Douluo: In an extraordinary world, with unparallel understanding!

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An hour later. 

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and stepped onto the arena. 

Today marked Huo Yuhao's first time publicly showcasing his abilities at the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. 

And for this debut, his opponent was none other than the formidable Ji Juechen. 

Extreme Ice Battle Armor, integrate! 

Unlike the previous matches involving Xiao Ping and the others, there was no glimmer from a storage-type soul tool on Huo Yuhao's body this time. 

As his martial soul was released, his eyes turned a luminous white, radiating a gentle yet profound spiritual light. Several glowing orbs seemed to emerge from within him, as if they were extensions of his martial soul. 

"What kind of technology is this?" 

"Is that his martial soul?" 

"No, that's not a martial soul. That's also a soul tool." 

Some sharp-eyed soul engineers immediately noticed that what covered Huo Yuhao wasn't a martial soul but an extraordinary soul tool. 

"My goodness, what kind of technology is this?!" 

For the first time, the teachers and students of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy felt truly shocked. 

As members of the academy, they received the highest level of education in soul engineering theory. Yet, even with their advanced knowledge, they felt a sense of inadequacy when witnessing this glimpse of an intermediate battle armor's capabilities. 

How far has Sun-Moon Hall pushed their research on soul tools? 

Spies from various factions hidden among the academy's ranks were equally astonished. 

As expected, even after painstakingly infiltrating the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, they still couldn't access the core secrets of its technology. 

Huo Yuhao's Extreme Ice Battle Armor consisted of fourteen components, with an additional pair of bone wings. 

Over the past few months, he had successfully crafted his intermediate battle armor and fused his bone wings into it. 

Furthermore, Huo Yuhao planned to integrate his torso bone into the battle armor. Since the Ice Empress' torso bone shared a deep connection with his soul, achieving this wouldn't be difficult. However, it would likely have to wait until he reached the level of advanced battle armor. 

A chilling aura filled the air. 

Huo Yuhao's Extreme Ice Battle Armor was perfectly attuned to his second martial soul rather than his Spirit Eyes. 

The most significant feature of this armor was that it allowed him to use the abilities of his second martial soul while simultaneously utilizing the power of his Spirit Eyes. 

"When it comes to advanced battle armor, I must consider designing a core formation that enhances both of my martial souls," Huo Yuhao thought to himself. However, he was fully aware of the daunting challenge. Achieving simultaneous amplification of the Ultimate Ice and Spiritual attributes would be as difficult as scaling the heavens. 

The complexity of constructing such a core formation would far surpass that of a typical advanced battle armor. 

As Huo Yuhao merged with his battle armor, Ji Juechen's gaze sharpened on the other side of the arena. 

His attention was drawn to Huo Yuhao's Extreme Ice Battle Armor, particularly the bone wings seamlessly fused with the armor. 

After closely observing from the sidelines and analyzing Huo Yuhao's battles with Xiao Ping and the others, Ji Juechen had begun to grasp the essence of battle armor. He could feel its true strength. 

The fusion of a soul master's martial soul with the armor. 

Huo Yuhao's Extreme Ice Battle Armor, this intermediate-level masterpiece, only reinforced Ji Juechen's theory. 

If that's the case, what about my sword? 

Taking a deep breath, Ji Juechen's gaze on Huo Yuhao became resolute. 

Today, I will prove myself. And if possible, I'll see if I can learn this ability. 

As for whether this was soul tool technology, Ji Juechen wasn't the least bit concerned. 

What he wanted was the ability itself. Surely, the soul engineers could craft something customized for him, right? 

The two remained silent, neither willing to make the first move. 

Huo Yuhao's rank-69 soul power far surpassed Ji Juechen's, both in quality and quantity. 

Although Ji Juechen's soul power was amplified by six boosting soul skills, giving him a temporary edge in total energy, it only barely matched Huo Yuhao's in quality. 

And Huo Yuhao still had the added enhancement of his Extreme Ice Battle Armor. 

The oppressive might of soul power at a level comparable to that of a Soul Douluo weighed heavily on the arena. All the students and teachers present felt an overwhelming sense of despair. 

How could anyone hope to defeat this? 

At the same time, shock filled their hearts as they grasped the true significance of Sun-Moon Hall's latest achievement. 

It slowly dawned on many that this event wasn't just about the competition—it was also a showcase of Sun-Moon Hall's groundbreaking innovations. 

Battle armor? 

So powerful! 

If this year's Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament included Sun-Moon Hall's participants, victory would be nearly guaranteed. 

Those who realized this couldn't contain their excitement. 

This would be a complete domination. 

Soul tools were truly the pinnacle of advancement. 

Both fighters showed no openings in their stance, but ultimately, Huo Yuhao lacked Ji Juechen's composure. Deciding to seize the initiative, he launched the first attack. 

With a faint shimmer, the battle armor on Huo Yuhao's wrists transformed, forming a pair of massive, ice-blue pincers. 

A chilling aura spread across the arena. 

