Douluo Continent: Becoming a disciple of Jing Liu, illuminating all the gods

Chapter 68 Disappearance

(Brothers, I'm really just padding this out, there's really no need for this. I'll be going straight to B-level at the end of the month. I also hope those who have stuck with me this far will join the group 681263581. The new book will be released soon, don't worry, this time I promise it won't be padded, it'll be high quality and quantity.)

The Body Sect did not remain silent. Instead, it immediately issued a strong condemnation within the Heavenly Soul Empire, accusing the Mingde Hall of issuing a kill order against them without distinguishing right from wrong. It also stated firmly that the Body Sect had nothing to do with this matter and that anyone who dared to retaliate would bear the consequences.

Regardless of whether the Body Sect acknowledges it or not, after this incident, the Body Sect's status on the continent soared dramatically, subtly surpassing Shrek Academy and Mingde Hall, and it began to resemble the number one power on the continent.

Since the outbreak, Chen Qiye has disappeared, and because the Mingde Hall blocked the news of his disappearance, it did not reach Shrek Academy...

And so Huo Yuhao and his companions spent the next few years.

The news of Chen Qiye's disappearance could not be suppressed in the end. Elder Xuan personally questioned him, and Mingde Hall was even disturbed again. However, the only response he received was that they would speed up the search. But Chen Qiye seemed to have evaporated, never having been to the entire Douluo Continent.

(Finish)

ヽ(o).

"What? You want to see the hall master?" Lin Jiayi looked at the young man standing in front of him, his eyes showing surprise.

The two-year exchange program was coming to an end. Apart from Chen Qiye, who had suddenly disappeared, the other Shrek Academy students performed adequately, with many talented individuals among them. However, the most vivid memory of the young man before them was that exchange competition. Afterwards, he sat in meditation for half a year, yet his cultivation made no progress.

Huo Yuhao nodded and said, "Is that alright? We're about to leave. Before we go, I'd like to express my gratitude to the Hall Master, and I also have something I'd like to discuss with him."

For an ordinary student, how difficult would it be to even catch a glimpse of Jing Hongchen, the Master of Mingde Hall? It would be practically impossible. Who is the Master of Mingde Hall? In the Sun Moon Empire, he is second only to the Emperor.

But this student in front of her was different; his status was so special that Lin Jiayi didn't dare to refuse him easily.

"Alright. Please wait a moment while I ask the sect leader if he has time to see you."

"Okay." Huo Yuhao sat down to the side, keeping his eyes, nose, mouth and mind focused, looking very serious.

Lin Jiayi picked up the internal sound transmission soul tool and transmitted it outwards through special soul power fluctuations.

A moment later, the voice of Jing Hongchen, the master of Mingde Hall, came through the receiver.

"Hmm, Huo Yuhao wants to see me? Okay, bring him here." Jing Hongchen readily agreed to Huo Yuhao's request. Actually, he was very curious about why this genius from Shrek Academy wanted to see him. Could it be that he wants to transfer to my Mingde Hall? It's not impossible!

Thinking of this, Jing Hongchen's mood instantly improved after the previous distress caused by Chen Qiye's disappearance.

Led by Lin Jiayi, Huo Yuhao arrived at the office of Jing Hongchen, the head of Mingde Hall.

"Greetings, Master." Huo Yuhao stepped forward and bowed politely.

Jing Hongchen smiled slightly and said, "Please sit down."

Huo Yuhao did not sit down, but remained standing and said, "I have something I'd like to discuss with you privately, is that alright?"

Jing Hongchen paused for a moment, then waved to Lin Jiayi.

Lin Jiayi's lips twitched slightly, and he thought to himself: The sect leader really spoils this kid. But he didn't hesitate, quickly leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

"Now you can speak." Jing Hongchen sized up the young man before him. In the two years since, Huo Yuhao had grown considerably taller and was now a young man. He was athletic, with broad shoulders and a slender waist. Jing Hongchen was even surprised to find that Huo Yuhao seemed to possess a unique aura. His originally ordinary face now appeared calm and resolute, exuding a charm that only a mature man could display. Especially his exceptionally bright eyes, which were unforgettable at first sight.

Huo Yuhao said, "It's been over two years since I came to our Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. During these two years, I have received a lot of care and help from the Hall Master, which has enabled me to make great progress in the production and use of soul tools. Our exchange program is about to end. Although a big problem has occurred during these two years, I would like to give you a personal gift to express my gratitude."

"Giving me a gift?" Jing Hongchen was immediately intrigued; no student had ever done this before. In fact, no one dared to. He never imagined that Huo Yuhao had come to see him to give him a gift.

Jing Hongchen looked at Huo Yuhao with a half-smile and said, "I'm afraid this gift of yours won't be easy to accept."

Huo Yuhao quickly shook his head and said, "Of course not, it's just a way of expressing my gratitude. It's a soul tool I made myself, and I hope you like it."

