Chapter 24

Flender and Zhao Wuji exchanged glances, both seeing deep apprehension in the other's eyes.

As Soul Saints or higher, they were indeed extremely sensitive to danger, but this perception was limited by their own spiritual power.

For the two of them, they could at most sense a source of danger within 300 meters, and the further away it was, the more blurred the sensation became.

Otherwise, that Swift Shadow Leopard from earlier would never have been able to get within sixty meters of them before being detected.

For something as small and fast as a projectile, their range of perception was at most around 30 meters.

This meant that from the moment they detected the danger to the moment they took countermeasures, they had less than 0.1 seconds of reaction time.

Facing such a rapid response requirement, Flender and Zhao Wuji really wanted to scream that they simply couldn't do it.

Swallowing hard, Flender turned his head to look at Shen Feng.

"Xiao Feng, I wonder what the production cost of such a lethal weapon is? Can it be mass-produced like that small pistol?"

Shen Feng smiled slightly; he naturally understood what Flender meant.

If a firearm capable of threatening a Soul Saint were too cheap to produce, its proliferation would be a massive blow to all soul masters on the Douluo Continent.

Shen Feng himself would even become a public enemy of the entire soul master world; as long as he lived, other soul masters would never be able to sleep soundly.

If the secret of such a lethal weapon were discovered by the two great empires, the entire mode of warfare on the Douluo Continent would change in the future.

Even Martial Soul Hall, which occupied half of the continent's soul masters, could be overthrown by ordinary people wielding firearms.

A world dominated by ordinary people was, to natives of the Douluo Continent like Flender and Zhao Wuji, a terrifying, apocalyptic nightmare.

For thousands of years, soul masters had been the masters of the Douluo Continent, and they were accustomed to being high above the rest.

Suddenly, a lethal weapon appeared in the world that was terrifyingly powerful, simple to use, and cheap to produce—one that allowed an ordinary person to erase decades of a soul master's hard-earned cultivation with a simple pull of a trigger.

Such a terrifying prospect was something they, as soul masters, could neither accept nor even imagine; to say it would shatter their very dao heart would not be an exaggeration.

Shaking his head, Shen Feng smiled faintly: "Dean, Teacher Zhao, you don't need to worry too much. This kind of lethal weapon is no longer the same as those previous firearms."

"Although this firearm functions similarly to the previous ones, in essence, it is a Soul Tool that can only be activated using soul power."

"Furthermore, the production cost of this weapon is extremely expensive. The gun in Oscar's hand alone cost nearly ten thousand Gold Soul Coins in materials, not including labor and the accompanying projectiles. It is impossible to mass-produce."

Shen Feng was currently only a Soul Grand Master, and his own organization had not truly developed yet; he was certainly not stupid enough to challenge the order of the entire Douluo Continent.

The moment he thought of this, Shen Feng had already begun to conceal the true potential of his thermal weapons.

First, he made the production cost of the firearms as expensive as possible, replacing all ordinary alloy steel with expensive metals of similar properties.

The mechanical firing pin was also replaced with one activated by soul power.

To better align with how soul masters perceived Soul Tools, Shen Feng even specifically adjusted the soul power consumption required to fire a bullet.

The more powerful the firearm, the more soul power it wasted during use.

Of course, these were only the firearms sold to outsiders; the ones used by his own people only required a sliver of soul power to ignite the propellant.

As long as he controlled the formula for the bullet's propellant, Shen Feng didn't have to worry about firearms flooding the Douluo Continent for decades.

As for decades later, he might have already become a god; who would care about small trinkets like firearms then?

Hearing Shen Feng's explanation, Flender and Zhao Wuji were visibly relieved.

Flender pondered seriously: "So it's a Soul Tool; no wonder the power is so terrifying."

"However, Xiao Ao is only a Soul Grand Master, yet he can threaten a Soul Saint by activating a Soul Tool. This is truly an extraordinary piece of equipment."

"If it's not necessary, it's better not to spread the word about such a lethal weapon, lest you attract those with jealous eyes and bring yourself great trouble."

Shen Feng nodded: "Don't worry, Dean. This firearm is difficult to manufacture and is for our own use only; it will not be sold externally."

Flender nodded: "As long as you have a plan in mind. Let's go, let's go see how Mu Bai is doing."

