Baiyun Mining Area! Armored Soul-Powered Truck! Please Keep Reading! Please Vote!

The next day, when the first ray of morning sunlight crept over the green mountains and shone upon this ordinary little mountain village, the people from Spirit Hall had already begun a more thorough survey of Baiyun Mining Area.

A large number of White Cloud Village residents living nearby followed the wealthy Spirit Hall and got a share of the benefits, joining the highly paid mining workforce to clear out Baiyun Mining Area and lay the foundations for the mine's construction.

Once he got to work, Chen Hong stopped stirring up trouble for Hu Liena and threw himself wholeheartedly into planning Baiyun Mining Area.

Three days later, Chen Hong drove an Armored Soul-Powered Truck into the sight of the Spirit Hall group on the mountain road of the Baiyun Mining Area, which had begun to take shape.

"Hu Liena! Come take a look! I made an Armored Soul-Powered Truck for you!" Chen Hong shouted toward Hu Liena, who was supervising construction on the distant hillside from the driver's seat, which had no windshield.

The Armored Soul-Powered Truck was not much different from a four-wheeled carriage overall. It was just that iron sheets had been wrapped around key areas of the wooden frame to make it more durable. Chen Hong had also replaced the transmission components with metal and gotten some poultry fat from the villagers to improve the gears' transmission efficiency.

Due to the rush, Chen Hong had still used wooden wheels, but their frames and outer surfaces were covered with a layer of iron sheeting. He had also thoughtfully installed an elastic shock-absorption structure, so the truck was ultimately named the Armored Soul-Powered Truck.

Buzz.

However, Chen Hong had barely shouted for long before the Armored Soul-Powered Truck broke down halfway up the mountain and stopped moving entirely.

Seeing this, the Spirit Hall group immediately hurried over. Hu Liena, at the front, asked in confusion, "What happened?"

"Uh, we drove too far. Dad ran out of Soul Power." Chen Hong looked helplessly at Chen Lin beside him, who was holding the Generation One Soul Engine in both hands, his face pale.

Chen Lin had spent the past few days tinkering with the Armored Soul-Powered Truck alongside Chen Hong without getting proper rest. There was little Soul Power left in his body, and the truck had ultimately broken down halfway up the mountain.

"Mm, let me try." Hu Liena examined Chen Hong's Armored Soul-Powered Truck several times. After pondering for a moment, she took Chen Lin's place.

Buzz!

As Hu Liena's Soul Power flowed into it, the Generation One Soul Engine let out a powerful roar. Under everyone's astonished gazes, the Armored Soul-Powered Truck slowly drove toward Baiyun Mining Area higher up the mountain.

Chen Hong controlled the steering while Hu Liena supplied the Soul Power. Working together, they slowly drove the Armored Soul-Powered Truck along the mountain road Chen Hong had previously had people level out.

Sitting beside Chen Hong, Hu Liena seemed to catch the dry scent of spring sunlight from the boy. Watching the scenery slowly pass outside the truck, she suddenly said, "If—"

"Stop!" Chen Hong immediately cut her off, beating her to it. "I know what you're thinking. You were going to say that if this Armored Soul-Powered Truck were used in warfare, it might achieve unexpected results, right?"

Hu Liena looked at Chen Hong strangely, a flash of surprise crossing her pale red eyes. "How did you know what I wanted to say?"

"Why wouldn't I know what you wanted to say?" Chen Hong countered as he drove. "Do you know the biggest difference in thinking between me and people who attended Martial Soul School? The people there are always thinking about how to become stronger than everyone else. But I think about how to make life more convenient, work easier, and let everyone participate in work they originally couldn't take part in."

"I generally call that kind of thinking a Developmental Perspective. But you—you've always viewed this world through the lens of force, violence, and conquest."

Chen Hong's words made Hu Liena's eyes widen slightly. Somewhat displeased, she said, "Only personal strength can protect the things you're talking about!"

"Yeah!" Chen Hong asked in confusion. "You have good cultivation talent, so you can be in charge of becoming stronger! I'll be responsible for development and production behind the scenes. Wouldn't that work?"

Chen Hong was actually quite annoyed. It seemed that almost everyone in this world insisted that he had to become powerful himself, as though he would die if he did not. Chen Hong knew his own limits. The growth gained by investing the same resources in himself would not be as good as investing them in his mother!

At the very least, his mother Ning Lu had Innate Soul Power at Rank 7, the highest in their family. A unit of heavenly treasures might only raise Chen Hong by four ranks, while it might directly help Ning Lu break through an entire realm!

Chen Hong had always believed that making people with low Energy Conversion rates consume large amounts of heavenly treasures was simply wasteful.

With the same resources, others could create four or five peak experts, while concentrating them in one place could only create a single peak expert. There was truly no need for that.

When resources were limited, Chen Hong would prioritize helping his mother level up. Once he had trained up his mother as his fighter, Chen Hong would gain entry into higher circles. Then, if she casually gave him a little of the resources, he could level up quickly as well.

Besides, investing in his mother would never be a loss.

Others might have no one they could trust and no choice in the matter, but Chen Hong had someone by his side whose Affection Level was locked from birth.

Other people could be lured away by all sorts of temptations. But try poaching my mother. Chen Hong himself might not even be able to save you in time.

"You..." A faint blush flashed across Hu Liena's cute face as she sat beside Chen Hong. Clearly, Chen Hong's words had made her misunderstand a little, but she quickly came to her senses and adjusted herself.

"I-I agree to it." Hu Liena suddenly said something inexplicable.

"Huh?" Chen Hong froze, asking in confusion, "What did you agree to? Why are you agreeing to things at random?"

A trace of conflict flashed over Hu Liena's little face, but she slowly became resolute in the end. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she said, "I... Didn't you say you wanted to be my... dog? I-I agree—"

"???!!!" Chen Hong's expression changed instantly. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, and his voice immediately rose. "Do you see that steep slope down there?! Say one more word about this, and I'll hit the accelerator so we can die together!"

"..." Hu Liena fell silent. "Didn't you really want that?"

"..." Chen Hong said nothing, merely steering the Armored Soul-Powered Truck slowly toward the edge of the mountain road.

Hu Liena:

"Fine! I won't talk about it anymore!" Hu Liena said angrily.

The Armored Soul-Powered Truck slowly returned to its proper course.

"...I want to subdue you."

"Do I look like some kind of magical pet?"

"...I mean, I want you to become my subordinate, one of my people!" Little Fox was so angry that she nearly stamped her feet.

"You should've said so earlier! Why did you have to make me take the initiative the whole time? Taking the initiative is exhausting, you know!"

Elsewhere, Bishop Suotuo suddenly asked the Spirit Hall Elder beside him in confusion:

"Were they... saying something very strange?"

The protagonist will also become very powerful, though the direction of his strength will be a little... hehe. Once the protagonist comprehends the mysteries of runes, his First Soul Skill and Second Soul Skill will become the most terrifying synergistic support skills.