Three Months of Genius? This Old Man Will Let You Surpass Him in Two Months!

Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu, Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy.

Looking out, there were towering buildings constructed from unknown metals, refracting a silver-gray luster under the sunlight.

Soul Tool Testing Ground.

This was an extremely open space, the ground paved with high-strength alloy, surrounded by protective barrier emitters capable of absorbing Soul Power impacts.

Xiao Hongchen walked at the front with his hands in his pockets, a look of arrogance on his face, while Meng Hongchen followed lightly at his side.

Behind them, Huo Hao, Huo Yuhao, and Huo Yu—three brothers—were curiously surveying their surroundings.

"We're here."

Xiao Hongchen stopped, his chin lifting slightly as he pointed at a silver metal tube-like object on the testing platform ahead.

It was about a meter long, with a streamlined design, its surface engraved with a complex and intricate Core Array, faintly emitting a chilling Soul Power fluctuation.

"This is the latest developed Fixed Soul Cannon. Though it's only a fourth-level Soul Tool, it's been specially optimized in structure."

Xiao Hongchen casually picked up the cannon barrel as if it were a toy.

"Its usage threshold is extremely low. A Two Rings Soul Grand Master just needs to inject enough Soul Power, and it can be fired through the Core Array's conversion. Of course, if a Four Rings Soul Ancestor activates it, only a minimal amount of Soul Power is needed to unleash its maximum power."

As he spoke, Xiao Hongchen turned his head, his gaze carrying a hint of provocation and showmanship as it swept over the three Huo brothers.

"Watch closely. This is the power of Soul Tools."

With that, Xiao Hongchen lifted the cannon barrel with one hand and casually injected a stream of Soul Power.

Hum—

The Core Array on the barrel's surface lit up instantly, emitting a low, resonant hum.

Then, a blinding white light burst from the muzzle, accompanied by a sharp screech that tore through the air, shooting straight toward a Metal Puppet a hundred meters away.

Boom—!

A deafening explosion.

Dust billowed, and waves of heat rolled outward.

When the dust cleared, the pupils of the three Huo brothers sharply contracted.

That specially made Metal Puppet had completely lost its upper half, leaving only two charred metal legs standing alone, with molten iron still flowing from the severed edges.

"Hiss—"

The three of them drew in a sharp breath in unison, exchanging glances, all seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

Such terrifying power!

Just now, Xiao Hongchen hadn't used any soul skill—he'd merely injected some Soul Power.

If an ordinary Two Rings Soul Grand Master wielded this weapon, could they leap ranks to kill a Three Rings or even Four Rings soul master?

This completely overturned their understanding of soul master combat!

"Soul Tools... truly extraordinary."

Huo Hao murmured to himself, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

Just then, an aged, gentle voice suddenly echoed in the minds of the three brothers at the same time.

"This power relies on external objects, but I must admit, it does have its unique merits."

The speaker was Venerable Ilai, residing in Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness.

His voice paused briefly before continuing:

"Yuhao, you three brothers share the same origin, and your Martial Souls are all eyes, but your development focuses are actually different."

"Huo Hao has a steady temperament and heavy spiritual power, making him more suited for a traditional control-type, strong-attack path. Huo Yu is agile and versatile, with excellent fine control over spiritual power, fitting for reconnaissance and agility attacks."

"And you, Yuhao."

A note of expectation crept into Venerable Ilai's voice.

"Your spiritual power is the purest, with extremely strong analytical and computational abilities. Among you three, you are the most suited to develop along the path of Soul Tools."

Huo Yuhao was taken aback, pointing at himself, and asked in his mind: "Me?"

"Correct."

Before Huo Yuhao could react, another voice—majestic, domineering, even carrying a hint of arrogance—exploded in his mind.

That was King Ilai.

"Hmph, what do you mean 'suited'? Since you possess such exceptional conditions, you must achieve the utmost!"

King Ilai's voice was filled with an unyielding pressure.

