After finishing dinner and leaving, Huo Yuhao then learned about the hidden activity of attending an auction.
Xiao Hongchen said that he was fully equipped and had nothing to buy.
[Remember this site's domain name: Taiwan Novel Network has many books, ƚɯƙαɳ.ƈσɱ for you to read]
After agreeing to meet up after the auction for a stroll around the school, Xiao Hongchen pulled Feng Tingting away to enjoy their world.
Huo Yuhao then went shopping with Meng Hongchen. He hadn't left the school since he came to Mingdu.
Meng Hongchen introduced, "This auction is hosted by the academy's self-operated merchant association and has sent out many invitations to students staying at the academy."
"So, to accommodate the students, it's divided into two halves: an upper half and a lower half."
"The upper half only features elementary Soul Guidance Devices, materials, and a small quantity of intermediate Soul Guidance Device materials. The overall quality is quite ordinary, and the prices are relatively cheap."
"The lower half, however, will involve advanced Soul Guidance Devices and rare treasures."
"Our main target is the lower half."
"Then why don't we just go directly to the lower half?" Huo Yuhao asked, puzzled.
Meng Hongchen extended a slender finger and wiggled it, smiling mysteriously, "I heard there's a very rare 'treasure' in this upper half. I'll take you to see it."
Senior Sister Meng thinks it's rare, so what could it be?
Huo Yuhao's interest was also piqued. He followed Meng Hongchen into the venue and entered the Hongchen Family's VIP box.
Huo Yuhao came to the auction with no intention of just being a bystander.
Not to mention the vice card of the dean that Jing Hongchen gave him upon enrollment, which could be used at this kind of academy-operated merchant association.
Even the savings card he received from the Second-rank Soul Tool Master level exam, plus two months of rewards for being at the top of the second-rank leaderboard, amounted to a small fortune.
In three months at the academy, his deposits went from zero to over a million Gold Soul Coins.
This was even more substantial than the family fortune of a certain Fourth-Rank Soul Engineer.
The first items to warm up the upper half were small objects, generally costing only a few thousand Gold Soul Coins.
Various third and fourth-rank Soul Guidance Devices were bid on by the students below.
Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen did not make a move; they could make these things themselves, and even better.
Although he didn't make a move, Huo Yuhao wasn't idle. With his Telepathist ability activated, layers of colorful etheric bodies appeared in his eyes.
Huo Yuhao used various occult knowledge to quickly decipher the thoughts of the strangers below.
With so many people of similar cultivation as him, this was a good place to condense Chaos Qi.
The lower-grade students below seemed to be carried away by the enthusiastic auction atmosphere, shouting higher prices and constantly making impulsive purchases.
For a moment, Huo Yuhao deciphered various thoughts such as regret, relief, and self-reproach.
After a while, Huo Yuhao read some interesting thoughts.
"Damn it, I spent so much money."
"Fortunately, there's a big fool outside the academy. I fleeced him for three thousand Gold Soul Coins before coming."
"No, I'll go out later and fleece that outsider again to recover some losses."
"I should have known not to come. Wouldn't it be better to spend some time selling a first-rank Soul Guidance Device for a thousand Gold Soul Coins?"
Someone is buying first-rank Soul Guidance Devices in bulk outside the academy?
And at such an outrageous price?
Huo Yuhao frowned slightly, recalling an unpleasant matter. He kept it in mind, pondering how to make a contingency plan for unexpected situations.
Meng Hongchen patted him, reminding him, "Junior Brother, that rare item is here!"
"The next item up for auction is extremely rare and possesses immense collection value."
Huo Yuhao looked in the direction of the voice. The Auctioneer Lady below smiled and pulled back the white cloth on the table.
What was revealed was a slightly deformed torso bone, only the size of a handball, emitting an extremely faint Soul Power fluctuation.
Everyone present was stunned.
Those who could attend the auction, even if they hadn't eaten pork, had seen pigs run.
At various auctions in Mingdu, Soul Bones were often put up for sale, and even the legendary hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone had been sold centuries ago.
But a Soul Bone with such weak Soul Power fluctuations, they had never seen before!
In his Sea of Consciousness, the Skydream Iceworm was also shocked: Could there really be such a weak Soul Bone?
For a moment, the people attending the auction discussed animatedly:
"I'm seriously shocked. This Soul Bone's Soul Power fluctuation is so weak, its age is at most a hundred years."
"How is it even weaker than the second-rank Spirit Tool Ray Gun sold earlier?"
"I'm wondering if absorbing this kind of trash would cause Soul Power to drop instead of rise."
"You have to be careful holding this Soul Bone, don't chip it."
"Whoever buys and absorbs this would truly be making a statement!"
"I'll bid a hundred Gold Soul Coins, betting its age doesn't exceed five hundred years!"
Without needing to guess, the Auctioneer Lady directly stated the answer:
"This is a ten-year Wind Baboon Torso Bone, acquired by the school-operated merchant association from Shrek City. The acquisition price was 351,000 Gold Soul Coins."
"According to a professional appraiser, it comes with an active Spirit Ability that can increase one's total Soul Power by 1%-3%."
"The selling point of this item lies in its collection value. Therefore, the weaker it is, the more it highlights its collection value."
