Fleeting Three Years

The earliest Soul Engineers handled the forging and shaping of Rare Metals, as well as the design, production, and repair of Soul Tools, among other work. One could say they covered all the Sub-Professions that existed today. And the most well-rounded genius Soul Engineers could even skillfully use every type of Soul Tool.

However, as the era developed, a person's energy was limited. Wanting to master all of these at the same time was simply unrealistic.

Ten Thousand Years Ago, the forging of Rare Metals was actually only simple shaping, making them into outer shell molds for Soul Tools. Compared to the forging techniques of the current era, the difference was truly like heaven and earth. Training an outstanding blacksmith often required several decades or even more, and that was still on the basis of possessing talent for forging.

As for Mecha Design, Mecha Manufacturing, and Mecha Repair, that went without saying even more. The perfection of Core Arrays and the advancement of Soul Guidance Technology had made all three incomparably precise and complex. Wanting to master even one of them required an enormous amount of energy.

Relatively speaking, Mecha Repair was a little more troublesome, because it required understanding both Mecha Design and Mecha Manufacturing at the same time. It was equivalent to learning two Sub-Professions, only without needing to be quite so proficient in them.

And Yu Nanyuan's choice was the path of the Soul Engineers of those years. Aside from forging, he advanced on three fronts at once: Mecha Design, Mecha Manufacturing, and Mecha Repair. Mecha Repair was rather special; in truth, what he needed to learn was only Mecha Design and Mecha Manufacturing.

Once he mastered Mecha Design and Mecha Manufacturing, he would naturally also be able to become an outstanding Soul Engineer.

With a complicated expression, Yu Nanyuan came to the side of the Metal Desk and slowly opened the drawer.

"Clatter—" The crisp sound of metal colliding rang out. It was filled with Hexagonal Metal Blocks engraved with intricate, abstruse patterns. There were metal blocks of every color, and the patterns carved on them were not identical either.

These were precisely what he had left behind when he had studied engraving Core Arrays through different kinds of Rare Metals back then. At the time, he had yet to awaken his Martial Soul and had no Soul Power to support him, so these Core Arrays could only count as half-finished products.

But who knew just how much effort the young him had paid in order to complete these?

Yu Nanyuan casually took out a Blue-Gold Metal Block about the size of a walnut. He raised his right hand, and a miniaturized Void Chains blooming with dazzling silver light silently appeared. The chain portion coiled around his forearm, while the long, narrow, sharp wedge linked to the front end was held firmly in his hand.

Unlike Ten Thousand Years Ago, Mecha Manufacturers of the Modern Era usually used their own Martial Souls to engrave Core Arrays. This could deepen the connection between the two sides, and the mechas or Battle Armor made would also be more compatible with themselves. Therefore, the vast majority of Mecha Manufacturers were Tool Soul Masters with Sharp Tool Martial Souls like Yu Nanyuan.

Of course, this was not absolute. Ordinary people, with the support of carving knives and Special Soul Power Auxiliary Devices, could also become Mecha Manufacturers. It was just that their future development potential was limited, and at most they could only make some standardized metal parts.

Yu Nanyuan controlled the sharp tip of the wedge and lowered it onto the metal block. His fingertips began to dance. Every descent was extremely steady and firm, the entire process as smooth as flowing clouds and running water. He was not engraving a brand-new Core Array, but improving upon the foundation of an already existing one.

Although he had not touched the engraving of Core Arrays again over these years, after awakening his Martial Soul and possessing Soul Power, his perspective had also changed. Many problems that had troubled him in the past were solved with ease, and his whole mind had opened up considerably.

Yu Nanyuan sat before the Metal Desk like a statue, completely motionless. Only the few fingers of his right hand controlled the wedge, slowly engraving under the infusion of Soul Power. Throughout this process, even the rhythm did not change in the slightest.

About half a quarter of an hour later, he stopped what he was doing. His own Soul Power was infused into the blue-gold metal block, and those lines quickly lit up, emitting a soft blue halo. In the end, these halos gathered together, turning into a beam of light that rose a full foot high. The beam was straight and solid, while the metal block in the palm of his left hand became as transparent as crystal.

The success he had anticipated did not stir the slightest ripple in Yu Nanyuan's heart. He placed this completed Core Array on the desk, then took out a second metal block to engrave and improve, repeating the process over and over.

Yu Zhen appeared at the doorway of the laboratory at some unknown time, his expression melancholy as he let out a soft sigh.

"Nanyuan, in the end, you still walked onto this path."

He did not know whether he should feel gratified for Yu Nanyuan, or worried.

Taking a deep breath, Yu Zhen quietly closed the laboratory door for Yu Nanyuan, came to the Crystal Floor-to-Ceiling Window in the Living Room, and stared blankly into the distance.

