Ji Juechen Breaks Through! Back to the Star Dou Great Forest! One Blast for Da Ming and Er Ming!

Ju Zi walked out of the Imperial Palace.

Lou Gao waited outside the palace gates. When he saw her, he asked eagerly, "Well? Did the old Star Luo emperor agree?"

Ju Zi couldn't help laughing.

This was Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy's business, yet Lou Gao seemed even more anxious than she was.

But he couldn't help it. Li Chen had told him he could join the Sun Moon Sect only if he helped get the railway project approved.

And Lou Gao really had helped. Without his introduction and guarantee, Ju Zi would have had to fight her way into the Star Luo Imperial Palace.

"It's done."

"Wonderful! Hahaha! Can I join your Sun Moon Sect now?"

Ju Zi nodded. "Yes, but you'll have to follow my arrangements."

Lou Gao followed Ju Zi away from the palace gates.

Inside the palace, the old emperor toyed with the Soul Tool Shield ring on his finger, thoroughly pleased.

With this, not even a Titled Douluo could hope to kill him.

Dai Mubai hurriedly made an excuse to leave as soon as possible.

As far as he was concerned, anywhere in the world was safer than home!

Heaven Dou City.

Ning Fengzhi brought Bone Douluo into the Sun Moon Sect's shop in the city center.

The Sun Moon Soul Tool Workshop.

It was a name Li Chen had come up with on a whim.

"Ah, Sect Master Ning. What brings you here?"

Li Chen stopped going over the accounts, wiped his hands, and smiled.

Ning Fengzhi glanced around, his manner cautious.

After all, Jing Hongchen had come here with Ji Juechen.

Everyone in Heaven Dou City knew

that Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen, two Titled Douluo, were at the Sun Moon Artifact Refining Workshop right now.

With strength like that, the Sun Moon Sect already rivaled the Top Three Sects.

In fact, more and more people in Heaven Dou City and beyond were wondering whether the Top Three Sects ought to become the Top Four Sects.

The Sun Moon Sect had several Titled Douluo, as well as advanced talent in artifact refining.

It deserved to rank at least fourth among the sects under heaven—or perhaps it could simply push one of the original Top Three Sects out.

Ning Fengzhi smiled. "You're too kind. I came to ask whether your sect master has given any word on the Flying Soul Tools."

"Ah, so that's what this is about."

Li Chen came out from behind the counter and sat down. Rather than answer at once, he first brewed two cups of hot tea for Ning Fengzhi and his companion.

Ning Fengzhi sat down with a smile. He held the cup, blew on the tea, and took a small sip. "Mm. Such fragrant tea."

Gu Rong did not drink his.

"Sect Master Ning, I'm afraid we can't sell you any Flying Soul Tools just yet."

Li Chen set down his cup as he spoke.

Ning Fengzhi paused, then asked, "Is there some difficulty you can't speak of? The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can pay more."

"It isn't about money. Flying Soul Tools are extremely expensive to make, and our sect simply has no spare materials. Besides, everyone in the sect is busy building the railway. We'd like to help, but we can't."

Ning Fengzhi nodded.

By now, news that the Sun Moon Sect intended to build a Railway Line crossing Heaven Dou City, Spirit City, and Star Luo City had spread through all three powers.

What the world found even harder to believe was

that the Sun Moon Sect had actually set the project in motion.

Now,

along the route marked on the Railway Route Map, the three powers had sent millions of workers to build the roadbed, while powerful soul masters blasted through mountains to clear the way.

To ensure the Train would meet the required standards, Ju Zi had even dispatched over a hundred members of the Soul Engineer Corps to provide technical guidance and inspect construction across different sections.

It was entirely reasonable for Li Chen to turn Ning Fengzhi down on those grounds.

"No matter. Once the Railway Line is complete, I hope the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will be the first to work with your sect."

Ning Fengzhi rose.

Li Chen nodded. "Of course. We'll have plenty of opportunities ahead. Take care, Sect Master Ning. I'm swamped here, so I won't see you out."

