Red Dust Protection

Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy, Library Literature Management Building.

After taking out his identity badge for verification, Huo Yuhao entered a study room, sat down, and entered the number 1786313 on a metal display.

Before long, a staff member wheeled in a box measuring one meter in both width and height and two meters in length.

Huo Yuhao opened the box and took out stacks of research data and reference materials.

He also took out five Soul Guidance Sniper Rifles with barrels over a meter long. Black scorch marks covered their surfaces, and their core arrays had all melted down.

No wonder Senior Brother Feng had called this graduation project a failure without knowing it was their teacher's work.

Even their teacher had failed to solve it in his youth. It really did seem difficult.

He flipped to the graduation project's conclusions and found the level of these Soul Guidance Sniper Rifles: Level 5.

There were also Jing Hongchen's concluding remarks:

"The output of the Level 5 Piercing Cannon variant-the Level 5 Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle-is the highest among soul tools of its level."

"It can rival the output of top-tier Level 6 soul tools."

Huo Yuhao was not surprised.

When he had fought Ma Rulong two days earlier, the Level 3 Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle he had made had genuinely achieved the output of a top-tier Level 4 ranged soul tool.

Yes, he had made that Level 3 Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle himself.

At Level 20 soul power, he had been unable to manufacture a complete Level 2 soul tool.

But now, with Level 25 soul power, he could already make Level 3 soul tools himself.

The reason lay in his Spirit Eyes' second soul ring and the second soul skill provided by the Fantasy Ice Butterfly: Divine Soul Unity.

"This soul skill lets me merge my spiritual power into my soul power to a certain extent, improving my control over it."

That was what he had told Meng Hongchen a few days earlier, but in truth, merging spiritual power into soul power improved more than just his control.

It also increased the total amount!

That was what had allowed him to manufacture a Level 3 Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle with his Level 25 cultivation.

If he wanted, he could obtain his Level 3 Soul Engineer Certificate at the next soul engineer ranking examination.

Huo Yuhao continued reading the report:

"Its penetration is even more outstanding than that of a Piercing Cannon of the same level."

"According to experimental data, five bullets broke through a Level 5 Invincible Shield while the shield was still active."

Was its penetration already this powerful at Level 5?

Even if a Level 5 Invincible Shield was the lowest-level Invincible Shield, it was still an Invincible Shield.

Huo Yuhao recalled the performance standard for a Level 5 Invincible Shield:

It could block any attack from a soul master below the Eight-Ring Soul Douluo level for three seconds.

In other words, a single shot from this Level 5 Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle had an output almost comparable to a Soul Saint's strike.

Why a single shot?

Because even these Level 5 Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifles made by Jing Hongchen in his youth had suffered core array meltdowns after just one shot.

Looking at the report again, he discovered that each Level 5 Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle cost over a million gold soul coins to manufacture.

Huo Yuhao understood. No wonder Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifles had failed to develop. With that cost-effectiveness, how could they compare to Fixed Soul Cannon Shells?

Then could such powerful, fast soul tools be used in the arena?

Yes, but it was not recommended.

First, it was difficult to find enough time to charge safely in the arena. Second, if you could not guarantee a hit to a vital area, you contributed nothing.

Yes, without extreme accuracy to match its extreme penetration, hitting only the limbs or nonfatal areas of the torso produced very poor results.

There was very little room for error.

But neither of those points was a problem for Huo Yuhao.

For a charging time of several seconds, or even a dozen or more, he had Simulation.

Perhaps certain soul skills could counter Spiritual Detection, but if he used the Spectator Sequence's abilities alongside Spiritual Sharing's forced seizure of vision...

A one hundred percent hit rate could become reality.

Ma Rulong's invitation to join the team two days earlier remained vivid in his memory, but Huo Yuhao was not content to stand on the sidelines providing buffs.

If possible, he wanted his own moment to shine.

If he truly joined the Reserve Team and competed, he would inevitably face those people from Shrek head-on.

Xu Sanshi, Tang Yin, and perhaps Dai Huabin too.

Tang Ya regarded Tang Yin as the one who would revive the Tang Sect, while Zhou Yi considered him her prized pupil.

Xu Sanshi, Tang Yin, if you meet me in the arena, will you be surprised that Little Huo, the fish griller you once looked down on, has become your opponent?

Dai Huabin, if we really meet, I'll have to take good care of you.

Huo Yuhao opened the experimental report and quickly entered a flow state.

He needed to master, as quickly as possible, Jing Hongchen's research from years earlier into the mechanisms behind Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle core array meltdowns and possible solutions.

