Wealthy Woman Invests

Arriving at the laboratory entrance, Su Ming took out his exclusive identity soul card and swiped it gently against the access card slot.

"Beep—" A crisp prompt sound of soul power rang out, and the thick alloy stone door slowly swung inward.

Wu Feng, the most impatient of the group, couldn't wait for the others; the moment the door cracked open, she rushed inside in a flurry of activity.

As soon as she stepped into the room, a unique atmosphere instantly enveloped her—the cold texture of metal mingled with the faint, clean scent of machine oil.

Ripples of soul power, faint and elusive, wafted through the air, causing Wu Feng to stop in her tracks and freeze on the spot.

This laboratory was hidden on the ground floor of a secluded building deep within the academy, far from the teaching and dormitory areas, making it exceptionally quiet and serene.

The interior space was remarkably spacious and open, with walls constructed from specially treated soundproof and heat-insulating rock, possessing a steady and heavy texture.

It perfectly isolated all the noise from the outside world, creating a sense of tranquil seclusion the moment one stepped inside.

A ring of fine Night-Glow Crystal was embedded around the dome, casting a soft, pearlescent halo that was gentle and easy on the eyes.

It illuminated the entire laboratory, making every corner clearly visible.

The floor was paved with solid matte Dark Iron tiles, sturdy and thick, with a delicate, non-slip surface.

Naturally capable of withstanding the impact of forging and the aftermath of a Soul Tool malfunction, it was both durable and imposing.

The room was arranged with several large, precision-crafted solid wood workbenches, their surfaces polished smooth and flat.

Neatly placed atop them were precision soul-guided calibration instruments, soul power sensing compasses, small quenching furnaces, and metal wire-drawing machines, with all professional equipment categorized and organized in perfect order.

Beside the benches sat a row of white jade storage boxes, containing rare forging materials like Dark Iron, Adamantine, and Silver-Vein Secret Steel, all radiating a faint metallic spiritual energy.

Several layers of solid wood shelves stood against the wall, filled to the brim with various Soul Tool Core components and precision circuit templates.

Special insulating materials and rare mineral ores were neatly classified, clear at a glance, exuding a thoroughly professional atmosphere.

A corner of the laboratory was set aside as a dedicated forging area, with a structured soul power quenching array etched into the floor and a vertical high-temperature forging furnace standing to the side.

The furnace walls still held lingering warmth, and the air was faintly tinged with the scorched scent of metal.

On the massive central workbench sat a few semi-finished Soul Tool components, their surfaces engraved with complex and exquisite streamlined circuits.

The lines were profound and fluid, the layout conceived with a unique ingenuity that transcended the design concepts of current traditional Soul Tool devices.

The entire laboratory lacked any sense of cluttered confinement; the layout was clean and orderly, with clear divisions between equipment, materials, and the forging area.

It possessed both the craftsmanship of a dedicated workshop and the precision of advanced technology—low-key and restrained, yet harboring infinite mysteries capable of overturning the existing soul-guided system.

Ning Tian and Nanmen Yun'er, who followed closely behind, were also instantly stunned by the scene before them, their gazes sweeping slowly across the room.

Their eyes were filled with shock and surprise, never expecting that the small two-person team Su Ming had described would possess a laboratory of such high caliber.

Wu Feng was even more dumbfounded, her mouth hanging open as she stood frozen in place, her gaze darting back and forth, completely stunned.

She had never been interested in Soul Tool devices and had never seen what a proper, high-level soul-guided laboratory looked like.

She had originally assumed Su Ming's so-called research site was just a crude little workshop, but what she saw now completely overturned her previous perceptions, and the disdain in her heart vanished in an instant.

After a moment of stunned silence, Wu Feng could no longer suppress her curiosity; she began looking around, her eyes wandering between the various instruments and materials before finally locking onto two objects on the central workbench.

One was a humanoid metal suit of armor, its silhouette sharp and upright, its proportions handsome, and its appearance bearing a seventy-percent resemblance to Su Ming after his Martial Soul Possession, exuding a stern, domineering aura.

She then turned her eyes to the other component, a metal Armor Beast, which resembled a common beast-type martial soul in form, though it was leaner and much smaller, its design exquisite and filled with mechanical sharpness.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Wu Feng leaned in to examine it closely. Ning Tian and Nanmen Yun'er were also drawn to these two novel creations.

