The Level 9 Soul Tool, the Inverted Spear of Heaven, is a short, menacing-looking blade, dark red in color, with a curved, fang-like body and a blade that gleams with a deadly cold light.
Although small in size, its extremely refined aura of ferocity and destruction is in no way inferior to that of the Soul Liberation Blade, and is even more restrained and deadly.
As if on a pilgrimage, Kong Deming carefully put on a specially made soul-guided magnifying glass and operating gloves, and began to examine these Soul Tool one by one.
His eyes were filled with inquiry and fervor.
"A peculiar energy circuit... completely different from the Soul Power -driven system... the structure of the core conversion device is unprecedented..."
He muttered to himself as he examined the Chain of a Thousand Miles, his eyes gleaming with the light of discovery.
When he carefully connected the Soul Power probe to Playful Cloud's energy core, the instrument did not display Soul Power fluctuations, but rather a pure, violent, and Life energy form —Bloodline Power!
"This?" Kong Deming suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Toji, his voice trembling with extreme shock, " Bloodline Power? These Soul Tool... are actually powered by pure Bloodline Power? This... how is this possible? How did you do it?"
This completely overturned the theoretical foundation of his lifelong research on Soul Tool.
Soul Tool have always been an extension of Soul Master, an amplifier of Soul Power.
No one had ever imagined that it could be driven by a completely different kind of Life energy.
Toji leaned against the cold metal wall of the laboratory, looking at Kong Deming's ghost-like expression, a faint smile curving his lips:
"You're making a fuss over nothing. In the Heaven Dou Empire, the Soul Tool technology driven by the Bloodline Power has been in mature application for several years already."
He paused, then added, "Furthermore, to prevent technology leaks, all such Soul Tool have a self-destructing soul guidance array at their core. Once it is forcibly touched or attempted to dismantle by an unauthorized Life force or Soul Power... bang!"
Toji made an explosion gesture.
"Not even a trace will be left. That's why your Sun Moon Empire has fought for so long without even capturing a complete Qi and Blood Soul Tool."
Kong Deming suddenly realized, and then a bitter and complicated expression appeared on his face:
"So that's how it is... No wonder! No wonder the overall combat strength of the Heaven Dou Empire has improved so rapidly! Combined with that old guy Du Busi's Body Sect techniques and his powerful physique, the resilience and explosive power displayed by their Soul Engineer Corps on the battlefield are simply beyond comprehension!"
"If it weren't for... if it weren't for the emergence of that monster Huo Yuhao, who single-handedly turned the tide, our Sun Moon Empire, with its absolute advantage in Soul Tool, would have already conquered the three kingdoms and achieved unification!"
At this point, he suddenly looked at Toji, his eyes filled with incomprehensible confusion:
"However, I truly cannot understand, Toji Excellency, aren't you from the Heaven Dou Empire? You even hail from the Body Sect, so why would you help our Sun Moon Empire?"
"Even in previous wars, you never appeared on the front lines. If you were willing to take action, combined with Heaven Dou's mature Qi and Blood Soul Tool technology, and with Du Busi, you... might not have been without a chance to unify the continent! Why give this opportunity... to us?"
This was Kong Deming's biggest question.
Why would someone possess such terrifying power and have such a deep connection with the Heaven Dou side with the enemy? And why would they provide such crucial information?
"Heh." Toji let out a disdainful chuckle, as if he had heard an extremely naive question, "Let the Heaven Dou Empire unify the Douluo Continent? Don't be ridiculous."
He straightened up, his gaze sweeping over the sophisticated soul-guiding instruments in the laboratory. His eyes held no trace of longing for his homeland, only a cold, almost condescending rationality.
"First, I never cared about national affiliation. And lastly, what has the Heaven Dou Empire ever given me? Restraint? Suspicion? Or those tedious court rules? It has done me no favors."
"Secondly," Toji's voice deepened and gained strength, "Unify the continent, integrate resources, end millennia of division and internal strife, concentrate the continent's resources and technology, and drive higher-level technological development... This is the truly beneficial future for all living beings on this continent."
" The Heaven Dou Empire is incapable on its own. Its vision is too narrow, its resources are scarce, and although its Soul Tool technology is somewhat innovative, its foundation is too weak. Even with my help, it can only delay its demise; it has absolutely no chance of truly unifying the continent and leading the future."
He looked at Kong Deming, his eyes sharp as knives:
"Do you really want Douluo Continent to forever maintain that unchanging, talent-based, bloodline-dependent, and clinging-to-the-old-bone traditional Soul Master system that has remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years? To be stagnant and ultimately eliminated by the times?"
"If, because of my so-called loyalty, I were to support a corrupt empire that is destined to be unable to shoulder the responsibility of unification and might even hinder the development of Soul Guidance Technology, then I... would truly become a sinner who obstructs the wheels of history."
Kong Deming was completely stunned.
He never expected that this Heavenly Tyrant, known for his killing and seemingly only pursuing power, actually possessed such a clear, even grand, vision.
He was not a Soul Engineer, yet he saw with unparalleled clarity that the advanced productivity represented by Soul Tool was the future direction, and he was willing to stand on the opposite side of his own origin in order to promote this direction.
"... I never expected you to think that way." Kong Deming's voice was filled with deep shock and an indescribable respect. "That's truly surprising."
Toji Er chuckled, walked to the workbench, and gently ran his fingers over the cold, seemingly Life, pulsating blade of the Soul Liberation Blade.
"There's nothing surprising about it. Soul Tool have helped me a lot on my path to becoming stronger, and they still do now. Look at this sword..."
He picked up the Soul Liberation Blade, its dark red blade emitting a low hum in his hand.
"It absorbed my Bloodline Power and, in countless battles, devoured the Life essence of countless powerful individuals, even... the blood of divine beasts. Its essence has long surpassed that of ordinary Level 9 Soul Tool, and is infinitely close to a true divine artifact."
Kong Deming focused his gaze and indeed sensed the terrifying power contained within the Soul Liberation Blade —a power that was vast, ferocious, yet also carried a trace of sacred origin.
This is definitely not ordinary iron.
"However..." Toji's tone shifted, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, "Its functionality is still too singular. Pure destruction, extreme sharpness. I need it to be more comprehensive, more adaptable to higher levels of combat."
"So, I've asked you to take a look and see if there's anything that can be further improved or optimized to truly transform it."
Kong Deming took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in his heart.