Chapter 66: Red Dust Protection

"Stay here for two years?" Jinghongchen's expression changed; if he really stayed here for two years, Ming De Hall would be without his oversight and would fall into chaos?

After all, the senior soul guides under his command were each more arrogant than the last, and apart from himself, no one could keep them in check.

Jinghongchen inhaled deeply and said, "Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say."

As he spoke, Jinghongchen lifted his hand and brushed his chest, and a seemingly ultra‑thin metal disc appeared in his palm.

The disc was round, paper‑thin, suffused with a soft golden halo, and most peculiar was the translucent carving on its surface.

The intricate, orderly translucent patterns also exuded a sense of creativity and imagination.

No soul power fluctuation seeped from it, yet it possessed a dense, mountain‑like texture.

A faint golden glimmer flickered across it; the light was weak but strikingly eye‑catching.

A flash of pain crossed Jinghongchen's eyes as he said, "I forged this Soul Guide Device myself; I call it Red Dust Protection, a ninth‑rank touch‑trigger defense Soul Guide Device."

When placed on the chest, it automatically adheres to the soul master's body, absorbing their soul power and merging with them.

If the soul master is attacked, it pre‑senses the strike and activates defense, which can be opened or closed by will.

Red Dust Protection has several aspects I'm pleased with; foremost, it imposes no cultivation rank limit, so even a one‑ring or two‑ring soul master can use it.

Its defensive effect equals the user's strongest strike when they concentrate all soul power without invoking a soul skill, yet it consumes only one‑fifth of that soul power.

It suits soul masters of any level; in the hands of a titled Douluo, it grants Super Douluo‑level defense.

Additionally, it has a special activation: by actively triggering its core formation, it creates a fifteen‑second invincible shield.

The defense reaches three times the user's own cultivation, qualifying it as a ninth‑rank Soul Guide Device, thanks to that invincible shield.

However, once this special activation is used, it requires recharging; no deliberate charging is needed—during the user's natural cultivation, it gradually refills the needed soul power, a process taking roughly three days.

Of course, one can actively recharge, which takes about a day‑long meditation, continuously pouring all soul power into it.

After Jinghongchen's briefing, everyone inhaled sharply; it must be said that each ninth‑rank Soul Guide Device has its own unique effect.

Undoubtedly, this Red Dust Protection ranks among the very best even among ninth‑rank devices.

The fact that its invincible shield can be sustained alone already rivals a ninth‑rank.

Mu En nodded, then with a flick of his right hand the Red Dust Protection materialized in his hand; his eyes narrowed as he said, "Leave now. I hope next time you come you have enough confidence, otherwise the entry fee won't be as simple as a ninth‑rank Soul Guide Device."

Jinghongchen nodded; he didn't want to stay a single minute in Shrek, calling them nothing but bandits!

Know that a ninth‑rank Soul Guide Device is a strategic asset in any nation.

Until then, Slake Academy possessed not a single ninth‑rank Soul Guide Device!

Yet when Jinghongchen returned outside the city and found the four ninth‑rank and four eighth‑rank Soul Guide Devices he had set up were all gone, he was utterly shattered, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Bastard! They're nothing but bandits! All they did was set a self‑destruct and blow up those beasts!" Jinghongchen raged, completely losing the composure he once had in Sea God Pavilion.

This time he truly got the short end of the stick, losing both his lady and his troops.

It's bad enough that he didn't obtain the eighth‑rank Soul Guide Device, the Judgment Sword.

Being forced to hand the Red Dust Protection to Shrek was also intolerable.

He didn't expect to lose another four ninth‑rank and four eighth‑rank Soul Guide Devices!

While he was still shouting outside Shilaike City, Sea God Pavilion presented a completely different scene.

"Old Mu, we succeeded!" Xianlin'er and Qian Duoduo hopped like children in their thirties, proudly holding the eight powerful Soul Guide Devices they had earlier.

Mu En chuckled, "We owe this to Xiao Bei; Jinghongchen will probably bleed heavily."

"With these Soul Guide Devices, our Slake Academy Soul Guide Department can advance further!" Xianlin'er said joyfully.

"Heh, go study them, but be careful—if a powerful Soul Guide Device explodes, it's no joke."

Xianlin'er replied, "Don't worry, Old Mu; we won't dismantle them until we understand the core formation."

After Xianlin'er and Qian Duoduo left, Bosabei stared longingly at the Red Dust Protection in Mu En's hand, pondering how to get it.

This is a great item.

Then he sighed.

Seeing this, Mu En smiled faintly, "What's wrong, Xiao Bei? We obtained so many ninth‑rank Soul Guide Devices this time; you should be happy."

Bosabei sighed again, "Master, as the heir of Sea God Pavilion and your esteemed disciple, yet lacking even a single life‑saving item—does that make me a failure?"

Mu En was slightly startled, then laughed, "Heh, so you were scheming for the Red Dust Protection."

Then, without hesitation, he handed over the Red Dust Protection, saying, "You should remember what Jinghongchen mentioned earlier, right?"

"You're right; as the heir of Sea God Pavilion, you indeed need some life‑saving measures."

Bosabei nodded, unable to suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth.

……

Over the next three months, Bosabei began absorbing the primal energy of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

After all, his eight‑wing Fallen Angel martial soul's soul ring was rather weak, only three thousand‑year levels.

If other Soul Elders learned of his thoughts, they'd be so angry they'd spit blood.

The thousand‑year soul rings they fought tooth and nail to obtain seemed insufficient in Bosabei's eyes—who could stand that?

Meanwhile, Bosabei spent his days pretending to study Soul Guide Device fabrication in the Soul Guide Department.

At this moment, inside Sea God Pavilion, Bosabei, witnessed by the senior elders and Jinghongchen, was carving a second‑rank Soul Guide core formation.

Everyone watched intently, not daring to breathe lest they disturb Bosabei.

Especially Mu En, who never imagined Bosabei could reach second‑rank Soul Guide Master in just three months.

Jinghongchen's earlier words resurfaced in his mind: scanning the entire Ming De Hall, the fastest path from zero to second‑rank Soul Guide Master still took a full nine months!

As the final pattern was etched, Bosabei brushed away nonexistent sweat from his forehead, picked up the Soul Guide core formation, and said, "Finally finished—my first second‑rank Soul Guide Device; once I craft a casing, it can be used normally!"

Jinghongchen saw the scene, his mouth twitched; he had intended to mock Bosabei after three months, but no one expected he would actually finish!

Who can he reason with now?

(End of Chapter)