After they left the director's office, the group immediately gathered around Su Ming, sincerely thanking him again and again.
Many of the boys looked at him with open admiration, crowding around and eagerly asking what the strange, terrifyingly powerful multi-barreled weapon he had just used was called.
They all praised the imposing, dazzling sight of Su Ming wielding the weapon to awe everyone. He had looked incredibly cool.
Su Ming's thoughts stirred. This was the perfect opportunity to win people over and earn their loyalty. If he could recruit a few talented students with decent character, that would be an unexpected bonus.
He smiled calmly and explained, "That weapon you saw is called the Gatling. I forged it myself and developed it from scratch as my own Soul Tool."
Before this, most Shrek students had considered Soul Tools flashy but impractical, inferior to the sheer power of Soul Skills. Deep down, they had always looked down on Soul Tools.
But after witnessing the Gatling's terrifying power firsthand, and seeing Su Ming dominate the entire scene with a Soul Tool, their opinions changed completely. No one dared underestimate Soul Tools anymore.
Quite a few students secretly resolved to study Soul Tool knowledge seriously and delve into the techniques of Soul Tool construction.
Huo Yuhao, who had already been intensely curious about Soul Tool Technology, was now even more stirred and eager to learn.
After witnessing the terrifying combat power of a top-tier Soul Tool, he was consumed by a thirst for knowledge. He could hardly wait to follow Su Ming straight to his private laboratory.
He hurried after him, firing off questions about the construction and principles of every kind of Soul Tool. His thoughts and gaze were filled with longing.
Su Ming naturally noticed the scorching gaze fixed on his back, brimming with admiration and yearning. He chuckled to himself, feeling that this move had been flawlessly planned.
Not only had he firmly established an imposing image in Huo Yuhao's heart—one of unfathomable depth and formidable strength—but he had also demonstrated the true dominance and immense power of Soul Tools before a crowd of students.
With this foundation laid, he would have no need to worry about Huo Yuhao slacking off in the future.
He clearly remembered the original story: the greatest knot in Huo Yuhao's heart was his desire to avenge himself on the White Tiger Duke Mansion.
It was only after countless later upheavals, entanglements of fate, and all sorts of chaotic troubles that he gradually let go of that obsession.
Su Ming then thought about Huo Yuhao's character and state of mind. Having read the original story, he knew it well: Huo Yuhao had been adrift and alone since childhood, enduring scorn and bullying. In his youth, he had been sensitive and withdrawn, with a streak of stubbornness and darkness.
In the original story, if Electrolux hadn't guided and taught him, slowly easing the knots in his heart, it would have been difficult for him to grow steadily into a mature person.
It seemed that, in the future, Su Ming would have to put plenty of effort into guiding Huo Yuhao and correcting his disposition.
Su Ming grumbled to himself, both helpless and amused. Raising such an outrageously talented junior—and future workhorse—was no easy task.
It looked like he would have to give him more lessons and assignments from now on, and put him through his paces.
After Su Ming finished giving a brief introduction to Soul Tools, the students gathered around him gradually dispersed.
Xiao Xiao bowed sincerely to Su Ming and thanked him several times for coming to her aid before turning to leave as well.
Wang Dong had never been interested in the tedious, abstruse art of Soul Tools. He simply exchanged a casual greeting with Huo Yuhao, then returned straight to his dormitory to focus on cultivating his Soul Power.
Only Huo Yuhao remained, brimming with excitement and enthusiasm. His mind was full of curiosity and anticipation about Soul Tools, and he followed Su Ming eagerly, insisting on going with him to the laboratory to study Soul Tool techniques.
On the way to the laboratory, Huo Yuhao never stopped talking. He peppered Su Ming with questions about everything from the principles of Soul Tools and the mysteries of their arrays to the choice of materials. His curiosity and confusion seemed endless.
Seeing how eager Huo Yuhao was to learn, Su Ming felt quite satisfied and nodded to himself. Now that's more like it. This kind of passion and eagerness to ask questions is exactly what it takes to accomplish great things.
When they reached Su Ming's private Soul Guidance Laboratory, he took out several pieces of high-quality rare metal and laid them on the workbench, ready to give a demonstration himself.
Su Ming cleared his throat. "Yuhao, just studying Soul Tool theory isn't enough. You need hands-on practice, too. I'll demonstrate once, so watch closely."
With that, Su Ming picked up an engraving chisel. His wrist moved deftly as he carved across the metal's surface, his strokes flowing like a dragon in flight. Intricate Soul Guidance Arrays gradually took shape, their clean, precise lines flowing smoothly and hinting at the rhythms of heaven and earth.
Huo Yuhao stood to one side, watching with rapt attention, afraid to miss even the smallest step.
To commit every line and technique to memory, he quietly released his Soul Ring and used his Soul Skill to sharpen his vision, concentrating completely.
He carefully memorized every movement Su Ming made as he carved the array, along with every last detail.
Time slipped by. Before long, Su Ming had finished carving a complete first-grade melee Soul Tool.
For Su Ming, whose skill had reached such heights, this kind of basic first-grade melee Soul Tool was far too simple.
It could not compare at all to the effort he had spent or the difficulties he had overcome when he forged the Gatling Soul Tool.
But he naturally couldn't bring out a revolutionary Soul Tool like the Gatling right from the start. Its design and power were far too advanced.
Not only would a beginner like Huo Yuhao struggle to understand it, even a senior Soul Engineer from Shrek might find it difficult. That would make it harder, not easier, to learn the basics. So Su Ming had deliberately chosen the simplest, most reliable design, and finished it with ease.
When he was done, Su Ming stepped aside and gestured for Huo Yuhao to come forward and try carving one himself.
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and accepted the specially made Soul Tool chisel. He quickly calmed himself and put aside his restlessness.
Carefully, he tried to copy the basic first-grade Soul Guidance Array onto the rare-metal blank in front of him.
Su Ming watched quietly from the side. Seeing Huo Yuhao's unpracticed yet exceptionally steady technique, he couldn't help marveling to himself.
What he had demonstrated seemed to be an ordinary first-grade array, but he had secretly incorporated several subtle adjustments of his own.
He had added a few ingenious details, making it considerably more difficult than the standard first-grade Soul Guidance Arrays used across the Douluo Continent.
By all logic, a complete beginner couldn't possibly understand and master it in such a short time. Su Ming's original plan had been to spend about ten days helping Huo Yuhao master the basics of first-grade arrays before gradually increasing the difficulty.
After all, according to the original story, Huo Yuhao had spent a full two months learning the basics of making first-grade Soul Tools. Cultivation couldn't be rushed; he should have progressed gradually.
But now, seeing how Huo Yuhao's technique was a little unpolished yet his comprehension was astonishing, his talent on full display, Su Ming saw that every stroke precisely followed the array's rhythm, without any of the clumsiness or confusion of a beginner.
Su Ming made up his mind at once. It seemed he would have to teach him strictly and speed up the lessons. With such exceptional talent, he would make sure Huo Yuhao progressed rapidly—far faster than in the original story.