Moreover, this could very well bring disaster. Rather than passively suffering the consequences when that happened, it would be better to proactively put it on the table and make it part of a deal."
Yang Hao recited the lines he had prepared long ago. Jing Hongchen nodded in understanding and agreement.
It made sense.
He even felt an urge to obtain this technology at any cost.
"By the way, there's one more thing."
"This Three Refinements Method technology was nearly stolen before. My teacher suspects the culprit may have been someone from the Douluo Continent. Someone over there already knows this technology exists, and they're bound to covet it and plot to get their hands on it.
"If your academy agrees to this deal, I hope you'll restrict access to this technology for the next twenty years. I'll personally vet and approve everyone who studies or uses it. Your academy will also need to carefully screen everyone with access. We absolutely can't let anyone from the Douluo Continent get their hands on it."
Yang Hao made his request. He didn't want Huo Yuhao or anyone else to steal and learn the technology in the future. That would be giving their enemy an advantage.
"Restrictions are a must."
Jing Hongchen's expression turned serious as he nodded in agreement. Even without Yang Hao bringing it up, he would have found a way to restrict access. At least in the early stages, Mingde Hall had to lead the research. Only then could they guide the changes to come and reap the greatest benefits.
It was even better to have the representative of the Bright Cult raise the matter himself—not to mention the need to guard against people from the Douluo Continent.
Chapter 54: Sun Moon Crown Prince
Jing Hongchen worked quickly and soon found a group of Soul Masters with missing limbs. As for the rare metals, there was no need to look for any; Mingde Hall had plenty.
Yang Hao buried himself in research. After half a month of tinkering, he finally achieved results.
Even Crown Prince Xu Tianran came in person. Though this wasn't true limb regeneration, it came close enough, and it was important to him.
The bespectacled girl pushing his wheelchair watched Yang Hao with curiosity and keen interest—or, more accurately, she was interested in his technology for the advanced development of rare metals.
After all, she was a Soul Engineer herself. No Soul Engineer could help being interested in this kind of technology.
At that moment, in the laboratory, an elderly man was awkwardly getting used to controlling an artificial arm made of shaped rare metal. He tried a simple movement: clenching his fist.
"With my current abilities, this is the best I can do. But after some time to get used to it, his control will definitely improve by a great deal. He'll have no problem with everyday life.
"If we can find a Head Soul Bone to enhance his spiritual power, his control will improve even further.
"Even so, it still won't meet the demands of combat unless we make a breakthrough in the technology."
Yang Hao explained that this was the limit. Truly, it was the limit of his own abilities.
"Clap, clap, clap..."
Xu Tianran applauded, very satisfied with the results.
As Crown Prince and future emperor, he basically had no need to charge into battle himself. What he needed to do was sit behind the lines, command the overall situation, and plan his moves.
So as long as the artificial legs let him go about his daily life, that was enough. They would also greatly lessen the disadvantages of losing his legs and help secure his position as crown prince.
"Xiao Feng, let me introduce you. This is our empire's Crown Prince. We made these Soul Tool Prosthetics for His Highness."
Jing Hongchen made the introductions. Next, the crown prince would need to persuade the emperor to approve the deal and increase his investment in Mingde Hall.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Yang Hao bowed and showed just the right amount of curiosity, in keeping with the persona of a young man.
"You may rise!"
Xu Tianran raised a hand as if to help him up, studying the youth before him. He took Yang Hao very seriously—and the Bright Cult behind him just as seriously.
"I've seen the Bright Cult's sincerity. If I can regain the ability to move, I'll do everything I can to persuade my father and provide your Bright Cult with some support for its development."
This was a promise, but also an attempt to win them over. Now it was up to the other party to take the hint.
Yang Hao hesitated, then finally gritted his teeth and made his decision, accepting this show of goodwill.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Xu Tianran understood the youth's hesitation. This was equivalent to joining his faction and getting involved in the struggle for the throne, which carried considerable risks. Hesitation was only natural.
Fortunately, the other party had just made the right choice. He figured the youth had already thought it through before coming here.
"Are those the legs you prepared for me?"
Xu Tianran turned his gaze toward the metal legs soaking in pale red liquid on the experimental table. Even with his scheming and composure, he couldn't help feeling excited.
"Senior Hongchen... Dean only gave me His Highness's blood. I used it to make this solution and complete the Blood Refinement of the rare metal. His Highness still needs to infuse it with Soul Power to complete the Soul Refinement. If His Highness has a Head Soul Bone or sufficiently strong spiritual power, he'll be able to use his spiritual power to permeate and fuse with the rare metal in the future. That will greatly improve its compatibility and his control over it."
Yang Hao explained. The legs had indeed been made for Xu Tianran.
"Just infuse it with Soul Power?"
The bespectacled girl pushed the wheelchair over. Xu Tianran stared intently at the legs, already impatient to try them.
Jing Hongchen walked over with her, equally excited. The success or failure of this endeavor depended on what happened next.
"That's right. But you'll need to nourish them continuously with Soul Power in the future. Their compatibility will keep improving, until they ultimately become one with your body."
Yang Hao nodded and took out the prosthetic legs.
Looking at them, Xu Tianran couldn't help reaching out to touch them. He gathered his Soul Power, preparing to infuse them, but Yang Hao suddenly called out to stop him.
"Wait."
Xu Tianran turned to look at him in confusion, not understanding why the youth had suddenly stopped him.