If he could overcome the core array meltdown problem, perhaps he could consistently wield combat power far beyond that of soul engineers of his level.

The weekend, Quiet Heart Studio, Jing Hongchen's office.

"I heard about Ma Rulong inviting you to join the Reserve Team."

Jing Hongchen filled a cup with warm water, handed it to Huo Yuhao, and asked gently:

"What do you think?"

Inside the office, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen both looked at Huo Yuhao, as did Elder Ma and Feng Yu, who were reporting on their work nearby.

Huo Yuhao respectfully accepted the cup and expressed his thoughts:

"Teacher, I want to join the Reserve Team and compete in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament."

"First, I hope to show the outside world my potential and hand in an answer sheet to everyone who has helped me along the way."

"Second..." Huo Yuhao scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

"You know what I've been through, Teacher. I want to fight those arrogant Shrek students head-on."

Jing Hongchen felt gratified at once. Shaking his head with a chuckle, he said:

"Youthful spirit, youthful spirit."

"Without an edge, hot blood, and fearlessness, it's hard for a young person to keep climbing."

"Originally, I thought you could focus peacefully on soul tool research without rushing to learn how to fight."

"But judging by your performance in the Level 2 soul engineer examination, that would probably bury your exceptional combat talent."

"Since you've decided, naturally, your teacher supports you."

With that, Jing Hongchen turned to Elder Ma in front of everyone present:

"Old Ma, revise the delivery report you prepared for Red Dust Protection."

"Hmm, just report natural wear and loss. Delay the overall delivery by at least half a year."

Everyone present was either Jing Hongchen's disciple or grandchild, and Elder Ma was also his staunch confidant.

There was no need for so much caution in private.

Elder Ma glanced at Jing Hongchen and thought:

Hall Master, last time, you not only refused Xiao Hongchen, you even said, "Take this seriously. We can't afford mistakes with something belonging to the imperial family."

And now you're reporting it as a loss as soon as it's finished. Honestly...

Huo Yuhao had also done some basic research on his teacher's works.

At the very least, he knew that Red Dust Protection was a Level 9 defensive soul tool.

Huo Yuhao immediately waved his hands in refusal:

"Teacher, Red Dust Protection is a Level 9 soul tool. How could I possibly use it?"

The starlight sapphire storage ring on Jing Hongchen's finger flashed, and an extremely thin-looking metal plate appeared in his palm.

The metal plate was circular and paper-thin, radiating a soft golden glow.

Its openwork patterns were intricate and orderly, yet brimming with creativity and imagination.

No soul power fluctuations seeped from it, but simply resting there, it possessed a distinctive solidity as weighty as a mountain.

With a slight smile, Jing Hongchen took Huo Yuhao's hand and placed Red Dust Protection into it, allowing no refusal:

"Red Dust Protection is a triggered defensive soul tool. When a soul master encounters an enormous attack, judged relative to the user's cultivation, it senses it in advance and activates its defenses."

"Place it against your chest, and it will automatically adhere to your body, absorbing your soul power to become one with you."

"You can switch it off and on with a thought."

"There are several aspects of Red Dust Protection that I'm quite satisfied with. First, it places no cultivation requirements on its user."

"Even with your current Level 25 soul power, you can use it."

"It suits soul masters of any level. In the hands of a Titled Douluo, it can provide Super Douluo-level defense."

"Most importantly, it also has a special activation method. That's why I'm giving it to you."

"By actively triggering its core array and releasing soul power stored beforehand, it can generate an Invincible Shield lasting fifteen seconds."

"Its defensive strength reaches three times the charger's cultivation."

"When you go to compete, Feng Yu can accompany the team as a teacher. Although his soul tool talent is lacking, he does at least have Level 79 soul power."

"If he charges Red Dust Protection for you, even a Titled Douluo will have to put some effort into breaking the Invincible Shield it releases."

"As for its other functions, they aren't complicated. You can explore them yourself."

Feng Yu listened with a face full of wry smiles, directly providing Huo Yuhao with a burst of chaos qi.

Once upon a time, before becoming his teacher's disciple, he too had been a famous genius soul engineer at the academy.

Now that Huo Yuhao was here, he had become someone whose "soul tool talent is lacking."

Teacher, I'm a thirty-year-old Peak Level 7 Soul Engineer!

I still have so many possibilities ahead of me.

As Feng Yu dwelled on it, he provided Huo Yuhao with another large burst of chaos qi.

"Grandpa, what about me? What about me?" Xiao Hongchen stared at Jing Hongchen in bewilderment.

