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.
"This human-shaped soul guidance device is too flexible, isn't it?"
Xuan Ziwen was stunned.
He had also contributed to the creation of the human-shaped soul guidance device for Mingde Hall, but let's not even talk about combat power, even movement was difficult.
The flexibility couldn't compare at all to the soul guidance device Qin Xiao had made. Was this really Qin Xiao's first attempt at making such a successful one?
"I've told you, this is a combination of mechanics and soul guidance devices. It's not entirely reliant on the development support of soul guidance devices. Look at its interior, there are many transmission devices, just like the bones in a human body, they are indispensable."
"What's at the core of a human-shaped soul guidance device?"
Qin Xiao asked.
Xuan Ziwen furrowed his brows in thought.
Suddenly, Qin Xiao said with a smile, "The core of a human-shaped soul guidance device is a human! Since it's made according to a human, it has to conform to a human's structure. First, imitate, and then create and innovate."
"This..."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Ziwen's eyes lit up.
He suddenly had an epiphany.
Qin Xiao was right.
If a human-shaped soul guidance device were to move smoothly, it had to conform to a human's structure first.
Of course, it's not that Mingde Hall hadn't noticed this issue, but that they still treated the human-shaped soul guidance device as a powerful war machine.
If it's a war machine, it needs to be equipped with powerful weapons.
Therefore, the more they thought about it, the more they inverted the order of priorities.
That's how many creative barriers arose.
However, Qin Xiao's words made him realize the real issue at hand, and that they should return to the essence and original intention of creating a human-shaped soul guidance device.
"But I've found quite a few problems with your device. Because of its structure, it's too small and incapable of restraining too many advanced Arrays; it's very likely to fail at the first blow."
Xuan Ziwen said with a frown.
Qin Xiao nodded, "Indeed, the Array patterns are all on its surface. Once damaged, it will sustain a fatal blow. A single thread leads to the movement of the whole body, and it's very likely to lose the ability to move."
"So for this matter, I need your help."
"What kind of help?" Xuan Ziwen was taken aback.
"Create a set of powerful armor for it. The armor doesn't need too many capabilities, just defense, various defensive Array materials. Just like the Battle Armor worn by warriors!"
Qin Xiao had already thought of a solution.
And he also believed it to be the simplest and most effective method.
It's scientific research, huh.
There's no such thing as overnight success.
Isn't it all about crossing the river by feeling the stones, taking one step at a time, solving one problem after another?
"Also, I need a powerful Array core. It doesn't need too many functions, just the ability to store energy," he proposed his second requirement.
"None of this is a problem. Give me no more than three days, and I will have it done for you."
Xuan Ziwen nodded without hesitation.
The requirements Qin Xiao made weren't difficult at all for him.
Engraving various defensive Arrays, without the need for too many complicated overlapping techniques, was indeed easy.
"Good, then I'll prepare some weapons for it in addition." Qin Xiao and Xuan Ziwen had a clear division of labor.
...
Elsewhere.
Outside of Shrek City, hidden in the secluded woods.
A large number of troops from the Holy Spirit Cult were concealed here.
"It's been so many days since the Sect Hierarch left, and there's been no news. They haven't run into some kind of trouble, have they?"
A person, shrouded entirely in a black robe, asked with concern.
He was a renowned powerful individual and a guest elder of the Holy Spirit Cult named Wu Yun, also known as Crow.
"I don't think so. My plan was very meticulous; it shouldn't have run into problems so easily. It's likely that the relationships within Shrek Academy are a bit complicated, and the two goddesses haven't figured them out in a short time," said Zhong Liwu, sticking to his own thoughts.
However.
Just then, Feng Ling's figure descended from the sky and landed in front of them.
"Vice Sect Hierarch, you're finally back. Do you bring any news?"
Crow Douluo couldn't help but ask.
"Indeed, I have brought back some news, but you all must be prepared," said Feng Ling with a grave expression and an unshakable worry in her brow.
Zhong Liwu and Crow Douluo's hearts sank.
From Feng Ling's expression, they could tell that she didn't bring back good news.
"Tell us, what happened? If the problem is really thorny, we can simply retreat for now and devise a long-term plan," Zhong Liwu showed the decisiveness expected of a Sect Hierarch at this moment.
Hearing this, the worry between Feng Ling's brows eased slightly.
"This is the situation: Xiao Tao has conveyed some information back through the way we agreed upon. Those experts who suddenly appeared in Shrek Academy... they are not from Shrek Academy."
"Oh? As expected," Zhong Liwu replied, his expression complicated upon hearing this.
He had guessed this outcome long ago.
After all, if Shrek Academy still had so many powerful individuals, how could they allow Poison Not Dead to lurk at their doorstep unchallenged?
Thus, those experts could only be outsiders Shrek Academy had found help from.
But for a long time, he couldn't figure out which power would have so many powerful individuals.
And yet remain concealed without showing off?
Who could endure that?
"So, where do they come from?" He couldn't help but ask.
"They come from a place we all forgot, a force that almost slipped our minds," Feng Ling said earnestly as she looked into Zhong Liwu's eyes, and then she uttered three words, "Hao Tian Clan!"
Boom!
As if struck by thunder, the words Feng Ling spoke drastically changed the expressions of Zhong Liwu and Crow Douluo.
"Who would have thought? Who would have thought that the Hao Tian Clan, after hiding their name for so many years, would no longer hide away and would re-emerge onto the continent?"
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