Soul Tools, Begonia Storm

"Phew, finally back."

After leaving the waterfall, Dugu Bo hurried nonstop all the way back to Heaven Dou City.

Even as a Title Douluo, he could not avoid feeling somewhat tired after traveling continuously.

But as long as he could complete the task Lord Thunder God had given him and let Lord Thunder God see his efforts, it would all be worth it.

"Yanyan."

As soon as he entered, Dugu Bo called out.

"Did she go out?"

When he received no response from Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo assumed that she and Su Chen were not home.

A servant said, "Miss, Miss Ye, and Young Master Su Chen are at the Martial Arts Arena. It seems they're testing some kind of weapon."

"Testing weapons?"

Dugu Bo, who had intended to get some proper rest, became interested.

Dugu Yan definitely would not be tinkering with weapons, and Ye Lingling, a support Soul Master, was even less likely to do so. It had to be Su Chen's work.

"Yanyan, I'm about to begin. Be careful."

With her veil removed, Ye Lingling's cheeks were flushed. It was not from the heat, but from excitement.

"Go ahead. I'm ready."

"Alright, Begonia Storm."

Ye Lingling wore a metal bracer on her right wrist. As Soul Power flowed into it, more than a dozen thin metal plates sprang out from the bracer and shot toward Dugu Yan.

"Heh, watch my Invincible Shield."

Dugu Yan wore a bracer as well, but hers was for defense.

A pale yellow barrier two meters in diameter appeared, protecting Dugu Yan within it.

The dozen or so metal blades fired by Ye Lingling whirled rapidly around the shield, producing a dense chorus of slicing sounds.

Crack, crack~

Several clear fractures appeared across the pale yellow shield.

However, the metal plates had slowed considerably as well. Just as Dugu Yan was about to knock them down, the metal blades flew back into Ye Lingling's bracer like fledglings returning to their nest, fitting together seamlessly.

"Yanyan, did you see that? I can attack too now."

Dugu Yan's shield had not been completely broken, but Ye Lingling was already delighted enough.

As a healing Soul Master with no offensive means whatsoever, she had actually gained fairly decent attacking ability.

"I saw it. What about my shield? Is it strong?"

Both girls were thrilled. This completely new method of fighting felt incomparably novel to them.

"Su Chen, did you make these?"

Dugu Bo asked in surprise after witnessing the earlier scene.

"Grandpa, you're back."

Only then did Dugu Yan notice that Dugu Bo had been there for quite some time.

"Mm."

Dugu Bo merely nodded at Dugu Yan, spending most of his attention on Su Chen.

In his view, the weapon Ye Lingling had used to attack earlier could pose a massive threat to Soul Grandmasters and even Soul Elders, perhaps even kill them. And it was wielded by a support Soul Master who was no longer without means of self-defense.

To Dugu Bo, that level of attack power was naturally nothing impressive.

But for most Soul Masters with ordinary talent, or young Soul Masters, it could absolutely enhance their combat strength tremendously.

"I made them," Su Chen said.

Then he held out his hands toward Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan.

"Give them back to me."

Ye Lingling covered her bracer and said reluctantly,

"Su Chen, can you sell this bracer to me? I'll pay for it. Any price is fine."

For a healer like her, once she had gained offensive ability, she did not want to lose it again.

Dugu Yan was equally reluctant to part with the bracer she wore.

"I already said they were for you to test. These two bracers still have room for improvement. The final versions haven't been decided yet."

"Huh? They're already this powerful, and they're not even the final versions?"

The two girls removed their bracers and handed them to Su Chen.

Dugu Bo also stepped closer.

"How do these things work? Let me try them too."

"Have Yanyan teach you."

Su Chen pondered possible improvements.

These two bracers counted as the first and second Soul Tools he had made, and they were not even first-grade Soul Tools.

Su Chen had skipped straight past the first grade and begun by forging second-grade Soul Tools.

It could not be helped. That was simply what happened when one's talent was too high.

At first, he had been somewhat concerned about his talent, but once he truly began working with his hands, he discovered that his worries had been entirely unnecessary.

The Blessing of the Goddess of Life gave him strength and control far beyond ordinary people, while the Life and Death Meditation Method that the God of Destruction had given him from the start could improve his spiritual power in addition to cultivating Soul Power.

The Soul Rings given to him by the God of Goodness and the God of Evil had directly raised his spiritual power by a great deal as well.

With all those factors combined, Su Chen found making Soul Tools exceptionally easy.

While learning smelting, forging, and engraving, he had explored and created these two bracers.

He had not even completely copied the Soul Tools taught to him by the God of Destruction, instead making quite a few alterations.

Once inspiration struck, he could not care less that he was still a novice Soul Tool apprentice. He only wanted to turn that inspiration into reality.

Beside him, Dugu Bo personally experienced the power of Begonia Storm.

"Not bad, very good. Did Su Chen come up with the name Begonia Storm?"

Dugu Yan smiled and bumped Ye Lingling's arm.

"No, Su Chen hasn't officially named it yet. Lingling came up with that name herself."

Ye Lingling looked a little embarrassed and said softly,

"I just thought those metal blades looked somewhat like begonia petals."

Besides, Ye Lingling felt that this was the first weapon she had obtained that gave her offensive power, so it needed a distinctive name.

She just did not know whether Su Chen would ultimately accept the name.

Dugu Bo nodded slightly.

"It's not a bad name. But the name of the bracer Yanyan uses is far too exaggerated."

"An Invincible Shield should at least be invincible, shouldn't it? With that shield's strength, a power-attack Soul Elder could probably break it with some effort."

This time, Dugu Yan became embarrassed.

"I just shouted it casually. I thought it sounded imposing. It's not an official name."

Compared to Ye Lingling's clever name that carried her personal wish, Dugu Yan had shouted hers entirely on impulse.

"Su Chen, do these weapons of yours have a collective name?"

Dugu Bo saw enormous potential in those two bracers, perhaps even the potential to change the way Soul Masters fought.

"As for a name, they're called Soul Tools."

"Soul Tools?"

Of course Dugu Bo knew of Soul Tools. His Wishful Hundred Treasure Pouch was a special Soul Tool.

However, in the current Douluo Continent, the methods of crafting Soul Tools had been lost. All that remained were ancient relics.

Moreover, most surviving Soul Tools had no offensive capabilities.

Upon hearing that name, Dugu Bo immediately assumed Su Chen had mastered an ancient method of crafting Soul Tools.

As for why Su Chen knew such a thing at such a young age, Dugu Bo did not ask.

Was there even a need to?

With Lord Thunder God behind him, even if Su Chen brought out more unbelievable things, Dugu Bo would not find it surprising.

"Oh, right. I have something to give you."

Dugu Bo remembered the box Lord Thunder God had told him to bring back.

Dugu Bo had not even opened it to look. If Lord Thunder God had not said otherwise, then he treated it as something that could not be opened.

Loyalty was his guiding principle.