"No, Brother Wang, you don't need to be so polite." Huo Yuhao waved his hands repeatedly.
Although he already possessed the cultivation of a Super Douluo, in front of Wang Nan, he was still like a child.
"Also, the rechargeable Soul Guidance Device you mentioned before, Brother Wang, I've already researched it. I brought the blueprints, some core materials, and a prototype."
"You don't actually need to rush this."
"No, no, I'm already used to it." Huo Yuhao scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
Wang Nan looked at Huo Yuhao and sighed inwardly. Although Huo Yuhao's rise had been aided by many opportunities, there was no denying that his tireless dedication to cultivation was something ordinary people could never match.
Even Wang Nan himself would occasionally slack off.
"You've worked hard. Stay here for a while longer. It's a good opportunity to complete that Soul Guidance Device."
"Mm, that was my original intention—"
Huo Yuhao's voice gradually lowered.
"There's one more thing I'd like to ask Brother Wang for help with."
"What is it? Tell me," Wang Nan said with a smile.
"I'd like to ask Brother Wang to accompany me to the White Tiger Duke's Mansion."
His experiences had not erased his childhood memories. He never forgot that man owed both him and his mother an apology.
Although he had gained many companions over the years, whether it was his Tang Sect senior brothers or his teachers at the academy, when it came to stepping into the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, the only person Huo Yuhao thought of was Wang Nan.
Wang Nan's gaze shifted slightly.
"I know my mother and I are insignificant in that man's eyes," Huo Yuhao continued. "Over the past few years, I've come to understand what nobles in the Empire are really like. It doesn't matter how much grievance I suffer, but he should never have deceived my mother and made her wait for him for so many years."
Even with Huo Yuhao's formidable mental force, his emotions fluctuated as he spoke.
"I understand," Wang Nan said calmly. "It's a good thing you came this time. I also need to make a trip to Star Luo City. You can come with us."
"Okay." Huo Yuhao nodded.
"Let's eat first. After that, you can show me what a Level 10 humanoid Soul Guidance Device looks like."
---
Northwest of Gengxin City, deep within a mountain range where no one ventured, Wang Nan and Huo Yuhao arrived.
"Brother Wang, where is this?"
"I haven't personally seen a Level 10 Soul Guidance Device before, but one that can rival a Limit Douluo should be terrifying in power. The testing grounds in Gengxin City can't withstand it, so we found a deserted area."
"Alright. Then let's begin, just like we discussed during dinner."
"Mm." Wang Nan nodded and led Huo Yuhao to the mountaintop.
As Wang Nan's spirit power circulated, specks of golden light appeared on his arms, shoulders, and legs. Accompanied by metallic clangs, dragon-scaled golden armor rapidly covered his limbs.
A powerful aura erupted from his body. Invisible waves of energy swept outward, blowing trees askew and sending soil and stones flying. Even Huo Yuhao unconsciously stepped back.
With Wang Nan's level of control, suppressing his aura would normally be effortless. However, since the Soul Guidance Device needed to integrate with his own power, some leakage was unavoidable.
Within Huo Yuhao's mental sea, Tianmeng Iceworm and the others tightly restrained their auras. Only Electrolux let out a quiet sigh.
"Stop hiding. He already discovered us."
"Huh?" Tianmeng Iceworm exclaimed. Even Huo Yuhao, who was listening in his mental sea, was momentarily stunned.
"At this distance, I can't precisely judge his strength, but the few of us can no longer conceal ourselves."
"Teacher, has Brother Wang's strength already reached yours?"
Electrolux remained silent. Instead, Tianmeng Iceworm spoke thoughtfully, "The aura on your Brother Wang feels even more terrifying than those Vicious Beasts deep within the Star Dou Great Forest."
"What's wrong, Yuhao?" Wang Nan asked. Even without relying on perception, he knew Huo Yuhao housed other consciousnesses within him, though he could not know their conversation.
"Nothing, Brother Wang," Huo Yuhao replied, lifting his head again. Seeing no change in Wang Nan's expression, he understood. Wang Nan had known about those consciousnesses for a long time.
Regaining focus, Huo Yuhao began taking out components from his storage Soul Guidance Device one by one.
His mental force extended outward as his hands moved swiftly. Metal components floated up as if alive, assembling themselves in mid-air.
A pale golden bead was embedded in the helmet's forehead, its faint aura perfectly matching Wang Nan's. It was the Spirit Bone dismantled from Long Xiaoyao's Soul Guidance Device.
Influenced by Wang Nan's aura, the component flew toward him like a swallow returning home.
Helmet. Back armor. Waist and abdomen.
As time passed, Wang Nan's entire body was encased in metal. The helmet, chest, and belt released a strange resonance. These were the Spirit Bones Wang Nan had provided, now integrated into the Soul Guidance Device, subtly pulsing in harmony with his spirit cores.
"Done," Huo Yuhao said.
At the same time, Wang Nan's three spirit cores began to rotate. Mental force and spirit power surged violently into the Soul Guidance Device. In an instant, the sky darkened, leaving only the golden armor shining brilliantly.
Wang Nan's body expanded slightly, and the pressure radiating from him became overwhelmingly oppressive. Merely standing still, the surrounding space was already on the verge of collapse.
A Spirit Master already standing at the peak among Limit Douluo, combined with a Level 10 humanoid Soul Guidance Device that comprehensively amplified his power, no longer needed elaborate movements. A simple lift of his hand or foot carried the force to destroy the world.
His mental force rapidly drained. Wang Nan sensed it and immediately understood that this Level 10 Soul Guidance Device was not something just anyone could wield.
Although humanoid Soul Guidance Devices enhanced a Spirit Master in every aspect, they demanded enormous mental force. A Level 10 device required an even more terrifying amount. Fortunately, his current mental force was more than sufficient.
His second spirit ring lit up. The Soul Guidance Device responded, its surface becoming denser and more solid. An immense power surged forth.
With a casual raise of his hand, the already fragile space around him shattered, exposing chaotic spatial turbulence.
Wang Nan realized his miscalculation.
The power of a Level 10 Soul Guidance Device was not merely beyond the limits of the testing grounds. Even this world itself struggled to endure it.
He withdrew the Soul Guidance Device and gently lifted his hand, smoothing the fractured space before turning to Huo Yuhao.
"Thank you."