"Its starting price is 350,000 Gold Soul Coins, and each bid must not be less than 1,000 Gold Soul Coins."
The starting price was almost on par with a thousand-year Soul Bone, which also indicated the auction's valuation of it.
Items of this nature were irrelevant to the students.
Except for big spenders with too much money and those who liked collecting strange curiosities.
They didn't think anyone would spend hundreds of thousands on such trash.
Meng Hongchen corrected, "Hmph, how could an auction do business at a loss? I bet their acquisition price was at most 300,000 Gold Soul Coins!"
"However, Junior Brother. This thing is indeed rare, isn't it? Haha."
She couldn't stop laughing at the thought of someone possibly absorbing a ten-year torso bone, only for their physique and Soul Power to drop instead of rise.
Wind Baboons are truly treasure Soul Beasts, they're everywhere. Huo Yuhao also smiled:
"It's indeed rare, but unfortunately, no one would be foolish enough to absorb such a..."
Wait!
No one would voluntarily absorb it, but what if this person was induced, or rather, hinted at?
Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered. Ever since he gained the ability of the Audience Sequence and advanced to the Telepathist level.
The beings within his Sea of Consciousness all believed that this ability would evolve towards the soul and spiritual aspects.
And this ability was very likely to undergo a qualitative change in the next stage.
If he could acquire the ability of mental suggestion then, capable of inducing others to perform specific actions.
Then wouldn't this ten-year Wind Baboon Torso Bone be a perfect tool for tricking people?
Thinking of that outsider who specifically came to the academy to extensively purchase first-rank Soul Guidance Devices, Huo Yuhao's lips curved into a smile.
Tang Yin, don't let me see you following again.
Meng Hongchen looked at his smile and inexplicably shivered.
Junior Brother definitely has something mischievous in mind!
Huo Yuhao declared resolutely, "Senior Sister Meng, I want to buy it!"
In the end, Huo Yuhao secured the skeleton of the Ten-Year Wind Baboon for 400,000 Gold Soul Coins.
Go find Taiwanese novels at Chaoquan.
Quite a few wealthy people participated in this auction.
When they saw someone bidding from the Meng Hongchen family's private box, they symbolically followed twice and then gave up.
Huo Yuhao pondered for two seconds and then said, "Senior Sister Meng, can I discuss something with you? Later, if we run into..."
Next came the second half of the auction.
The item Senior Sister Meng had been waiting for finally appeared.
It was a pair of sixth-rank ice-elemental thin swords and a seventh-rank Teleport Ring, which she acquired for 200,000 and 1,223,000 respectively.
"Junior Brother, I'm also using the vice card of the dean. To Grandpa, this is just pocket change."
Meng Hongchen winked at Huo Yuhao, and the two exchanged a knowing smile.
Next, a piece of dark yellow, fist-sized, thirty-thousand-year whale gelatin attracted Huo Yuhao's attention.
In his Sea of Consciousness, the Skydream Iceworm let out a soft sound of surprise:
"Yuhao, ten-thousand-year whale gelatin is already extremely rare, let alone thirty-thousand-year!"
"It can greatly enhance your physique, allowing you to withstand the power of stronger Spirit Rings and increase the probability of absorbing Spirit Rings across ranks."
"Get it, and we'll find time to upgrade your first and second Spirit Rings."
Seeing that Huo Yuhao seemed interested, Meng Hongchen nodded:
"Thirty-thousand-year whale gelatin is indeed uncommon."
"However, Junior Brother, aren't you tired of the thousand-year whale gelatin in the Advanced Soul Engineer set meal?"
"Huh?" Huo Yuhao was a bit stunned.
When he first started eating the Advanced Soul Engineer set meal, he would deliberately glance at the dish names.
But later, as his threshold for delicious food increased, coupled with being extremely busy, he usually just grabbed the plate and chewed away, not paying attention to what some of the later dishes were actually made of.
He only knew they were delicious, he loved eating them, and they were highly nourishing, without realizing what some of the later dishes were composed of.
"But if you want to improve your physique and absorb higher-year Spirit Rings, this thirty-thousand-year whale gelatin truly cannot be missed."
Meng Hongchen took a sip of her sweet iced tea, cupped her pretty face, and estimated:
"It should start bidding around 200,000 Gold Soul Coins, and we should be able to secure it for 400,000."
As expected, after Huo Yuhao bid 410,000 Gold Soul Coins, no one was willing to follow.
The next few auction items, though high-grade, were unremarkable, and neither Huo Yuhao nor Meng Hongchen needed them.
Just as the two were preparing to leave, staff members wheeled out several small carts loaded with various small metallic spheres. The auctioneer announced:
"Everyone knows that rare metals are the foundation of a Soul Engineer."
"Today, these used, discarded mid-to-high-level core arrays for practice can all be re-smelted into rare metals..."
Meng Hongchen shook her head and rose, preparing to leave.
Did she and Huo Yuhao lack this bit of rare metal?
Besides, if re-smelting could easily make money as the auctioneer made it sound, these failed mid-to-high-level core arrays wouldn't be up for auction.
It was merely a small trick to try and sell them at a premium.
As she stood up, she noticed Huo Yuhao's eyes were fixed intently on a pair of core arrays.
