Douluo Dalu 2: I got Kidnapped into Holy Spirit Cult

"Alright then."

Seeing Xuan Ziwen getting serious, Keke instantly stopped fooling around and sat quietly in her chair.

Juzi and Zimu, on the other hand, showed little change in expression and took their seats as well.

"Keke, think about it. You still want to get into Mingde Hall in the future. If you don't work hard, how will you make it?"

Xuan Ziwen encouraged Keke, looking at her earnest expression.

His students all had good character; they just had the little quirks of youth. All they needed was a bit of guidance to smooth them out.

"I understand, Teacher," Keke replied, adopting a more serious demeanor.

But deep down, she couldn't help but complain—who on earth gives a test on the first day of school?!

"The exam I'm assigning you this time is to create a fourth-tier soul tool. The scope is not limited to melee soul tools or ranged soul tools."

"The deadline is by the end of the school day."

After Xuan Ziwen stated the requirements, he waved his hand. A flash of golden light appeared, and a pile of metals materialized before Juzi, Zimu, and Keke.

Upon hearing the requirements, Keke's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Currently, Juzi and the others had only just reached the Soul Ancestor level with four soul rings. A fourth-tier soul tool was not easy for them to make, but it wasn't overwhelmingly difficult either.

"Haha, Teacher, I knew you were the best!" Keke said with a grin.

"Alright, begin."

Xuan Ziwen spoke softly, then returned his attention to the milk bottle in his hand.

This bottle was a newly developed soul tool from Mingde Hall, designed to store soul power and allow the user to absorb it when needed.

However, there was one major flaw—though the bottle could be sealed, the soul power inside would still gradually dissipate, leading to low retention efficiency.

"How can I improve this...?"

Xuan Ziwen once again immersed himself in the world of soul tools.

As soon as he announced the start, Juzi and the others took out their carving knives and began crafting their soul tools.

At that moment, the laziness Juzi usually exuded vanished, replaced by complete focus.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jue had returned to reading his books.

Time passed, moment by moment.

With his current level of spiritual power, Jiang Jue could read at lightning speed while fully memorizing the content.

But as time dragged on, he still felt a slight fatigue—not physically, but mentally.

This was his first time encountering soul tool technology, and the influx of new knowledge was naturally overwhelming.

Soon, however, a particular note in the book caught his attention.

"Would the combination of soul tool technology and Body Sect soul masters yield better results? This is a question worth exploring, but we lack sufficient data to prove it."

The author of this note was Ye Yulin.

That was the legacy of the Starry Sky Douluo—a very forward-thinking observation.

Jiang Jue pondered over it.

Later on, this hypothesis was confirmed in The Secret of the Body Sect, which Du Busi passed on to Huo Yuhao before his death.

A body martial soul possessed far greater perception than an ordinary martial soul. More importantly, the body part that served as the martial soul was naturally superior in function compared to the average person.

This made learning and controlling soul tools much easier for Body Sect soul masters.

In fact, in his confession letter before dying, Du Busi wrote: The fusion of body martial souls and soul tools will shake the world.

But he realized it too late—only when ninth-tier fixed soul-guided shells were raining down on his doorstep did he wake up.

Those who fail to keep up with the times are ultimately abandoned by them.

It wasn't just the Body Sect. The former three great empires had suffered the same fate. Once their peak experts surpassed those of the Sun-Moon Empire, they began underestimating soul tools.

And yet, the Sun-Moon Empire was incredibly shrewd, keeping their most destructive ninth-tier soul tools hidden from the world.

Jiang Jue thought about all this as he stretched his muscles.

Unexpectedly, he noticed that Juzi had already finished making her fourth-tier soul tool. She was now quietly reading a book, furrowing her brows in deep thought.

Since Juzi was sitting diagonally opposite him, Jiang Jue could clearly see the book's cover from his angle.

The title read: Records of War—The Blitz that Shattered the Heavenly Soul Empire.

Well, well. So her future command skills had been cultivated from a young age.

But that was understandable. Right now, Juzi's only reason to keep living was to avenge her family.

Meanwhile, beside her, Keke was still sketching one intricate core formation after another. Judging by the structure, she seemed to be creating a fixed soul-guided cannon.

Just then, Jiang Jue felt a wave of spiritual energy, followed by Xuan Ziwen's voice ringing in his ears.

"Jiang Jue, come over here."

Jiang Jue stood up and walked over to Xuan Ziwen's side.

"You can leave for now and explore the Royal Sun-Moon Soul Engineering Academy. Keke and Zimu will still need quite some time to finish their work."

"And here—this is your identification card."

Xuan Ziwen handed Jiang Jue a thin blue crystal card.

"Understood, Teacher."

Jiang Jue nodded slightly, took the identification card, and walked out of the laboratory.

There wasn't much for him to do here today. Xuan Ziwen still needed to inspect Juzi and the others' soul tools. He wouldn't have time to teach him until tomorrow.

Just as Jiang Jue stepped out of the lab, a swift and agile figure appeared beside him.

"Disciple of the Holy Spirit Church, Nana, greets the Holy Son."

Nana knelt on one knee, her voice filled with reverence.

"Rise."

Jiang Jue looked at Nana. She had a healthy, sun-kissed complexion and a tall, slender figure. Her sharp eyes radiated intensity.

Her martial soul was Ghost, and she was one of the Holy Spirit Church's agents at the Royal Sun-Moon Soul Engineering Academy.

"Would you like me to guide you around the academy, Holy Son?" Nana asked respectfully.

"Take me to the cafeteria first."

Jiang Jue rubbed his stomach.

The academy's cafeteria was located on the right side of the campus, near the teaching buildings.

It was a grand, three-story structure, each floor spacious and orderly, with neatly arranged rows of tables.

Nana led Jiang Jue to a meal counter, where he ordered a steamed bear paw and a plum blossom deer cake.

Jiang Jue found a seat by the window and sat down.

Nana remained standing beside him.

"Sit down. I have something to discuss with you."

Jiang Jue took a bite of the fragrant bear paw and gestured for Nana to take a seat.

"Holy Son, I couldn't possibly—"

"I said sit."

"...Yes, Holy Son."

Nana obeyed but looked uneasy.

"From now on, while in the academy, don't seek me out unless I call for you. Just follow your normal routine."

"Understood, Holy Son."

Jiang Jue continued eating. The bear paw had a faint medicinal aroma, and the academy's premium dishes were all designed to replenish energy and blood.

Before long, he finished both dishes and looked at Nana.

"The cost of this meal—just report it to the higher-ups for reimbursement. You don't have to pay out of pocket. Once I leave, you may go about your own business."

Since it was his first time dining here, Jiang Jue hadn't realized that meals were paid for using student cards. So Nana had covered the cost for now.

With that, Jiang Jue got up and left. He still needed to check out his living quarters.

Nana silently watched him go.

She felt that this Holy Son was different from the others in the church.

"I wonder if he could help me free my parents' souls..."

A trace of sorrow crossed Nana's face, and her once sharp eyes turned hazy with melancholy.

(End of Chapter)