Hearing the reprimand behind him, Huo Yuhao turned around and was surprised to see a familiar face.
Jing Hongchen, his face contorted with rage, pointed at Huo Yuhao and shouted loudly. Ripples spread through the space behind him, and several dark cannon barrels emerged from them.
Huo Yuhao turned around, and the black liquid in his right hand surged and extended, transforming into a sharp black longsword.
He strode forward, his sharp aura soaring into the sky, and his boundless Soul Power rippled outwards.
Under this terrifying aura, the enormous hall, made of countless rare metals and numerous tiny defensive Core Array, capable of withstanding attacks from level seven Soul Missile, trembled slightly.
Jing Hongchen instinctively took a few steps back, and in the trembling hall, he felt a growing urge to retreat.
He saw it clearly! He saw it completely!
He finally saw clearly who the person in front of him was—the figure, the overwhelmingly domineering Soul Power.
This is Shadow!
Jing Hongchen was terrified. He didn't even bother to put away the Soul Tool behind him. He circulated his Soul Power to the limit, and a white light shone from his waist.
Using the Soul Tool Thruster recklessly, they rushed out of the palace gate in an instant, reaching their maximum speed.
At such close range, even a Level 9 Soul Engineer wouldn't have enough lives to fight Shadow. The terror of a powerhouse like Shadow is simply beyond the comprehension of ordinary Titled Douluo.
"Damn it! Wasn't Shadow supposed to be gone? How come he's here again?!"
Jing Hongchen cursed angrily, fear constantly assaulting his heart, a vague sense of being locked on lingering in his mind.
Upon returning to check the situation, Jing Hongchen dared not be careless in the slightest. Who would have thought that Shadow had not left at all, but had instead infiltrated the imperial city?
Inside the main hall.
Huo Yuhao watched Jing Hongchen flee at top speed, a cold smile playing on his lips. His Spiritual Detection had locked onto Jing Hongchen the moment he appeared.
He wasn't sure if Jing Hongchen had seen his magic, but he had definitely seen him take the dragon throne.
"I was already looking to settle scores with you, but since you came looking for me, you can't blame me."
Huo Yuhao grinned, stepped forward, and his body shot out of the palace gate like a streak of black light.
The shadowy figure arrived in an instant, its black robe fluttering in the air, and the long sword in its hand gleaming and elegant in the sunlight.
With a flick of his longsword and flowing robes, he unleashed a devastating strike, displaying the grace of a banished immortal descending to earth, his every move radiating immense power.
Jing Hongchen's pupils contracted, his body stiffened instantly, his hair stood on end, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!
Ping-pong!
Countless pale red energy fragments detached from Jing Hongchen's body, and the enormous impact instantly slammed him down from the sky.
Jing Hongchen crashed to the ground with a tremendous roar, shattering the hard stone pavement.
The spiderweb-like cracks spread for nearly ten meters, and Jing Hongchen was directly blasted into a deep pit.
Huo Yuhao was somewhat surprised that his casual attack hadn't killed Jing Hongchen.
"A level nine defensive Soul Tool, something like Invincible Barrier?"
Huo Yuhao murmured to himself as he slowly descended.
Jing Hongchen coughed up a large amount of blood, struggling to open his eyes. "Cough cough cough... How could this be? I actually shattered my own Red Dust Attachment!"
Huo Yuhao landed slowly and walked leisurely toward Jing Hongchen.
Click! Click!
The sound of her feet stepping on the gravel was very clear, and Jing Hongchen felt the Shadow getting closer and closer to her.
Jing Hongchen, forcing himself to stand, took out seven nail-sized Soul Tool from his storage ring and laughed loudly, "I didn't expect to be forced to this point before we even exchanged blows. Truly worthy of your Shadow! Truly worthy of your Shadow!"
As Jing Hongchen spoke, he channeled his Soul Power into the seven Soul Tool.
" Shadow, you are mysterious and powerful. I am no match for you, but I am not reconciled!"
"Why are Soul Master always superior to Soul Engineer? Why is there such a huge gap between each level once you reach the Titled Douluo realm? I refuse to accept this..."
"Now that things have come to this, I'm going to give it my all, even if it means risking everything! What's the difference between me, a Level 9 Soul Engineer, and you Peak Titled Douluo powerhouses?!"
