The two chatted for a while. Xu Nianshuang was going to Feng Tianxiang in the afternoon to practice swordsmanship with him. Xu Tianyang had no intention of immersing himself in swordsmanship; he only needed it as an early-stage offensive method.
Moreover, he truly had no talent for swordsmanship, and his use of the longsword was simply a brute-force approach.
Sun Moon Royal Academy, Soul Guidance Department, Director's Office.
Lin Fan, the current Director of Instruction, was hunched over his desk, reviewing various documents. After the empire's unification, a vast amount of Moonflow Empire's spirit tool knowledge was acquired, which absolutely delighted the empire's top Soul Engineers.
Furthermore, as Xu Yunxiao's special projects were implemented one after another during this period, the empire's available top Soul Engineers were once again dedicated to the research of these projects.
As the most powerful center for spirit tool technology in the empire, the documents Lin Fan had to process daily were piled up like mountains.
After reviewing one document and placing it on the small pile to his left, Lin Fan stretched, then turned to see the large pile on his right, his expression immediately falling. He rubbed his temples: "A raise, I must get a raise. My workload has increased by more than five times recently. I don't even have time to inspect the research progress of humanoid Soul Guidance Mechas."
As a top Soul Engineer himself, Lin Fan was very interested in the research topics established by His Majesty, such as "The Possibility of Metal Enchantment," "Research on Humanoid spirit tools," "Mental Power Intensity Detector," and "spirit tools Driven Without spirit power." Now, being held back by these trivial matters and unable to participate made his heart feel as if it was being scratched by a cat.
"Alas!" He sighed softly. The memorial to His Majesty requesting more personnel for the empire had already been submitted, and His Majesty's reply would arrive soon. He would just have to endure it for now. Thinking this, Lin Fan picked up another document and began to review it.
"Bang, bang, bang..." A knock on the door made Lin Fan, who was looking at the document, frown instinctively.
"Come in!"
"Uncle Lin, how have you been recently? Tianyang hasn't seen Uncle Lin in a long time." As the door opened, Xu Tianyang's voice slowly reached Lin Fan's ears, making him look up in surprise.
"It's His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" Lin Fan naturally recognized Xu Tianyang. As an eighty-seventh-level Spirit Douluo and an eighth-level Soul Engineer, and one of Xu Yunxiao's confidants, they had met before.
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, why didn't you tell this old man when you returned?" Lin Fan stood up and happily led Xu Tianyang to a sofa nearby to sit down.
As Lin Fan rose, Xu Tianyang felt a shadow fall over him. Before him was a burly man, fully two meters tall, with explosive muscles. His short hair stood up like steel needles, giving him an aura of authority without needing to express anger.
However, he looked at Xu Tianyang with a gentle smile, though the scene was somewhat peculiar.
"Haha, the academy's affairs are busy, so I didn't dare disturb Uncle Lin easily. You are an elder, just call me Tianyang," Xu Tianyang said with a slight smile, glancing at the pile of documents on the desk, his meaning clear.
"Tianyang, could you please explain to His Majesty that the academy's current affairs are too busy, and I alone may not be able to manage everything adequately? If His Majesty's important matters are delayed because of me, this Uncle Lin would be greatly at fault," Lin Fan said, not being pretentious, with a bitter expression.
"Father already has arrangements, but this change is quite significant, which is why it has been delayed for so long. I estimate there will be results in the next day or two," Xu Tianyang actually knew about this matter; he had heard of it before he left for his training.
The Sun Moon Royal Academy, as the empire's top academic and research institution, was simply too bloated internally. Therefore, after unification, Xu Yunxiao began preparing for reforms.
However, Xu Yunxiao had also been working non-stop during this period, and only recently did this matter yield results. Lin Fan would likely receive the news in a few days.
"That's good!" Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, followed by excitement. He would finally have time to participate in those research projects.
"Uncle Lin, what is the progress on those special projects?" Xu Tianyang, of course, wasn't here for idle chatter. He was here to inspect the progress of the special projects. He might encounter the Douluo Continent, and the Sun Moon Empire, compared to the other side, only had overwhelming spirit tool strength. High-level combat power was likely inferior to theirs.
To achieve a rapid overtaking in top-tier combat power, the development of spirit tools still needed to be emphasized.
"This old man was just about to go inspect them. Tianyang, you've come at just the right time," Lin Fan's eyes darted, and he stood up, saying.
