Chapter 16: If Not for the Old Hall Master Back Then

The reason it was called the "youth edition" was that, while it bore similarities to Hongchen's Protection, the differences were too great. The biggest gap was that it lacked an invincible shield effect. But that was to be expected. After all, Hongchen's Breastplate was just a Rank 4 soul tool, while an invincible shield required at least Rank 5. The Invincible Shield was truly overpowered. A Rank 5 Invincible Shield could withstand the attacks of any Soul Douluo level opponent for three seconds. A Rank 6 Invincible Shield could resist the attacks of a regular Titled Douluo for three seconds. While the Invincible Shield wasn't as broken as Xiao Wu's Invincible Golden Body, its greatest advantage was that it was a soul tool meaning it could be used by others. "As for this storage soul tool, I call it the White Cloud Belt." Jing Hongchen smiled as he lifted the white jade colored belt. "You're probably familiar with the function of storage soul tools. The White Cloud Belt has a storage capacity of 30 cubic meters." As he spoke, he handed both soul tools to Huo Yuhao. Huo Yuhao accepted them, strapped the White Cloud Belt around his waist, and channeled his soul power to store Hongchen's Breastplate inside it. "Thank you, Hall Master Jing!" Huo Yuhao smiled and immediately expressed his gratitude. After all, these were Rank 4 soul tools if sold outside, they would fetch a high price in gold soul coins. Jing Hongchen nodded before speaking earnestly. "Yuhao, you're a natural born Soul Engineer. "I hope you can dedicate yourself fully to this field. "Mingde Hall needs geniuses like you. "If you ever struggle with cultivating your soul power, just let us know. "Mingde Hall will provide you with elixirs to help boost your soul power quickly. "Of course, we will assign people to supervise your consumption to ensure no complications arise." Jing Hongchen had high expectations for Huo Yuhao. Even if he couldn't become a Rank 9 Soul Engineer, he could still be an outstanding Rank 8 Soul Engineer, just like Xuan Ziwen. Although Xuan Ziwen's cultivation was mediocre, his contributions to Mingde Hall were undeniable. Right now, Xuan Ziwen was dedicating himself to solving the Sealed Milk Bottle problem. If he succeeded, Sun Moon Empire's overall national power would see a huge increase. Huo Yuhao felt a bit speechless. To Sun Moon Empire, using elixirs to stimulate potential and rapidly increasing soul power was a common practice. Most people followed this route. Even in the original novel, Xiao Hongchen sacrificed five years of stagnation to become the youngest Soul Sage in Sun Moon Empire's history. Yet Xu Tianran only found it slightly regrettable he never considered it a foolish decision. "Hall Master Jing, I'd like one more Xuan Shui Pill." Huo Yuhao made his request. He needed the pill to cleanse his body. And since they were going to monitor him anyway, he didn't push his luck by asking for other elixirs. "Very well, I'll give you one now." Jing Hongchen rubbed the ring on his finger, and a wooden box appeared. He handed it to Huo Yuhao. "Take it. I will stand guard for you." "Alright." Huo Yuhao nodded, sat down cross legged, opened the wooden box, took out the Xuan Shui Pill, and swallowed it. Then, he slowly closed his eyes. Nearby, Meng Hongchen furrowed her brows. "Grandfather, I'll be leaving now." "Hmm? Not staying to watch this kid a little longer? "He's quite a promising Soul Engineer. "Perhaps in the future, he could become a great help to you and Xiaoxiao." Jing Hongchen chuckled. Meng Hongchen shook her head and smiled. "Grandfather, you know about the side effects of Xuan Shui Pills. "Everyone who takes them ends up expelling impurities from their bodies. "The smell is awful. "I'd rather not be here when it happens." She had taken Xuan Shui Pills before and deeply remembered the stench. Soon, Meng Hongchen left. A while later, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes. He felt sticky and uncomfortable, and a strong, pungent odor filled his nose. His face twisted in disgust. Jing Hongchen smiled and offered, "Yuhao, would you like to bathe here before heading back? "I still have some of Xiaoxiao's old clothes from when he was your age. "If you don't mind, you can change into them after washing up." "Thank you, Hall Master!" Huo Yuhao nodded immediately. His dormitory was a bit far, and if he walked back like this, he'd become a walking biohazard. By tomorrow, he might be known throughout the academy as "the smelliest student at Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy." After all, people loved gossip especially teenagers. If