As he spoke, he reached into the Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon at his waist and took out a black metal box, which he placed in front of Jing Hongchen.

"Master, this is just a model of a soul tool for you as a souvenir. I've already installed the mechanisms. If you need to use it, just do it like this..." He said, demonstrating it to Jing Hongchen a few times.

If Xuan Ziwen were here, he would definitely notice that the metal box Huo Yuhao gave to Jing Hongchen was exactly the same as the one that had first shocked him...

Jing Hongchen took the metal box and examined it. This soul tool was indeed crudely made, lacking any sense of quality. He slightly activated his soul power to sense it and discovered that it contained nothing more than a simple energy-gathering core array.

"Okay, thank you." Although he felt a little disdainful, he didn't show it.

Huo Yuhao bowed respectfully and said, "Then I'll take my leave. Goodbye, Hall Master." After saying that, he turned and left without lingering.

Huo Yuhao left, but Jing Hongchen's lips curled into a playful smile. Was this kid trying to tell me he hadn't learned anything at all, and was sending me this junk to mock me for not teaching him anything real? He's got some nerve! Teaching me to use this piece of junk that probably doesn't even qualify as a level one soul tool?

As he thought about it, he subconsciously followed Huo Yuhao's instructions and pressed the button on the wall in front of him.

In Jing Hongchen's view, this was at most a soul-guided ray, and its power wouldn't be too great. When he activated his soul power earlier, he discovered that there was soul power stored within the energy-gathering core array, which Huo Yuhao must have just poured in and hadn't had time to dissipate yet.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." A series of whooshing sounds rang out, startling Jing Hongchen.

Immediately afterward, a series of "thump-thump" sounds came from the opposite wall. Jing Hongchen subconsciously glanced at the black box in her hand, then quickly stepped out from behind the desk. At that moment, a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in." Jing Hongchen stopped in her tracks.

Lin Jiayi walked in from outside. "Master, is there anything else you need?"

Upon seeing him, Jing Hongchen continued walking towards the opposite wall and quickly found several small iron arrows that were completely embedded in the wall.

He turned around, picked up the black box, infused it with a bit of soul power, and pressed the button again. Another series of "whoosh" sounds rang out. After a shadow flashed by, a sound came from the opposite wall.

"this……"

A look of surprise and uncertainty flashed in Jing Hongchen's eyes. He suddenly understood something and immediately said to Lin Jiayi, "Go and call Huo Yuhao back to me."

"Yes." Lin Jiayi didn't dare to ask any more questions, turned around and ran to call Huo Yuhao.

How does this soul tool trigger its core magic circle to eject the arrow? It's not a soul-guided ray; it's more like a pre-installed soul tool model. Even more frightening is that this pre-installed soul tool doesn't require soul power to activate; instead, it's simply activated by pressing a button with your hand after injecting soul power. How is this triggering device made?

Almost impatiently, Jing Hongchen wanted to open the black box. But as soon as he moved, a series of clanging sounds came from inside the black box.

"Self-destruct device. Good bastard!" Jing Hongchen didn't need to look to know that the internal device was broken and could no longer be used.

Huo Yuhao had just left, so it wasn't difficult to call him back, especially since he was walking very slowly and didn't seem to have gone far.

In a short while, he was standing in front of the Mingde Hall Master Jing Hongchen again.

"Speak, what is your purpose?" Jing Hongchen asked in a deep voice.

This time, Huo Yuhao didn't ask Lin Jiayi to leave. He just looked at him blankly and asked, "What's your purpose?"

Jing Hongchen's heart skipped a beat. This kid is a real actor!

"This." He shook the black box in his hand.

Huo Yuhao was taken aback for a moment and said, "This doesn't have any purpose! It's just a souvenir for you. Huh, why is it broken?" As the mirror dust shook, a "cracking" sound came from the black box, indicating that its internal structure had been damaged.

A hint of confusion and sadness flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. "Master, I only gave it to you as a keepsake. Even if you look down on this little thing I made, you don't have to break it, do you?"

Jing Hongchen almost believed Huo Yuhao's sincerity; the kid's acting was too convincing. "Alright, stop pretending. Get straight to the point and name your price. I need the specific structure of that trigger device." With his keen eye, he could certainly see the ingenious use of the trigger device inside the black box.

Huo Yuhao looked completely bewildered and said, "What triggering device? It's just a little gadget I made on a whim. And I've already given it to you!"

Still playing dumb? Jing Hongchen felt her patience was about to run out. "I mean, I need the internal structure of this black box. Draw a diagram. If there are no problems, I'm willing to pay you."

"Oh, I see." Huo Yuhao looked like he suddenly understood. "But, Master, this is something I've been struggling to figure out. It won't be cheap to sell!"

Jing Hongchen said irritably, "Name your price. Do I look like a stingy person?"

