Han Lin, the Fusion of Soul Bones and Soul Tools

Shu Yan shielded Xu Jiujiu and stepped slightly back. The corner of his mouth twitched as he gained a more concrete understanding of the "madness" of Star Luo's foremost Soul Engineer.

The Soul Cannons appearing around Han Lin were at least seventh-grade. While Soul Cannons of this level were less powerful than Fixed Soul Cannon Shells of the same grade, they could still easily kill a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse. Moreover, among those dozens of cannon barrels, there were no shortage of even more terrifying eighth-grade Soul Cannons...

If Old Han truly made a move now, everything within several miles would likely be caught in the blast. The consequences then would not be something that could simply be brushed aside.

Nine Soul Rings rose beneath Nebula Douluo's feet. Dazzling starlight erupted around her as violent Soul Power surged forth. It was clear that Nebula Douluo was truly enraged.

In her earlier years, when Nebula Douluo had still been a Soul Douluo, she had dealings with Han Lin. There had been no small amount of conflict between them. Though so many years had passed and their old grievance was no longer much of an issue, Nebula Douluo still harbored some dissatisfaction.

Women were terrifying when they held grudges. Anyone who had experienced it knew that...

Coming back to his senses, Han Lin hurriedly withdrew his Martial Soul and the many Soul Cannon barrels. Then he cupped his hands and quickly said,

"Your Highness Princess, this is a misunderstanding. This subordinate merely happened to be somewhat muddleheaded. I absolutely have no treasonous intentions!"

Xu Jiujiu sighed helplessly, then said,

"That is enough, Grandmother Manyi. You know Old Han's personality and way of doing things. This matter was simply a misunderstanding, so do not mention it again."

Receiving Xu Jiujiu's signal, Nebula Douluo gave a cold snort before slowly withdrawing her aura and returning to her familiar appearance.

Han Lin swallowed, tucked all his disheveled hair behind his ears, and revealed a somewhat gloomy, aged face. Only then did he cup his hands again and say,

"May I ask what brings Your Highness Princess here? This old man has recently gone somewhat overboard in researching Soul Tools, and with the excessive medicine I have taken, I have found it difficult to control myself. I hope Your Highness Princess will be lenient..."

The corner of Xu Jiujiu's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. She knew that Star Luo's so-called foremost Soul Engineer's passion for Soul Tools had practically solidified into something tangible. At times, he even used medicine to stimulate his mind and keep himself awake. His mental issues could be said to be inseparable from his drug use.

"It is no matter, but I still need to remind you of something, Old Han. You are, after all, the leading figure among the Empire's Soul Engineers. If this continues... forget it. Even if I do not say it, you understand."

Han Lin was silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

Why was he called a lucid madman?

The reason was right here. Aside from his occasional madness and mania, Han Lin was actually a very intelligent man. He possessed an extremely comprehensive and accurate understanding of the situation and of his own condition. As for his body and mind...

Sigh, there was no point in saying more.

At that thought, a dry smile appeared on Han Lin's face. He softly said,

"Since Your Highness Princess has come to find this old minister, it must be related to Soul Tools, yes? Otherwise, this old man truly cannot think of anything else about himself worth Your Highness remembering..."

Xu Jiujiu nodded. After waving for the trembling maid beside them to bring another wooden table and several chairs, the four of them sat around it. Han Lin's gaze finally fell upon Shu Yan, who had remained silent all this time.

"This young gentleman is unfamiliar to me, but why does his aura feel somewhat... strange?"

Han Lin stared intently at Shu Yan as though he had discovered something interesting, a strange glimmer flashing in his eyes.

"Cough, cough!"

Xu Jiujiu coughed at the right moment, interrupting Han Lin's further examination. She introduced him aloud,

"This is my lover, Shu Yan. Old Han, do not ask too many questions. There will be no benefit in it..."

Han Lin decisively withdrew his Spiritual Power, then said,

"Please rest assured, Your Highness Princess. This old man understands..."

Xu Jiujiu: hesitant.jpg

Although she had no idea what exactly Han Lin understood, Xu Jiujiu still nodded lightly. She then looked at Shu Yan and gently said,

"A Yan, you can tell Old Han all of your requirements. Old Han is completely one of us and entirely trustworthy."

Shu Yan nodded lightly, turned his gaze toward Han Lin, and said in a somewhat low voice,

"Senior Han, I have come this time to ask you to make a Soul Tool. Its specific grade will be eighth-grade."

Han Lin's expression gradually turned serious. When it came to Soul Tools, he possessed an indescribable sense of sacred solemnity, even though creating a seventh- or eighth-grade Soul Tool was not particularly difficult for him.

The blue ring on Shu Yan's hand emitted a faint glow. In the next instant, a skull radiating an icy blue aura appeared, and the temperature around them abruptly dropped a few degrees. It was the skull bone produced by that ten-thousand-year Titan Snow Demon from before.

"Please take a look, Senior. This is a skull bone from a ten-thousand-year Titan Snow Demon. Its quality and completeness are both close to perfect. What I need you to do is turn it into a high-grade Soul Tool. However, I have two additional requirements."

Han Lin's eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the Soul Bone, and his expression became excited.

One of the projects he was currently researching happened to be "the fusion of Soul Bones and Soul Tools." He had been troubled over not being able to find suitable materials, yet Shu Yan had delivered them to him of his own accord. How could Han Lin not be excited?

A skull bone produced by a top-tier ten-thousand-year soul beast! Even Shrek Academy, with its ten-thousand-year legacy, could not possibly ignore something so precious. Such valuable raw material captured Han Lin's passion for research almost instantly...

"No problem!"

"Forget two requirements. Even ten or a hundred, this old man can agree to them all. I swear upon all my honor and my love for Soul Tools that I will never disappoint you."

Han Lin slammed the table and rose to his feet without the slightest hesitation. Bloodshot veins surfaced in his eyes from his intense emotional fluctuations, and his entire aura underwent another enormous shift. In the next instant, he reached directly for the Soul Bone in Shu Yan's hand.

Shu Yan shook his head with a laugh. Light flashed from his hand, and the ten-thousand-year Titan Snow Demon skull bone instantly disappeared. He said,

"Old Han, do not be in such a hurry. My requirements are quite special. Though rare, they should not be overly difficult for you. You can hear them first before making a decision."

Han Lin rubbed his hands together but still forced himself to calm down. Then he waited patiently for Shu Yan to continue.

Shu Yan cleared his throat before saying,

"First, I need you to fuse this Soul Bone with a Soul Tool. Remember, the final product can only be an auxiliary Soul Tool, specifically one whose effects lean toward control or confinement."

"Second, the final product formed from the Soul Bone and Soul Tool does not need to be particularly exquisite, but it must be sturdy. Sturdy in the literal sense. If possible, the metals and various components used must also be of the highest quality. Of course, if Old Han lacks any materials, you may notify Jiujiu and me at any time. We will resolve it."

"Third, I need you to preserve the Titan Snow Demon's lingering resentment within this skull bone and fuse it into the completed Soul Tool, making it something similar to an Artifact Spirit. You need not ask why, but I can tell you clearly that this is not for the sake of doing anything heinous. I believe that alone should be enough."

Shu Yan's requirements caused Han Lin to fall into thought. Especially the final condition. For some reason, Han Lin's heart skipped a beat, as though something deeply buried in his heart had been stirred. Only after a long while did he say,

"Young friend Shu, your final requirement is not difficult. It is simply that this old man truly has a problem..."