Xu Tiannan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a low voice, "Is it possible to develop soul tools that ordinary people can use freely?"
Huo Yuhao frowned slightly. 'The way he's asking… does he actually want regular people to be armed with soul tools?' That kind of power in the hands of commoners could pose a direct challenge to the old order—perhaps even to imperial authority itself.
"There is a chance," Huo Yuhao replied, "but it requires breakthroughs in several key technical fields. Your Highness, do you truly wish for a future in which the citizens of the Sun and Moon Empire are equipped with soul tools capable of threatening soul masters and engineers?"
Xu Tiannan chuckled. "Hehe… of course I do. At present, our empire lacks enough soul engineers, and even fewer are willing to join the military. But if commoners could wield soul tools, then a million-strong army sweeping across the Three Nations of Douluo would be merely a matter of time."
"I know what you're really asking, Little Huo. You're worried that once the people are armed with such tools, they might challenge the Empire's ruling order… even the crown itself, yes?"
To Huo Yuhao's surprise, Xu Tiannan had spoken the concern out loud. Huo Yuhao simply nodded, saying nothing. In truth, he wasn't worried about royal authority falling—he was more worried that Xu Tiannan would be.
Xu Tiannan only grew more impressed with the young man. He was starting to think he and Huo Yuhao might just get along rather well.
In high spirits, Xu Tiannan continued, "When ordinary people begin to wield soul tools, the first to be threatened will be the old nobility. Hah, their lives have nothing to do with me."
"By the time the power of the people grows strong enough to truly challenge the throne, I'll be long gone. And the one who first began the revolution of soul tools—me—will go down in history."
Hearing Xu Tiannan's murmured words, Huo Yuhao's gaze sharpened. 'So that's it. As an extreme egoist, Xu Tiannan doesn't care what becomes of the Sun and Moon Empire. What he wants is prestige—glory. Letting ordinary people wield soul tools helps him cement his place in history, and clears away the nobles who divide national power.'
"Your Highness," Huo Yuhao said with a calm tone, "I didn't quite catch that last part."
Xu Tiannan just laughed. "Doesn't matter. Someone as brilliant as you, Little Huo, I'd be honored to have as a partner in achieving my vision. As for my brother—the Third Prince—whom you've been doing business with… I'll leave him in your care."
"I understand, Your Highness. I'll make sure to… properly look after your esteemed brother."
After chatting a little longer, Huo Yuhao took his leave as politely as he could.
Once safely back in his room at the academy, he finally allowed himself to breathe. He was exhausted.
'Talking to Xu Tiannan is draining… You have to watch every word you say, afraid of offending or raising suspicion.'
He sighed. 'If I had any other choice, I'd rather not get involved with someone like him.'
Huo Yuhao had considered supporting another royal heir—but that was easier said than done.
Right now, his greatest security came from the protection of Kong Deming.
'I wonder how long Grandpa Kong has left… He mentioned wanting to go into seclusion soon to break through to Rank Ten Soul Engineer.'
Time felt tight. Huo Yuhao sorted out his thoughts and resumed his preparations for cultivation.
"Right, I need to speak to Grandpa Kong tomorrow about acquiring my third soul ring. That matter… can't be delayed much longer."
In Kong Deming's palace residence, Huo Yuhao discussed the topic of his third soul ring with him.
"Yuhao, mental-type soul beasts are difficult to find," Kong Deming said with a sigh. "We can't just grab the first one that shows up and call it good enough."
He was growing concerned. Soon he would need to enter seclusion to try and break past the bottleneck of Rank Ten Soul Engineer. He didn't know how long it would take, so he needed to plan ahead carefully for Huo Yuhao.
After a moment of hesitation, Huo Yuhao made a decision and said, "Grandpa Kong, before we talk about my soul ring, I'd like to help you with something first. Please, sit still."
Kong Deming looked on in confusion as Huo Yuhao drew the same short dagger he had used to instantly kill Dai Huabin in the tournament.
The aura it released was incredibly intense—an overwhelming power of destruction. It felt disturbingly similar to the imperial family's martial soul: the Purple Radiant Extinction Dragon.
Even Kong Deming felt a chill. Now that Huo Yuhao was holding the dagger up close, the sheer presence of its destructive power was palpable.
'This level of destruction… I've never seen anything like it,' Kong Deming thought. 'How is Yuhao even holding it without being harmed?'
What shocked him even more was that hidden beneath that terrifying energy was another presence—calm, gentle, vital. It was life force.
"This dagger contains immense destructive power," Huo Yuhao explained. "After fusing with it, I was able to use that power. I used it in the tournament to instantly eliminate the White Tiger scion."
"But I didn't get destroyed myself—because hidden within the dagger is also an extremely potent force of life. My body has been completely transformed by it."
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao activated the life energy within the dagger.
Instantly, Kong Deming felt waves of dense life force surging into his body.
He hurriedly channeled his own soul power to absorb it.
This was one of Huo Yuhao's newest techniques—he could now control the dagger's life energy to flow into a single point, rather than disperse it over an area.
After one minute, the dagger's green glow dimmed. Any further use would have tapped into its core essence, which wasn't worth it. It would need time to regenerate naturally.
Kong Deming had already assumed a meditative position, calmly absorbing this miraculous energy.
Huo Yuhao was pleased to see the old man's complexion growing visibly more youthful as he absorbed the life force.
Thirty minutes passed before Kong Deming opened his eyes. Inside, his heart surged like a tidal wave.
Just one minute of that life energy had granted him unimaginable benefits—not only had his lifespan extended by at least fifty years, but his physical body had also undergone a fundamental transformation.
What he had expected would take him years—perhaps decades—of closed-door cultivation, he now believed he could achieve in just three years: the breakthrough to Rank Ten Soul Engineer. He even felt hopeful about advancing to Super Douluo.
"Grandpa," Huo Yuhao said when he saw Kong Deming awaken, "unfortunately, this life energy only seems to work on someone once. Otherwise, I'd keep using it to heal you."
Kong Deming shook his head gently and smiled. "What you've given me is already more than enough, my dear child."
(End of Chapter)
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