They stepped forward, their curious gazes falling upon the armor and the Armor Beast component, observing the exquisite patterns on them in detail.

Su Ming stood to the side, taking in the surprise and curiosity on the three girls' faces. A sense of pride welled up within him, and a playful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he deliberately teased Wu Feng:

"How about it, little redhead? Having seen my laboratory and research results with your own eyes, are you full of questions and feeling quite surprised?"

Just moments ago, Wu Feng had been mocking him, calling this place a beggar's den and a small workshop; now that it was his turn to hold his head high, he naturally had to get his own back.

Even if the team was small in number, the scale of the facility and the depth of the research were undeniable—he wouldn't let her mock it as she pleased.

Wu Feng was choked by his smug expression; though she was clearly stunned, she refused to back down.

Wanting to retort but finding no suitable words, she could only suppress her frustration and force herself to speak:

"So what? These two things do look a bit strange and unique, but who knows if they're just for show or if they actually have real substance and can be put to any good use?"

Su Ming curled his lip, looking at Wu Feng's still-defiant expression with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"You're a classic case of being stubborn—you're clearly dumbfounded, yet you refuse to admit it."

He walked slowly to the workbench and pointed to the two uniquely shaped metal creations, his tone carrying a touch of arrogance and confidence: "Then let me properly introduce you to the two most special research projects our team is currently focusing on. These two semi-finished Soul Tool devices before you—the humanoid armor is called Battle Armor, and the metal beast-shaped creation next to it is called an Armor Beast. Both are auxiliary combat Soul Tool devices born specifically for real combat."

After a pause, Su Ming's tone became more solemn as he continued: "Once fully developed and perfected, with all circuits engraved and soul power compatibility achieved, the effects will far exceed your imagination."

"A first-grade Battle Armor, when worn by a one-ring soul master, guarantees the combat power to contend with a three-ring soul master; it provides both offense and defense with terrifying amplification. As for the Armor Beast, as long as it is in sync with the user and the soul power is synchronized, the combat bonus is comparable to that of the Battle Armor."

As soon as these words were spoken, the three of them were instantly shaken.

Watching Su Ming speak so lightly, as if it were a matter of course, the gazes of Wu Feng, Ning Tian, and Nanmen Yun'er became incredibly fervent, locked tightly onto the Battle Armor and the Armor Beast, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

One ring contending against three—this kind of gap overturned the conventional understanding of soul master cultivation and combat. If this could truly be achieved, it would absolutely be an epoch-making breakthrough in the history of Soul Tool devices.

Ning Tian, unable to suppress the excitement in her heart, took a step forward, her breathing slightly quickened. She stared intently at Su Ming, her tone full of eagerness:

"Senior Su, if every word you say is true, then choosing to join your team was truly the wisest decision—I've lost nothing at all. I am just curious, how much longer will these two projects take to be fully completed and finalized?"

Su Ming rubbed the back of his head at these words, pondered for a moment, and replied with a hint of helplessness: "Based on our current progress, we are just about at the final stage."

"Conservatively speaking, we will definitely have everything fully developed before the next Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament begins."

He let out a soft sigh, revealing the greatest difficulty currently at hand:

"It is just that we are stuck on rare materials and continuous consumption; research funds are in severe shortage, which has dragged our progress down significantly."

"If we could have a large influx of capital to continuously purchase rare materials and acquire precision equipment, the research speed could be boosted by a significant margin, and finishing ahead of schedule would not be impossible."

Ning Tian looked around at the precision instruments, rare materials, and the Battle Armor and Armor Beast with infinite potential before her. The more she listened, the more tempted she became, and her eyes grew increasingly bright.

She did not hesitate for a moment and solemnly promised:

"Senior Su, you need not worry about the funding at all; leave this matter entirely to me. With the foundation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, supporting these research expenses is nothing."

Immediately after, she voiced her own wish, her tone filled with anticipation:

"I only have one request: I hope that before the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament begins, you can tailor a set of Battle Armor or an Armor Beast for me as well."

"I want to use this powerful aid to shine brilliantly at the tournament, make a name for the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, and become famous throughout the entire soul master world."