"Junior Brother, you?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head, shared his Mental Detection with her, and marked a fourth-rank core array on one of the small carts.
"A fourth-rank core array 'Absorption' that missed by one stroke, is there anything special about it?"
Meng Hongchen couldn't quite grasp Huo Yuhao's line of thought.
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment: "Senior Brother Feng's sealed project, Senior Sister Meng, have you looked into it?"
Meng Hongchen looked puzzled: "Senior Brother Feng has several sealed projects, which one are you talking about?"
"The previous one."
"I played it. What does that have to do with anything?"
"He gave me a third-rank Soul Guidance Device, and I feel..."
Huo Yuhao looked at the failed 'Absorption' core array below: "The stroke it missed is very interesting."
Meng Hongchen couldn't see any connection between this failed fourth-rank core array and a laminar flow output Soul Guidance Device.
But she knew that a Soul Engineer's inspiration was hard-earned.
So, she waved her hand elegantly: "Then let's get it. Grandpa is paying anyway!"
When the auction ended and the two settled the bill using the vice card of the dean and collected their items, they found Xiao Hongchen and Feng Tingting waiting at the entrance.
Seeing Feng Tingting's flushed face, Huo Yuhao gave Xiao Hongchen a thumbs-up and winked.
Xiao Hongchen coughed twice:
"Let's walk around the school together, and later we can taste Junior Brother's grilled fish."
"Yuhao, you promised earlier."
Huo Yuhao nodded.
It just so happened that he also wanted to see if he could run into that guy who was buying first-rank Soul Guidance Devices.
If it really was Wang Dong, based on previous events, he might come looking for him himself.
After the four of them walked around the streets for a while, nothing happened.
Huo Yuhao simply bought fresh fish from a street vendor along the way.
Then, on the roadside, he took out all the equipment he used when selling grilled fish in Shrek City, along with the preserved seasonings.
He marinated the fish for the three of them on the spot and started grilling.
Huo Yuhao's grilling skills were truly top-notch; in no time, a rich aroma drifted out.
Sizzle!
The grilled river carp, golden in color, had faint oil trickling down its surface, and a rich fragrance continuously burst forth from its belly.
"I'll go first!" Meng Hongchen volunteered, taking the first grilled fish and taking a small bite.
When her teeth touched the grilled fish, there was even a slight crunching sound; the skin was perfectly crispy without any hint of being burnt.
Beneath the crispy skin was tender, juicy, and completely flavorful fish meat.
With just one bite, Meng Hongchen's blue eyes lit up. Forgetting to praise it further, she devoured the entire fish in three or two bites.
Before Xiao Hongchen could question whether Meng Hongchen was acting, Huo Yuhao's gaze had already shifted away from the grilled fish.
The three followed his gaze and looked towards two people arguing not far away.
One person had short, pink-blue hair and pupils, with a handsome and delicate appearance.
The other had black hair and black pupils and wore a belt-style storage Soul Guidance Device around his waist.
A cold glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes: The dog leash with grooves is still chasing me!
He subtly handed several Soul Guidance Devices to Meng Hongchen and quietly explained to the three of them.
Meng Hongchen naturally placed them into her storage bracelet, deciding to wait and see for the moment.
Wang Dong was in a very bad mood.
She didn't know how Tang Yin had found out that she was coming to the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy to find the person capable of making a Soul Guidance Device that wouldn't make her feel nauseous.
He had followed her under the pretext of expanding the Hidden Weapon market.
But Tang Yin had indeed sold quite a few Hidden Weapon at scrap metal prices, so Wang Dong had no reason to drive this guy away.
Upon arriving here, Tang Yin even suggested that she purchase one Soul Guidance Device made by a student here for the price of one thousand Gold Soul Coins.
Any rank would do.
However, this method had too many loopholes. Even after adding real-name verification, students still swarmed to exploit it.
In just a few days, they lost millions of Gold Soul Coins.
Her allowance was completely depleted, and she still hadn't found the person she was looking for.
And yet, this damned Tang Yin looked delighted, picking up a copy of "soul tool master genius" from two or three months ago from the ground and offering her suggestions.
He mentioned that a lower-grade student in this academy whom they knew might yield unexpected results.
But her trust in Tang Yin had already plummeted to negative numbers; these words only made her more annoyed.
She chose to have a blowout with Tang Yin!
"Wait, is that... Huo Yuhao?!" Wang Dong noticed Tang Yin's mumbling and looked in the direction he was staring.
Wang Dong stared at Huo Yuhao for a few glances; he looked quite familiar.
Tang Yin walked straight over. He wasn't that surprised when he saw Huo Yuhao.
After becoming Yan Shaozhe's personal disciple, he had incidentally learned that Huo Yuhao had transferred to the Sun-Moon Empire through Feng Bujue.
Just now, he unexpectedly discovered that Huo Yuhao was actually featured in the internal "soul tool master genius" magazine exclusively for the academy.
The magazine said a soul tool master genius had arrived at the academy.
He had thought that since Huo Yuhao transferred to Mingdu, he might truly be receiving key training as the magazine suggested.
He didn't expect that upon meeting again, Huo Yuhao was still selling grilled fish, funding his Soul Engineer dream. Tang Yin couldn't help but shake his head slightly.
