Fan Yu pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Huo Yuhao, saying:
"You are my direct disciple. My teaching methods are different from other teachers, and the study time is very tight. After dinner, you must come here to study for another hour before you can rest. Do you have any problems with that?"
Huo Yuhao answered without hesitation:
"No problem at all, I'm not afraid of hardship. I will definitely study diligently."
Fan Yu nodded and said:
"Those two words, 'diligent,' don't need to be spoken; you need to show me. Alright, tell me, what is a Soul Tool?"
Huo Yuhao was startled and stunned. He knew nothing about Soul Tools, and he had only been here twice...
Fan Yu didn't seem to intend to wait for his answer and immediately replied:
"A Soul Tool is a weapon that a Soul Master can infuse with Soul Power and use. The Soul Tool and the Soul Master's Soul Power must be in sync. Even Fixed-Form Soul Tools, which require less Soul Power, are no exception. Today, I will teach you some basic knowledge about Soul Tools. You must remember it well."
"Yes."
"When Soul Tools first appeared, no one has been able to answer that question to this day. But the place where Soul Tools truly developed was the Sun Moon Continent. You should already know the history of our continent. In the past, when the Sun Moon Continent collided with our Douluo Continent, it led to war. Although we ultimately achieved victory, the Sun Moon Continent, relying on Soul Tools, caused our Douluo Continent to suffer immense losses."
"What did the Sun Moon Continent rely on to develop so much? Apart from the reason of exploration and learning, it was raw materials. The Sun Moon Continent has countless rare metal minerals, and with such a quantity, they could freely create Soul Tools of excellent quality. Over these past thousands of years, their level of Soul Tool manufacturing has developed higher and higher. In terms of quality, power, or grade of Soul Tools, the Sun Moon Empire far surpasses the empires on the Douluo Continent. There is only one reason: raw materials. It is also because of these raw materials that wars constantly break out between empires. With the continuous development of Soul Tools, if it weren't for their empire lacking powerful individuals, I'm afraid they would have long since launched a continent-wide war."
"Therefore, Soul Tools hold great significance for every nation; they can be considered a form of strategic weapon. However, to use Soul Tools, a Soul Master is required. Otherwise, if they were to become widespread in the military, I'm afraid the wars on the continent would become even more terrifying."
"Our Shrek Academy is renowned as the number one academy on the continent, but you must remember, it is only ranked first when considering the Martial Soul system. Our Soul Tool system is not."
At this point, a sharp glint seemed to flash in Fan Yu's eyes.
"Oh? Not the first? Could it be that the number one academy for the Soul Tool system is in the Sun Moon Empire?"
Huo Yuhao asked.
Fan Yu nodded and said:
"You are right. The most famous academy for Soul Tool manufacturing is indeed in the Sun Moon Empire; it is the Sun Moon Royal Soul Tool Master Academy. This academy specializes only in teaching Soul Tool Masters to create and research Soul Tools. They started early and have many rare raw materials, so they have a greater advantage compared to us. For example, Fixed-Form Soul Tools were also first researched by them."
"We have always strived to catch up to the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Master Academy, but we haven't been able to. However, I believe that one day we will turn the tide. We still have an advantage over them: our academy has more talented individuals."
"Heaven is always fair. They grant the Sun Moon Empire many precious resources, but not in terms of soul masters' innate talent. The empires on our Douluo Continent are the opposite. Among soul tool masters, there has always been a saying: The stronger the soul tool, the more powerful the soul master needed to wield it. This is also the path before us."
"Next, I will help you categorize the basic types of soul tools."
"Soul masters primarily research and create soul tools, and are collectively known as soul tool masters. Soul tool masters also have ranks, but they are not as complex as the soul spirit system, which divides them into Great Soul Master, Soul Elder, Soul Sect, and so on. They are simply divided into ranks one to nine. There has never been any record of a Rank Ten Soul Tool Master existing. Do you know why?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head, bewildered.
Fan Yu continued:
"Soul tool masters are ranked based on the level of soul tools they can create. Let me give you an example to make it easier to understand: if you can create soul tools for soul masters below Rank Ten, then you are a Rank One Soul Tool Master. If you can create soul tools for soul masters from Rank Ten to Rank Twenty, you are called a Rank Two Soul Tool Master. A Rank Nine Soul Tool Master requires cultivation to the Titled Douluo level. As for a Rank Ten Soul Tool Master, their cultivation must be at least above Rank Ninety-Five."
"Everyone's strength is limited. Soul master cultivation is already extremely difficult. Even with exceptional talent, reaching the Titled Douluo level requires immense sacrifice and effort, let alone dividing one's attention to research soul tools. Therefore, the number of soul tool masters who can cultivate to Rank Nine is very rare. As far as I know, the Sun Moon Empire only has three Rank Nine Soul Tool Masters, while in the three empires of Heaven Soul, Dou Ling, and Douluo, the highest-level soul tool masters only reach half of Rank Eight."
