What Do You Mean, "I Took One Look and Got It"?!

After a barbecue feast, Cao Longyan officially embarked on the path of cultivating both Martial Souls and Soul Guidance.

And the first thing he had to do was truly step into the field of Soul Guidance and test his talent for it.

After all, he had never been in contact with Soul Tools before, so it was only natural that he felt a little uncertain.

The Soul Guidance testing area was especially quiet that morning. When Cao Longyan pushed open the door, there were only two figures inside the entire training area.

His teacher, Fan Yu, and his fellow disciple, He Caitou.

Cao Longyan gave an awkward smile.

The Soul Guidance Department really was short-staffed. It was so quiet it was practically dead...

The enormous testing area had only two people in it, and they made up half the Soul Guidance Department's membership. That even included the dean and vice dean—without them, the department could boast perfect attendance every single day!

Still, he couldn't help feeling uneasy.

If he had no talent for Soul Guidance, it would be a little embarrassing for someone with the status of a core disciple of the Soul Guidance Department. He also wouldn't be able to make better use of Soul Tools to strengthen the forces of Rakshasa Street.

He didn't want to rely entirely on other people, having to watch their moods from start to finish. That wasn't what Cao Longyan wanted!

"Longyan, you're here."

"Good morning, Teacher Fan Yu. Morning, Senior Brother He."

Cao Longyan greeted the two, who were in the middle of Soul Guidance instruction and practice. He didn't disturb them any further, instead quietly making his way to an empty seat in the corner. His gaze settled on their workbenches as he silently observed the entire process of making a Soul Tool.

As Fan Yu instructed He Caitou, Cao Longyan committed every movement of the carving knife, every infusion of Soul Power, and every Core Array to memory.

Cao Longyan's spiritual power was now comparable to that of a peak Soul Emperor, so this was child's play for him.

Besides, the entire process seemed remarkably smooth to him. The steps were clear, and nothing was the slightest bit difficult to understand. He Caitou also worked smoothly under Fan Yu's guidance, finishing in no time at all. Cao Longyan didn't think much of it, assuming it was simply the process for making a beginner, Level 1 Soul Tool.

What he didn't realize was that Fan Yu had just been teaching He Caitou to make a Level 2 Soul Tool!

"All right, this Level 2 Defensive Soul Tool is finished. Caitou, take a look at your work. You're still injecting Soul Power too hastily, and the joints aren't tight enough."

Fan Yu picked up the finished product from He Caitou's hands, his tone carrying a hint of instruction.

He Caitou scratched his head, his honest face full of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Teacher Fan Yu. I'll try again. I'll definitely do better next time."

He had practiced making Soul Tools for three years, and only now could he barely manage to make a passable Level 2 Soul Tool. He put his heart into every attempt, but mistakes were still inevitable.

So this is a Level 2 Soul Tool? It doesn't seem that hard. Maybe I should give it a try?

Cao Longyan slowly rose to his feet and walked up to Fan Yu. He pointed to the empty workbench beside them and asked calmly,

"Teacher Fan Yu, can I use that workbench?"

Fan Yu looked up and sized Cao Longyan up, a trace of doubt flickering in his eyes.

He didn't know Cao Longyan's true identity. He had only been told by Dean Xian Lin'er to give the boy the treatment of a core disciple. She had never mentioned that he had any foundation in Soul Guidance.

In Fan Yu's eyes, Cao Longyan was probably some Sea God Pavilion Elder's spoiled young master, brought to the Soul Guidance Department through connections to try it out. He had no real intention of learning to make Soul Tools.

Though he was puzzled, Fan Yu still nodded.

"Longyan, safety first. Don't hurt yourself."

He wasn't expecting Cao Longyan to make anything. He'd be grateful if the boy simply didn't cause trouble.

He Caitou stopped working, too, looking over at Cao Longyan in confusion.

He remembered that when Cao Longyan had invited him to join Rakshasa Street, he had never mentioned knowing how to make Soul Tools. He had seemed to have no experience at all. So why was he jumping straight into making one now?