"That kid Xiao Hongchen, though arrogant, does have some skill. But in Old Man's eyes, that's about it."

In reality.

Xiao Hongchen watched the trio's stunned expressions, his vanity thoroughly satisfied.

He gave a light snort, brushed the hair from his forehead, and said with barely concealed pride:

"What? Scared?"

"Let me tell you, to become an outstanding Soul Master, talent, effort, and resources are all indispensable."

He extended a finger and wagged it in front of Huo Yuhao and the other two.

"This Young Master took only three months from first touching a Soul Tool to becoming a first-rank Soul Master! And that's already the fastest record in Sun Moon Empire history."

Xiao Hongchen tilted his head back, looking down at them through his nostrils.

"As for you all... heh, even though Grandfather arranged for you to come in, if you don't have the talent, you might as well give up on being Soul Masters. Of course, I'll still let you use Soul Tools and such."

Hearing Xiao Hongchen's words dripping with superiority, Huo Yuhao felt quite impressed. After all, he had just witnessed the power of a Soul Tool—it was terrifying. Becoming a Soul Master in such a short time must be incredibly impressive.

Just then, King Ilai's icy voice rang out in his mind again, carrying an overbearing, domineering aura.

"Three months? Trash!"

"Yuhao, Old Man will set a goal for you."

"Two months! Within two months, you must become a first-rank Soul Master!"

"If you can't..."

King Ilai let out a cold laugh. Though he didn't state the consequences, Huo Yuhao felt a shiver run through him. His little face instantly fell, filled with bitterness.

"Two months? How... how is that possible?"

He had never touched a Soul Tool before, but he knew the subject was vast and profound. Just the engraving of those Core Arrays alone was enough to make one's scalp tingle. How could he possibly learn it in two months?

"Heh, Yuhao, don't panic."

Venerable Ilai's gentle voice chimed in at just the right moment, soothing Huo Yuhao's restless heart.

"With the assistance of your Spiritual Eye Martial Soul, and the guidance of Old Man and King Ilai, two months will be sufficient."

"This is not only a test for you, but also a way for you to quickly grasp power and establish a foothold in this unfamiliar empire."

Hearing Venerable Ilai's words, Huo Hao and Huo Yu, who had been silent all along, walked over.

Huo Hao patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder, his gaze firm.

"Yuhao, don't be afraid. We believe in you."

Huo Yu also nodded. Though he didn't say much, his stance was clear.

Looking at the trusting gazes of his two brothers and listening to the teachings of his two teachers in his mind, Huo Yuhao nodded. To become a strong person, one had to break through one's own limits.

He could no longer let others bully him at will!

"Alright!"

Huo Yuhao clenched his fist.

"I will definitely do it!"

Not far away.

Xiao Hongchen watched as these three brothers suddenly started cheering each other on, and even that Huo Yuhao looked all fired up. He couldn't help but snort lightly.

"Childish."

He judged coldly in his mind.

Truly three country bumpkins who had never seen the world.

Did they think shouting slogans would make them Soul Masters?

Once they actually got their hands dirty, facing the tedious and boring metal polishing, facing the intricate, maze-like Core Arrays, they would know what despair meant.

Then, they would understand that this Young Master's genius was something you mortals could never hope to reach in a lifetime!

Xiao Hongchen shook his head, too lazy to dampen their enthusiasm. Reality would teach them their lesson soon enough.

Just then, Huo Hao seemed to remember something. He turned to Xiao Hongchen and asked:

"By the way, Senior Xiao, since we arrived at the academy, we haven't seen Hall Master Hongchen. May I ask where he has gone?"

Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen replied matter-of-factly.

"Where else could he be but by that strange Small River? But that's none of your business. Grandfather's instructions were just for us to get you familiar with the academy and then start your studies as soon as possible."

The importance of That River was something anyone could understand. It was a Small River that could affect the entire layout of the Douluo Continent.