It seemed the so-called "soul tool master genius" wasn't that significant. Second-rank list? Was it some fly-by-night list?
However, even if Huo Yuhao did have some talent in soul engineering, so what?
Soul Guidance Devices were just a crooked path.
His current incarnation had the same starting point as Huo Yuhao.
But he first joined the Tang Sect, then poisoned the entire field during the freshman assessment, and later eliminated the evil Man-faced Demon Spider clan.
In just over half a year, he had grown into a top genius in the Holy Land of Spirit Masters today.
And Huo Yuhao, this fellow who rejected his personal recruitment,
was now just a grilled fish vendor outside a Soul Engineer academy.
The difference in status was clear.
Moreover, he just couldn't understand: If you're going to sell grilled fish, why not sell it in the Holy Land of Spirit Masters, Shrek City?
No wonder Teacher Xiaoya ignored him, Teacher Zhou Yi looked down on him, and Xu Sanshi held him in contempt.
Back then, he had even considered whether Huo Yuhao was a Son of Destiny.
He must have been blind to the cultivation of his Purple Demon Eye.
"Little Huo, you're selling grilled fish in Mingdu too?" Tang Yin greeted Huo Yuhao casually.
Huo Yuhao smiled with a hint of bitterness:
"Alas, this is what it means to be poor and lack ambition."
"It was hard enough to get into the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy through connections, but it's still hard to stand out."
"Brother Tang Yin, this meeting was so sudden, I didn't prepare any welcoming gifts."
"I'll make it up to you next time we meet."
Tang Yin smiled faintly, as if to say, 'Would I lack a couple of grilled fish because of you?'
"To put it plainly, even a Soul Bone, if it's not a hundred thousand years old, I wouldn't care for it."
"Are these three your seniors who came to support your business?"
Huo Yuhao nodded. He naturally used his Telepathist ability to scan Wang Dong.
What was that brilliant golden light on his etheric body?
No, wait!
With a pink base for the etheric body, was Wang Dong a girl?!
In an instant, Huo Yuhao thought of many things, but he decided to first try to decipher Wang Dong's thoughts.
Because of that layer of golden light, reading her thoughts consumed a lot of Mental Power.
Anxiety, anger, and anticipation?
Heh, anticipation to find me?
Huo Yuhao withdrew his gaze and introduced the three from the Sun Moon Empire:
"This is Tang Yin. An old acquaintance of mine, currently a disciple of the Shrek Academy Dean, a true Son of Destiny."
"This is Wang Dong, a Soul Guidance Device enthusiast."
When introducing the names of the three to Tang Yin and Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao summarized their relationship as acquaintances from the academy.
Xiao Hongchen nodded towards Tang Yin with a hint of fighting Martial Soul. A disciple of the Shrek Academy Dean? Does that mean we'll meet in the competition?
Meng Hongchen was much gentler, offering a polite greeting: "Shrek Academy, I almost applied there myself."
New customers! Wang Dong looked eagerly at the three from the Sun Moon Empire:
"I am currently buying Soul Guidance Devices from your academy's students for a price of one thousand Gold Soul Coins each, one item per person, any rank is fine."
Here they come!
Meng Hongchen withdrew her gaze from Wang Dong's face and exchanged a look with Xiao Hongchen and Feng Tingting.
Although they weren't short of this money, they all chose to follow Huo Yuhao's instructions, each taking out a first-rank soul tool and handing it to Wang Dong.
Meng Hongchen casually picked up an exquisite and small first-rank soul tool ray gun that Huo Yuhao had just given her.
Wang Dong first paid the three a universal check for 1000 Gold Soul Coins each before taking the Soul Guidance Devices one by one.
She accepted the Soul Guidance Devices with a blank expression, enduring the discomfort as she stored them in her storage Soul Guidance Device.
Suddenly, she froze.
The first-rank soul tool ray gun handed over by Meng Hongchen actually didn't cause her the slightest discomfort!
It felt exactly the same as the Soul Guidance Device she bought in Shrek City back then.
Silky smooth, ordinary, like an everyday item.
Wang Dong was thrilled and stammered: "Do, do you have any other ranks of Soul Guidance Devices?"
Meng Hongchen casually took out a second-rank Soul Guidance Device and a third-rank Soul Guidance Device.
Wang Dong accepted them one by one; the Soul Guidance Devices still felt normal to her.
Found them!
Seeing Wang Dong about to cry with joy, how could Tang Yin not know what was happening?
Meng Hongchen was the Son of Destiny!
He made it, he understood!
All the clues connected!
According to the original trajectory, Meng Hongchen, who admired Shrek Academy, should have gone to register.
But her fate changed for some unknown reason, so she didn't go!
The first-rank Soul Guidance Device Wang Dong bought last time in Shrek City came from a large merchant guild under the jurisdiction of Mingde Hall.
And Meng Hongchen happened to be a student at the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Moreover, Tang Yin noticed that Meng Hongchen was only fifteen years old but already possessed the cultivation of rank fifty.
A definite heavenly proud daughter.
Although he didn't know what her Martial Soul was, the Martial Soul of a Son of Destiny was very likely to evolve; he had deep personal experience with this.
Tang Yin had sold Hidden Weapon all the way to Mingdu, only to be mocked by the buyers who called the Hidden Weapon trash.
