"His Highness the Crown Prince's mission was somewhat complicated, but as for the failure..."
Toji sat opposite Jing Hongchen.
"A mistake? Impossible."
"It seems you've successfully completed the task His Highness the Crown Prince entrusted to you?" Jing Hongchen asked. "Ever since His Highness the Crown Prince became crippled, his position as Crown Prince has been in jeopardy."
"But the very next morning after His Highness the Crown Prince was crippled, everyone discovered that the entire Third Prince's lineage had been brutally murdered, and even the Third Prince himself had been hanged from the palace gate..."
"Not only that, His Highness the Crown Prince's position as Crown Prince has risen steadily; compared to before his disability, his status has not declined but rather increased."
"Large numbers of casualties have also occurred throughout the Mingdu capital."
Jing Hongchen stared directly at Toji:
"You did all of this?"
The air in the office seemed to freeze.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled patterns of light on the tabletop.
Toji gently stroked the table, a faint smile playing on her lips.
What does the sect leader think?
"With my abilities, I couldn't have guessed. Alright, it's good that you're back. Over the past five years, Meng and Xiao have missed you quite a bit."
Jing Hongchen lowered her head, choosing to avoid the topic.
He knew both the questions that should and shouldn't be asked.
Besides, five years have passed, and Toji have changed a lot.
Just the sight of him sitting across from her sent a chill down Jing Hongchen's spine.
He has become much stronger and now has the ability to threaten me.
Toji paused for a moment, then said:
"I'm sorry, Master, I came back to ask you to help me make a set of Level 8 Soul Tool."
Jing Hongchen raised her eyelids, her gaze sharp as a knife:
" Level 8 Soul Tool? With your current strength..."
Jing Hongchen knew that Toji's strength had far surpassed what it used to be. If she were to add a Level 8 Soul Tool to her equipment, what kind of being would she become?
"Never mind, a complete set of Level 8 Soul Tool is still suitable for you." Jing Hongchen frowned slightly. "This is no small project."
"I understand," Toji smiled slightly, "But I have faith in the leader's abilities."
Jing Hongchen sighed:
"It seems you won't have time to come here and continue teaching our students from now on."
"I'd love to, but I'm too busy. I'm sure you'll understand, Master." Toji said with a hint of regret, "By the way, how much does it cost?"
"I won't take any money; consider it doing you a favor," Jing Hongchen said abruptly.
Toji looked serious.
"Since it's a favor from the hall master, then I'll accept it."
"Hehe, before we create a complete set of Level 8 Soul Tool suitable for you, you should first have your physical attributes tested. With that information, we can create a better set."
Who to look for?
Jing Hongchen thought for a moment and said:
" Xuan Ziwen."
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, late at night.
Xuan Ziwen's laboratory was still brightly lit.
"Knock knock knock."
A soft knock sounded on the door, Xuan Ziwen, who was looking at the design blueprints for the Soul Tool, didn't even look up.
"Come in."
The door was pushed open, Toji's figure appeared in the doorway.
"You must be Xuan Ziwen?"
Xuan Ziwen paused slightly, slowly raised his head, and narrowed his eyes:
"Who is it? Don't bother me if you have nothing to say."
Toji seemed somewhat helpless:
"Didn't the sect leader inform you? I'm here to test my physical Martial Soul attributes in preparation for creating an Level 8 Soul Tool."
Xuan Ziwen put down the design drawings and frowned:
"Master...?"
He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then his brows relaxed.
"The sect leader did mention this to me, but I've forgotten."
"Never mind, it's too late... let my student do a quick physical exam for you."
Xuan Ziwen stared at him for a few seconds, then finally stood up from his seat and went to a student's seat:
" Ju Zi, wake up, get up and get to work."
Ju Zi?
Upon hearing the name, Toji's gaze immediately followed.
In the corner of the laboratory, Ju Zi was asleep, slumped over the table.
Five years have passed.
The Ju Zi have grown bigger too.
Her long hair cascaded down to her waist like silk, with slightly messy curls at the ends, clearly indicating that she had just been woken up and hadn't had time to comb it.
Her skin appeared exceptionally delicate under the cool white light, as translucent as the finest mutton fat jade, and her cheeks still carried a faint blush of sleepiness, making her look like a lazy cat.
After being forcibly woken up by Xuan Ziwen, Ju Zi rubbed her sleepy eyes, her long and curled eyelashes trembling slightly. Her bright eyes were still misty, with the corners drooping slightly, giving her a cute, confused look.
Her pink lips unconsciously pouted slightly, as if she was still a little annoyed at being disturbed from her sweet dream.
"Ugh... what do you want from me?"
The loose white lab coat she wore did not conceal her good figure; on the contrary, as she raised her hand to adjust her hair, the collar slipped down slightly, revealing a section of her delicate collarbone.
Her slender waist was faintly visible beneath the wide robe, and her long legs extended from under the hem, dazzlingly white in the cold light of the laboratory.
She was wearing only a pair of fluffy slippers, revealing her round and cute toes. Sitting there, she looked like a ragdoll cat that hadn't fully woken up yet, exuding a lazy yet unconscious allure.
Seeing her like this, Xuan Ziwen couldn't help but rub his forehead. " Ju Zi, wake up! There are outsiders here, look at the state you're in."
Ju Zi then seemed to wake from a dream, exclaiming "Ah!" and quickly raising her head.
"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry... so late at night?"
"Enough talk, there's an urgent test, we need to take this guest there..."
"Ah?"
Before Xuan Ziwen could finish speaking, he heard Ju Zi exclaim in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Xuan Ziwen looked at Ju Zi.
"N-nothing." Ju Zi quickly lowered her head, pretending not to know Toji.
She had just woken up when she saw Toji, whom she hadn't seen for five years, and all her sleepiness vanished instantly.
Five years have passed.
For the past five years, there has been no news of him.
She thought he was dead.
Xuan Ziwen glanced at the two of them and coughed lightly. " Ju Zi, take him to the testing area, record his data, and we'll be customizing an Level 8 Soul Tool for him."
Ju Zi took a deep breath, looked at Toji, and whispered, "... Come with me."
She quickly stood up from her seat, turned and walked towards the testing area deep inside the laboratory, her back view appearing somewhat stiff.
Toji followed in her footsteps, and the two walked silently down the corridor, one in front of the other.
The metal door to the testing area slowly closed behind us, shutting out the noise of the laboratory.
Ju Zi led Toji to the device.
"Please, please complete the test. First, we'll test your strength..."
Her voice was slightly strained, and her fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the recording board. Five years had passed, and her figure had become even more slender. The hem of her lab coat swayed gently with her movements, revealing her delicate ankles.