Xu Tianyang glanced at the pile of documents but didn't expose him. He stood up and walked with Lin Fan towards an inconspicuous corner of the academy.
After a series of checks and passing through several metal doors.
A massive underground factory appeared before Xu Tianyang's eyes.
spirit tool transport vehicles were neatly arranged in rows, and flying scanning spirit tools occasionally swept across the ceiling, checking and scanning for any unusual situations within the factory.
As the two arrived, two of them came before them, and a red light scanned their entire bodies.
The next second, a mechanical electronic voice emanated from it: "Ding, authorization level Red, welcome..."
After the check was completed, they flew off into the distance.
"Let's go!"
The two walked inside, and all the researchers who saw Xu Tianyang along the way quickly stood up and respectfully greeted him.
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Your Highness!"
"..."
Xu Tianyang also held respect for these researchers. After walking with Lin Fan for a while, a huge room soon appeared before them, filled with busy figures. Their gaze fixed on an elderly figure who was seriously looking at a report in his hand, completely unaware of their arrival.
"Elder Chen!"
"It's Xiao Fan and Tianyang," Elder Chen looked up, put down the report in his hand, and smiled at Lin Fan and Xu Tianyang.
Elder Chen was also a top-tier eighth-level Soul Engineer. In his youth, his family was poor and couldn't afford a Spirit Master to help him obtain his first spirit ring, so he had to venture into the forest alone for a desperate fight.
Although he managed to hunt a hundred-year Spirit Beast with his own strength, the Spirit Beast's dying counterattack still severely wounded him. Due to incomplete treatment, he was left with internal injuries.
Although Elder Chen entered the academy and displayed astonishing spirit tool talent, enrolling in the Sun Moon Royal Academy at the age of twelve and rising to his current position, if not for the injuries he sustained in his youth, which prevented him from breaking through to level ninety, he would most likely have broken through to a ninth-level Soul Engineer before Xu Yunxiao.
However, this did not affect Elder Chen's status in the Sun Moon Empire. Almost one-third of the Soul Engineers present had received his guidance, including Xu Yunxiao, making him a true pillar of the nation.
He is currently primarily responsible for overcoming the research on metal enchantment and humanoid Soul Guidance Mechas.
"Elder Chen, Tianyang and I have come to see the progress of the special project," Xu Tianyang looked at him respectfully. For a pillar of the nation like Elder Chen, he deserved respect in any country.
"Tianyang, you've come at a good time. We have now broken through the Thousand Refinement bottleneck and are currently expanding the scope. Among the known metals, one-third have already been tested. Some metals are suitable for Thousand Refinement, others are not. This is a major research effort, but I estimate that in about another year, we can produce a detailed report on the feasibility of Thousand Refinement for various metals," Elder Chen excitedly pulled Xu Tianyang into a huge room.
Inside the room, various metals were densely arranged.
Xu Tianyang's gaze swept over these metals. These were all metals that the Sun Moon Empire had already explored, and their various characteristics had been thoroughly researched. However, those displayed here were different from the ones outside.
Xu Tianyang looked at a piece of Sunken Silver (Deep Silver). He had seen this metal before, but this piece, at the same weight, was smaller in volume than any he had seen previously. Its original bright silver color had also turned into a dull, matte gray, appearing deep, restrained, and ancient.
On the dull gray surface of the metal, layers of wave-like dark patterns seemed to be imbued with endless vitality.
"This strange feeling..."
"Tianyang, you feel it too?" Noticing the surprise in Xu Tianyang's eyes, Elder Chen pressed himself against the metal-glass, his eyes fanatically gazing at the metal displayed inside, and said excitedly: "We have discovered that these metals generally become purer and remove impurities during the Hundred Refinement stage..."
"And once they cross the threshold of Thousand Refinement, they seem to sublimate, possessing a peculiar rhythm, as if they are breathing. It's truly incredible."
"This is absolutely a major breakthrough in the history of spirit tools, enough to drive a historical revolution in spirit tools."
"Hundred Refinement for purification, Thousand Refinement for essence?" Xu Tianyang subconsciously blurted out upon hearing this, while Lin Fan and Elder Chen beside him were filled with excitement and fervor.
"Hundred Refinement for purification, Thousand Refinement for essence. Tianyang, your summary is excellent; it is indeed such a process," hearing Xu Tianyang's murmur, Elder Chen nodded with a smile, his face full of approval.
