"Your Majesty, the route for smuggling soul tools from the Sun Moon Empire's black market has been completely destroyed. It seems that Xu Cheng has come into contact with some secrets in the Star Luo Empire…"
A minister spoke with a troubled expression.
"Sigh… At the time, I never expected him to leave the imperial capital alive, so I let him attend the auction freely. Who would have thought…" Xu Jiawei sighed bitterly and shook his head helplessly.
Ever since Xu Cheng broke through the defenses and returned to the Sun Moon Empire, he had begun a large-scale purge of "traitors," crushing all their previous connections to the Sun Moon Empire's black market. In the past, they had barely kept up by smuggling advanced Sun Moon Empire technology. But now, with everything cut off, they were completely blind…
"Is our own soul tool technology really that far behind?" Xu Jiawei asked with a hint of frustration.
"Your Majesty, our soul tool technology is far ahead of Shrek's…" The minister said helplessly. "But the true measure of soul tool strength is the number of high-level soul engineers. For example, even if we combine our nation with the other two, including Shrek, we still don't have a single rank-nine soul engineer…"
Xu Jiawei: "…"
He automatically ignored the latter part of the sentence, but the earlier remark about surpassing Shrek filled him with joy.
"Ahem, alright then." Xu Jiawei's anger vanished instantly. "We've already allocated a considerable budget for the soul tool department in the past. Now, as we face an era of change and a moment of national survival, double the funding."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!!!" The minister said excitedly.
As the one in charge of soul tool development, he knew that soul tool research was built with gold—without money, there was no progress.
However, even he hadn't expected the emperor to be so generous.
But while he was thrilled, the finance minister was on the verge of tears.
"Your Majesty! The national treasury is already in deficit. For years, nearly 10% of the empire's income has gone into soul tool research. But trying to catch up to the Sun Moon Empire isn't something that can be achieved in just a few years, or even decades. Just last month, a typhoon hit the southern coastal regions of the empire, leaving countless citizens homeless and awaiting government relief. In the northern Tianwen Province near the Great Star Dou Forest, a beast plague broke out two years ago, and we still haven't recovered. Your Majesty, please reconsider…"
The finance minister had only one word to say: broke. If things went wrong, he didn't want to be the scapegoat.
Xu Jiawei suddenly felt a headache coming on.
A nation's revenue came from several sources: imperial taxes, state-owned enterprises (such as the Star Dou Auction House, gladiatorial arenas, and ordinary soul tool shops), land profits (which were negligible since most food was grown just to sustain the population), and most importantly, the Great Star Dou Forest soul beast industry (including spirit rings, meat, and pelts).
The original economic cycle of the Douluo Continent's empires was distorted.
Despite having a population of hundreds of millions, the entire economy relied on a small group of soul masters. The vast majority of the nation existed only to serve these few elites. Ordinary civilians… were simply meant to survive. In the era of the Spirit Hall, commoners could still defy fate with their talents, continuously supplying fresh blood to the ranks of soul masters. But in recent years, as noble families monopolized the awakening ceremonies, the nation had become even more reliant on soul masters.
Previously, the soul master cultivation system revolved around hunting soul beasts, consuming spiritual herbs, and acquiring soul bones to grow stronger. This created a natural economic cycle, which was once the backbone of the three great empires.
However, with the rise of soul tools, the traditional imperial structure was becoming unsustainable. Anything a soul master could do, a soul engineer could do too—and often at a lower cost.
Additionally, Xu Jiawei's hasty promotion of soul tools and a series of reforms had severely threatened the interests of the noble class. Though they wouldn't openly protest, they were secretly sabotaging his efforts.
The economy was struggling? Then they would hoard resources and refuse to spend.
They stockpiled massive amounts of gold soul coins, grain, and other supplies, causing widespread panic across the Star Luo Empire.
"Your Majesty, the common people are also your subjects. Right now, they are suffering…" The finance minister pleaded bitterly, unwilling to bear the blame for the nation's troubles.
"How shallow! So what if they go hungry for a while? As long as our soul tool technology advances and we stand on equal footing with the Sun Moon Empire, there will be plenty of food in the future!" The minister in charge of soul tools snapped angrily.
He had finally secured a major budget increase—there was no way he was giving it up.
Xu Jiawei felt deeply frustrated. He was well aware of the noble families' secret manipulations, but there was nothing he could do.
Their influence was deeply rooted—empires came and went, but these aristocratic families endured. Their network of power was unfathomably vast, and they were tightly united. He had once considered taking action against a single noble house, but the very next day, several family heads visited him personally. He had no choice but to back down.
So, dealing with the noble families was out of the question.
That meant…
"…Forget it. Let the people suffer. I'll bear the blame." Xu Jiawei said helplessly. "Cancel all disaster relief. Issue an order for them to fend for themselves. They can eat wild vegetables—at least they won't starve. As for shelter, they can just dig a hole to sleep in."
The officials exchanged awkward glances. "…"
Star Luo Palace
"Brother, you're here."
Xu Jiujing quickly stood up and greeted Xu Jiawei with a formal court bow.
