"Duke Baihu Dai Hao's son!"
"This man must not be allowed to remain."
"No one can guarantee that Qin Xiao... no, Dai Yuhao isn't a spy from the Sun-Moon Empire."
The ministers' emotions were tumultuous.
Their accusations were all directed at Qin Xiao.
"Crown Prince, I think we shouldn't do this. Qin Xiao is extraordinarily talented and is sure to become a pillar of our Sun-Moon Empire in the future."
Dean Hongchen couldn't help it any longer and argued forcefully, "Do you all know the value of Qin Xiao?
Moreover, in the Xingluo Empire, he personally ended the life of the Duke's second son. As far as I know, that son of Dai Hao was born to his legal wife and carried the royal bloodline of the Xingluo Empire.
Anyway, he can't possibly return to the Xingluo Empire now."
"Hehe, Dean Hongchen, you must not be deceived. It's very likely that this is Duke Baihu Dai Hao's ruse."
A high-ranking minister sneered.
"I also think that Dean Hongchen is too easily persuaded. No pain, no gain."
Another person stood up, said solemnly, "Duke Baihu Dai Hao may well be using this method to gain our trust for Dai Yuhao.
Once his son is heavily relied upon and learns the core secrets of our Sun-Moon Empire and then returns to the Xingluo Empire, it could potentially change the world standing of the Xingluo Empire."
Dean Hongchen asked with a gloomy expression, "Then I would like to ask, would either of you gentlemen be willing to let the most outstanding member of your family go be a spy in another empire? Oh, and to also have that person kill an outstanding member of the family?"
This...
After hearing Dean Hongchen's words, the other two fell silent.
In fact, he really wanted to say against his conscience, "I can."
But...
All present were cunning old foxes with keen minds, who wouldn't see through words said against one's conscience?
It would only add to one's embarrassment.
"But remember, Duke Baihu Dai Hao is no ordinary person. He has fought against the Sun-Moon Empire for many years and harbors deep hatred, who knows if he truly cannot bear to part with his son?"
Someone still insisted.
"Alright, Dean Hongchen, my lords, let's all calm down. I think what you're saying makes sense, and I will consider this matter carefully. It's just... I need a bit of time."
Prince Xu Tianran stepped forward to mediate.
He took a stand neither for nor against.
But everyone was very dissatisfied with his handling of the situation.
After all, the matter concerning Qin Xiao was of great importance.
Dean Hongchen said, "Crown Prince, Qin Xiao is already at least a Sixth-Level Soul Guidance Master. Surely you understand what this talent means?"
A thirteen or fourteen-year-old Sixth-Level Soul Guidance Master...
Everyone gasped.
Not to mention the Crown Prince, even they all knew what this meant...
Unprecedented.
Far ahead of the rest.
In the history of the Sun-Moon Empire, there has never been such a young Sixth-Level Soul Guidance Master.
Seeing that everyone was silent, Dean Hongchen continued, "Since all of you understand how terrifying his talent is, you should realize that he is currently on the rise, needing sufficient resources to support him. If he cannot access the knowledge from Mingde Hall, it might very well affect Qin Xiao's future achievements."
"But Qin Xiao's identity is too sensitive. We cannot take risks."
"Exactly, if he really wants to learn our Sun-Moon Empire's most profound knowledge, let him show his sincerity."
"I think Minister Zhang is right, we should demand a show of loyalty, and only then can an exception be made."
Soon everyone reached a consensus again.
Dean Hongchen smiled, "Then what do you think he should do to show his loyalty and satisfy your demands?"
"Hmm... the old man thinks, why not just kill Duke Baihu Dai Hao?" An elder pondered for a moment before giving his answer.
Kill Duke Baihu Dai Hao?
Dean Hongchen was stunned; he hadn't expected such a harsh condition from the elder.
And more outrageous was the fact that many others agreed with him.
"I think it's feasible. Killing Duke Baihu Dai Hao would definitely show his sincerity."
"I agree as well, a father and son at odds with each other, no matter the outcome, we won't be at a loss. Hehe."
"..."
"Hahahaha." Dean Hongchen laughed until he was nearly in tears.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I find it hilarious. Duke Baihu Dai Hao has been confronting our Sun-Moon Empire in the Ming Dou Mountain Range for decades now. Why haven't I seen you eliminate him to relieve the Empire of pressure and break the stalemate? "
Dean Hongchen pointed at a minister's nose and scolded, "As far as I know, you've sent quite a number of people to assassinate Duke Baihu Dai Hao, right? They all came back with nothing to show for it, and some haven't returned at all. Now you want to send a teenager to kill him, do you think that makes sense?"
