Douluo Continent: Angel Saint Huo Yuhao

Chapter 261 Twenty-Two Days
A surprise attack, a great battle, and a gathering of powerful figures.

Destruction, reconstruction, power shifts.

Unfortunately, in this storm that swept through the entire Sun Moon Academy, those students who were struggling with the assessments did not get a chance to catch their breath. They still had to do what they were told, and the level exams were like a death knell, relentlessly chasing after them.

Meanwhile, the substitute teachers, who were already busy, were tied to Mingde Hall and had to do the unpaid work of repairing the experimental site, leaving them with no time to answer questions.

"The quality of students in the next few cohorts will likely plummet; it would be good if half the number of students graduating this year were to be achieved..."

Ye Yulin, who had just taken office, frowned as she sat amidst piles of documents, sorting out the work ahead.

Compared to his gloomy face, Jing Hongchen, who had figured things out, felt much more at ease. He handed over the handover task to others with a relaxed expression, and used all his extra free time to tinker with the soul tool.

Of course, the bigger purpose was to come and take advantage of Huo Yuhao's mental detection.

Since he became the head of Mingde Hall, his research on soul guidance has been forced to stagnate, and the feeling of making progress every day now seems somewhat unfamiliar.

"Truly divine skill..."

Jing Hongchen, who was working at his desk, suddenly relaxed and looked at the intricate array in his hand with a sense of realization: "If I could have such a skill, breaking through to the so-called level ten Soul Master would only be a matter of time."

"grade ten?"

Xuan Ziwen, who was almost next to him, didn't even look up. He just lay there and groaned, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"Tsk..."

Jing Hongchen's expression changed slightly: "What's wrong? Can't I even think about it?"

After all, he was a rare genius in the Sun Moon Empire for thousands of years, leading the Soul Guidance System to take half a step forward. With the help of mental detection, it wouldn't be impossible for him to encounter a level 10 opponent.

"If only it were that easy... The fact that he hasn't come out of seclusion yet is enough to prove something."

Xuan Ziwen scratched his head, his pessimistic attitude hard to hide: "I'm afraid that level is not as simple as we think. There must be some unknown secrets—just like Super Douluo and Limit Douluo, which have been holding back the Sun Moon Empire for thousands of years and have been holding it back until now."

"…Too."

Jing Hongchen seemed to be thinking of something, her eyes gleaming as she caressed her carving knife.

"Um... excuse me."

With slightly dark circles under his eyes, Huo Yuhao asked, "What exactly is a Level 10 Soul Master? Why do you all have different ideas?"

He really wanted to know.

Especially after cramming on a bunch of basic soul guidance theories during this period, I'm even more curious about this so-called endpoint of the system.

To stand firmly at level eight, a Soul Master needs to refine their life's understanding into a unique and improved magic array. To reach level nine, they need a sufficiently powerful Soul Power level to create a powerful piece of equipment that can be considered their natal magic weapon.

So... what's next?
"The Soul Guidance System itself."

After much deliberation, Jing Hongchen and Xuan Ziwen gave the same answer in unison.

However, after replying, Jing Hongchen's gaze gradually turned strange as he carefully examined the books in Huo Yuhao's hand: "Wait... let's put aside those theoretical books for now—what are you trying to do with those level-three formation blueprints?"

He had initially thought Huo Yuhao was merely interested in the Soul Guidance system. After all, when they first enrolled, they discovered that this Shrek Academy alumnus had spent two whole years in the Soul Guidance Department without learning a single thing. So… didn’t you say you had no talent for Soul Guidance?
So what are you doing right now?
Jing Hongchen's gaze suddenly became subtle as he stared at Huo Yuhao, looking him up and down: "What level are you?"

"I haven't taken the test yet, but I plan to study for a while first, and then I'll take the Level 3 exam directly to get the intermediate certificate."

Huo Yuhao's honest answer silenced Xuan Ziwen, who was about to speak up to cover for him.

If he remembered correctly, it was Huo Yuhao who shared the information about the presence of evil spirit masters near Mingdu with him. And now… this guy, who should have been hiding the worst possible angle to prevent assassination, was instead jumping around to the extreme, leaking information at almost every opportunity.

Is what you're doing really appropriate?

"Don't worry, I have my own plans."

Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance with Xuan Ziwen, then looked back at the silent Jing Hongchen: "What's wrong? Hall Master Hongchen?"

"I've said it many times, there's no need to call me 'Hall Master' anymore..."

Jing Hongchen waved his hand weakly, his eyes almost overflowing with anticipation and hope: "Yuhao, tell me, when Shrek first sent you here, was it with the intention of having you hide your strength and steal information?"
"You have to tell the truth... You've been in contact with soul tools before, right? It's just that those old bastards and those old scoundrels insisted that you pretend you had never learned anything about them, and they even covered for you—right?"

Jing Hongchen became more and more excited as she spoke, and even showed signs of tears welling up in her eyes.

"cough~"

Huo Yuhao felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze and subtly shifted his eyes to the side: "Actually, it's just that my family elders were afraid I'd become too engrossed in soul guidance studies and neglect my cultivation, so they explicitly forbade it. Once I awaken my second martial soul, they'll let me choose..."

"If I had to give a precise time, it should be about twenty-two days from when I started learning about soul tools until now?"

Although it sounds shocking, he really only flipped through the three books and glanced at the soul guide blueprints a few times.

Even during this time, he had to devote some of his attention to the necromancy in his mind, to explore a whole new world of magic.

"Twenty-two days!"

Even with his worldly-wise nature, facing this seemingly ironic moment, his Daoist resolve wavered. Staring at his trembling hands, his pupils dilated, and memories from the depths of his mind surged forth, flashing before his eyes one by one of his arduous early studies:

"Twenty-two!!"

Hey~
Xuan Ziwen, standing to the side, sighed and gently patted his shoulder, feeling a sense of shared misfortune.

After a long while, Jing Hongchen finally composed himself. His eyes, which had been filled with despair, were now gleaming with a sharp light as he stared intently at Huo Yuhao: "Kid, do you want to learn how to use soul tools with me?"

"Hey!"

Xuan Ziwen, who had just been all smiles, suddenly changed his expression and almost started fighting with him on the spot: "You old bastard, don't push your luck!"

"Tch~ In academic matters, the best comes first. What right do you, a mere level eight researcher, have to compete with me? You disagree? Then let's have a contest and see who's better!"

"You...I—"

Xuan Ziwen was speechless for a moment.

While he might not excel in design or creativity, Jing Hongchen's skills in depicting formations and crafting high-level equipment are undoubtedly the best among the Sun and Moon Sect members.

There's simply no comparison!
(End of this chapter)