Grandpa, I Want This!

"Yuhao, wake up!" Amid Feng Bujue's anxious calls, Huo Yuhao slowly came to.

"Brother Bujue, what happened? Why did I suddenly pass out?"

"I don't know either. A powerful spiritual-type Soul Beast seems to have appeared on the outskirts of the Far North. Damn it, how did we run into something like this? Wait! Why is there a scorpion beside you?"

Huo Yuhao looked in astonishment at the simulated thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion beside him, then felt around his body before saying in shock:

"Brother Bujue, I... seem to have awakened a second martial soul."

Huo Yuhao watched Feng Bujue's expression. Within his Sea of Consciousness, Chaos Qi representing a complex mixture of disbelief, wild joy, surprise, and other emotions continued to condense.

On this trip to the Far North, his gains went beyond a second martial soul and a four-hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring and Soul Bone.

Not only had he displayed tremendous willpower while fusing with the Soul Bone and Soul Ring, but he had also used his Telepathist ability to analyze himself in depth, gaining a deeper understanding of that ability.

Mind reading had become instinctive. Even without deliberately making guesses in his mind, he could receive feedback from the Chaos Qi.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had taken the form of a young boy wearing a white hood, introduced it with shared pride to the Ice Empress, who had become a girl dressed in a magnificent jade-green gown:

"Bingbing, do you see those wisps of Chaos Qi hovering between reality and illusion? That's Yuhao's 'Spectator' ability I told you about. Amazing, isn't it?"

"No wonder he managed to endure pain that even I would have struggled to bear." The Ice Empress stared solemnly at the wisps of Chaos Qi that she could not make sense of at all.

"To think it can gradually reshape the Sea of Consciousness and reach deep into the soul. Who knows what miraculous abilities it will bring later?"

The capital of the Sun Moon Empire was called Sun Moon City, also known as Mingdu. As the Sun Moon Empire's political and economic center, this city covered an area far greater than Shrek City, which Huo Yuhao had seen.

Unlike Shrek City, Mingdu had no city walls. Led by Feng Bujue, Huo Yuhao passed unhindered along one broad stone-paved street after another.

It was daytime, and Huo Yuhao passed through vast stretches of neatly arranged, tall buildings in varied styles. These buildings even faintly emitted substantial Soul Power fluctuations.

Not only that, but Huo Yuhao also seemed to faintly sense traces of Soul Power fluctuations seeping from beneath all the streets and alleys.

Without a doubt, this was a world of Soul Tools.

Huo Yuhao's spirits soared. After seven months of diligent study, he had finally gained a foothold in the field of Soul Tools. Now that he could pursue further studies at the continent's finest Soul Engineer academy, how could he not be excited?

Before long, Feng Bujue brought Huo Yuhao to a massive academy gate whose scale was in no way inferior to Shrek Academy's. Someone was already waiting there.

"Cousin!" Feng Bujue walked over with a delighted expression and embraced the man. "Why did you come to the academy gate to meet me yourself?"

Huo Yuhao studied the man curiously. He was a middle-aged man in formal attire, with meticulously combed hair, gentle eyes, and a refined, scholarly air.

This was none other than Feng Yu, the Peak Level 7 Soul Engineer whom Feng Bujue had already told Huo Yuhao about.

"Meet you? I'm here to meet Huo Yuhao!" Feng Yu shook his head with a rueful smile. "I received the telegram. You really have handed me a difficult problem."

"Hello, Yuhao. I'll be handling all your enrollment arrangements from here on. If you have any questions, you can come straight to me."

Huo Yuhao bowed politely. "Hello, Teacher Feng. Understood."

Feng Yu unobtrusively shifted aside.

Sensing something amiss, Feng Bujue hurriedly asked:

"Cousin, does even Yuhao's talent fail to meet your discerning eye? Didn't we already agree on this?"

"Ultimate martial souls and twin martial souls are far too rare. It's perfectly normal for a Level 4 Soul Engineer like you not to understand."

Feng Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"If I could become his teacher, I'd be willing even if it meant having to break through to Level 8 Soul Engineer!"

