Chapter 210: Nangong Wan—Hiss~~~

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"Could Contestant No. 66 be trying to craft an eighth-tier soul tool?"

As Su Yu meticulously refined a vast amount of high-grade rare metals, performing intricate forging techniques, the audience couldn't help but speculate.

Among the spectators, only a small fraction were merely there for entertainment. The majority were either soul engineers themselves or had come alongside one to watch the competition.

Even those who were primarily there for rare metal gambling had at least a fundamental understanding of soul tools.

At this moment, Su Yu was deeply engaged in processing the rare metals.

His pair of forging hammers swung continuously, striking the various rare metals as they transitioned between liquid and solid states. With each impact, their internal structures shifted under the influence of his soul power.

The final round had ample time—five whole hours.

By the time Su Yu arrived, an hour had already passed.

The forging process alone took him a full two hours.

This emphasized the vital role of raw materials in soul tool creation.

Rare metals possessed extraordinary properties, their quality naturally enhanced over the years through the infusion of elemental energy.

However, while most rare metals were suitable for crafting low- to mid-tier soul tools, they were far less ideal for high-tier creations.

The production of eighth- and ninth-tier soul tools required materials of such high caliber that they rivaled the complexity of the core formation engravings.

In fact, Su Yu even suspected that the reason ninth-tier soul tools had never advanced to the tenth tier was directly linked to material limitations.

Kong Deming shared this perspective. His own approach to breaking through to the tenth-tier soul engineer level involved continuously refining his pinnacle ninth-tier Silver Moon Divine Light Shield with soul power, elevating its foundation before ultimately upgrading its core formation—allowing it to transform into a tenth-tier soul tool.

Having completed the alloy forging, Su Yu ran his right hand across his brow, summoning the Blade of Life. Without hesitation, he began engraving the alloy.

His soul power surged through the blade's tip, sketching out the intricate core formation within the alloy.

Time passed steadily.

Completing an eighth-tier soul tool within four hours left Su Yu with little room for error—his focus was on ensuring success rather than optimizing quality.

The final product would ultimately depend on the nourishment the alloy received through his forging and engraving process, fueled by his own life force.

Fortunately, Su Yu did not make a single mistake.

At the final moment, as the last pattern was etched, dense engravings covered the massive alloy greatsword in his hands. Mysterious patterns coursed across its surface, emitting a unique radiance.

"Success!"

The audience watched as the alloy greatsword gleamed in Su Yu's hands. They could feel the energy fluctuations at the moment the engravings sealed, their gazes instinctively drawn toward him.

 The Judges' Panel

"What a tightly structured core formation!"

The judges focused on Su Yu's position on the stage. Within the glow radiating from the alloy greatsword, faint reflections of the core formation were visible.

From these reflections, they could roughly deduce some fundamental elements of the formation.

The complexity of Su Yu's eighth-tier soul tool far exceeded that of an ordinary one.

Yet, this intricacy also served as a safeguard.

By opting for a more complex core formation, Su Yu cleverly circumvented several high-risk engraving challenges.

However, engraving a core formation to such an intricate degree was a testament to his mastery.

"With his skill, if he weren't constrained by time, he might have been able to craft a truly top-tier eighth-tier soul tool!"

The only eighth-tier soul engineer among the judges couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Even as a judge, he had to admit—he couldn't achieve what Su Yu had just done.

Using a more cumbersome method to minimize the risk of failure was, in itself, a demonstration of superior soul tool craftsmanship.

Su Yu was the only contestant who successfully crafted an eighth-tier soul tool. With his success, the outcome of the final round was essentially decided—there was no need for an actual combat test.

An eighth-tier soul tool, and a massive greatsword at that—an offensive-type soul tool.

Meanwhile, over at the Pingfan Alliance's competition arena, Huo Yuhao had crafted a seventh-tier soul tool.

In terms of overall quality, Huo Yuhao's work did not show a significant advantage, meaning it still needed to undergo combat testing.

However, Huo Yuhao had too many advantages—his soul tools were either highly convenient or possessed unique effects.

In the end, it was no surprise that he secured first place in the Pingfan Alliance's arena.

 "So, how did it go?"

On their way back to the Sun-Moon Hall, Su Yu asked Huo Yuhao about his findings.

"Yu-ge, the forces behind these three major black markets are incredibly complex."

Huo Yuhao had been using Spiritual Detection Sharing the entire time.

Although the black markets had soul tools capable of blocking spiritual detection, these were only activated during crucial discussions, preventing him from eavesdropping on the details.

Ironically, the activation of these blocking devices made his investigation even easier.

By tracking who entered which room and noting when they activated a shielding device, Huo Yuhao was able to compile a thorough list.

He might not have known exactly what was discussed, but with this information, further investigation would be much simpler.

"Yu-ge, the factions behind the three major black markets basically encompass all the great noble families. Their influence runs deep. Are you sure we want to go up against them?"

There was a hint of concern in Huo Yuhao's voice.

This was a massive hornet's nest. Once disturbed, even Sun-Moon Hall might face immense pressure.

"Don't worry. We won't go too far."

