"That's right! Our Soul Hall truly is a great organization!" Jiang Shengyu said with a grin as he nodded proudly to Huo Yuhao.
"Once you graduate from the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, you'll be able to officially work for the Soul Hall. Though, you can already start by choosing a codename."
"Codename?" Huo Yuhao looked puzzled. "Why?"
Jiang Shengyu explained, "What we're doing at Soul Hall is bound to provoke suspicion and hostility from the traditional soul master clans of the three Douluo Kingdoms. To protect our people, everyone uses codenames instead of real names during missions. It's a layer of safety."
"I see!" Huo Yuhao nodded in realization. He looked at Jiang Shengyu curiously and asked,
"Then, Cousin, what's your codename?"
"Me?" Jiang Shengyu coughed lightly, then suddenly straightened his back and said in a serious tone:
"From now on, in the Soul Hall... I go by Xiao Yan."
Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up.
"That name! It sounds so imposing and cool! Totally worthy of you, Cousin!"
Jiang Shengyu chuckled and waved his hand.
"Alright, alright, keep it low-key. Come on, let me show you to your residence. After that long journey, you need a proper rest."
He took Huo Yuhao to a luxurious, well-furnished residence that had clearly been specially prepared.
Looking at the elegant décor and complete set of furniture, Huo Yuhao felt overwhelmed.
"This is… a bit much."
"Too fancy?" Jiang Shengyu smiled knowingly.
Huo Yuhao nodded.
"I've never stayed in such a nice place before."
Jiang Shengyu patted his shoulder.
"Don't overthink it. Just relax and make yourself at home. If there's one thing we don't lack in the Sun-Moon Empire, it's money."
In just the past few years, the empire had made a fortune exporting civilian-grade soul tools to the three Douluo kingdoms. The local governments may have tried to stop it, but what could they do? Oppose their own citizens?
After that, Huo Yuhao gratefully accepted the arrangement.
Once alone, he slumped onto the couch and let out a long sigh.
"Brother Tianmeng, it feels like I'm dreaming..."
"You're not the only one," the Skydream Iceworm murmured.
"That guy's a monster. And his sister too. I've never heard of soul rings being added without killing soul beasts!"
"The world's a big place—maybe we've just been ignorant," Yuhao replied with a smile.
"After all, you're one-of-a-kind too, aren't you?"
After a pause, the Skydream Iceworm nodded.
"True... I guess I'm the more monstrous one."
---
Huo Yuhao settled into Mingde Hall. Thanks to Jiang Shengyu's connections, he was admitted directly into the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy without needing to pass any exams. It didn't take long for his talents in soul tool design to shine.
His Spirit Eyes and Spiritual Detection were practically tailor-made for crafting and manipulating soul tools.
Xuan Ziwen, who had always been obsessed with soul tool development, couldn't sit still once he saw Yuhao's potential. He went straight to Jiang Shengyu—who was taking a nap at the research lab—and dragged him out by the arm.
Groggy and rubbing his eyes, Jiang Shengyu let himself be pulled along.
"Senior Brother, what's going on? Did Master finally decide to split his estate and send you to call me?"
"Stop talking nonsense," Xuan Ziwen replied, thumping him on the head.
Rubbing the spot, Jiang Shengyu grumbled,
"Alright, alright. What's so urgent?"
"It's about your cousin!"
Xuan Ziwen quickly explained his intention: he wanted to take Huo Yuhao as a personal disciple, and hoped Jiang Shengyu could mediate.
Jiang Shengyu wasn't surprised at all.
With Yuhao's talents, it would've been strange if Xuan Ziwen didn't want him.
---
They arrived at Yuhao's place while he was finishing an inscription for a level-one soul tool.
"Yuhao!"
Jiang Shengyu called from the doorway, beckoning him over.
Yuhao put down his tools and ran over.
"Cousin, Teacher Xuan, is something wrong?"
Jiang Shengyu cleared his throat and dragged Xuan Ziwen forward.
"My senior brother here wants to take you as a disciple, but he's too shy to ask, so he made me be the messenger."
"Junior Brother!" Xuan Ziwen exclaimed, clearly embarrassed. Despite his strength as a soul engineer, his social skills weren't the best—he was worried about being rejected.
"Don't be shy!" Jiang Shengyu chuckled, giving him a nudge forward.
"I'm not shy!" Xuan Ziwen grumbled, but then turned to Yuhao with a deep breath.
"Your cousin wasn't wrong. I'd like to take you as my personal disciple—but only if you're willing. The choice is yours."
Yuhao had heard many stories about Xuan Ziwen, and his respect for the man had only grown. With Jiang Shengyu nudging him from the side, Yuhao didn't hesitate.
"Teacher, please accept your disciple's bow!"
He stepped back and bowed respectfully.
"Good! Very good!"
Xuan Ziwen beamed, clearly pleased. He was confident that he could raise Huo Yuhao to be a Level 9 Soul Engineer, or even reach the mythical Level 10.
Jiang Shengyu threw an arm over Yuhao's shoulder and whispered,
"Hey, when it's just us, you can still call me Cousin. But if there are others around, call me 'Martial Uncle', alright?"
Yuhao nodded playfully.
"Got it, Cousin-Martial-Uncle."
Jiang Shengyu waved his hand.
"Okay, no. That sounds weird. Forget I said anything."
---
With Xuan Ziwen now officially his master, the Silvermoon Douluo lineage had entered its third generation. Even Jing Hongchen, normally too busy to breathe, made time to come back and gift Yuhao several Level 8 soul tools.
Kong Deming also generously gifted him two Level 9 defensive soul tools.
Jiang Shengyu blinked in surprise.
"Master, have we really increased production on Level 9 soul tools?"
In the original storyline, they were extremely rare. This many being given away was unexpected.
"Of course not!" Kong Deming huffed, waving his hand.
"If I hadn't begged the other Elders, they'd never part with them."
He had long stopped making new Level 9 soul tools himself. For years, he had been pouring all his energy into completing the one thing that could define his legacy: a Level 10 soul tool. Most of his remaining Level 9 stock had gone to Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong.
Huo Yuhao held the two newly gifted soul tools in awe.
These were capable of blocking a Title Douluo's full-force strike!
"Thank you, Grandmaster!"
Yuhao solemnly bowed to Kong Deming.
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