Huo Yuhao said in surprise, "There's also a half-rank?"
Fan Yu said, "That half-Rank Eight Soul Tool Master is right here in our academy, and is also the dean of the Soul Tool Department of Shrek Academy. His cultivation has reached the Titled Douluo level, but the reason his soul tool master rank is half-Rank Eight is because the high-level soul tools he creates can only be used by Titled Douluo-level soul masters. That's why people call him a half-Rank Eight Soul Tool Master. As for Rank Ten Soul Tool Masters, according to historical records, they have never appeared. That rank only exists in the ranking system, which is understandable. It's already incredibly difficult for a soul master to reach the Titled Douluo level, and among ten Titled Douluo, it's not certain that even one of them can surpass Rank Ninety-Five, let alone someone who also cultivates as a soul tool master."
"You understand the ranks of soul tool masters now, right? Next is the classification of soul tools. Soul tools have undergone thousands of years of development, becoming increasingly perfected. They are usually divided into three main types: Melee Soul Tools, Ranged Soul Tools, and Fixed-Position Soul Tools."
– Melee Soul Tools, as the name suggests, are items most commonly used in combat. After being infused with soul power, they can launch attacks or defenses. Typically, very few Soul Masters use Melee Soul Tools because Soul Masters rarely understand combat, so they are very afraid of fighting at close range. Moreover, although Melee Soul Tools are powerful, if they encounter a Battle Soul Master of the same rank, they rarely have a chance to use them. Therefore, Melee Soul Tools are more often used by Martial Soul System Battle Soul Masters, while Soul Masters mostly use Ranged Soul Tools.
– The Soul Tools that Tai Tou showed you the other day were all Ranged Soul Tools. Although Ranged Soul Tools consume more soul power than Melee Soul Tools, their effects are much better. Each one can be considered a Soul Skill, and its destructive power is also very strong. With Tai Tou's cultivation and proficiency in using Soul Tools, he can fight a Soul Sect with four Soul Rings without any problem.
– Finally, there are Fixed-Position Soul Tools. These are the most difficult to craft, requiring not only relatively high-grade materials but also extremely complex manufacturing methods. When crafting Fixed-Position Soul Tools, a formation must be carved inside them, and soul power is used to activate it during use. Its advantage is its immense attack power and long range, but its disadvantage is that it consumes too many materials. Unlike Ranged Soul Tools, when using Fixed-Position Soul Tools, the Soul Master must manually aim and target. This is also why I am interested in your Spiritual Detection.
– After the emergence of Fixed-Position Soul Tools, the advantage of the three Eastern empires was further suppressed by the Sun Moon Empire. If they weren't wary of our many powerful Soul Masters, they would have launched a war long ago. Therefore, Fixed-Position Soul Tools are the focus of my research. Once Fixed-Position Soul Tools can accurately and easily identify targets, we will no longer fear war if it breaks out.
– Besides the three types above, Soul Tools are also divided into several smaller branches, such as Soul Tools focused on attack, defense, support, illumination, and many more. I will teach you these gradually later. Next is the final topic, and also the most important thing I need to teach you. That is the structure of Soul Tools.
As Fan Yu spoke, he stood up and took out a long, narrow metal box. This box was about one chi long and two cun wide, entirely black. The top surface was square, and the bottom surface was an arc.
Fan Yu placed this metal box snugly against his left arm. Then, he did something unknown, and the black metal box suddenly transformed.
A series of assembly sounds rang out, and the metal box completely enveloped his arm. Three thumb-sized iron tubes also appeared on top.
– This Soul Tool is called the Ju Li Cannon. It is a medium-grade Ranged Soul Tool. Let me infuse it with soul power to show you.
As Fan Yu spoke, he activated his soul power. Immediately, the three iron tubes fired three white beams of light. The soul power fluctuations intensified sharply, and the three beams of light shot straight into the wall ahead, flashing with dazzling halos.
"The principle of Soul Tools is actually very simple. It just requires using some special methods to transform soul power into a destructive force, and then releasing it externally. The most commonly used method is 'compression.' This is achieved by engraving a magic array onto the Soul Tool."
