Sixth-grade teaching building, Laboratory Seven.
As soon as class ended, Su Luoheng hurried to the laboratory as fast as he could. Elder Ran, who had been waiting for some time, wasted no time continuing the lecture from that morning.
"Luoheng, there were a few minor issues with your theory this morning. Let me go over it with you again first."
"Yes, teacher."
Su Luoheng nodded at that, his anticipation rising.
The lecture his teacher had given that morning had already benefited him immensely. Now, with one-on-one tutoring tailored to his needs, he was sure to gain even more.
"You have a very good understanding of the Core Arrays in Level 2 Soul Tools. You may even understand them better than some certified Level 2 Soul Engineers. But when it comes to theoretical construction, you're still thinking like a Level 1 Soul Engineer."
"..."
With that, Teacher Ran began the lesson in earnest.
He had spent the afternoon gathering Su Luoheng's questions together. Su Luoheng had a decent grasp of Level 2 Soul Tools, so Teacher Ran didn't need to worry about the broad strokes. He only had to focus on explaining the weak points in how the structures fit together.
As for the other problems, they would have to wait until after a practical test.
This one-on-one lesson gave Su Luoheng an even clearer sense of Elder Ran's teaching ability. Every explanation was precise and hit the heart of the matter, making everything suddenly click.
Under Elder Ran's guidance, the Level 2 Soul Tool theory that had once seemed blurry grew clearer and clearer.
By the end, Su Luoheng could even identify the problems himself without needing his teacher to point them out.
Not every teacher could do that.
Although, thanks to the Analysis ability of his First Soul Skill, Su Luoheng now knew more than twenty Level 2 Core Arrays, according to Ran Yuming, he had only grasped their form, not their meaning.
Compared to Level 1 Soul Tools, Level 2 Soul Tools demanded far more rigorous construction of their arrays. Simply analyzing them once wasn't enough to master them. To reproduce them perfectly, he still needed to integrate that knowledge with his understanding of Soul Tools. However, with guidance from a renowned teacher, the learning process could be greatly shortened.
There was no doubt that Ran Yuming was exactly that kind of renowned teacher.
If someone as well-read as he wasn't qualified, then the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy might not have a single teacher who was.
Half an hour later.
Having benefited greatly, Su Luoheng looked enlightened. So every time I failed at a crucial point while making a Level 2 Soul Tool, it wasn't just because I lacked Soul Power. This was another reason.
Now that Teacher Ran had helped him sort everything out, Su Luoheng wanted to give it another try.
"Teacher, I think I understand now."
"Then go ahead and try."
"Your Soul Power has reached Level 17. You can try making a Level 2 Soul Tool again."
Ran Yuming smiled calmly and pointed to the worktable beside them, where the metal materials had already been laid out. Even if Su Luoheng hadn't brought it up, he would have asked him to try it himself.
So far, he had only resolved problems on paper.
Learning to make Soul Tools couldn't be all talk. Only practical work could reveal more problems.
"Mm."
Su Luoheng nodded and walked over to the worktable.
More than ten kinds of metal suitable for engraving Core Arrays at his current level were arranged on it. After making a quick selection, he picked up a piece of Mithril to hold the Level 2 Core Array.
Mithril was relatively soft, which made it easier to engrave and increased the chances of success.
Chapter 43: Failure?[Recommendations, investment, favorites!]
Su Luoheng casually brushed his wrist, and a delicate, small, dark-silver engraving knife appeared in his hand.
Soul Engineers used engraving knives to inscribe Core Arrays.
They weren't Soul Tools, but they were extremely important.
No Soul Engineer could do without an engraving knife. It was essential for making Soul Tools.
A suitable engraving knife could greatly improve the chances of successfully making a Soul Tool. It was also essential for becoming a high-level Soul Engineer. The highest-grade knives on Douluo Continent were collectively known as the Ranking Engraving Knives. There were a hundred famous knives in all, most of them in the hands of top Soul Engineers.
That was enough to show how important engraving knives were to Soul Engineers.
As a Level 1 Soul Engineer, Su Luoheng naturally had an engraving knife of his own.
His mother, Ye Lan, had specially prepared this one for him when he first became a Soul Engineer. Made entirely of exceptionally sharp diamond, it was sharp, sturdy, and stable. It could handle most metals without using Soul Power and suited him very well. It would serve him until he became a Level 4 Soul Engineer.
Although Teacher Ran's engraving knife was made of better materials, in such a crucial moment, it was better to use the one he was more familiar with.
Su Luoheng had already decided which Soul Tool to make.
It was the short sword he had once used to hunt his First Soul Ring, a Level 2 Soul Tool. The Level 2 Soul Tool he had tried to make at home before had been this one. Although he had never succeeded, he had plenty of experience with it.
"Phew..."
Su Luoheng picked up the engraving knife calmly, his gaze focused.
The small knife moved nimbly in his hand. His fingers danced, the blade flashed, and his movements grew faster and faster, until he seemed to blur into a shadow. Every motion was as flawless and graceful as a dazzling dance, flowing smoothly without a hitch. Before long, he had shaped the palm-sized piece of Mithril into a diamond-shaped silver block suitable for engraving a Core Array.
