In the months that followed, Gu Yuejin's life in Mingdu settled into an exceedingly regular—some might even say "dull"—routine.
Every morning, he showed up right on time at the magnificent library of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, devouring basic theory about Soul Tools like a sponge.
In the afternoon, he would hole up in Xuan Ziwen's private laboratory, which was piled high with discarded parts and blueprints, and stay there until late at night.
"No! This is completely wrong!"
In the laboratory, Xuan Ziwen, sporting dark circles under his eyes and hair as messy as a bird's nest, pointed at a blueprint and shouted in agitation:
"Gu Yue! Your 'Non-standard Core Configuration' completely violates the Laminar Flow Principle of Soul Power! If the charge exceeds the threshold, the uneven internal pressure will make the core explode!"
"Teacher Xuan, don't jump to conclusions."
Gu Yuejin sat in a swivel chair nearby, idly turning a carving knife in his hand, his expression calm.
"The Laminar Flow Principle is based on the transmission of Soul Power with a single attribute. But what if... we built a miniature 'Soul Power Turbine' inside the core?"
"The centrifugal force generated by its rotation would fling unstable high-pressure Soul Power toward the reinforced coating on the outer wall. That could actually increase the core's instantaneous burst power."
"That's called fighting fire with fire."
Xuan Ziwen froze.
He pushed up his glasses, his mind racing as he began simulating the crazy idea Gu Yuejin had proposed.
After a long while, he suddenly slapped the table, his eyes practically brimming with fervor.
"You madman! You're an absolute madman!"
"But... it actually works in theory?!"
"Though this core's lifespan would be drastically shortened, its instantaneous output would increase by at least thirty percent!"
Looking at the young man before him, who was more than a decade his junior, Xuan Ziwen felt not only shock but also the thrill of finding a kindred spirit.
Gu Yuejin's thinking was astonishingly unconventional.
He was like a traveler from the future, always coming up with ideas that leaped completely beyond existing frameworks yet somehow still made sense.
"Still..."
Xuan Ziwen glanced at the brand-new badge on Gu Yuejin's chest, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Gu Yue, you're full of theories, but why is it such a struggle for you to pass the certification exams?"
"Four months, and you've only just passed the Level Five Soul Engineer exam?"
"Look at your Apprentice, Huo Yuhao. If he had enough Soul Power, he'd already be close to Level Five!"
Gu Yuejin merely shrugged, looking unconcerned.
"Rank is just a name. I care more about substance."
"Besides, that kid has Spirit Eyes to cheat with. I really can't match his fine control."
That was true.
In the practical side of Soul Tool crafting, Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Detection gave him micrometer-level precision, making him practically a human high-precision CNC machine. His progress was astonishingly fast.
Gu Yuejin, on the other hand, devoted most of his energy to deducing the underlying principles of God-Slaying Class weapons, and naturally didn't care much about ordinary certification exams.
Aside from their studies, the Reserve Team's training never stopped.
First Soul Tool Proving Ground.
"Bang!"
With one final explosion, Ma Rulong fell to the ground, smoke rising from his body. Not far away, Xiao Hongchen had been frozen into a statue, while Xu Tianzhen was tied up like a dumpling.
"Hah... hah..."
Huo Yuhao wiped the sweat from his forehead and ended the Spiritual Sharing.
"That's the end of today's sparring exercise... right?"
Meng Hongchen plopped down on the ground without a shred of grace, rubbing her aching arms as she wailed:
"I can't do this anymore! I need a proper meal to recover! I heard there's a new barbecue restaurant in the west of the city..."
"I'm going too! I'm going to eat Teacher Gu out of house and home!" Xu Tianzhen chimed in through gritted teeth.
Just as everyone was discussing where to go for a well-earned meal and complaining about their "demon instructor"...
"Tap, tap, tap."
Familiar footsteps sounded from the entrance.
The Training Ground fell silent in an instant, and everyone reflexively straightened up.
Gu Yuejin walked in with his hands behind his back, his expression placid.
"Looks like everyone's in good spirits. You've still got enough energy to talk about food."
His gaze swept over them, and a smile that made their hearts pound tugged at his lips.
"Since that's the case, I have some good news."
"To see how your special training has paid off over the past few months, I've specifically asked the academy to arrange a... friendly sparring match."
At the words "friendly sparring match," Ma Rulong's cheek twitched. He had a bad feeling about this.
In Gu Yuejin's dictionary, "friendly" usually meant "a one-sided beating."
"Teacher, who are we up against?" Huo Yuhao asked cautiously. "You're not going to fight us yourself again, are you?"
"Of course not. I don't know how to hold back. What if I hurt someone?"
Gu Yuejin stepped aside, revealing the passage behind him.
"Come on in, everyone."
At his words, several figures filed in.
At the front was a slender young man with delicate features, casually playing with a fan-shaped Soul Tool.
Several other students in senior-year uniforms followed him. They all had steady auras and appraised the group with a hint of arrogance in their eyes.
The moment Ma Rulong saw them, his pupils contracted.
"Lin Xi? Chen Fei? Mika?"
"What are they doing here?!"
These were none other than the starting members of the Sun Moon Team from the Original Work!
If Gu Yuejin hadn't swooped in and recruited Ma Rulong, Xiao Hongchen, and the others for the Reserve Team, these students would have been the mainstays of this year's tournament!
Now, they looked at the younger students before them, several years their juniors, with complicated expressions.
There was curiosity, disdain, and a readiness to fight.
After all, none of them wanted to admit that they could be displaced by a bunch of "reserve players."
"These are your opponents."
Gu Yuejin pointed at Lin Xi and the others, his tone calm and merciless:
"The current candidates for the starting lineup in this year's tournament."
"In other words, the unlucky lot whose thunder you stole and whose spots you took."
At that, Lin Xi and the others' faces darkened instantly.
That hit a little too close to home, Director!
It might be true, but could you be a little less blunt?
"What?!"
The Reserve Team let out a collective groan.
"We're fighting our seniors? The entire starting lineup?"
"How are we supposed to win? Their average Soul Power is at least five levels higher than ours!"
Xu Tianzhen's face turned green. "I'm not doing it! Senior Lin Xi's Invincible Shield is famous for being tough. We can't even scratch it!"
"Silence."
Gu Yuejin's sharp command instantly quieted the Training Ground.
He met their fearful gazes, his voice still calm but carrying unquestionable authority:
"Feeling the pressure?"
"But only by facing stronger opponents can you see the gap and bring out your potential."
"If you can't even beat your own seniors, what makes you think you can trample Shrek?"
After that, he turned to Lin Xi and the others, gave them a slight nod, and offered an encouraging smile:
"Dear upperclassmen."
"Over the next few days, don't go easy on me."
"Please... give them everything you've got."
"Help these brats who don't know their place get a good 'feel' for the intensity of tournament-level combat."
Lin Xi folded away his fan, a glint of cruelty and satisfaction in his eyes.
"Since Director Gu Yue put it that way, we'll... give it our all."
Looking at the upperclassmen, who were limbering up with expressions that said, "I'm going to teach you a lesson,"
Huo Yuhao and Xiao Hongchen exchanged glances. They both saw the gravity in each other's eyes.
It looked like that barbecue wasn't happening.
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