In a world where strength reigned supreme, eliminating the aristocracy entirely was impossible. Su Yu never entertained the naive idea of eradicating noble classes.

At best, he could only impose some restrictions on them.

Very soon, he would attempt reforms—introducing a new order. But before that, the nobles needed a warning. Only by shaking them up a little could the upcoming changes proceed more smoothly.

As for Huo Yuhao's concerns about noble retaliation against Sun-Moon Hall…

Su Yu remained unfazed.

At the end of the day, power dictated everything in this world. With his own strength, the might of Jing Hongchen, and the growing influence of Sun-Moon Hall, the nobles of the Sun-Moon Empire—despite their authority—could do nothing to truly harm them.

On the contrary, Sun-Moon Hall was on the verge of revolutionizing the world with universal cultivation techniques and the widespread adoption of battle armor technology.

Both soul masters and soul engineers alike would soon owe Sun-Moon Hall a debt of gratitude.

The nobles wouldn't dare oppose Sun-Moon Hall at this moment.

Besides, Su Yu wasn't foolish—he wouldn't just strike without offering a reward in return.

A sweet treat would be provided as well.

"The nobles backing the Pingfan Alliance and the Aodu Chamber of Commerce only need a warning. The real target is the forces behind the Xishui Alliance. That entire faction is essentially a stronghold for the Holy Spirit Cult. No matter how intricate their affiliations may seem, all of them are ultimately tied to the evil soul masters."

Su Yu had chosen this specific group of nobles as his primary target.

With the justification of eliminating evil soul masters, there was no need to fear retaliation.

Rooting them out completely wouldn't even be an issue.

"Compile the intel you've gathered and hand it over to the Hall Master. We can begin a targeted investigation."

"Got it, Yu-ge."

After contemplating for a moment, Huo Yuhao returned to his dormitory to organize the data. Once everything was compiled, he made his way to Jing Hongchen's office and handed over the refined list.

 "I see what Xiao Yu is getting at."

Jing Hongchen carefully examined the noble families linked to the Xishui Alliance, scanning through each one, large and small.

"And this is just a fraction of them."

The truth was, since the reign of the previous emperor, the Sun-Moon Empire had already begun engaging in clandestine dealings with the Holy Spirit Cult. Though the former emperor had been in poor health and worried about his posthumous reputation, preventing him from fully embracing the cult, he had still engaged in covert, half-coerced transactions. On the surface, the empire had maintained its stance of purging evil soul masters.

Yet the fact that the Holy Spirit Cult had managed to establish deep roots within the Sun-Moon Empire spoke volumes.

After years of infiltration, traces of evil soul masters could be found throughout the empire—something Xu Tiannan had previously discovered at the Grand Soul Arena.

 "Old Ma, send people to investigate these individuals."

Ma Lao hesitated slightly as he took the list. "Hall Master, shouldn't we report this to His Majesty first?"

Jing Hongchen waved his hand dismissively. "No need. Sun-Moon Hall will handle the investigation ourselves. There's no need to notify the emperor."

If they did report it, Xu Tiannan would likely want the investigation but might be forced to deny it publicly—leaking the operation before it even began.

Since that was the case, they might as well bypass the formalities altogether.

Jing Hongchen was well aware that what he was doing technically exceeded Sun-Moon Hall's jurisdiction. Investigating nobles within the empire—without imperial authorization—was more than enough justification for Xu Tiannan to strip him of his position as Hall Master.

However, at this point, Sun-Moon Hall needed Jing Hongchen, and Xu Tiannan couldn't afford to replace him.

Besides, Jing Hongchen had long held a negative view of the emperor for his dealings with the Holy Spirit Cult. With his own strength growing, his respect for Xu Tiannan as the ruler of the empire had greatly diminished.

"I'm doing this for the empire—not for Xu Tiannan's dynasty."

One day, when Xu Tiannan stepped down and a new emperor ascended, they would inherit a stronger, healthier empire.

Only then would all of Jing Hongchen's efforts hold true meaning.

Ma Lao left with the list, arranging for personnel to investigate how these noble families—each possessing at least a seventh-tier soul engineer—had changed over the past decade.

 Meanwhile, Su Yu…

"The soul spirit cultivation system still needs refinement."

Back in his dormitory, Su Yu resumed his work on perfecting the soul spirit cultivation system.

The fusion between martial souls and soul masters required thorough simulations before he could integrate them properly.

"At its core, the fusion of a martial soul and a soul master comes down to the master's ability to tap into their martial soul's potential, alongside external reinforcement."

Potential could be gradually unlocked through cultivation techniques and visualization methods.

"The entry barrier for visualization needs to be lowered. Right now, without establishing a Sea of Spirit, my method is too difficult for beginners."

"A basic visualization technique should be paired with controlled soul power circulation. Instead of visualizing abstract imagery, soul masters should meditate upon their own martial souls—conjuring their unique traits in their minds. As their understanding deepens, the envisioned martial soul will grow more refined, ultimately enhancing their synchronization with it."

With the foundational visualization method in place, once the Sea of Spirit is established, one can quickly master true visualization techniques.