Dimensionality-Reduction Strike Through Information Asymmetry

The soul-guided train sped smoothly along the tracks, emitting only a faint hum.

The luxury of this private carriage rivaled the presidential suite of a five-star hotel. Soft carpeting, a temperature-controlled air circulation system, and even a small soul-power refrigerator stocked with expensive drinks and snacks.

Light of Truth had truly spared no expense for his "infiltration" this time.

Huo Yuhao leaned back on the sofa, his eyes closed, while his spiritual power silently spread out like an invisible tide.

[Spiritual Detection activated.]

[Scanning current environment...]

[Three miniature pinhole soul-tool cameras detected, located in the light fixture, ventilation vent, and behind the decorative painting frame.]

[Two high-sensitivity listening devices detected, located inside the sofa armrest and within the ceiling cavity.]

[Two Soul King-level guards stationed at the carriage connection. Their heartbeats are steady; they are on alert.]

Within the Thought Palace, Huo Yuhao's consciousness observed the real-time three-dimensional surveillance map without the slightest ripple of emotion.

As expected, so-called "trust" was merely an illusion built upon absolute surveillance.

Still, this level of monitoring was practically nonexistent to him. If he wished, he had hundreds of ways to turn those devices into scrap metal.

But there was no need for that yet.

An attendant in a crisp uniform entered, wearing a professional smile.

"Advisor Huo, we are expected to arrive in Sunrise City in another twelve hours. Is there anything you require?"

Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes. Those calm, ancient-well-like eyes seemed capable of seeing straight through a person's heart.

"No need."

The attendant seemed to want to say something else. After hesitating, he finally asked tentatively, "Advisor, regarding that 'resonance' theory, we discussed it internally and found it extremely... profound. Do you think the Sun Moon Empire's soul tools might have similar designs?"

He was fishing for information.

Rather than answer directly, Huo Yuhao asked, "Which do you think is harder, stone or water?"

"...Of course, stone." The attendant froze, not expecting such a question.

"Then why can dripping water wear through stone?"

After saying that, Huo Yuhao closed his eyes again, wearing the lofty expression of someone who had said all there was to say and left the rest for others to comprehend.

The attendant's expression instantly stiffened. He stood there rigidly, muttering over and over, "Dripping water wears through stone... frequency... persistence... Damn! So that's how it is!"

It was as if he had suddenly grasped some supreme truth. He gave Huo Yuhao a deep bow, then turned and hurried out in excitement, presumably to share this earth-shattering "insight" with his companions.

In the Sea of Spirit, Sky Dream Iceworm's voice was filled with disdain. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You've fooled another crippled fool. It'd be a waste of your talent if you didn't go run a pyramid scheme."

"Shut up," Huo Yuhao's consciousness replied coldly. "This is called a dimensionality-reduction strike through information asymmetry."

Too lazy to deal with the flies outside, he immersed all his focus in the Thought Palace.

"Sky Dream, you lived for a million years. You must have seen quite a few soul engineers, right?"

"Of course!" Sky Dream Iceworm immediately perked up and bragged, "Back when I was still the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion's little brother, I saw some human powerhouses. The little things they played with were completely different from modern soul tools."

"Oh? Tell me about them." Huo Yuhao became interested.

"They didn't bother with complicated formations or cores," Sky Dream Iceworm recalled. "They were simple and brutal. They compressed their own soul power using a special method, then compressed it again and again until it became a crystal the size of a palm. That thing was incredibly powerful! Throw it out, and with one boom, an entire small hill would vanish! It was way fiercer than your current pew-pew-pew soul-guided guns!"

Compressed soul power? Crystal bombs?

Huo Yuhao's Thought Palace instantly began operating at high speed.

[Keywords extracted: soul power compression, solidification, single-use thrown weapon.]

[Knowledge base match: Earth technology—shells, ammunition, standardized production.]

[Concept Armament activated!]

[Simulation deduction begins...]

In an instant, countless complex models and formulas flashed wildly through Huo Yuhao's mind.

Traditional soul-guided cannons required soul engineers to continuously pour in soul power, like a faucet that only produced water when turned on. Not only did this consume an enormous amount of power, but both firing speed and destructive force were limited by the soul engineer himself.

But what if Sky Dream's concept of "soul-power crystals" were combined with Earth's concept of "artillery shells"?

[Concept generated: fixed-load soul-guided artillery shell.]

[Theoretical framework:]

[1. Warhead: Use high-density compressed soul-power crystals to replace the explosive charge of traditional shells.]

[2. Shell casing: Use inexpensive metal, with simple activation and stabilization formations inscribed inside.]

