Handgun

Making a Soul Tool out of a jagged block of iron only ten centimeters across

First of all, making a Soul Tool from a block of iron like this was very difficult for these boys and girls, who had only just begun learning about Soul Tools. Even with a full morning to work, Xuan Ziwen believed that most of them wouldn't be able to complete an entire Soul Tool.

Meanwhile, inside Jing Hongchen's office.

Jing Hongchen sat at his desk, resting his chin on his hands as he watched the Soul Guide Screen floating above the desktop with keen interest.

On the screen, Qin Chuan was repeatedly measuring the square block of iron before him, while his pencil moved constantly across the draft paper beside him. No one could tell what he was drawing.

"Let's see what kind of Soul Tool you make, young man." Jing Hongchen had high hopes for Qin Chuan.

During his conversation with Jing Hongchen, Xuan Ziwen had also mentioned the three children he was keeping a close eye on.

Qin Chuan listened attentively in class and sometimes even drew further conclusions from what he learned.

Ye Guyi already had a solid foundation, so there wasn't much left for her to learn in first year. Jing Hongchen was planning to move her up to third year.

As for Qian Renxue, she was the oldest of the three and the most diligent. Sometimes, Xuan Ziwen had barely returned to his office and sat down before Qian Renxue showed up with her notebook in hand.

Xuan Ziwen patiently answered her questions one by one.

Qin Chuan had no idea that someone was monitoring his every move in real time. At that moment, he was looking at the handgun model he had drawn and nodded with satisfaction. "Time to start cutting!"

Holding the carving knife in his right hand, Qin Chuan brought the absolute strength of his Golden Dragon Claw to bear. The iron block seemed as soft as tofu beneath the knife, and iron filings constantly peeled away from it.

At first, Qin Chuan was a little clumsy, since this was his first time making a Soul Tool. But as time went on, his right hand became a blur.

While the other children were still fretting over what kind of Soul Tool to make, Qin Chuan had already finished carving all the components and begun working on the Core Array.

"So fast!" Ye Guyi was secretly astonished as she watched Qin Chuan carefully carve the Core Array. Her melee Soul Tool dagger was nearly finished, and she was about to start carving its Core Array, but she was still a little slower than Qin Chuan.

The commotion naturally caught the attention of the other boys and girls, who all cast curious glances their way.

"Cough, cough—"

At Xuan Ziwen's cough, everyone immediately lowered their heads and got back to work.

Only then did Xuan Ziwen turn his attention to Qin Chuan. Seeing that he had remained completely unmoved from beginning to end, he gave a slight nod before walking over to Qian Renxue.

At that moment, Qian Renxue was carefully carving the shape she wanted. Her knife scraped across the iron block, peeling away layer after layer of filings. She didn't even notice Xuan Ziwen's sudden appearance.

She was completely absorbed in her work, focused only on the iron block before her and the shape she wanted to carve in her mind.

Xuan Ziwen watched her for a while, then left.

Before long, Qin Chuan set down his carving knife and breathed a sigh of relief. He was done.

The Core Array was finished. Now it was time to assemble everything.

Jing Hongchen, watching from the Soul Guide Screen, and Xuan Ziwen, quietly observing from nearby, both held their breath.

The barrel, stock, trigger, and all the other components fit together perfectly, without a single gap, as if they had always belonged together.

The Core Array was placed behind the trigger, in the center of the grip.

Once the assembly was complete, Qin Chuan quietly set down the handgun, raised his hand, and became the first to finish.

Xuan Ziwen said nothing, merely gesturing for Qin Chuan to take his Soul Tool outside.

The testing area was right beside the classroom, separated by walls. No matter how much noise came from the testing area, it wouldn't disturb the students working on their Soul Tools.

Holding the handgun, Qin Chuan left quietly, without drawing the attention of Qian Renxue or Ye Guyi, who were still working.

"Teacher Xuan."

"You're the first to finish making a Soul Tool. Tell me what this one does."

Xuan Ziwen led Qin Chuan to the testing area, where various humanoid targets had been set up.

Qin Chuan said, "This Soul Tool is called a handgun. It's used for shooting enemies within fifty meters. As long as they're within range, the Core Array compresses Soul Power and releases it through the muzzle, letting you hit whatever you aim at."

Xuan Ziwen understood its function well enough and gestured toward the targets.

Talk was cheap. Seeing was believing.

Qin Chuan raised his right hand, aiming the handgun at a humanoid target fifty meters away. The instant he pulled the trigger—

He felt his Soul Power being drawn out and compressed by the Core Array, then fired from the muzzle at tremendous speed.

Bang!

A dull report rang out, and the humanoid target's chest was pierced.

Xuan Ziwen walked over to the target and touched the tiny hole with his hand. Then he took the handgun from Qin Chuan and tried it himself.

Bang!

Another dull report sounded, and the target nearby was pierced.

Xuan Ziwen returned the handgun to Qin Chuan. At last, a hint of a smile appeared on his usually stern face. "Congratulations. You're now a Second-Class Soul Engineer."

"Me? A Second-Class Soul Engineer!" Qin Chuan was slightly taken aback.

"That's right. A Second-Class Soul Engineer."

Xuan Ziwen smiled. "I never imagined you'd be able to make a Soul Tool by yourself after only seven days. I'd planned to let you get a feel for it today. I gave you ordinary iron blocks so you could simply enjoy the experience. Apart from Ye Guyi, I didn't even expect anyone to complete an entire Soul Tool."

"Was this really your first time making a Soul Tool?"

"It was."

"A genius! An absolute genius!"

Xuan Ziwen grew more and more excited as he spoke. "Your Soul Power is at level twenty-three, and the Soul Tool you've made, this handgun, has never appeared in the Sun Moon Empire before. It's an entirely new kind of Soul Tool, and its compact shape makes it easy to carry."

"Even a Soul Grandmaster—or a Soul Elder—could get their head blown off by a handgun if they let their guard down. It would be ideal for unaffiliated Soul Masters and military officers to carry for self-defense."

"Given your cultivation as a Soul Grandmaster, there's no question that you deserve the rank of Second-Class Soul Engineer."

Qin Chuan accepted this calmly, then said, "I've been wondering: if a Milk Bottle could be combined with a Soul Tool, wouldn't that allow ordinary people to use Soul Tools, too?"

At those words, Xuan Ziwen froze.

He looked at Qin Chuan as if he'd found a brother he had lost long ago.

"Do you have any bold ideas?" Xuan Ziwen couldn't help asking.

"Pair the strongest Soul Master with the strongest Soul Tool, and great things will be within reach. The Douluo Continent could be brought to heel."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jing Hongchen, who had been watching from his desk, could no longer sit still.

Given Qin Chuan's understanding of Soul Tools, along with the speed at which he had made one and the results he had achieved, it was clear that first year could no longer meet his needs.

He had to be nurtured! Given special attention!