It was nearing dusk.
Mingdu, the most dazzling jewel in the crown of the sun and moon, did not enter a quiet night as the light gradually dimmed. Instead, the soul-guided streetlights, equipped with special spirit power ore, lit up, illuminating the entire city and making it bustling with activity.
suburbs.
Inside a vast manor.
"Phew~"
"It tastes good."
At the head of the hall, a black-haired youth savored a cup of fruit tea. The rich Life Power transformed into liquid, carrying the flavor of fruit, putting every cell in his body into a state of "vigorous" activity. An elderly man with white hair stood upright to the side, like an attendant or guard, while the manor's owner, a short, bearded old man, knelt on the ground, a trace of pain still lingering on his wrinkled face.
An Zhen, Zhang Feng, Wang Ming.
Wang Ming was completely unprepared for the arrival of his longtime friend. He casually brushed off An Zhen's identity with a single sentence, but after dismissing everyone else, the betrayal from his friend struck.
An Zhen put down his teacup.
A spark of Life ignited, and An Zhen flicked his fingertip, infusing two streams of Life power into the other two cups of fruit tea.
One year's worth.
Slavery is slavery.
An Zhen wouldn't be like a slave owner who doesn't pay wages and even exploits people. He's a high-ranking member of Empire, a Ninth-Level Soul Engineer. He needs some hope and something to look forward to in life. A little bit of Life Power is nothing to a piece of Gold of Life, not even a drop in the ocean, but to others, it's an extremely rare treasure that can prolong life.
"They're yours," An Zhen said.
Zhang Feng, who couldn't wait any longer, picked up one of the cups of fruit tea and drank it all in one gulp. It was an irresistible temptation for any living being, the very essence of life, and every cell in his body was yearning for it. Picking up the other cup of fruit tea, Zhang Feng walked to Wang Ming, who was slowly standing up, and, suppressing his inner desire, handed him the cup of Life Tea. "Old Wang, why don't you thank His Highness for the gift?"
Wang Ming slowly stood up, processing the information in his mind. As a Titled Douluo, although his soul had been somewhat affected by what had just happened, his body was still fine. If he didn't have a strong enough mental fortitude, the sudden fall from a Ninth-Level Soul Engineer in the Empire to someone else's servant, unable to even control his own life, would be enough to shatter a person's mind.
The old man looked at his friend with extremely resentful eyes.
Goodness.
Is this how you treat an old friend?
"Your Highness is wise and powerful; it is our honor," Zhang Feng said.
The key word is "divine and martial".
Zhang Feng knew without a doubt that even if he didn't act, having Mirror Hongchen handle it would be easy for His Highness to take down Wang Ming, given His Highness's strength. However, if this caused his friend to act impulsively and angered His Highness, it could truly jeopardize his friend's life and family. It was better for him to play the villain, thus gaining merit and also being able to persuade his friend in time.
"We should certainly contribute our strength to Your Highness's great cause and the future of Empire." Zhang Feng looked excited and eager to dedicate himself to the cause immediately.
Wang Ming:...
He knew all too well what kind of person his best friend was.
Wang Ming holds up a cup of Life tea.
The pure essence of life stimulated his senses.
He drank it down in one gulp.
A glint of light flashed in Wang Ming's cloudy eyes.
Good heavens!
This is really great perk!
Feeling the vitality surging within me, an indescribable longing began to grow in my heart.
It means losing freedom.
"Greetings, Your Highness," Wang Ming said, bowing.
The elderly person quickly adjusted their mindset.
Unlike the excitement and vigor of young people, this elderly man, who has lived for two decades, has come to terms with many things, although this particular matter is still difficult for him to accept.
Are you going to cry and make a fuss like a child?
Reality is reality, and we have to face it eventually. After all, even if he wanted to die, he couldn't control his own life anymore. Besides, this reality doesn't seem too cruel; at least the employee benefits they just gave him were quite good.
"Yes." An Zhen said calmly, "Like Elder Zhang, following me will bring a brighter future to both Empire and you."
"yes."
For a moment, Wang Ming, unsure of what to do, looked at his old friend.
Although the other party had just been betrayed by him, they had been friends for so many years, and he really didn't have the ability to resist such enslavement.
The elderly man who was betrayed had mixed feelings.
"Your Highness has lofty ambitions." Zhang Feng was at a loss as to how to explain this to his old friend in front of the prince. He could only prioritize the "big picture" for now and explain it to him privately later.
Zhang Feng briefly explained the situation.
He didn't know much either.
But it's clear that the current goal is to "recruit" the Ninth-Level Soul Engineers.
The spacious living room was quiet.
An Zhen didn't say anything, quietly drinking her fruit tea.
Zhang Feng looked at his old friend.
Wang Ming was processing the news he had just received.
"Your Highness." Old Wang suddenly bowed, his head lowered to the ground, and his firm and powerful voice rang out, "This subordinate is willing to contribute my strength to Your Highness's great cause, for Empire, for Your Highness!"
