Visiting Virtue Hall, the Martial Soul Fusion Enhancer

At the gates of the Sun Moon Empire Royal Academy.

When a luxurious soul-guided carriage bearing the insignia of nobility arrived, it immediately drew the attention of countless students.

Their gazes toward the carriage were filled with wariness and reverence.

After all, it represented Xia Yu, the Empire's youngest Titled Douluo and ninth-rank soul engineer.

Someone like him was not someone students like them could afford to provoke.

"Meng, we're here. Time to get out!"

After the carriage arrived at the Sun Moon Empire Royal Academy, Xia Yu took the initiative to break the silence inside. Smiling, he reached out and took Meng Hongchen's hand.

"Hmph..."

Feeling Xia Yu take her hand, Meng Hongchen gave a soft snort.

But she did not refuse his hand. Instead, she rose with his help and stepped out of the carriage with him.

"Gasp, isn't that Meng Hongchen? I'm so jealous of her. She got so lucky, marrying Senior Xia Yu."

"Lucky? How shallow. Miss Meng Hongchen really was lucky to marry Senior Xia Yu, but luck alone wouldn't have been enough. There must have been..."

"Exactly. This is no longer just a matter of luck. There must have been plenty of exchanges of interests involved."

"Enough, enough. We'd better not talk too much about this. Watch your mouths, or you'll bring trouble on yourselves."

"True, we really shouldn't say too much. Oh, did you see Miss Meng Hongchen's rosy complexion? One look tells you she's been thoroughly pampered..."

"..."

Xia Yu and Meng Hongchen's appearance together immediately sparked wave after wave of discussion.

For a time, the entire area outside the academy gates was filled with all sorts of chatter.

However, Xia Yu and Meng Hongchen had long since become immune to such things and had no intention of paying any attention to them.

Before long, under the reverent and curious gazes of the many students, they entered the academy together.

"I'll be going first!"

After escorting Meng Hongchen all the way to the Sun Moon Royal Team's training grounds, Xia Yu left first.

Naturally, before leaving, there was no shortage of intimate interaction.

Xia Yu casually rubbed Meng Hongchen's head in full view of everyone and planted a light kiss on her forehead before finally turning to leave.

"This bastard..."

Meng Hongchen watched Xia Yu's gradually receding back with puffed cheeks, not even knowing what to say about him.

It was not like they were parting forever. Why did he have to do something like that?

If the people on the team found out, who knew what they would say about her?

At the thought of her familiar teammates looking at her strangely because of this, Meng Hongchen instantly felt miserable.

But now that it had happened, she could not change anything.

"Ugh, what a mess. I just hope Brother and the others didn't see that."

After stomping her foot in frustration, Meng Hongchen entered the training grounds dejectedly.

Meanwhile.

After leaving, Xia Yu soon arrived at Virtue Hall, located in the core area.

With his status, he did not need any verification at all. He could simply show his face and enter the underground experimental base.

"So, Xia Yu, isn't this place something else? Look over there..."

Not long after entering the base, Jing Hongchen, the hall master, came over personally. He warmly led Xia Yu on a tour and introduced the various facilities in great detail.

Once the tour was nearly complete, Jing Hongchen abruptly changed the subject and said with a flattering smile, trying to tempt Xia Yu.

"Xia Yu, Virtue Hall needs young and highly skilled soul engineering talents like you. Would you consider taking a nominal position in Virtue Hall?"

Having said that, Jing Hongchen stared intently at Xia Yu, the anticipation in his eyes practically overflowing.

In truth, it was no wonder he acted this way. The Body Sect's ambush had already cost Virtue Hall a great number of its capable personnel, leaving it severely weakened.

Although Virtue Hall appeared to have recovered by now, only Jing Hongchen knew that its development had already stagnated.

It no longer possessed the vigorous vitality and ambitious drive it once had.

Even he had been affected. Whether he could remain hall master was still up for debate.

Otherwise, when Elder Kong Deming had come to arrange Xia Yu and Meng Hongchen's marriage, why would he have agreed without the slightest hesitation?

Was it not because agreeing to that marriage brought nothing but benefits to him and the Red Dust Family?

Sure enough, thanks to this marriage, his situation had indeed improved considerably.

This meant he no longer had to stake everything on winning the Radiant City Tournament.

But that was still not enough. He wanted Virtue Hall to return to its peak, and Xia Yu was the most crucial part of that.

As long as he could trick... ah, no, invite Xia Yu into Virtue Hall, then with Xia Yu's talent, Virtue Hall should recover within just a few years.

There was even a strong possibility that Xia Yu could lead Virtue Hall to even greater heights.

"Uh, Elder, that turn caught me a little off guard. If it's about joining Virtue Hall, I'll need to think it over."

Faced with Jing Hongchen's sudden invitation, Xia Yu was briefly unable to react.

To be honest, he was not opposed to holding a nominal position in Virtue Hall, but Kong Deming had already mapped out a complete development strategy for him.

To avoid unforeseen complications that might affect his teacher's plans, he needed to carefully consider whether to join Virtue Hall.

And strictly speaking, Jing Hongchen was no longer an outsider, so Xia Yu voiced his concerns.

"I see. Then this truly does require Elder Kong's approval. How about this, Xia Yu? Think it over carefully. Once you have an answer, send someone to inform me."

Although Jing Hongchen understood Xia Yu's concerns, the disappointment in his eyes was still plainly visible.

Xia Yu could not say much in response and could only remain silent.

After that, the tour continued.

In order to attract Xia Yu into Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen remained exceptionally diligent in his explanations.

It made Xia Yu feel somewhat embarrassed. After all, Jing Hongchen was Meng Hongchen's grandfather, and this situation felt rather backwards.

Time slowly passed. As they continued their tour, they finally arrived at the secret research area Xia Yu had been anticipating, located in the deepest part of the facility.

Virtue Hall truly deserved its reputation as the place with the most advanced soul engineering technology. Its secret research projects genuinely broadened Xia Yu's horizons.

While other factions were still making use of the primitive properties of metals, soul engineers in Virtue Hall were already researching how to break through the limits of metals, making them stronger and even allowing them to develop spirituality.

And that was not all. Virtue Hall also had projects such as extracting souls or life force to enhance the power of soul tools, and using deathly and baleful energy to create special soul tools.

Among them, a Martial Soul Fusion Enhancer developed by one particularly deranged soul engineer gave Xia Yu a tremendous surprise.

Although this thing could not forcibly induce martial soul fusion and thereby create a Martial Soul Fusion Technique.

It could slightly promote resonance between the origins of martial souls, laying the most fundamental groundwork for a Martial Soul Fusion Technique.

It allowed a breakthrough from zero to one.

This was practically a miracle.

After all, going from one to a hundred might be difficult, but there was still a path to follow.

But going from zero to one was no longer a matter of difficulty. Either it worked, or it did not. If it did not, then no amount of effort would help.