"The most basic ranged soul tool—let's start with level-5..."
In the empty shooting range,
Xuan Ziwen recorded all sorts of data.
He wore a high-tech visor, tracking the level-5 soul cannon's firing rate, pre-shot delay in milliseconds, and power decay over distance.
Even Su Wen was impressed.
Professional work, done by professionals.
"Next!"
Xuan Ziwen pondered over the data, nodding to Su Wen.
So, all morning, the two tested one soul tool after another.
Their research into combining soul tool tech and metal forging, once a blank slate, was now taking its first steps—the information bank filling up.
Boom~!!
With a puff of black smoke from the level-8 soul cannon, a distant high-level target shattered into flying debris. Su Wen collected it into his storage ring and walked over to Xuan Ziwen.
The latter seemed dazed.
"Phew..."
After a long while, he exhaled deeply.
"Level-8 ranged soul cannon—hundred-forged metal boosts power by 1.5 times, thousand-forged by 2.3 times. No need to test level-9, we can't even make one anyway."
"Looks like, as soul tool levels rise, the performance boost from forging drops. Thousand forging at level-9 might be only 1.5 times, maybe even 1.3 or 1.4," Su Wen frowned.
"No! Don't say that!" Xuan Ziwen's eyes showed a hint of blood. He was excited. "If you can still double the power at level-8, that's amazing! If you can boost level-9 by 1.5 times, that's what every level-9 soul engineer dreams of! Do you know how hard it is to boost power, even a little, at level-9?!"
"If it's so useful, haven't your empire's soul engineers tried it?" Su Wen raised an eyebrow.
"It's laughable..." Xuan Ziwen sighed. "In the Sun Moon Empire, everyone's obsessed with being a soul engineer, but only that. There isn't the same diversity as the original continent, no deep heritage. Forget divine craftsmen—even thousand-forge blacksmiths are nearly extinct."
"You can do thousand forging, even create spirit—that truly amazed me."
"If I could alloy forge or even do 'soul forging,' you'd be blown away," Su Wen grinned.
"Don't joke… impossible..." Xuan Ziwen shook his head, as if hearing a fairy tale.
But the room was silent.
Xuan Ziwen stiffened, swallowed, and slowly turned to see Su Wen smiling at him without speaking.
"You're... serious, aren't you?!"
"..."
"Really, it feels like the soul tool is alive!" Xuan Ziwen was as excited as a child. Only after personally experiencing it did he realize the difference between a soul-forged soul tool and a regular one.
Soul power flowed instantly, losses plummeted, and the whole tool felt alive...
"This is the trait of legendary personal soul tools," Xuan Ziwen marveled.
"Soul-forged products are truly extraordinary," Su Wen admitted.
The level-8 soul tool core, combined with soul-forged metal, had changed dramatically. It roared wantonly, and Su Wen could almost sense a trace of excitement in that huge boom—as if it was finally freed from a miserable past with lousy parts.
Today, it had finally unleashed its true power.
"For level-8 soul tools, a 4.3-fold power boost—pure increase!" Xuan Ziwen panted, unable to contain his excitement.
"This power matches weaker level-9 soul cannons!"
"What if we use it on level-9 tools?"
"Or even... humanoid soul tools?!" Xuan Ziwen breathed hard.
In the Sun Moon Empire, humanoid soul tools were a core theme for the next decades—highly classified, but as a top Mingde Hall teacher, he knew and had seen such secrets.
"You're not hiding this from me?" Su Wen smiled.
"No need..." Xuan Ziwen shook his head.
"Honestly, I really want to try combining divine craftsman-forged metal with a soul tool array."
Clearly, Su Wen's offer was irresistible...
"But as for the battle armor you mentioned..." Xuan Ziwen mused, "To be honest, there are too many technical challenges. Right now, in the Sun Moon Empire, humanoid soul tools are still central. Even Hall Master Jing Hongchen would need layers of approval to borrow one, let alone dismantle it. Afterward, it'd be closely inspected."
"Getting a new one is hard?"
"Harder than hard."
"Unless we get outside help." Xuan Ziwen glanced at Su Wen, who looked back. Both couldn't help but smile.
