The day before school began, in Feng Yu's laboratory.
Feng Yu wrote furiously in misery, simmering with envy all the while.
So bitter, so very bitter!
Even before he had finished his apprenticeship, Jing Hongchen had never given him preferential treatment like this.
Not only had he allocated funding to a Level 2 Soul Engineer, he had even made Feng Yu help write the project proposal!
Of course, he was actually willing.
Huo Yuhao was not only his junior apprentice brother, but also closely connected to Feng Bujue.
They were naturally on the same side.
Feng Yu stole a glance at Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen, who were testing soul tools, and grumbled inwardly:
Still, this kid really knows how to woo a girl.
He's only been here a few months, and he's already inseparable from Junior Sister Meng.
Before this, he had never seen any boy besides Xiao Hongchen get along so well with Meng Hongchen.
"Junior Brother, the Level 4 Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle we made is even more powerful than a Level 5 energy-gathering Piercing Cannon!"
Meng Hongchen held a handsome Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle with a long, slender barrel, unable to put it down as she spoke.
She and Xiao Hongchen had only needed their soul power to reach the required level; once it did, they would genuinely possess the abilities of Level 5 Soul Engineers.
Now, all they lacked was the certification.
Even for a gifted girl like her, who never lacked money, before meeting Huo Yuhao, the only single-user soul tools she had seen that could unleash power beyond their own level...
Were the various kinds of Fixed Soul Cannon Shells.
Huo Yuhao shook his head and said:
"With the Level 4 Cooling Core Array, this Level 4 Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle should last for at least a hundred shots."
"Unfortunately, the Level 5 Ultimate Cooling Core Array still isn't complete, and for now, I'm the only one who can use the Ultimate Cooling Array."
Meng Hongchen rolled her eyes adorably.
"You're just a little Level 2 Soul Engineer, even if your theoretical knowledge has reached Level 4 and you've even touched on Level 5."
"Being able to develop a cooling array with the potential to change the balance of the continent is already extremely impressive."
"But there's one thing you did wrong."
"Oh?" Huo Yuhao felt he had already put everything he had learned to perfect use.
Meng Hongchen glanced around, found that no one was looking, and poked Huo Yuhao with a delicate finger as she said fiercely:
"You actually lied to me before! You never told me the second soul skill of your Spirit Eyes could help you make soul tools above your level!"
Watching Meng Hongchen lean close with her adorably fierce expression, Huo Yuhao swallowed and whispered:
"Senior Sister Meng, don't tell me you're using this as an excuse to get me to transfer some soul power to you again so you can gain insight into ultimate ice?"
"But aren't there a little too many people in the laboratory?"
"Mm, I'm worried about damaging your good name."
Ever since Huo Yuhao had let Meng Hongchen experience ultimate ice last time...
Whenever Meng Hongchen spent a little extra time alone with him, she would ask him to transfer some soul power to her.
According to her, she could sense the essence of ultimate ice within that soul power, deepening her understanding of the ice attribute.
Helping Meng Hongchen took little effort, but Huo Yuhao felt things seemed to be gradually slipping out of his control.
How could he transfer soul power without some physical contact?
On top of that, while the soul power lasted, Meng Hongchen liked to recite some melodramatic lines, and when she gained more insights, she was liable to make a few movements too.
Unless they were alone, he did not dare cooperate at all.
"My good name? We do need to watch out for that." Meng Hongchen's pretty face flushed slightly. Her beautiful eyes darted furtively around, and seeing no one looking their way, she immediately sighed in relief.
"Let's head to Soul Fighting Platform No. 231 first. The three-on-three duel my brother arranged is about to start."
Today happened to be the first day of school, and the area around Soul Fighting Platform No. 231 in the Combat Building was already packed.
After registering, everyone had just enough time to come and see what the three-on-three duel advertised on "Soul Engineer Genius" for the past few days was all about.
