Chapter 167: Statue of the Red Dust Siblings

Ling Zichen slapped a stack of documents onto the table in front of Huo Yuhao with a "pa," the papers sliding half a chi across the surface. She stood with arms crossed, eyebrows slightly raised. "I've finished all the tasks you assigned me. Satisfied now?!"

Huo Yuhao glanced at the documents and nodded slightly. "Mm, very good. The new task list is ready. You can check it on the Soul Guidance Light Screen."

Ling Zichen slammed her palm onto the tabletop, rattling the documents with a clatter, and roared:

"Huo Yuhao, do you take me for a perpetual motion machine? Is making things difficult for me fun?! I refuse to carry out the order!"

Someone who could live from now until ten thousand years later... and even became a high-level mecha human... even if not a perpetual motion machine, it's close enough, right?

Thinking this, Huo Yuhao said blandly, "You'd better look at the task content first, then think about whether you want to refuse."

Ling Zichen frowned, unhappily took out her Soul Guidance Light Screen, and looked at the content inside. When the task title came into view, she felt a wave of puzzlement.

This is... a Mecha Design Blueprint? Just a blueprint designed by a Sixth-Rank Mecha Designer. What's worth paying attention to? Hasn't she seen them before?

Thinking this, a data stream flashed through Ling Zichen's eyes. Her mind whirred, rapidly analyzing the special points within, gradually revealing a surprised expression.

This is a Battle Armor-style Mecha that combines the advantages of both Battle Armor and Mecha?

With a design like this, it seems even ordinary people can wear and use it...

After waiting quietly for a moment, Huo Yuhao continued:

"The difficulty isn't small. Want to participate in the research? If you can complete it, you'll get priority to be equipped with this suit of Mecha."

Since he had accepted Mu Ye's Inheritance, he naturally delved into research on Super God Mecha. What he gave Ling Zichen now was a derivative of that related research, but still only a theoretical design. To actually manufacture it, quite a few technical bottlenecks needed to be broken through.

"Hmph, the research projects you give me still aren't enough to stump me... but this time it's quite interesting."

Ling Zichen looked at the blueprint for a while, licked her lips, and looked at Huo Yuhao with interest. "Such an interesting research project, you're just handing it over to me?"

"That's just a design blueprint. Whether a finished product can be manufactured depends on subsequent research. If you can pull it off, claiming it as your own achievement is fine too."

Ling Zichen sized Huo Yuhao up for a moment, arms crossed. "I'm not that shameless. After R&D is complete, I'll add your name as the Designer."

Speaking to this point, she could no longer suppress her excitement.

"Once this Mecha is researched, can ordinary people also exert their full power?"

Ten thousand years ago, because Mingde Hall made a significant breakthrough in Energy Storage Soul Tool research, the use of Soul Tools was no longer limited to Soul Masters.

Along with era development, arriving at now, equipped with High-Grade Soul Guidance Batteries, ordinary people can also pilot Mecha, but restrictions remain many. White-Grade Mecha and Yellow-Grade Mecha are fine, but to exert the power of stronger Mecha, a Soul Master must serve as the core drive. This involves combat ability, energy, and various other problems...

And the design blueprint Huo Yuhao gave her... in her observation, although it's a prototype now, it's definitely aimed at surpassing Red-Grade Mecha in the end. If ordinary people can also fully pilot it, the meaning it represents is no small matter.

Huo Yuhao nodded. "Yes. You're not a Soul Master, so you didn't notice at first. Look at the energy device structure in the very center."

Hearing this, Ling Zichen examined it seriously. Then her pupils suddenly contracted, fingertips hovering three cun above the design blueprint.

This is... a Soul Core?

Simulating the Soul Core operation of a Soul Sage through a Soul Guidance Array, absorbing Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi from the outside world as an energy source... an artificial Mecha Soul Master?

Ling Zichen murmured: "I see. So the principle is like this... but can this kind of thing be done?"