"Heh, just came to check on you."
Xu Jiawei's expression grew complicated as he glanced at Xu Jiujing and sighed. "Still can't forget about him?"
"A nation always comes before personal feelings. I understand that." Xu Jiujing pursed her red lips and spoke softly.
"Sigh…"
Xu Jiawei shook his head.
Luckily, that brat hadn't taken Xu Jiujing with him when he left.
Otherwise, he really would have lost everything.
Originally, he had planned to arrange a political marriage between Jiujing and Xu Cheng, or at least use her as a honey trap. But that cunning guy slipped away the moment he got the chance. Instead, it was his own sister who had fallen for him, unable to move on.
Given Xu Cheng's overwhelming talent—crushing his peers with ease—plus the fact that Xu Jiujing was at the prime age for romance, the two had met and…
Forget it.
"Jiujing, you are my sister by blood. Your future is tied to political marriage. There is no room for love. I, too, once loved someone deeply, but she is in Shrek's inner court, and we could never be together. My current empress is nothing more than a tool for stabilizing the noble families…" Xu Jiawei sighed.
"Mm." Xu Jiujing looked out at the starry night, silent.
At the Front Lines
"Marshal, I want to give it a try…" Juzi kneeled on one knee, looking resolutely at Huo Qing.
The latter hesitated. She knew that Xu Cheng had entrusted Juzi to her with the intent of grooming her into a future military leader. That showed how much he valued her. So far, she had only assigned Juzi to patrol duties, treating small skirmishes as training opportunities.
But lately, tensions between the two empires had escalated. Small-scale battles had already resulted in hundreds of casualties. If Juzi went out and got captured…
"Aunt Qing, I need military achievements." Juzi's eyes burned with determination.
Huo Qing paused.
Juzi had a point. At this rate, both nations would soon call back their armies to reduce friction. When that happened, earning battle merit would become much harder.
The Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Regiment and the mecha battalion were itching for action…
"Don't go too far." After a moment of hesitation, Huo Qing relented.
The Star Luo troops were getting arrogant—it was time to put them in their place.
"Thank you, Marshal!" Juzi grinned.
--------------
So today's lesson is about the basic construction of core formations in soul tools. We've already covered range, firing speed, activation switches, and circuits over the past few days. If anyone still doesn't understand, feel free to ask me…"
As he spoke, Xu Cheng glanced at the last row, where Zhang Lexuan was dozing off.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
He slowly walked over to her side and lightly patted her neck.
But on her fair neck, there was a glaring blue bruise.
"Hiss…"
Xu Cheng instantly recalled last night's madness. He quickly pulled up his collar to cover the deep mark, coughed awkwardly twice, and avoided Zhang Lexuan's suddenly awakened, resentful gaze.
It seemed to say: This is your fault…
The students were all listening intently. Regarding the fundamental structure of soul tools—especially the theoretical knowledge—they eagerly asked questions, and Xu Cheng answered them all without reservation.
"Teacher… What do you think the future development of soul tools will look like?" Wang Dong asked with anticipation before the class ended.
Although she couldn't use soul tools for now, after following Xu Cheng for a few days, she had developed a strong interest in this vast technological field.
"I don't know." Xu Cheng smiled faintly.
"Maybe artificial intelligence, or perhaps replacing soul masters altogether so that ordinary people can control high-level soul tools. Or maybe reaching for the stars and the sea… I am also exploring, constantly adjusting my own thoughts."
"Then aren't you afraid that after teaching us all this knowledge, when we return to Shrek Academy, we'll become your enemies?" Mo Xuan couldn't help but ask.
"Heh…" Xu Cheng chuckled.
A genuine, heartfelt smile. Mo Xuan couldn't quite understand why.
Xu Cheng looked at him and said, "Not just anyone qualifies to be our enemy. Just like how the knowledge accumulated in Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion has been gathered by generations of geniuses over ten thousand years, the Sun-Moon Empire's soul tool development has also been built over tens of thousands of years. It's not something Shrek can surpass in just a few days. You should know that after Xu Jiawei came to power in the Star Luo Empire, he allocated a huge budget to develop soul tools, valuing them tens of times more than Shrek does. Yet, even now, their soul tool technology is barely at the level of what our Sun-Moon Empire had five thousand years ago…"
He wasn't exaggerating. In fact, the "five thousand years" figure was already quite conservative.
It was precisely because of the Sun-Moon Empire's accumulation over tens of thousands of years that he could direct the resources wherever he wished. Pouring in gold soul coins and supplies, he could instantly create whatever he wanted—be it mechas, missiles, or anything else.
Mo Xuan fell silent.
What he had seen so far was merely the tip of the iceberg of the Sun-Moon Empire's soul tool technology.
Before coming here, he had worried that the Sun-Moon Empire might try to hinder them in some way. But he hadn't expected Xu Cheng to directly impart knowledge to them without the slightest reservation…
Because, when it came to soul tools, they didn't even see Shrek Academy as a competitor.
"Alright, Wang Dong, come to my office."
In the eerily silent atmosphere, Xu Cheng clapped his hands lightly as if nothing had happened.
