"By the way, Yuhao, our Shrek Soul Engineering Academy doesn't yet have a mature system to support the core technology for storing Soul Power at high density.
"But this technology exists in the Sun Moon Empire."
Su Ming gazed at the workbench, his tone calm and matter-of-fact, with a hint of rational coolness.
"With our current foundation and equipment, we can't overcome this final hurdle just yet. If we insist on studying it, we'll only stagnate, wasting time to no purpose.
"Since this path is blocked, let's set it aside for now and focus on other promising areas of research."
At that, Huo Yuhao lowered his eyes to the Armor Beast prototype before them. The two of them had poured countless hours into it, and it was only one step away from completion. In an instant, disappointment and frustration settled heavily in his eyes.
He had spent nearly every day in the Soul Guidance Laboratory, tirelessly refining parts and troubleshooting Soul Power circuits.
All his spare time had gone into developing the Armor Beast.
Just as the research they had devoted so much effort to was about to reach a successful conclusion, they had been forced to stop at the most crucial stage: storing Soul Power.
The sudden letdown was difficult for someone as young as him to accept.
The boy's shoulders slumped slightly. The light in his eyes dimmed, and a gloom he couldn't shake gathered between his brows. His heart was full of defeat and regret.
Su Ming took in his dejected expression and understood. Yuhao still wasn't ready to give up. Softening his tone, he gently encouraged him.
He reached out and patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder. His voice was firm and reassuring.
"Don't lose heart, Yuhao. This isn't our only research project.
"Don't forget, we're also working on the core Battle Armor project. We can switch tracks and keep making breakthroughs."
After a brief pause, Su Ming pointed Huo Yuhao toward an entirely new line of research, carefully laying out the approach.
"Besides that, you could focus on improving high-mobility Flying Soul Tools. The flying Soul Tools commonly used across the continent have plenty of flaws.
"Their frames are fragile and easily damaged, they consume enormous amounts of Soul Power, and worst of all, they're extremely sluggish.
"If they encounter difficult terrain or a sudden change in battle, they can't adapt flexibly at all. Their margin for error is tiny."
"Focus on this field. Improve their turning, acceleration, and evasion, and address the weaknesses of existing flying devices once and for all."
Su Ming's gaze was bright as he painted a picture of future battles for Huo Yuhao. His voice was compelling.
"Imagine it: in the future, you'll pilot a Flying Soul Tool that's incredibly nimble and blazing fast, looking down on the battlefield from above.
"With dense volleys from Soul Cannons raining down, your opponents on the ground won't be able to defend themselves or find anywhere to hide. They'll be left taking hit after hit, powerless to fight back."
This promising vision was like a spark, instantly illuminating Huo Yuhao's darkened mood.
The boy slowly raised his head. The light in his eyes returned, and a fervent glow reignited within them.
A breathtaking scene involuntarily rose in his mind:
He would soar through the sky, crossing a thousand miles in an instant, controlling the entire battlefield with his extreme mobility as Soul Cannon fire poured down, sweeping away every foe.
The frustration that had weighed on his heart gradually faded, replaced by eager anticipation and a burning desire to study.
In his sea of consciousness, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's lazy voice rang out at just the right moment, as carefree and confident as ever, joining in to cheer him up.
"Little Yuhao, your big brother Su is right. Cultivation and research are just like this. Hitting a wall is common; change direction, and a new vista opens up.
"With me here to help you work out the flow of Soul Power and optimize your Soul Tool circuits,
"and that Su Ming brat guiding you through cutting-edge technology, give it time, and you'll surely become the most brilliant, most capable Soul Engineer on the entire continent!"
With both of them encouraging him, the knot in Huo Yuhao's heart finally unraveled. The gloom lifted, and his energy returned.
He nodded firmly. "Big Brother Su, I understand! I won't dwell on it anymore. I'll focus on studying new Soul Tool technology right away!"
Seeing the boy quickly rally and regain his spark, with his sharpness back in his eyes, Su Ming felt quite pleased.
Huo Yuhao was resilient and willing to learn from his mistakes. He didn't wallow in failure. That was exactly the kind of character a top Soul Engineer needed.
Then the two gathered around the precision workbench and seriously discussed what to prioritize in their future research.
After carefully weighing their options and making a plan, they settled on a new research proposal.
Making Battle Armor was no less difficult than making an Armor Beast.
So, to avoid wasting the progress they had already made, they decided to spend several days
finishing and building the basic arm components of the Battle Armor, completing this stage of the project.
The Battle Armor's later stages—its torso, core drive, and Soul Power linkage—required a high Soul Tool level, deep Soul Power reserves, and extensive technical knowledge.
They weren't yet capable enough to handle those challenges, so they would put the work on hold for now. They could resume in-depth development once their Soul Power levels and Soul Engineer cultivation had improved, and they had gained more knowledge and experience.