The next moment, Jing Hongchen shouted hoarsely as he stood up from the ground. Seven nail-shaped Soul Tool in his hand flew into the air and spun around him like shooting stars in the night sky.
Seven Soul Tool flew into the air, spun a few times, and then flew straight behind Jing Hongchen.
Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes slightly, a purple glint flashing in them, as he saw seven Soul Tool hovering above the seven acupoints behind Jing Hongchen.
Immediately following was the sound of metal piercing flesh, Jing Hongchen groaned and spat out blood again.
Huo Yuhao held his longsword at an angle, not trying to interrupt Jing Hongchen, but simply watching the surge and increase of Soul Power within him.
Jing Hongchen's Soul Power surged rapidly: ninety-four, ninety-five, ninety-six!
Soul Power is still rising!
As his Soul Power increased, veins bulged like earthworms on Jing Hongchen's exposed skin, and his skin began to turn red.
"Aaaaaah!..."
The intense pain caused Jing Hongchen to roar, and water began to slowly seep from her skin.
Upon closer inspection, the skin wasn't red at all; it was blood seeping from the skin as the body neared collapse, and the fluid flowing out wasn't sweat but blood!
Huo Yuhao frowned slightly, tapped his toes, approached Jing Hongchen, and suddenly thrust out his right palm, striking Jing Hongchen directly in the chest.
Pfft!
The next moment, a Soul Tool on Jing Hongchen's back was knocked away from a distance and embedded in the stone slab behind him with a whoosh.
"Puff!"
Jing Hongchen spat out another mouthful of blood, and the turbulent Soul Power within his body stabilized. In the end, his cultivation level remained at only level ninety-six.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao slowly withdrew his palm, his low-set hood obscuring his face from Jing Hongchen's view.
"Your Soul Tool is defective, I won't take advantage of you..."
Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen was startled. He hadn't expected Shadow to be such an upright person. Ignoring his physical pain, he clasped his hands in gratitude and said, "Thank you, Your Excellency. Your character is something we should all learn from."
Huo Yuhao's actions earned Jing Hongchen's genuine admiration, considering that the two were now considered enemies.
While you were preparing your ultimate move, the enemy not only didn't ambush you, but also saw your vulnerability and stepped in to help you.
Jing Hongchen wanted to express her gratitude again, "Thank you, Your Excellency. I'm preparing..."
boom!
Without saying a word, Huo Yuhao suddenly threw a punch, hitting Jing Hongchen directly in the chest. The speed was so fast that Jing Hongchen didn't even have time to react.
Jing Hongchen was sent flying backward, sliding along the ground for dozens of meters, and the six Soul Tool on his back exploded.
Even with the strength of Titled Douluo, Jing Hongchen's back was now a bloody mess, with his white bones exposed to the air and his internal organs trembling slightly.
"Why... why... such a sudden attack..."
Jing Hongchen forced herself to stand up, her eyes wide open, unable to understand why the Shadow had suddenly attacked her again.
Huo Yuhao hadn't thought that far ahead; he just wanted to get a closer look at the Soul Tool. He almost lost control and slapped Jing Hongchen to death.
However, he had already seen it clearly and was too lazy to listen to Jing Hongchen's nonsense.
"A fool wouldn't pass up a bargain!"
The next moment, Huo Yuhao's eyes, hidden beneath his hood, suddenly lit up and met Jing Hongchen's eyes.
Jing Hongchen stared intently into Huo Yuhao's eyes. In the next moment, her purple pupils split open, transforming into five red and purple petals that slowly rotated within them.
Feeling a tearing sensation in his soul, Jing Hongchen was astonished to find that the Shadow in front of him had disappeared, and the wound on his back had also vanished!
He wasn't even in the palace right now, but in his own laboratory at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Jing Hongchen looked around with a solemn expression, but found nothing unusual. He reached out and touched the Soul Tool in front of him, and there was no problem with it either.
Lost in thought, Jing Hongchen seemed to have thought of something, and strode out the door, looking towards the direction of the Illustrious Virtue Hall.
The three large characters "Illustrious Virtue Hall" hung quietly on that iconic building, showing no signs of destruction whatsoever.
"How is this possible? Wasn't Illustrious Virtue Hall attacked? How can it still be intact?!"
Jing Hongchen panicked, looking around and even beginning to doubt whether everything that had just happened was a dream.