Xu Tianyang smiled awkwardly upon hearing this. It proved that when a country focuses its energy on one thing, the power unleashed absolutely exceeds people's imagination.
Xu Tianyang only had a superficial understanding of forging. He hadn't expected that merely based on some of his descriptions, the researchers of the Sun Moon Empire could break through to the Thousand Refinement domain in just over a year.
It greatly exceeded his expectations.
The most difficult part of scientific research is often the process from zero to one. When Xu Tianyang broke through that zero and reached one, it became a matter of course.
"After these metals undergo Thousand Refinement, their properties are vastly different from before, essentially becoming a brand new metal. Xuan Hongchen's team is currently testing the changes in spirit tools supported by these metals," Elder Chen chuckled, looking at a tightly closed testing room in the distance.
"Elder, everyone has worked hard," Xu Tianyang retracted his gaze and sincerely said, looking at the busy researchers.
"Hahaha, not hard, not hard. Tianyang, you must know that for us, promoting the development of spirit tools is the greatest happiness," Elder Chen stroked his beard and laughed heartily, clearly in a good mood.
"Moreover, this old man originally thought he had no hope of advancing to a ninth-level Soul Engineer in his lifetime, but these experiments have given this old man hope again!"
"Elder Chen, you..." Lin Fan looked at Elder Chen in shock. Historically, there have been Soul Engineers who transcended levels, but this did not exist in the realm of ninth-level Soul Engineers. If Elder Chen could succeed, it would truly be unprecedented.
"Not yet, just a little clue," Elder Chen smiled and waved his hand, clearly not wanting to delve deeper into this topic.
The three walked together, inspecting the research progress of various teams, and finally descended to a deeper level via the elevator. As a blast of air sprayed from outside the elevator, the metal door slowly opened.
Xu Tianyang's eyes lit up. Before him stood a nearly ten-meter-tall mecha.
Its entire body was fire-red, with a roaring spirit power engine at its heart, where blue energy fluid surged, and wing-like triggers protruding from its back. The streamlined metallic texture was both powerful and elegant.
The first humanoid mecha.
This combination of mechanical beauty, elegance, and violence filled Xu Tianyang with a hint of excitement. After all, what man could resist the allure of such a large mecha... This was a romance unique to men, something he had dreamed of in his previous life, now realized in this one.
"Elder Chen..."
"Tianyang, you're getting excited too early. Humanoid mechas are far, far more complex than traditional spirit tools. What you see now can only be described as a cobbled-together product; it's completely uncontrollable. I don't even know if this old man will live to see this big guy move."
Elder Chen stood with his hands behind his back, looking slightly up at the massive mecha before him, his eyes flashing with excitement and regret.
He had spent his life researching spirit tools, believing his spirit tool technology had reached its peak, differing from a ninth-level Soul Engineer only in spirit power level. That was until Xu Yunxiao established these special research projects.
He realized how insignificant his spirit tool technology was. Now, he only wished to live a few more years so he could witness the seeds sown here blossom and bear fruit during his lifetime.
"Since a complete Soul Guidance Mecha is difficult to achieve, why don't we break it down, for example, arms, legs, and individually strengthen one aspect?" Xu Tianyang saw this scene and softly suggested, proposing the technical characteristics of "mechanical exoskeleton attachment."
At these words, Elder Chen and Lin Fan immediately fell silent, lowering their heads in thought, their eyes growing brighter and brighter.
"Tianyang, you join us too! Let's make it happen together!" Finally, Elder Chen suddenly looked up, his gaze burning as he stared at Xu Tianyang, speaking with rapid breaths.
Xu Tianyang smiled wryly and shook his head, refusing: "Elder Chen, Imperial Father will not agree!"
Hearing Xu Tianyang's refusal, Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost gotten His Royal Highness involved. If Xu Tianyang had impulsively agreed, he didn't know how His Majesty would have reprimanded him.
Xu Tianyang's current focus was not on spirit tools but on his cultivation. He carried the expectations of His Majesty and the Sun Moon Empire for the future.
The Sun Moon Empire could do without a ninth-level Soul Engineer Xu Tianyang, but the Sun Moon Empire needed a Peerless Douluo Xu Tianyang.
With the entire empire's Soul Engineers at their disposal, they truly didn't lack Xu Tianyang as a researcher. He only needed to propose ideas about the development of spirit tools ten thousand years later, and others would naturally research and implement them.
"Alas!" Elder Chen also calmed down, understood the key, and sighed regretfully: "What a pity!"