Ji Juechen's eyes glinted sharply. He thrust his sword forward, condensing his soul power into a single point. The sword energy raged fiercely, yet it remained focused on that single spot. 

The moment their attacks collided, an explosion erupted. 

Boom! 

The clash between the two unleashed an invisible shockwave that cracked the ground beneath them. 

Ji Juechen staggered backward, his toes lightly tapping the floor as he skillfully redirected the force. The Heaven's Meteorite Sword in his hands swept forward, releasing a powerful wave of sword energy. 

Huo Yuhao also retreated, but only a single step. His body was shielded by a layer of sturdy ice crystals that refracted dazzling rays of light. 

The sword energy failed to penetrate his defenses. 

In terms of raw power, Huo Yuhao's overall strength was superior to Ji Juechen's. 

When there's such a disparity in power, technique alone cannot bridge the gap. At an equal level, superior techniques could indeed achieve overwhelming results, but this was not a situation where Ji Juechen's skill could compensate for the difference. 

Huo Yuhao's spiritual detection covered the entire arena, allowing him to see every move Ji Juechen made with pinpoint accuracy. However, that intangible sense of intent or essence Ji Juechen exuded could not be understood through spiritual detection alone. 

Recognizing this, Huo Yuhao abandoned the idea of learning it through observation. Instead, he prepared to experience it head-on, hoping such direct confrontation would lead to insights. 

According to the Ice Empress, such an essence was rare and invaluable. Gaining even a glimmer of understanding could greatly benefit Huo Yuhao's future cultivation. 

Ji Juechen's ability to reach his current level with an ordinary longsword martial soul was undoubtedly tied to such insights. Without them, even following Su Yu's theory of constant enhancement and breakthroughs, Ji Juechen's natural talent wouldn't have allowed him to reach Soul Emperor at the age of 27. 

This pace of advancement gave Ji Juechen a genuine chance to break through to Titled Douluo before the age of 50! 

The two continued to clash repeatedly. 

Huo Yuhao refrained from using his Spirit Eyes, relying solely on the augmentation of his Extreme Ice Battle Armor and the power of his second martial soul to engage Ji Juechen in the pure, force-driven combat typical of an assault-type battle soul master. 

Of course, throughout the fight, his spiritual power permeated the arena, and his spiritual detection remained fully active, providing him with unmatched awareness. 

Their intense battle left the students and teachers of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy questioning whether the two combatants were soul engineers at all. 

Well, Ji Juechen clearly wasn't a soul engineer—he had never even used a soul tool. 

To be honest, this pure, raw combat style had a certain appeal. For those accustomed to the explosive nature of soul tool-based battles, it was a refreshing change, sparking a sense of fervor they hadn't felt in a long time. 

The match lasted a full thirty minutes before Ji Juechen, his soul power depleted, was ultimately defeated. 

Out of respect, Huo Yuhao bowed to Ji Juechen before stepping off the stage. 

Truthfully, Huo Yuhao could have ended the fight far more easily. However, to fully immerse himself in the essence Ji Juechen exuded, he suppressed his strength to match Ji Juechen's level. This intentional restraint was why the battle had lasted so long. 

Frankly, the fact that Ji Juechen could hold out for half an hour, even against a restrained Huo Yuhao, spoke volumes about his mastery of swordsmanship. 

"Wait," Ji Juechen suddenly called out. "I have a question. What's the deal with your battle armor? Also… I want to give it a try myself." 

Hearing Ji Juechen express interest in something beyond swordsmanship, Jing Hongchen's eyes lit up with surprise. 

"This kid… can he really be curious about something else for a change?" 

"If I'm not mistaken, those bone wings of yours are fused with your battle armor, aren't they? And they seem closely linked to your martial soul."

Ji Juechen's sharp perception was evident. Despite the half-hour-long clash where his intent was partially grasped by Huo Yuhao, Ji Juechen had also been carefully observing every aspect of Huo Yuhao's battle armor. 

"You want to learn?" Huo Yuhao asked, his expression one of surprise. "Battle armor is the perfect fusion of soul tools and soul masters, and it requires a soul engineer to create it. You don't seem to be a soul engineer."

Ji Juechen, however, didn't appear dissuaded. To him, this detail didn't seem to be a problem. 

"No, I'm not a soul engineer. But I can find one to custom-make it for me." 

The Sun-Moon Hall never lacked talented soul engineers. Ji Juechen had never even considered the possibility of not being able to obtain a soul tool. 

While he couldn't craft it himself, having someone tailor it for him seemed perfectly logical. 

At this moment, what piqued Ji Juechen's curiosity most was whether his Heaven's Meteorite Sword could be integrated with his martial soul. 

Huo Yuhao, hearing Ji Juechen's further inquiries, looked at the sword in Ji Juechen's hand with a sense of surprise. 

"Wait, this isn't your martial soul?" 

Upon closer reflection, Huo Yuhao realized something: during the battle, there had been moments when Ji Juechen's sword techniques caused a phantom sword image to materialize above the iron sword in his hands. That phantom must have been his actual martial soul. 

