Several days passed.
Huo Yuhao had thoroughly mastered the Temperature-Difference Embedding Engraving Method. While he was trying to optimize a Core Array in the laboratory, Feng Yu notified him to go help their teacher.
The two reached the heart of the academy, and Feng Yu pointed at an utterly unremarkable-looking building ahead.
"Junior brother, that's the Illustrious Virtue Hall up ahead."
Only after actually entering did Huo Yuhao discover that the Illustrious Virtue Hall's scale far exceeded the five hundred square meters occupied by its aboveground building.
The main structure of the Illustrious Virtue Hall was entirely underground.
Feng Yu led Huo Yuhao through three successive checkpoints.
Inside the building, Huo Yuhao saw twenty elevators arranged in an arc.
The two took an elevator down, a journey that lasted a full two minutes.
After a quick calculation, Huo Yuhao determined that the underground space was definitely more than two hundred meters deep.
The elevator's metal doors slid open. After the two passed through a short corridor, the view before them suddenly opened up.
The hall was so vast that its far edges were nowhere in sight.
Beneath an arched dome a full twenty meters high, countless laboratory benches stood in neat rows stretching into the distance.
A single row across contained as many as fifty benches.
Before he could take a closer look, Jing Hongchen had already approached.
He had not slept a wink in over ten days. His once-vibrant eyes were now filled with exhaustion as he beckoned to Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, come with me. Feng Yu, you can head back."
"Yes!"
Huo Yuhao hurried after Jing Hongchen, while Feng Yu bowed slightly and left.
Walking briskly straight ahead, Jing Hongchen got right to the point.
"Yuhao, I need your Spiritual Detection to help me resolve some difficulties."
Huo Yuhao said solemnly, "Teacher, I'll do my best."
"But my spiritual power may only be at the Soul King level, so its ability to penetrate rare metals with inherently high energy may be very limited."
"The Soul King level already?" Beyond his surprise, Jing Hongchen felt deeply gratified.
"The troublesome Core Array node this time is in a relatively shallow strengthening phase. Spiritual Detection supported by Soul King-level spiritual power will be enough to help me address this problem."
"To keep your information secure and avoid exposing it to outsiders too soon, I've already had the other researchers leave. You don't mind, do you?"
Huo Yuhao said, "I'll follow your arrangements, Teacher."
Before long, teacher and student arrived before a pitch-black metal door.
Jing Hongchen took out a silver card and swiped it, then injected Soul Power to pass verification. The metal door slowly opened.
Beyond it was a spacious laboratory.
The laboratory was enormous. Its circular space measured over a hundred meters in diameter and thirty meters in height.
As Huo Yuhao followed Jing Hongchen inside, the behemoth before him immediately caught his attention.
It was an enormous humanoid metal body, a full fifteen meters tall, its massive frame cast entirely from metal.
It looked somewhat crude, and its overall structure seemed unfinished.
Its chest was open, with something resembling a seat inside.
With a sweep of Spiritual Detection, Huo Yuhao actually discovered thousands of Core Arrays.
As Jing Hongchen's disciple, he recognized at a glance that some of them were integrated Core Arrays.
Even more terrifyingly, this enormous metal humanoid seemed to contain an exceedingly fearsome energy.
Huo Yuhao murmured, "Teacher, what kind of Soul Tool is this?!"
Since Jing Hongchen had decided to bring Huo Yuhao here to help, this was naturally information he could disclose.
Though his tone was calm, a hint of pride crept into his introduction.
"This is the only project I'm currently leading."
"It also represents one of only two technological paths in the world today that might break through to a Level 10 Soul Tool: the Giant Humanoid Soul Tool Prototype."
"This experimental unit before you has already cost over a billion Gold Soul Coins. It can rightfully be called the pinnacle of today's Soul Tools."
"Once its initial construction is complete, it's expected to possess Level 9.5 strength right away."
Stunned, Huo Yuhao asked, "Just how powerful is Level 9.5?"
Jing Hongchen said, "Once that happens, if I pilot it, I should be able to truly join the ranks of the continent's top experts."
"Yuhao, you only need to activate Spiritual Detection Sharing, then go to the rest area over there and do your own thing."
"Leave the rest to me."
With Spiritual Detection assisting him, Jing Hongchen handled the problems with ease.
Another week passed. Quiet Heart Studio.
Huo Yuhao, Meng Hongchen, and Xiao Hongchen once again went to Jing Hongchen's office to study on their own.
With the project's major obstacle overcome, Jing Hongchen's mental state had recovered considerably.
Hearing that Huo Yuhao was interested in the Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle, he suggested:
"In the academy library's document management system, there's a graduation project numbered 1786313. I believe it will help you."
"Grandpa, you're amazing! You actually know the academy's document numbers like treasures in your own home!" Meng Hongchen exclaimed in admiration.
Jing Hongchen said calmly, "That was my graduation project."
Huh? Huo Yuhao grumbled inwardly.
Senior Brother Feng, no wonder Teacher doesn't think much of you. You don't even know what his graduation project at the academy was.
And you were joking about it in the laboratory. Honestly...
Jing Hongchen pondered for two seconds before saying:
"Back when I was still a student, I was proud and ambitious. I thought I could solve the problem of the Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle."
"I wasn't satisfied with that graduation project."
"Although it had many flaws, the experimental data was fairly complete."
"Let's see whether you can resolve this lingering regret of mine, Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Rest assured, Teacher. I'll do my best."
Seeing that Huo Yuhao had finally finished talking with Jing Hongchen, Xiao Hongchen, who had long since run out of patience, pulled him aside and whispered:
"Junior brother, Ma Rulong agreed to fight both of us at once, next Monday! The venue's booked too-Soul Fighting Platform 231."
Shrek Academy.
"Tang Yin must be expelled!"
Du Weilun slapped the administrative order onto Zhou Yi's desk and snorted.
"He only requested one month's leave, but he hasn't reported back in two months."
"He's clearly dissatisfied that the academy didn't grant him core disciple status!"
Zhou Yi's expression was grim. Tang Yin was not only the most talented student in her class, but also very much to her liking.
But she was close to being unable to keep this matter under wraps any longer.
Outside the door, Tang Ya's eyes were blurred with tears as she clutched Bei Bei's hand and pleaded:
"Bei Bei, I know someone in your family is part of the academy's senior leadership. Please help Tang Yin."
"He went Soul Hunting alone and hasn't returned in two months. We don't even know how he's doing!"
Bei Bei marveled at how much Tang Ya truly valued their junior brother.
After all, Tang Yin also possessed a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, shared the surname Tang, and had an exceptional aptitude for the Tang Sect Secret Arts.
It was understandable.
He patted Tang Ya's back and comforted her.
"Don't worry. If Tang Yin really does come back, everything can be worked out."
Just then, a series of steady footsteps came from the other side.
Tang Ya looked up in some astonishment and saw Tang Yin approaching with leisurely strides, an aristocratic air about his entire person, as though all superficial ornament had been washed away.
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