Douluo: Dragon King Huo Yuhao Lives Ten Thousand Years Later

Chapter 168 The Statue of the Red Dust Siblings

Ling Zichen slammed a stack of documents in front of Huo Yuhao, the papers sliding half a foot across the table. She stood with her arms crossed, raising an eyebrow slightly. "I've finished all the tasks you assigned me. Are you satisfied now?"

Huo Yuhao glanced at the document and nodded slightly. "Yes, very good. The new task list is ready. You can view it on the Soul Guiding Light Screen."

Ling Zichen slammed his hand on the table, making the files rattle, and roared:
"Huo Yuhao, do you think I'm a perpetual motion machine? Is it fun to make things difficult for me?! I refuse to carry out orders!"

A person who can live from now to ten thousand years in the future... and become an advanced mecha human, is almost a perpetual motion machine, right?

Thinking this through, Huo Yuhao said calmly, "You'd better take a look at the mission details before deciding whether to refuse."

Ling Zichen frowned, annoyed, and took out her soul-guided light screen to look at its contents. When the mission title appeared, she felt a sense of confusion.

These are... mecha design blueprints? Just blueprints designed by a level six mecha designer, what's there to care about? Does she think she's never seen them before?

Thinking this, a stream of data flashed in Ling Zichen's eyes. His mind raced as he quickly analyzed the unusual aspects of the data, and a look of surprise gradually appeared on his face.

Is this a battle armor-style mecha that combines the advantages of battle armor and mecha?

With this design, it seems that ordinary people could also wear and use it...

After waiting quietly for a moment, Huo Yuhao continued:
"It's quite challenging. Do you want to participate in the research? If you can complete it, we'll prioritize equipping you with this mech."

Having accepted Makino's legacy, he naturally began researching super-god-level mechs. What he gave Ling Zichen now was a derivative of that research, but it was still just a theoretical design. To actually manufacture it, many technical hurdles would need to be overcome.

"Hmph, the research project you gave me isn't difficult enough to stump me... but this one is quite interesting."

Ling Zichen looked at the blueprints for a while, licked his lips, and looked at Huo Yuhao with interest, "You've entrusted such an interesting research project to me?"

"Those are just design drawings. Whether the finished product can be manufactured depends on subsequent research. If you can do it, you can consider it your achievement."

Ling Zichen looked Huo Yuhao up and down for a moment, then crossed his arms and said, "I'm not that shameless. Once the research and development is complete, I will add your name as the designer."

At this point, she could no longer contain her excitement.

"Once this mech is developed, can an ordinary person unleash its full power?"

Ten thousand years ago, because Mingde Hall made a significant breakthrough in the research of energy storage soul tools, the use of soul tools was no longer limited to soul masters.

With the advancement of technology, nowadays, equipped with advanced soul-guided batteries, ordinary people can also pilot mechs. However, there are still many limitations. White-level and yellow-level mechs are relatively easy to pilot, but for stronger mechs to unleash their full potential, a soul master is required as the core driver. This involves various issues such as combat capabilities and energy...

As for the design blueprints Huo Yuhao gave her... based on her observation, although it is currently in its early stages, it is definitely aimed at surpassing the Red-level mecha. If ordinary people can fully control it, then the meaning it represents is extraordinary.

Huo Yuhao nodded. "Okay, you're not a Soul Master, so you didn't notice it at first. Take a look at the energy device structure in the very center."

Upon hearing this, Ling Zichen examined the design carefully. Then, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his fingertips hovered three inches above the design drawing.

This is... a soul core?
Simulates the operation of a Soul Saint's Soul Core through a Soul Guidance Array, absorbing external Yuan Power as its energy source... A man-made mecha Soul Master?
Ling Zichen murmured, "I see, that's how it works... but is it even possible?"

She had actually envisioned ordinary people becoming powerful through soul tools, but that required completing the research on the Source Core and designing a super mecha that ordinary people could wear through terrifying energy amplification.

At that time, with a single, positively circulating energy source core as an energy supply, it wasn't impossible for ordinary people to possess strength comparable to a Title Douluo. The path Huo Yuhao was researching was similar to hers, yet different; it was more like turning mecha wearers into a different kind of Soul Master.

Huo Yuhao said calmly, "Why not? Ultimately, a soul core can be condensed outside the body and then absorbed back inside. The Spirit Pagoda's research on spatial power is now quite comprehensive; creating a simulated soul core isn't..."

Seeing Ling Zichen looking at him with a blank expression, Huo Yuhao stopped talking.

Oh, this is experience from ten thousand years ago.

In that era, the technology for condensing soul cores was not yet perfect. Some people who did not have a teacher to guide them in condensing soul cores would experiment on their own using spatial power. They would condense a vortex of soul power outside their bodies, watching it continuously absorb the elemental power of heaven and earth, grow stronger, and explode, thus studying the method of condensing soul cores.

The method for condensing soul cores is now perfected. Soul Saints could simply condense a vortex of soul power within their bodies without any experimental process. Few people have studied the history of soul core development, let alone Ling Zichen, who is just an ordinary person and naturally knows even less about it.