[3. Propellant: Improved soul-power reagent, providing instantaneous explosive thrust.]

A completely new concept took shape in Huo Yuhao's mind!

These shells would no longer require soul engineers to inject soul power on the spot. They could be mass-produced in factories beforehand!

That meant an ordinary soldier, after only simple training, could operate a soul-guided cannon and fire shells carrying the full-force strike of a Soul King—or even a Soul Emperor!

This would completely overturn the very nature of warfare!

"Not only that..." Huo Yuhao's thoughts continued to branch outward.

What was the greatest limitation of soul tools? Energy!

Every soul tool had its own soul power core, like different phones using different chargers—chaotic and inefficient.

What if...

[New Concept Generated: Soul Power Battery Standardization.]

[Theoretical Framework:]

[1. Establish unified standards for soul power battery dimensions, interfaces, and energy density.]

[2. Develop "Milk Bottle"-style replaceable battery compartments for use in all standardized soul tools.]

[3. Build soul power charging stations to enable centralized energy supply and rapid replenishment.]

"Holy shit!" Within the Sea of Spirits, Sky Dream Iceworm stared at the concept diagrams in the [Thought Palace], unable to understand them but sensing that they were incredibly impressive. It could not help but curse. "Kid, what the hell is your brain made of? If this thing gets made, won't all those soul engineers lose their jobs?"

"This isn't unemployment. It's industrial upgrading." Huo Yuhao's consciousness replied coldly. "Eliminating outdated productive forces is the inevitable course of history."

Just then, the train gave a slight jolt, and the scenery outside slowed.

Huo Yuhao pulled himself out of his deep thoughts and looked out the window.

What came into view was a colossal city woven from steel and light.

Massive soul tool screens on skyscrapers played dazzling advertisements. On floating tracks in midair, futuristic-looking soul tool transport vehicles darted back and forth. On the ground, pedestrians filled the streets, many of them wearing all sorts of faintly glowing miniature soul tools on their wrists, ears, and even clothing.

The technological level here was at least fifty years ahead of the Heaven Soul Empire!

Suddenly, a commotion broke out at a street corner.

Two men seemed to have gotten into an argument. One of them abruptly raised his wrist, and a red beam shot out in an instant!

The other man reacted just as quickly. A metal disc at his waist sprang open, transforming into an energy shield that blocked the beam with a sharp ding.

The entire exchange took less than a second!

There were no dazzling soul rings, no roars of martial souls—only a pure, efficient, deadly clash of technology.

Huo Yuhao's [Thought Palace] immediately captured the scene of the fight.

[Analysis Complete.]

[Attacker: Wrist-mounted third-generation ray gun. Power equivalent to the full-force strike of a level-twenty assault-type soul master.]

[Defender: Portable "Honeycomb" shield. Capable of withstanding energy impacts below level thirty.]

[Conclusion: Soul tools have become deeply integrated into the daily lives and combat of Sun Moon Empire civilians. The traditional advantages of individual soul masters are rapidly being leveled by technology.]

Those people from the Light of Truth were still immersed in the fantasy of deciphering ancient runes.

Meanwhile, their enemy had already armed itself to the teeth with technology.

Ridiculous.

He withdrew his thoughts and picked up the dossier Xu Qingsong had given him.

Inside was public intelligence on the Sun Moon Empire and Mingde Hall.

The [Thought Palace] instantly scanned and archived the contents.

[Target Organization: Mingde Hall.]

[Person in Charge: Jing Hongchen. Ninth-rank soul engineer, Titled Douluo.]

[Core Philosophy: Technology above all, pragmatism.]

[Organizational Structure: Divided into twelve departments, including the Core Research and Development Department, Applied Technology Department, Military Industry Conversion Department...]

Huo Yuhao lightly tapped his fingers against the documents.

The "commoner genius" script Xu Qingsong had given him was far too ordinary.

To stand out in a place like Mingde Hall, where geniuses competed themselves to the brink of madness, talent alone was not enough.

He needed an explosive debut! A "creation" that no one could possibly ignore!

And the inspiration for that "creation"...

The concept diagrams of "fixed-installation soul tool shells" and "soul power battery standardization" surfaced in Huo Yuhao's mind once more.

He needed an entry point, a stage where he could display these "advanced concepts."

The train slowly pulled into the station.

The doors opened, and a wave of scorching air mixed with metal and energy rushed toward him.

The accompanying attendant stood respectfully outside the door.

"Consultant Huo, we've arrived at Sunrise City."

Huo Yuhao closed the dossier.