Ma Jieke was over forty, with soul power at only six rings, a Soul Emperor. In Chu Chengzhou's eyes he was no genius, yet his talent with soul tools was not weak.
He might not match those top eighth-rank soul tool grandmasters, but he could still craft seventh-rank soul tools of peak quality, a standout among seventh-rank soul engineers.
At present, the Sun Moon Continent divided soul engineers and soul tools in a crude way. Anyone who could manufacture an eighth-rank soul tool was an eighth-rank soul engineer.
A soul tool whose attack could rival an eight-ring assault-type Soul Douluo was an eighth-rank attack-type soul tool. A soul tool that could block an eight-ring assault-type Soul Douluo's strike was an eighth-rank defense-type soul tool.
Eighth-rank soul tools were also the highest tier currently on the Sun Moon Continent. Ninth-rank soul tools that could be measured against nine-ring Titled Douluo had yet to appear.
Which meant eighth-rank soul engineers stood at the continent's apex, few enough to count on one hand.
As a standout among seventh-rank soul engineers, Ma Jieke absolutely counted as a leader in the field, at least among the top ten soul engineers on the Sun Moon Continent.
Of course, this was only what Chu Chengzhou knew. Perhaps under the banner of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family, the continent's sole empire, a ninth-rank soul engineer had already emerged, only not yet stepped into the open.
Whether the Sun Moon Empire had birthed a ninth-rank soul engineer held no interest for Chu Chengzhou.
The battle armor he wanted was not the same as ordinary soul tools. As long as the craftsmanship was top-tier in the trade, whether seventh, eighth, or ninth rank made little difference.
In fact, someone like Ma Jieke, with good talent and potential and not too old, a "young soul engineer," was better than those "old fossils" whose thinking had long since set.
Chu Chengzhou would not treat talent too roughly.
After all, the Void Illusion Realm could control for a time, but not forever. The man had talent, and he wanted to recruit him. Treating him with courtesy was only proper.
After showing Ma Jieke his own soul ring configuration, Chu Chengzhou extended an olive branch.
Ma Jieke accepted it, but set one condition: avenge him.
Soul masters' talent varies, and true geniuses are few. Most soul masters are average.
Just as Chu Chengzhou in his previous life had a childhood dream of becoming a scientist, in a world where strength is revered, every soul master dreams of becoming a Titled Douluo.
Some with good talent fulfill that dream, but for the vast majority it remains only a dream, unreachable for life.
Among those who will never reach Titled Douluo, many take a crooked path for power and become infamous evil soul masters.
Some soul masters with fine talent also become evil soul masters due to their martial souls' traits, in hopes of going farther on the path, regardless of endless slaughter.
On the Douluo Continent there is Spirit Hall, a powerful soul master organization that represents faith in the Angel God of light and holiness and takes suppressing evil soul masters as its mission.
Thus to most commoners and soul masters on the Douluo Continent, evil soul masters are just a legend, very distant from themselves.
The Sun Moon Continent is different. There is no Spirit Hall here, no powerful soul master organization that "with nothing better to do" takes suppressing evil soul masters as its mission.
After all, evil soul masters are not weak. Suppressing them means blood and sacrifice.
Other than the Sun Moon Empire's royal family and government, which must maintain imperial stability, there is no force on the Sun Moon Continent that carries out strict crackdowns on evil soul masters.
The Douluo Continent's soul master world has powerful clans and sects. The Sun Moon Continent does as well.
As the saying goes, some are willing to risk their lives to pull the emperor from his horse. The imperial court and royal family lack the strength to suppress all other forces in the soul master world. It is natural that there are forces in the shadows thinking of changing dynasties.
Therefore the Sun Moon Empire's royal family and government cannot commit all their strength to suppressing evil soul masters. If too many imperial powerhouses fall, how will imperial authority be kept secure later?
All these factors together led to evil soul masters on the Sun Moon Continent springing up endlessly and even becoming a force.
The Moon Worship Cult was one such evil soul master organization, and the strongest and most notorious of them all.
As the continent's number one evil soul master organization, its crimes were beyond counting. Those with blood-deep hatred against it were many.
Unfortunately, Ma Jieke was one of them.
When he was young, Ma Jieke apprenticed under an eighth-rank soul tool grandmaster. After showing fine talent and potential in soul engineering, that teacher even promised his own delicate daughter to Ma Jieke.
His teacher became his father-in-law. The delicate junior sister became his wife, and bore him a chubby son. At that point Ma Jieke had reached the peak of his life.
Sadly, before he could enjoy that peak for long, disaster struck.
The Moon Worship Cult approached his father-in-law, inviting the eighth-rank soul tool grandmaster to join and serve as an elder.
What was the Moon Worship Cult? A notorious evil soul master organization. What decent person would join it?
"We who are righteous cannot walk with evil soul masters."
Without a word, Ma Jieke's father-in-law refused and even sent the Moon Worship Cult's envoy straight to the City Lord's Mansion.
After he calmed down, Ma Jieke's father-in-law did consider the issue of retaliation. He hurriedly wrote to friends and the Sun Moon Empire authorities for help.
As one of the continent's notable soul tool grandmasters, his connections were not bad.
Unfortunately, the Moon Worship Cult's revenge came too fast.
From the cult's perspective, refusal was fine. It was not as if they had to have him. But sending their envoy to the City Lord's Mansion? Publicly humiliating them? The Moon Worship Cult launched retaliation at once.
In just three days, before aid could arrive, Ma Jieke's father-in-law's household was massacred by the cult's thugs. His father-in-law, wife, and child all died tragically at their hands. Ma Jieke survived only because he happened to be out hunting soul beasts with a friend.
Such a blood-deep hatred cannot be washed away by all the waters of the world. From then on, Ma Jieke set foot on the road of revenge.
But the Moon Worship Cult was powerful. It had more than one Titled Douluo. He alone could not contend with it.
Ma Jieke knew his cultivation talent could not compare to the continent's true geniuses. It would be hard for him to become a Titled Douluo. He could only pin his hope for revenge on his talent as a soul engineer.
If one day he could become a ninth-rank soul engineer and manufacture ninth-rank soul tools that posed a mortal threat to Titled Douluo, how could he fail to eradicate the Moon Worship Cult?
In terms of strength, the cult could not match the empire. He believed that if he chose to join the empire at that time, it would surely help him take revenge.
So, bearing that blood-deep hatred, Ma Jieke threw himself into soul tool research.
After more than ten years, now a little over forty, Ma Jieke had become a standout among seventh-rank soul engineers and even hoped to reach eighth rank in the next few years.
Just then, a powerhouse with a soul ring configuration of four black and five red, a strength enough to dominate the age, extended an olive branch to him. Why hesitate?
T/N: For 40 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle