xuan, are you sure you do not wish to reconsider? There was an accident during this chip's design, and she seems to have developed her own consciousness. She can be considered a form of technological life. Although such cases are rare, they are not without precedent. Some have even developed their own intelligence and then turned against their masters. For safety reasons, I would not recommend it. Besides, we already have fully developed intelligent AI. Something we cannot fully control... we had originally planned to destroy her in a few days."

She barely managed to open her eyes. The first person she saw was a young man in white, around eleven or twelve years old. He had red lips, white teeth, and peerless handsome features, and he was looking at her with a smiling gaze.

For the first time in her existence as a chip, she felt something. It seemed to be... shyness?

The youth smiled. "It's alright, Dr. Zhang. If someone can betray you, it only proves that your personal charm is lacking. Besides, I feel that this one and I are fated. Dr. Zhang, you know that our faith values fate above all else. So, let it be her."

The handsome middle-aged man beside him smiled as well. "Since Your Highness has made up his mind, I shall say no more. Now, please give her a name, Prince Su Xuan."

Su Xuan looked at the girl on the LCD screen before him and said with a smile, "I feel that you and I are fated, so today, I chose to take you with me. I hope we can get along happily in the future. As for your name..." Su Xuan scratched his head in distress. He had always struggled with naming things, but then an idea suddenly flashed through his mind. "How about calling you Emma from now on?"

Her newly awakened mind seemed to comprehend it. From now on, from now on, I'll be called Emma. I won't just be a cold string of numbers anymore. And this young man before me—the one who gave me a name and a new life—what should I call him?

Dr. Zhang said with a smile, "Then, Your Highness Xuan, let me input some instructions for her now, along with the technologies you requested, into her database."

Su Xuan nodded. "Then I'll leave it to you, Dr. Zhang."

"Hahaha, Your Highness is too polite. These are merely small matters."

Emma sensed the stream of data being transmitted. She searched through it, searched... ah, she found it. So, so your name was Su Xuan.

What a lovely name. Would you be my master from now on? According to her programming, she was to remain loyal to this boy for the rest of her life, placing his commands above all else.

Emma secretly glanced at the white-clad youth. Now, she was about to enter the chip's dormant state. She wondered when she would wake again.

Emma smiled. In the days ahead, please take good care of your robot girl, my master, Su Xuan.