Chapter 80: Soul Guide Storage System

Menghongchen looked at the already scrapped golden crystal on the table, her little face scrunched up, full of displeasure.

"Damn, damn, damn! I was just a hair's breadth away from finishing!"

She gritted her teeth and muttered low, her fingers clutching the table edge, the knuckles whitening from the strain.

Her eyes were filled with resentment and annoyance, as if blaming herself for not persisting longer, for not double‑checking the core formation's carvings.

Beside her, Bosabei saw her flushed, angry look; though he felt a bit schadenfreude, his outward demeanor remained solemn.

After all, mocking someone to their face isn't proper!

Naturally, many people witnessed the scene, but none dared to laugh out loud.

In any case, she was the little princess of Ming De Hall; her status was obvious, who would dare offend her lightly?

The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment; everyone tacitly lowered their heads, pretending to focus on their own tasks.

When the man in red gave a light cough, the room fell silent instantly.

All eyes turned to him, awaiting his next instruction.

"Now, engrave your work with your name or code, then submit them together. The nine judges of the organizing committee will evaluate you."

The man in red's voice was steady and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority.

After speaking, everyone hurriedly placed their completed Soul Guide Devices on the central table.

Bosabei casually counted and found the total didn't even reach one hundred.

He thought to himself: this competition, everyone came for the Dragon Rock Crystal, hoping to stand out among the contestants by pushing their limits, but clearly, like Menghongchen, they failed.

Once everyone had turned in their pieces, they returned to their seats, quietly awaiting the evaluation results.

Since the nine judges were senior Soul Guides, they only needed a glance to gauge a Soul Guide Device's quality.

One masked man in a purple robe, upon seeing Bosabei's Soul Guide Handgun, couldn't help but curl a sneer at the corner of his mouth.

A Level‑2 Soul Guide Device—arguably the lowest‑ranked work present.

Yet, maintaining a responsible attitude, he still injected soul power into its core.

"Huh?" he suddenly exclaimed; his soul power seemed unable to merge with the core formation.

"Did we carve the core formation wrong?" the purple‑robed masked man was momentarily speechless, but quickly sensed something amiss.

"No, the core formation already contains soul power! How is that possible!"

No one could guess how expressive his face was beneath the mask.

As a senior Soul Guide, he knew exactly what it meant for a Soul Guide Device to carry its own soul power.

Soul Guide Storage System!

He then tugged at another organizing‑committee member beside him, conveyed his thought, and the other wore an equally shocked expression.

After half a day of research, the nine finally concluded: this was the Soul Guide Storage System!

They had been tackling this unsolved problem for years, and now it had been solved!

Soon, all Soul Guide Devices were evaluated; the previously seated masked man in red stood up and said in a deep voice, "Evaluation complete, now announcing the top three."

He lifted a green shield and declared, "Third place, Li Goudan, work: Level‑5 defensive Soul Guide Device, containing twenty‑eight core formations!"

A plump, good‑natured man rose excitedly, his face radiating unmistakable joy.

He clearly hadn't expected to place third, and for a moment was at a loss, quickly bowing and thanking the crowd.

"Second place, Zhang Erfeng, work: Level‑5 remote‑deployment Soul Guide Cannon, containing thirty‑four core formations!"

After speaking, a thin, gaunt man stood up.

His face showed little expression, but his eyes held a hint of fatigue and satisfaction.

Clearly, he had poured great effort into this competition.

Next came the most anticipated first place.

The masked man gave a mysterious smile, did not announce the result directly, but said, "The following work not only takes first place, but also passed the review of all nine committee members!"

As soon as the words fell, the hall erupted in a roar.

Passed the review of all nine?

What a god‑defying work to achieve such a feat.

The masked man's words sparked a wave of curiosity, reaching its peak among everyone.

Seeing the effect, the masked man stopped teasing and produced from behind Bosabei's Soul Guide Handgun.

Upon seeing the item in his hand, everyone was bewildered; with their eyes, they could tell the handgun's level was low.

Yet it still passed the nine‑person review?

Must be a joke; they couldn't have pre‑selected the champion from the start, could they?

The masked man chuckled and introduced:

"Do not underestimate this Soul Guide Handgun I hold; although it's only Level‑2, it is equipped with a soul power storage system!"

Hearing this, everyone was shocked, especially Menghongchen, who stared at Bosabei in disbelief.

Her voice trembled slightly: "Is… is this not your creation?"

Bosabei gave a faint smile and nodded, tacitly acknowledging.

His expression remained calm, as if everything had been expected.

"Alright, the competition is over; non‑participants may leave now." The masked man did not reveal the creator of the work, since the prize was the Dragon Rock Crystal, and revealing the maker might cause trouble for Bosabei.

Apart from Menghongchen and the top three, everyone else exited promptly, daring not to linger.

Apparently aware of Menghongchen and Bosabei's connection, the masked man said little more.

After handing the rewards to the two, he finally removed his mask, revealing a face of authority.

"Young friend, I'll be brief. On behalf of the Sunset Water Alliance, I offer to purchase the Soul Guide Storage System with the utmost sincerity; what do you think?"

The Soul Guide Storage System is a weapon of war; as long as there are enough Soul Guide Devices, they can pile up and kill you.

Bosabei, however, shook his head and refused. The Evening Water Alliance—it's obvious that behind them stands the Holy Spirit Cult; you'd sell this thing to them?

By then, judging by their character, I'd say nothing good will come of it.

Although Bosabei thinks he's not a good person, he's still distinct from an Evil Soul Master.

Seeing Bosabei refuse, a flicker of gloom passed through the masked man's eyes, and he soon said with some regret: "Well, that's really too bad."

After speaking, he cautiously reached out a hand, and a ring on his index finger flashed with light.

Immediately, a crystal appeared in his hand.

It was an orange crystal the size of a head.

Though called a crystal, its appearance resembled irregular metal.

Its surface shone with a shimmering orange-gold light, constantly flickering.

Faintly, one could hear a soft dragon's roar.

(End of chapter)