Ever since Elder Mu had been persuaded, Chen Fu clearly felt his experiments progressing much more smoothly. Whatever he wanted, he got,no bargaining at all.
As Shrek Academy's treasured stockpile of rare materials was brought out one after another, Elder Xuan began to wonder whether Elder Mu had been possessed. Meanwhile, Chen Fu's soul-lure capture device gradually took shape.
During this time, Chen Fu tested the "Divine Ring" device on Elder Mu. As expected, the Divine Ring's output limit couldn't shake the mental strength of an Ultimate Douluo,it only made Elder Mu feel a little itchy.
After running a new round of calculations combined with martial souls, he concluded that the essence-soul particles would need a massive circular track for acceleration to penetrate the mental density of an Ultimate Douluo.
Having reached that conclusion, Elder Mu was not anxious. He said he would find a way to procure the materials for the new equipment.
Finally, when the academy's autumn term ended and vacation began, Chen Fu completed his creation.
Fully deployed, the device resembled a massive mechanical spider the size of a building, its dense, orderly mechanical limbs giving a strange impression of structured chaos.
After running a full self-check, Chen Fu dismantled the components and stored them inside several space-type soul tools. He did not have a single soul tool spacious enough to store the entire machine at once.
During this period, his soul power had reached level 49, not far from level 50. As for Ma Xiaotao, she had reached level 60 half a month earlier.
"Ready?"
Seeing the elder and the young woman waiting for him outside, Chen Fu nodded.
Elder Mu immediately grabbed both of their hands. Space around them shattered like a mirror, and in an instant, the three of them teleported from Linge Pavilion into a giant forest of ancient trees.
"This is already the outer region of Star Dou Forest. From here on, we just wait for an opportunity."
Shrek City wasn't far from Star Dou Forest; counting the border areas, they were essentially neighbors.
Over the next few days, Elder Mu led the two of them slowly toward the core region. Since their target was a ferocious beast, they weren't in a hurry.
"Little White, fire."
Holding a roast chicken in his hand, Chen Fu ordered the white ring floating nearby.
"Fire your head!"
Annoyed, Ma Xiaotao lightly punched Chen Fu. The white soul ring was becoming increasingly expressive,it was, in a sense, an extension of her soul.
"Just teasing. Little Blue, add fire."
Chen Fu smiled and gave a new order to the technological throne residing in the blue data-type soul ring.
Ma Xiaotao had given him the inspiration,letting the throne's intelligence inhabit a data soul ring that merged with his own soul was an excellent option.
Flames appeared out of thin air and roasted Chen Fu's chicken to crispy perfection.
He gave half to Ma Xiaotao, the other half to Elder Mu, then stood up and gazed into the distance.
"Elder Mu, we've been wandering around for seven days. Why hasn't a single ferocious beast come out for a stroll?"
"Soul beasts have long lifespans and slow lifestyles. Completely normal."
Elder Mu accepted the roast chicken without complaint.
"But your luck is good. I just sensed that soul beast's aura. The ferocious beast isn't far."
Taking hold of both youngsters, Elder Mu shattered space again and performed a spatial jump.
With a jolt, Chen Fu found himself sitting on something soft and furry.
"Humans!"
A sudden wave of mental pressure rushed toward them but was blocked by Elder Mu just before impact.
Only then did Chen Fu and Ma Xiaotao register the huge wolf-shaped creature before them,and beneath their feet, a soul beast resembling a golden-haired lion.
"Touch it, and you all die!"
A surge of black flames lit half the sky crimson.
Elder Mu patted the soul beast underfoot to make it behave, then with a casual gesture dispelled the sea of black fire. Only then did he look at the newcomer.
"Calm down, Chi King. We're here to make a deal."
"The auspicious beast must not be harmed, human!"
Though the beast known as Chi King sensed a lethal threat from the small human before him, the auspicious beast could not be risked.
"Our target has never been the auspicious beast."
Chen Fu stroked the golden little lion's soft fur. "The auspicious beast is only a bargaining chip to make you listen."
From deep in the forest, the gaze of a super-powerful expert swept toward them.
Elder Mu looked in that direction and extended an invitation. Today was unlike the past,discussing matters with those at the top made understanding far easier.
"Interesting."
A man in a black robe embroidered with golden patterns appeared silently above Chi King's head.
"Now that you've left that place, you can't leave so easily today."
"At the very least, I can push you across half the forest."
Elder Mu ignored the threat. Both sides were supreme beings with mutual scruples; under normal circumstances, neither would truly fight. And the bargaining chip in his hand,the auspicious beast,was only a bonus to begin with.
The black-robed man stared deeply at Elder Mu. Even two-against-one, he could win, but the cost wasn't worth it.
"Speak. What deal do you propose?"
Elder Mu transmitted the soul-ring-attachment experiment to the man through spiritual power.
After a moment of silence, Chen Fu felt a gaze sweep through his body from the inside out.
"I'm more interested in the first method."
"Everything must proceed step by step, mustn't it?"
The black-robed man nodded. Though the second method still involved using soul beasts, the soul beast involved would occupy a very subtle position.
In fact… sometimes their choice might even cause humans to turn against each other.
"The future of this technology is to escape the limits of soul rings. Relying on external force to break through while still being bound by soul beasts is not my goal."
At this moment, Chen Fu interjected appropriately. Even though the humanoid being before him might be the strongest he had ever encountered, this experiment had him as the central subject.
So this was Elder Mu's real bargaining chip. Indeed,if achieved, the auspicious beast was merely an extra.
"How can you guarantee what you claim will come true?"
Regardless, the black-robed man felt it was worth trying.
"Because I'm experimenting on myself."
Three transparent soul rings and one blue ring appeared before everyone.
Soul rings without any aura of soul beast spirit, soul force, or mental power,this finally startled the black-robed man.
He had thought the human was simply making empty promises. But the human had already taken the first steps.
"Human, the beast clan accepts this deal."
A chance to change the age-old life-and-death struggle between humans and soul beasts could not be refused. After hundreds of thousands of years of accumulation, he had to admit,humans were indeed uniquely blessed.
After the agreement was reached, Chen Fu quickly took out the functional modules from his space-type soul tool and began assembling them. At the same time, he instructed the people and soul beasts to clear the area and set up barriers to prevent interference with the experiment.
The massive spider-shaped soul device gradually took form. This device, meant for soul-ring engraving, was named the Soul Ring Engraver by Chen Fu.
Later generations of scholars often criticized the first-generation Soul Ring Engraver for lacking a grand title, concluding with bias: "It was ugly." ,from "To the Greatest Guide"
While everyone was busy, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, lying in a corner and ignored, had to get up on her own. She let out a pitiful cry toward the black-robed man standing nearby.
"See what happens when you run off again? Luckily their goal was never you. Otherwise, encountering such top-tier experts, I might not have been able to save you in time."
The black-robed man stroked her silky golden fur and secretly transmitted his voice:
"That human,can you see anything?"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was a divine beast of fortune, capable of sensing fate to some extent, and possessed the Eye of Destiny, a transcendent ability.
Hearing him, she gathered soul power and looked toward the human. He seemed to sense it; even while assembling machinery, he looked up and met her gaze before turning back to his work.
Her eyes grew hazy for a moment, then she snapped back to clarity.
"Past and future are hidden. The present is a blur…" Her clear, ethereal voice echoed in the black-robed man's ears.
"And also…"
The golden little lion sniffed hard.
"He has a strange smell."
"What kind of strange?"
"Well… like the lake water and that worm."
The man fell silent for a long time.
Why are humans always so uniquely blessed?
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