Yang Hao walked up, looking just as puzzled as he studied the purple Soul Power in Xu Tianran's palm. It carried a thick aura of Destruction.
"Isn't His Highness's Martial Soul the sun?"
He was quite envious of Xu Tianran's Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon Martial Soul. There was nothing special about the Martial Soul itself; the key was its Destruction attribute, which was exceedingly rare.
"Oh no. His Highness's Martial Soul is the Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon. It possesses a pure Destruction attribute, and its Soul Power is far too destructive to nourish these prosthetics."
Jing Hongchen realized the problem. It really was an issue.
"Is there no way?"
Xu Tianran was unwilling to accept it. The legs were right there before him.
"Your Highness can channel your Soul Power into me. I have a Soul Bone that should be able to separate out the Destruction attribute."
Yang Hao thought it over and suggested a solution. His real goal was the Destruction attribute.
The Destruction attribute was too extreme. There were no Soul Beasts with that attribute in the Soul Beast Realm at present, let alone Soul Bones. Even with the Holy Spirit Cult's influence, he had only found one Soul Bone with an Annihilation attribute to devour.
But he coveted the destructive power of the Destruction attribute, and it was also crucial to his plans to develop the final pair of the Chaos Eight Wings. His only option was to plot to obtain it from Xu Tianran.
That was one of the main reasons he had brought out the Blood Refinement and Soul Refinement techniques.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Luo Feng."
Xu Tianran naturally wouldn't refuse. He channeled his Soul Power into Yang Hao. Yang Hao put on a pained expression at just the right moment and guided the Soul Power into the Chaos Eight-Wing Soul Bone, devouring the Destruction attribute within.
The Destruction attribute merged into the final pair of wings, permeating and assimilating the Annihilation attribute to form the Wings of Destruction.
As for Xu Tianran's Soul Power, Yang Hao circulated it out into the prosthetic legs. Xu Tianran and Jing Hongchen could both sense that the Soul Power flowing out had lost much of its Destruction aura.
That made the two of them even more expectant. They watched as the Soul Power flowed into the prosthetic legs, brightening their metallic sheen as if a halo had settled over them. Fine Soul Guidance Arrays appeared and shimmered across their surface.
Only after Xu Tianran had infused more than half his Soul Power did Yang Hao withdraw his hand.
"All right. That's enough for the initial fusion. But it would be best to open up the wounds. It'll hurt, and His Highness will need to suppress his Soul Power so it doesn't damage the rare metal's spiritual nature."
After warning him, Yang Hao placed the Soul-Refined prosthetic legs on the nearby operating table and changed into surgical scrubs. He had even cleaned his gloves with alcohol.
"I'll cooperate fully."
Xu Tianran paid no heed to the pain. Compared to the humiliation and helplessness he had endured over the past few years, it was nothing.
"Your Highness, forgive me."
Jing Hongchen stepped forward, lifted Xu Tianran out of the wheelchair, and placed him on the operating table. He removed his empty trousers, revealing the stumps of his legs, amputated high above the knees.
Yang Hao examined them first, then disinfected them before cutting open the healed ends. He aligned a prosthetic leg with each stump, paying special attention to fusing the metal leg bones with the small remnants of bone.
He controlled the rare metal on a microscopic level, letting it erode the bones and replace the calcium between the bone cells, creating a structure that was half bone and half metal.
Next came the connection to the flesh. He used a soft rare metal to form a thin film over the surface of the cells, much like the cell wall of a plant cell.
The blood vessels were connected to the channels inside the prosthetics, allowing blood to flow through them and continuously nourish them with the blood's vitality, gradually improving their compatibility.
Jing Hongchen and the bespectacled girl assisted from the side. Xu Tianran gritted his teeth, suppressing his Soul Power through the pain while trying to sense the Soul Tool Prosthetics.
Chapter 55: Tang Sect's Tang Ya
The operation went fairly smoothly. At the end, Xu Tianran climbed down from the operating table with the bespectacled girl's help and slowly used his Soul Power to control his steps.
His movements were clumsy, and he nearly fell several times, but Xu Tianran was still thrilled.
He could finally stand up again.
Yang Hao, however, deliberately furrowed his brow, as if he wasn't satisfied with the results.
"You've already done very well."
Jing Hongchen smiled. These were far better than the Soul Tool Prosthetics he had designed before.
"They still need more Soul Power for Soul Refinement and nourishment to improve their compatibility, and the prosthetics need to adapt to His Highness's Soul Power.
"His Highness should have someone send me a portion of Soul Power every day. I'll modify it and bring it back to nourish the prosthetics. If we keep this up, they should adapt to that Destruction attribute."
Yang Hao made a suggestion. The amount of Destruction attribute he had obtained before was still a bit too small. He needed more.
"I'll talk to His Highness about it later."
Jing Hongchen also thought it was a good idea. The prosthetics had to become just like a pair of normal legs.
"Luo Feng, I'm very satisfied with these legs."
After walking around the laboratory, Xu Tianran was now able to stand steadily on his own. He was delighted, and the sinister look between his brows had softened somewhat.
"Ju Zi!"
He gestured to the bespectacled girl behind him. He had brought a gift this time.
Ju Zi took an exquisite box from her Storage Soul Tool and held it out with both hands.
"This is an eighty-thousand-year-old right leg Soul Bone. It's yours now."
As a capable ruler, Xu Tianran naturally understood the importance of rewarding people according to their merits. Besides, he was very satisfied with the results of the operation.
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