Soul Guidance Department, Testing Area No. 12.
Soft soul guidance lights filled every corner of this spacious testing area.
Xu Zihuang was seated at a long metal table, tinkering with various small parts on the desk. After a year and a half, he had grown to over 1.8 meters tall. His physique was not particularly robust but rather well-proportioned, with an understated strength.
His deep purple eyes exuded an indescribable nobility, making others feel unconsciously inferior. This nobility carried a hint of profundity and a captivating charm.
His long black hair was tied back into a wolf-tail, with a few strands of enchanting purple hair falling over his temples and high-bridged nose, giving him a sharp yet elegant appearance.
In his right hand, he held a dark metal cannon barrel over a meter long, while his left hand grasped a fist-sized, crystal-blue metal sphere engraved with intricate, mysterious patterns.
The heavy metal cannon barrel, weighing well over a hundred jin, was effortlessly maneuvered by the strength of just a few fingers in his right hand. His slender, fair fingers fiddled with the base of the barrel, revealing a slot perfectly sized to accommodate the metal sphere.
This metal sphere was the core of all soul guidance devices—the core array. More precisely, it was an aggregate of core arrays.
Engraving a core array onto a specific rare metal was not difficult; it was the basics of being a soul engineer. The challenge lay in what Xu Zihuang had accomplished—fusing multiple core arrays into a single whole to serve as the driving core of a soul guidance device. On this crystal-blue metal sphere, he had fused eight fifth-level core arrays.
During the finals of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, Xu Zihuang's opponent, Xiao Hongchen, had unleashed over a hundred such metal sphere core array aggregates. However, less than half of them were actually crafted by Xiao Hongchen himself.
Fusing core arrays with vastly different properties into a cohesive whole was an immense test of a soul engineer's skill. It demanded not only extreme precision in engraving the core arrays but also a tremendous amount of effort to coordinate and adjust them.
Of course, these were not issues for Xu Zihuang. With his Golden Eyes, a spiritual attribute innate martial soul, he could minimize errors during the engraving of core arrays, even achieving near-perfect arrays with zero or negligible errors. Moreover, with his powerful spiritual force, he could sense the subtle fluctuations of soul power during the operation of the core arrays, allowing him to make the most precise adjustments.
Xu Zihuang placed the metal sphere into the cannon barrel, and with the sound of clinking metal, a top-quality fifth-level long-range attack soul guidance device was completed.
When he and He Caitou were executing the Ultimate Soldier Plan, their studies in soul guidance devices had different focuses.
Xu Zihuang specialized in close-combat soul guidance devices and those requiring precise bodily control, while He Caitou focused on long-range soul guidance devices and fixed-load soul guidance shells, particularly the crafting of high-level fixed-load shells.
Although Xu Zihuang had spare energy after completing his regular studies, he had no intention of delving into every aspect of soul guidance device crafting.
In this fifth-level long-range attack soul guidance device, aside from the core array aggregate crafted by him, all other components were provided by He Caitou.
Like Xu Zihuang, He Caitou had long become a fifth-level soul engineer. If he could break through the bottleneck of level 50 in a short time and acquire a suitable soul ring to advance to the Soul King realm, crafting a sixth-level soul guidance device would come naturally.
Even Fan Yu, known for his strictness, felt nothing but satisfaction and pride toward Yu Tianhuang (Xu Zihuang) and He Caitou. With their talent in soul guidance device crafting, as long as their cultivation was sufficient, they were almost certain to become ninth-level soul engineers in the future.
Perhaps he could personally train two ninth-level soul engineers for the three native empires of the Douluo Continent.
It was common for soul engineers to seclude themselves during critical moments of crafting soul guidance devices. Today, neither He Caitou nor Fan Yu was present, leaving Xu Zihuang alone in Fan Yu's expansive Testing Area No. 12.
Xu Zihuang stood and walked to the edge of the testing field used to evaluate the soul guidance device's power. Holding the metal cannon barrel in his right hand, he raised it to shoulder height with his remarkable wrist and arm strength.
As he slowly infused soul power into it, the originally dark metal cannon barrel instantly turned a translucent ice-blue. A dazzling ice-blue light burst forth, streaking through the air in a brilliant arc, covering a hundred meters to strike an uneven metal wall.
Sharp-edged ice crystals spread across the metal wall at a visible rate, connecting within moments to form a thick layer of solid ice that enveloped the wall.
Not only that, but even the ground and walls within a hundred-meter radius were coated with glistening ice crystals.
This was Xu Zihuang's improved version of the fifth-level Ice Ray, the fifth-level Ice Cannon. Compared to the Ice Ray, the Ice Cannon required more soul power but was significantly more powerful.
