Chapter 277: The Generous Jing Hongchen"Is there a problem with the name Lightning Poison Dragon Drill?"

  Qin Xiao retorted confidently.

  The elder ughed heartily. "No problem at all! I think the name is bold and powerful."

  Hearing this, Qin Xiao couldn’t help but gnce at the elder with newfound respect, sensing a kindred spirit.

  "If you have such talent in soul tools, I have no reason to hesitate. At least in my assessment, you’ve passed. Now, let me take you to meet my teacher and see what pns he has for you."

  The elder felt a sense of relief.

  In his opinion, a genius like Qin Xiao should never be overlooked.

  After some time, Qin Xiao followed the elder to the deeper parts of the Sun Moon Royal Academy.

  They arrived at a grand teaching building, ascended to the third floor, and stopped at the room at the end of the corridor. The elder instructed Qin Xiao to wait outside and not wander off, then knocked on the door and entered after receiving permission.

  The room was spacious and filled with an array of soul tool forging equipment—it was a fully functional boratory.

  "Have you become a rank seven soul engineer?"

  A hoarse voice rang in the elder’s ear. Before he could react, his vision blurred, and a slightly portly, disheveled elder appeared before him.

  The elder immediately straightened his posture and greeted respectfully, "Teacher."

  There was no doubt that this man was Jing Hongchen, the principal of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.

  Aside from being the academy’s head, Jing Hongchen was also a powerful Title Douluo and a rank nine soul engineer.

  "Hmm?"

  Jing Hongchen didn’t seem satisfied with the address.

  "Principal, sir," the elder corrected himself.

  "Hmm."

  Jing Hongchen’s expression softened slightly. He nodded and said, "Judging by your appearance, it seems you haven’t advanced to rank seven. What brings you here?"

  "Principal, during today’s freshman entrance assessment, I discovered an exceptionally rare talent."

  "Exceptionally rare talent?"

  Jing Hongchen asked indifferently. Having lived a long life, he had seen his fair share of so-called "geniuses."

  "He’s a possessor of a body-type martial soul, and his martial soul is of the spiritual attribute."

  "A body-type martial soul with spiritual attributes?"

  Jing Hongchen’s interest was piqued, and he gestured for the elder to continue.

  "His martial soul is his eyes, and the boy calls it Spirit Eyes!"

  "What?"

  Jing Hongchen’s expression shifted drastically. "Eyes as a martial soul, and a spiritual one at that?"

  He immediately considered the possibility that the martial soul might extend beyond the eyes, potentially involving the brain.

  "Expin this student’s details carefully, I’m very interested," Jing Hongchen said, his expression softening into a kind smile.

  The elder, not daring to dey, recounted everything about Qin Xiao’s unique abilities.

  Jing Hongchen listened intently without interrupting, nodding occasionally.

  "Spiritual sharing… A normal eye martial soul wouldn’t grant such an extraordinary ability. My guess is likely correct—this child’s martial soul is a combination of the eyes and the brain. This is no ordinary martial soul; it might even be a super martial soul."

  Jing Hongchen’s eyes gleamed with admiration.

  The elder, stunned by this evaluation, could only gape in disbelief.

  "I always knew his talent was good, but I didn’t realize it was this extraordinary!"

  Jing Hongchen, however, remained rational. "Still, strong spiritual power alone doesn’t guarantee success as a soul engineer. It provides an advantage, but without innate talent for crafting, his martial soul’s potential would be wasted. At best, he would become a powerful support soul master."

  "Principal, that’s what I wanted to discuss further," the elder said. "This boy also shows exceptional talent in crafting soul tools."

  Jing Hongchen’s eyes lit up. "Oh? Does he have any notable works to his name?"

  "None. He’s only studied basic soul engineering theories and hasn’t crafted a single soul tool."

  "Then why are you wasting my time? If there’s no tangible proof of his skills, how can you cim his talent is exceptional?"

  Jing Hongchen huffed, rolling his eyes in irritation.