"Grandpa, what are you doing here? Have you come up with a new research direction?"
A clear, ethereal female voice sounded behind him.
Jing Hongchen turned around in surprise and saw Meng Hongchen smiling and asking her a question.
"Dream, don't disturb Grandpa. The ideas behind soul guidance are very important. You should go back and read more books. Grandpa is currently the only Level 9 Soul Engineer. Every inspiration he has could be a major advancement in our Soul Tool research."
Xiao Hongchen appeared out of nowhere and began to reprimand Meng Hongchen.
Meng Hongchen made a face at him, then ran up behind Jing Hongchen, poked her head out, and said mischievously, "Hehehe! You naughty old brother, I don't need you to tell me what to do! Grandpa loves me the most, doesn't he?"
Jing Hongchen's eyes met Meng Hongchen's; those big, blinking eyes were simply adorable.
He was somewhat incredulous, not yet understanding what was happening, but the hardness of the rare metal in his hand constantly reminded him that this was reality.
"Did I just dreamt? Nothing actually happened? Illustrious Virtue Hall wasn't attacked?"
Meng Hongchen pointed to the building in the distance with some confusion and asked, "Grandpa, what are you talking about? Illustrious Virtue Hall has been there perfectly fine all along, hasn't it?"
Xiao Hongchen reminded him anxiously, "Meng, I already told you not to disturb Grandpa. Now look what's happened! Grandpa clearly can't connect with his inspiration. What if something goes wrong?"
Jing Hongchen watched all this, watching her grandchildren bickering, and seemed to feel quite good. She then gripped the rare metal in her hand tightly once more.
The intense pain confirmed that this was reality, and he accepted that what he had just experienced must have been a dream.
"I never imagined a dream could be so realistic. Thankfully, none of this happened."
Jing Hongchen shook his head, pulled Meng Hongchen over, patted her head, and smiled, "Grandpa's alright. Xiao Hongchen, don't talk about your sister. Be nicer to her, okay?"
Xiao Hongchen turned her head away with a touch of arrogance and replied, "Understood, Grandpa."
Meng Hongchen seemed to have won a victory, stuck out her tongue, and proudly said, "Hehe, Grandpa loves me the most."
Meng Hongchen took Jing Hongchen's large hand and then said in a coquettish tone, "Grandpa, I want to eat candied hawthorns, will you take me to buy some?"
Jing Hongchen smiled gently, picked up Meng Hongchen in his arms, and said indulgently, "Alright, alright, Grandpa will take you shopping."
"I want to climb high!"
"Alright, alright, come on up. Grandpa'll let you see a great view!"
Jing Hongchen happily picked up his granddaughter and made her sit on the back of his neck.
"Hahahaha, it's so high! Grandpa, let's go!"
Meng Hongchen held Jing Hongchen's hair with one small hand and pointed ahead with the other, laughing happily.
Jing Hongchen laughed heartily, reaching out her hand to Xiao Hongchen, who stood beside her with a hint of envy, and said, "Shouldn't an older brother stay by his younger sister's side? Shouldn't he protect her at all times?"
Xiao Hongchen's cheeks flushed slightly. She glanced at Meng Hongchen sitting on Jing Hongchen's lap, a hint of envy in her eyes, and said proudly, "Grandpa, since you've said so, then I'll go too... let's go together!"
He slowly reached out and grasped Jing Hongchen's broad, kind hand.
Meng Hongchen looked at her arrogant brother and sneered, "Arrogant brat! Arrogant brat! Hahahaha."
Xiao Hongchen was about to speak in rebuttal when she remembered what her grandfather had said.
He turned his head away, "I'm not going to argue with you. I'm the older brother, not like you."
"Oh! You tsundere!"
"You still dare to say it! A dream!"
"Hehehe! I'll tell you, I'll tell you!"
Jing Hongchen looked at her grandchildren who never stopped moving and laughed happily.
Supporting her adorable granddaughter and leading her proud grandson by the hand, she walked towards the setting sun.
The beauty before his eyes was perhaps what he had always hoped for. Immersed in happiness, he naturally couldn't distinguish between illusion and reality.
Jing Hongchen didn't even notice when her grandchildren had reverted to their four- or five-year-old appearance, clinging to her and wanting candied hawthorns.
The rare metal that was left behind slowly dissipated into the air after he left.