**Chapter 59: Juzi: Huo Yuhao's Big Connection (2500 words)**
Seeing his sister's dangerously sweet smile, Xiao Hongchen secretly warned himself that if he dared to embezzle even a little of Huo Yuhao's patent fees, she would immediately turn into "Poison Sister Meng" and unleash her wrath.
Xiao Hongchen couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth, feeling a sense of impending doom.
It's over. It hasn't been long since they started getting along, and his sister has already fallen prey to this boy's allure.
Huo Yuhao carefully considered the ownership of the forging and hundred-forging purification patents and finally decided to give Illustrious Virtue Hall a part of the patent in addition to his share.
Xu Sheng was very concerned about the seedlings he had brought back from Sun Moon. He also provided Huo Yuhao with guidance for a while and nodded slowly. "It's good to let Illustrious Virtue Hall have some patents, as that will provide an extra layer of strong protection."
"And the hall master has decided to develop forging technology in the future. As long as he owns a small part of the patents, it will be more reasonable to implement certain measures."
After listening to the patent distribution plan, Meng Hongchen happily asked, "Yuhao, will I also have a part of the patent for this hundred-forging purification technology?"
"Well, after all, if this forging technology is to truly develop a reputation, it will need your help," Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded. Even though he could hold all the patents himself and earn more gold soul coins, he believed it was better to share a portion with Illustrious Virtue Hall to strengthen their bond.
Meng Hongchen asked her brother for a pocket money gold card, shook it, and smiled. "Yuhao, since you've shared your patent, I'll also use my pocket money to support you as a friend."
Xiao Hongchen's heart raced—not because of the pocket money, but because he thought of something more consequential.
His sister is now sharing pocket money with Yuhao.
In the future, their relationship will deepen further, and as brother and sister, they will inherit half of Illustrious Virtue Hall from their grandfather.
Doesn't that mean they share pocket money now, and in the future, his sister and Yuhao will share a quarter of Illustrious Virtue Hall?!
The more Xiao Hongchen thought about it, the more it seemed true.
He patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and felt that he was indeed a scheming little boy. He narrowed his eyes and said slowly, with a deeper meaning, "Yuhao, you are not as simple as you seem."
Xiao Hongchen felt that Huo Yuhao was being very generous in sharing the patent.
Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen exchanged confused glances, not understanding what Xiao Hongchen meant.
"Brother Xiao, I used my spiritual detection to help you fire so many rounds of artillery. I am sincere enough for you, right? How about you rely on your own persistence and hard work to fire in the future?"
Huo Yuhao raised his eyebrows, and the mischievous sparkle in his eyes made Xiao Hongchen uneasy.
"That's right, brother. Yuhao will share our patent fees, and I will share some pocket money to sponsor him. It's very reasonable."
Meng Hongchen tilted her head, confused about what Xiao Hongchen meant earlier.
Xiao Hongchen quickly retained his train of thought. After trying to cooperate with Huo Yuhao today, he felt that he couldn't do without the other party's spiritual detection.
"Well, it's reasonable, very reasonable. It's just your brother who didn't think it through for a moment."
He suddenly felt that Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen would indeed develop a relationship that he might have to accept sooner or later, and sharing a quarter of Illustrious Virtue Hall with his sister seemed reasonable.
Afterward, Xu Sheng took Huo Yuhao and the others to register the patent.
In the future, even if only a small number of Illustrious Virtue Hall's research talents mastered the hundred-forging purification technique and used the metal from this technology to create soul guidance devices, Huo Yuhao could still earn a substantial fortune.
...
In an independent advanced laboratory at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
This is Xuan Ziwen's exclusive laboratory. He sat in front of the lab table, looking at the soul guidance screen in his hand.
"Xu Sheng's actions are quite efficient. He uploaded Yuhao's grenade gun so quickly."
Xuan Ziwen now fully understood that when Huo Yuhao was personally welcomed by the head of Illustrious Virtue Hall, it was Xu Sheng who had influenced the situation.
Originally, Huo Yuhao should have been his disciple. Now, however, he was becoming the master's protégé, and there was a tendency for him to develop as the grandson-in-law.
In the laboratory, several students of Xuan Ziwen were studying the core array.
"Hey, Juzi, when did this kid show up? How did he suddenly enter the top 30 of the creative list? He will soon surpass me."
At an experimental table in the back row, a girl wearing thin-framed glasses sat with another delicate girl, whispering about something.
The two girls were Juzi and Keke, speculating about Huo Yuhao's portrait on the soul guidance screen.
