The Snow Mastiff Descends

The scorching heat of the metal slowly faded, and the dry, sweltering waves in the air dissipated bit by bit.

The originally crimson and scalding Deep Silver, having undergone Spirit Forging, gradually settled into a warm, clear, matte silver luster.

A faint, ethereal metallic glow rippled across its surface, and the touch was no longer burning, leaving only a warm, mellow residual heat.

Once the temperature had completely stabilized, Huo Yuhao cautiously reached out both hands to lift the Spirit Forging metal that had cost him so much effort to forge.

Almost the moment his mental power penetrated the interior of the metal, Huo Yuhao's pupils constricted sharply, his face filled with shock.

His concentrated mental power permeated the metal's texture in fine threads, revealing a spirituality unlike the rigid, solidified nature of ordinary Spirit Forging metals.

The spirituality born within this piece of Deep Silver was incredibly vivid, surging and flowing like a newborn creature, carrying a vigorous and flourishing vitality.

Every inch of the metal's grain and every fiber of its texture exuded a lively aura; it was a natural masterpiece, far beyond the reach of ordinary forging techniques.

Huo Yuhao held the metal, his gaze glued to it, his eyes growing brighter and more intense, filled with obsession and awe.

He was completely immersed in the ultimate art of forging, his breathing so light he feared he might disturb this perfect piece of Spirit Forging metal.

Su Ming, standing to the side, took in this near-obsessive display, his mouth twitching uncontrollably as goosebumps inexplicably rose on his back.

Why would he look at a lump of iron with such eyes?

He truly didn't know whether to laugh or cry; he had recommended Huo Yuhao study Soul Tool forging because he had seen his talent.

But Huo Yuhao was even more infatuated with Soul Tools than he had imagined; to show such a deep, focused expression toward a cold piece of metal was truly hard to handle.

Su Ming gave a light cough, interrupting the immersed Huo Yuhao: "Alright, little Yuhao, snap out of it. It's time to get to work."

As the gentle voice fell, Huo Yuhao shuddered, waking abruptly from his trance, a flush of embarrassment sweeping across his face.

He carefully tucked the Spirit Forging Deep Silver into his robes, shielding the precious metal tightly, and hurried over to the spacious Soul Tool crafting table.

He organized all his tools and blueprints, making every preparation for engraving the core.

Neither of them rushed to start immediately; instead, they sat cross-legged on the spot to restore their state to the peak.

Only after feeling that both their soul power and mental power had recovered did they turn their eyes toward the blueprint.

They instantly focused their minds, their eyes igniting with excitement, and immediately threw themselves heart and soul into the final production stage of the Armor Beast Core.

This step, the core engraving, was the most precise, difficult, and mentally taxing key procedure in the entire creation of the Armor Beast, leaving no room for even the slightest error.

Su Ming took charge of the most core and complex engraving process, his fingertips gathering soft, pure soul power.

Holding a specialized engraving knife, his movements were steady and precise; every stroke flowed like water, accurate to the smallest detail.

Huo Yuhao stood at his side, staring unblinkingly at the blueprint, his crisp, steady voice ringing out continuously.

Guided by Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, he recited the direction of every engraved line, the rhythm of the soul power flow, and the details of the rune connections word for word, the two of them and the worm working in seamless coordination.

At the same time, Huo Yuhao activated Spirit Detection, scanning every change on the metal surface in minute detail.

He would immediately point out the slightest deviation, simultaneously activating Spirit Sharing to transmit everything he perceived to Su Ming, minimizing the risk of engraving errors.

The high-intensity mental power operation and soul power consumption caused their energy to deplete rapidly.

Fine beads of cold sweat seeped from their foreheads, sliding slowly down their jaws, and their fingertips gradually grew sore and fatigued.

Noticing their performance slipping, the two tacitly paused their movements, leaning against the table for a brief rest to regulate their breathing and recover their soul power and mental power.

Once their condition improved slightly, they immediately threw themselves back into the precise engraving work.

This process, which seemed like a simple assembly of runes, was far more tedious and complex than either had anticipated.

From the high noon sun to the setting sun, with twilight filling the entire laboratory, it took half a day of hard work before they finally stopped.

As the final rune closed perfectly, a brilliant gold and silver dual-colored glow erupted from the core metal.