This Ice Cannon's power surpassed many ice-attribute soul masters' fourth soul skills, though it still fell short of a Soul King's fifth soul skill. Typically, a Soul King fully activating their fifth soul skill would consume about a third of their soul power, whereas the Ice Cannon consumed far less.
Soul guidance devices were indeed products of the era's advancement, granting soul masters considerable combat strength, but they could not defy the world's rules. If soul guidance devices could produce greater power with less soul power, traditional soul masters would lose their purpose. Fixed-load soul guidance devices, however, were an exception.
Due to their stringent material requirements, fixed-load soul guidance devices could never be widely popularized.
A piercing chill swept through, but Xu Zihuang was unaffected, storing the fifth-level Ice Cannon in his storage soul guidance device.
Ordinary students of the Soul Guidance Department had to pay for materials and rare metals to take soul guidance devices they crafted using academy resources. However, for Xu Zihuang and He Caitou, as executors of the Ultimate Soldier Plan, no such rule applied.
Soul guidance devices crafted here could be taken without cost.
Xu Zihuang stretched his body slightly and left Testing Area No. 12.
The weekly curriculum cycle continued, but in soul guidance device crafting, Fan Yu did not rigidly dictate what Xu Zihuang had to learn. Most of the time, he offered experience and guidance, allowing Xu Zihuang to think and allocate his time independently. This approach was very similar to Elder Mu's.
Imagination and creativity were undeniably crucial for soul engineers, and Fan Yu considered this for long-term growth.
Despite the seemingly heavy curriculum and the academy's high expectations, Xu Zihuang's exceptional talent allowed him to handle and even exceed the goals set by Fan Yu and Elder Mu with ease.
Thus, his daily life was relatively relaxed, less pressured than many outer courtyard students of the Martial Soul Department and Soul Guidance Department at Shrek Academy.
He skillfully navigated the complex passages of the Soul Guidance Department's testing area. When Xu Zihuang passed through the metal gate to the outside, he realized the sky was fully shrouded in darkness.
With about a month left until the semester's end, it was winter, and night fell earlier than usual.
In the night, a few soul guidance streetlights emitted a cold glow, dotting the empty, silent road. The Soul Guidance Department was always this quiet.
Fine rain drifted in the air, illuminated clearly by the soul guidance streetlights. The golden-red trees lining the street rustled in the cold wind, their smooth red leaves dripping with water, falling like red rain.
Amid the sounds of falling rain and leaves, a clear set of footsteps approached from a distance.
Xu Zihuang looked up instinctively and saw a tall girl in his line of sight. She wore the yellow uniform of a third-year Martial Soul Department student at Shrek Academy. Her platinum-blonde, medium-length hair was striking, with the front slightly curled, cascading over her shoulders.
Her delicate face bore water-blue eyes filled with tender affection, reflecting the soul guidance lights and Xu Zihuang's silhouette. In her slender hand, she held a golden-yellow oil-paper umbrella.
This umbrella was crafted from the sap of several plant-type soul beasts, refined into oil paper. It was adorned with intricate patterns of exotic plants and flowers, coated with a glossy, crystal-yellow wax that repelled water while being highly durable.
As the umbrella tilted slightly, the girl's gaze met Xu Zihuang's. With a slight wrinkle of her delicate nose and eyes full of tenderness, she quickened her pace to reach him.
Xu Zihuang naturally took the umbrella from her hand, pulling her into an embrace and saying softly, "You don't have to come when the weather's bad."
The girl was Ning Tian. After a year and a half, girls typically developed earlier than boys, and while Ning Tian's height hadn't changed much, remaining around 1.72 meters, her figure had matured, shedding her former youthfulness and gaining a more refined, elegant air.
Standing beside Xu Zihuang, if not for her still-youthful face, she could easily be mistaken for a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old nearing adulthood.
"I'm not as busy as you and Senior Brother He. I don't have much to do after classes," Ning Tian said with a captivating, gentle smile, looping her arm around Xu Zihuang's free one.
Over the past year and a half, whenever Xu Zihuang came to the Soul Guidance Department for studies, Ning Tian would wait for him after classes to return together, rain or shine.
Her sincere devotion was noticed by many students at the academy. Male students felt envy, while female students who once had feelings for Xu Zihuang gradually backed off.
Compared to Ning Tian, the sole heir of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they had no advantages. Moreover, they subtly felt that Yu Tianhuang and Ning Tian were truly well-matched, leaving no room for them to interfere.
The intimate atmosphere and Ning Tian's captivating beauty could easily stir one's heart. However, Xu Zihuang's gaze remained clear as he led Ning Tian along the path.