he stunk up the campus, his reputation would be ruined before he even started. Jing Hongchen led Huo Yuhao inside, hands clasped behind his back, his tone nostalgic. "Yuhao, this is nothing. "No need to thank me. "Back when I took the Xuan Shui Pill, the old Hall Master let me wash up too." Huo Yuhao paused. The Old Hall Master? Was he referring to Kong Deming? There was no way to be sure. The original novel never specified how many generations Mingde Hall had gone through. The appointment of Hall Masters ultimately depended on Sun Moon Empire's Emperor, though the opinions of other Rank 9 Soul Engineers also carried weight. Of course, if it was Kong Deming... Then he was truly the greatest Soul Engineer in Sun Moon Empire's history. Even Ye Xishui wasn't as skilled in Soul Engineering as he was. That was why, despite Ye Xishui being publicly called "Sun Moon's No.1 Soul Engineer", Kong Deming was actually the best. After all, even Ye Xishui's Death God Tower had critical components crafted by Kong Deming. Soon, Jing Hongchen led Huo Yuhao to the bathroom and handed him a set of clean clothes. Inside the bathroom, Huo Yuhao washed up, feeling his body's changes. "With this Xuan Shui Pill, my physique has improved again. "My soul power circulation has also become much smoother. "A single Xuan Shui Pill increases innate soul power by one level. "I've taken two now... "So my innate soul power should be at Rank 3." His heart surged with excitement. But two was the limit. Any more would harm his potential. Otherwise, in the original, Huo Yuhao could've just kept taking them. Even Fan Yu, an Eight Ring Soul Engineer, could've afforded to buy a few extra pills for him. Inside Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, Tianmeng Iceworm chuckled. "Little Yuhao, your physique has improved again! "This is great! "It means I'll have an even better chance of giving you a second martial soul!" Huo Yuhao Twitched the Corner of His Mouth Huo Yuhao twitched the corner of his mouth, thinking, "Back then, it's not like you had a choice. If you didn't choose me, and Beast God Di Tian caught you, you'd never escape." After all, Di Tian had already let Tianmeng escape once there was no way he'd let him escape a second time. Right now, in the entire Douluo Continent, Di Tian was the strongest being below godhood. Neither Mu En nor Ye Xishui could defeat him in a one on one fight. Of course, if Tang Princess unleashed her Ninth Soul Skill: Tang Buddha's Descent, Di Tian would be crushed instantly. After all, if a God King personally intervened, Di Tian wouldn't even be worth mentioning. Some time later, Huo Yuhao finished bathing, got dressed, and stepped out of the bathroom. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Jing Hongchen, he left Jing Hongchen's residence and the academy altogether. His plan? Take Tianmeng Iceworm to the trade associations in Mingdu to hunt for hidden treasures. His best case scenario would be finding rare herbs to enhance his physique. After all, the power of Tianmeng's spirit ring would increase along with his body's endurance. Yalan Trade Association This was a renowned trade association in Mingdu. Huo Yuhao chose it as his first stop. Why? Because, according to his sources, Yalan Trade Association was hosting its annual "Treasure Appreciation Fair" today. The so called Treasure Appreciation Fair relied on the association's influence to invite major merchants to set up shop. Each merchant would bring out valuable goods for sale. Of course, the usual trick was to first raise prices and then offer a discount, making it seem like a great deal essentially Mingdu's version of Double Eleven. Huo Yuhao took a deep breath as he gazed at the long street ahead. Then, he stepped forward. Soon, a sales assistant led him to the Yalan Trade Association office, where he received an identity token before heading into the Treasure Appreciation Fair. As he wandered, he quickly noticed a large crowd gathered around a particular shop. Most of them looked excited and expectant. "Is this merchant selling rare herbs?" Huo Yuhao became interested and asked the sales assistant beside him. She shook her head and smiled. "Not quite. The renowned expert, Teacher Chen, is here to sell his new book. "That's why there are so many people his readers are very loyal." An expert? Huo Yuhao frowned slightly. The word "expert" reminded him of many unpleasant experiences from his past life. After all, some so called experts were nothing more than frauds, spouting ridiculous theories as if people were fools. "Does this Teacher Chen actually have real knowledge?" Huo Yuhao asked. "Of course!" The sales assistant nodded confidently. "Teacher Chen is a highly respected scholar. "Even His Majesty has personally met him and praised his books! "Teacher Chen will give a speech before selling his book. "You should stay and listen I'm sure his words will open your mind to new perspectives." Huo Yuhao hesitated. His past experiences with so called experts made him skeptical. After all, Douluo Continent had plenty of questionable geniuses. The most infamous example? Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang. The man who famously declared: "There are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters!" Just then, a middle aged man wearing a flying soul tool rose into the air. He cleared his throat. "Greetings, everyone! I am Teacher Chen Wei. "Today, I bring you my new book "On Sun Moon: I Think This Is Confidence"." "Before selling it, let me say a few words." The crowd fell silent, listening intently. Chen Wei spoke with great conviction. "As everyone knows, Sun Moon Empire is the most advanced nation on this continent. "It also has the highest happiness index. "If I randomly ask anyone on the streets of Sun Moon, 'Are you happy?' they will surely answer yes. "I think this is confidence. "Meanwhile, in Star Luo, Tianhun, and Dou Ling, their people suffer terribly!" The audience nodded in agreement. Chen Wei continued. "Why is this the case? "The main reason is that their soul tool technology lags far behind ours. "I have always believed that developing soul tools is a cause that benefits the nation and its people!" "But," he suddenly changed his tone, "some people might doubt me." "Chen Wei, you've never been to these three nations. How do you know their citizens suffer?" "Well, excuse me I have been there. "In fact, I personally lived in Star Luo, Tianhun, and Dou Ling for a period. "Through my investigations, I can tell you with absolute certainty their citizens and soul masters are generally dissatisfied with their reality. "Many of them even dream of being reborn as Sun Moon citizens!" The crowd murmured in surprise. Chen Wei smiled confidently. "Clearly, they lack confidence. "And the root cause of their lack of confidence is their backward soul tool technology!" "I'll give a simple example." "In winter, small aristocrats in Tianhun Empire use coal to keep warm. "But ordinary citizens freeze." "Meanwhile, in Sun Moon Empire, our nobles use soul tools for heating, while commoners use coal." "From this alone we win." "Of course, that's just a small victory. "Compared to Star Luo, Dou Ling, and Tianhun, Sun Moon Empire wins in all aspects!" "It's just a matter of small victories, medium victories, and big victories." "I have even coined an academic term for Sun Moon's consistent success Continuous Victory!" "Because we, Sun Moon, keep winning... "Our confidence only grows stronger!" "And when war breaks out," he added, "under His Majesty's wise leadership, our advanced soul tools will crush the three nations!" "I have connections in the military and have seen high level soul tools." "So, I can confidently say "When the war begins, our Rank 9 Fixed Soul Guided Artillery Shells will deliver a small dose of Sun Moon's power to those three empires!" For a moment, there was silence. Then, thunderous applause erupted! The audience looked at Chen Wei with admiration. Even the sales assistant next to Huo Yuhao seemed so excited she could barely contain herself. Huo Yuhao twitched the corner of his mouth. To be fair, Chen Wei wasn't entirely wrong. Some minor nobles in Tianhun Empire did rely on coal heating. Since nobles controlled the coal, ordinary citizens had little access to it. Compared to Sun Moon Empire, commoners in the three nations truly lived harder lives. And yes, Sun Moon's soul tools did devastate them. Sun Moon Empire had nearly unified the continent. If Tang San hadn't used divine intervention, the Douluo Continent would have already been renamed Sun Moon Continent. Yet, something about Chen Wei's words felt strangely familiar. Just then, a balding man raised his hand. "Teacher Chen, may I ask you a question?" Chen Wei nodded confidently. "Of course! Ask anything!" The bald man smirked. "I heard that you own 50 properties in Shrek City, Star Luo City, and Tianhun City... "And you spend over 100 days per year living there. "Care to explain? "Do you secretly doubt Sun Moon's victory? "Have you already prepared an escape plan?" Chen Wei's face froze. His eyes darted around before he responded in a deep voice. "Know yourself and know your enemy you will be invincible. "I simply wanted to experience suffering firsthand! "Only by understanding our enemies... "Can I better help Sun Moon defeat them!"