It then slowly receded, and a delicate, complete Armor Beast Core with intricate patterns was fully forged!

"It's done!" Huo Yuhao's eyes shone like stars, a rich, wild joy exploding across his face, his eyes filled with undisguised excitement and elation.

He couldn't wait to pick up the warm core and hurried over to the Armor Beast's metal shell, which had already been assembled.

He carefully embedded the core into the core slot at the very center of the Armor Beast's chest cavity.

The slot fit precisely, seamless and perfect, matching the Armor Beast's body perfectly.

Taking a deep breath to suppress his excitement, Huo Yuhao focused his mind, and pure, gentle ultimate soul power poured continuously from his palm into the Armor Beast's body.

As the soul power flowed, the entire metal shell trembled slightly, the metal gears at the joints slowly meshed and turned, and the long-dormant Armor Beast finally showed signs of life.

Its limbs flexed slightly, its body shifted gently, and its eyes lit up with a faint glow, as if it were about to wake up completely.

But just as everyone thought the Armor Beast was about to fully form and move, all movement suddenly ceased.

The gears stopped meshing, the glow slowly dimmed, and the vitality that had just awakened vanished in an instant.

The entire Armor Beast turned back into a cold, silent piece of dead metal, motionless.

The sudden turn of events caused the atmosphere in the laboratory to fall into an instant silence.

The wild joy on Huo Yuhao's face froze, the light in his eyes fading bit by bit, replaced by utter bewilderment and confusion.

He hurriedly leaned over toward the Armor Beast, his ultimate mental power spreading out in all directions, carefully probing the Armor Beast's core, patterns, joints, and soul power channels, checking them over and over from head to toe.

Yet, no matter how he checked, he could not find a single error.

The runes are complete and flawless, the core fits perfectly, and the soul power channels are unobstructed. There is not a single error in the forging or inscription process; everything perfectly aligns with the blueprint design.

Despite the process being entirely error-free, the Armor Beast refuses to fully awaken or operate autonomously.

A massive sense of loss instantly washes over Huo Yuhao. He lowers his brow, his shoulders slumping slightly.

His overflowing excitement and anticipation have all come to nothing, leaving his heart filled with confusion and frustration.

Unwilling to give up, he pulls a thick stack of hand-drawn Armor Beast blueprints from his Soul Tool storage and spreads them out on the table.

He leans over the table, his fingertips tracing the dense design patterns and parameters over and over. His brows are tightly furrowed as he repeatedly compares and carefully deduces, trying to find the crux of the problem.

Yet, no matter how long he studies and compares them, he remains clueless, unable to fathom where the issue lies.

Even when he anxiously asks the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in his mind, he receives no leads; after all, this is the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's first time crafting such a high-difficulty Soul Tool.

Su Ming, standing to the side, does not speak to disturb him. He watches the complete blueprints and the silent Armor Beast, his gaze deep and heavy.

He gently rubs his chin with his fingertips, his mind rapidly replaying the entire production process, lost in thought.

A moment later, he finally identifies the fatal flaw that both of them had overlooked, and he speaks slowly, pointing out the key:

"Yuhao, it seems we have been missing the most core issue from the start—we never solved the problem of the Armor Beast's soul power storage."

"Without an exclusive energy storage core, without a vessel capable of retaining soul power, the injected energy will simply dissipate rapidly, unable to accumulate or remain. Without a continuous supply of soul power, the Armor Beast cannot operate autonomously, let alone sustain combat."

This statement hits Huo Yuhao like a thunderclap, instantly exploding in his mind and leaving him enlightened and clear-headed!

That's right! Every combat-type Soul Tool requires a soul master standing behind it to provide a constant stream of soul power for it to retain energy and sustain battle. They had been so focused on forging the body, inscribing the core, and building the operational circuits that they had completely ignored the most basic and fatal link: energy storage!

But as he realizes the crux of the problem, a new dilemma surges into his mind. Huo Yuhao panics, looking up at Su Ming with eager, helpless eyes:

"Then what do we do, Brother Su? I have never heard of such exclusive soul power storage technology for Armor Beasts at Shrek Academy. It isn't recorded in any of our soul tool textbooks; we simply don't have the corresponding production method!"

Seeing the boy's anxious and flustered state, Su Ming smiles calmly and reaches out to pat his shoulder gently.

