Marshal An Jun Receives the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud

Although Huo Lei was dissatisfied, he still put on a sincere demeanor, "Thank you for the invitation from the Spirit Hall, and thank you for Lord Salas's kindness. I am truly flattered. Joining the Spirit Hall is a significant matter, and I need to discuss it with my father before making a decision. We are currently in the crucial period of the Continental Elite Tournament for Advanced Soul Master Academy, and I want to focus on preparing. Anyway, there's plenty of time ahead. Can we discuss this matter again after the Soul Master Tournament is over?"

Upon hearing Huo Lei's words, the Platinum Bishop Salas fell into deep thought.

After a brief standoff, Salas forced a smile. "Alright! What you say makes sense. Let's leave it at that for now. I hope you'll consider this carefully. If you've made up your mind, you can always go to any of the branch halls under the Spirit Hall and let them know, and they will naturally report it to your superiors."

After Salas finished speaking, he got up, waved his sleeves, and stormed out the door.

As night fell, after dinner, the students of the Blazing Fire Academy returned to their rooms to rest.

At this moment, three people were sitting in Huo Lei's room, chatting quietly. They were Huo Lei, Xie Chong, and Lin Yin.

Huo Lei looked at his teacher and tentatively asked, "Teacher Xie Chong, has the reward from Xue Ye arrived?"

"Not yet. I'm wondering the same thing. Xue Ye said it would be delivered by tonight at the latest, but there's still no sign of it." Xie Chong said with a hint of helplessness as he picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.

Lin Yin comforted him, "Perhaps Xue Ye is too busy. Let's wait a little longer."

Huo Lei chimed in, "Lin Yin is right. I have a very good impression of Xue Ye, and I believe he won't go back on his word."

While Huo Lei comforted Xie Chong, he was also comforting himself. At this moment, he also felt a little anxious, or rather, more accurately, expectant. The main reason was the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud; he wanted it too much.

Knock knock knock!

"Huo Lei, are you resting? The esteemed person who came last time has arrived and asked me to inform you," said Manager Yali's gentle voice.

Inside the room, Huo Lei and Xie Chong sprang up from the sofa, exchanged a glance, and walked towards the door.

The door opened, Yali saw Xie Chong, a slight smile appearing on her face. "Xie Chong, you're here too! That's wonderful. It saves me the trouble of making another trip. Those two gentlemen also invited you. Please follow me."

Huo Lei said, "Manager Yali, you don't need to make another trip. We can go directly there."

Yali hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Okay."

Huo Lei and Xie Chong arrived together at the door of the general manager's office on the sixth floor. The middle-aged man guarding the door bowed slightly when he saw the two of them, then knocked twice on the door to give his report.

A familiar voice came from inside the room; it wasn't Xue Ye, but the voice of Shi Hai, a middle-aged man who served as his bodyguard.

After receiving the order, the burly gatekeeper opened the door, signaling Huo Lei and Xie Chong to enter.

Huo Lei and Xie Chong entered the room one after the other. The crystal chandelier on the ceiling emitted a soft, non-glaring light. To their surprise, there were three people in the room. Xue Ye sat in the middle seat, with the middle-aged man Shi Hai, whom they had met before, standing to his right, and an old man standing to his left.

The old man gave off a very cold feeling. He was expressionless, with white hair and beard, and his eyes were very similar to Shui Bing'er's, both being ice blue. The most striking feature was his physique; he was even more robust than Shi Hai, and nearly half a head taller than him, almost 2.2 meters. His ice blue clothes and ice blue eyes complemented each other perfectly.

Xue Ye smiled broadly, looking quite well. "Hahaha! Huo Lei, Xie Chong, we meet again."

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Huo Lei and Xie Chong bowed simultaneously, clasping their hands in greeting.

Xue Ye smiled and nodded, "No need for formalities. I will not go back on my promises. Teacher Xie Chong, your notes and the Glory Earl Medal are with Shi Hai. He will hand them over to you later. Please wait outside for a moment."

"Yes!" Shi Hai and Xie Chong replied and left the room.

Xue Ye rose from his seat and walked to Huo Lei's side. "Huo Lei, let me introduce you to an important person, this is Marshal An Jun. He is the garrison marshal of the empire's northern border and a good friend of mine. He is currently a Level 88 Soul Douluo. He has made many meritorious contributions to the empire and is a very trustworthy partner. I have specially recalled him this time to accompany you and protect your safety."

The old man cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Earl Huo Lei, An Jun greets you."

Huo Lei hurriedly clasped his hands and bowed in return, "Marshal An Jun, you're too kind."

Huo Lei said somewhat awkwardly, "Your Majesty, isn't this inappropriate? If you transfer the Marshal to protect me, who will guard the empire's borders?"

Xue Ye said earnestly, "Huo Lei, there's no need to worry. I promised you that I would provide you with one Soul Douluo and two Soul Sages. The Soul Douluo will certainly be delivered, but as for the two Soul Sages, it's indeed a bit difficult, because many places also need strong guards, and we can't mobilize them for the time being. I am deeply sorry."

"Your Majesty need not do this. One Soul Douluo level expert is sufficient." Huo Lei noticed the slight embarrassment in Xue Ye's eyes and quickly responded.

Xue Ye smiled slightly. "Thank you for your understanding Huo Lei. Although Marshal An Jun is not Titled Douluo, his strength is comparable to that of an ordinary Titled Douluo. I have already instructed An Jun that he will protect you with his life. I have also brought the empire's national treasure, which I will now entrust to you. An Jun bring the items on the table."

An Jun turned around, picked up the brocade plate on the table, and walked to Huo Lei. The plate was covered with a layer of red cloth, and something was raised underneath.

Huo Lei looked at the red cloth being lifted up and knew it was what he wanted, but he still pretended to be confused and looked at Xue Ye, "Your Majesty, is this the national treasure you mentioned?"

Xue Ye smiled slightly, "Open it and see. From now on, it's yours."

Huo Lei's heart pounded wildly as he tried his best to control his excitement, but his outstretched right hand still trembled slightly as he slowly unveiled the red cloth. Instantly, the entire room was enveloped in a strong, precious light.

The national treasure is entirely a crystal-clear blue, shaped like a three-dimensional triangle. It's carved like a sapphire, only the size of a palm. A shimmering blue light emanates from it, with strange energy fluctuations constantly emanating from within. On the blue triangle, there are ripple-like patterns, which don't seem carved but rather alive, shimmering with blue light that fills the room with a radiant glow.

"It's it, it's definitely it, the treasure I've been waiting for!" Huo Lei was overjoyed, his body trembling slightly with excitement.

"This item is called the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. In a sense, it can be considered a Soul Tool. It has many wonderful uses. Once you inject your Soul Power into it, you will naturally understand. I hope it can help you if you encounter any insurmountable danger in the future." Xue Ye looked at Huo Lei with deep affection.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Huo Lei picked up the red cloth, wrapped it around the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, and held it tightly in his hand.

At this moment, Xue Ye's eyes were filled with complex emotions, and his tone became somewhat somber, "Huo Lei, from now on, the fate of the empire will be closely linked to yours. I hope that when you become powerful, you will be able to protect Heaven Dou."

As soon as Xue Ye finished speaking, he covered his head with his right hand, his expression turning extremely painful, and he even became unsteady on his feet.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" An Jun and Huo Lei rushed forward anxiously to help him up.