After Juzi sighed and expressed surprise at Huo Yuhao's appearance, she gently adjusted her glasses and whispered her analysis.
"Keke, several teachers must have voted for him. Maybe this boy named Huo Yuhao is a relative."
"But Juzi, who among the students in our laboratory doesn't have some connections?"
Keke was deep in thought. This list was a crucial basis for Illustrious Virtue Hall to select talents. Since its establishment, the dean had zero tolerance for canvassing.
So everyone adhered to the rules.
It is easy to tell whether it's canvassing for votes or not. After all, the quality of the soul guidance device itself matters. If there are any doubts, the teachers can conduct checks at any time.
If canvassing is confirmed after the test, one's days at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy would be over.
Juzi whispered, "I don't mean canvassing for votes, but Huo Yuhao may have achieved a breakthrough in his soul guidance device overnight with the help of several teachers."
"He might have come up with a brilliant idea and successfully created a soul guidance device, rushing into the top 30 of the creative list."
Keke nodded slightly. "Yeah, it is very likely that this is the case as you mentioned, Juzi."
Just then, Xuan Ziwen's tall and slender figure appeared behind the two.
Keke quickly swiped her finger on the soul guidance screen, switching the image to an analysis diagram of the fourth-level core array.
Xuan Ziwen clapped his hands. "Alright, after everyone practices engraving the core array, take a break. If you're hungry, feel free to go to the cafeteria for a meal, and return to the lab in 30 minutes."
Juzi relaxed her expression, turned to look at Xuan Ziwen, smiled weakly, and then switched the screen on the soul guidance device back to the soul guidance device creativity ranking.
Keke also smiled a bit sheepishly. She had been caught several times before, but only after completing most of her practice tasks for the day.
Xuan Ziwen pulled out a chair and sat beside them, and instead of reprimanding them for being lazy, he sighed with regret. "Ah, if only Huo Yuhao had been in this laboratory. What a pity."
Juzi and Keke were both very surprised to hear this. They had never thought that there would be a student who could elicit such an emotional response from Teacher Xuan.
For Teacher Xuan to express regret over not having a disciple, how talented must he be?
Moreover, Xuan Ziwen valued creativity above merely how strong combat power could be derived from the soul guidance device.
Xiao Hongchen had always preferred to hang around Xuan Ziwen before. Although he was very talented in the field of soul guidance system, Xuan Ziwen never recognized him.
This was because the soul cannon formed by Xiao Hongchen's battle had a manufacturing principle that had been continuously improved and was now extremely mature.
In Xuan Ziwen's view, it lacked innovation.
It could only be said that Xiao Hongchen used his martial soul to control the soul guidance device, producing very strong combat power.
Juzi leaned in slightly, curiosity gleaming in her orange-tinted glasses. "Teacher Xuan, what is it about this student Huo that makes you give him such high praise?"
Xuan Ziwen shook his head slowly. "I can't say right now; I don't have that technology."
"When some teachers, including myself, have mastered it later, the hall master should promote it throughout the school."
Keke's mouth dropped slightly, blinking in disbelief. What did she just hear? Teacher Xuan doesn't know either?!
The basic requirement for innovation is mastering most of the core arrays that have been developed.
As one of the top senior researchers in Illustrious Virtue Hall, Xuan Ziwen could create any soul guidance device below level nine.
"What kind of innovation, Teacher Xuan? Haven't you thought about it before?" Juzi asked in surprise, her glasses slipping slightly down her delicate nose.
Xuan Ziwen thought for a moment and remained mostly silent. It would be too outrageous to say, "In fact, it's not particularly complicated to understand. The master of the blacksmith shop also knows a little. The essence is simply purifying metal."
"I'm also considering discussing with the hall master to see if I can get some time for Yuhao to come to our laboratory for guidance."
When Xuan Ziwen first became enamored with Huo Yuhao, he initially thought that the boy would fit perfectly in the field of soul guidance technology and could be accepted as his student.
If his potential were well explored, he could let Master Kong lead him.
The surprise Huo Yuhao delivered far exceeded Xuan Ziwen's expectations. He had come up with a technique for a hundred forgings and purification.
Juzi heard from Xuan Ziwen that if he wanted someone, he had to discuss it with the head of Illustrious Virtue Hall. She immediately had many guesses in her mind: "This truly is a very connected person."
...
Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, Soul Guidance Equipment Trial Field.
The patent approval for the forging technology was successful. Huo Yuhao and the Hongchen siblings were ready to complete the task assigned by the hall master and attempt the martial soul fusion technique.