Ning Fengzhi nodded and left with Gu Rong.

Li Chen returned to the counter and swiftly used his Computer to run simulations and verify the Train data, along with the progress of railway construction in each area.

There was no other way to put it:

the Supercomputer Martial Soul was practically the father of all Soul Tools.

Even a Level 9 Soul Tool

could be modeled precisely by Li Chen's supercomputer now, given enough time.

A month passed.

In the small courtyard behind the workshop,

before Jing Hongchen and Kong Deming,

stood a thick, squat shell three meters long and two meters in diameter.

Its entire body was bloodred, and it radiated dangerous energy.

The Heaven-Shaking Earth-Rending Cannon.

A standard Level 8 Soul Tool High-Explosive Bomb used by Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.

Its power rivaled a strike from a Super Douluo.

What's more, the bomb excelled at unleashing wide-ranging shock waves and searing heat. It could bombard defensive positions on a massive scale and demolish fortifications.

"Li Chen, you're here. These two old fellows haven't lost their touch. The first Level 8 Soul Tool High-Explosive Bomb is ready."

Kong Deming rose with a chuckle and washed his hands.

Jing Hongchen nodded in satisfaction. "As you suggested, we deliberately strengthened the Magic Array that draws in the world's Soul Power."

"By my estimate, this bomb should be half again as powerful as the ones from our era. Strictly speaking, it's already reached Level 8.5—not far short of a Level 9 Soul Tool shell."

"Mm. Thank you both for your hard work."

Li Chen smiled in satisfaction.

Kong Deming finished washing his hands and shook off the water.

"We need to find somewhere suitable to test it."

Kong Deming spoke up.

Soul Tool technology needed precise data, not estimates.

Close enough would be a dangerous thing to rely on when it came time to use the bomb in battle!

"Where should we test it? The Far North? The northwestern desert? Or out at sea?"

Jing Hongchen asked.

In the Sun Moon Empire, they often tested shells underground.

But this was Heaven Dou City.

If they tested it underground here, one blast might bring the whole city crashing down.

While the three of them discussed it,

Ji Juechen suddenly walked in.

"I'm requesting leave to obtain my ninth Soul Ring."

Ji Juechen got straight to the point.

"Huh? Old Ji, you broke through?"

Li Chen was delighted.

Ji Juechen smiled. "Mm. A lucky break."

"In my last fight with Sword Douluo, danger forced me to draw on the world's Soul Power. After I returned, I felt as though I'd caught a glimpse of a new realm."

"After a month of studying and experimenting, I've finally understood it!"

Li Chen couldn't help laughing.

There was one kind of sword cultivator more underhanded than any other.

Ask him whether he won or lost, and he would say he'd gained enlightenment.

Ji Juechen stretched out a hand with a triumphant air and flicked a finger. A white streak of sword light slashed through the air!

"Unity of Heaven and Man! I've entered a new realm of the sword! Now, having no sword in my hand is better than having one!"

Ji Juechen was beside himself with joy.

"Li Chen, I owe it to the Demon Sword: Thousand Blades you made specifically for me. It taught me that there can be no creation without destruction, and that all things are swords!"

"And with the Immortal Herb you brought back for me, my Soul Power has reached the limit of level ninety. It's time for me to become a Titled Douluo!"

Kong Deming listened with a smile and stroked his beard.

In fact,

he had also taken an Immortal Herb, and his Soul Power had now reached level ninety-five.

More importantly, the world's Soul Power was far denser in the Douluo I era. For the people of Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, it was like high-altitude warriors descending to lower ground. Naturally, their strength rose swiftly.

"In that case, why don't we go to the Star Dou Great Forest now? We can test the power of this Level 8.5 Soul Tool High-Explosive Bomb while we're there."

Li Chen made the suggestion.

"Good. The Star Dou Great Forest is vast, so it's a suitable place. We might even blow up a couple of Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts!"

Kong Deming agreed.