Xiao Hongchen looked at Du Busi and asked:
"Senior, what makes you so certain that the Body Sect can't develop within our Sun Moon Empire?"
Du Busi's gaze fell on him. Shaking his head, he replied:
"Boy, it's not that this old man looks down on your Sun Moon Empire. But in terms of martial soul quality, there is still a gap between your people and those of the Three Former Kingdoms of the Douluo Continent. Especially when it comes to body spirits!"
Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen wanted to argue, but quickly realized he had nothing to refute with.
It was true—compared to the Three Kingdoms, the martial souls of Sun Moon citizens were generally of inferior quality. Powerful martial souls were simply too rare.
"Body spirits are already scarce even in the Three Kingdoms. Within the Sun Moon Empire, they're even rarer! The dilemma that boy Jiang just spoke of will arise in the Three Kingdoms—and the exact same will happen here. If that's the case, why should this old man invite ridicule by moving the Body Sect into the Sun Moon Empire?"
Du Busi was not so easily swayed by Jiang Shengyu's words. If the sect was doomed to decline from lack of disciples no matter where it was, why should he shoulder needless infamy by relocating? That would be sheer folly.
"Believe me—it won't happen," Jiang Shengyu said with a slow shake of his head. He fixed his gaze on Du Busi, a mysterious smile tugging at his lips.
Seeing that smile, Du Busi knew the boy had some kind of solution—or at least a countermeasure. But just as he was about to press the issue, Jiang Shengyu abruptly changed the subject.
"Teacher, Senior Brother, where's Brother Xuan?"
Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen instantly understood what he meant.
Jing Hongchen replied:
"Ziwen is in Mingde Hall's research institute. The mobile phone project has already made tremendous progress. Following your proposal of combining satellite relays with ground base stations, we've managed to achieve large-scale communication coverage."
This was no exaggeration. The Sun Moon Empire was now constructing ground base stations en masse, and satellites were being launched one after another at full pace.
Compared to modern technology, the greatest advantage of soul tool technology lay in soul power. As a superior energy source to electricity, soul power allowed soul arrays to achieve far greater degrees of automation naturally.
In modern industry, both standard and non-standard automation equipment required elaborate combinations of controllers and sensors to function.
But soul arrays needed none of that, which made realizing Jiang Shengyu's ideas incredibly convenient.
For powerful soul engineers, all they really needed was a new concept.
After hearing Jing Hongchen's explanation, Jiang Shengyu nodded in satisfaction.
"Excellent! Soon, as long as you're within the Sun Moon Empire, even if two people are separated by thousands of li, they'll still be able to communicate instantly."
At this, Du Busi's brows knitted.
Although he had spent the last few months teaching Huo Yuhao within the Empire, Mingde Hall kept its research strictly confidential. He had never been allowed access.
And now he was hearing talk of some 'mobile phone' that could allow two people to converse in real time across vast distances?
Were they trying to trick him?
Suspicion flickered in Du Busi's eyes as he studied Jiang Shengyu, then Jing Hongchen. But he saw no trace of deceit in their expressions. Could it really be true? And if so—how could such a thing be possible with soul tools?
Jiang Shengyu and Jing Hongchen went on discussing other branches of soul tool technology, with Jing Hongchen patiently reporting the latest progress.
It was, of course, for Du Busi's ears. The details they shared revealed no core secrets, but to a man unfamiliar with soul tools, it was enough to impress. All Du Busi could glean was the range of new functions soul tools were now capable of, not the underlying mechanisms.
At length, Jiang Shengyu nodded.
"I've got a good grasp of Mingde Hall's current progress now. Later, I'll stop by to see Senior Brother Xuan. Yuhao, come with me—we haven't returned in a while, and as an 'auxiliary researcher' of Mingde Hall, I should at least show my face now and then."
Kong Deming chuckled.
"You've got some nerve, saying that! You toss out an idea, then leave it for the rest of Mingde Hall's researchers to work themselves half to death."
"Painful, but joyous!" Jiang Shengyu replied with a grin.
"Just try not to visit too often, or they'll beat you up," Jing Hongchen warned dryly.
At that, Jiang Shengyu's smile faded. He looked to Du Busi, hesitated, then said:
"Senior, we have some internal matters of the Sun Moon Empire to discuss. Would you mind excusing yourself for a while?"
That made Du Busi bristle with indignation. He snorted heavily, rising to his feet.
"As if this old man would care to eavesdrop on your Empire's 'secrets'! Such an insult!"
With a sweep of his sleeve, he stalked out.
Seeing this, Jiang Qingtong patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder and raised her brows, silently signaling him to follow her out. Yuhao glanced at Du Busi's retreating back, then understood and went with her.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen, watching all this, were completely at a loss.
"Should we go out too?" Xiao Hongchen whispered.
Meng Hongchen shook her head—she didn't know either.
Jing Hongchen glanced at the pair and said:
"Don't fret. Just stay here and listen."
Relieved, they obediently stood to the side.
Jiang Shengyu then recounted to Kong Deming and Jing Hongchen the ambush they had suffered at the hands of the Holy Spirit Sect on their return journey. He also explained how the sect had lost over ten Title Douluo—including even a Super Douluo—along with more than seventy Soul Saints and Soul Douluo.
Their teachers' first reaction was immediate worry: had Jiang Shengyu and the others been hurt?
"Teacher, Senior Brother—we've been back for quite a while now. Surely you can see we're unscathed?" Jiang Shengyu spread his hands with a laugh.
Only then did the two relax.
Kong Deming quickly asked:
"But how did you manage it?"
Xiao Hongchen nearly spoke up, but thought better of it in the end. After all, this was Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong's secret. Without their consent, it wasn't his place to say.
Jiang Shengyu didn't hide it, however. He explained the situation with Ditian, and revealed that he and Jiang Qingtong possessed a martial soul fusion technique.
Those present were all people he trusted completely, with no need for concealment.
Still, he carefully omitted the true nature of the fusion technique—for the greatest trump card he and Jiang Qingtong held would always be Destiny.
Neither Kong Deming nor Jing Hongchen pressed for details. They didn't need to. They were already too shocked by the mere mention of Ditian.
"You're saying… Ditian is your protector?" Kong Deming stared at Jiang Shengyu, utterly shaken.
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