Early morning, at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
At the academy's main entrance, Lin Qing wore a simple outfit suited for an expedition. His long silver-gray hair danced in the wind, his handsome features looked clean and gentle, and flecks of radiance sparkled in his eyes.
The Azure Heavenly Emperor's name resounded far and wide. Passing Sun Moon students paid him their respects with their eyes, completely overlooking the lackluster Wang Shaojie and Zi Mu beside him. In the distance, two slender figures gradually came into focus, waving high at Lin Qing, their bright eyes filled with smiles.
The two girls had shed their unchanging uniforms and put on crisp, dashing white training outfits.
Seventeen- and eighteen-year-old soul masters were exceptionally well developed, and the fitted outfits outlined every curve of the girls' figures. Ju Zi stood out in particular. Her translucent, snow-white skin shone against her white clothes, leaving Zi Mu, who secretly adored her, dazzled and entranced.
Among the boys in the Hongchen Class, Lin Qing stood head and shoulders above the rest. His strength and looks both ranked first, establishing his unrivaled authority, while Ye Guyi, Meng Hongchen, and Ju Zi were collectively known as the girls' big three.
With her presence fully unleashed, Ye Guyi looked like the Angel God reborn. Little Meng was notorious throughout the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy for her terminal obsession with good looks. Neither girl ever gave anyone else the time of day. Only Ju Zi was a noncombat soul engineer, and her fair, tender face made her look soft, adorable, and easy to tease. Quite a few male students had developed feelings for her.
Compared to the big three, Keke and Nana were forced to settle for being ordinary beauties, lamenting the chasm between them.
"Everyone's here. Let me explain the final assessment's detailed objectives."
Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan landed on the ground and handed Lin Qing a metal bracelet, speaking unhurriedly. "The Storage Soul Tool contains two All-Terrain Detection Soul Tool Prototypes. The five of you will divide into two teams and collect operating data from two environments in the Jingyang Mountain Range-rock faces and mountain forests-over three days.
"The ultimate goal of the All-Terrain Detection Soul Tool is universal use on land, at sea, and in the air, allowing it to race through any environment. Unfortunately, the Prototype cannot fly yet, and we also lack real-world testing data. That makes this field assignment crucial to determining how we improve it.
"Oh, and the team assigned to rock faces will conduct a high-altitude tumbling test, while the forest team will test underwater travel. Mingde Hall has provided two Prototypes specifically to prevent the testing plan from being derailed if a soul tool shatters under extreme conditions.
"You're free to act as you see fit on this trip. I will accompany you throughout and intervene if your lives are threatened."
"Yes, Senior Unbreakable!" ×5
With that, Zheng Zhan shot into the sky and vanished. Lin Qing and the others set off as well. Once they left Mingdu, they activated their Flying Soul Tools and headed straight for their destination, the Jingyang Mountain Range.
The Jingyang Mountain Range lay in the north-central region of the Sun Moon Empire. Matching Ju Zi's flying speed, the five-person team would need roughly six hours to get there.
His wings tore through the high-altitude currents as Lin Qing took the lead. He even had enough attention to spare to hold a map of the Jingyang Mountain Range and silently plan their tests.
The mountain range's overall shape resembled a Man Faced Demon Spider. Jingyang Peak at its center covered a vast area and held exceptionally rich deposits of rare metals.
Its eight branch ranges were like eight slender spider legs, their paths extending far in every direction. They nurtured metal-attribute soul beasts that grew while bathed in metallic energy, earning the Jingyang Mountain Range another name: the paradise of metal-attribute soul beasts.
Although the Jingyang Mountain Range was less dangerous than the Star Dou Great Forest, those wolfish, tigerish metal-attribute soul beasts were no pushovers. In another timeline, Xuan Ziwen really had nerves of steel, daring to send three weakling disciples out to test soul tools. Was he genuinely not afraid they would drop dead in the Jingyang Mountain Range?
If Huo Yuhao and the other two had tragically died in the Jingyang Mountain Range, Mingde Hall's Chief Researcher would certainly have faced an unprecedented reckoning. Crown Prince Xu Tianran and Mingde Hall's master, Jing Hongchen, could have minced him into finely chopped meat.
