Douluo Dalu 2: I got Kidnapped into Holy Spirit Cult

Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen were the grandchildren of Jing Hongchen, and both possessed extraordinary talent. Their martial souls had mutated from the Golden Toad, resulting in superior variations.

Xiao Hongchen's martial soul, the Three-Legged Golden Toad, carried the bloodline of a divine beast, while Meng Hongchen's martial soul had evolved into the Crimson Ice Toad, a ruler of the extreme north, making it exceptionally unique.

Since arriving at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, Jiang Jue had yet to meet the two of them, as they had already advanced to the Mingde Hall.

"Ke Ke, haven't they already moved up to the Mingde Hall? How can they still participate in this Grand Melee?"

Juzi casually brushed her hair aside, asking as if out of idle curiosity.

The Grand Melee at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy was specifically designed for students under the age of fifteen. It was meant to encourage students to devote themselves more diligently to their studies and training through combat.

"Juzi, I think you've been sleeping too much. As long as they're under fifteen, they can participate. Those two haven't reached fifteen yet."

Ke Ke tapped Juzi's forehead and advised her to sleep less.

Standing nearby, Jiang Jue was carefully engraving a core formation with his carving knife, seemingly focused on his work, but his mind was already formulating plans.

Before coming to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, he had devised a three-step strategy.

First, he aimed to learn soul engineering, integrating the technology of his previous life with soul tools in preparation for the future war to unify the continent. Additionally, he planned to recruit Xuan Ziwen, a crucial talent.

Second, and most importantly, he needed to secure the support of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, including the elite Mingde Hall. The key to achieving this lay in Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen.

Before the second Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament, the Holy Spirit Cult's identity as an evil soul master sect was still somewhat sensitive.

Thus, he needed to align himself with a legitimate faction, adopting a proper and respectable identity. With Electrolux's Light Enchantment infused into his Soul Refining Banner, his martial soul appeared as righteous as any orthodox one.

Once the tournament ended and the continental war erupted, evil soul masters would no longer be universally condemned. At that point, he could truly act without restraint, openly declaring his stance.

For now, this Grand Melee was the perfect opportunity.

Afternoon – After Class

Once the others had left, Jiang Jue approached Xuan Ziwen.

"Teacher Xuan, I'd like to sign up for the Grand Melee."

Hearing this, Xuan Ziwen emerged from his deep concentration, rubbing his slightly sore eyes before responding.

"Jiang Jue, you can sign up, but I have to remind you—the Grand Melee is open to all students under fifteen across the entire academy. Most of the participants are Soul Ancestors."

"With your current rank as a Soul Elder, you'll be at a disadvantage."

The Grand Melee was exactly as its name suggested—an unrestricted battle where the last person standing was declared the winner.

"It's fine, Teacher Xuan. I just want to test my strength."

Jiang Jue waved his hand dismissively, his tone resolute.

"Well, alright. I'll register you. Make sure to prepare yourself—the Grand Melee will take place tomorrow afternoon. You might want to equip yourself with more soul tools."

At the Sun Moon Royal Academy, a nation that thrived on soul engineering, soul tools were permitted in combat.

"Understood, Teacher Xuan."

"Oh, and… when should I officially join your faction?"

Xuan Ziwen asked hesitantly. After all, Jiang Jue was his student, yet he was considering joining the boy's faction—it felt a bit unnatural.

Jiang Jue saw that Xuan Ziwen's position in the faction would not be low. He might even have to start addressing Jiang Jue differently in the future.

"Teacher Xuan, there's no rush. Once I enter Mingde Hall, you can make the switch."

Jiang Jue replied calmly. He had yet to fully develop all categories of soul tools, and the grand vision he had painted for Xuan Ziwen was still incomplete. If Xuan Ziwen joined now, the deception would be exposed.

"Alright then."

Xuan Ziwen nodded in agreement.

Afterward, Jiang Jue left the laboratory to prepare for the upcoming Grand Melee.

Although he wasn't afraid of opponents slightly stronger than him, he couldn't afford to underestimate soul tools.

Some soul tools could unleash power beyond what a soul master of the same rank could achieve.

Night – Jing Hongchen's Office

"Hall Master, the list of participants for tomorrow's Grand Melee has been compiled."

Lin Jiayi entered the office after knocking on the door.

"This is trivial. You don't need to report it to me."

Jing Hongchen sat in his chair, holding a carving knife while engraving a ninth-tier core formation.

"There's one participant you might be interested in—Jiang Jue."

Lin Jiayi spoke cautiously, worried about disturbing Jing Hongchen.

"Oh? If I recall correctly, he's only a Soul Elder."

Jing Hongchen blew away the metal shavings from the formation, set it aside, and looked up at Lin Jiayi.

"Yes."

Lin Jiayi responded respectfully.

"Interesting. A mere Soul Elder dares to participate in our Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's Grand Melee?"

"Let's see if his strength matches his soul power."

Jing Hongchen murmured.

His investigations had revealed that Jiang Jue was not even eleven years old yet, yet he had already reached the rank of Soul Elder.

When he first learned this, he was truly shocked. Even his own grandchildren, at Jiang Jue's age, had not reached such a level.

Achieving this rank at such a young age could mean two things—either he had forcefully advanced through excessive elixirs, or he was a true prodigy.

"However, as the Holy Spirit Cult's Holy Son, his martial soul should be extremely sinister."

Jing Hongchen thought to himself. Then he casually said,

"I'll personally attend this Grand Melee. Make the necessary arrangements."

"Yes, sir!"

Lin Jiayi responded immediately. He had worked under Jing Hongchen for many years and knew the key to success—don't ask too many questions, don't speak unnecessarily, just do your job.

Seeing that Jing Hongchen had no further instructions, Lin Jiayi bowed respectfully and left the room.

Jing Hongchen's decision to attend the Grand Melee wasn't just on a whim—it was also because his grandchildren were participating.

"Geniuses, huh…"

Jing Hongchen shook his head slightly before refocusing on his core formation engraving.

The Next Afternoon – Soul Tool Testing Arena

The Soul Tool Testing Arena was the largest structure on the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's grounds. It could accommodate up to ten thousand people. The arena's interior consisted of a vast central battlefield surrounded by tiered seating that extended upwards in layers.

Between the audience seats and the central battlefield, a linked defensive system made up of multiple defensive soul tools was in place. This system could be controlled by a single soul master, provided they had sufficient soul power.

At this moment, the Soul Tool Testing Arena was completely packed.

Every Grand Melee at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy attracted a large audience of students and teachers. The academy even scheduled a half-day break to allow them to watch the event, serving as a source of motivation.

In the designated preparation area of the arena, over a hundred students were already gathered, cracking their knuckles and preparing for battle.

(End of Chapter)