The minister's face changed colors, but he ultimately didn't say a word.
Although Dean Hongchen was revealing secrets, he wasn't wrong.
If Duke Baihu Dai Hao was that easy to kill, he would have died hundreds of times over by now.
"My lords, let's not argue anymore."
Prince Xu Tianran said in a deep voice, "I will report this matter to the emperor, my father, and ask for his decision. In no more than three days, I will give you all a satisfactory answer."
Dean Hongchen fell silent for a moment before slowly nodding, "Very well. I will await a satisfactory answer from the Crown Prince. The academy has matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
Having said that, he turned and walked away without any hesitation.
The others: "..."
This guy is really too arrogant.
...
Ming Dou Mountain Range.
The military camp stretched for tens of miles.
The central tent of the army.
In the Xingluo Empire's Duke Baihu Dai Hao's tent, his brows were deeply furrowed— the latest intelligence all indicated that the Sun-Moon Empire was likely planning a major move.
Yet, he could not guess the reason.
Not much time had passed, but he had aged more than ten years compared to when he was participating in the Soul Master competition in the Xingluo Empire.
Both temples had already grown white hair.
"My lord!"
At this moment, a general clad in battle armor hurriedly walked in.
"What's the matter, why the panic?"
Dai Hao asked in displeasure.
He had just felt a trace of a clue when this man interrupted him.
How could he be happy?
"My lord, I didn't mean to disturb you, but there is an urgent report," the general said with fear as he knelt on the ground.
This showed just how esteemed Dai Hao's status was within the military.
"Bring it here," Dai Hao said, extending his hand.
The general, not daring to hesitate, quickly placed a slip of paper in his hand.
Dai Hao frowned.
It was the highest level of secret message.
His expression immediately turned serious.
Could it be that the Sun-Moon Empire had made some shocking move?
They couldn't be declaring war, could they?
With that thought, he no longer hesitated and quickly unfolded the report in his hands.
The message was brief, only a few dozen words.
But those few dozen words brought him immense shock.
He stood up swiftly.
"My lord, what is it? Is it the Sun-Moon Empire plotting something sinister against us, preparing to launch an attack?"
The general's expression suddenly turned serious.
He seemed ready to lose his head and shed blood the moment Dai Hao gave the command.
"Calm down," Dai Hao said. "It's not that the Sun-Moon Empire is up to something, but that ingrate son of mine has returned to the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Guidance Academy."
Whenever Dai Hao mentioned Qin Xiao, he felt so angry that he itched to tear him to shreds.
On hearing this, the general's expression changed.
The story of Duke Bai Hu and his rebellious son had already spread among the upper echelons of the Xingluo Empire.
It could be described in four words: utter humiliation.
A son born to a disfavored maidservant, with average talent, had endured humiliation and fled from the Duchy Residence.
Unexpectedly, this marked the beginning of his meteoric rise.
An outcast suddenly excelled and shone brightly in the Sun-Moon Empire, helping the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Guidance Academy defeat the Xingluo Empire and win the championship.
You should know that this continental elite Soul Master competition was the closest the Xingluo Empire had come to the championship in years.
Without Qin Xiao's assistance, the Sun-Moon Empire would definitely not have been able to clinch the championship.
Secondly, the death of the second son of the Duchy Residence was noteworthy.
He died at the hands of this despised and outcast son.
Now, various jokes about Duke Bai Hu were circulating amongst the nobility of the Empire.
Tales of fatherly kindness, filial piety, brotherly affection...
Whenever Dai Hao heard these words, he felt as though he was slapped hard across the face.
"I thought it would've been better had he died at the hands of the Body Sect, then our issues could have been resolved once and for all.
But... he just had to come back," Dai Hao roared with a hint of hysteria in his voice.
"He just had to come back!"
"Isn't this just reopening my wounds?"
"I won't let him go free, unpunished!"
Saying this, he kicked the table in front of him, breaking it into pieces.
The general jumped in fright, taking a couple of steps back instinctively.
"What are you dodging for?" Dai Hao's expression turned cold. "Do you also think I'm a joke?"
"No, not at all, my lord," replied the general, quickly shaking his head. This was a question of life and death.
His first reaction was to deny it.
Whether he found it funny or not, he certainly couldn't admit it.
Even if Dai Hao had become a laughing stock of the Xingluo Empire, the general could not afford to laugh.
Sigh.
