With a clear goal in mind, Ji Jing immediately got to work.
First, he selected two metals best suited to Wang Dong's Martial Soul attributes and fused them together through Fusion Forging.
After some meticulous Forging, a piece of Spirit Alloy with a fusion rate of ninety-nine percent was born beneath his hammer.
Then Ji Jing focused his mental power and began refining the Spirit Alloy with painstaking care.
Under his hammer, the alloy gradually took shape as an elegant, streamlined arm guard.
Every joint and every plate fit the contours of Wang Dong's arm perfectly, brimming with strength and beauty.
Once the shaping was done, it was time for the most crucial step--
Inscribing the Core Array.
Ji Jing carefully tried inscribing every Soul Guidance Array he could think of that might be suitable inside the arm guard.
However, when he channeled his Soul Power into it and tried to simulate its operation, he found that the amplification effect wasn't ideal.
The boost this right arm guard gave to Soul Power fell far short of his expectations.
"Where's the problem?"
Holding this nearly perfect creation in his hands, Ji Jing fell into deep thought.
The metal was top-tier, the Forging was flawless, and the shaping was impeccable...
Then the problem could only lie with the Core Array.
He quickly figured out the key:
"Existing Soul Guidance Arrays were designed for ordinary Soul Tools, and their purpose is to conduct and release energy. Battle Armor is different. It's living metal, a part of a Soul Master's body."
"What I need is an array that allows metal, Soul Masters, and Soul Power to resonate perfectly with one another."
Once he had figured that out, Ji Jing made his decision.
He would research and create an entirely new array system, one designed specifically for Battle Armor.
To any Soul Engineer or blacksmith of this era, the idea was sheer fantasy.
But to Ji Jing, it wasn't impossible.
After all, he was a deity. His understanding of the nature of energy far surpassed that of the mortals in this world.
Even though he was sealed, that breadth of vision and knowledge remained.
Just two days later, Ji Jing emerged from seclusion with his masterpiece complete.
Night fell, and the lights of Star Luo City blazed brilliantly.
With a thought from Ji Jing, a full suit of shimmering armor appeared out of thin air, hovering quietly above the carpet in the center of the room.
The armor's lines were exceptionally graceful and fluid. Its primary colors were pink and blue, with elegant silver patterns adorning its edges and joints. It looked like a magnificent work of art, not a cold weapon.
Every piece of the armor gave off a gentle glow, brimming with spirit.
"This is..."
Wang Dong, who had been meditating on the sofa, was startled. She opened her eyes, and her gaze was instantly drawn to the armor. Astonishment filled her beautiful eyes.
She had never seen armor so beautiful, yet so full of power.
"It's called Battle Armor,"
Ji Jing said with a hint of amusement,
"and I made it just for you."
He began to explain the new equipment to Wang Dong in detail:
"Battle Armor is made of alloy and can merge with a Soul Master's body. It can boost your combat strength in every way."
Ji Jing paused, then continued:
"But you can't wear the whole suit just yet. Using a full suit of Battle Armor requires a powerful physique to support it. With your current physical strength, you wouldn't be able to withstand it."
He pointed to the piece hovering by the armor's right arm:
"But you can try this arm guard first."
At Ji Jing's prompting, Wang Dong rose from the sofa, walked over, and held out her right hand.
The pink-and-blue arm guard seemed almost alive. It transformed into a streak of light and instantly fitted itself to her arm.
A cool yet gentle sensation washed over her, and Wang Dong instinctively poured her Soul Power into it.
In an instant, the arm guard fused completely with her arm, then dissolved into specks of light and vanished.
"How does it feel?"
Ji Jing asked.
Wang Dong closed her eyes and took a moment to sense it. Then, with a thought, the exquisite pink-and-blue arm guard appeared on her right arm again, fitting perfectly as if it had always belonged there.
Its design was beautiful and elegant, and light shimmered across its surface, lending her a more valiant air.
"How amazing! I can feel my Soul Power circulating much faster, and... after putting it on, my right arm feels full of strength. My defense has improved a lot, too."
Wang Dong said excitedly.
"This is only one piece,"
Ji Jing explained with a smile,
"By my calculations, a Soul Master with an average physique can absorb and wear a full suit of First-Word Battle Armor upon reaching the Soul King level."
"Once a Soul King wears a full suit of First-Word Battle Armor, their strength is equivalent to that of a Soul Saint who hasn't used their Martial Soul Avatar. The boost it provides is enormous."
"What?!"
Wang Dong was utterly stunned by that conclusion.
"Comparable to a Soul Saint? Two whole levels higher? T-that's incredible!"
Her mind raced, and an idea immediately came to her:
"Then if... if we could equip all the Shrek Seven Devils with this..."
Ji Jing replied calmly:
"People need proof before they'll accept something new. In the next match, use this arm guard to fight."
"Okay!"
Wang Dong clenched the fist wrapped in the arm guard, felt the surging power within it, and agreed without hesitation.
She couldn't wait to test the power of this miraculous piece of equipment in actual combat.
The next day, the knockout stage of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Fighting Tournament officially began.
When the enormous draw results appeared on the Soul Tool screen, the entire arena erupted.
Shrek Academy versus the Sun Moon First Soul Master Academy!
One was a sacred land of Soul Masters that had stood for ten thousand years; the other, a rising power that had led the way in Soul Tools.
This fateful showdown had been set for the very first round of the knockout stage, instantly igniting the crowd's excitement.
In the waiting area, the Shrek team looked grim.
"A one-on-one elimination match."
Dai Yueheng said in a low voice. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, and the aura of his White Tiger Martial Soul was already rising.
"I'll go first and cut them down to size. We can't show the Sun Moon Empire team any respect!"
But someone stepped toward the door before he could.
"Let me go first."
Everyone looked over in surprise. Wang Dong's face brimmed with confidence and fighting spirit unlike anything they had seen before.
Dai Yueheng was taken aback. He hadn't expected Wang Dong to volunteer to lead off.
He instinctively glanced at Ji Jing, who was standing with the team, and saw him nod.
With Ji Jing's approval, Dai Yueheng said no more.
"Fine, it's yours. Remember, safety first."
"Understood."
With her teammates watching, Wang Dong strode onto the enormous competition stage, full of confidence.
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