Flexibility and adaptability are essential survival skills.
Wang Ming knew he needed to put in a good effort in front of his new boss.
and...
Feeling his body regain some vitality, Wang Ming felt a surge of longing.
Young people still have plenty of life left; their lives are just beginning. That pure Life Force is a treasure for them, enhancing their strength. But for these old men, it's simply lifespan. He was a Ninth-Level Soul Engineer, a high-ranking member of the Sun Moon Empire, revered by thousands, a life of glory. But now, he could only watch helplessly as his body deteriorated day by day, watching himself gradually age.
This is an unbearable torment.
The older you get, the more afraid you become of death.
And now, the treasure that can prolong life is right before my eyes.
He needs to make a contribution!
"Contribution?" An Zhen rested his chin on his hand, and the young man smiled slightly. "I heard that you have a very good relationship with the next target, so it is indeed necessary for you to contribute your strength."
"?"
"What is Your Highness referring to?" Zhang Feng thought of someone.
Zhang Feng and Wang Ming exchanged a glance.
While the Sun Moon Empire has a considerable number of Ninth-Level Soul Engineers, they are not as plentiful as cabbages. Although they are all high-ranking members of the Sun Moon Empire, they belong to different factions and have different stances, so they don't have many personal relationships on a regular basis. And it seems that there is only one person with whom they can be considered to have a very good relationship.
"Xingkong Douluo, Ye Yulin." An Zhen said.
There was no particular reason for choosing this person; it was simply because they had the best relationship with these two. When choosing which fish to catch, you should consider what kind of bait you have that will most easily attract it.
"Brother Ye?" Zhang Feng's face showed a thoughtful expression.
"Your Highness," Wang Ming said, organizing his thoughts, "Brother Ye's situation is different from ours."
With the master-servant contract in place, neither of them dared to hide anything, and each of them spoke out what they knew about Ye Yulin.
Focusing on spirit tool research. An Zhen knows this.
They have a strong personality and are not easily threatened.
Xu Tianran was a supporter among the Empire's princes.
One of the participants in the design of Mingdu Palace.
...
In short, threats and temptations have little effect on Ye Yulin. Unless he suffers a serious injury, he has at least another hundred years to live.
"It doesn't matter." An Zhen shook his head slightly, his mental force gently activating the two master-servant contracts, and slowly uttered four words, "Master-servant contract."
Zhang Feng and Wang Ming felt an unprecedented sense of crisis coursing through their bodies, and the look of horror in their eyes remained unchanged.
As victims, they were all too aware of the power of this contract.
That's absolutely insane.
The excellent benefits made them overestimate the importance of Ninth-Level Soul Engineers to His Highness. Think about it: if His Highness wanted to force them to do things, they would have absolutely no room for resistance or disobedience. Whether they were willing or not was entirely up to His Highness.
"We will obey your will," the two said, bowing.
"Go, bring Ye Yulin here."
"yes."
Wang Ming instructed his clansmen not to approach the reception room, and then left with Zhang Feng.
"Uncle." A tall figure appeared silently beside An Zhen; it was Di Tian.
Reclining halfway in his chair, An Zhen's somewhat lazy voice rang out, "Let's go together. If there's any misbehavior, kill them."
The master-servant contract is sufficient to cover the entire Mingdu, but the inexplicable deaths of two Ninth-Level Soul Engineers certainly warrant a thorough investigation. However, if Spirit Beast was responsible, what does it have to do with True Hongchen? And it has absolutely nothing to do with Mingde Hall.
"Yes." Di Tian's figure disappeared into the darkness.
The hall fell silent again, then a murmur rang out.
" Soul Guide …"
What is the purpose of Soul Guide?
For the time being.
He used them as pawns to peacefully control and rule the Sun Moon Empire.
It can provide overt military force.
This is from his personal perspective.
Regarding the Sun Moon Empire.
They are the pillars and the core of the Empire.
For all of humanity, they are an important part of driving progress.
Mechs, battle armor.
This is a groundbreaking development for Spirit Master, originating from Soul Guide. In the secret base beneath Mingde Hall, there exists a massive, fifteen-meter-tall prototype of a mecha. As for the battle armor, the Spirit Tool armor capable of covering the entire body cannot yet be considered a prototype; the Ice God Armor from the original work should be considered one.
" Scientists from the Douluo Continent," An Zhen remarked.
Even if Virtual World wanted to replicate it, it would need a sample.
Whether they become gods or not, these scientists are all very useful. An Zhen thinks that the level of technological progress in the original work, which took ten thousand years, could be accelerated. If a Virtual World were added, allowing for unlimited experimentation without worrying about wasted resources due to failure, and all sorts of ideas could be put to use, perhaps the battle armor and mechs could be developed ahead of schedule.
An Zhen's eyes lit up.
He suddenly realized that this idea had great potential.
This is a unique advantage of Virtual World.