After shattering the table, Dai Hao calmed down considerably.
He stared at the general and said in a stern voice, "Look at me."
The general instinctively looked up only to see Dai Hao staring straight at him with an intimidating gleam in his eyes.
"Sir, sir..."
The general was startled.
Dai Hao said, "I have a task for you to do."
The general immediately declared, "Just command me, sir, through blade mountains or seas of flames, I will not hesitate."
"Very good."
Dai Hao nodded in satisfaction, then reached out and patted the general's shoulder, "Don't be so nervous, I won't send you to your death."
Just when the general was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Dai Hao's following words made his heart rise to his throat again.
"I just want you to make a trip to the Sun-Moon Empire and bring that rebellious child back."
"What? Sir, are you serious?"
The general felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.
"Do I look like I'm joking with you?" Dai Hao frowned again.
"But there are many powerful individuals in the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Guidance Academy, and my Soul Douluo strength may not be sufficient," the general was almost in tears.
What blade mountains or seas of flames.
Isn't this mission tougher than that?
As a Soul Douluo, climbing blade mountains or diving through seas of flames wouldn't be fatal, but a visit to the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Guidance Academy would surely lead to death.
Indeed, it was so! Dai Hao hesitated for a moment and said, "The mission indeed has some difficulty. It's indeed tough for you alone to handle this matter.
So then, tell me who you feel comfortable with, and I will assign them to accompany you."
At the same time, you can also command a few loyal subordinates. Just one thing you need to remember, no matter who it is, they must not leak a word, or else don't blame me for being ruthless."
Dai Hao still cared about his reputation.
Having been humiliated once already, he didn't want to become the laughing stock of the Sun-Moon Empire again.
The general hesitated for a moment, then suddenly knelt down, "Sir, I have followed you for over a decade. If I do not return, my wife and child at home..."
However, before he could finish his sentence, Dai Hao interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "No need to worry, I shall provide for your wife."
...
Sun-Moon Empire.
Ming City.
Inside the laboratory, Qin Xiao finally stopped his carving knife.
It was done.
After two sleepless days and nights, he had finally completed the carving of all the core array formations.
"It's finished?"
Xuan Ziwen asked curiously.
Qin Xiao nodded, "It's done."
"But, I did not see you carve too complex arrays. Rather, they were all low-level ones. You're not telling me that you combined these Level 2 and Level 3 arrays to form your so-called Human-Shaped Soul Guidance Device, are you?" Xuan Ziwen was greatly puzzled and confused.
Qin Xiao smiled and said: "High-end soul guidance devices often only need low-level arrays.
For the Human-Shaped Soul Guidance Device I made, arrays are indeed important, but mechanical principles are equally crucial. Gears, transmission rods, and other components complete the conduction tasks..."
"Uh, it sounds very complex, and your Human-Shaped Soul Guidance Device seems different from what I understand," said Xuan Ziwen, slightly taken aback.
Qin Xiao replied, "Being different is exactly right; creation should not be confined to uniform rules."
"Just wait, in at most two hours, it will be fully assembled."
Qin Xiao said and began busying himself, leaving Xuan Ziwen to watch on the side, utterly engrossed.
Xuan Ziwen didn't feel slighted; on the contrary, he found Qin Xiao's every move quite fascinating.
He could see that Qin Xiao was working on something very innovative.
Worth studying.
The components of the Human-Shaped Soul Guidance Device were numerous, but most were handcrafted by Qin Xiao himself, so he was very familiar with each part.
He could position each piece precisely.
In just an hour and a half, he completed the assembly.
Upon seeing the nearly life-sized Human-Shaped Soul Guidance Device, Xuan Ziwen asked in surprise, "If a person cannot operate it from the inside, how will it move?"
Qin Xiao pointed at his brain, "Have you forgotten that I have a mental attribute Martial Soul?"
"You see the arrays on this Human-Shaped Soul Guidance Device? When I want it to move, I just need to activate these arrays with my spiritual power."
As he spoke, he released his spiritual power onto the Human-Shaped Soul Guidance Device. The device lit up with luminous lines, resembling meridian channels on a human body.
Yes, this was Qin Xiao's concept.
He planned to treat the Human-Shaped Soul Guidance Device as if it were a real person.
His spirit was the nervous system for the Guidance Device.
The core positions of those arrays corresponded to the acupoints on a human body.
Thud, thud, thud-thud...
At first, the Human-Shaped Soul Guidance Device moved clumsily.
But after a while, it could jog and even leap high.
Hey, leap high.
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