He Caitou muttered to himself, growing even less able to understand the impossibly talented boy in front of him.

Cao Longyan paid no attention to their odd looks. He walked straight to the workbench, neatly arranged the materials, picked up the carving knife, and began working.

Fan Yu caught sight of him and shook his head helplessly, silently praying to himself.

Please, don't let anything go wrong! I have to keep a close eye on him!

He Caitou came over as well, folding his arms with a complicated expression.

His rational side told him Cao Longyan couldn't do it, but his gut told him Cao Longyan could.

But the next second, both men froze. Their eyes widened, and they stared in utter disbelief.

The carving knife in Cao Longyan's hand spun rapidly. A faint trace of Soul Power curled around his fingertips as he carved precise patterns into the material. Every stroke had exactly the same force and angle as He Caitou's—and was even more precise and fluid.

His movements were calm and unhurried, with not a hint of awkwardness. There was no way to tell this was his first time.

In the blink of an eye, Cao Longyan set down his carving knife.

He picked up the Soul Tool he had made, blew off the dust left on it, and handed it to Fan Yu.

"Teacher Fan Yu, I'm done. Could you see if it's the same?"

Fan Yu put his contempt aside and took the Soul Tool from Cao Longyan, examining it closely.

This Level 2 Defensive Soul Tool was even a little better in quality than the one Caitou had just made!

He Caitou leaned in as well. When he saw the Soul Tool Cao Longyan had made, his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. It stayed that way.

Fan Yu took a deep breath, suppressing his shock. His voice trembled slightly as he asked,

"You... have you studied this before?"

In his eyes, Cao Longyan definitely wasn't a beginner. There was no way this was his first time making a Level 2 Defensive Soul Tool.

At that, Cao Longyan's lips curled into a faint, impish smile. He shook his head, speaking with such shameless nonchalance that anyone who heard him would want to smack him.

"No, I've never been in contact with Soul Tools before. I just watched you make one earlier, and the steps seemed simple, so I gave it a try. I didn't expect it to work."

"Boom—!"

Those words exploded in Fan Yu and He Caitou's minds like a thunderclap. Both of them were instantly floored, and they shouted in unison.

"What do you mean, 'I took one look and got it'?!"

The Soul Tool in Fan Yu's hand nearly fell to the ground. He stared at Cao Longyan in disbelief, then his expression suddenly shifted to wild delight.

He finally understood why Dean Xian Lin'er and Vice Dean Qian Duoduo had made an exception to grant this boy the status of a core disciple of the Soul Guidance Department, and why they valued him so highly.

Little did he know, he'd completely misread the situation...

Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo had no idea at all—and had never even considered it...

This wasn't some spoiled young master here to try out the life. This was a Soul Guidance genius rarely seen in ten thousand years!

This was the Soul Guidance Department's good fortune—and Shrek's good fortune, too!

He Caitou had already slumped to the ground, utterly dejected. His eyes were vacant as his finger traced circles on the floor, and he muttered to himself,

"It's over, it's over. I practiced for three years, and I still can't match Longyan after he's seen it just once... The gap is way too big. Is there even any point in carrying on?"

He had thought he had some talent for Soul Guidance, but beside Cao Longyan, all three years of effort seemed worthless. Being crushed in every way left him questioning his entire life.

Seeing their reactions, Cao Longyan's unease vanished completely, but he gave them an awkward smile.

It looked like he really did have monstrous talent in Soul Guidance.

But he seemed to have caused trouble, grinding someone's confidence into the dirt.

Sigh, looks like I'll have to help him get his confidence back later. If only I'd known this morning, I wouldn't have shown off. I've really made trouble for myself... If you dig your own hole, you have to fill it yourself...

Now his path of dual cultivation could move forward smoothly. In the future, he would not only continue making breakthroughs with his Martial Soul, but also use the power of Soul Tools to rapidly strengthen Rakshasa Street.

Perhaps he could even make the kind of Soul Tool from Legend of the Dragon King capable of destroying everything—the Level 12 God-Slaying Fixed Soul Guidance Shell!