Flender took the lead and walked into the forest. As Zhao Wuji passed by Shen Feng, he patted him on the shoulder.

"Kid, you're impressive. Not only is your cultivation talent fierce, but you're also quite the expert at developing Soul Tools."

"If I join your Soul Hunting Guild, can you build me a custom Soul Tool too?"

"It doesn't need to be too powerful, just something similar to Xiao Ao's will do."

Shen Feng was stunned for a moment: "Teacher Zhao, are you serious?"

Zhao Wuji nodded: "My word is my bond; of course I'm serious."

"Shrek Academy is fine, but it's just too comfortable. With you and Xiao Ao, two interesting kids, away, it's truly too boring."

"Besides, your old man has invited me many times. My coming here with Flender this time was actually partly to get a better understanding of the Soul Hunting Guild."

"It wasn't until I smelled that scent of blood on you the other day that I realized what I truly needed."

"Licking blood off a blade, fighting the heavens and the earth, fearing nothing—that is the life I, Zhao, yearn for."

Shen Feng chuckled: "A Hand Cannon, the Soul Tool my father uses. It's a medium-to-short-range explosive lethal weapon that he loves dearly."

"As long as you join, the position of Vice President of the Soul Hunting Guild and the Hand Cannon Soul Tool are both yours."

The corners of Zhao Wuji's mouth curled up slightly: "Good lad, it really is you and your father who understand me."

"But we'll talk about this after some time. We're in the middle of a soul hunt right now, so it's better to look after Flender's mood for the time being."

Shen Feng nodded: "Yes, Guild Master Zhao, you call the shots."

At this moment, Ma Hongjun also edged over: "Um, um, can you take me in too?"

"I don't have many demands, just give me any little trinkets you guys don't want."

Shen Feng was slightly stunned, looking at Ma Hongjun with a faint smile: "The Soul Hunting Guild is the home of all rogue spirit masters in the world. On behalf of the Soul Hunting Guild, I welcome you to join."

By the time Shen Feng and the others finished their whispered conversation and hurried over, Dai Mubai was already sitting cross-legged under Flender's supervision, impatiently absorbing his spirit ring.

Seeing Shen Feng approach, Flender turned his head and asked: "Xiao Feng, do you think it's really appropriate for a child like Mubai to absorb a Swift Shadow Leopard as his third spirit ring?"

Shen Feng was slightly stunned. Shouldn't you be discussing this kind of thing with our Guild Master Zhao? Is it appropriate to ask a child like me?

However, since Flender had asked, Shen Feng didn't mind sharing his own thoughts.

He immediately shrugged and said: "I once heard a saying: in this world, there were originally no roads, but as more people walked, roads were formed."

"Actually, the same logic applies to absorbing spirit rings. While it is certainly smooth to follow the paths found by our predecessors, who can say for sure that the paths they walked were definitely correct? And who can determine that the path one chooses for oneself cannot lead to a more distant future?"

"When the paths are different, the scenery one sees along the way is naturally different as well."

"Whether it's following the rules, being unconventional, walking to the end of a single extreme attribute path, or developing in a balanced way without weaknesses."

"In my view, all spirit masters in this world, regardless of their type, category, or philosophy, will eventually reach the same destination. Their ultimate goal will be identical: to reach level one hundred and become a god."

"Below the gods, all are ants. Even a level ninety-nine Title Douluo is nothing more than a slightly stronger ant."

"Given that, is there any meaning in discussing whether a spirit ring is appropriate or not?"

To be honest, whether a spirit ring is appropriate certainly has meaning.

Only a more compatible spirit ring can allow a spirit master's future path to be smoother.

It's just that discussing Dai Mubai's affairs has no meaning for Shen Feng.

Strong or weak, those destined not to be on the same page are not worth too much attention, as it would only distract him.

"In this world, there were originally no roads, but as more people walked, roads were formed. Only new paths can possibly surpass the predecessors. Below the gods, all are ants?"

Muttering softly and lost in thought for a long time, Flender shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Such an open-minded conclusion is indeed not something a mediocre person like me can understand. If Xiaogang were here, perhaps he could understand your thoughts."

Shen Feng frowned slightly. Comparing me to Yu Xiaogang again? Is he even worthy?

Only you, Flender, treat him like a treasure.

