Su Ming's Laboratory and Faction Planning

When Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stepped into Su Ming's laboratory side by side, both instinctively halted, their eyes filled with unconcealable shock.

Unlike the ancient, heavy architecture of Shrek Academy that reeked of soul master traditions, this laboratory exuded an extreme sense of technology—cold and precise.

Above, energy-efficient light sources emitted a soft, pale blue glow, illuminating the vast space as brightly as day, while the surrounding walls were inlaid with sleek metal panels.

There was no superfluous decoration; the air was filled with the faint, crisp scent of quenched metal, mingled with the cool, sharp tang of unique ores.

The floor was as smooth as a mirror, clearly reflecting their figures, while rows of neat metal shelves stood against the walls, holding various precision instruments and glowing mineral raw materials.

There were also vessels with precise graduations; every aspect of the layout spoke of rigor and order, entirely unlike the typical places where soul masters cultivated or forged.

Huo Yuhao slowed his pace subconsciously, his gaze sweeping around with curiosity, his heart brimming with novelty.

Having grown up in the world of soul masters, he had only ever known soul rings, soul bones, and soul power cultivation; he had never seen a place like this, and he felt that every object held an unknown charm.

Soon, his gaze was firmly drawn to the large workbench in the center, where many unfinished parts were scattered.

Each piece was polished to a high sheen, with clean lines and sharp edges, all forged from special metals; even from a distance, one could vaguely sense their heavy, solid texture.

These parts varied in form, from thick, plate-like components to sturdy cylindrical supports and delicate connecting pieces, which, when pieced together, could vaguely outline a massive silhouette.

It resembled the frame of some kind of fierce beast, a prototype of a torso and limbs, yet it was constructed entirely of cold metal.

It lacked even a shred of the life force of a soul beast, making it look bizarre and peculiar, entirely different from anything he understood as a soul beast.

Huo Yuhao couldn't help but take a few steps forward, leaning in to examine the Armor Beast components closely. With a slight frown, he turned to Su Ming beside him, full of confusion, and asked:

"Brother Su, what is this? The silhouette looks like the body of a soul beast, yet it is crafted entirely from metal. It is truly impossible to fathom."

Su Ming stood not far away, watching the pure curiosity and thirst for knowledge in Huo Yuhao's eyes. He nodded inwardly, which only strengthened his resolve to win Huo Yuhao over.

The reason he had taken the initiative to invite Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong to his laboratory was precisely because he valued Huo Yuhao's extraordinary talent, his Ultimate Ice martial soul, and his heaven-defying spiritual power.

To possess such strength and temperament at such a young age was rare, but more importantly, Huo Yuhao was a Child of Destiny.

He carried immense luck; with his participation in the research, many things would become much smoother, and many invisible obstacles could be avoided.

Su Ming had a grand plan in mind, and the Armor Beast he was painstakingly researching was only the first step. What he truly wanted to do was to research tanks, airplanes, cannons, and robots—technological products far beyond the understanding of this era—to shatter the inherent perceptions of soul masters and Soul Engineers, and to change this world with a brand-new power.

However, relying on his own strength to achieve this was as difficult as ascending to heaven; it might take decades or even centuries to see any results. He desperately needed a trustworthy and exceptionally talented helper, and Huo Yuhao was the most suitable candidate.

Yet, he could not rashly reveal all these plans. While Shrek Academy appeared to be a holy land for soul masters, its upper echelons were almost entirely composed of Tang San's faction, deeply entrenched. If his research plans and ideas to subvert the existing order were discovered by the academy's leadership, certain doom would await him.

Even if Mu En, the pillar of Shrek, was relatively reasonable, he could not contend with the power of the entire Tang San faction; many things simply could not be disclosed to him at all.

He had once considered recruiting Soul Engineer talent from the Sun Moon Empire, as they were far ahead of other nations on the Douluo Continent in Soul Tool research and possessed many top-tier experts.