  "Principal, Qin Xiao may not have crafted a soul tool before, but he has a unique perspective on them. Through his efforts, he’s already designed a new type of soul tool."

  "Are you serious?"

  Jing Hongchen raised an eyebrow. "You’re a rank-six soul engineer. You should understand how difficult it is to invent a new soul tool. It requires extensive practical experience. And now you’re telling me that someone who’s never even crafted a soul tool has created a new design? Is this a joke?"

  The elder quickly presented the schematics for the Lightning Poison Dragon Drill. "Principal, please don’t rush to conclusions. Take a look at this first."

  "You’re not telling me you’re basing your evaluation of his talent solely on this schematic, are you?"

  Jing Hongchen snorted but still took the schematics and unfolded them casually.

  At first, he intended to give it just a cursory gnce.

  But after one look, he found himself unable to look away.

  "Hmm, this schematic… it has potential."

  Internally, Jing Hongchen was astounded.

  This Lightning Poison Dragon Drill had tremendous utility, with applications ranging from combat to infrastructure development within the Sun Moon Empire.

  Its true value was difficult to estimate.

  With his expertise, Jing Hongchen immediately envisioned multiple uses for it, recognizing its practicality and versatility.

  "Ha, Principal, what you mean to say is that it’s impressive, right?" The elder chuckled. "The formations on this schematic use only the simplest components. The assembly and operational principles are straightforward. With such simplicity, I don’t even need to test it to confirm its viability. Principal, do you still doubt Qin Xiao’s talent?"

  Jing Hongchen furrowed his brow.

  The elder felt a pang of worry—had he said something wrong?

  But then Jing Hongchen spoke. "You’ve been my honorary disciple for many years. Even though you haven’t yet broken through to a rank-seven soul engineer, your dedication to the academy has been invaluable. You’ve worked hard for years, even if there hasn’t been much glory.

  "In private, when there’s no one else around, you can call me teacher.

  "If you have any questions, feel free to come to me. As long as I’m not too busy, I’ll do my best to help. With your talent, you still have a shot at reaching rank seven."

  The elder was stunned by Jing Hongchen’s abrupt shift in attitude.

  Just a moment ago, he had been rebuffed when he tried to address him as teacher.

  However, he quickly realized that this change was likely due to Qin Xiao.

  It seemed he owed this turn of events to that young man. The elder made a mental note to thank Qin Xiao properly ter.

  "Teacher, does this mean you’ve recognized Qin Xiao’s potential?"

  "This boy is extraordinary—his ideas are unorthodox yet feasible. I see the makings of a rank-nine soul engineer in him!"

  Jing Hongchen’s evaluation was exceedingly high.

  "A rank-nine soul engineer?" The elder gasped, momentarily dazed.

  After all, achieving the rank of a ninth-tier soul engineer was the dream of every soul engineer.

  "Go bring that boy here. I have a few questions for him. Whether he can be entrusted with significant responsibilities will depend on his background."

  Jing Hongchen’s tone turned serious.

  Qin Xiao’s identity would determine the level of treatment he would receive within the Sun Moon Empire.

  A short while ter, Qin Xiao followed the elder into Jing Hongchen’s office.

  The moment Qin Xiao saw the slightly unkempt elder before him, he immediately recognized him.

  Jing Hongchen!

  At that moment, Jing Hongchen retracted his aura entirely and adopted a stern demeanor. "Judging by your appearance, you’re not from the Sun Moon Empire, are you?"

  As soon as these words were spoken, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet, as if the heat of summer had given way to the chill of winter.

  This oppressive atmosphere was the result of Jing Hongchen’s spiritual pressure.

  Qin Xiao knew he needed to act appropriately, so he feigned being affected, dispying a look of suppressed fear while trying to maintain composure.

  Jing Hongchen observed this and secretly nodded to himself.

  This boy had an exceptional temperament.

  "I’m indeed not from the Sun Moon Empire. My original name is Huo Yuhao, and I hail from the Star Luo Empire, specifically the White Tiger Duke’s estate."