Under the influence of mental detection, Xiao Hongchen's favorability toward Huo Yuhao had increased several times, and his attitude had markedly changed.
He and Huo Yuhao walked toward a trial area, arms around each other's shoulders.
"Yuhao, you said that Grandpa asked us to try the martial soul fusion technique. The main purpose is to let you and Meng try it; I must be a by-product."
After briefly pondering, Xiao Hongchen figured out his grandfather's intentions.
"My three-legged golden toad is of the gold attribute. It cannot be compared with your bone spirit cold fire. Let's test the true gold that is not afraid of fire."
The key issue is that Xiao Hongchen was genuinely afraid of being burned.
Huo Yuhao's fire attribute is the ultimate fire, while his golden attribute is still a long way off from being the ultimate.
Xiao Hongchen's skills primarily enhance the control of gold elements, whereas the purity of his gold element itself is not particularly high as he does not deliberately enhance attribute strength.
Huo Yuhao waved his hand and chuckled, "Brother Xiao, your gold attribute is indeed a bit restrained by my bone spirit cold fire."
Although Meng Hongchen's Vermilion Clear Ice Toad has ice and fire attributes, there is still an issue; the attribute strength of Huo Yuhao's bone spirit cold fire is much higher than hers.
However, even if the chilling bone flame cannot be matched, Huo Yuhao still has the true origin ice as his second martial soul.
In theory, as long as it is a martial soul with an ice attribute, he can control the origin ice to enhance the strength of the other party's ice attribute martial soul.
The original Ice Martial Soul differs greatly from Huo Yuhao's Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion in the original book.
Meng Hongchen smiled and said, "Brother, Yuhao, then you two just do it casually, use the soul guidance recorder to record it, and let Grandpa see you try it."
Xiao Hongchen curled his lips when he heard this. "I don't understand what Grandpa is thinking."
"If he wants you and Yuhao to try, he could just say it directly. Why bring me along? If he had time for this, it would be better to let Yuhao assist me in firing."
"Grandpa can't still be fantasizing that Yuhao and I have a martial soul fusion skill."
Huo Yuhao's first martial soul is Spirit Eye, and his three-legged golden toad martial soul has nothing in common with the spiritual eye martial soul.
Compared to the bone spirit cold fire, it is even more restricted.
"To be honest, I feel the only link between my martial soul and Spirit Eye martial soul is that the golden toad also has a pair of eyes," Xiao Hongchen said, feeling somewhat helpless.
Huo Yuhao recalled an amusing detail.
In the original novel, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong—eyes plus butterfly—can indeed produce martial soul fusion skills. Based on what Xiao Hongchen just stated, this can be rationalized a bit because the butterfly at least has eyes.
But the spirit eye plus Clear Sky hammer? That rubs logic into the ground.
This combination, which appears explosively formidable just by visual assessment, could foster a martial soul fusion skill, that genuinely makes one's scalp tingle and is difficult to comprehend.
Xiao Hongchen suddenly said, "Hey Yuhao, Meng, do you think Grandpa will get an itch in his head like before and propose trying martial soul fusion skills?"
"It's impossible that he came across some theories proposed by unprofessional masters in ancient texts."
Xiao Hongchen was well aware of the martial soul fusion skills, after all; the brother and sister maintained a keen interest in the formidable world.
The conditions for martial soul fusion skills are extremely strict, requiring perfect compatibility of soul power and attribute alignment. Any incompatibility can lead to failure.
A certain God King once said: "No, no, it's not that complicated; a single consciousness can easily handle it."
Yet, to merge the hammer and the eye, one cannot manage without substantially powerful magic or pure strength.
Xiao Hongchen patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder and said, "Yuhao, let's quickly accomplish Grandpa's task. Anyway, we won't lose anything."
Huo Yuhao naturally had no objections.
Then Meng Hongchen took out the soul guidance recorder. "Brother, Yuhao, you start."
Huo Yuhao and Xiao Hongchen released their martial souls respectively. The process of attempting the martial soul fusion technique was not as enjoyable or comfortable as utilizing mental detection; they felt awkward and uncomfortable.
They tried a few simple shoulder-to-shoulder and back-to-back postures.
Xiao Hongchen thought it wouldn't work: "Okay, Meng, let's leave it at that. Grandpa should get the picture."
"Meng, you and Yuhao's martial soul both carry the attributes of ice and fire, so the chance for success should be quite high."
"You can try a few more positions."
(End of this chapter)