At that time, he had said, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; do not bully a young man for being poor!'
Now he had finally found the Son of Destiny, feeling a sense of bitterness turning into sweetness.
But a new problem had arisen.
The Son of Destiny, Meng Hongchen, was a girl!
Little Seven was also a girl!
Like repels like; how could the dog chain be fastened?
Tang Yin thought briefly and came up with a solution.
Qiankun Ask Fate Valley, he thought of Qiankun Ask Fate Valley!
That place was originally intended for training dogs, but it also had many minor functions, such as changing gender.
Changing Little Seven's soul and gender again was something he was extremely proficient at; he was very confident.
Tang Yin felt the road ahead open up clearly.
Having found the Son of Destiny, all he needed to do was let Wang Dong naturally develop.
Fate would bring them together.
With him there to provide timely correction, there wouldn't be any problems.
Of course, it wasn't that he didn't want to interfere forcefully; the main reason was that this avatar, besides a trace of divine thought, was only at the three-ring cultivation level in reality.
Just as Tang Yin finished his brainstorming, Meng Hongchen was already expressing sympathy for Wang Dong's situation:
"It's fine. If you need any Soul Guidance Devices in the future, you can contact me. I'll sell them to you at a higher price."
"Uh..." Wang Dong blinked her pink-blue eyes.
Ever since she started wearing men's clothing, no girl had ever failed to give her some face.
She never expected that Meng Hongchen would not only ignore that but actually want to sell to her at a higher price?
Meng Hongchen admitted that Wang Dong's appearance was very striking among boys, but now her expression remained unchanged:
"No handsome guy can make me lose money; that's my principle for doing business."
After saying that, she inexplicably thought of Huo Yuhao.
Except for that sixth-rank carving knife Soul Guidance Device, Ice Crystal.
In the Sea of Consciousness, the Ice Empress listened to the Skydream Iceworm explain the whole story of the matter, and she spoke with murderous intent:
"Heavenly Dream, when you were in Shrek City, your foundation was unstable and the situation was urgent; you couldn't be too provocative."
"I guess this Tang Yin, even if he isn't the mastermind, must have a very deep connection with the mastermind."
"Now that Yuhao is being valued so highly here, why don't we use this opportunity to completely kill him."
"Killing one person is easy, but extinguishing a trace of divine thought is not simple," the gray sphere beside the Sea of Consciousness trembled, and Electrolux's aged voice came through:
"I sense a trace of divine thought on Tang Yin. If we rashly kill him, that divine thought might escape."
"The consequences would be endless."
"Divine thought?" The Ice Empress's expression changed slightly, then she said unwillingly, "Then we just let him leave so brazenly?"
Electrolux smiled: "Trust Yuhao. He knows what he's doing. How long have we known him? Has he ever been cowardly?"
Wang Dong found the creator of the Soul Guidance Devices that didn't cause her nausea and obtained contact information, reaching a consensus.
Tang Yin learned that Meng Hongchen was the Son of Destiny, and the task for this avatar was now more than halfway complete.
Next, he needed to ensure he could fasten, discipline, and then refine the Son of Destiny, while simultaneously seizing all opportunities under heaven to charge toward the third God Position.
They had all achieved the goals of their trip.
Wang Dong even seriously considered whether she could transfer to the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
After all, she didn't have much sense of belonging to Shrek Academy and had even been thoroughly disgusted by Zhou Yi.
But as soon as this thought arose, her head felt like it was pierced by a needle, causing intense pain that made her face pale and cold sweat pour down.
On the other side, Wang Shaojie, who had gone out of the academy for a stroll, encountered Huo Yuhao grilling fish for people by the roadside.
Seeing Meng Hongchen and Wang Dong chatting happily, he started making up stories again.
That guy with blue-pink hair seemed to be the extremely rich person who had spent millions of Gold Soul Coins buying up a large batch of low-rank Soul Guidance Devices in the past few days.
How could someone like that spend so lavishly without possessing assets worth tens or even hundreds of millions?
Was he also a suitor of Meng Hongchen?
No, can a man be that beautiful?
Seeing Wang Dong's profile, Wang Shaojie instantly felt a sense of shared suffering with Huo Yuhao:
God Huo's crush was too difficult.
The target itself had an extremely high difficulty level, and the competition wasn't just rich but also had heaven-defying looks.
Even if God Huo's methods of wooing had become sophisticated enough to include making delicacies, their effect would probably be minimal, right?
Huo Yuhao gazed deeply at the spot where Tang Yin and the other person disappeared from view, only then did he offer his apologies to Xiao Hongchen and Feng Tingting.
Then, leading Meng Hongchen to another side, he watched her puff out her cheeks and hummed:
"Junior Brother, I did as you said at the auction. Hmph, how are you going to compensate me?"
Huo Yuhao smiled wryly, concealed the existence within his Sea of Consciousness, replacing it with Martial Soul palpitations, and explained Tang Yin's situation to Meng Hongchen from beginning to end.
Since this matter involved Meng Hongchen, she naturally had the right to know.
He promised solemnly, "I can grant Senior Sister one thing that does not violate my principles as a person."
"Moreover, Senior Sister Meng, rest assured. If this matter attracts any danger, I will bear the full responsibility and absolutely will not affect you."
