Lin Jiayi didn't linger long in the hall, leading Lin Xiao into another corridor nearby.
Though Lin Jiayi didn't say anything, Lin Xiao could guess that these corridors were more complex than they appeared.
"Hallmaster."
Finally, Lin Jiayi stopped in front of a metal door. As soon as he spoke, the door automatically slid open on both sides.
The decor inside was somewhat different from the outside, carrying a touch of homely warmth, suggesting that Jing Hongchen occasionally rested here.
"You're here." Jing Hongchen glanced at Lin Xiao, then at Lin Jiayi. "You can go back now. I'd like to have a chat with him."
"Yes, Hallmaster." Lin Jiayi gave Lin Xiao another look, nodded, and turned to leave.
"What do you think of your teacher, Lin Jiayi?"
As the door closed, Jing Hongchen looked back at Lin Xiao with a smile.
"Teacher… he's been very good to me."
Lin Xiao wasn't lying. Perhaps Lin Jiayi treated all his students this way, but for Lin Xiao, he was the first person in this world who had genuinely cared for him.
"Is that so?" Jing Hongchen kept smiling, his thoughts on the answer unclear. "And what do you think of Illustrious Virtue Hall?"
"It's impressive," Lin Xiao said truthfully.
"Then… would you like to become one of them?"
Lin Xiao paused, glancing toward the door as if seeing the soul engineers at their experiment tables beyond it.
"No need to worry. Do you know why I had Lin Jiayi bring you here?" Jing Hongchen didn't wait for an answer, continuing quickly. "It's because this is the safest place in all of Douluo Continent."
"Whether it's the Holy Spirit Cult behind you, or anyone else—even your Cult Leader Zhongli Wu—none of them could know what happens here. So, you can tell me your true thoughts."
The safest?
Lin Xiao glanced at Jing Hongchen.
Not necessarily. This place would eventually be blasted with several large holes.
Seeing Lin Xiao remain silent, Jing Hongchen shook his head. "Alright, it seems you haven't decided yet. For now, hand over that soul tool from last night."
Lin Xiao hesitated briefly but handed over the soul tool from the guard.
He didn't say much. His mask might conceal his identity from others, but for a Titled Douluo like Jing Hongchen, it made little difference.
"Don't worry. You've taught my grandson a lesson, and I don't intend to take this soul tool back. However, it has some restrictions. If you try to force it open, you'll likely damage its internal structure. I'll remove the restrictions for you."
"But in doing so, this soul tool can only remain in Illustrious Virtue Hall. If you want to uncover its secrets, you'll have to study it here. I'll grant you the status of an apprentice researcher, allowing you to come here three days a week to study."
Lin Xiao roughly understood Jing Hongchen's intentions.
He was allowing him to study the soul tool, but as a precursor to array soul tools, it held many secrets. Jing Hongchen was likely wary of Lin Xiao using it elsewhere.
"Thank you, Hallmaster," Lin Xiao said with a nod.
Not only was he helping remove the restrictions, but he was also granting him apprentice researcher status. Perhaps because he'd spent so long in the Holy Spirit Cult, Lin Xiao couldn't help but feel that everyone outside seemed rather kind.
Jing Hongchen didn't hide anything, dismantling the soul cannon in front of Lin Xiao. "By the way, why didn't you take other soul tools and instead chose this one? Did you notice something?"
Lin Xiao watched Jing Hongchen's movements closely, nodding slightly.
Jing Hongchen, a ninth-rank soul engineer, lived up to his reputation. Despite his stout fingers, they moved with remarkable dexterity, each component seeming to come alive in his hands.
Vaguely, Lin Xiao realized something.
This world was indeed different from his previous one. While soul tools bore some resemblance to the machines in his memory, the presence of soul power and spiritual energy introduced elements that couldn't be explained with words.
Take Jing Hongchen, for example. In Lin Xiao's hands, metal was just metal. But in Jing Hongchen's hands, it seemed to have life. That was something only a high-level soul engineer could imbue through soul power and spiritual energy.
Jing Hongchen allowed Lin Xiao to observe his movements, speaking again. "When Lin Jiayi first recommended you, I only took notice because you defeated Ji Juechen. The Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy is full of talented students, and I can't pay attention to every one of them."
"But now, I genuinely want you to join Illustrious Virtue Hall. To recognize the uniqueness of this soul tool at a glance—your intuition for soul tools surpasses many. You know, when crafting soul tools, intuition can be just as important."
"I'm only a third-rank soul engineer…"
"Talent has nothing to do with cultivation. Just like when a soul master awakens their martial soul—if they have innate full soul power, even without their first soul ring, everyone knows their future achievements will be extraordinary."
"Thank you for your high regard, Hallmaster. I'll think about it."
Jing Hongchen gave Lin Xiao a deep look but didn't press further about any hidden concerns, continuing to dismantle the soul tool in silence.
"So, what did the Hallmaster say to you?"
Lin Xiao hadn't expected Lin Jiayi to wait for him. As he exited Illustrious Virtue Hall, he saw his teacher standing outside.
Lin Xiao held up his identity card. "The Hallmaster gave me apprentice researcher status, allowing me to study in Illustrious Virtue Hall three days a week."
Lin Jiayi's eyes widened slightly. "Not many at the academy get to enter Illustrious Virtue Hall as apprentice researchers. Seize this opportunity. Even glimpsing some of their research could yield significant gains."
"Yes, I will, Teacher."
Lin Jiayi's words weren't exaggerated. Just watching Jing Hongchen dismantle the soul tool had already taught Lin Xiao a great deal.
Like soul masters, soul engineers needed more than just soul power and array patterns—there were intangible qualities as well.
Though he was already a third-rank soul engineer, the soul tools he crafted were more like machines, not true soul tools that harmonized with a soul engineer.
Ironically, the closest he'd come to being a true soul engineer was the Star Soul Ingot he'd created by chance.
It seemed the path to becoming a high-level soul engineer wasn't as simple as he'd thought. It would require significant effort.
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