"I won't say more, you know what to do. As for the secret location for humanoid soul tools, I'll get you the info in a week. Finding it isn't hard; the hard part is getting away with it. I suck at combat, so you'll have to handle that..." Xuan Ziwen frowned.
"For me, fighting isn't hard—getting the map is," Su Wen grinned.
Their gazes met, almost bursting into laughter.
When two men scheme together, the division of labor comes naturally—especially when plotting mischief...
"Alright, wait for my news."
Xuan Ziwen wiped his face, suppressed his laughter, and hurried off.
Su Wen cleaned up the shooting range and headed for the dorm.
He reviewed the test data in his mind.
Metal forging visibly improved soul tools, and soul-forged metals boosted level-5 tools by seven times! This was a shocking discovery that could shake the soul engineer world.
Even if the Sun Moon Empire found out early, he wasn't worried.
The best blacksmiths were on the original continent.
Divine craftsmen were in Shrek.
So what if they knew? All they could do was stress out.
Blacksmiths weren't easy to train. Ordinary ones, sure, but to reach thousand-forge level, you needed a master to guide you. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many apprentices in forges.
As Su Wen happily swiped his card to enter the dorm—
The door opened automatically.
A tall, tanned girl in a maid outfit smiled, bowing deeply to reveal enticing curves.
"Welcome home, Master!"
Su Wen: "..."
"Please change your shoes."
Na Na bent down, placed slippers at Su Wen's feet, saw him stiffen, smiled, squatted down, lifted his feet one by one, gently took off his shoes, and slid on the slippers.
Then she pulled Su Wen to the table.
It was full of delicious dishes.
"Mm..."
Su Wen tried a bite—unexpectedly good.
Not a disaster at all.
As evening fell—
In the bedroom.
Su Wen looked at Na Na, already under the covers with only her smooth arms showing, and twitched his mouth: "Actually, warming the bed is..."
"You said yourself this morning—it's a required maid skill," Na Na replied seriously.
Su Wen: "..."
Had he dug his own grave?
"Come on up." Na Na's usually serious face finally flushed, peeking out from under the covers.
Her beautiful figure was barely hidden.
If Ma Xiaotao was a ripe peach, then Na Na was a wild panther—tanned, healthy, exuding a natural allure that made men want to conquer her. Even through the blanket, her silhouette was clear.
"Just one last step~" Na Na licked her lips, a seductive smile on her face.
"Hoo..." Su Wen took a deep breath.
He was getting stirred up, too.
He pressed in close.
Feeling her softness, breathing in her scent, his desire flared. It would be a sleepless night...
Su Wen climbed onto the bed, and he pulled back the covers. Na Na lay there completely naked, her tanned skin glistening under the dim light of the dorm room.
Her full, firm breasts rose and fell with her quickening breaths, the dark nipples already hardening in anticipation. Her toned legs were slightly parted, revealing the smooth, untouched folds of her pussy—pink and slick with arousal, framed by a neat patch of dark hair.
She looked both vulnerable and intoxicating, her body a canvas of wild beauty waiting to be claimed.
Su Wen's eyes darkened with lust as he stripped off his own clothes, his cock springing free—thick, veined, and throbbing with need.
It was already rock-hard, the tip glistening with pre-cum.
Na Na's gaze locked onto it, her cheeks flushing deeper as she bit her lower lip, a mix of nervousness and excitement in her eyes.
"Master... I've never... this is my first time," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly, but her seductive smile held firm.
He leaned down, capturing her lips in a deep, hungry kiss.
Their tongues danced, her taste sweet and intoxicating, like wild honey. His hands roamed her body, cupping her breasts and teasing her nipples with his thumbs, eliciting soft whimpers from her throat.
"You're so beautiful," he murmured against her skin, trailing kisses down her neck to her collarbone.
Na Na arched her back, her breath hitching as waves of pleasure tingled through her—electric sparks that made her core ache with a need she'd never felt before.
Su Wen's fingers slid lower, parting her thighs gently. He traced the outer lips of her pussy, feeling the heat and wetness there.
Na Na gasped, her hips bucking instinctively. "Ah... Master, that feels... so good," she moaned, her voice breathy and laced with surprise.