"Let's go," Xu Zihuang said with a gentle smile, asking as they walked, "By the way, how's Senior Sister Xiaoya's cultivation progressing? If she breaks through to level 40, we can go to the Star Dou Forest together to get suitable soul rings."
He had spent the past few days in the Sea God Pavilion under Elder Mu's guidance, making it hard to keep up with everyone's progress.
"Senior Sister Xiaoya went into seclusion three days ago. With only a month left until the semester ends, she's under a lot of pressure. To graduate from the outer courtyard, she needs to break through to level 40 and acquire her fourth soul ring within this month. But from what I saw before her seclusion, she's likely to succeed. Plus, Senior Brother Bei got her a Soul Ascension Pill, so she's well-prepared," Ning Tian replied clearly.
At this point, a trace of hesitation and shyness flickered across her face, as if she wanted to say something but held back.
Xu Zihuang, always attentive to her, smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
After a moment's hesitation, Ning Tian's lips parted softly. "Tianhuang, in a few days, someone from my family might come to Shrek City."
"Your parents?" Xu Zihuang raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"No, an elder from the family. He said the Star Dou Forest has been unstable these past couple of years and plans to personally accompany me to get my fourth soul ring. He also heard about us and sent word that he'd like to meet you," Ning Tian said, shaking her head with a blush, then looking up at Xu Zihuang. Though her expression remained calm, there was a hidden anticipation in her eyes.
"Then we'll meet him. Since he's your elder, he's my elder too," Xu Zihuang said without any fear. From her words, he guessed this elder was likely a Titled Douluo at the very least. Building rapport couldn't hurt.
"Mm," Ning Tian replied softly, her voice tinged with a nasal hum and a hint of joy. Meeting an elder and gaining their approval carried deeper implications.
Thinking of this, her cheeks flushed as she stopped walking, and Xu Zihuang, understanding her, lowered the umbrella slightly.
The fine rain and red leaves continued to fall, landing on the ground, the Sea God Lake, and the umbrella.
Under the soul guidance streetlight, Xu Zihuang stood still as Ning Tian stood on her toes, their shadows overlapping.
The scene seemed to freeze in time.
A moment, yet eternal.
However, this beautiful moment was interrupted by a black-haired boy who hurriedly passed by.
"Patter, patter, patter—" Amid the low sound of footsteps, water splashed.
The boy, like Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian, had come from the Soul Guidance Department's testing area.
He was no taller than 1.6 meters, with a slight frame. Beneath his messy black hair were deep blue eyes. Despite his youthful vigor, his demeanor was gloomy.
Xu Zihuang raised the golden umbrella again, revealing his and Ning Tian's faces.
Their expressions showed little change, though Ning Tian's slightly heaving chest and misty eyes proved that what had just happened was no illusion.
Noticing the boy, Xu Zihuang's mind stirred. "Huo Yuhao."
Indeed, the boy who passed them was Huo Yuhao. At fourteen, he was shorter than many eleven-year-old first-year students. Long-term malnutrition had caused him to miss the optimal period for physical growth.
Without an umbrella, he looked particularly disheveled in the rain. Sensing Xu Zihuang's gaze, he paused and looked back. Seeing the intimate Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian, he bit his lip tightly and turned to run off quickly.
Envy, jealousy, resentment, and inferiority swirled in his heart, his deep blue eyes tinged with bloodshot veins.
Huo Yuhao's outburst wasn't just due to this moment. It was the result of accumulated negative emotions. He was too repressed. Despite showing some talent in soul guidance device crafting, he received little attention in the Soul Guidance Department. After all, his soul power level was mediocre. Although he studied in the Soul Guidance Department, this was Shrek Academy, not the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, which disregarded cultivation talent and boosted soul power with potential-enhancing drugs.
Moreover, Huo Yuhao's reserved personality kept him distant from other students in the Soul Guidance Department.
Following Beibei's advice to see Yu Tianhuang as a goal to chase, Huo Yuhao had faced nothing but setbacks over the past year and a half. His envy and jealousy toward Yu Tianhuang had begun to fester, turning darker.
Why did he struggle so hard yet linger on the edge of expulsion, while Yu Tianhuang effortlessly achieved heights he could never dream of, all while enjoying a vibrant academy life? Why?!
This wasn't the first time he'd asked himself this question.
He began to resent the world's unfairness. If this continued, how could he gain the power for revenge and end the White Vitaly of the White Tiger Duke?
Xu Zihuang withdrew his gaze, paying little mind to Huo Yuhao, and led Ning Tian toward the Martial Soul Department area.
"Let's go."
Ning Tian's shyness was reserved only for Xu Zihuang. After Huo Yuhao's interruption, she regained her usual poised and elegant demeanor.
Though her cherry lips were noticeably redder than before.
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