Ordinary people becoming strong through Soul Tools — she had actually conceived of it before. But that required Source Core research to be completed, using terrifying energy amplification to design a Super Mecha that ordinary people could wear.

At that time, with a Single Positive-Cycle Source Core as energy supply, letting ordinary people possess power comparable to a Titled Douluo wouldn't be impossible. And the path Huo Yuhao researched is similar to hers, yet different. It's more like making the Mecha wearer become an alternative kind of Soul Master.

Huo Yuhao's tone was flat. "Why not? Bottom line, a Soul Core can originally be condensed outside the body, then taken inside. Now the Spirit Pagoda's research data on Spatial Power is already perfect enough. Manufacturing a simulated Soul Core is not..."

Seeing Ling Zichen looking at him with a blank, bewildered face, Huo Yuhao's words stopped.

Oh, this is experience from ten thousand years ago.

In that era, Soul Core condensation technology wasn't perfected yet. Some people without teachers to teach Soul Core condensation would experiment using Spatial Power themselves. Condensing a Soul Power vortex outside the body, watching it continuously absorb Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi to grow, explode, researching the method of Soul Core condensation.

Now Soul Core condensation methods are perfected. Before Soul Sage, one directly condenses a Soul Power vortex inside the body. There's no experimental process at all. Very few people research the development history of Soul Cores, let alone Ling Zichen who is herself an ordinary person. Her understanding of this aspect is naturally even less.

But Huo Yuhao has experienced the process from technology R&D to perfection. His comprehension is deeper than others. He understands that simulating a Soul Core is something that can be done.

Huo Yuhao returned to the original question: "In short, I think this can be done. But your understanding of Soul Cores is insufficient. You can learn the relevant knowledge first, then decide."

"No, I'll participate." Ling Zichen gave Huo Yuhao a complex look, took a deep breath. "Other things aside, your technical level truly commands respect. I believe you."

Huo Yuhao entered the research from the angle of a Soul Master, while she stood from the perspective of an ordinary person. Two completely different research directions mysteriously converged at a certain node, yet collided with even more sparks of inspiration because of the difference in perspective.

If a simulated Soul Core is truly researched, quite a few technologies can break through bottlenecks because of it.

'Even a Single Positive-Cycle Source Core can utilize this technology...'

Putting away the blueprint, Ling Zichen looked straight at Huo Yuhao with a solemn gaze for the first time. The sharp light in her eyes rarely softened a few degrees.

The person is another matter. Technically, they can complement each other.

Thinking for a bit, she said softly: "The previous invitation still stands. But this time it's my personal invitation."

Huo Yuhao met her gaze. "If it's just a visit, I can go take a look when I have time."

"Up to you."

Ling Zichen let out a cold hum, but didn't say more. Just turned and walked toward the experiment table, her back radiating a rare drive.

Just then, Huo Yuhao's voice rang in her ear. "Any research must have precautions prepared. I don't want to hear one day that Headquarters was blown up because of an internal experiment."

Ling Zichen's steps paused. She looked at Huo Yuhao in surprise, but saw the latter had already lowered his head drawing new blueprints. She could only knit her brows and leave through the door.

There's meaning behind the words... does he know something?

On the other side, long after she left, Huo Yuhao took out a Rare Metal, used a Siphon Inscription Soul Guidance Array to extract the Source, feeling its energy, narrowing his eyes.

The principle of a Single Source Core is to guide Metal Source fusion, letting the energy contained in the Metal Source explode thousands, tens of thousands of times, similar to Nuclear Fusion. A Single Positive-Cycle Source Core makes this explosion controllable, continuously cycling and utilizing it.

Unprocessed Rare Metal energy is still okay. The contained energy isn't strong. But taking Heavenly Forged Metal as an example, if someone could make Heavenly Forged Metal complete this kind of energy fusion, its explosive power... is equivalent to a full-power strike from a Rank 3 God Peak without a God Position, not much different from Eternal Heaven either.

