The sunlight seemed somewhat glaring; through the gaps between his fingers, he could vaguely make out the furious expression of the mentor above.
Sunlight filtered through the verdant giant trees, adding another layer of shifting light and shadow to Fan Yu's face.
"Fourth-year student Chen Fu, please present your graduation project."
Sensing the atmosphere between master and disciple that seemed ready to ignite at any moment, the adjudicating teacher followed convention and acted as an emotionless announcer.
"Reporting to the teacher, this student's graduation project is..."
With his back to the other students who had come to watch the excitement, Chen Fu looked at his mentor standing above him, fists clenched and face livid, as though time had frozen at that moment.
They had argued noisily for four years. His mentor often berated him for neglecting his proper duties and straying down the wrong path, saying that one day he would die horribly.
Yet whenever it came to the experimental materials he needed, his mentor had never held him back.
In his first year, Chen Fu had gotten into a fierce argument with his mentor over the application of his final project, the "Soul Power Miniaturization Storage Technology."
His mentor believed the technology should be developed into a version suitable for Soul Tool Cannons, greatly increasing the endurance and output ceiling of the academy's existing Soul Tool attack weapons.
Chen Fu, however, had intended to make Soul Tool devices accessible to ordinary people. A "Milk Bottle" equivalent to a high-efficiency battery would allow commoners without Soul Power to use Soul Tool devices. Combined with the Soul Tool Farming Tools he had designed from it, it could greatly increase productivity.
Although a single Food Soul Master could support many people on Douluo Continent, Chen Fu had done the calculations. Around 10% of the entire continent possessed innate Soul Power, while fewer than 5% had the potential to cultivate. That was to say, 95% of people could basically be categorized as having no Soul Power.
And among the remaining 5%, the ratio of combat Soul Masters to Food Soul Masters was even more outrageous. A simple sample taken at Shrek Academy put the ratio at around 1%.
So what? Were they supposed to live off those few scattered people? And why should others support them?
Furthermore, if Soul Tools were to develop rapidly and maturely, relying solely on fewer than a thousand Soul Tool Researchers across the two continents was undoubtedly difficult. Mass-produced Soul Tool Warriors were more an application of technology; expanding the technological ceiling still required that small portion of genuine Soul Tool Researchers to devote themselves to it.
"Soul Tool Normalization, even Soul Power Normalization," had always been Chen Fu's purpose in studying.
Within Shrek Academy, there was a vaguely held view of "Soul Quantity Conservation," and his mentor had explicitly told Chen Fu that this phenomenon objectively existed.
"My home in this world is gone, Mentor. Can you understand how that feels?" The cold moonlight outside draped the youth in a veil of frost. His eyes were calm to the very end, while the Energy Engraving Knife clenched in his hand never paused. Soul Power circuits filled with geometric beauty rapidly took shape beneath his hands.
"From now on, Shrek will be your home." Looking at the youth before him, whose Mental Power showed not the slightest ripple, Fan Yu felt an unusual headache coming on. He had no desire to involve himself in the power struggle on the Star Luo side behind this former son of an "emerging city."
"Do you think this can overthrow them?" The youth ignored his mentor's words, holding up the geometric creation he had just completed in his palm and placing it before Fan Yu.
"What is it?" The geometric creation before him was filled with a rational sense of beauty, making Fan Yu subconsciously forget the youth's wild words.
"My final project: an [Ark] made from Level Two Materials. It's a new Soul Power storage technology. At the same time, I think Soul Tool classifications are too crude. This so-called Level Two Soul Tool has the capacity of a traditional Level Four Milk Bottle, yet it's cheaper and smaller."
The youth had always disdained classifications based on the average amount a user could withstand. If becoming a nuclear explosion were the prerequisite for mastering nuclear explosion technology, then such technology would be meaningless.
"Do you know what this means?!" Fan Yu was truly shocked by the talented youth before him, whom he thought so highly of. Although the youth's Soul Master talent was rather mediocre, Fan Yu had always believed that he and his martial soul possessed exceptional talent in Soul Tools. He had not expected such a shock after only one year.
"It means the cost and threshold for using Soul Tools will decrease."
That had been the youth's answer to Fan Yu, and even after three years, it still seemed to echo in his ears.
Meeting his mentor's furious gaze, Chen Fu looked back without the slightest fear.
Truth became clearer through debate. This argument, which had originally belonged only to master and disciple, had ultimately become the graduation format of Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Academy.