At the time, Huo Yuhao had mistaken it for a soul skill. 

"It should be possible," Huo Yuhao replied after a moment of thought. "But to achieve that, the sword will need to be inscribed with a core formation. It'll be complicated, but you'll understand more later." 

Huo Yuhao deliberately avoided going into too much detail. 

The technology behind battle armor was still a closely guarded secret. While he could share some of its basic capabilities, revealing the intricacies of its principles in public was out of the question. 

Ji Juechen nodded silently and left the stage with a brooding expression. 

---

"Hall Master, this Ji Juechen is quite remarkable," Su Yu remarked telepathically to Jing Hongchen, using spiritual communication. 

Jing Hongchen was also impressed by Ji Juechen's performance. 

"Not bad at all. No regrets about breaking protocol to admit him to the academy back then," he replied. 

In fact, Ji Juechen could even be considered part of Sun-Moon Hall, thanks to Jing Hongchen's special approval. Though, as with all things, that status might change in the future. 

"Yes," Jing Hongchen continued thoughtfully. "Ji Juechen's pure heart and deep connection to the sword are exceptional. His entire focus is on refining and understanding his swordsmanship. In some ways, his insights mirror what you often speak of, Su Yu. You two might get along well." 

After a pause, Jing Hongchen added, "Now that I think of it, Ji Juechen is highly suited to becoming a battle armor master. His abilities, when paired with battle armor, would elevate his combat power significantly." 

He sighed. "It's a shame that he's not a soul engineer and can't craft his own battle armor. He'll have to rely on others to make it for him. However, if he has the help of a soul engineer who truly understands battle armor, this limitation can be entirely mitigated." 

Su Yu's eyes gleamed. "So, Hall Master, does that mean you approve of creating battle armor for Ji Juechen?" 

In the original timeline, Ji Juechen had been easily deceived by Huo Yuhao, which made Su Yu feel that making battle armor for him might not be worth the investment. 

What if someone like Huo Yuhao shows up and convinces Ji Juechen to leave?

Jing Hongchen spoke lightly, "You don't need to worry about that. Ji Juechen's heart is set on the sword. Sun-Moon Hall will allow him to hone his skills better than anywhere else. He won't leave. Especially after that battle with Yuhao, he'll probably be sticking to Yuhao and challenging him further."

Jing Hongchen silently mourned for Huo Yuhao.

However, Su Yu didn't feel any relief after Jing Hongchen's explanation.

Shrek Academy had more people like that.

Moreover, compared to Sun-Moon Hall, Shrek's soul masters were better suited to honing their swordsmanship.

So, they still needed to secure Ji Juechen in other ways—like the idea he had been fixated on: integrating the Heaven's Meteorite Sword with his martial soul.

Of course, it would be better if Ji Juechen could learn a skill that would hold his attention long-term, rather than relying on someone else to make a battle armor for him.

"For example, my sword runes, my Sword of the Gods."

Ji Juechen had been defeated, but his three consecutive victories had earned him seven hundred kilograms of rare metal.

Though this metal wasn't useful to Ji Juechen himself, it was more than enough to serve as a token for getting someone to help him craft a battle armor.

Inside Sun-Moon Hall, there were still several soul engineers skilled in creating battle armor. Apart from a few core members like Xuan Zhiwen, Su Yu, and Jing Hongchen, who had been involved in the development of the technology, and the first batch of individuals like Huo Yuhao who had reaped the early rewards, the third batch, including Xiao Ping and others who benefited from the publicity of the Battle Soul Tournament, also had access to the technology.

Currently, the mass production of entry-level battle armor had already begun.

More accurately, the core formations for standard issue battle armor had been finalized.

"Standard issue battle armor" refers to mass-produced battle armor that can enhance all types of soul masters, offering broad applicability.

Jing Hongchen's personal animosity with Xu Tianran didn't mean he had completely detached himself from the Sun Moon Empire. He still remembered his primary duties within Sun-Moon Hall.

The confidentiality measures for the core formations of standard issue battle armor had been taken to the highest level to prevent the technology from leaking.

In truth, Jing Hongchen's actions had little impact.

The core principle behind the creation of entry-level battle armor was the fusion with martial souls.

Even with stringent confidentiality measures, there was no way to completely prevent the technology from leaking.

However, even if some parts of the technology were leaked, it would only be partial knowledge. Even if a genius managed to decipher the secret behind entry-level battle armor, it wouldn't pose much of a threat to Sun-Moon Hall.

Battle armor was high-end technology, but the most critical aspect of it still lay in the more advanced battle armor technologies.

For instance, the technology for spiritual metals or super battle armor fields.

Jing Hongchen's current approach was essentially to shift the focus of the conflict temporarily to the basic technology behind entry-level battle armor.

By the time this focus was overcome by other major powers, the Sun Moon Empire would already be unified, and whether the battle armor technology had leaked would no longer be of major importance.

(End of Chapter)