Fan Yu slowly removed the Sleeve Cannon and placed it in front of Huo Yuhao for him to examine carefully. Then, he gradually opened the Soul Tool, explaining as he did so:
"Normal Soul Tools are divided into three parts: the outer casing, the inner casing, and the core. You've seen the outer casing; it must be made from extremely hard and high-temperature resistant metal so that it can be used for a long time without easily breaking. The inner casing is different. Its main function is to amplify and transmit soul power. Therefore, the inner casing is usually made from rare precious metals, such as crystal or silver. After the soul power is amplified by the inner casing, it helps us minimize the percentage of soul power consumed when using the Soul Tool. This is why we Soul Engineers, normally below rank seventy, can fight continuously without consuming too much soul power. The core component is the most crucial part of the Soul Tool. It also must be made from rare precious metals, and one could say it requires even higher quality than the inner casing, often only using precious gems for its creation. The magic arrays engraved inside also vary depending on the type of Soul Tool. This is how the two inner and outer casings are combined. Therefore, engraving the magic array onto the Soul Tool is a very important step for a Soul Engineer."
"When evaluating promotions in Soul Engineering, the most important condition is the ability to engrave magic arrays onto the core of a Soul Tool. The number of magic arrays you can engrave onto the core determines your rank as a Soul Engineer."
"There are no shortcuts to learning to engrave magic arrays. First, you must memorize all the magic arrays that have been researched from ancient times to the present. Then, practice using ordinary metals, and only then will you gradually improve. Once you have mastered all these steps, you can then consider creating your own magic arrays. By then, you will be ready to graduate."
"We Soul Engineers have always primarily focused on researching and inventing magic arrays. After engraving the magic array onto the core, assembling the outer and inner casings becomes much simpler. In this regard, Tai Tou has great talent. Don't let his seemingly foolish personality deceive you; he has a unique quality that sets him apart, and that is his dedication, or more accurately, his ability to concentrate on his work. That is also a prerequisite for perfectly engraving magic arrays."
"Mistakes are not forbidden in the core's magic array, but the fewer mistakes there are, the more durable the Soul Tool will be."
At this point, Fan Yu paused. He looked at Huo Yuhao's deeply thoughtful expression and smiled with satisfaction. He could sense the dedication from this young Huo Yuhao. Moreover, looking at Huo Yuhao's demeanor, he knew the boy had already formed his own understanding.
A moment later, Fan Yu said, "Do you understand everything?"
Huo Yuhao nodded and said, "Yes, Teacher, this disciple understands."
Fan Yu smiled and said,
"What I just told you are the simplest pillars. The road ahead is still very long. What you need to do is practice these pillars well. This is also the basic point that every Soul Engineer needs to learn. Only by mastering the core can you become a powerful Soul Engineer in the future. You must remember, as a Soul Engineer, every Soul Tool you use must be crafted by yourself, because you understand what you make best, and only you trust yourself the most. Now, let's officially begin learning. First is metal forging. To become a powerful Soul Engineer, you must first be an excellent blacksmith."
After that, a set of specialized blacksmith's tools appeared one after another in front of Huo Yuhao: bellows, a forge, a hammer, an iron anvil... Fan Yu had officially begun teaching him how to forge iron.
The metal casting process consists of four steps, which apply to any metal, even those used for cores.
These four steps are, in order: first, refining the metal. Through continuous hammering under intense heat, impurities are gradually removed, thereby strengthening the metal's structure and increasing its purity. All metals are refined this way.
The second step is molding. Some will have pre-made molds, while others will have different molds created according to their purpose.
The third step is quenching. This process is very troublesome and mainly relies on the Soul Engineer's experience.
The final step is grinding. The grinding process is also the last step in crafting a Soul Tool. For cores, this step is also when the Soul Engineer will engrave the magic array.
Only after these four steps is the assembly phase reached, after which a complete Soul Tool can be said to be finished.
Each step, each stage, sounded simple but required extremely high precision. Now, Huo Yuhao had officially begun the first stage: metal refining. The rhythmic clang of hammer on metal echoed from laboratory number twelve.
At dinner, Wang Dong saw Huo Yuhao's trembling hands and curiously asked:
"Hey, why are your hands shaking like that?"
Huo Yuhao said angrily:
"You try hammering metal for half an hour straight. If I hadn't cultivated the Mysterious Jade Hand, I'm afraid my hands would be covered in blisters by now."
After dinner, he repeated everything Fan Yu had taught him to Wang Dong. Wang Dong listened and said discontentedly:
"Isn't what you're doing just torturing yourself? Didn't Teacher Fan Yu say that after reaching the Soul Saint rank, Soul Engineers are no longer a match for Soul Masters? Why are you still enduring such hardship? Your cultivation is already behind others, why distract yourself with cultivating as a Soul Engineer? Won't your already slow progress become even slower?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head and said:
"No, I must be a Soul Engineer."
He had his own ideals, and being a Soul Engineer was very suitable for achieving them. Moreover, Fan Yu had told him that the current status of Soul Engineers was not much inferior to that of Soul Masters. Even at higher levels, this was true, because a powerful Soul Master was only the combat power of one person, while a Soul Engineer of the same rank could create an entire terrifying army.
