The Youth "Expelled" from Shrek Academy

The sunlight seemed a bit harsh, and through the gaps between his fingers, Chen Fu could vaguely see the angry expression of his mentor above.

Sunlight filtering through the lush giant trees added a touch of gloom to Fan Yu's face.

"Fourth-year student Chen Fu, please present your graduation project."

Sensing the imminent explosive atmosphere between mentor and disciple, the presiding teacher, as per convention, acted as an unfeeling mouthpiece.

"Reporting, teacher, the student's graduation project is..."

With his back to the other students who had come to watch the spectacle, Chen Fu looked at his mentor, who stood high above, fists clenched, face ashen, as if time had stopped.

After four years of bickering, his mentor often scolded him for neglecting his proper duties and straying onto a dangerous path, warning he would meet a terrible end one day.

But ultimately, when it came to the experimental materials he needed, his mentor had never held him back.

In his first year, Chen Fu had argued heatedly with his mentor about the application of his final project, "Soul Power Miniaturization Storage Technology."

His mentor believed this technology should be developed into a version applicable to Soul Tool Cannons, which would greatly enhance the endurance and output ceiling of the academy's current Soul Tool offensive weapons.

Chen Fu's original intention, however, was to democratize Soul Tools. A "milk bottle" acting as an efficient battery would allow commoners without Soul Power to use Soul Tools. Combined with the Soul Tool Farming Tools he had designed, this could significantly boost productivity.

Although in Douluo Continent, a single Food Soul Master could support many people, Chen Fu had statistics showing that only about 10% of the continent's population possessed innate Soul Power, and less than 5% had cultivation potential. This meant that 95% of people could essentially be classified as having no Soul Power.

And among the remaining 5%, the ratio of combat Soul Masters to Food Soul Masters was even more staggering. A simple sample taken at Shrek Academy showed this ratio to be around 1%.

So? Rely on those sparse few to survive? But why should others support you?

Furthermore, for Soul Tools to develop rapidly and mature, it would be difficult with fewer than a thousand Soul Tool Researchers across both continents. Mass-produced Soul Tool Warriors were more of a practical application of technology; expanding the technological ceiling still required the efforts of those few true Soul Tool Researchers.

"Normalization of Soul Tools, even normalization of Soul Power," had always been Chen Fu's learning objective.

Within Shrek Academy, there was a vague notion of "Soul Quantity Conservation," and his mentor had explicitly informed Chen Fu that this phenomenon was objectively real.

"My home in this world is gone, mentor, can you understand this feeling?" The cold moonlight outside the window draped a chilling veil over the young man. His eyes held an unwavering calm, and the Energy Engraving Knife clutched in his hand did not pause for a moment as geometrically beautiful Soul Power circuits rapidly took shape under his touch.

"Shrek will be your home from now on." Looking at the young man before him, devoid of any mental fluctuations, Fan Yu felt an unusual headache. He did not wish to get involved in the power struggles concerning Star Luo that lay behind this former "prodigy" of the "new city."

"Can this overturn them?" The young man ignored his mentor's words, cupped the geometric creation he had just completed in his palm, and placed it before Fan Yu.

"What is this?" The geometric creation before him exuded a rational beauty that made Fan Yu subconsciously forget the young man's wild pronouncements.

"Final project, an Ark made with Level Two Materials. It's a new Soul Power storage technology. Also, I think the grading of Soul Tools is too crude. This so-called Level Two Soul Tool has the capacity of a traditional Level Four milk bottle, and it's cheaper and smaller."

The young man had always disdained grading based on the average user's affordability. If the prerequisite for mastering nuclear explosions was to become a nuclear explosion oneself, then nuclear explosion technology would be meaningless.

"Do you know what this means?!" Fan Yu was truly shocked by the genius young man he had favored. Although the young man's Soul Master talent was mediocre, he had always believed the youth and his Martial Soul would have immense talent in Soul Tools. He hadn't expected this shock after just one year.

"It means the cost and tier of using Soul Tools will decrease."

This was the young man's reply to Fan Yu, echoing in his ears as if it were only three years ago.

Facing his mentor's furious gaze, Chen Fu met it without fear.

Reason became clearer through debate, and this argument, which was originally just between mentor and disciple, eventually became the graduation model for Shrek's Soul Tool Academy.

Fan Yu knew very well what Chen Fu had been researching these past few years. If successful, it would cause a massive impact on the existing Soul Master system! Although Chen Fu had spent the subsequent two years refining existing low-end Soul Tools with his aesthetically rational design logic since the "Soul Power Miniaturization Storage Technology," he remembered the young man's emotionless eyes and knew his disciple had never abandoned those dangerous ideas.

