The inspection teacher's hand flashed, and a blueprint suddenly appeared in his palm. He walked straight up to Huo Yuhao, held it upright in front of his eyes, while his other hand went behind his back, quietly took out a soul tool, and switched it on.
"Student Huo, look at what I found inside your storage soul tool."
The inspector's tone was both excited and expectant as he looked at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao focused his gaze — and immediately went blank.
"A… level-nine soul tool manufacturing blueprint?"
"This… this was given to me by an elder of Shrek Academy before I left. Is there something wrong with it being in my soul tool? Or is it that only Mingde Hall is allowed to have level-nine soul tool blueprints?"
Huo Yuhao forced himself to stay calm, trying to keep his voice steady, and even turned the question back on him.
Unexpectedly, the inspection teacher suddenly laughed and pointed at the storage ring in his hand.
"So you admit this is your storage soul tool?"
"Damn!"
Huo Yuhao's pupils shrank. In his panic, he had fallen straight into the verbal trap in the inspector's words, instantly putting himself at a disadvantage.
But now he could only push forward stubbornly. As long as he insisted it was given by a Shrek elder, Mingde Hall couldn't do anything to him.
"Yes, it's my soul tool. What's the problem?"
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao reached out to take back the blueprint and the storage ring.
Seeing this, the inspector's grin almost split to his ears. His eyes shone with excitement. He dodged Huo Yuhao's hand and smoothly grabbed the item hanging at his waist.
Click!
The moment Huo Yuhao extended his hand, a pair of shining golden handcuffs snapped onto his wrist.
"On behalf of the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and the Sun-Moon Empire, I hereby declare: Huo Yuhao, you are under arrest!"
The inspection teacher spoke righteously, unable to suppress his excitement.
This time, it was his turn to advance!
"Teacher, is it a crime just because my storage ring contains a level-nine soul tool blueprint? Aren't you bullying an honest person? I want to see Hall Master Jing Hongchen!"
Huo Yuhao stared blankly at the golden handcuffs. These cuffs suppressed soul power — he had already discovered he couldn't circulate his soul power anymore.
Moreover, this was Mingde Hall. If he made a move here, he would only meet a terrible end.
"There's nothing wrong with having a level-nine blueprint," the inspector said with a smile, pointing at a tiny detail on the blueprint, "but this one carries Mingde Hall's special mark."
"And don't play dumb. I recorded everything you just said, word for word. Even if you didn't ask, I was going to report to the Hall Master anyway."
He took out the recording soul tool he had activated earlier, looking completely confident.
Huo Yuhao opened his mouth, but couldn't say a single word.
He knew — he had been set up.
"It must have been that evil soul master earlier… Don't let me catch you, or I'll make you pay!"
A flash of murderous intent crossed his eyes, but now he could only swallow his bitterness in silence. What awaited him next would only be a greater crisis.
"Hmph! 'Pure and noble,' my ass — you don't deserve those words. A bunch of despicable thieves, truly an insult to the phrase 'pure and noble.'"
The inspector sneered, summoned two people to watch Huo Yuhao, and immediately went to report to Jing Hongchen.
Knock, knock, knock!
Soon, Jing Hongchen's door was knocked.
"Hall Master, good news!"
Lin Jiayi's voice came from outside.
Jing Hongchen was still sitting in his chair, thinking about the "big gift" Jiang Jue had mentioned before leaving.
"Come in."
Lin Jiayi entered with the inspector.
"Hall Master, we've found a lead on the missing items," Lin Jiayi said urgently.
"A lead?" Jing Hongchen was startled.
What lead could there be? It was obviously the Body Sect — the underground chamber had been cleaned so thoroughly it looked like a rat had licked it clean.
"And Experimental Subject No. 1 has already returned."
"Tell the Hall Master," Lin Jiayi signaled to the inspector.
The inspector quickly recounted everything in detail and placed the recording soul tool on Jing Hongchen's desk.
"So — 'pure and noble,' huh?"
Jing Hongchen's face remained calm, but cold light flickered behind his glasses.
He now understood what Jiang Jue's "big gift" was.
He had kindly allowed Shrek exchange students into Mingde Hall to study — only to find they had come to steal from him.
"Recording the soul tool crafting process… what a fine tactic, Yan Shaozhe."
"Come. Take me to see Huo Yuhao."
He stood up slowly with a gentle smile, already calculating how to make Shrek Academy pay dearly.
"Heh… extreme attribute, twin martial souls, Shrek's future hope. Yan Shaozhe — I wonder if you can afford my price."
As Jiang Jue had said — this was indeed a huge gift. A perfect bargaining chip against Shrek Academy.
Lin Jiayi felt a chill — whenever Jing Hongchen smiled like this, someone was about to be ruined.
Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy
Inside a separate building.
The white-haired youth Xiao Hongchen sat on the sofa, gently persuading the exhausted girl across from him.
"Little sis, stop pushing yourself so hard. It's bad for your health. Listen to your brother — get some rest."
Opposite him was Meng Hongchen, who had just finished cultivating.
She shook her head softly.
"I have to train hard. So that next time something like that happens, I can stand in front of him… and not watch him be taken away again."
"And we promised we'd face that powerful enemy together in the future…"
Her voice was gentle, but filled with unshakable resolve.
"It's all Jiang Jue's fault! When he comes back, I'll teach him a lesson!"
Xiao Hongchen sprang to his feet angrily. As a Soul Emperor now, who among his peers could match him?
"Brother… Jiang Jue he—"
Before Meng Hongchen could finish, a familiar yet strange voice interrupted.
"Who's talking about me behind my back?"
A tall figure slowly stepped out from the darkness.
The moment Meng Hongchen saw him, tears instantly welled up in her ice-blue eyes.
"Y-You… you're finally back!"
(End of chapter)