No one has been able to accomplish this yet. The Federation's God-Killing Grade Soul Cannon Shells extract the Source from large amounts of ordinary Rare Metals to complete it. But from this, the prospects and terror of Source technology can also be seen.

Originally, Ling Zichen's parents died in a Source Research explosion. Ling Zichen herself also suffered deeply from it. A rare research talent — she mustn't, because of recklessness, get herself killed...

Thoughts pausing, Huo Yuhao turned to think of another matter.

"Third Soul Core... should I try utilizing a Single Positive-Cycle Source Core?"

The reason Ling Zichen could live until ten thousand years later is that she implanted a Single Positive-Cycle Source Core forged from God-Rank Metal into her body, giving Ling Zichen a continuous stream of energy supply, forming a virtuous cycle. Equivalent to implanting a constantly regenerating God-Killing Grade Soul Cannon Shell inside the body as an energy source.

But this method is too dangerous. Not to mention it's equivalent to implanting a God-Rank bomb inside the body, just the implantation difficulty is no easier than becoming a God.

According to the original development, after Douluo Star absorbed the Abyssal Plane, quite a few Limit Douluo broke through Rank 100. With the talents of that generation of powerhouses like Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan, even if they hadn't completed it at the time, they would ultimately definitely become Rank 100 True Gods.

However, even if they became gods, their ends were still relatively tragic.

Speaking of this matter, one must mention an absurd thing: the True God-level powerhouses of this era and those after had a maximum lifespan of only a thousand years... roughly the same limit as twenty thousand years ago.

If going by the Original Work's account, among the generation of powerhouses like Xie Xie, some reached their lifespan limit, and led by Ling Zichen, they wanted to implant a Single-Body Positive-Cycle Source Core like her to modify themselves and continue surviving, but the results were not ideal.

Those powerhouses ultimately could not endure that kind of pain, lost control and went berserk, and were finally hunted down and killed by a team led by Ling Zichen...

Even True God-level could fail; the difficulty is evident. In the end, only two people, Ling Zichen and Yi Zichen, truly completed the Single-Body Positive-Cycle Source Core implantation operation.

"However, the gains are also very obvious. If one can use the Single-Body Positive-Cycle Source Core to complete the Third Soul Core, accumulating a foundation comparable to a Second-Rank God under Plane Suppression would be easier."

Huo Yuhao's mind moved freely, his fingertips outlining complex Soul Guide patterns in the void. The Metal Source in his palm suddenly trembled, its internal atoms beginning to leap wildly, blazing white light flowing on the metal surface, energy levels continuously rising, until finally—

Rumble!

A piercing white light suddenly erupted, a torrent of violent energy sweeping out like a raging dragon, yet it was wrapped within a sphere of starlight, unable to spread outward.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao's expression did not change.

Technical breakthroughs of bottlenecks always require time.

"Let's keep this plan for now. Whether it's Ling Zichen's side or my side, completing the Single-Body Positive-Cycle Source Core requires time... even combining both sides' research results, it won't be that easy."

The next day at noon, blazing sunlight fell on the Spirit Pagoda plaza, where everyone had gathered, preparing to board Soul Guide Vehicles and head to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

Xie Xie walked up beside Huo Yuhao, lowering his voice: "Big Brother, who are they?"

His gaze glanced toward the two graceful figures not far away who were chatting and laughing with Gu Yue Na, his eyes full of amazement and doubt.

Only to see a tall, golden-haired woman standing beside Gu Yue Na, wearing a well-tailored white tight-fitting outfit that outlined perfect body curves. She was slightly turning her head, saying something to Gu Yue Na, a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, her every gesture exuding an elegant temperament.

And beside her stood a blue-haired young girl. The girl's figure was even more outstanding, but at this moment she appeared somewhat restrained and uneasy, hands folded in front of her, occasionally stealing glances at Gu Yue Na and Huo Yuhao, looking just like a frightened little rabbit.

The three women stood together, forming a beautiful scenery, but Xie Xie felt more doubt than amazement.

That blue-haired girl isn't important; eighty percent she's been disciplined by Big Brother Yuhao and Sister Na. (Lan Fuzi:... you're right.)