However, having experienced the process of technological research and development and then its improvement, Huo Yuhao's understanding is more profound than others, and he understands that simulating a soul core is indeed possible.

Huo Yuhao returned to the original question: "In short, I think this is achievable, but you don't know enough about soul cores. You can learn more about this before making a decision."

“No, I’ll participate.” Ling Zichen gave Huo Yuhao a complicated look, took a deep breath, and said, “Putting everything else aside, your skill level is truly admirable, and I trust you.”

Huo Yuhao approached the research from the perspective of a Soul Master, while she focused on the perspective of an ordinary person. These two completely different research directions converged in a wonderful way at a certain point, and the difference in perspective sparked more inspiration.

If a simulated soul core can be successfully developed, many technologies could break through their bottlenecks.

'Even the core of a single positive cycle source can utilize this technology…'

Putting away the blueprints, Ling Zichen looked directly at Huo Yuhao with a serious gaze for the first time, the sharp light in her eyes softening somewhat.

Regardless of their personal qualities, technically they can complement each other.

After thinking for a moment, she said in a low voice, "The previous invitation still stands, but this time it's a personal invitation."

Huo Yuhao met her gaze. "If it's just for a visit, I can go and take a look when I have time."

"what ever."

Ling Zichen gave a soft hum, but didn't say anything more. He simply turned and walked towards the lab table, his back view exuding a rare drive.

Just then, Huo Yuhao's voice rang in her ear, "Any research requires precautions. I don't want to hear one day that headquarters has been blown up because of internal experiments."

Ling Zichen paused, glancing at Huo Yuhao in surprise, but seeing that the latter had already lowered his head to draw new blueprints, he could only frown and leave.

There's a hidden meaning in his words... What does he know?

On the other side, after she had been gone for a long time, Huo Yuhao took out a rare metal, used the siphon inscription soul guidance array to extract the source, felt its energy, and squinted his eyes.

The principle behind the single-source core is to guide the fusion of metal sources, causing the energy contained within the metal sources to explode a thousandfold or even ten thousandfold, similar to nuclear fusion. The single-source positive-cycle core makes this explosion controllable and allows for continuous recycling.

Unprocessed rare metals have decent energy, but the energy they contain isn't very strong. However, if someone could make Heavenly Forged Metal undergo this kind of energy fusion, the power it unleashed would be equivalent to the full-force attack of a peak level three god without divine status, and not much different from the Eternal Heaven.

No one has been able to accomplish this yet. The Federation's God-Slaying Soul-Guided Cannonballs were made by extracting a large amount of common rare metals from the Source, but this also shows the potential and terrifying nature of Source technology.

Ling Zichen's parents died in the explosion during the Source Research project, and Ling Zichen himself was also severely affected. A rare research talent, he shouldn't ruin himself by acting recklessly...

After a moment of thought, Huo Yuhao turned to another matter.

"The third soul core... Shall we try utilizing a single positive cycle source core?"

The reason Ling Zichen was able to live for ten thousand years was that she implanted a single positive circulation source core made of divine metal into her body, which provided her with a continuous supply of energy, forming a virtuous cycle. It was equivalent to implanting a constantly regenerating god-killing soul-guided cannonball into her body as an energy source.

However, this approach is far too dangerous. Not to mention that it's equivalent to implanting a god-level bomb in the body, the difficulty of implanting such a bomb is no easier than becoming a god.

If things had gone as originally planned, after Douluo Star absorbed the Abyss Plane, many Limit Douluos broke through to level 100. With the talent of Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan's generation of powerhouses, even if they hadn't achieved it at the time, they would definitely have become level 100 True Gods in the end. However, even if they had become gods, their fates would have been rather tragic.

Speaking of this, we have to mention something outrageous: the lifespan of true god-level powerhouses in this era and beyond is only a thousand years at most... which is about the same as the limit 20,000 years ago.

According to the original novel, some of the powerful figures of Xie Xie's generation reached the end of their lifespan. Under Ling Zichen's leadership, they wanted to modify themselves and continue to live by implanting a single positive cycle source core, just like her, but the result was not ideal.

Those powerful individuals ultimately could not withstand such pain, lost control and went berserk, and were eventually defeated and killed by Ling Zichen's team...

Even true gods might fail, which shows how difficult it is. In the end, only Ling Zichen and Yi Zichen successfully completed the single-unit positive cycle source core implantation operation.

"However, the benefits are also very obvious. If we can use a single positive cycle source core to complete the third soul core, it will be easier to accumulate a foundation comparable to a second-level god under the suppression of the plane."

Huo Yuhao moved with his will, his fingertips tracing intricate soul-guiding patterns in the void. The metallic source in his palm suddenly trembled, its internal atoms beginning to rapidly shift, a blinding white light flowing across its surface, its energy level rising continuously, until finally—

Boom!

A blinding white light suddenly erupted, and a violent torrent of energy swept out like an angry dragon, but it was enveloped by a layer of starlight sphere and could not spread out.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao remained unmoved.

Breaking through technological bottlenecks always takes time.