Once Huo Yuhao, in whom Shrek had placed such high hopes, died, the already thread-thin diplomatic ties between the two academies would snap overnight. The next day, Shrek City would announce the Hongchen siblings' sudden deaths during practical training in the Star Dou Great Forest. The reason? Taotie Douluo Xuan Zi had accidentally done it again.
This time, with the rare specimen known as Ultimate Metal on the team, Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan bore a heavy responsibility. Fortunately, he was the Sun Moon Empire's foremost defensive soul engineer, and his signature Level 9 Soul Tool, the Unbreakable Divine Shield, had an outstanding record.
As long as the five-person team did not foolishly charge into Jingyang Peak, the core region, Zheng Zhan could guarantee their survival.
Nothing noteworthy happened along the way. The five reached the Jingyang Mountain Range at noon and drew energy from Milk Bottles to replenish their soul power.
Boom! Boom!
Lin Qing brushed his fingertips over the storage bracelet. Accompanied by deafening crashes, two metal behemoths slammed onto the ground.
The All-Terrain Detection Soul Tools made a magnificent entrance. Each looked like an enormous metal sphere, with one seat in front and two behind inside. Crystal panels around the cabin allowed its occupants to observe the changing surroundings. Six long alloy legs were exceedingly sharp, their tips piercing the soil effortlessly.
"Once we're rested, we'll enter the Jingyang Mountain Range through the First Branch Range. Its terrain is best suited to our tests," Lin Qing said. "Wang Shaojie, Zi Mu, you two will handle the rock-face surveys. I'll take Ju Zi and Keke deeper into the forest."
"Sure."
The arrangement suited their dark-skinned teammate perfectly, and Wang Shaojie readily agreed.
The royal noble resisted working with Lin Qing from the bottom of his heart. His elders' teachings had made him deeply prejudiced against people from the Douluo Three Kingdoms. Not even the power of Ultimate Metal could erase that prejudice.
"Ah-I-fine."
Zi Mu looked conflicted. Naturally, the humble secret admirer longed to ride in the same soul tool as his goddess, but the sensible distribution left him unable to object.
Lin Qing had the strongest combat ability, so it was perfectly reasonable for him to look after the two somewhat weaker girls. Zi Mu and Wang Shaojie were both sixth-year students who worked well together. Teaming up would let them achieve the remarkable effect of one plus one being greater than two.
Forget it. Liking a girl means putting her first in everything. As long as Ju Zi is safe, I can rest easy...
Having talked himself around in just a few sentences, Zi Mu was the first to climb into the metal sphere.
"Keep a reasonable distance between the two soul tools, and remember not to go too deep into the Jingyang Mountain Range. Let's avoid causing trouble for our senior as much as possible."
After that final reminder, Lin Qing brought Ju Zi and Keke into the All-Terrain Detection Soul Tool. The two metal behemoths parted ways, searching for rock faces and mountain forests respectively.
Unbreakable Douluo smiled faintly. Two beams of white light silently descended onto the All-Terrain Detection Soul Tools. He was a Level 9 Soul Engineer, after all, with countless soul tools boasting marvelous functions. Could a mere split into teams possibly stump him?
"I have to say, this new technology Mingde Hall developed really has some tricks up its sleeve."
Seated at the main controls, Lin Qing operated the joystick. The soul tool raced along nimbly, its crystal window presenting a sweeping, 180-degree panorama ahead.
"When we get back, we should tell Teacher Xuan there's still room for improvement in the All-Terrain Detection Soul Tool. It doesn't even have rearview mirrors."
"Mm-hmm."
The two beauties leaned forward on either side, admiring the scenery through the crystal window and marveling at Mingde Hall's superb craftsmanship. Ju Zi took out paper and a pen to record her firsthand impressions, prominently circling Lin Qing's suggestion to add rearview mirrors.
As time passed, Lin Qing increasingly appreciated the versatility of this soul-engineering creation. It crossed mountain forests as though walking on level ground, and its metal shell could conceal their presence, preventing soul beasts from detecting a human scent.
The sphere itself was sealed, so all they had to do when diving was retract its metal legs. The three took turns operating it, personally experiencing the All-Terrain Detection Soul Tool's capabilities. A thick metal shell, a Level 5 Soul Tool Shield, rubber shock absorbers... it had every aspect covered.