Then he turned and left the classroom.
"Senior sister, it really is difficult for the academy to develop in the field of soul tools. Based on what I've gathered over the past few days, if the Sun-Moon Empire decides to embargo rare metals, our upper limit will be restricted. High-level soul tools require rare metals for construction, and just with the few of us, it would take at least centuries to develop Shrek's soul tool division…" Mo Xuan waved his hand and looked at the absentminded Zhang Lexuan.
"Senior sister?"
"It's nothing…" Zhang Lexuan's expression remained calm.
"Wait, senior sister, did you get injured on your neck?" Xiao Xiao suddenly exclaimed.
"Yeah, there's a bruise." Wang Dong also remarked in surprise.
Given Zhang Lexuan's strength, especially in the supposedly "safe zone" of the Sun-Moon Royal Academy, how could she possibly get injured?
"Senior sister, if someone bullied you, we should go find Teacher Xu Cheng. As the prince of the Sun-Moon Empire, he wouldn't just sit back and do nothing!" Mo Xuan said angrily.
"I…" Zhang Lexuan's ears suddenly turned red.
How was she supposed to explain that the one who "bullied" her… was the very same Xu Cheng they were talking about?
And that he had "bullied" her for an entire night, leaving her too exhausted to rest properly?
"It's nothing, just a little 'sparring' with a student from Mingde Hall." Zhang Lexuan feigned composure and pulled up her collar to cover the bruise. "Alright, Wang Dong, you should get going. Teacher Xu Cheng… is calling for you."
"Oh, oh…" Wang Dong snapped out of her daze and walked out of the classroom.
In the hallway, Wang Dong felt a little excited.
Ever since Xu Cheng had promised in the Star Dou Forest to lift the seal that had tormented her for so long, she had been waiting for this day.
And now…
As soon as she entered the office, Xu Cheng smiled. "That soul fragment has already been shattered, but I'm sure the seal has still been tormenting you. Leave it to me now. Just remember—no matter what you see next, don't make a sound."
"Mhm!" Wang Dong's eyes widened as she gazed at Xu Cheng expectantly.
Xu Cheng's expression gradually became serious, his pupils shrinking. A crimson glow appeared in his eyes as he activated his second-stage martial soul true body. A tide of blood-red energy instantly filled the room, turning it into a crimson ocean. His body also became vast and overwhelming.
"Elder Yi."
Xu Cheng called out softly.
In his spiritual sea, a pitch-black door slowly creaked open, and the shadowy figure of Electrolux appeared.
"So this is the little girl?" Electrolux nodded slightly and pointed a thin, withered finger at Wang Dong.
Behind her, a mysterious figure holding a trident and emanating a faint blue aura suddenly appeared.
Wang Dong was stunned by the scene.
Electrolux frowned. "This is troublesome."
Xu Cheng was startled. "Elder Yi, even you…?"
"The one who placed this forbidden seal is extremely skilled and holds a very high status. If my original body were here, I could remove it effortlessly without alerting the person behind it. But in my current state as just a soul fragment, if I attempt to break it, I will definitely alarm them."
Electrolux hesitated. "More importantly, from my observation, that person is still alive. If we alert them, the consequences could be…"
Xu Cheng pondered for a moment.
There was risk in dismantling the seal.
But not too much risk.
What Elder Yi didn't know was that he had already encountered a certain God King in the Star Dou Forest.
If Tang San truly had the power to interfere with the Douluo Plane, why would he have sent just an avatar down? And why had that avatar ended up so miserable?
Combined with the reactions of the God of Destruction before, Xu Cheng was almost certain—the God Realm was no longer dominated by the Tang Family.
Even if they were discovered, Tang San would likely be powerless to do anything but fume in frustration.
"Do it, Elder Yi. I know what I'm doing." Xu Cheng smiled and patted Wang Dong's head. "This girl has suffered long enough. She doesn't want to be someone's tool. I'll take responsibility for whatever happens next."
"Ah…?" Wang Dong looked up, stunned.
It felt like he had just seen right through her.
But… she was also deeply moved.
Facing a god, just that one simple sentence—"I'll take responsibility for whatever happens."—suddenly elevated Xu Cheng's position in her heart.
Previously, she had returned to the Haotian Sect and asked her Uncles about this matter.
But instead of standing by her side, her Uncles had reacted with anger, demanding to know what had happened to the soul fragment inside the Auspicious Beast.
That had left her deeply hurt.
For the first time, she gained a clearer understanding of the world.
The people closest to her didn't care about her life or death, while a former "enemy"—at this moment—had simply waved his hand and shielded her from all consequences and retaliation.
"Ahahaha! Good lad!"
Electrolux let out a hearty laugh.
"Alright, this bomb—I'm dismantling it today! Even if the gods come, they can't stop me, I said so!"
With that, he clapped his hand lightly, his fingers skillfully tracing out complex patterns, gradually forming a formation that enveloped Wang Dong entirely.
"Buzz!"
The formation activated.
Behind Wang Dong, the faint blue phantom suddenly let out a piercing scream.
(End of Chapter)