Douluo Continent, starting from the body swap with Jiang Nannan

The news of the release of the Soul Beast Compendium quickly caused a sensation among the high-ranking officials of the Sun Moon Empire.

Without the need for massive soul power, relying solely on a miniature core array scan, one can quickly obtain the detailed age, attribute weaknesses, and even the probability of soul skills that may be generated after absorbing a soul ring. What this epoch-making invention means is all too clear to those old foxes in high positions.

If we could obtain the patent license for the Soul Beast Illustrated Compendium, it would bring us immeasurable wealth.

So, on the eve of the official issuance of the patent, countless greedy eyes were cast toward the names of the three patent holders on the document.

Among them are some well-connected members of the royal family and military leaders who also want to seize this technology for themselves through special means, or forcibly take a share of it.

However, upon seeing the names of the Hongchen siblings, some people had no choice but to reluctantly give up, since the Hongchen family was not one they could afford to offend.

Some powerful forces, out of fear, did not act immediately.

......

The next morning.

Inside the dormitory of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

Jiang Nannan stood in front of the full-length mirror, took a deep breath, and raised her hand to straighten her collar.

According to Lu Chen, Jing Hongchen is expected to come today to discuss matters related to the Soul Beast Compendium.

"Knock knock knock—"

A crisp knock on the door broke the silence of the dormitory.

Jiang Nannan stiffened slightly, quickly reviewing the strategies she and Lu Chen had repeatedly discussed over the communicator the previous night before getting up and opening the door.

A middle-aged man stood outside the door, wearing a silver-white robe and an 8th-level Soul Master medal pinned to his chest.

Upon seeing Lu Chen, the middle-aged man immediately smiled and bowed slightly, saying, "Lord Lu Chen, the Master of the Red Dust Hall invites you to the Bright Virtue Hall to discuss matters concerning the Soul Beast Compendium. Please follow me."

Jiang Nannan glanced at the medal on the other person's chest, nodded, and said in a calm tone, "Please lead the way."

Speechless all the way.

The middle-aged man walked in front, with Jiang Nannan following behind. The two passed through layers of defenses and entered the Mingde Hall, which represented the highest level of soul guidance technology of the Sun Moon Empire.

The corridor, filled with a metallic feel, was dotted with the shadows of core magic arrays, and the faint soul power fluctuations emanating from them made Jiang Nannan somewhat stunned.

"Don't be nervous, just do as Xiaochen teaches you. I'll remind you what to do as needed."

Rotom's voice rang out at just the right moment in the sea of ​​consciousness.

"I know, I can handle it." Jiang Nannan breathed a sigh of relief.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous. She had just been a poor girl before, and the sense of oppression she felt facing powerful figures directly was something she had never imagined before.

Soon, the two stopped in front of a double door made of a rare metal.

"The sect leader is waiting for you inside."

The middle-aged man pushed open the door, made a gesture of invitation, and then respectfully withdrew, closing the door behind him.

Jiang Nannan nodded and walked into the office.

The office was surprisingly understated, without any glittering decorations. Instead, there were rows of cabinets filled with blueprints made of precious metal, and behind the huge mahogany desk sat a man.

He was a middle-aged man with a head of loose, flowing silver-white curly hair draped behind his head. His icy blue eyes were deep and sharp, and he wore a gold-rimmed monocle on his nose.

It was none other than Jing Hongchen, the Dean of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy and the Head of the Mingde Hall.

He wasn't alone in the office; Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, a brother and sister, were also sitting on the leather sofa next to him.

"Brother Chen, you're here!"

Upon seeing "Lu Chen" enter, Meng Hongchen's icy blue eyes lit up, and she waved with a smile.

Xiao Hongchen, who was standing next to him, nodded.

Jiang Nannan felt a little uneasy about Meng Hongchen's enthusiasm. She felt that the girl's gaze was a bit off, but she still nodded slightly to the brother and sister as a greeting.

"Young Master Chen, have a seat."

Jing Hongchen, who was behind the desk, finally spoke. His voice was deep and his tone was very cold. His handsome face was practically etched with the words "expressionless".

However, the way he tapped his fingers on the table revealed that he was not calm at all.

Without a doubt, Jing Hongchen is in a very bad mood right now.

He knew better than anyone the value of the Soul Beast Compendium; it was a groundbreaking invention that would make him a legend in the entire Soul Master world.

What pleased him most was that Lu Chen brought his grandchildren along during the research and development.

This means that this epoch-making honor and the hidden benefits behind it will forever be tied to the Hongchen family.

Jiang Nannan sat down in the chair opposite the desk, her gaze meeting Jing Hongchen's without flinching.

"Master, you must have already seen the sample of the illustration. What are your thoughts?"

Jiang Nannan directly delivered the opening line that Lu Chen had taught her last night.

Looking at the humble yet confident "young man" before her through her glasses, Jing Hongchen's eyes flashed with undisguised admiration.

"You're very bold, and your mind is quite meticulous." Jing Hongchen leaned forward slightly, his hands crossed and resting on his chin. "I've already seen the encyclopedia. Its appearance is enough to change the rules of Soul Masters hunting rings in the wild. You've created something extraordinary."

"You flatter me, Master. This is just a tool to make things easier for everyone. Without Xiao and Meng's help, I alone might not have been able to perfect those complex soul beast data in several years," Jiang Nannan said, praising the brother and sister at the right moment.

Indeed, it was true that Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were not merely shields brought in by Lu Chen, but were genuinely involved and made significant contributions.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Xiao Hongchen's lips unconsciously curled up.

Hmph, it wasn't a complete waste of my time helping you~

The smile in Jing Hongchen's eyes deepened, but he quickly composed himself and got down to business.

"Let's skip the formalities. I called you here today because of the patent." Jing Hongchen took out a gold-embossed contract from the drawer and pushed it in front of Jiang Nannan.

"Yesterday, many people tried to trip you up, but I turned them all down. Friends of the Hongchen family are not for those petty clowns to scheme against."

Hearing this, Jiang Nannan immediately understood and replied as Lu Chen instructed, "Junior understands. This patent is a hot potato for me. If the Hall Master is interested, I am willing to hand over the exclusive production and sales rights of the Soul Beast Compendium to Mingde Hall." (Note: Ownership has not been transferred.)

"Smart." Jing Hongchen snapped his fingers. "It's so much easier to talk to smart people. Since you consider Xiao and Meng as your own people, I naturally won't play those despicable tricks in front of the younger generation."

He pointed to the contract on the table: "This is the buyout and licensing plan offered by Mingdetang. Take a look and see if there's anything you're not satisfied with."