Douluo: This Legend of the Dragon King is not quite right

Chapter 383 An Olive Branch from Yunming
Lu Jun nodded:
"That's right, it's Huo Yuhao. So I personally guess that there's a 50% chance that Xiaobai became one of Huo Yuhao's soul spirits."

"Of course, the remaining probability is either that he survived the tribulation through his own strength, or..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Xue Di took a deep breath, and hope rekindled in her eyes:
"...In any case, this is at least a direction. Thank you very much, Your Excellency, for your willingness to help us search for news of our hometown."

Lu Jun waved his hand: "No need to be polite, your business is my business too."

Then, the Snow Empress turned her gaze back to the two soul bones, regaining her calm and analytical state:
"Your Excellency, the 100,000-year-old Titan Snow Demon left leg bone given by Emperor Xu Tian perfectly matches your ultimate ice attribute, making it undoubtedly the best choice. As for the nearly 100,000-year-old soul bone given by the Dean..."

Her gaze fell on Lu Jun's right arm: "I sense that a piece of ice-attribute soul bone of extremely high quality has been fused into your right arm, but it is slightly under-aged."

"Bing'er and I have a way to guide some of the original power of this nearly 100,000-year-old soul bone into your existing right arm soul bone, which should be able to upgrade its quality to the true 100,000-year level."

“That’s what I was thinking before.” Hyotei’s eyes lit up as she excitedly replied, “It just requires extremely precise control to operate, but now that Yuki-tei is here, it’s much easier.”

"Hehe, with the two great rulers of the far north personally protecting you, absorbing these two soul bones is guaranteed to be foolproof!"

Looking at the two stunningly beautiful and powerful soul beast allies before him, Lu Jun felt a surge of confidence and warmth in his heart. Without further hesitation, he sat cross-legged, focusing his mind and calming his spirit.

"Then, let's get started."

……

Meanwhile, in Tiandou City, at the headquarters of the Blacksmith Association.

The once bustling and noisy president's office now appears somewhat deserted and desolate.

Master craftsman Zhenhua was quietly packing up his personal belongings, including some precious metal samples, manuscripts of forging experience accumulated over the years, and several commemorative works.

A sense of melancholy, like that of a hero past his prime, filled the air.

He knew full well that the days to come would be a ceremony to mark his abdication as the contemporary master craftsman.

The Sun and Moon Federation, the only behemoth that now dominates the continent, has long held a firm grip on most of the resources of the Douluo Continent.

Almost without exception, all the master craftsmen of all generations were incorporated into the Federation system, enjoying the massive resources provided by the Federation, and were forcibly pushed to the level of quasi-gods at level ninety-nine.

Thus, they possess long lifespans and abundant soul power, enabling them to forge the Federation's top-tier four-word battle armor for hundreds of years.

Therefore, in this highly integrated era, although four-word battle armor still represents top-tier combat power, its quantity and value are far from being as rare and precious as in the original work.

Four-word battle armors are as common as dogs, but as for five-word battle armors... with the current resources and technology of the Douluo Continent, there is no way to break through them yet.

As for his friend, Mu Ye, a red-level mecha pilot from the Body Sect who was obsessed with mechas, leaned against the door frame, watching Zhen Hua's busy and silent back, and couldn't help but sigh, his lips twitching as he said:

"I'm telling you... you've brought this on yourself, haven't you?"

"It's one thing for you to secretly help Shrek Academy people forge weapons; the Federation might turn a blind eye." "But what you shouldn't have done was to secretly forge so many four-word battle armors for them without reporting it to the Federation. This isn't just skirting the rules; you're directly trampling on the Federation's bottom line. If Emperor Xu doesn't go after you, who else will he go after?"

Makino grew increasingly angry as he spoke, and his voice rose slightly:

"Now look what happened! They didn't even have to say it themselves. They just sent one of their legion commanders, Zi'an, to remind you that you'll have to obediently give up your prestigious position as a master craftsman!"

"Zhenhua, Zhenhua, look what you've done!"

Hearing his old friend's disappointed criticism, Zhenhua paused for a moment, and finally just let out a long sigh without offering any explanation.

The matter has come to this, and it is useless to say more.

Just then, the soul communication device on his wrist suddenly rang.

Zhenhua paused for a moment; very few people knew this number.

He answered the call with a puzzled look, but the voice on the other end of the communicator sent a shiver down his spine.

"Hello, President Zhenhua, I am Yunming."

It was actually Yun Ming, the Sea God Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy and the Sky-Supporting Douluo!

Yun Ming's voice came through the communicator, carrying just the right amount of regret and indignation:
"President Zhenhua, I have heard about it. The Federation is so short-sighted that it is forcing a master craftsman like you, who has made outstanding contributions to the forging industry on the mainland, to retire prematurely."

"This is a huge loss to the entire Soul Master world and the entire forging world. They simply don't know how to cherish real talent!"

Yun Ming's words were highly inflammatory; he spoke out for Zhenhua, venting his dissatisfaction with the Federation to the fullest extent.

Finally, he solemnly extended an olive branch to Zhenhua:
"President Zhenhua, since the Sun and Moon Federation cannot accommodate you, the gates of Shrek Academy will always be open to you. Please come to Shrek City. Here, you will receive the highest courtesy and absolute respect. You can continue your beloved forging career without having to be subservient to anyone. Shrek Academy needs a master like you."

These words were spoken with sincerity and great emotional impact, which made Zhenhua, who was already feeling resentful and full of grievances against the Federation, feel grateful and swayed.

But he still retained a sliver of reason and fear of Emperor Xu, and he lowered his voice to remind him:

"Your Majesty Yunming, Zhenhua is deeply grateful for your kindness, but... the Federation is now ambitious and its strength is unfathomable. They are secretly carrying out many extremely threatening projects."

"In particular, they have been pressuring me recently to participate in a project called 'Subject 1,' which seems to involve using massive resources to forge a perfect body for a special artificial intelligence."

"The implications of this are extraordinary. You and Shrek Academy must be extremely careful."

When Yun Ming on the other end of the communicator heard about the "artificial intelligence body" project, he was visibly taken aback for a moment, and then his tone became more solemn and grateful:

"Thank you very much, President Zhenhua, for providing such important information. Yunming and Shrek will remember this kindness. In that case, there is no time to lose. Please set off for Shrek City immediately."

"I, Yun Ming, will personally greet you outside Shrek City in the name of the Sea God Pavilion Master. I want to see if Emperor Xu still dares to act rashly with me, Yun Ming, here, and whether he still has to be wary of me."

(End of this chapter)