That wasn't what you told me last time!

How have you changed when Junior Brother has only been here a little over a month?

Jing Hongchen snorted:

"I gave careful consideration to giving Red Dust Protection to Yuhao."

"Think about it. Shrek Academy acts so despicably."

"If Yuhao's Spiritual Detection is exposed in the arena, his opponents will absolutely take him seriously. No amount of concentrated fire against him would be excessive."

"And!" Jing Hongchen emphasized gravely:

"Shrek Academy hasn't merely won every championship for the past ten thousand years. Few people notice that they've also topped the kill rankings for ten thousand years straight!"

"The students representing Shrek are often deeply brainwashed by Shrek's ideology of glory."

"For the sake of their ten-thousand-year glory, there have been precedents of burning their lives, cheating in the arena, and even deliberately killing opponents."

"What I want to tell you about competing this time is this."

"Strive for the best placement you can, but remember that your task is to gain experience, not stake your lives on the soul fighting stage."

After speaking, Jing Hongchen turned to Xiao Hongchen:

"Xiaoxiao, you're nowhere near as high a priority for concentrated fire as your junior brother."

"Besides, the Level 7 defensive soul tool I made back then, the Red Dust Shield, is more than enough to protect you."

Xiao Hongchen scratched his head. "Fine, even if it's only a stripped-down version."

The corner of Jing Hongchen's eye twitched. Suppressing the urge to slap Xiao Hongchen, he listened as he continued.

"Grandpa, the fifth soul skill you previously planned for me was a life-saving soul skill."

"But after experiencing Junior Brother's Spiritual Detection, I think I could absolutely replace it with a stronger offensive soul skill."

"A man should max out his damage output! I'll let the entire continent witness my strength!"

Smack!

A crisp slap rang out from Xiao Hongchen's head, leaving him stunned without damaging his brain.

Only then did Xiao Hongchen speak obediently:

"With Junior Brother's Spiritual Detection overseeing the whole field, practically every so-called lethal threat can be anticipated."

"Add the Red Dust Shield's protection, and if things really go wrong, I can concede. I probably won't need a life-saving soul skill."

Only then did Jing Hongchen withdraw his hand, his expression stern, and nod:

"All right. I'll study your fifth soul skill carefully. If there's nothing else, everyone can get back to what they should be doing."

"Yuhao, Little Meng, if you want to practice inscribing core arrays, you can do it at the experiment tables over there."

"Leave some distance between you, and you won't disturb each other."

Watching Elder Ma organize the loss report, Feng Yu return to his laboratory to research, and the three begin settling into their studies, Jing Hongchen smiled.

What he had not mentioned was that decades earlier, in his youth, he too had represented the Imperial Soul Engineer Academy in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament.

In that final, he had narrowly lost to Yan Shaozhe, the current dean of Shrek Academy.

Remembering that match still angered him. He had guarded against everything, blocked everything, and considered everything.

The only thing he had not accounted for was the absurd love triangle within Shrek's team erupting at the end.

In the final, their captain, Yan Shaozhe, had charged at him shouting something about love and glory...

Although missing the championship by a hair had been painful back then.

After all these years, he had long since understood.

Life was so long, and there was far more room for error than most people imagined. Temporary gains and losses meant little, let alone a single competition.

That was why he had not brought up this old story.

He did not want the psychological burden of having to win the championship to affect their decisions in the arena.

Meanwhile, Meng Hongchen, carving knife in hand, glanced at Jing Hongchen, who was smiling over thoughts she could not guess.

She secretly took out a Silent Camera Soul Tool and quietly snapped a photo of Huo Yuhao earnestly inscribing a core array with his carving knife, Ice Edge.

Her flawless, lovely face flushed slightly.

This was something Sister Tingting asked me to do! This was entirely to support Sister Tingting's "Soul Engineer Genius."

That was what she said to herself.

Recalling the conversation between Jing Hongchen and his disciple just now, she had keenly noticed that when Huo Yuhao mentioned certain students from Shrek,

His assessment had been that they acted as though no one else mattered.

And there had been that resolute, even certain look in Grandpa's eyes when he gave him Red Dust Protection.

And that inexplicable feeling of warmth and familiarity coming from her junior brother.

Her junior brother's past did not seem as simple as the records made it out to be, did it?

What secrets lay hidden behind him?

Meng Hongchen pushed up the Soul Tool glasses perched on her delicate nose, which helped with the Inscribing Core Array, and felt like a detective.

Uncovering her junior brother's unknown side, bit by bit.

There was a strange thrill to it.