Silky black hair fluttered as the girl's voice, crisp and clear like silver bells, rang out before she even arrived.
Meng Hongchen lightly ran to Jiang Jue's side, standing upright in front of him, her fair face slightly flushed.
"I... I've been waiting for you here for a long time," Meng Hongchen said softly, her voice tinged with a hint of shyness.
"Thank you for waiting, Miss Meng. Arriving so late is my fault," Jiang Jue responded gently.
"Ah, that's not what I meant—you're so bad…"
Seeing the mischievous smile at the corner of Jiang Jue's lips, Meng Hongchen realized he was teasing her. She raised her delicate fist and lightly punched his shoulder.
The force was barely there, more like a playful gesture than an actual hit.
"Haha, my mistake, Meng."
Jiang Jue admitted defeat with a smile. Meng Hongchen's ice-blue eyes were now filled with embarrassment.
"Come on, let's head into the academy," Jiang Jue said, walking alongside her.
The academy gates were bustling with students. Since it was the beginning of the semester, laughter and chatter filled the air as groups of students made their way inside.
Meng Hongchen nervously placed her hands at her sides, keeping her gaze straight ahead.
After all, the person she had been thinking about day and night for the past two months was finally here, walking right beside her—how could she not feel excited?
Suddenly, Jiang Jue reached out and took Meng Hongchen's small, delicate hand in his own, intertwining their fingers.
Her ears instantly turned bright red, her face flushed, and she instinctively tried to pull away, feeling a bit flustered.
"Don't move," Jiang Jue whispered with a chuckle. "There are so many people here—I don't want you getting lost."
"I wouldn't get lost," she murmured, pouting slightly.
But she didn't struggle anymore.
At this moment, her heart was filled with happiness.
In this vast crowd, this moment of intimacy belonged only to her.
The two gradually merged into the sea of people and stepped into the academy.
Behind them, a young man stood in the crowd, his face dark with frustration.
Watching the two of them walk away hand in hand, he muttered in despair,
"Meng! You've fallen in love… How am I supposed to live now?"
"But as long as that brat Jiang Jue treats you well, I'll tolerate it… Otherwise, I'll—"
This person was none other than Xiao Hongchen.
During the break, he had noticed how his younger sister often stared out the window, lost in thought. He knew right away what—or rather, who—she was thinking about.
It was obvious. That damn Jiang Jue.
"Ah, what's done is done… Might as well eat something first."
Xiao Hongchen sighed, rubbing his stomach.
He had come to the academy early in the morning, following his sister just to confirm his suspicions.
And now, seeing Meng Hongchen waiting for Jiang Jue at the gates, his guess was proven right.
His worries were now confirmed—his little sister was in love.
And on top of that, he hadn't even had breakfast yet.
"Jiang Jue, I'll be watching you… always…"
Xiao Hongchen made a dramatic gesture, pointing at his eyes, then at Jiang Jue's back.
Just as he was making this vow to himself, Jiang Jue suddenly turned around.
Panicked, Xiao Hongchen immediately ducked behind someone.
"Ha, this future brother-in-law is pretty amusing," Jiang Jue thought.
He had noticed Xiao Hongchen's presence long ago and found his antics rather entertaining.
"Jiang Jue, what are you looking at?"
Meng Hongchen, puzzled by his sudden glance back, asked curiously.
"Nothing, let's go."
Jiang Jue ruffled her soft hair and continued leading her forward.
"Hey! Don't mess up my hair—I won't grow taller if you keep doing that!"
"No way…"
"Then I'll punch you…"
Third Laboratory
Ding!
A crisp chime sounded as the soul-powered door slid open.
Jiang Jue stepped inside, and across the room, Xuan Ziwen was already seated at his desk, carving away at something with a small tool.
Hearing the door, he looked up.
The moment he saw Jiang Jue, his eyes lit up with excitement.
"Jiang, you're here! Come over quickly."
"Teacher has something amazing to show you!"
Xuan Ziwen hastily put down his carving knife and strode toward Jiang Jue.
Jiang Jue, however, instinctively took a step back, frowning slightly.
Something amazing? What kind of 'amazing' thing is he talking about…?
Noticing Jiang Jue's cautious reaction, Xuan Ziwen realized he had gotten too excited.
He stopped in his tracks and awkwardly scratched his head.
"Well, Jiang, I followed the blueprint you gave me and successfully built the device we talked about!"
Even though he tried to sound calmer, his eyes still gleamed with enthusiasm, eager to share his success.
"Huh?"
Jiang Jue's eyes also lit up in surprise.
He hadn't expected Xuan Ziwen to complete the project in just one break.
"Teacher Xuan, let me see it."
"Come on! Let's go to the soul device testing area—you have to witness its power firsthand."
Without waiting, Xuan Ziwen turned and walked briskly toward the testing zone.
Every laboratory had its own designated testing area. While it wasn't as large as the battlefield from the previous competition, it was more than enough for testing soul devices up to level seven.
Reaching the testing zone, Xuan Ziwen wasted no time.
From his spatial ring, he pulled out a massive metal tube.
It had a thick front, a tapered middle section, and a slightly flared end. The back portion featured a handle-like grip.
The entire device was a deep crimson with a sleek metallic sheen, exuding a sense of power and explosive energy.
Over a dozen core formation arrays glowed faintly on its surface.
Xuan Ziwen hoisted the device onto his shoulder, fingers resting on the trigger.
"An RPG?!"
Jiang Jue blurted out in shock.
The design looked exactly like a rocket launcher from his previous life!
"Huh?"
Xuan Ziwen turned his head in confusion.
"What's an RPG?"
"Uh, nothing. Go ahead, Teacher Xuan."
Jiang Jue waved it off, suppressing his surprise.
I can't believe Xuan Ziwen is such a genius… He actually recreated a rocket launcher in this world!
Clearing his throat, Xuan Ziwen began explaining.
"Following your idea, I embedded seventeen energy-charging arrays into this soul device. Additionally, I incorporated several acceleration arrays to function as propulsion engines."
"The user pulls the trigger, activating the arrays and discharging pre-stored soul power. The energy is then converted through additional amplification arrays before launching a high-impact attack."
"This means even an ordinary person can wield the power of a soul master with this weapon!"
Pride shone in Xuan Ziwen's eyes as he caressed the weapon, clearly attached to his creation.
"This model is currently at level four, but I'm continuing my research."
Jiang Jue nodded, thoroughly impressed.
The only difference between this and the RPGs of his past life was the type of energy used. Instead of gunpowder, this relied on soul power.
"Alright, let me show you the power of my masterpiece!"
Xuan Ziwen's gaze was filled with excitement.
For the past two months, he had worked tirelessly on this invention.
Now, he had finally opened the door to a new era.
(End of Chapter)