Ah, no, there's also Bibi Dong, Liu Erlong, Tang San, Tang Hao, Xue Ye, and Xue Beng.

Damn it, is this guy poisonous? Is he running a pyramid scheme?

It seems many people in the original story held him in high regard.

Indeed, it's better to stay away from this dog of a person. Pyramid schemes are toxic.

"Xiao Feng, then what kind of path are you walking? I'm quite curious." Zhao Wuji asked.

Shen Feng pondered for a moment: "A balanced path. I prefer the balanced path."

"Balance means having no weaknesses. You won't be so extreme during combat, and your survival ability will be stronger."

"You can also be more flexible when encountering enemies, adapting to their weaknesses based on the situation."

"However, although the balanced path is good, it also has a very obvious flaw!"

Zhao Wuji asked in surprise: "A flaw? What flaw?"

Shen Feng glanced at Dai Mubai: "It's not very friendly to people who aren't very bright."

"Because they are prone to attacking the enemy's strengths with their own weaknesses."

The sky gradually darkened, and nearly three hours had passed since Dai Mubai began absorbing the spirit ring.

The vegetation in the Star Dou Forest was too lush; as soon as the sun slanted to the west, the forest turned black at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Night-active spirit beasts began to stir in the surroundings, and rustling sounds could be heard incessantly.

The chaotic chirping of insects interfered with everyone's senses at every moment.

Flender and Zhao Wuji had long since focused their perception within thirty meters, carefully checking every movement nearby to prevent any spirit beasts from suddenly breaking in.

Another half hour passed, and a violent fluctuation of spirit power suddenly surged from Dai Mubai's body.

Flender's face lit up with joy: "Mubai succeeded."

Exhaling a long breath, Dai Mubai slowly opened his eyes. In an instant, a bright glow of spirit power erupted from his body.

Three spirit rings rose from beneath his feet. In addition to the original two yellow spirit rings, a bright purple spirit ring was exceptionally dazzling.

As it slowly rotated around his body, waves of powerful (by his standards) spirit power fluctuations spread outward.

A three-ring Soul Elder, level thirty-one. Dai Mubai had finally broken through.

Flender looked at him with a smile: "Congratulations, Mubai."

After obtaining his third spirit ring, Dai Mubai underwent a tremendous change.

His originally increasingly burly body seemed to have become much leaner. Strength and agility coexisted, and his entire frame appeared increasingly coordinated.

His deep blue, four-pupiled eyes flashed with a cold glint the moment they landed on Shen Feng and Oscar standing to the side.

Zhao Wuji's hearty laughter rang out at that moment: "Xiao Bai, you are the first among your class of students to reach the Soul Elder realm. How does it feel?"

"Are you interested in demonstrating your third soul skill for us to see?"

Dai Mubai's expression was arrogant, his gaze locked firmly onto Shen Feng: "Teacher Zhao, soul skills are meant for combat between soul masters. What could you possibly see from a solo demonstration?"

"Therefore, I need an opponent!!"

Zhao Wuji frowned slightly, looking at Dai Mubai before turning to glance at the intrigued Shen Feng, then smiled and stepped between the two.

"Haha, you're right. Then I shall be your opponent."

"Don't worry, I will hold back my strength."

Having lived together for three years, Zhao Wuji was well aware of just how terrifying Shen Feng's true strength was; that thousand-year second soul ring alone was something a hotheaded youth like Dai Mubai could not handle.

To put it self-deprecatingly, even he could only defend with all his might against Shen Feng's near-teleportation speed, waiting for the boy's soul power to run dry.

He couldn't catch him; he simply couldn't catch him at all.

He was genuinely worried that Dai Mubai would annoy Shen Feng, leading Shen Feng to disregard everything and give him a brutal beating.

Taking a beating was a minor matter, but if he were to become traumatized and lose his confidence, that would be a real problem.

After all, he was a genius with innate level nine soul power; if he were to become dejected because of a single challenge, Zhao Wuji really wouldn't be able to bear it.

But was Dai Mubai the type of person to listen to reason?

Unless you beat him severely, he would remain a reckless, ignorant fool.

"Shen Feng, are you afraid? Do you not even have the courage to accept a challenge from someone you've already defeated?"

"Mubai." Flender let out a sharp shout, attempting to stop Dai Mubai from continuing his provocations.