Studying in the Library, Xuan Ziwen

After settling Ye Guyi, Gu Yuejin immediately slipped into the library of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

With the black token Jing Hongchen had given him, he moved unimpeded, heading straight for the deepest core area of the library.

There was no clamor from the outside world here; the air was filled with a mixed scent of old paper and specially treated anti-corrosion ink.

Giant bookshelves soared into the clouds, densely packed with countless precious tomes, blueprints, and cutting-edge theoretical manuscripts.

For ordinary students of the Soul Engineer Department, this place was both a sanctuary and a hell.

Because the books here were simply too obscure, too dry.

But Gu Yuejin was in his element.

"Analysis of the Microstructure of Soul Power Conduction Medium, Topological Application of Core Magic Arrays, Critical Point of High-Energy Compression Arrays..."

Gu Yuejin's fingers glided over rows of spines, his eyes shining with a thirst for knowledge.

Although he possessed a system and a heaven-defying Martial Soul, he always maintained a clear head—the system was the system, and knowledge was knowledge.

If he truly wanted to create the ultimate weapon capable of slaying gods, brute force wouldn't suffice; he had to build from the ground up, starting with the most fundamental logic.

He pulled out a thick, ancient book with a somewhat worn cover—Research on the Stability of Linked Soul Tool Magic Arrays.

Finding a corner to sit, he relied on his vast spiritual power to flip through the pages at an incredible speed, almost skimming a dozen pages at a glance. Yet, this didn't mean he was merely glossing over it; every formula and theory within was dissected, reassembled, and simulated in his brain, which was comparable to a supercomputer.

Just as he was immersed in the deduction of a complex linked circuit.

"Oh? Someone's actually reading this one?"

A voice, tinged with surprise and curiosity, suddenly sounded beside him.

"Don't young people nowadays rush to find ready-made blueprints for Level Seven and Level Eight Fixed Soul Tool Cannons? Those who can calm down and pore over such dry theoretical books are rarer than giant pandas."

Gu Yuejin frowned slightly, his thoughts interrupted, which displeased him.

He looked up, following the sound.

He saw a middle-aged man standing by the bookshelf, looking at him with keen interest.

The man was about forty years old, of medium build, wearing a somewhat wrinkled white robe of a researcher, which was even stained with a few specks of unknown metal powder.

His hair was messy like a bird's nest, and he wore thick black-rimmed glasses on his nose. The entire person exuded a slovenly, unkempt aura.

But beneath this disheveled exterior, only the eyes hidden behind the lenses were astonishingly sharp, like two scalpels capable of easily peeling away the surface of things to reveal their core.

Gu Yuejin's heart stirred, and he instantly recognized the man's identity.

Xuan Ziwen.

The purest "Research Maniac" of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and even the entire Mingde Hall.

He cared not for power, nor status, nor even the country he belonged to. His entire life was dedicated to pursuing the ultimate in Soul Tool Technology.

In the original course of fate, it was he who joined the Tang Sect, becoming Huo Yuhao's semi-teacher, and pushing the Soul Tool Technology of the Douluo Continent to an entirely new height.

"So it's the renowned Teacher Xuan."

Gu Yuejin closed the book, a polite smile on his face, showing no contempt despite the man's slovenliness.

"What is it, Teacher Xuan? Are you also interested in these decades-old theories?"

Xuan Ziwen pushed his glasses up his nose. He wasn't surprised to be recognized, as he was quite famous in the academy—albeit known for his "eccentric temper" and "lack of social graces."

"Interested is a stretch. Although the theories in this book are fundamental, many of the viewpoints were too advanced, even bordering on fantastical, back then. That's why it was tossed aside to gather dust."

Xuan Ziwen sat down opposite Gu Yuejin, his gaze sweeping over the book's cover. His tone carried a hint of assessment:

"For instance, the 'Energy Resonance Overflow of Multiple Core Magic Arrays' mentioned in the third chapter. The author believed it could be solved by increasing the reflux circuit, but this would greatly increase the array's volume and carving difficulty, making it not worth the effort."

"What's your take on it?"

Faced with the sudden question from this Soul Tool master, Gu Yuejin didn't panic.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the book's surface, while in his mind, knowledge from his past life about "parallel circuits" and "energy feedback" surfaced, which he then combined with the Soul Tool theories of this world.

"Reflux circuits are indeed cumbersome,"

Gu Yuejin began, his tone calm and firm:

"The author's approach fell into the trap of 'blocking.' Since energy overflows, why must we block it back?"

"What if we viewed this overflow as a 'signal'?"

"Outside the main array, construct a very small secondary induction array that exists by relying on the overflow energy. Use the overflow energy as the activation source for the secondary array, which in turn calibrates the frequency of the main array."

"This is called—Negative Feedback Regulation."

"It can't completely solve the overflow, but it can transform unstable oscillations into self-correcting power, increasing stability by at least thirty percent."

Silence.

Xuan Ziwen was stunned.

He had merely asked a casual question, wanting to see if this unfamiliar face was just putting on an act.

But these words...

"Negative feedback... self-correction..."

Xuan Ziwen muttered to himself, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. Finally, he even took a pen out of his pocket and quickly began sketching diagrams on the table.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

"No need for extra charging, but instead turning waste into treasure, using waste gas to propel the valve... what an unconventional idea!"

"Although the carving precision required is extremely high, it's theoretically completely feasible!"

A moment later, Xuan Ziwen suddenly looked up, his eyes burning with a fervent flame as he stared intently at Gu Yuejin, as if looking at an uncarved, rare jade.

"Boy, what's your name? Which class are you in? Who's your instructor?"

"An idea like this could never come from those old fogeys who only teach by the book!"

"Gu Yuejin."

Gu Yuejin smiled slightly, not revealing his identity as the new department head. "For now... I'm self-taught, you could say."

"Self-taught?!"

Xuan Ziwen was even more shocked, followed by unconcealed delight.

"Good! A good self-taught talent!"

"Although your foundation seems a bit unconventional, your thinking is extremely sharp. This kind of creativity that breaks the mold is precisely what those students who only study by rote lack the most!"

Xuan Ziwen stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and extended his hand to Gu Yuejin, his tone carrying a rare seriousness and invitation:

"My name is Xuan Ziwen, one of the Chief Researchers at Mingde Hall."

"I'm very interested in you."

"If you have time, you're welcome to visit my private laboratory anytime. I have some good things there that you can't see elsewhere, and you might like them."

"Of course, if you encounter any theoretical concepts you don't understand, you can also come to me."

Gu Yuejin looked at the outstretched hand.

"It would be my honor."

Gu Yuejin reached out and shook the hand of this future Soul Tool Grandmaster firmly.

"Coincidentally, I'm also very interested in the research topic that Teacher Xuan is working on..."