"What are you saying? I am your Senior Sister, if I don't help you, who will?" Meng Hongchen frowned slightly, extending a slender finger to tap Huo Yuhao:
"However, I will remember what you said."
"I haven't thought of anything right now, but I am extremely curious about another matter."
Huo Yuhao asked, "What matter?"
"What is your second Martial Soul, the ice-attribute one?"
Huo Yuhao had promised Jing Hongchen not to reveal his Martial Soul easily.
But, firstly, Meng Hongchen was not an outsider, and Huo Yuhao believed she would not tell anyone.
Secondly, she had deduced it through clues herself.
Most importantly, Huo Yuhao felt guilty at the moment, and besides, it wouldn't be a secret in the near future anyway.
"My second Martial Soul is the Ice Jade Scorpion."
"Ice Jade Scorpion!" Meng Hongchen's almond eyes widened, her lips slightly parted.
Her Martial Soul was the rare Vermilion Sun Ice Toad from the far north, so she had conducted in-depth research on the Soul Beasts of the far north.
The Ice Jade Scorpion clan was the undisputed king race of the far north!
They were one of only two Soul Beast races in the current world possessing the Ultimate Ice attribute!
Meng Hongchen mumbled:
"Yuhao, I read a secret book on top-tier Martial Souls, it said that Martial Souls with extreme attributes can assimilate the Soul Power of Martial Souls of the same attribute."
"It can temporarily raise the attribute of that Martial Soul to the level of Ultimate Ice."
That was Ultimate Ice!
The King of Ice!
"Uh, Senior Sister Meng, do you want to try?"
Huo Yuhao knew the question was redundant as soon as he saw Meng Hongchen eagerly extending her hand.
Meng Hongchen's hands were exceptionally beautiful, her knuckles slender yet not bony, like a piece of warm mutton-fat jade.
Her fingertips were faintly pink, and her nails were trimmed round and clean, exuding a healthy luster.
Huo Yuhao took her hand, immediately switched his Martial Soul to the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, and then transferred a stream of Soul Power over.
In the next instant, Meng Hongchen suddenly felt herself change; an indescribable chilling aura instantly surged into her body from behind.
Her Martial Soul was originally a combination of ice, fire, and poison. This foreign power actually assimilated the ice attribute within her Martial Soul.
The fire and poison attributes were suppressed to the extreme; at this moment, even if she used a Spirit Ability, it probably wouldn't carry a trace of fire or poison.
But she felt her ice had completely transformed into a different level of existence.
Domineering, powerful, and unreasonable.
That feeling of extreme cold seemed to change her entire temperament.
Holding Huo Yuhao's hand, her gaze turned icy cold, and her demeanor became unapproachable.
I am the King of Ice, the Sovereign of Ice!
To freeze all enemies in the world to death!
The next second, Huo Yuhao's Soul Power receded as he withdrew his hand.
Huh?!
Meng Hongchen felt the suppressive, world-ruling feeling vanish.
She pursed her lips and withdrew her slender hand.
It was over so quickly? I thought it hadn't even started!
What does this mean? I haven't even brought up you taking advantage of me.
Meng Hongchen suppressed her distracting thoughts and pointed in the direction where Wang Dong and Tang Yin had left:
"Yuhao, are you just going to let those two go like that?"
Huo Yuhao smiled, "Of course not."
"Overly aggressive methods might not be suitable, but teaching Tang Yin a lesson is still possible."
"However, this will require Senior Sister Meng's help."
...
Not long after, just as Tang Yin was about to tail Wang Dong out of Mingdu, an Rank 8 Soul Engineer from the Mingdu Investigation Department, leading a massive, overwhelming force, intercepted Tang Yin:
"Tang Yin, you are suspected of selling counterfeit and shoddy products and disrupting market order. You need to come with us!"
Due to the huge amount involved, Tang Yin was fined one million Gold Soul Coins.
When Tang Yin walked out of the Investigation Department, even Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges had been mortgaged.
Otherwise, if he couldn't pay the full fine, he would only get to enjoy the state-provided meals of the Sun-Moon Empire.
Tang Yin's eyes were bloodshot, breathing heavily, he glanced back at the Mingdu Investigation Department.
The Sun-Moon Empire has reached its doom!
...
After this gathering during the holiday ended, the Hongchen siblings left to hunt Soul Beasts in the Demonic Forest.
This incident was merely an interlude for Huo Yuhao and did not disrupt his rhythm of study and cultivation.
After consuming that thirty-thousand-year whale gelatin, Huo Yuhao's Soul Power smoothly broke through to level twenty-seven.
As for his physique, Huo Yuhao felt it had strengthened slightly, but not as much as the amplification stated on the instructions.
Perhaps the high-level Soul Engineer set was already very nourishing, so this piece of whale gelatin provided limited improvement.
For the next month, he continued to spend time in the laboratory, the Library, and meditating, going to Tranquility Hall for self-study on weekends.
Thanks to the extensive promotion from "soul tool master genius" written by Feng Tingting, Huo Yuhao's fame was no longer limited to a single grade and had spread throughout the academy.
This led him to decode many thoughts and emotions about himself when interpreting the thoughts of other students.
Allowing him to harvest a large wave of Chaos Qi.
