About half an hour later!
At last, the clanging and pounding stopped. Feng Tianyu gasped for breath, the red in his eyes slowly fading until they returned to their original amber-brown.
He was soaked from head to toe. Sweat drenched his clothes and spread into a puddle around his feet.
A wave of exhaustion washed over him from head to toe. Feng Tianyu had nearly used up all his strength.
Though his body was worn out, he was delighted by the feeling of vitality that came with his enhanced physique.
Compared to before, his physical strength had at least doubled!
And that was only from eating one piece of Whale Rubber. He still had nine pieces left.
Although each piece of Whale Rubber would bring diminishing returns, eating the remaining nine would surely take his physique to a whole new level.
Feng Tianyu's voice was hoarse as he said,
"Thank you, Dean Qian, for helping me."
Actually, Qian Duoduo didn't need to go to all this trouble. He could have simply suppressed Feng Tianyu and let him slowly digest the Whale Rubber.
But Qian Duoduo had personally guided Feng Tianyu, whose consciousness was hazy, as he worked the forge. This gave the heat surging through Feng Tianyu's body another outlet, helping him absorb the Whale Rubber without expending his essence and blood.
Qian Duoduo smiled warmly.
"It was no trouble! Learning to make Soul Tools starts with forging metal. When you can hammer out a piece of Soul Guidance Metal that meets the requirements, you'll be a proper apprentice."
"You've ruined this rough piece of Soul Guidance Metal today. You can take it with you later and study what went wrong."
"You kept changing how hard you struck, so the metal's texture is uneven. It doesn't just look bumpy on the outside; it's riddled with tiny cracks inside, too. Metal like this isn't fit for making a Soul Tool."
Feng Tianyu looked down at the piece of Soul Guidance Metal, which looked as though a dog had chewed it. It was almost too painful to look at.
But it was his first time at the forge. He just needed more practice.
Besides, he had a Body Martial Soul, so forging could help train his body, too. He could add weights to himself next time and push his body to its limits.
That would lay a solid foundation for adding a Soul Ring to his Body Martial Soul in the future.
"I'll practice hard!"
"By the way, Dean Qian, which way is the bathroom? I need to rinse off. I'm all sticky with sweat, and it's really uncomfortable."
Qian Duoduo pointed down a passage.
"Follow the corridor to the end and turn left."
Feng Tianyu tried to set the hammer down gently, but it hit the ground with a bang. His right arm was so sore and numb that it trembled, and he couldn't hold the hammer steady.
He let out a long breath and dragged his exhausted body toward the bathroom.
The bathroom taps ran cold water. Feng Tianyu didn't mind. He had just eaten Whale Rubber, and his body was still warm. The moment the cold water hit him, it evaporated into mist.
As the mist billowed around him, Feng Tianyu took off his soaked clothes and rinsed himself from head to toe with cold water.
Back in the workshop!
Qian Duoduo noticed Grey Wolf inspecting the finished and half-finished Soul Tools. A flicker of interest appeared in his eyes.
Though it was a detached Martial Soul, and looked like a huge gray wolf standing on two legs, its movements and expressions were just like those of a living person standing before him.
A sentient Martial Soul!
The thought flashed through Qian Duoduo's mind. He strode over and looked down at Grey Wolf.
Qian Duoduo was over two meters tall, while Grey Wolf was only a little over one.
Grey Wolf was as tall as Feng Tianyu, and how tall he could grow would depend on how tall Feng Tianyu grew.
But at that moment, faced with Qian Duoduo looming over him like a mountain, Grey Wolf—barely over a meter tall—backed away several steps in fright. He raised his claws and bared his teeth.
Qian Duoduo grinned. As a Level 94 defensive Titled Douluo, he didn't see Grey Wolf as a threat in the slightest.
He crouched down and asked with interest,
"Your name is Grey Wolf, right? Can you understand what I'm saying? Learning Soul Tool Technology isn't as simple as just being intelligent."
Under Feng Tianyu's tutelage, Grey Wolf had already gained a rough understanding of the language and writing of Douluo Continent, though he still wasn't fluent.
It lifted its head and grinned, its wolfish face brimming with smugness. It spoke with a few halting pauses.
"Don't underestimate... this great king... It only took... two days... to learn... the basics of the language and writing... I even read an introduction to Soul Tools this morning... Nothing can stump me!"
At that, Qian Duoduo's eyes blazed with unprecedented fervor. This was a miracle, an absolute miracle—a sentient Martial Soul that could communicate and even read books to learn Soul Tool Technology on its own.
"Oh! You even study by reading books. How much do you know about Soul Tools?"
Grey Wolf perked up, eager to show off what it knew about Soul Tools.
"Soul Tools are divided into three categories: long-range Soul Tools, close-combat Soul Tools, and auxiliary Soul Tools."
"Long-range Soul Tools are mainly Soul Guidance Cannons and Soul Guidance Guns. They compress Soul Power and fire energy projectiles or beams."
"Close-combat Soul Tools are mainly knives, spears, and swords. They can add elemental attacks, paralysis, counterattacks, and all sorts of other special effects."
"Auxiliary Soul Tools cover a vast range: Defensive Soul Tools, Flying Soul Tools, Storage Soul Tools... all kinds of Soul Tools."
Grey Wolf spoke with such confidence that Qian Duoduo was amazed by its ability to learn. He couldn't help adding,
"Haha, you learn quickly, but the books you've read are a bit outdated. The hottest thing in the Soul Master World right now is Fixed Soul Tools."
"Fixed Soul Tools have two parts: a launcher and a shell. They consume little energy but pack a powerful punch."
"Take this, for example: a Level 5 Soul Engineer can use a Level 6 Fixed Soul Tool to threaten a Soul Saint."
"A Level 7 Soul Engineer can use a Level 8 Fixed Soul Tool to threaten a Titled Douluo."
"The launcher fires the shell without consuming much Soul Power. The shell itself provides most of the power. Thousands upon thousands of Core Arrays are engraved inside a tiny shell, linked together and layered on top of one another, unleashing devastating power!"
"Our Soul Guidance Department is also working hard to develop Fixed Soul Tools. So far, we've only developed Level 8 shells..."
Grey Wolf listened with waning interest, deep disdain rising in its heart.
Isn't that just cannons and shells? This great king could make them by hand with gunpowder. Bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen the world. They use marvelous Soul Guidance Technology and heaps of rare metals to make these one-use shells. What a waste.
The most amazing things in this world aren't Martial Souls and Soul Rings. Those are just offshoots. The truly amazing things are Soul Power and the energy of heaven and earth that can be converted into Soul Power. It's an endless energy source.
The thing that has always held back technological development is energy. With an inexhaustible supply, all we need to do is figure out how to convert energy into Soul Power, then use something like a Core Array—a Soul Power circuit—to change its form. The resulting power would be able to destroy anything.
They're actually using a mountain of resources to make one-use shells. Bunch of country bumpkins. This great king has nothing to discuss with them.
Once this great king's idea comes to fruition, conquering the world will be a piece of cake.
I hope I can find a way home by then...
Grey Wolf wasn't some power-hungry schemer. Its greatest wish was to return to Green Green Grassland and be with its wife and son.
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