Su Luoheng paused briefly and turned the engraving knife around.
As he began engraving the Core Array, his expression grew serious.
Now the real work began.
"Scritch, scritch..."
The blade made a faint scraping sound against the metal. His movements and speed had slowed, but his hand was steady. Every time the knife came down, it did so with calm, unwavering precision. With each stroke, his expression grew more focused until his entire mind was absorbed in wielding the knife and engraving the Core Array.
Ran Yuming stood silently behind Su Luoheng, watching every movement of his knife.
At times he nodded, at times he frowned.
As Su Luoheng's movements changed from one stroke to the next.
Time passed. Under the careful carving and polishing of the knife, which Su Luoheng infused with Soul Power, the complex patterns gradually took shape. Flecks of silver light began to glimmer across the metal block, which gave off a faintly unusual aura. The patterns of the Core Array grew clearer and clearer.
The array, now mostly engraved, shone with light. It seemed only a few final strokes away from completion.
But at that moment, Su Luoheng's hand suddenly stopped. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and every muscle in his body tensed as he visibly grew nervous.
Back at home, his Level 2 Soul Guidance Arrays had always failed in the final few steps.
Now that he had reached that point again, he couldn't help feeling pressured and tense.
Could he succeed?
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. He opened his eyes... and repeated the process several times until his nerves began to settle.
There was no need to doubt himself.
His Soul Power and understanding were both stronger now than before.
This time, he would succeed!
Su Luoheng's gaze firmed as he returned to his initial state.
Gripping the engraving knife, he resumed carving, his movements once again steady.
Seeing this, Ran Yuming smiled with satisfaction.
Su Luoheng had indeed lived up to his expectations. He had regained his composure so quickly. Even if he failed again this time, it wouldn't shake him.
A Soul Engineer grew through failure and setbacks.
Developing new Soul Tools, making advanced Soul Tools, and all the rest meant stumbling through one failure after another.
So failure wasn't frightening.
What was frightening was losing confidence and being unable to recover.
Only someone with tenacious perseverance and a never-say-die attitude could become a powerful Soul Engineer. That was exactly what held so many people back.
For someone as young as Su Luoheng to have such a disposition was precious.
At the same time.
"Rustle, rustle..."
Metal shavings fell in a steady stream as the Core Array neared completion. The aura from the metal block grew stronger, and the silver light grew brighter.
It looked as though he was about to succeed!
'Swish, swish—'
After a few more strokes, Su Luoheng slowly set down the metal block.
He had successfully engraved the Core Array. The silver-white, diamond-shaped metal now bore a dense network of Soul Tool runes, all meticulously etched.
This was the first time he had fully engraved its Core Array. It was a major step forward for him.
But he wasn't quite done yet.
Next, he had to activate the Core Array and confirm that it worked properly. Only then would it truly count as a Level 2 Soul Tool.
"..."
Su Luoheng held his breath, carefully removed all the shavings from the grooves, then cupped the metal block in his left hand and slowly infused it with gentle Soul Power.
His eyes stayed fixed on the circuit patterns.
As he continued to pour in Soul Power, the Core Array activated and the metal block gave off a silver glow. Everything seemed to be going well. But just as it was about to succeed, the Core Array ran into another problem. With the Soul Power about to activate the entire array and connect all the patterns he had engraved, it suddenly got stuck at the final circuit connection, leaving the Core Array unable to operate properly.
How could this be?!
Su Luoheng frowned, baffled as he stared at what was happening.
He had constructed every circuit with great care. Why wouldn't it activate properly?
That was impossible...
For a moment, Su Luoheng froze. His mind suddenly went blank.
The result had caught him completely off guard.
As he struggled to understand what had happened, he kept pouring in Soul Power.
With no way to form a cycle, the Soul Power piled up at the circuit connection. As more and more Soul Power surged against it, cracks began to appear in the surrounding runes. The Core Array looked ready to collapse at any moment!
"Crack, crack—"
The sound of breaking reached his ears, and Su Luoheng finally came to his senses. He quickly withdrew his Soul Power.
But it was too late.
Once a Core Array began to collapse, it set off a chain reaction. There was nothing Su Luoheng could do against the crumbling array.
Was he going to fail again?
He had been so close to succeeding. Why was it still happening?
Watching the cracks spread before him, Su Luoheng couldn't help feeling a wave of defeat.
Chapter 44: That actually worked?![Recommendations, investment, favorites!]
But just then, a gentle voice came from behind him.
"Use the straight edge of the knife to carve a rune on the back, guiding all the Soul Power into the first circuit. Then sort out all that Soul Power and draw it back out."
"Teacher?"
Su Luoheng paused, glancing at the Core Array, which was on the verge of collapse.
It's in this state, and it can still be saved?
At the same time, Ran Yuming's voice rang out again. "If you don't hurry up and get started, the Core Array really will collapse."
At that, Su Luoheng's spirits lifted.
He acted at once, swiftly carving the pattern with his engraving knife. Following his teacher's instructions, he manipulated it—and the excess Soul Power was actually guided away, flowing back into the first circuit before returning to his body. The Core Array, which had been on the verge of collapse, was stabilized.
But that was all he could do.
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