If they really wanted to pick bones out of an egg, the issues were offensive capability and soul power consumption. The All-Terrain Detection Soul Tool carried no weapons, and Ju Zi's and Keke's insubstantial soul power could only sustain an hour of operation. Those were the areas to improve in the future.
Splash-
Spray scattered across the deep pool as a dark shape burst from the water. Six metal legs extended in midair and planted firmly in the ground. The metal door slowly opened, and the three jumped out of the cockpit one after another.
An entire afternoon of testing had passed. Magnificent clouds blazed across the horizon, making the sunset grand and spectacular.
As the sun sank westward, Ju Zi stood atop the metal sphere and spread her arms toward the sky, stretching her body after spending so long curled up in the cockpit. Her perfectly full, snowy peaks slowly rose. It was difficult to say whether the girl or the sunset was more beautiful.
"All right, Sister Ju Zi, stop radiating your charm."
Keke tipped back her head, her red lips forming an exaggerated circle. "My stomach's been growling forever. Sister Ju Zi, please feed me!"
"Sure. I'll fill you up right away."
Ju Zi hopped down lightly and vigorously kneaded the wonderfully soft flesh of Keke's cheeks, teasing her friend without restraint.
"And fill up our class monitor while you're at it. Since we need a favor, we have to find ways to butter him up over the next couple of days," Keke said with a giggle.
"This involves me too?"
After putting away the All-Terrain Detection Soul Tool, Lin Qing turned around, curiosity flickering in his silver-gray eyes.
"Hehe."
A petite, lovely figure darted behind Lin Qing. Keke clenched her little fists and pounded his back with a series of "Hup! Ha!" noises, finally revealing the dagger at the end of her scroll. "Sister Ju Zi and I have both broken through to rank fifty, and we urgently need our fifth soul rings.
"Our beloved class monitor, surely you couldn't bear to watch two girls in the bloom of youth return empty-handed and shed tears at the academy every day?
"Sister Ju Zi's cooking is delicious, and my massage skills are second to none. We guarantee we'll raise you nice and plump-you'll gain ten pounds in three days. So, about those soul rings..."
"So that's it. Two birds with one stone-hunting soul beasts while taking the final exam."
Lin Qing narrowed his eyes, enjoying Keke's attentions. After being assigned to Xuan Ziwen's group, the three had quickly become close. Naturally, he would not refuse such a simple favor. "What requirements do you two have for your soul rings? Let's hear them."
Ju Zi immediately raised her hand like a primary school student. "I'm a food-type soul master, so the attribute doesn't matter. A soul beast just over ten thousand years old will do."
Keke blinked her lovely eyes. "My tool martial soul is the Fire Pearl. Though my martial soul isn't much use, a person should aspire to defy heaven and change her fate. Ideally, my fifth soul ring would come from a ten-thousand-year soul beast with a somewhat stronger bloodline."
"You're that easy to provide for?" Lin Qing was briefly taken aback.
Little Qing could hardly be blamed for his surprise. In the Douluo Continent's soul master world, the stronger a martial soul was, the more carefully one selected soul ring types. For instance, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's minimum requirement was a powerful earth dragon soul beast.
The Machine Element demanded even more painstaking selection. Even the Ingot Golden Toad used for his first soul ring possessed a faint trace of the Three-Legged Golden Toad's bloodline, and the soul beasts he hunted afterward were each rarer than the last.
"Ten-thousand-year soul beasts are rare in the Jingyang Mountain Range. We'll head a little farther in tomorrow morning."
"Understood!"
Both girls cheered.
This time, Lin Qing decided to search for soul beasts the old-fashioned way rather than activate the Gold Luring Device as he had in the Star Dou Great Forest.
After all, metal-attribute soul beasts filled every corner of the Jingyang Mountain Range. If he happened to lure out the overlord of Jingyang Peak, Unbreakable Douluo Zheng Zhan would be forced into an indignant battle.
As evening deepened, the three set up camp for the night. There were few soul beasts on the outskirts of the Jingyang Mountain Range, so they had no safety concerns and simply lit a fire to cook.
