Fixed Soul Tool Cannonball and Milk Bottle?

Shui Bing'er listened quietly, occasionally offering a soft "mm," and though she tried her best to maintain a cold and detached expression, her ice-blue eyes betrayed her.

Deep within those eyes, a gentle luster shimmered, and a faint smile, one she hadn't even noticed herself, was quietly creeping onto the corners of her lips.

She had intended to appear indifferent; after all, she was the cold, proud Ice Phoenix successor who kept everyone at a distance.

Yet, when faced with this little brat who was a full head shorter than her but always managed to stir her emotions, her defenses were always fragile and easily shattered.

"Xiaochun," she finally couldn't help but speak, interrupting Ning Xiaochun's endless chatter. Her voice carried a hint of helplessness, yet also a touch of indulgence she hadn't realized was there.

"You came to find me three days early just to tell me all this?"

Ning Xiaochun blinked his large eyes, looking at Shui Bing'er's face as she struggled to keep it composed, and suddenly flashed a cunning smile: "Of course not! I mainly... missed you, Sister Bing'er!"

Shui Bing'er's heart skipped a beat, and a flush of red uncontrollably crept onto her cheeks.

She turned her head away, pretending to look at an Ice-Ling Flower Tree by the roadside, and made her voice sound intentionally cold: "Slick-tongued. If there's nothing else, I'm going back to cultivate."

As she spoke, she made a move to pull her hand away from Ning Xiaochun's grip.

"Hey, no, no, no! Sister Bing'er! I'm just kidding! I really do have something to ask you! Something important!" Ning Xiaochun hurriedly tightened his grip on her hand, his little face instantly switching to a serious expression.

"It's a very important matter! I need your help!"

Shui Bing'er stopped her movement, turned her head, and looked at him suspiciously: "What is it?"

Ning Xiaochun lowered his voice mysteriously: "You'll know when you come with me! I guarantee it will shock you!"

Watching his deliberately mysterious act, Shui Bing'er felt a flicker of curiosity despite her doubts.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded, letting Ning Xiaochun pull her onto the luxurious Seven Treasures Glazed Sect carriage.

The carriage did not head toward the private residence within Heaven Dou City, but instead passed through several streets, exited the city gates, and traveled along a secluded road toward a hidden manor owned by the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect on the outskirts of the city.

About half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of a manor surrounded by high walls and guarded by elite sentries at the gate.

"We're here!" Ning Xiaochun jumped off the carriage first, then turned around eagerly, trying to help Shui Bing'er down.

Shui Bing'er ignored his outstretched hand and leaped down gracefully. Her gaze swept over the heavily guarded manor, and a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes: "This is...?"

"This is my newly established 'Soul Tool Research Institute'!" Ning Xiaochun puffed out his little chest, his face filled with pride. "Let's go, Sister Bing'er, I'll take you inside to see!"

He pulled Shui Bing'er through layers of verification and walked into the manor gates.

As soon as she entered the grounds, Shui Bing'er was stunned by the scene before her.

In the spacious courtyard, several massive awnings had been erected. Under them, dozens of craftsmen and soul masters in uniform work clothes were busily occupied.

Some were using precision tools to engrave complex metal plates on massive workbenches, while others were gathered around a giant blueprint, discussing something intensely.

Others were controlling soul power furnaces, hammering away at glowing red metal blocks. The sound of clanging echoed incessantly, and the air was filled with the scent of metal and machine oil.

On a large workbench in the center sat several items that were already taking shape and shimmering with a metallic luster—a strangely shaped metal sphere that seemed to be composed of countless precision gears.

There was a silver metal tube about two meters long, engraved with intricate patterns, and a piece of armor that looked like a heart-protecting mirror, but with several brilliant soul crystals embedded along its edges.

"This... what is this for?" Shui Bing'er asked, unable to help herself as she looked at the bustling, yet orderly scene.

Although she didn't come from a top-tier noble family, she was well-traveled and knowledgeable, yet she had never seen such a large-scale, professional... forging workshop? No, this looked more like some kind of research facility she had never encountered before.

"Making soul tools, of course!" Ning Xiaochun replied as if it were obvious, then pulled Shui Bing'er over to the largest blueprint, pointing at the dense lines and annotations on it.

"Look, Sister Bing'er, these are all the soul tool blueprints I designed!"

Shui Bing'er looked down. On that massive blueprint were drawings of several highly complex devices she had never seen before.

Next to them, written in elegant handwriting, were various names and parameters:

"Soul Power Baby Bottle: Can store one's own soul power for emergency use by others or oneself during battle; the capacity limit depends on the quality of the core soul crystal."

"Fixed Soul Tool Cannonball: Uses compressed soul power as a core, projected remotely through a launching device; its power is immense, comparable to a full-force strike from a high-level soul master."

"Red Dust Protection: A mobile defensive soul tool; once activated, it can form an all-directional soul power shield, capable of resisting attacks below the Soul Douluo level several times."

"Sun-Moon Divine Needle: A long-range offensive soul tool; uses spiritual power to lock onto a target and fires high-speed piercing soul power needles, silent and extremely difficult to defend against."

One by one, these novel and powerful names caught Shui Bing'er's eyes. The more she read, the more shocked and horrified she became.

Although she wasn't a soul tool expert, she had basic discernment.

The designs on these blueprints, while slightly rough and idealistic in some places, completely overturned her understanding of soul tools in their core principles and concepts!

In her understanding, and that of the vast majority of soul masters on the continent today, soul tools were merely small gadgets for daily life, such as lighting, heating, or storage.

Combat soul tools had long been lost, and even those that remained were mostly useless, cumbersome items with limited power.

But the things depicted on these blueprints... a Soul Power Baby Bottle that could store soul power meant that the ability to sustain long battles would be greatly improved!

The Fixed Soul Tool Cannonball, with its terrifying power description, was practically a mobile artillery battery!

The Red Dust Protection could provide precious defense to fragile support-type soul masters! And that Sun-Moon Divine Needle... silent, long-range sniping... it was simply an artifact for assassins and hunters!

If... if these soul tools could really be manufactured...

Shui Bing'er didn't dare to think further. She looked up at the boy beside her, who was looking at her with his little face tilted in anticipation. For the first time, her ice-blue eyes revealed genuine shock and... a trace of admiration she hadn't even noticed herself.

"These... are all designed by you?" Her voice carried a hint of dryness.

"Hehe, I came up with most of them, then found a few elders in the sect who study ancient runes and soul tool theory to help refine them together."

Ning Xiaochun scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "But they're still in the theoretical stage. The processing technology for many core components isn't mature yet, and the efficiency of soul power conduction isn't high enough... that's why I wanted to ask for your help, Sister Bing'er!"

"Me?" Shui Bing'er was stunned. "What can I help you with? I don't know the first thing about soul tools."