After entering Mingdu, Huo Yuhao slowed his pace, his eyes shimmering as he took in the ever-changing scenery of the capital.
Now, within Mingdu, many roads suitable for soul-guided vehicles had been constructed, with several cars already moving along them. The citizens walking the streets seemed accustomed to the sight, no longer finding the vehicles strange.
"This is really Mingdu?" Meng Hongchen gazed at the dazzling, radiant metropolis, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Huo Yuhao noticed that Mingdu seemed to have begun utilizing soul-guided electricity—street lamps lined the roads, and glowing signs adorned various shops.
Gradually, lost in admiration of Mingdu's transformation, the two lost track of time. By the time they arrived at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, they realized they had already reached their destination.
Recognizing Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen in the vehicle, the security personnel quickly opened the gates. Huo Yuhao drove to the base of the Hongchen residence and parked.
"Home at last."
"Home at last!"
Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen stepped out of the car, exclaiming in unison.
"After being away for so long, Grandfather must miss us a lot... Is he home?" Meng Hongchen dashed inside, searching every corner but failing to find Jing Hongchen. Disappointed, she shook her head and sighed.
Huo Yuhao gave a helpless smile. "Senior Meng, think about it—right now, the entire Sun Moon Empire is probably working on countless major projects, and the primary force behind them must be our Illustrious Virtue Hall. As the Hall Master, Master is undoubtedly swamped." He felt a twinge of guilt—he had been too busy enjoying himself with Meng Hongchen, leaving all the responsibilities to Jing Hongchen.
In truth, however, Jing Hongchen bore no resentment. On the contrary, he relished the work. Once these countless projects were completed, the Illustrious Virtue Hall would indisputably become the empire's pillar of stability. By then, no matter who sat on the throne, no one could do without the Hall. For an ambitious man like him, was there any greater motivation?
"By the way, is Little Rui not back yet?"
"Probably off stuffing her face somewhere again. No need to worry—she has plenty of money now, and Emperor Beast's reverse scale protects her. Senior Meng, let's head to the Illustrious Virtue Hall to find Master. It's been too long since we last saw him."
"Alright~"
"Salutations to the return of the Chief Designer!"
The moment Huo Yuhao stepped into the vast Illustrious Virtue Hall, it seemed every researcher inside became aware of his presence. In an instant, the entire hall fell silent—only for a thunderous greeting to erupt the next moment.
Every white-coated researcher stood up, facing him. "Chief Designer!" Their voices echoed through the hall.
Huo Yuhao and Meng Hongchen froze in shock. Under the fervent gazes of so many researchers, Huo Yuhao swallowed hard. He felt he should say something. "Ah... everyone, I'm back." Cheers and applause erupted once more.
How could they not revere Huo Yuhao, the Illustrious Virtue Hall's Chief Designer? Thanks to the large-scale projects he had proposed, the status of the Hall's researchers had soared to unprecedented heights. It was no exaggeration to say that being a researcher here now commanded respect from every stratum of society—from nobles to commoners. With the empire's financial backing, the Hall was practically overflowing with wealth, granting researchers endless rare metals and resources for production and research.
Huo Yuhao raised a hand, signaling for silence. "Everyone, please return to your duties. Right now, what matters isn't me—it's all of you, and the grand projects shaping the future of our empire."
After enduring a lengthy round of enthusiastic small talk from several high-ranking researchers, Huo Yuhao finally managed to extricate himself and reach the Hall Master's office. "The cult of personality is terrifying," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. Meng Hongchen stifled a laugh at his flustered state.
Entering the office, they found Jing Hongchen already waiting for them. Seated at his desk, the Hall Master looked not wearied by long hours of work, but rejuvenated, his face glowing with vitality.
"Master, we've returned," Huo Yuhao said with a faint smile.
"Grandfather~!" Meng Hongchen rushed forward in a playful manner, embracing Jing Hongchen, who chuckled warmly.
"Hahaha... Good to have you back. I thought you two rascals had forgotten this old man."
"Impossible, Master," Huo Yuhao shook his head.
Once Meng Hongchen finished her affectionate display, the two settled onto the office sofa. "So, what have you accomplished during your travels? Tell me everything."
"That's a long story..." Huo Yuhao began recounting the major events of the past half-year in detail—discovering the Jade Ice Elixir recipe to resolve Meng Hongchen's bloodline issue, capturing the Heaven Dou Empire's Princess Weina in the Extreme North, locating the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave in the Douling Empire, and the crowning achievement: signing a cooperative agreement with Emperor Beast regarding spirit souls.
By the time Huo Yuhao finished, Jing Hongchen's jaw had nearly dropped to the floor. "Yuhao, your journey was anything but ordinary... This old master needs time to digest all this." With so many staggering revelations, he hardly knew where to begin expressing his astonishment.
"Hongchen's problem has a solution now? That's wonderful... Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow—I never imagined you'd find such a priceless treasure. Wait." Jing Hongchen suddenly froze, replaying Huo Yuhao's words in his mind. He shot to his feet, eyes wide with disbelief. "The Heaven Dou Empire's princess? Emperor Beast?! Yuhao, this—"
Huo Yuhao smiled. "Indeed, Master. In the future, the Spirit Pagoda under our Illustrious Virtue Hall will collaborate with the Great Star Dou Forest to advance the spirit soul system."
Meng Hongchen nodded. "Thanks to Emperor Beast, my dear brother even received a thirty-thousand-year Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear spirit soul."
Jing Hongchen took a deep breath. This was all too unbelievable... Yet, he couldn't help but chuckle wryly. With the Snow Empress protecting Huo Yuhao, was it really so strange that he could negotiate with Emperor Beast?
(End of Chapter)
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