While their Battle Armor and Armor Beast projects were on hold,
their main research focus would shift entirely to upgrading high-mobility Flying Soul Tools, tackling every weakness in the existing models.
By the time they had finalized their research plans and sorted out the next steps, night had long since fallen outside.
Moonlight blanketed the courtyard of Shrek's laboratory. The night was deep, the dew thick, and the best time for cultivation had already passed.
Su Ming glanced at the clock on the wall and gently reminded Huo Yuhao:
"It's late. Head back and get some rest. Keep up with your daily Soul Power cultivation. Soul Tool research is rooted in Soul Power; you need to strengthen your own cultivation.
"Only with a deep, steady reserve of Soul Power can we carry out precision work and high-intensity testing. Don't put the cart before the horse."
Huo Yuhao solemnly agreed. He put away the equipment and carefully stored all their research drawings. With a fresh goal and renewed enthusiasm, he left the Soul Guidance Laboratory with a light step.
Night enveloped all of Shrek Academy. The evening breeze carried a chill from the woods as it drifted over the flagstone paths.
Su Ming walked slowly back to the dormitory. The Battle Armor blueprints, Soul Tool circuits, and device parameters that had filled his mind all day had faded away.
The calm focus he'd felt while working in the laboratory was gone. Now only one lingering concern occupied his thoughts, all of them fixed on one person—Zhang Lexuan.
His heart was full of hesitation and conflict.
Sister Lexuan was gentle and serene, soft-spoken and graceful, like a breeze in the mountains or moonlight in the woods. She had a mild, reserved nature and never liked anything too showy or passionate.
Su Ming knew that if he acted rashly and laid his feelings bare too intensely and directly in such a short time, Zhang Lexuan's gentle, reserved personality might not be comfortable with it.
He even worried that such eagerness might not bring them closer at all.
Instead, he might come across as abrupt and reckless, disrupting the warm, easy rapport they shared. It could backfire and make Sister Lexuan feel constrained, causing her to deliberately keep her distance.
But when he thought about it from another angle, he found himself torn.
Ever since he had come to Shrek and met Zhang Lexuan, he had always been honest and sincere with her, never hiding how openly and passionately he loved her. That had always come naturally to him.
For all these years, that was how he had treated people, and how he had treated the one he loved. He had never deliberately concealed or disguised himself.
Sister Lexuan had never rejected him, nor had she shown the slightest impatience about it.
To deliberately become timid and overly cautious, hide his true feelings, and act distant would no longer feel like himself.
The two thoughts tugged back and forth inside him, again and again. Su Ming, who was usually calm and rational and never lost his way in research,
found himself at a loss. He walked slowly onward, brows faintly furrowed, unable to settle his mind.
He lowered his eyes, his thoughts in disarray, and looked toward the roadside. Moonlight spilled over the grass, flecking it with scattered points of light.
A small, pale wildflower bloomed quietly among the grass, delicate and pure.
Su Ming slowed and, without thinking, bent down and plucked the flower into his palm.
The evening breeze stirred its petals. As he gazed at the flower in his hand, a childish but sincere thought came to him: why not let fate make the decision?
He gently pinched off a soft petal, silently telling himself, "Be a little more reserved."
Then he plucked another and murmured, "Be a little bolder."
Petal after petal drifted down, carried gently away by the wind.
"A little more reserved..."
"A little bolder..."
"Reserved..."
"Bold..."
The alternating words echoed in his heart, and as each petal fell, his conflicted feelings rose and fell with them.
The last petal slipped from his fingertips and landed softly on the ground.
The final result was—be a little bolder.
Su Ming froze for a moment. Then the tension between his brows melted away, and a clean, tender smile slowly spread across his lips. Every trace of hesitation vanished from his eyes.
He murmured to himself, sounding relieved and resolute. "So even Heaven thinks I should stay true to myself and stop hiding it."
Since that was fate's decision, he would follow his heart.
There was no need to deliberately act timid or reserved, no need to carefully tailor himself to please her. He would keep being the honest, sincere person he was.
Su Ming made up his mind, a gentle light shining in his eyes.
"Then that's settled. Tomorrow, I'll prepare a bouquet and go see Sister Lexuan openly and honestly."
No pretense, no awkwardness. He would go to the tenderness in his heart as his most sincere self.
With the knot in his heart finally undone and all his doubts gone, he felt only ease and warmth as the evening breeze brushed his face.
Su Ming gently brushed the last traces of petals from his fingertips. His brows relaxed, and with a relieved smile, he ambled toward the dormitory, nodding his head as he went.
The night was gentle, and his mind was at ease.
When he returned to the dormitory, he washed up and rested. With a small hope in his heart, he closed his eyes peacefully and waited for tomorrow's reunion.