Huo Yuhao stretched out one hand, fingers spread wide, then after thinking for a moment, he withdrew two fingers, leaving only his index, middle, and ring fingers.

"Three items, three level-nine soul tools, I'll trade with you."

He spoke so naturally and casually, as if asking Jing Hongchen for three bags of rice were as easy as it seemed.

Lin Jiayi nearly spat out blood. What?! Three level-nine soul tools! What did this kid think level-nine soul tools were? A level-nine soul tool master would expend countless hours and materials to create a perfect level-nine soul tool. And this broken iron box was selling for three level-nine soul tools?

When Chen Qiye disappeared, Jing Hongchen was almost forced to give him nine level-nine soul tools as compensation for his poor care. So why should Huo Yuhao dare to ask me for level-nine soul tools just because of these few?

Jing Hongchen's facial muscles instantly stiffened, and the smile he had been wearing vanished in an instant. "Kid, are you trying to rip me off?"

Huo Yuhao shook his head and said, "No! I just think my research is very valuable and worth the price. Besides, the price can be discussed further, don't you think?"

At that moment, he earnestly raised his other hand, pressed his ring finger back down from the three fingers he had extended, and said, "Two items, is that alright?"

Jing Hongchen was speechless. "What a load of rubbish! Your trigger device may have some value, but how can it compare to a level nine soul tool?"

Huo Yuhao said, "Then a level nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon shell will do. I'm not picky."

Jing Hongchen almost spat out the word "get lost." He then remembered how this kid had been rigging things with him during the exchange competition. Clearly, he had deliberately brought this soul tool over to him today, intending to sell it to someone for a higher price.

However, Jing Hongchen wasn't actually angry; in fact, he was somewhat relieved. At least Huo Yuhao had shown him the soul tool instead of returning directly to Shrek Academy and leaving him completely unaware. This triggering device would be extremely effective if applied to fixed soul tools. Moreover, its principle, when combined with other soul tools, would have obvious benefits. This triggering meant that ordinary people could also use fully charged soul tools! Furthermore, he had heard from Xuan Ziwen that the recent research into the problem of sealing milk bottles seemed to have a chance of being solved.

If this triggering device were combined with excellent soul tools and sealed milk bottles, then organizing an army of non-soul masters capable of using soul tools would no longer be a dream! Even if it were expensive, it would be worthwhile. If His Highness the Crown Prince had such an army, would there be any need to fight for the throne? It would be practically a sure thing, and his own status in the empire would undoubtedly rise even higher, leaving a lasting mark on history.

Thinking of this, Jing Hongchen felt a surge of excitement. Forcibly suppressing his anger, he frowned and said, "Student Huo, your invention is indeed quite good. It will certainly help the development of fixed-position soul tools. But you should understand that this is only a relatively rudimentary structure, and it still needs continuous improvement. All of this work needs to be done by ourselves. Therefore, while I am willing to pay a certain amount for it, it cannot be excessive. Please propose a condition that we can all accept. Otherwise, there's nothing to discuss."

Huo Yuhao remained silent for a full minute before finally saying with some difficulty, "Alright. Since you're so sincere, Hall Master, I'll just tell you my bottom line."

As he spoke, he raised his left hand again and pressed down the index finger of his remaining two fingers on his right hand, leaving only a long, straight middle finger...

Jing Hongchen stared at the particularly glaring middle finger, remaining silent for several seconds before finally reacting, her anger surging. "Get out!"

Lin Jiayi's face was also extremely ugly. If Jing Hongchen hadn't been there, he probably would have stepped forward and attacked directly.

Huo Yuhao, seemingly oblivious to their anger, chuckled and said, "Even if the deal falls through, let's remain friendly. Don't be angry. I'll keep this as a souvenir for you; see how magnanimous I am? Goodbye then. You just ruined this masterpiece of mine and insulted me. I've decided to raise the price back to three level-nine soul tools. And there's no room for negotiation. Think it over carefully."

After saying that, he turned around and walked out casually.

Jing Hongchen wanted to call out to him, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do so. Looking at the black box in her hand, the previous thought resurfaced in her mind.

The baby bottle connects to an energy-gathering soul guide device, which is then activated via a special triggering mechanism. A level four baby bottle stores enough soul power to release at least dozens of soul-guided rays on the battlefield…

"Tell him to come back," Jing Hongchen finally said to Lin Jiayi with difficulty.

Lin Jiayi still hadn't figured out what was going on, but seeing Jing Hongchen's indignant expression, he couldn't help but say, "Master, you can't be too lenient with this kid. How about I go and teach him a lesson?"

"I told you to call him back, can't you understand human language?" Jing Hongchen roared. Startled, Lin Jiayi turned and ran out.

A minute later, Huo Yuhao stood in front of Jing Hongchen again.

(End of this chapter)