The two girls repeatedly insisted they would take full responsibility for food and daily necessities on this trip, but Lin Qing did not sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Helping prepare ingredients was something he had often done even back when he was just a little fellow.
"Ju Zi, here are the ingredients for dinner."
"This... this is dragon meat! Ten-thousand-year dragon meat!"
Staring at the huge chunk of distinctly grained flesh before her, Ju Zi rubbed her eyes in shock. In any empire or city, ten-thousand-year dragon meat was a supreme ingredient that money alone could not buy.
"A ten-thousand-year Bronze Hellfire Dragon. My fourth soul ring," Lin Qing said casually. "Dragon meat is highly nourishing, so I didn't waste it."
"A Bronze Hellfire Dragon? If I remember right, that thing has an innate domain. You killed it alone?" Keke stammered.
"I used a little trick to stir up the Bronze Hellfire Dragon's greed and lure it to the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Ultimate Metal suppressed its attribute. A soul beast like a ten-thousand-year Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff wouldn't have been so easy to handle."
"A Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff?!"
Both girls' hair practically stood on end, demonstrating their respect for the legendary soul beast. Ju Zi teased him. "The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff has 'golden' in its name, but it's actually a strength-type soul beast. Once Lord Lion Mastiff activates its Domination Domain, it would probably smack you into the ground with one paw. We wouldn't even be able to pry you out."
"True. The hunting target I've had my eye on all along is actually a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear." Lin Qing made no effort to hide his interest in bears. "When I get another chance to return to the Star Dou Great Forest, I have to catch a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear for a soul ring."
"Xiong Jun suddenly felt a chill down his spine."
The three laughed and joked while Chef Ju Zi's main course approached completion.
High-end ingredients often needed only simple cooking. With deft turns of her wrist, Ju Zi flipped evenly cut strips of dragon meat. Each moderately thick strip briefly brushed the outer flame, causing the fire to surge, then received another searing after being turned before landing on a plate to await the diners.
Keke and Lin Qing were not idle either, each deciding to make a signature dish. The former used locally gathered ingredients to simmer a pot of thick vegetable soup, while the latter targeted the fish swimming in the stream and busied himself with something mysterious.
"Dinner's ready!"
In the firelight, the two girls' faces glowed with alluring beauty. Their rosy cheeks competed in loveliness, making them look even prettier.
The three served their dishes at the same time: Ju Zi's roast dragon meat, delectable in color, aroma, and flavor; Keke's fragrant, thick vegetable soup; and... Lin Qing's indescribable Stargazy Pie!
Clang!
As though her temples had taken a heavy hammer blow, cold sweat streamed down Keke's forehead. She demanded solemnly, "Class monitor, have you ever eaten food meant for humans?"
"The last time I cooked was when I was six," Lin Qing admitted frankly. "My family said it was pretty good after tasting it, but they absolutely refused to let me touch the cookware again. I was only allowed into the kitchen to help with prep.
"Another six years have passed, and I think my cooking has improved. Give it a try."
"I think you need to apologize to those fish that died unjust deaths!" Keke said, sparing him no dignity whatsoever.
"Is it really that bad...?" Lin Qing gave her a half-lidded look. "I once thought about it: whoever could finish my egg fried rice, I'd marry her."
"With standards that harsh, that handsome face of yours is going to waste. Who would ever eat it?!"
"Such a familiar feeling..."
While Lin Qing and Keke bickered spiritedly, Ju Zi silently scooped up a spoonful of fish paste and put it in her mouth. After chewing twice, her gaze grew lost and bewildered. An indescribable feeling welled up inside her, and tears quietly slipped down her cheeks.
"It tastes like Mom's cooking..."
"Sister Ju Zi, is it so bad it made you cry?"
Keke was filled with solemn respect. Ju Zi had made an enormous sacrifice for their fifth soul rings!
"No, you've misunderstood."
Ju Zi wiped away her tears and looked bashfully at Lin Qing, speaking softly. "My dad was a chef, so he always did the cooking at home.
"Mom's cooking wasn't very good, but she refused to admit defeat. She always cooked whatever came into her head, and her dishes turned out exactly like yours. My mom passed away a long time ago. I never imagined I'd taste that flavor from my memories again today..."
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