Who were his enemies? They were the Duke and Duchess of White Tiger, which was equivalent to half of the Star Luo Empire! Even if his cultivation reached the Titled Douluo rank now, what good would it do? He would still be alone. Could he win?
Therefore, he could only become a Soul Engineer and personally craft the most powerful Soul Tools.
Although his goal was very high and distant, he believed in his own abilities. This was because Huo Yuhao was not afraid of difficulties; he was willing to put in 200% more effort than an ordinary person. And there was also the unique one-million-year Spirit Ring on the Douluo Continent. The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm had said that the higher his cultivation became, the stronger the power of his Spirit Ring would be.
After eating the free meal for core disciples, Huo Yuhao felt completely refreshed.
"Let's go, let's go back and rest a bit."
Wang Dong wiped his mouth clean and turned to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao said, "I still have to go to Teacher Fan Yu's place to practice for another hour. You go back first. When I return later, we can meditate together."
Wang Dong patted his forehead and said, "Huo Yuhao, sometimes I think you're truly insane."
Huo Yuhao laughed heartily and said, "An adorable lunatic, right?"
As soon as the two left the dining hall, they ran into Tang Ya and Bei Bei. Upon seeing Huo Yuhao, Tang Ya seemed to heave a sigh of relief, patting her chest and saying, "Little Yuhao, I thought something had happened to you. It's good that you're fine, it's good that you're fine."
It turned out that Tang Ya and Bei Bei had known about Huo Yuhao's fight with Yu Feng yesterday, and when they didn't see him selling grilled fish today, they thought he was severely injured. The two suddenly remembered that it was dinner time, so they went to the dining hall to try their luck. Fortunately, they happened to meet Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong leaving the dining hall.
Huo Yuhao said, "Hello, Teacher Xiao Ya, Senior Brother. I have to go to the Soul Tool Department's experimental area to continue practicing now. I don't have time to talk. You two can ask Wang Dong about everything that happened yesterday; he knows everything clearly."
After speaking, he hurried away. All things are difficult at the beginning, and he didn't want to delay cultivating any system, so he had to seize the time.
Tang Ya asked curiously, "Hey, what's going on with Little Yuhao?"
Wang Dong smiled and said, "He's a madman. However, as he said, he's an adorable madman. He always cultivates desperately and doesn't care about himself at all."
He then told Tang Ya and Bei Bei everything that had happened yesterday, including Fan Yu accepting Huo Yuhao as his direct disciple. However, he kept some things to himself, such as Huo Yuhao becoming a core disciple of the Soul Tool Department. This matter should not be publicized; if the Martial Soul Department found out, they might immediately cut off his benefits, which would be disastrous.
After hearing Wang Dong's account, Tang Ya and Bei Bei immediately turned to look at each other.
Bei Bei smiled wryly and said, "I can't believe that our efforts over several years are not as good as our junior brother's three months. Teacher Fan Yu actually took him as a disciple. Xiao Ya, it seems the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the Tang Sect will have to rely on our junior brother."
Tang Ya nodded, saying with a hint of relief, "That's good too. I don't have any talent in crafting Soul Tools anyway. I've practiced endlessly, but there's been no progress. It's better to put all my energy into practicing the use of Tang Sect hidden weapons."
Wang Dong asked with a puzzled expression, "Teacher Tang Ya, Senior Brother, what are you two talking about?"
Bei Bei said,
"The rise and fall of our Tang Sect has always depended on hidden weapons. That day, it was also due to the emergence of Soul Tools that our Tang Sect declined. Therefore, Tang Ya and I have discussed it. If we can combine Tang Sect's hidden weapons with Soul Tools, our Tang Sect will have a chance to rise again. That's why both of us chose to study more in the Soul Tool Department. However, I am a core disciple of the Martial Soul Department, so I can only take a few courses in the Soul Tool Department. Up to now, I'm only a Class One Soul Engineer. As for Xiao Ya, although she also focuses on research, her personality is very active. How can she concentrate on researching Soul Tools? So she's only a Class Two Soul Engineer. I'm afraid it will be very difficult for her to advance to Class Three."
Tang Ya continued,
"But Teacher Fan Yu is different! Teacher Fan Yu is the number one genius of the Soul Tool Department, and also the only person with hope of becoming the first Class Nine Soul Engineer in the academy's history. To become his disciple is equivalent to becoming a core member of the Soul Tool Department. Not only will you receive the best education, but you will also be fully supported by the Soul Tool Department. Xiao Yuhao is truly amazing! I can't believe he has fulfilled our long-cherished dream. Bei Bei, I think we can entrust all the secrets of Tang Sect's hidden weapons to Yuhao now."