Distance Test

"Teacher!" Bibi Dong's cheeks flushed slightly as she shot Qian Xunji a reproachful glance and hurriedly steered the conversation back on track. "Let's get to work first. Testing the communicator is more important."

"Alright, alright, business first." Seeing that he should stop while he was ahead, Qian Xunji nodded with a smile.

Then, Qian Xunji took the other communicator in hand and began explaining the simple method of use to Bibi Dong.

"Inject Soul Power to activate it, then just speak normally."

"I've linked these two units together. As long as they're within effective range, they should be able to hear each other."

"You keep this one in the hall. I'll take the other and fly farther away. We'll stay in contact for testing."

Bibi Dong carefully memorized his instructions and, following Qian Xunji's example, injected Soul Power into the communicator in her hand.

A dim blue light lit up, accompanied by a steady, faint hum.

Qian Xunji did not delay any longer. He gave the two women a slight nod, and a flash of golden light burst from his back as gorgeous Angel Wings unfurled.

Holding the activated communicator, he flew straight out of the Pope Palace and vanished into the horizon.

A few seconds later, Qian Xunji's clear voice came from the communicator in Bibi Dong's hand.

"Dong'er, can you hear me? I'm outside Spirit City now."

Bibi Dong hurriedly brought the communicator closer to her mouth and answered excitedly, "Yes, I can hear you, Teacher. Your voice is very clear."

"Very good. I'll keep flying farther away. Pay attention to any changes in the sound and tell me what happens."

"Yes, Teacher."

A few minutes later, the communicator transmitted another voice.

"I'm about fifty li from Spirit City now. I'm surrounded by wilderness. Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you, Teacher."

As Bibi Dong answered, Bibi Xi beside her also leaned closer to the communicator curiously. Hearing the Pope's voice coming from within, his mouth fell open in shock.

This tiny thing could actually allow people dozens of li apart to speak to each other?

It was too incredible!

"One hundred li... can you hear me?"

"Yes. There's a little static, but it's still very clear."

"One hundred and fifty li..."

"I can hear you."

"Two hundred li... how is the sound?"

"It's a little intermittent, but I can still make it out."

"Two hundred and fifty li..."

"Static... static... Teacher... I can hear you... but it's very unclear."

"Three hundred li..."

"Dong'er... Dong'er?"

Only a constant hiss of static and the occasional crackle of electric noise came from the communicator.

After another moment, the communicator fell completely silent. Even the static disappeared.

Qian Xunji's voice did not come through again.

Bibi Dong tried calling out several times, but received no response.

She knew the testing distance had reached its limit.

About several dozen minutes later, golden light descended from the sky once more. Qian Xunji folded his wings and landed back inside the Pope Palace.

"Teacher."

"The signal started becoming severely intermittent after around two hundred and fifty li. At roughly three hundred li, it was completely lost."

Qian Xunji nodded. He was not surprised by the result; if anything, he was somewhat satisfied.

"An effective communication range of within two hundred and fifty kilometers is already beyond my expectations for a first-generation prototype."

"This test was conducted in open air without obstacles. In cities, forests, or mountainous regions, the distance may be further reduced, and the signal will suffer more interference."

"For these two prototypes, the maximum reliable point-to-point communication radius is currently around two hundred and fifty li."

"Beyond that, we'll need a more powerful energy source, more sensitive receiving arrays, or... relay stations."

Though the dream of covering the entire continent was still far away, this solid first step was already enough to stir excitement.

"What should we do next, Teacher?" "Of course, hold a meeting. Help me summon the elders and the Second Worship."

"Alright."

Half an hour later, the atmosphere inside the Pope Palace was solemn.

The Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo, sat in the foremost seat on the left. Behind him sat the four Titled Douluo elders from the Elder Hall in order: Falling Devil, Qian Jun, Yue Guan, and Gui Mei.

Qian Xunji sat upon the Pope's throne, his gaze sweeping across the core upper ranks of Spirit Hall below.

"I have gathered you all today for a matter concerning Spirit Hall, and even the future order of the entire continent."

He gestured toward Bibi Dong beside him.

Understanding his meaning, Bibi Dong stepped forward. Holding the Soul-Guided Communicator in her hand, she injected Soul Power into it under the puzzled gazes of the elders.

At the same time, Qian Xunji rose from his throne and took out the other unit.

"Test beginning. Voice transmission."

The next second, Qian Xunji's voice clearly came from the communicator in Bibi Dong's hand. "Test beginning. Good morning, Teacher."

"Good morning. Shall we go eat later?"

"No problem."

"!!!"

The hall instantly fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Those few exchanges made the elders' expressions particularly vivid.

Golden Crocodile Douluo asked, "Without Soul Power voice transmission or a specific soul skill, this object alone can achieve stable conversation? What is its range?"

Qian Xunji signaled for Bibi Dong to turn off the communicator and explained, "This is called a Soul-Guided Communicator, a Soul Tool I developed recently."

"At present, when two units are paired, their effective communication range is around two hundred and fifty li."

"The principle lies in the Composite Soul-Guided Array inside. It can convert sound into specific spiritual waves for transmission, then receive and restore them through the paired array."

He paused, looked at the still-shocked faces of the crowd, and continued, "This is merely the tip of the iceberg of a Soul Tool's potential."

"Therefore, I have decided to formally establish a Soul Tool Research Institute within Spirit City."

"I will provide some basic Soul Tool blueprints and detailed explanations of their principles."

He pointed to several excerpts from the Encyclopedia of Level 1 Soul Tools on the table. "And I will invest two hundred million Gold Soul Coins as the Institute's initial construction funds, material procurement funds, and training expenses for its first batch of researchers."

"Two hundred million?" Falling Devil Douluo sucked in a sharp breath. That was no small sum.

But when he thought of the communicator's miraculous capabilities just now, it somehow seemed worth it.