  Qin Xiao revealed Huo Yuhao’s background without holding anything back.

  Huo Yuhao’s life was truly tragic. Without any embellishment, his story was enough to evoke sympathy from both Jing Hongchen and the elder.

  Neither of them had imagined that a boy in his teens could have endured such a difficult life.

  No, more precisely, it was remarkable that he had managed to survive at all.

  "In the Star Luo Empire, I see no hope for revenge."

  "But here, in the Sun Moon Empire, I can!"

  "I yearn for strength. I want to destroy the White Tiger Duke’s mansion and trample those who sit high above!"

  As Qin Xiao spoke, his emotions surged. A murderous glint appeared in his eyes, revealing his deep-seated hatred for the White Tiger Duke.

  Internally, Qin Xiao reassured himself, Don’t worry, I won’t waste your body. I’ll make sure to avenge you.

  Oddly, after saying this to himself, much of the malice in his heart subsided.

  "Good!"

  At that moment, Jing Hongchen’s voice boomed, filled with approval.

  He had been observing Qin Xiao’s every expression and was convinced that his purpose in coming to the Sun Moon Empire was genuine—to learn and gain power for his revenge against the White Tiger Duke.

  After all, the hatred in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.

  Jing Hongchen’s sudden excmation startled the elder, who had been absorbed in the injustice of Huo Yuhao’s life story.

  "Child, you’ve made the right choice in coming to the Sun Moon Empire. Only here can you fully realize your potential. The White Tiger Duke? He’s nothing."

  Jing Hongchen raised three fingers. "At most, thirty years."

  Pausing, he reconsidered. Thirty years seemed too long given Qin Xiao’s talent. He folded one finger. "Twenty years—within twenty years, you won’t need to fear him. By then, you can exact your revenge."

  Twenty years?

  Qin Xiao silently disagreed.

  In his mind, five years was more than enough to eliminate the White Tiger Duke and his mansion.

  However, what he thought and what he expressed were entirely different.

  Qin Xiao had spent two weeks preparing for this moment, intending to extract the maximum benefit. He shook his head despondently. "Impossible. Not even in twenty, thirty, or forty years."

  "Hmm?"

  Jing Hongchen and the elder were both taken aback.

  "Why do you say that?"

  "Both of you, I know my talent. My innate soul power is only level one. That’s…"

  Qin Xiao let out a heavy sigh, wearing an expression of resignation.

  "Level one innate soul power? So what?"

  "That’s not an issue!" Jing Hongchen said proudly. "Do you know what the three Douluo Empires say about us privately?"

  Qin Xiao already knew—medicine vats.

  The strong in the Sun Moon Empire prioritized soul tools, often neglecting their personal cultivation. To them, consuming pills to boost soul power was far more efficient than traditional training.

  "Ha, you probably don’t know."

  Jing Hongchen chuckled. "They call us medicine vats. They say our strength comes from drugs and external aids.

  "But rest assured, we have methods to alter your constitution and rapidly enhance your soul power."

  "All you need to do is focus on learning and mastering more powerful soul tools—or even creating them!"

  It was evident that Jing Hongchen had high hopes for Qin Xiao.

  "I understand, sir," Qin Xiao replied earnestly.

  "Here, these bottles contain five Profound Water Pills and five Soul Ascension Pills. Take them. First, consume a Profound Water Pill. Five days ter, take a Soul Ascension Pill. Alternate every five days, and you should reach level 20 quickly."

  Jing Hongchen handed over two bottles of pills to Qin Xiao.

  Qin Xiao was genuinely surprised by Jing Hongchen’s generosity.

  Each pill was worth a fortune, easily priced at thousands of gold coins.

  The elder’s eyes widened. "Principal, aren’t these pills in high demand?"

  "In demand, yes, but not unavaible," Jing Hongchen retorted. "Just like how our high-end soul tools are strictly prohibited from being sold abroad. Yet, do the three empires ck them?"

  (End of Chapter)

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