Time always passed quickly. In a secret room of the Tang Sect in Shrek City, Huo Yuhao meticulously carved the final inscription onto the Soul Guidance Device component before him.
As the Life Blade in his hand traced the last line, the Soul Guidance Device immediately emitted a golden glow, which slowly faded after a long while.
Letting out a deep breath, Huo Yuhao's two great Soul Cores rotated within him, gradually restoring his spirit power and mental force.
Another two years had passed. With the help of the Evil Emperor's mental force and the Ice Emperor's spirit power, his spirit power rank had broken through to Rank Ninety-Six, entering the realm of a Tenth-Rank Soul Engineer and officially becoming the second Tenth-Rank Soul Engineer on the Douluo Continent.
And the first Tenth-Level Soul Guidance Device he created was the humanoid Soul Guidance Device before him.
Over the past two years, the shoulder and leg armor components had already been sent to Wang Nan in Gengxin City. Only the helmet and chest armor remained unfinished.
However, now that he had successfully broken through to the Tenth Rank, all the chest armor components were complete as well. Only the final assembly remained.
Huo Yuhao was not in a hurry to assemble the chest armor. Instead, he swept it with his mental force and placed it into his storage Soul Guidance Device.
A humanoid Soul Guidance Device was, in essence, a complete whole. Although it could be produced in separate components, it ultimately needed to be integrated into one unit. It was time for him to make another trip to Gengxin City.
And…
Huo Yuhao paused in thought, then organized the blueprints in his storage Soul Guidance Device and took several rare metals from the secret room, storing them away as well.
Not long after Wang Nan returned from the Sun Moon Empire two years ago, he had visited Gengxin City and given Huo Yuhao many pointers on Soul Guidance Device creation.
Although Wang Nan had advised him not to rush certain ideas, Huo Yuhao still devoted considerable effort to researching them after returning. Now, he had achieved some results.
After packing his belongings and taking time to adjust his condition, Huo Yuhao left Shrek City and flew south toward Gengxin City.
Several years had passed, and Gengxin City had once again undergone major changes. Soul Guidance Devices could be seen everywhere, making it little different from Mingdu of the Sun Moon Empire. In some areas, there were even new types of Soul Guidance Devices that did not exist in Mingdu.
"These must all be designed by Brother Wang. His mind seems to have an endless supply of inspiration. It's a pity he doesn't like making Soul Guidance Devices. Otherwise, he would definitely be an extremely powerful Soul Engineer."
While observing the various novel arrangements along the streets, Huo Yuhao unknowingly arrived at the entrance of Duke Qi Tian's Mansion.
"Is that Senior Huo? Please come in quickly."
The guard at the gate had already recognized him.
Like Wang Nan back then, Huo Yuhao felt slightly unaccustomed to this. Although he was already a Super Douluo, he usually stayed at Shrek Academy or the Tang Sect. Despite his cultivation far surpassing that of many senior brothers and even teachers, no one had ever addressed him as "Senior."
"Is Brother Wang here?" After a brief pause, Huo Yuhao adjusted his mindset.
"The Duke is inside the mansion."
"Then I'll go in."
Breathing in the fresh scent of the plants within the mansion grounds, Huo Yuhao soon reached the front hall. There, a slender, black-haired woman stood with her long hair draped over her shoulders. A faint aura of a Titled Douluo emanated from her, and her cultivation was clearly not low.
Huo Yuhao did not casually release his mental force upon entering Wang Nan's mansion. However, upon seeing her back, a trace of doubt arose in his heart.
She felt vaguely familiar, yet he could not recall where he had seen her before.
His approaching footsteps seemed to alert her. With a light flick of her long hair, the woman turned around, and Huo Yuhao's eyes widened instantly.
"Oh, it's little Yuhao. Long time no see."
"Long time no see, Senior Brother Gongyang," Huo Yuhao replied, his voice a little stiff.
The person standing in the hall was none other than Gongyang Mo, who had once participated in the Soul Duel Tournament with him.
Several years had passed, yet Gongyang Mo's appearance had hardly changed. His demeanor, however, had become even more feminine. Every smile naturally drew attention. Had Huo Yuhao not known beforehand that Gongyang Mo was male, he might have stared for much longer.
Recovering quickly, Huo Yuhao spoke again. "Senior Brother Gongyang, your cultivation…"
"I broke through," Gongyang Mo replied with a radiant smile.
"But I heard that the Rainbow Dragon Spirit can only accommodate a maximum of seven spirit rings."
"Indeed. I didn't expect to reach my current realm either. Little Nan really has his methods." Seeing Huo Yuhao's curiosity, Gongyang Mo blinked, then leaned closer and whispered, "This is a secret between me and your Brother Wang."
Ever since entering Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao's heart had been focused solely on cultivation and Soul Guidance Devices. He had little contact with women. When Wang Dong had been by his side, a strange feeling had once stirred within him, but as Wang Dong'er left the academy, it gradually faded.
Now, as Gongyang Mo leaned close, a faint fragrance drifted into Huo Yuhao's nose, causing his face to flush.
"Stop. Don't say it in such an ambiguous way."
The light in the hall dimmed slightly as Wang Nan appeared at the doorway, blocking part of the sunlight.
"Little Nan."
"Brother Wang." Huo Yuhao stood up immediately.
"Don't listen to Gongyang Mo's nonsense. His Spirit, the Rainbow Dragon, is also known as the Dragon Concubine. It can break through its limitations by borrowing the power of a True Dragon Dragon King."
"I didn't think too much of it," Huo Yuhao replied quietly.
"Alright, alright, I was just teasing you." Gongyang Mo glanced at Wang Nan. "You two must have important matters to discuss. I still have things to take care of."
As he walked toward the door, he added, "By the way, the tax reports for Gengxin City's first half of the year are all on the table. Take a look when you have time."
Wang Nan nodded, stepped over, and put the documents away without even glancing at them.
"Yuhao, sit."
"Okay, Brother Wang." Huo Yuhao sat back down. "Brother Wang, all the components of that Soul Guidance Device have been completed. However, a humanoid Soul Guidance Device is different from ordinary ones. It needs to fully integrate the power of the Soul Guidance Device with that of the Soul Master."
"So before final integration, a portion of your power will still be required. After completion, the humanoid Soul Guidance Device must also be nurtured with mental force and spirit power until it fully harmonizes with you."
After a brief pause, Huo Yuhao continued slowly, "Although it hasn't been verified yet, based on my estimates, with your mental force, Brother Wang, it may even be possible to promote further growth of the humanoid Soul Guidance Device."
"I understand," Wang Nan said with a slight smile. "Thank you, Yuhao."