"Let's keep this plan for now. Whether it's Ling Zichen's side or my side, it will take time to complete the single positive cycle source core... Even combining the research results from both sides, it won't be that easy."

……

The next day at noon, the blazing sun shone on the Spirit Pagoda Square, where everyone was gathered, preparing to take the Soul Guidance Flying Vehicle to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

Xie Xie walked over to Huo Yuhao and lowered his voice, asking, "Boss, who are they?"

His gaze drifted to the two beautiful figures chatting and laughing with Gu Yuena not far away, his eyes filled with amazement and doubt.

Beside Gu Yuena stood a tall, blonde woman dressed in a well-tailored white outfit that accentuated her perfect figure. She was speaking to Gu Yuena with her head slightly turned, a faint smile playing on her lips, exuding elegance in every gesture.

Beside her stood a blue-haired girl. The girl had an even more outstanding figure, but she seemed somewhat uneasy at the moment, her hands folded in front of her, occasionally stealing glances at Gu Yuena and Huo Yuhao, her cautious appearance resembling that of a frightened little rabbit.

The three women standing together formed a beautiful sight, but Xie Xie felt more puzzled than amazed.

That blue-haired girl isn't important; she's probably been punished by Boss Yuhao and Sister Na. (Lan Fuzi: ...You're right.)
The important thing is that blonde girl with red eyes; she actually suppressed Sister Na!

Xie Xie said he wasn't mistaken. Although Sister Na still had a cold expression, her despair and the way she was subtly asking Boss Huo for help were too obvious.

'As expected of the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, they actually have someone who can suppress Sister Na.'

Xie Xie sighed inwardly.

“The person next to Na’er is her…sister, the candidate Spirit Messenger—Gu Rachel.”

Seeing Gu Yuena's gaze, Huo Yuhao smiled helplessly, explaining as he walked over.

"The other one is Lan Fuzi, who is my colleague at the Soul Guidance Research Institute. She has received a mission from the higher-ups and will go with us to Mingde Hall to participate in a collaborative research project."

Lan Fuzi shuddered upon hearing this, tears welling up in her eyes.

That high-ranking official was actually you, wasn't it, Lord Huo Yuhao?

Upon hearing this, Xie Xie and the others instantly understood.

No wonder he could suppress Gu Yuena... it turns out it's a natural bloodline suppression.

After hearing about the matter that she cared about most, Xu Xiaoyan subconsciously turned her gaze to Lan Fuzi beside her.

She appeared to be around eighteen years old. Her form-fitting white dress accentuated her stunning figure; her slender waist seemed almost too thin to be encircled by the tight fabric, creating a striking contrast that made her ample bosom even more prominent…

After squinting and looking around for a moment, Xu Xiaoyan looked down and saw her toes. Her face immediately fell, and she secretly made up her mind.

No, I need to supplement my nutrition more. From now on, I'll change my breakfast from two fried eggs to three fried eggs!
On the other side, Gu Rachel was chatting happily when she suddenly saw Huo Yuhao approach and naturally take Gu Yuena's slender hand. His red lips pursed almost imperceptibly before revealing a perfect and elegant smile.

"Let's stop here for now, Na'er. Keep up the good work after you enter Mingde Hall."

As she spoke, she smiled and greeted Xu Xiaoyan and the others before turning to leave.

That's enough. The master has already asked Huo Yuhao for help. If we continue, we'll get beaten up.

Gu Yuena stared expressionlessly at her retreating figure as it disappeared into the Spirit Pagoda.

Suddenly, she turned her head to look at the uneasy Lan Fuzi, who immediately took a half step back like a startled deer, her chest heaving violently, causing even the pearl decorations on her light blue dress to tremble slightly.

Clearly, she was too nervous to notice Gu Yuena's embarrassed state when Gu Ruiqiu had teased her earlier.

Seeing this, Gu Yuena's expression softened, and she smiled at Huo Yuhao, who had rescued her, and said, "Yuhao, let's go."

“…Hmm.” Huo Yuhao’s gaze lingered on Lan Fuzi for a moment, then he nodded with a complicated expression, and together they boarded the flying car that had landed in the square.

Lan Fuzi was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and hurriedly followed.

……

As the flying car began to descend, a visually striking complex of buildings gradually came into view.

"Is this the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy?" Xu Xiaoyan pressed her entire face against the porthole, her nose pressing into the glass in a cute circle.

Xie Xie stroked his chin and commented, "Hmm...it really fits the cold, impersonal aesthetics of Mingdu."

Six silver-gray metal buildings radiated outwards, connected at the center by a fully transparent soul-guiding energy channel that refracted rainbow light under the sunlight. On the central main building, the words "Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy" shone brightly under the reflection of a special coating, clearly visible even from miles away.

But compared to the building, everyone's attention was quickly drawn to the several statues in the center of the academy square. In the center was the image of an old man, with four large, flamboyant characters engraved on the base: Silver Moon Douluo.

Behind him, two young figures were the most eye-catching.

A young man and a woman.

Seeing them, Huo Yuhao's eyes welled up with emotion.

Laughing at the mortal world, dreaming of the mortal world...

(End of this chapter)