Douluo: A Person in Peerless, Fake God

Although there was no soul power continuously impacting the connection points, the damage caused was irreversible.

The entire core array was still on the verge of shattering.

Even if one wanted to repair it, there was no way to begin.

Furthermore, he knew this;

However, just because he had no way did not mean others were helpless. Sure enough, as this step concluded, Ran Yuming spoke up once more to offer guidance.

"Clear away the shattered inscriptions."

"Widen both the third and fourth lines."

"Scrape away those broken inscriptions and re-outline new ones underneath."

"Refine the drainage inscription."

"..."

"Angle the blade against the final circuit connection point and widen it by a millimeter; the last inscription needs to be widened a bit more."

The moment the words fell, Su Luoheng had already reacted.

The carving knife in his hand moved rapidly, beginning to modify the lines step by step according to Elder Ran's prompts.

Although he could not fathom his teacher's intentions, he still clung to a sliver of hope and wanted to try; in any case, the final result could not possibly be worse than it was now.

His hands danced like butterflies weaving through flowers.

Immediately, the core array, which had been teetering on the brink of collapse, slowly began to stabilize.

On the other side, Ran Yuming kept his focus fixed intently on the work.

Time ticked away, second by second.

A moment later, Su Luoheng set down his carving knife.

As the final stroke landed, Su Luoheng finally let out a long sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

With the overall circuit inscriptions repaired, the core array in his hand had changed drastically; it looked like a rag covered in patches, completely lacking its former refinement and beauty. However, he could sense that strange aura and the silver radiance that flashed intermittently.

This... was it really repaired?

But... could this thing actually be used?

He still held a skeptical attitude toward the core array before him: after all, many of the inscriptions on the core array had been completely overhauled.

Thus, he turned his head, feeling uneasy. "Teacher, will this really work?"

Ran Yuming saw his disciple's concerns and said with a faint smile, "Why not inject some soul power and find out?"

Hearing this, Su Luoheng nodded.

He certainly had to try; after all, this was something he had spent half a day of effort to fix, and he would not be reconciled if he did not test it.

However, he needed to take protective measures first.

No one could guarantee that this thing wouldn't suddenly explode.

Thinking of this, Su Luoheng looked silently at the Ice Crystal Bracer on his right arm, finally finding a sense of security.

Seeing this, Ran Yuming could not help but laugh and shake his head.

Testing a soul guidance array was not like going to the battlefield; was there any need to be this cautious?

"Alright, be serious. With your teacher here, there won't be any accidents!"

"Yes."

Hearing this, Su Luoheng chuckled.

He stopped fooling around and began to carefully inject soul power into the core array, the entire process performed with extreme caution as he kept a close eye on the state of the array.

He was indeed worried that the thing would explode.

But it was not out of fear of being caught in the blast, but rather to ensure it would not collapse before the soul power circulation finished.

At the very least, he had to wait until the test was over.

Although the possibility of success was slim, he still held a sliver of expectation.

Soul power slowly flowed into the core array.

The soul guidance circuits on the core array lit up once more. Although the metal block did not look pretty, the entire process was unexpectedly smooth, activating continuously from the first circuit downward without a single pause. It flowed all the way to the final soul guidance circuit, and a soft halo transformed into a pillar of light that rose upward. That halo was straight and steady, without the slightest flicker. The entire metal block radiated a silver-white glow.

This scene signaled that the soul guidance device was completely finished!

"It... it succeeded?!"

Seeing this, Su Luoheng was stunned for a moment, then widened his eyes in disbelief.

It could actually work like this?

But that would mean I actually succeeded, right?

If that was the case, did that make him a Level 2 Soul Master now?

Su Luoheng was still a bit dazed, scratching his head in a fog, a bright and pleasantly surprised smile spreading across his face.

After a long while, Su Luoheng finally snapped back to his senses.

He knew clearly that his success in completing the second-level soul tool's core array was inseparable from his teacher. Had it not been for those few strokes Teacher Ran had pointed out, this core array would have been ruined long ago.

But why, even though the inscriptions had been altered, was he still able to successfully create the same type of second-level array?

The operation just now had proven it was still the core array for a short sword; of that, Su Luoheng was certain.

Thinking of this, he looked toward Ran Yuming.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Su Luoheng asked, "Teacher, how did you do that?"

Ran Yuming countered with a question, "Do you know why you failed before?"

"I don't."

Su Luoheng recalled the moment for a while before shaking his head. Even now, he still couldn't understand why he had failed when there had been no issues with the array he had carved.

Yet, his teacher had made numerous changes and still achieved success.

"Your lines had no issues, but you neglected the properties of the metal material."

"The properties of the metal?" Su Luoheng frowned, still puzzled.