The handover with Ji Hongyu's side had gone very smoothly. True Dragon Bloodline had always been synonymous with power. After that Variant Ten Thousand Year Frost Ice Sea Serpent was made into a Soul Spirit, among all the Ten Thousand Year Soul Spirits in the Spirit Transfer Pagoda's reserves, it was an existence with relatively high potential.

It was foreseeable that countless Ice Attribute Soul Masters on the continent would flock to it like ducks to water.

The Spirit Transfer Pagoda Headquarters had made a promise that in the future, they would give Yu Nanyuan an opportunity to subdue an Unsubmissive Soul Spirit. Even if Yu Nanyuan did not succeed, they would provide him with a Ten Thousand Year Soul Spirit of a compatible attribute for free.

Yu Zhen understood that Yu Nanyuan's future road could only be walked by himself, and he had no right to interfere. What he could do was try his best to clear the obstacles along that road for him.

It was not until early morning that Yu Nanyuan finally walked out of the laboratory. On the Metal Desk behind him, all of the Core Arrays had been successfully engraved.

Yu Zhen sat in the main seat at the dining table in the Living Room with a smile on his face and beckoned to Yu Nanyuan.

"Nanyuan, come over and have breakfast first."

On the dining table were sumptuous dishes carefully prepared by the Private Chef.

"Yes, Grandpa."

Yu Nanyuan naturally sat opposite Yu Zhen. After spending so long concentrating on engraving Core Arrays, his spirit was inevitably somewhat weary. And he discovered that the ingredients used in these dishes basically all had the effect of alleviating mental fatigue.

The most precious was a kind of sea urchin unique to the Eastern Coast of the Sun Moon Federation, the Spirit Accumulating Sea Urchin. When Soul Masters consumed it, it could promote the growth of Spiritual Power and nourish the soul. If a Soul Beast ate it, it could open its spiritual wisdom, making cultivation twice as effective with half the effort. Of course, the price was also extremely high. A single Spirit Accumulating Sea Urchin often cost over a hundred thousand Federal currency. At that price, one could buy a white Ten-Year Soul Spirit from the Spirit Transfer Pagoda.

Yu Zhen pushed the teacup containing the Spirit Accumulating Sea Urchin before Yu Nanyuan and said casually in a gentle tone, "Nanyuan, you've already awakened your Martial Soul now. It's just right for you to enter a Primary Soul Master Academy to study. That way, you can also make some friends."

"Grandpa, I don't think entering a Primary Soul Master Academy is necessary for me. The things one can learn in a Primary Academy, I basically already knew when I was very young. For these three years, I want to practice Self-Cultivation." Yu Nanyuan had long since made plans for the future.

Yu Zhen was not the sort of pedantic and stubborn person. After pondering for a moment, he answered heartily.

"Good. Since you have your own ideas, Nanyuan, then do it according to your ideas. When you're nine years old, you can directly enter the Donghai Academy Intermediate Division to study."

After breakfast, Yu Zhen also handed the three-thousand-year-old Winter Snow Lotus he had bought last night over to Yu Nanyuan. Through the Jade Box, he could see the Winter Snow Lotus's crystalline body, as if it had been condensed from ice crystals, pure and flawless. In particular, the eight outstretched petals made the veins within clearly visible.

"The medicinal nature of the Winter Snow Lotus is mild. Nanyuan, take one of its petals every seven days and slowly absorb the medicinal effect. Your body and Soul Power will naturally be tempered by its medicinal effect."

Yu Nanyuan accepted the Jade Box and nodded solemnly. With this Winter Snow Lotus, there would no longer be any Hidden Danger in raising his Soul Spirit to the Thousand Year Level.

Yu Zhen studied Yu Nanyuan's face, then suddenly asked, "Nanyuan, do you want to become a Mecha Master like Grandpa?"

"Grandpa, compared to a Mecha Master, I'd rather become a Battle Armor Master." Yu Nanyuan was startled when he heard this, then revealed a mouthful of white teeth.

"If a Soul Master doesn't take becoming a Battle Armor Master as his goal, then all I can say is that he'll spend a relatively failed life."

"You little brat, are you saying Grandpa's life has been a failure?!" Yu Zhen scolded with a laugh. Then the smile on his face faded, and he thoughtfully adjusted the Gold-Rimmed Glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"But speaking of Battle Armor Masters, there is one in the academy, and he even comes from that place..."

The setup is over. The next chapter will begin entering the main storyline three years later. All I can say is that even in a feel-good novel, it can't be feel-good all the time. Some plot is still necessary. Send some monthly tickets and recommendations.