Fan Yu knew very well what Chen Fu had been researching these past few years. If he succeeded, it would deal an enormous blow to the existing Soul Master System! Although ever since "Soul Power Miniaturization Storage Technology," Chen Fu had spent the following two years using his design logic, filled with rational beauty, to improve existing low-end Soul Tools, whenever Fan Yu recalled the youth's utterly emotionless eyes, he knew his disciple had never abandoned those dangerous ideas.
Moreover, that method of "using tools to control tools," combined with Chen Fu's unique martial soul, had allowed his disciple to reach a point in Soul Tool research that even Fan Yu, as his mentor, could not understand.
Unfortunately, Mentor, you still guessed wrong. Chen Fu sighed inwardly.
Letting a low-level Soul Master defeat an Advanced Soul Master did not count as "overturning."
"This student's graduation project is the Semi-automatic Soul Tool Standard Rifle."
In the end, beneath Fan Yu's gaze, Chen Fu chose to yield. From the Space Soul Tool Bracelet he carried with him, he retrieved a slender "Soul Tool Long Cannon." Chen Fu had made it distinct from conventional Soul Tool firearms.
"This Soul Tool firearm is charged by a Level Four [Ark] Core and has two modes: rapid fire and focused-energy cannon. In the former, pulling the trigger directly can penetrate a two-millimeter steel plate. In the latter, after a brief charge, it can penetrate a ten-millimeter steel plate. Its effective range is five hundred meters, while its maximum-damage range is two hundred meters. It supports [Ark] replacement and direct Soul Power charging."
Compared with the farming tools such as Soul Tool Cultivators that he had designed before, this Semi-automatic Soul Tool Standard Rifle was the first offensive Soul Tool Chen Fu had designed.
Seeing the relief in Fan Yu's eyes, Chen Fu sighed inwardly again.
Mentor, habitual thinking is the great taboo of innovation.
"Does it have a specific level?" Noticing that Chen Fu had not stated what level of Soul Tool it was, the adjudicating teacher asked instinctively.
"Based on its materials and power, it is 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 possessed a charging module. In the hands of a Soul Ancestor or Soul King, it could increase the power of the energy cannon.
"Its core advantage is that it allows one-ring and two-ring Soul Masters to possess the basic killing power of a Level Four Soul Engineer."
As he spoke, Chen Fu turned to look at the inner and outer academy students gathered near the field to watch. "For example, right now, without consuming any Soul Power, I could rely solely on the Ark Core's stored energy to take out most first- and second-year students with one shot each."
"Want to try how it feels?" As he spoke, Chen Fu offered the Soul Tool rifle to the adjudicating teacher.
The adjudicating teacher accepted the Soul Tool rifle. Of course, he was definitely not going to "try how it feels," but when the surrounding students saw him take the Soul Tool, they immediately cursed and hurried farther away. Only the upper-year students and inner academy students remained where they were.
Smiling helplessly, the adjudicating teacher waved toward a defensive Soul King from the inner academy in the distance. Seeing that he could not run away, the man could only step forward with a stiff expression.
"Stand farther away. Let me test this Soul Tool."
Looking at the unfortunate man with all his Soul Skills activated and his martial soul shield raised, the adjudicating teacher's Soul Emperor-level Mental Power quickly understood the firing mechanism. He then aimed at the thickest part of the unfortunate man's armor and tentatively tried a single shot.
Whoosh!
The defensive Soul King only felt the shield in his hand jolt instantly. It did not hurt in the slightest.
Whoosh!
Before he could even wonder about it, the defensive Soul King's entire body went numb, forcing him back several steps.
With a smile, the adjudicating teacher casually dismissed the unfortunate man. He did not try the final Soul Power-enhanced form; this was already enough.
"What do you intend to do with this Soul Tool technology?" The old man standing beside Fan Yu, who had previously had no presence at all, suddenly asked.
"Decode it yourselves."
It was the expected answer. The old man nodded, feeling somewhat emotional. Three years had passed, yet that kid Fan Yu still had not fully understood the circuit-stacking technology within the core of the original [Ark]. A single composite node contained multiple Soul Tool sequences. Faced with densely packed composite nodes, it was difficult to even begin without a method.
"If that is the case, the inner academy rejects your application for admission."
Looking at Mentor Fan Yu's calm expression, Chen Fu suddenly thought of many things.
"Permanently?"
"Until we have completely deciphered your [Ark] core technology." The old man drank as though no one else was present, while pulling out his drinking snack from his pocket.
"So I've been expelled?"
"No, you have graduated." The Dean of the Soul Tool Academy beside the old man emphasized.
"Then I apply for the title of Honorary Teacher."
"Granted," the old man replied with a smile.
"Only the title. I will not teach."
"No problem." The old man smiled, unconcerned.
Before you continue