Chapter 44: Jing Hongchen, My Spokesperson (1 / 1)
"Unknown Tenth-level suspected Soul Tool communication pulse! Near Radiant City West District!"
The soul carving knife in Jing Hongchen's hand fell onto the metal workbench with a "clatter." He snapped his head up, his pupils behind his gold-rimmed glasses shrinking to pinpoints! The composure and shrewdness on his face were instantly replaced by extreme shock and disbelief!
"Tenth-level... communication pulse?!" Jing Hongchen's voice was incredibly dry, as if he were being strangled. "Night Crow Forest... edge? How is that possible?!"
He knew all too well what this meant! The Illustrious Virtue Hall had exhausted the efforts of several generations, yet in the field of soul communication, they had barely touched the threshold of the peak of the Ninth-level. Tenth-level was a completely unreachable legend!
This sudden, incomprehensible pulse was like an invisible slap, fiercely striking him and the entire Illustrious Virtue Hall in the face! But immediately following that, an indescribable greed and longing drowned out the shock! If... if this were real? If he could master this technology...
"Men!" Jing Hongchen stood up abruptly, his voice pitching slightly higher with excitement, filled with unquestionable majesty.
"Prepare the carriage! No! Activate my 'Crimson Firmament' aircraft! Target: Night Crow Forest coordinates! Now! Immediately! All monitoring stations along the route, keep that area under lock and key! I want to know if even a single soul beast flies out! Notify the Worship Hall and have two Ninth-level Worshipers provide backup in secret! Move!!"
The entire Illustrious Virtue Hall, the heart of the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool technology, entered the highest level of combat readiness in an instant because of a tiny pulse! The massive war machine was easily pried into motion by a single piece of bait.
Edge of Night Crow Forest.
Lin Yu could almost hear the silent clamor coming from the direction of Radiant City in the distance. He leaned leisurely against an ancient tree, toying with the Soul-Phone prototype in his hand. His golden eyes carried a trace of a playful smile as he looked at Gu Yuena beside him—who remained cold, yet possessed a hint of curiosity and wariness deep in her eyes.
"Look, the fish have smelled the bait," Lin Yu chuckled. "And it's a big fish that can't wait."
Gu Yuena raised her purple eyes slightly, looking toward the sky above Radiant City. She could clearly perceive several powerful soul power fluctuations sweeping toward them at extremely high speeds. One of them was majestic and vast, carrying the coldness of metal and the restlessness of fire—that was Jing Hongchen.
Further away, there were two extremely subtle yet terrifying auras, lurking like prehistoric behemoths—the Ninth-level Soul Engineers from the Illustrious Virtue Hall's Worship Hall!
"Hmph, quite a grand display," Gu Yuena snorted coldly. The space around her distorted slightly, and a sliver of the Silver Dragon King's majesty quietly permeated the air, dispersing the birds and beasts that were fleeing in panic due to the approaching powerhouses. "Are you sure they aren't here to tear down the house?"
"Rest easy, my Miss Bodyguard." Lin Yu's smile was filled with absolute confidence. He took a step forward and once again naturally grasped Gu Yuena's cool wrist.
This time, Gu Yuena's body only stiffened slightly. She gave him a cold sideways glance but did not struggle as violently as before; only the pink blush on her ears deepened silently.
"We are here to talk business; they are here to beg for technology. In the face of immense interests and absolute technological barriers, they will know how to be polite better than anyone."
Just then, a sharp whistling sound pierced the sky!
A streamlined crimson soul-tool aircraft, like a burning meteor with a powerful soul-power flame trail, landed in a dive-like manner on the clearing not far in front of Lin Yu and Gu Yuena, stirring up a strong current that sent fallen leaves flying.
The hatch slid open, and Jing Hongchen's slightly plump figure practically catapulted out. Beneath his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze—like the most precise probe—instantly locked onto the extraordinary pair beneath the tree. And, more specifically, the metallic "brick" in Lin Yu's hand that radiated a faint but unique soul power pulse.
His breath hitched! That was it! The source of that strange, heart-palpitating fluctuation!
Jing Hongchen forcibly suppressed the massive waves in his heart. An extremely enthusiastic, even somewhat humble smile instantly formed on his face. He stepped forward quickly and bowed deeply to Lin Yu and Gu Yuena:
"I am Jing Hongchen, the humble Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall! I was unaware of two such exalted personages arriving in Radiant City and failed to welcome you properly. I beg for your forgiveness!"
He looked up, his gaze burning as if it were physical. "That... that world-shaking pulse just now, did it come from the hands of you two? May I... may I ask what kind of miraculous power that was?!"
His voice was filled with unprecedented excitement and longing, and his posture was lowered to the absolute limit. What majesty of a Hall Master, what pride of a Ninth-level Soul Engineer? In the face of that Tenth-level pulse that transcended all knowledge, none of it was worth mentioning!
Lin Yu looked at this powerful figure who could call for wind and rain in the Sun Moon Empire, yet now looked like a student thirsty for knowledge. A smile flowed in his golden eyes, carrying a sense of disdain and control. He didn't answer Jing Hongchen's question, but instead casually tossed the Soul-Phone prototype in his hand—an action so careless it made Jing Hongchen's heart skip several beats.
"Hall Master Jing is quite fast," Lin Yu's voice was calm, yet carried invisible pressure. "It seems the Illustrious Virtue Hall still has a sense of smell for truly interesting things."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Jing Hongchen, then seemingly glancing inadvertently toward the locations of the two Ninth-level Worshipers hidden in the distant forest, before finally settling back on Jing Hongchen's face. The corner of his mouth curled into that trademark, somewhat rogue-like yet inscrutable smile:
"As for what that is?"
"It's just a little gadget I prepared to pass the time and, incidentally... to change the continent's method of communication."
"I call it—the stepping stone to the Soul Network."
Jing Hongchen's pupils instantly dilated to their limit! A rasping sound of excitement came from his throat, leaving him nearly speechless!
Hearing the words "change the continent's method of communication" and "Soul Network," Jing Hongchen felt as if he had been hit head-on by a Ninth-level stationary soul cannon. His mind went blank, leaving only a violent roaring.
Change the continent's communication? Soul Network?
Each of these terms was like a heavy hammer smashing into the foundation of his life's research, yet within the ruins, they lit a light of greed that made his soul tremble!
"Exalted one!"
Lin Yu looked at the burning longing in Jing Hongchen's eyes and the carefully suppressed calculation; his golden eyes remained calm, as if he had already seen through everything.
"I am Lin Yu." His voice was not loud, yet it possessed an unquestionable piercing power. "And this is my... spokesperson, Gu Yuena."
He deliberately paused slightly on the word "spokesperson," his gaze sweeping over the silver-haired, purple-eyed woman of peerless cold temperament beside him. Jing Hongchen hurriedly bowed to Gu Yuena as well, secretly shocked by the extraordinary bearing of these two.
Lin Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze seemingly piercing through Jing Hongchen to land on a much more distant future. His tone carried a detachment that looked down upon all living beings and a sense of unquestionable planning.