The gentle force soothes Huo Yuhao's restless emotions, signaling him to calm down.

Under Huo Yuhao's bewildered and shocked gaze, Su Ming's eyes flicker as he calls out in his heart.

The next instant, a solid golden light emerges from Su Ming's body. Amidst the flowing golden radiance, a vigorous and majestic metallic figure slowly takes shape.

It is none other than the Snow Mastiff that has always been dormant by Su Ming's side!

Su Ming points to the silent, motionless shell of the Armor Beast and commands softly: "Enter."

The Snow Mastiff's golden pupils flash, and it nods obediently. Its massive metallic body transforms into a streak of light, moving nimbly as it instantly dives into the empty shell of the Armor Beast.

In an instant, brilliant golden light erupts from within the Armor Beast!

The cold, dead, and lifeless metallic shell is instantly enveloped by golden spiritual light.

The stagnant gears mesh rapidly, the silent patterns all light up, and the stiff limbs slowly stretch out, moving with ease.

A trace of vibrant vitality bursts forth from deep within the shell. The metallic body, previously devoid of spirit, sheds its lifeless rigidity, now filled with an aura of agility and majesty.

The next second, the Armor Beast, standing firmly in place, slowly takes a step. Its gait is steady and powerful as it walks toward Su Ming. Its movements are fluid, natural, and full of life—it has completely awakened!

Su Ming raises his hand to gently stroke the cold, smooth metallic head of the Armor Beast, his eyes filled with tenderness.

Now housing the spirit of the Snow Mastiff, the Armor Beast stands tall and imposing, its body a blend of silver and gold with sharp, domineering lines.

Over five meters long and nearly three meters tall at the shoulder, its massive frame stands firmly in the laboratory.

It carries an inherent, heavy sense of oppression and majesty; just standing there, it commands awe.

Huo Yuhao steps forward in amazement, his eyes wide as he examines the brand-new, fully awakened Armor Beast, his face filled with disbelief.

He looks up at Su Ming, eyes full of confusion, urgently wanting to know the reason behind this.

Meeting his curious gaze, Su Ming speaks slowly, explaining softly:

"Yuhao, let me introduce you. This is my partner, the Snow Mastiff. It is also the true life-spirit atop the totem of my Snow Mastiff Armor."

"My original intention in conceiving the core design of the Armor Beast was to create a complete physical body for the Snow Mastiff, so it would no longer have to exist by clinging to the armor totem. The development of the Armor Beast also happens to allow for the creation of a high-level combat soul tool system that can be used by ordinary soul masters and adapted for the masses."

The moment Su Ming finishes speaking, a steady, majestic, and metallic-sounding voice—a beast's roar mixed with human speech—suddenly resonates from within the Armor Beast, echoing throughout the laboratory: "Many thanks, my Master!"

The sudden human voice makes Huo Yuhao's pupils dilate. He freezes on the spot, his face etched with extreme shock, his mouth slightly agape, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

He has never seen, nor even heard of, a Soul Tool spirit capable of human speech, possessing its own intelligence and consciousness!

The Snow Mastiff within the Armor Beast senses Huo Yuhao's extreme shock. Its golden pupils lift slightly, and it raises its head proudly, carrying an inherent, unyielding backbone.

It is a spirit of gold nurtured by heaven and earth, a pure and ultimate Metal Armor Beast, born with an unbending spirit.

A spirit of gold can be defeated, but never conquered; it can be suppressed by power, but never forcibly tamed!

Even if trapped in a desperate situation, drained of power, severely wounded, or on the verge of annihilation, it would never compromise or yield.

It will never bow to any darkness or tyranny, upholding its pure dignity and unyielding integrity as a spirit of gold from beginning to end.

Throughout the world, only an Armor Master who has earned its heartfelt recognition can bear the supreme power of the Snow Mastiff Armor, fighting side by side with it in symbiosis.

Standing to the side, Su Ming wore a calm expression, long since accustomed to such scenes.

As the only Gold Armor Master in the world, he had endured countless trials to gain the complete recognition of the Snow Mastiff, sharing a mental connection and an unbreakable bond with it.

Being able to understand the words of his life-bound partner was simply a matter of course.

The bond between the man and the mastiff had long since surpassed the connection between ordinary soul masters and their creatures; it was a unique, life-and-death fated union.