Level 8 Soul Engineer

After digesting all the insights brought by his god-level Soul Tool talent, Jiang Che sat quietly with his eyes closed for a moment. When he opened them again, all the restlessness had faded from his gaze, leaving it clear and lucid.

The bottleneck that had held him at the peak of Level 7 for a month crumbled before his god-level talent like thin ice in the face of a raging fire.

The patterns of the Level 8 Core Arrays, the nodes through which Soul Power flowed, and the secrets of fusing materials—things that had once left him completely baffled—were now crystal clear. Every detail and every connection was revealed in the finest detail. His Eye of Soul Guidance activated on its own, and all the Soul Tool materials and array blueprints before him automatically displayed the optimal solutions and potential risks.

He raised a hand and gently brushed the Starry Sky Pattern on its back. The Tian-Shu Carving Knife appeared in his palm once more, its dark-green blade flowing with a warm, divine light. The star patterns on its hilt resonated faintly with his Soul Power.

Jiang Che took a deep breath, cast aside every stray thought, and devoted himself entirely to crafting a Level 8 Soul Tool.

This time, he didn't rush to force a result. Instead, guided by the new insights in his mind, he carefully selected materials to craft a Level 8 close-fitting Defensive Soul Tool: Millennium Profound Ice Iron, Star Gold, and Phantom Spirit Silver. Every one was a rare metal suited to the Far North's environment and renowned for its outstanding defensive properties.

With his god-level Soul Tool talent bolstering him, he brought his control over the materials' refinement to the utmost limit. The Soul Power flowing from his fingertips was precise to the slightest fraction, stripping away every last impurity in the metals. He kept the furnace temperature within the perfect range, and the molten metal flowed slowly inside without a ripple.

Shaping, molding, quenching, polishing—he carried out every step with smooth, effortless precision, without the slightest hitch.

Steps that once required repeated adjustments now came out perfectly by instinct alone. The crude methods he had once used had long since been replaced by the supreme craftsmanship his talent had granted him.

In just half an hour, the shell of a close-fitting soft armor had taken shape. Its surface was smooth and warm to the touch, with a faint luster that far surpassed that of any Level 7 Soul Tool shell he had crafted before.

The true challenge lay in engraving the Level 8 Core Array.

Before, even sketching the basic patterns of a Level 8 array had required the utmost care, lest he make the slightest mistake. But now, gripping the Tian-Shu Carving Knife, Jiang Che turned his wrist slightly and set the blade against the armor shell. A steady series of soft clicks rang out, without a single pause.

The blade danced like a dragon winding through the clouds. Its lines flowed with unmatched grace as the complex, profound Level 8 defensive array gradually took shape beneath it. Every pattern was precise, and the Soul Power pathways connected seamlessly.

His Eye of Soul Guidance remained active at all times. He noticed and corrected even the slightest deviation at once. The Tian-Shu Carving Knife was unstoppable; it carved through the hard metal shell as smoothly as flowing water. Not only was there no resistance, but it also drew Soul Power into the array on its own, allowing the array to fuse perfectly with the Soul Tool shell and greatly improving the Soul Tool's completion rate and quality.

Time passed. The only sounds in the laboratory were the soft scrape of the knife across the metal and Jiang Che's steady, even breathing. He was wholly immersed in crafting the Soul Tool, his Soul Power slowly surging around him and resonating with the Soul Guidance Arrays in the laboratory.

When he finished engraving the final stroke of the array, Jiang Che abruptly poured his Soul Power into the Soul Tool, drawing the Soul Power between heaven and earth into the armor.

In an instant, the entire close-fitting soft armor erupted in brilliant silver light. Intricate array patterns shimmered across its surface, radiating a solid, fierce defensive aura. Pressure far beyond that of a Level 7 Soul Tool swept through the entire laboratory. The metal walls trembled slightly, and the Soul Power in the air surged wildly.

Jiang Che reached out and grasped the newly completed Level 8 Defensive Soul Tool. A warm sensation met his fingertips. The Soul Tool matched his Soul Power perfectly, without the slightest discord.

He could clearly feel its formidable power. It had originally been capable of withstanding attacks from an eight-ringed Soul Master at the peak of their level, but with the Tian-Shu Carving Knife's enhancement, it could now withstand a Titled Douluo's full-power attack. It could also automatically trigger a defensive barrier, making it suitable for every battle he might face in the Far North.

The moment the Level 8 Soul Tool was fully completed, Jiang Che broke through the bottleneck between Level 7 and Level 8 and officially entered the ranks of Level 8 Soul Engineers.

Jiang Che felt his mind clear. His understanding of the path of Soul Tools reached a new level, and his skills in array engraving, material fusion, and Soul Tool design all underwent a qualitative leap.

He lowered his gaze to the panel before him. A line of clear text slowly appeared:

[Level 8 Soul Engineer (Completed) 1/3]

The bottleneck that had troubled him for a full month had been broken with ease, thanks to his god-level Soul Tool talent and the Tian-Shu Carving Knife. He had hardly needed to exert himself.

A relieved smile tugged at Jiang Che's lips. He tightened his grip on the Level 8 defensive soft armor, his eyes full of resolve.

With his god-level Soul Tool talent and the aid of the Tian-Shu Carving Knife, becoming a Level 8 Soul Engineer was only the beginning. Even reaching the level of a Level 9 Soul Master like Qian Duoduo—or even the legendary Level 10 Soul Engineer—was no longer an unreachable dream.

He stored the newly crafted Level 8 Defensive Soul Tool in the Ring of the Overseer. Then, without pausing, he took advantage of his excellent condition and began crafting a Level 8 Soul Tool weapon.

With the boost from his breakthrough and his god-level talent, the process went even more smoothly. In less than half a day, a Soul Tool longsword gleaming with cold light and engraved with a Level 8 offensive array had taken shape. Its blade was keen, its Soul Power abundant, and its power far exceeded that of an ordinary Level 8 long-range Soul Tool weapon.

Jiang Che put away the longsword and slowly stretched his limbs, feeling his newfound cultivation as a Soul Engineer.

Three months of study had taken him from repeated setbacks to a sudden breakthrough, and then to effortlessly mastering the crafting of Level 8 Soul Tools. It all felt like a lifetime ago.

He looked at the Soul Tool notes Qian Duoduo had given him, determination flashing in his eyes.

Now that he was a Level 8 Soul Engineer, he already had ideas for answering many of the questions in the notes. Given time, he would surely master them completely and fulfill his promise to Qian Duoduo. He would also go farther along the path of Soul Tools, laying a solid foundation for the future of Shrek's Soul Tool Department and for facing the Sun Moon Empire's coming crisis.

After putting away the laboratory equipment, Jiang Che gripped the azure token and turned to leave.

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the laboratory building and fell upon him. The air around him brimmed with the bold confidence of someone who had just broken through to Level 8 as a Soul Engineer and become a Titled Douluo.

Now that his Soul Tool rank had broken through and his combat strength had soared once more, and with the Soul Ring rewarded by the system, he no longer needed to worry about failing to find a suitable Soul Ring in the Far North.

According to the Soul Ring information displayed on the panel, the most suitable Soul Ring should be much like a god-given Soul Ring: its age would be generated according to the limits his body could withstand.

The difference was that the system's Soul Ring could also be generated in different types according to his Martial Soul.