The important one is that golden-haired, red-eyed girl; she actually suppressed Sister Na!

Xie Xie was sure he hadn't misread it; Sister Na still had a cold expression now, but that look of utter despair, and the faint pleading gaze toward Elder Huo, was far too obvious.

'Worthy of the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, to actually have someone who can suppress Sister Na.'

Xie Xie secretly sighed with emotion.

"The person beside Na'er is her... older sister, Candidate Spirit Envoy — Gu Rachel."

Seeing Gu Yue Na's gaze cast over, Huo Yuhao smiled helplessly, explaining while walking over that way.

"The other one is called Lan Fuzi; she's my colleague at the Soul Master Research Institute. She received a mission from the High-ranking Officials and will go with us to Mingde Hall to participate in a cooperative research project."

Lan Fuzi shivered upon hearing this, weeping tears in her heart.

That High-ranking Official is actually you, right? Lord Huo Yuhao.

Xie Xie and the others instantly understood upon hearing this.

No wonder she could suppress Gu Yue Na... so it's natural Bloodline Suppression.

Xu Xiaoyan, having heard what she cared about most, subconsciously turned her gaze toward Lan Fuzi on the side.

The other party looked about eighteen years old; a form-fitting white dress highlighted her proud figure, her slender waist wrapped in tight fabric not spanning a full grip, the contrast strong, making her melons even more prominent...

Squinting to size her up for a moment, Xu Xiaoyan lowered her head, catching sight of her own toes in one glance, her small face instantly falling, secretly making up her mind.

No good, I need to supplement more nutrition; from now on breakfast will change from two fried eggs to three fried eggs!

On the other side, Gu Rachel was chatting happily, but upon suddenly seeing Huo Yuhao approach and naturally take Gu Yue Na's hand, the corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly, then she revealed a perfect elegant smile.

"Let's chat just up to here, Na'er. You have to work hard after entering Mingde Hall too."

Saying this, she smiled and greeted Xu Xiaoyan and the others, then turned and left.

Almost time; the Master even sought help from Huo Yuhao, continuing further would get her beaten.

Gu Yue Na expressionlessly gazed at her disappearing back figure inside the Spirit Pagoda.

Suddenly, she turned her head to look at the restrained and uneasy Lan Fuzi, who immediately retreated half a step like a startled fawn, her chest heaving violently, causing even the pearl decorations on her light blue dress to tremble slightly.

Obviously, because she was too nervous, she hadn't noticed Gu Yue Na's embarrassed appearance when being teased by Gu Rachel earlier.

Seeing this, Gu Yue Na's expression softened, and she smiled at Huo Yuhao who had rescued her: "Yuhao, let's go."

"... Mm." Huo Yuhao's gaze lingered on Lan Fuzi for a moment, nodding with a complex expression, and together with her boarded the vehicle that had landed on the plaza.

Lan Fuzi froze for a beat, then reacted, hurriedly following.

When the vehicle began to descend in altitude, a building complex with extreme visual impact gradually became clear in everyone's field of view.

"Is this the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy?" Xu Xiaoyan pressed her whole face against the porthole, her nose tip pressing a cute circle on the glass.

Xie Xie stroked his chin and commented: "Hmm... truly fits Mingdu's kind of cold, icy architectural aesthetic."

Six silver-gray metal high-rises were arranged radially, connected in the center by fully transparent Soul Guide energy passages, refracting seven-colored light in the sunlight. On the central main tower, the large characters "Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy" shone brilliantly under the reflection of a special coating, clearly visible even from several li away.

But compared to the buildings, everyone's attention was quickly drawn to the several statues in the center of the academy plaza. In the central position was the figure of an old man, the base engraved with four flamboyant characters — Silver Moon Douluo.

And behind him, two youthful figures were the most eye-catching.

A young man, a young woman.

Seeing them, waves rose in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

Xiao Hongchen, Meng Hongchen...

(End of Chapter)