But he currently lacked sufficient funding and the formidable strength to act as a foundation; he had no ability to poach talent from the Sun Moon Empire and might instead invite disaster upon himself.

Moreover, in Su Ming's view, while the Sun Moon Empire's soul technology appeared advanced, its upper-class nobility was rotten to the core.

They were severely disconnected from the common people and entangled with evil soul masters, engaging in sordid affairs no different from the aristocrats of the old world in his memories—all of whom were objects that would need to be overthrown and eradicated in the future. Naturally, he would not truly cooperate with them.

After much deliberation, Su Ming concluded that slowly cultivating Huo Yuhao and pulling him into his own camp was the safest path.

Su Ming knew well that to make Huo Yuhao stand firmly on his side, he could not be impatient; he had to proceed step by step.

He intended to gradually instill advanced ideas from Earth into Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, helping them see the essence of this world—that the noble class oppressed the common people.

Sect forces monopolized resources, and even if ordinary commoners had talent, they rarely had a chance to rise. The injustice and class barriers of the world were already deeply rooted.

He wanted the two to understand that true strength was not about becoming a god who looked down upon all living beings with indifference, nor was it about attaching oneself to the powerful and the sects.

Instead, it was about seeking a path of survival for the common people at the bottom, overthrowing the corrupt noble rule, and allowing all ordinary people to stand tall, possessing the right to equal survival and the pursuit of power.

However, he also had some concerns in his heart, not knowing how much of an impact these advanced ideas would have on Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong.

Especially Wang Dong; she was, after all, Tang San's daughter, and deep in her bones lay the bloodline connection of the God King of the God Realm. Whether she could be moved by these ideas, whether she could set aside her blood ties to her father Tang San and stand on the side of the common people, remained an unknown.

If Wang Dong could never change her stance and continued to stand on Tang San's side, becoming an obstacle to his plans, then when his own strength became sufficiently powerful in the future, he would have no choice but to personally eliminate the hidden danger; he could never let her ruin the entire plan.

Currently, the biggest variable in his plan was Wang Dong. Su Ming knew clearly that according to the original trajectory, the Emperor Auspicious Beast of the Star Dou Forest, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, would eventually leave the forest.

It would step into the human world, interact with Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, and trigger a series of changes; this was something he had to prevent in advance.

Once the Emperor Auspicious Beast formed a bond with the two, the subsequent plot would become uncontrollable, and all his schemes would be in vain.

More importantly, he had to do everything in his power to prevent Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and the others from entering the Valley of Universe Inquiry.

He knew better than anyone that the so-called trial of the Valley of Universe Inquiry was simply a trap set by Tang San, a wanton manipulation of mortals by a God King.

At that time, Tang San would force Huo Yuhao to make a life-or-death choice between Wang Dong and Wang Qiu'er, making both women confess their love simultaneously and giving them only three seconds to choose one to live, while the other would have to perish.

This inhumane trial, which appeared to test true love, was actually a way to completely manipulate Huo Yuhao, turning him into a subservient pawn of the Tang family, extinguishing his pride and his true self, and reducing him to a puppet controlled by a God King.

A talent as brilliant and sincere as Huo Yuhao must never suffer such a fate; Su Ming would never allow such a thing to happen.

He would protect Huo Yuhao, protect this rare talent and integrity, and slowly cultivate him into his right-hand man.

Together, they would overthrow the corrupt noble class of this world, break the God King's control over the mortal realm, and allow all the oppressed common people to stand tall and truly master their own destinies.

Looking at the confused Huo Yuhao before him, Su Ming curled his lips into a faint smile and walked forward slowly.

Su Ming's gaze fell upon the Armor Beast parts on the workbench, and he spoke softly, initiating the first step of instilling his ideology into the two:

"These are the brand-new life forms I am currently researching. I call them Armor Beasts. In time, you will slowly understand their significance, and you will also know that in this world, there are still too many truths you have never known..."