As he slipped a finger inside her tight, virgin entrance, she winced slightly, a brief flash of pain crossing her face, but it quickly melted into pleasure as he moved slowly, stretching her with care.
Her inner walls clenched around him, hot and slick, and she let out a low, throaty moan, her eyes fluttering shut. "More... please, it hurts a little, but... it feels amazing."
Encouraged, Su Wen positioned himself between her legs, the head of his cock pressing against her entrance.
He rubbed it along her folds, coating himself in her juices, before pushing in slowly.
Na Na cried out, a sharp gasp escaping her lips as he broke through her hymen—the initial pain making her nails dig into his shoulders, her face contorting in a mix of discomfort and ecstasy.
"Ow... ahh! It's... so big," she panted, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, but her body betrayed her words, her hips lifting to meet him as the pain faded into a delicious fullness.
Once fully inside, buried to the hilt in her tight, virgin pussy, Su Wen paused, letting her adjust.
The sensation was overwhelming for both of them—her walls gripping him like a vice, hot and pulsing, sending jolts of pleasure straight to his core.
"You're so tight... so perfect," he groaned, his voice rough with desire.
Na Na's expression softened into one of pure bliss, her mouth forming an 'O' as she moaned louder, "Yes... oh gods, Master, it feels incredible now. Fill me... move!"
He began to thrust, slow at first, each motion drawing out gasps and whimpers from her. Her breasts bounced with every push, her nipples brushing against his chest, heightening the sensations.
Pleasure built like a storm inside her—waves of heat radiating from her pussy, making her toes curl and her back arch.
"Ahh! Harder... yes, like that!" she cried, her face flushed and eyes glazed with ecstasy, sweat beading on her tanned skin.
Su Wen picked up the pace, his cock slamming into her with rhythmic force, the wet sounds of their bodies colliding filling the room.
He reached down to rub her clit, swollen and sensitive, and Na Na shattered—her first orgasm crashing over her like a tidal wave.
She screamed his name, "Master! I'm... cumming!" Her pussy clenched around him in spasms, milking his cock as juices gushed out, soaking the sheets.
The intensity pushed Su Wen over the edge. With a deep growl, he thrust one final time, burying himself deep as he came, hot spurts of cum filling her completely.
The feeling of release was euphoric, his body shuddering with pleasure as he collapsed onto her, both of them panting and entangled.
Na Na's expression was one of utter satisfaction, a lazy smile on her lips as she wrapped her arms around him. "That was... everything," she whispered, her voice hoarse from moaning.
They lay there, bodies slick with sweat and fluids, the night far from over. Su Wen's desire reignited quickly, and soon they were lost in round after round, exploring every inch of each other until dawn broke.
...
Time flew by.
Days passed quickly.
Xuan Ziwen brought back news: in an underground arsenal on the east side of Mingdu, the Sun Moon Empire's latest humanoid soul tools were stored. Su Wen hadn't told the Body Sect yet.
He planned to act after returning from the Demonic Forest.
Yes, Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena had finished dealing with the Star Dou Forest and finally arrived.
The Body Sect was proving very useful—thank goodness Elder Mu hadn't stamped them out. Where else would he find such good elders?
…
Demonic Forest.
The deeper they went, the more towering the trees—but each looked twisted and strange.
Their branches grotesque, as if influenced by the true master of the forest—the Evil-Eyed Tyrant.
"Actually, even if you brought me, it might not listen," Gu Yuena said softly along the way.
"Strictly speaking, it doesn't belong to this continent. With me here, you'll at least be safe."
"The Sun Moon Empire owes much of its soul tool success to the Evil Emperor. Before it arrived, they were still primitive. Of course, the empire treats it as a national totem, and the emblem you see now is modeled after it."
"..."
"If I take away the Evil Emperor, will the Sun Moon Empire go crazy?" Su Wen asked.
"It is their spiritual anchor."
"Who knows," Gu Yuena shrugged, "But from what I sense, the Evil Emperor has some spatial powers. It showed them in a fight with Di Tian—even Di Tian was hurt and took a long time to recover. If you can capture it, I'm curious how you'll evolve."
"Pure spiritual attribute, like Skydream?"
"Or could it be... the time-space power even I dream of?"