Ran Yuming continued, "Luoheng, your first soul skill is indeed very suitable for a soul master. Through the convenience provided by Analysis, you can easily carve core arrays. But precisely because of that, you have fallen into a cognitive trap."

"The core array is correct, but the actual carving requires you to make subtle adjustments based on the specific situation."

"What you obtain through Analysis is merely the carving method for a core array on one type of metal material. However, the same core array can use different materials as a base. For instance, the core array in your hand uses Mithril, but would it be possible to succeed if you insisted on using the carving method for Heavy Iron?"

Hearing this, Su Luoheng fell into deep thought.

"Luoheng..."

Ran Yuming paused for a moment, stepped forward, and patted his shoulder, saying earnestly, "Although the core array your first soul skill analyzes is correct, you cannot blindly copy and imitate. A core array is not necessarily immutable. You must learn to make appropriate changes based on the actual conditions of the material and integrate your own understanding of soul tools into it. Just like how I adjusted the inscriptions earlier—wasn't that what allowed it to function normally?"

"..."

After finishing, Ran Yuming stepped aside, leisurely sipping his tea.

His deep gaze occasionally rested on the bewildered youth, giving Su Luoheng enough patience to digest these teachings.

Some truths are more profound when realized for oneself rather than being pointed out.

He believed that Su Luoheng would certainly be able to figure it out.

Meanwhile, Su Luoheng remained lost in thought.

He lowered his head, his fingers tapping gently against the tabletop. With a puzzled look and lips pressed together, he carefully pondered every word of Ran Yuming's instruction.

A cognitive trap?

Was there a problem with his way of thinking...

Thinking of this, Su Luoheng held the metal block in his palm to study it.

How did his teacher succeed?

Before, he had only modified it according to Teacher Ran's requirements and had never observed it carefully.

He scrutinized the redesigned soul tool inscriptions on the surface. There were two extra guiding circuits in the soul tool lines, the inscriptions were slightly more expanded than before, and there was also...

Su Luoheng compared them one by one against the 'standard answer.'

While observing carefully, he also recalled the various problems he had encountered in soul tool crafting from the very beginning.

He compared them with the successful work in his hand.

Gradually, he seemed to catch a glimmer of inspiration: the key points Ran Yuming had mentioned earlier began to emerge clearly in his mind after several rounds of peeling back the layers.

Analysis and imitation.

The change and constancy of soul tools.

Array lines, carving materials.

Su Luoheng thought of many things all at once.

"The core array needs to change... does that mean I shouldn't use my first soul skill?"

"No... that's not what Teacher meant."

"Reasonable application, integrating my own understanding?"

"Could it be..."

Su Luoheng muttered under his breath, and suddenly, a flash of insight struck him.

"Yes, that's it!"

A flash of brilliance ignited in his previously bewildered eyes!

So that was it!

In that moment, it was as if he had been struck by a sudden epiphany. The confusion that had clouded his expression vanished in an instant, and he finally understood the true intent behind Ran Yuming's words.

There was nothing wrong with his first soul skill, Analysis.

It was his advantage, not the cause of his failure.

What Teacher Ran Yuming meant was that Su Luoheng was using it incorrectly, or rather, he had failed to grasp the true purpose of his first soul skill.

The greatest benefit of the first soul skill to a soul engineer was, in fact, the ability to discern the inscriptions of core arrays.

An ordinary soul engineer required a vast amount of time to master soul guidance inscriptions, but Su Luoheng, who possessed the ability of Analysis, was different. With the help of his soul skill, mastering these inscriptions was simple; he only needed a little practice to use them with ease. This was something other soul engineers could never hope to match.

A soul engineer needed a great deal of time to become proficient in inscriptions, yet Su Luoheng could skip that entire phase.

Therefore, in Ran Yuming's view, Su Luoheng's previous use of his first soul skill—merely to analyze soul tools and stop at replicating the array as a whole—was far too crude, superficial, and wasteful. It could even be said that he was putting the cart before the horse, failing to comprehend the true utility of the Analysis ability.

Su Luoheng should master the essential characteristics of core arrays: soul guidance inscriptions.

Soul guidance inscriptions were the foundation upon which core arrays were built. Once he could proficiently master all soul guidance inscriptions, wouldn't crafting soul tools become a simple, effortless task? He wouldn't even be limited to imitation; he would be able to use these inscriptions to create his own unique soul tools!

This was the correct way to use his first soul skill.

It was also the true reason why Ran Yuming valued Su Luoheng so highly.

"Analysis soul skill..."

"So, this is the true meaning of Analysis!"

Thinking of this, Su Luoheng felt a sudden sense of clarity, his eyes growing brighter and brighter!

He understood; he understood everything.