The Hongchen siblings' Soul Beast hunting trip was also very smooth, taking only ten days round trip.
During this period, Huo Yuhao also designed numerous upgrade ideas based on the second-level Extreme Cooling Core Formation Array and resolved some core integration issues of the array.
After the Hongchen siblings returned, the three of them collaborated and not only produced the fourth-level Extreme Cooling Formation Array before the semester started,
But also solved the core difficulty of integrating it with core formations of the same level.
Creating a fourth-level live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle capable of continuous fire was within sight.
During this time, Huo Yuhao told Xiao Hongchen about his second Martial Soul, which caused a wave of imbalance in Xiao Hongchen.
Tranquility Hall.
Jing Hongchen set down the integrated core formation in his hand, satisfied:
"You all are very good, having found such a technical path."
"I see that in time, this Extreme Cooling Core Formation Array might no longer rely on Ultimate Ice Soul Power."
"Yuhao, have Feng Yu write an application before school starts using the data from your Extreme Cooling Core Formation Array."
"Apply for one or two tens of millions of Gold Soul Coins as funding, use it for cultivation."
"Ah? Teacher, where would I use that much money in the academy?" Huo Yuhao hastily waved his hands, declining:
"The vice card of the dean you gave me is already sufficient for use within the academy."
Jing Hongchen chuckled, "The vice card of the dean can ultimately only be used within the academy."
"Next semester when you enter the reserve team, you will have to go to Star Luo."
"The auctions there are very well-run, and Spirit Master resources are slightly better than in Mingdu."
"If you see something you like, it's good to have money in your pocket to make the purchase."
"Yes, Junior Brother, if the old man has spoken, just accept it," Xiao Hongchen said casually:
"This is using Mingde Hall's money to cultivate you in advance. Spend the money freely and write reports casually."
"When your Soul Engineer rank rises and you become amazing, you can take some time to conclude the project then."
Huo Yuhao asked, "What about the expert group review?"
Xiao Hongchen looked puzzled, "Grandpa approves it himself. Even the members of the expert group who aren't Grandpa's direct disciples won't make things difficult for you."
"Moreover, this is standard procedure. Do you think Little Meng and I haven't done this?"
Seeing that Huo Yuhao had agreed, Xiao Hongchen chuckled, "If Junior Brother feels bad about it, wait until your fourth-level soul tool sniper rifle is built."
"Come with me to challenge Ma Rulong after school starts. This time, we won't have the advantage in numbers either, three against three!"
"It would be good to defeat him legitimately once before he graduates
The day before school started, Feng Yu's laboratory.
Feng Yu scribbled furiously while speaking sourly.
Sour, so sour!
Even when he hadn't graduated, Jing Hongchen hadn't given him such preferential treatment.
Not only was funding provided for a Second-rank Soul Tool Master, but he was even asked to help write the project proposal!
Of course, he was actually happy to do it.
Huo Yuhao was not only his Junior Brother, but he also had close ties with Feng Bujue.
They were inherently on the same side.
Feng Yu took a moment to glance at Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen, who were testing Soul Guidance Devices, and muttered to himself:
However, this kid is quite a pro at chasing girls.
It's only been a few months, and he's already inseparable from Senior Sister Meng.
Before this, he hadn't seen any boy other than Xiao Hongchen have such a good relationship with Meng Hongchen.
"Junior Brother, the power of the Fourth-rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle we made is even higher than a Fifth-rank Energy Gathering Piercing Cannon!"
Meng Hongchen held a handsome soul tool sniper rifle with a long barrel, unable to put it down.
She and Xiao Hongchen were only short of reaching the required Soul Power level; once they did, they would genuinely possess the skill level of a Fifth-Rank Soul Tool Master.
Right now, they were just missing the certification.
Even for a genius girl like her who wasn't short of money, before meeting Huo Yuhao, the only single-person Soul Guidance Devices she had seen capable of exerting power beyond their inherent grade were various types of ready-made soul tool cannons.
Huo Yuhao shook his head:
"With the Fourth-rank cooling core formation array, the service life of this Fourth-rank soul tool sniper rifle can last for at least a hundred shots."
"It's a pity that the Fifth-rank Ultimate Ice cooling core formation array is still incomplete, and for now, only I can use the Ultimate Ice cooling formation array."
Meng Hongchen rolled her eyes adorably:
"You, a mere Second-rank Soul Tool Master, even if your theoretical knowledge reserve has reached the Fourth-rank, or even touched upon the Fifth-rank..."
"...being able to develop a cooling formation array with the potential to change the structure of the continent is still incredibly impressive."
"However, there is one thing you didn't do well."
"Oh?" Huo Yuhao felt he had already perfectly utilized everything he had learned.
Meng Hongchen glanced around, making sure no one was watching, then poked Huo Yuhao with her jade finger fiercely:
"You actually lied to me before! You didn't tell me your Spiritual Eyes' second Spirit Ability had the power to help you manufacture Soul Guidance Devices across ranks!"
Huo Yuhao looked at the fiercely cute expression of Meng Hongchen leaning close, swallowed, and whispered:
"Senior Sister Meng, you aren't planning to use this as an excuse to ask me to transfer some Soul Power to you again, so you can gain insight into the Ultimate Ice, are you?"