"I heard Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen have broken through to level 50 soul power. They're coming in strong."
"I heard Xiao Hongchen's other teammate is number one on the Level 2 Rankings."
"The Level 2 Rankings? Doesn't that still make him a Level 2 Soul Engineer? How useful could he be in a match like this?"
"Five, five, two against six, five, five. Why would Xiao Hongchen bring a Level 2 Soul Engineer?"
"I can tell you've never seen Huo Yuhao in action. Just watch."
On the soul fighting platform, Huo Yuhao stood shoulder to shoulder with Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, sweeping his gaze over the crowd below.
He saw that Feng Tingting had already set up her Recording Soul Tool and gave them a thumbs-up.
Across from them, Ma Rulong stood with Lin Xi and Mi Jia. He surveyed the dense crowd of students from every year below the platform, then sneered at Xiao Hongchen.
"Xiao Hongchen, you even deliberately picked a day with this many people."
"You're facing two Level 5 Soul Engineers and a Level 6 Soul Engineer. After losing so many times, you still haven't learned fear?"
Xiao Hongchen burst out laughing.
"Among the students still at the academy, there are over a dozen Level 6 Soul Engineers and dozens of Level 5 Soul Engineers. I, Xiao Hongchen, can't fear that many!"
"Today, I'll slaughter my way through until heaven and earth turn upside down, and beat everyone in the academy until no one dares call themselves number one!"
After delivering his bold declaration, Xiao Hongchen quietly reminded Huo Yuhao, "Junior Brother, don't forget my lighting effects."
He really is coming after me. Ma Rulong's expression darkened slightly as he looked toward the referee.
"Teacher, please begin the match."
The referee, a Level 8 Soul Engineer, nodded. "Begin!"
The instant that word rang out, Ma Rulong noticed Huo Yuhao vanish into thin air, holding the now-repaired Level 3 Live Ammunition Soul Guidance Sniper Rifle.
Meanwhile, two yellow, two purple, and one black soul ring appeared around both Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, ten soul rings in total.
Xiao Hongchen snapped his fingers, and after a crisp crack...
The five soul rings behind him-two yellow, two purple, and one black-merged into a single divine ring wreathed in flowing rainbow light!
Under the divine ring's radiance, terrifyingly powerful soul power flooded every strand of Xiao Hongchen's hair, turning them into golden light that floated upward...
Making him look like a god of combat!
Even Ma Rulong stared dumbfounded. Is he still human?
Where the hell have I ended up? Is this still the Douluo Continent?
Xiao Hongchen absorbed a fifth soul ring and fucking ascended to godhood?
Absurd. Utterly absurd!
Of course, Xiao Hongchen had not become a god. These were lighting effects Huo Yuhao had added for him with his Simulation Soul Skill.
Huo Yuhao needed to turn invisible anyway, so adding an extra effect for him would not consume much more.
With a faint smile, Xiao Hongchen tossed out various metal spheres, clapping unhurriedly as he said:
"Ma Rulong, let me see what you're made of."
With every clap, the imposing aura around Xiao Hongchen grew stronger.
Apart from Meng Hongchen and Huo Yuhao, everyone present thought this fellow was showing off by clapping instead of hurrying to charge his soul tools.
Yet beneath the concealment of Huo Yuhao's simulation, Xiao Hongchen's black soul ring was already shining.
Fifth soul skill, active ability, Heart of Gold:
Landing attacks stacked heart of gold marks (each mark granted +5% total soul power, +10% speed, and +5% metal affinity, up to 10 stacks).
The "landing attacks" part was rather clever. Who said he had to attack an enemy to build stacks?
This was reality. Xiao Hongchen had a fly trapped between his fingers, so even clapping could build stacks!
The more Ma Rulong watched, the more wrong things felt. He abandoned even the soul tool he had prepared specifically for Huo Yuhao and roared:
"Focus fire on Xiao Hongchen first!"
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