Overwhelmed by the Heat

Studio No. 2 was Qian Duoduo's private workshop!

It was rather messy inside. Rare minerals that hadn't yet been hammered into shape and Soul Guidance Metal that had already been forged were piled up in heaps.

The machine tools used to cut, polish, and drill Soul Guidance Metal still gave off the distinctive smell of lubricant mixed with metal filings.

Finished Soul Tools and half-finished Soul Tools, on the other hand, were neatly sorted on row after row of wooden shelves.

In the center of the workshop stood a massive furnace over three meters tall. Its entire body was a deep red, its surface patterned with overlapping flames.

Even though no flames burned inside it at the moment, heat still seemed to rush toward them. The air around the furnace shimmered and warped. It truly lived up to its name as a Level 8 Soul Guidance Furnace.

Back in the workshop, Qian Duoduo walked up to the Soul Guidance Furnace and reached into one of its openings, pouring in Soul Power as vast and surging as a mighty river.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A series of muffled sounds rang out. From the furnace's eight fire vents, eight deep-yellow fire dragons shot forth. They converged, setting the inside of the furnace ablaze as its temperature rapidly climbed.

"Tianyu, come here!"

"Take out a portion of that Whale Rubber the miserly Yan Shaozhe gave you!"

Feng Tianyu answered and walked over to Qian Duoduo. At the same time, he took a jade box containing three-thousand-year-old Whale Rubber from his Storage Soul Tool.

He opened the box. Inside lay a deep-yellow, gelatinous lump. It gave off no scent and looked just like plastic.

Qian Duoduo grinned from ear to ear. Using the Martial Soul Department's resources to cultivate students in the Soul Guidance Department made him so happy he could barely contain himself.

He picked up the Whale Rubber, wrapped it in Soul Power, and sent it into the Soul Guidance Furnace. Licked by the flames, the plastic-like substance quickly softened until it looked like a lump of jelly.

While Qian Duoduo and Feng Tianyu busied themselves softening the Whale Rubber, Grey Wolf excitedly ran off to look at the finished and half-finished Soul Tools.

He remembered that his laboratory in Wolf Castle had been full of all sorts of inventions, each one a labor of love.

Unfortunately, his inventions never managed to catch sheep, so his wife, Red Wolf, always said he was hoarding a pile of junk.

Now, seeing all these different Soul Tools brought back some memories for Grey Wolf.

Before long, a strange fragrance began to waft out of the Soul Guidance Furnace.

Just smelling it made one's blood seem to flow a little faster.

Seeing that it was about ready, Qian Duoduo took the softened Whale Rubber out of the Soul Guidance Furnace. Before handing it to Feng Tianyu, he asked:

"Are you fully aware of the effects of eating Whale Rubber, as well as the side effects it can cause?"

Feng Tianyu stared at the Whale Rubber, unable to tear his eyes away.

"I know the basics!"

"Eating Whale Rubber can strengthen your muscles, bones, and meridians, improving your body's ability to withstand strain. It's a great help when absorbing a high-year Soul Ring beyond your limits!"

"As for the side effects, it'll make me unbearably hot and restless, and hard to control my behavior. Dean Qian, please keep an eye on me in a bit, so I don't do anything while I'm out of control!"

At that, Qian Duoduo handed him the Whale Rubber, a teasing smile on his lips.

"Since you know what to expect, you can eat it once you're ready."

"I'm here. I won't let you make too much of a fool of yourself."

That reassured Feng Tianyu. Qian Duoduo was a Rank 94 Titled Douluo. With him keeping him in check, Feng Tianyu surely wouldn't do anything embarrassing, like letting the little head take charge of the big one and launching himself into orbit on the spot.

Feng Tianyu picked up the Whale Rubber. It had only just softened, so it was still a little hot to the touch. He passed it back and forth between his hands, blowing on it to cool it down.

Once it had cooled a little, he began eating it in big mouthfuls.

Softened Whale Rubber really was just like jelly. It melted as soon as he pressed it against his tongue, turning into streams of warmth that flowed down his throat and into his body. His body absorbed them quickly, and they spread through his limbs and bones, organs and viscera.

Hot!

Restless!

Hot and restless!

Feng Tianyu's little face flushed bright red. It was as if his body had caught fire, a blaze scorching his limbs and bones, his organs and viscera.

It was as scorching as molten lava. His muscles, bones, and meridians... all seemed about to melt in the flames.

"Hah... hah..."

Feng Tianyu panted in great gulps. Wisps of white steam rose from his head, and sweat poured from his forehead, cheeks, neck, and back like raindrops.

The flames flared upward, turning his brain to mush. Feng Tianyu's amber-brown eyes turned blood red.

His body trembled violently. Instinct was taking over, and it felt as if a primordial force were about to burst out of him.

Just as he was about to lose control and act on it, a hand as broad as a cushion pressed down on his shoulder. Soul Power pressure as heavy as a mountain weighed on him, leaving him unable to move.

Qian Duoduo spoke earnestly:

"A young man's vital essence is precious as oil. You're only six years old; you can't ruin your body. Instead of trading one quick shudder for the emptiness afterward, let me help you release that energy another way."

"Come on. I'll teach you how to forge metal!"

Feng Tianyu's eyes were bloodshot, and even his consciousness had grown hazy. With Qian Duoduo guiding him, he followed along on instinct.

Qian Duoduo led Feng Tianyu to the back of the Soul Guidance Furnace. He fed rare minerals into the furnace, and before long, they melted into molten metal and flowed out from the rear.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

After the mixture had been cooled with an oil-and-water coolant, the white steam dispersed, revealing a rough piece of Soul Guidance Metal.

Qian Duoduo personally placed the rough piece on the anvil, then handed Feng Tianyu a hammer and had him strike it into shape.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Before long, the workshop rang with the sharp clanging of metal striking metal.

But Feng Tianyu was an amateur, and the Whale Rubber's energy had left his mind in a haze. One moment he struck too hard, the next too lightly, hammering the rough piece of Soul Guidance Metal into a shapeless mess.

Qian Duoduo didn't mind. This kind of rough piece wasn't worth much anyway.

As a Rank 8.5 Soul Engineer, his experience in smithing would have earned him the title of master craftsman in the past.

Under his hands-on guidance, Feng Tianyu quickly got the hang of it, even with his consciousness hazy. Relying only on instinct, he swung the hammer with an increasingly rhythmic cadence.

Power flowed from his calves to his thighs, then through his waist, back, shoulders, and arms, each part driving the next like a machine winding up its spring.

Once unleashed, the force was earth-shattering.

Feng Tianyu felt incredibly exhilarated!

With every blow of the hammer, he poured the primordial force inside him into the rough piece of Soul Guidance Metal.

The intense exercise rapidly drained his body, forcing it to absorb the Whale Rubber's energy faster.

As his body expended and replenished its strength, Feng Tianyu's muscles, bones, and meridians... were strengthened beyond anything he had experienced before.

His muscles swelled, bringing his strength and explosive power to their peak!

His bones and sinews grew strong, like a great bow drawn taut and ready to fire!

His meridians grew resilient, remaining steady even as Soul Power surged through them.

His body was his Second Martial Soul. Now that it was being strengthened, every organ and every cell... glimmered with light, as if rejoicing.