Moreover, the method of "controlling tools with tools," combined with Chen Fu's unique Martial Soul, made his disciple's research in the field of Soul Tools reach a point that even he, as his mentor, could not comprehend.

Too bad, mentor, you still guessed wrong. Chen Fu sighed inwardly.

Enabling low-level Soul Masters to defeat high-level Soul Masters was not "subversion."

"The student's graduation project is a Semi-automatic Soul Tool Standard Rifle."

Under Fan Yu's gaze, Chen Fu ultimately chose to compromise. He retrieved a slender "Soul Tool Long Cannon" from the Space Soul Tool Bracelet he wore. He had made a distinction from conventional Soul Tool firearms and cannons.

"This Soul Tool firearm uses a Level Four Ark Core for charging. It has two modes: rapid fire and concentrated blast. The former can penetrate two millimeters of steel plate by simply pulling the trigger, while the latter can penetrate ten millimeters of steel plate after a brief charge. Its effective range is 500 meters, with a maximum damage range of 200 meters. It supports Ark switching and direct Soul Power charging."

Compared to his previous designs like Soul Tool Cultivators and other farming tools, this Semi-automatic Soul Tool Standard Rifle was Chen Fu's first offensive Soul Tool design.

Seeing the relief in Fan Yu's eyes, Chen Fu sighed again inwardly.

Mentor, inertial thinking is a major pitfall for innovation.

"Does it have a specific rank?" Noticing that Chen Fu hadn't stated what rank of Soul Tool this was, the presiding teacher instinctively asked.

"Considering its materials and power, it's a Level Four Soul Tool in the hands of a low-level Soul Master, and a Level Five Soul Tool in the hands of a Soul Ancestor or Soul King."

The Ark Core has a charging module, which can increase the power of the energy cannon in the hands of a Soul Ancestor or Soul King.

"Its core advantage is enabling a Soul Master with one or two Spirit Rings to possess the simple killing power of a Level Four Soul Tool Master."

As he spoke, Chen Fu turned his head to look at the internal and external academy students gathered nearby to watch the spectacle. "For example, if I don't consume any Soul Power now and rely solely on the energy stored in the Ark Core, I can pick off most first and second-year students with a single shot."

"Do you want to try the feel of it?" Chen Fu then offered the Soul Tool rifle to the presiding teacher.

The presiding teacher took the Soul Tool rifle. Of course, he wasn't going to "try the feel of it," but the surrounding students, upon seeing him take the Soul Tool, immediately cursed and scurried away, except for the senior students and those from the inner court who remained in place.

Smiling helplessly, the presiding teacher waved to a defensive Soul King from the inner court in the distance. Seeing he couldn't escape, the latter could only steel himself and step forward.

"Stand back a bit, let me test this Soul Tool."

Watching the Soul King, who had fully activated his Soul Skills and was holding up his Martial Soul shield, the presiding teacher, a Soul Emperor, quickly understood the firing mechanism with his mental power. He then aimed at the thickest part of the Soul King's armor and tentatively tried a burst fire.

Whoosh!

The defensive Soul King only felt a slight tremor in the shield he held. It was painless and harmless.

Whoosh!

Before he could even wonder why, the defensive Soul King's entire body went numb, forcing him to take a few steps back.

He chuckled, casually dismissing the unlucky fellow. The presiding teacher didn't attempt the final Soul Power augmentation form, which was enough.

"Regarding the technology of this Soul Tool, what are your plans?" the elder, who had been standing beside Fan Yu with no sense of presence, suddenly asked.

"Self-deciphering."

An expected answer. The elder nodded, feeling a bit emotional. Fan Yu, even after three years, still hadn't quite figured out the layered circuitry technology of the core of the original Ark. Facing densely packed composite nodes where one composite node could have multiple Soul Tool sequences, it was difficult to get started without a method.

"If that's the case, the inner court rejects your admission application."

Looking at the calm Fan Yu, Chen Fu suddenly thought of many things.

"Permanently?"

"Until we completely decipher your Ark's core technology." The elder drank his wine as if no one else was there, pulling out his snack from his pocket.

"So I've been expelled?"

"No, you've graduated," the Dean of the Soul Tool Academy beside the elder emphasized.

"Then I apply for the title of Honorary Teacher."

"You may," the elder replied with a smile.

"Just the title, no teaching."

"No problem," the elder smiled, not caring.