"But won't there be too many people in the laboratory?"
"Mmm, I'm afraid it will affect your reputation."
Ever since Huo Yuhao last allowed Meng Hongchen to experience the Ultimate Ice,
whenever Meng Hongchen spent a little more time alone with him, she would ask Huo Yuhao to transfer some Soul Power to her.
According to her, it was so she could feel the artistic conception of the Ultimate Ice from this Soul Power, deepening her understanding of the ice element.
Helping Meng Hongchen was easy, but Huo Yuhao felt things were gradually slipping out of control.
Transferring Soul Power required some physical contact, right?
Furthermore, while the Soul Power was active, Meng Hongchen liked to recite some chuunibyou phrases, and if she gained a lot of insight, she would sometimes make movements.
He wouldn't dare cooperate in any setting that wasn't private.
"Reputation? We do need to pay attention to that, right."
Meng Hongchen's pretty face flushed slightly. Her beautiful eyes furtively scanned the surroundings. Seeing no one looking over, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief:
"Let's go to Soul Dueling Platform No. 231 first. My brother's scheduled three-on-three duel is about to start."
...
Today was the first day of school, and the area around Soul Dueling Platform No. 231 in the Combat Building was already packed.
After signing up, everyone had time to see what the three-on-three duel, which had been promoted on "soul tool master genius" for several days, was all about.
"I heard Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen broke through fifty levels of Soul Power and are coming in strong this time."
"I heard Xiao Hongchen's other teammate is number one on the Second-rank list."
"The Second-rank list? So, he's still just a Second-rank Soul Tool Master? How useful can he be in this kind of setting?"
"Five, five, two against six, five, five. Why would Xiao Hongchen bring a Second-rank Soul Tool Master?"
"If you say that, it means you haven't seen Huo Yuhao fight before. Just watch."
On the Soul Dueling Platform, Huo Yuhao, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, scanned the crowd below.
He saw Feng Tingting had already set up the recording Soul Guidance Device and gave them a thumbs-up.
Opposite them, Ma Rulong, accompanied by Lin Xi and Mi Jia, surveyed the dense crowd of students from all grades below and then sneered at Xiao Hongchen:
"Xiao Hongchen, you even deliberately chose such a crowded day."
"Facing two Fifth-Rank Soul Engineers and one Sixth-Rank Soul Engineer, aren't you afraid after losing so many times?"
Xiao Hongchen laughed heartily:
"There are still over a dozen Sixth-Rank Soul Engineers and dozens of Fifth-Rank Soul Engineers among the students in the academy. I, Xiao Hongchen, am afraid of no one!"
"Today, I will slaughter my way through and ensure no one in the academy dares to claim the title of number one!"
After issuing his fierce declaration, Xiao Hongchen quietly reminded Huo Yuhao:
"Junior Brother, don't forget my light and shadow special effects."
This was clearly aimed at me, Ma Rulong's expression darkened slightly. He looked toward the referee teacher:
"Teacher, please start directly."
The referee, an Rank 8 Soul Engineer, nodded:
"Begin!"
The moment the word "Begin" fell, Ma Rulong noticed Huo Yuhao, holding the repaired Third-rank live ammunition soul tool sniper rifle, vanish into thin air.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen displayed two yellow, two purple, and one black Spirit Ring—a total of ten Spirit Rings.
Xiao Hongchen snapped his fingers with a "Pa" sound.
The five Spirit Rings behind him—two yellow, two purple, and one black—merged into a single divine ring surrounded by a seven-colored flowing light!
Under the illumination of the divine ring, terrifyingly powerful Soul Power flooded every strand of Xiao Hongchen's hair, causing his hair to transform into golden light that floated upward...
Making him look like a God of War!
Ma Rulong was stunned. Was this still human?
What am I doing here? Is this still the Douluo Continent?
Xiao Hongchen absorbed his fifth Spirit Ring and suddenly ascended to godhood? Absurd, utterly absurd!
Of course, Xiao Hongchen hadn't ascended to godhood; this was the light and shadow special effect added by Huo Yuhao using a simulation Spirit Ability.
Since Huo Yuhao was going to turn invisible anyway, adding an extra effect wouldn't consume much.
Xiao Hongchen smiled faintly, tossing out various metal spheres, and clapped his hands unhurriedly:
"Ma Rulong, let me see your strength."
With every clap, the imposing aura around Xiao Hongchen grew stronger.
Everyone present, except Meng Hongchen and Huo Yuhao, assumed the guy wasn't quickly charging his Soul Guidance Devices but was showing off by clapping.
However, under Huo Yuhao's simulated concealment, Xiao Hongchen's black Spirit Ring had already begun to shine.
Fifth Spirit Ability, Active Skill: Heart of Gold: Attack hits stack the Heart of Gold mark (Each stack grants +5% total Soul Power, +10% speed, +5% metal affinity, up to 10 stacks).
The condition for this attack hit was quite clever. Who said one must attack the enemy to stack layers?
This was reality; Xiao Hongchen had a fly clamped between his fingers. He could stack layers just by clapping!
Ma Rulong felt something was increasingly wrong. He didn't even use the Soul Guidance Device he had prepared for Huo Yuhao beforehand, roaring in anger:
"Focus fire on Xiao Hongchen first!"