"But this involves twin martial souls, an ultimate martial soul, and a genius Soul Engineer. Clearly, it isn't something I can decide. I've already reported it to my teacher. He instructed me to bring Yuhao to see him at Quiet Heart Studio once we've finished the procedures."

Quiet Heart Studio? Feng Bujue had never imagined this would attract the attention of Feng Yu's teacher, the current master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen!

"And don't think you're off the hook either. Tingting is waiting for you up ahead."

As they spoke, Feng Yu had already swiped his card and brought the two into the academy. After just a few steps, they saw a graceful young woman holding a thick document envelope.

"Brother! Teacher Feng!"

She first greeted Feng Bujue and Feng Yu with a smile, then glanced at Huo Yuhao and gave a slight nod.

"Hello, Yuhao. My name is Feng Tingting. I'm my brother's younger sister. You can call me Sister Tingting. Please look after me from now on!"

Huo Yuhao nodded. "I should be the one asking you to look after me, Sister Tingting."

Was there envy in her eyes?

Also, who was Feng Yu's teacher? He should be a Soul Engineer above Level 7, right?

"Brother, you finally come back for once, and you go and do something huge! Hurry up and come to the Review Office with me. Writing up the paperwork alone will take you hours!"

With that, Feng Tingting pulled Feng Bujue away.

At the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Jing Hongchen's office and residence were both located within Quiet Heart Studio.

Jing Hongchen, Xiao Hongchen, and Elder Ma were all in the office.

Wearing glasses as he reviewed documents, Jing Hongchen instructed Elder Ma:

"Red Dust Protection is complete. Even compared with other Level 9 defensive Soul Tools, it firmly ranks among the best. Old Ma, organize the delivery documents. The Level 9 Soul Tool 'Red Dust Protection' will be delivered ahead of schedule in the first quarter of this year."

"Be thorough. We can't afford mistakes with something intended for the imperial family..."

Beside the desk, Xiao Hongchen closed his book and licked his lips. "Grandpa, I want this!"

Jing Hongchen fell silent for two seconds, then rapped Xiao Hongchen hard on the head with a crisp thunk! He sneered:

"You're just a Soul Ancestor. Would you even know how to use Red Dust Protection? And you dare lay your hands on something meant for the imperial family? This weekend's self-study session is over. You can leave."

Glancing at Xiao Hongchen's retreating back, Jing Hongchen continued reviewing documents. After a while, he asked without looking up:

"Where are they now?"

The Hall Master really is taking this to heart. When does he ever spend ten minutes reading one document? Grumbling inwardly, Elder Ma took out a disc-shaped, crystal-like Soul Tool and checked it.

"They've reached the final screening stage."

In a spacious, brightly lit office, an enormous Soul Tool was running on one side, taking up fully half the room. On the other side stood a simple desk.

A full-figured female teacher held a form and questioned Huo Yuhao in a soft, gentle voice, while Feng Yu watched from the side with his hands behind his back.

"Name?"

"Huo Yuhao."

"Sex?"

"Male."

"Place of origin?"

"Star Luo City, Star Luo Empire."

"Martial souls?"

"Spirit Eyes and Ice Jade Scorpion."

"Soul Power level?"

"Twenty-one."

"Soul Ring configuration?"

"Two hundred-year Soul Rings for Spirit Eyes, and one thousand-year Soul Ring for Ice Jade Scorpion."

"Are you a spy?"

"No."

"Before coming into contact with Feng Bujue, had you received any systematic education in Soul Tools?"

"No."

"Did anyone instruct you to go to Shrek City?"

"No."

"Do you harbor any negative views of the Sun Moon Empire?"

"Not at present."

"Are you willing to pledge allegiance to the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family?"

"I don't know."

"Please explain why the physique-scanning Soul Tool returned an error for your torso bone."

"I don't know."

"Have you..."

Once the questioning ended, Feng Yu received the report the female teacher had printed using the enormous Soul Tool, along with the "Spiritual-Type Soul Master Expert Panel (Seven Rings, Group A) Blind Review Report" sent over from the neighboring office.

Both reports gave pass rates above 98%.

"Let's go, Yuhao. We're heading to Quiet Heart Studio."