The First Lesson in Soul Tools

"Surprise?"

"Here, the surprise is here."

Su Junran pursed his lips and nodded toward Ye Lan, who was walking over with a smile.

Su Luoheng's gaze was drawn to the exquisite gift box in her hands.

"Mom, what's inside?"

"A present for our little Luoheng."

Noticing her son's expectant look, Ye Lan affectionately ruffled his hair. Without keeping him in suspense, she set the gift box in front of him. "Open it and have a look. Mom's been preparing this for ages~"

"Okay!"

Little Su Luoheng eagerly opened the gift box.

A pale blue bracer came into view.

Complex, intricate patterns were engraved on it. At its center was a diamond-shaped sapphire, crystal clear and faintly surrounded by glimmers of icy light.

Under the sunlight, its radiance flowed and shimmered, bright and dazzling.

"What a beautiful bracer!"

Little Su Luoheng picked it up from the box and couldn't help exclaiming in wonder.

"Quick, put it on and try it."

"Just slip it around your wrist. It'll adjust to the right size automatically."

"Like this?"

"Mm-hm."

Su Luoheng nodded and followed Ye Lan's instructions, putting on the bracer. A cool sensation immediately traveled from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his mind cleared in an instant. Even the grogginess from waking up that morning had faded considerably.

"Mom, it feels cool and really comfortable~"

"This is a Level 4 Defensive Soul Tool. It can withstand three full-power attacks from a Soul Ancestor."

"A Level 4 Soul Tool... What about this gem?" Su Luoheng waved his arm and looked curiously at the gem.

Ye Lan chuckled and ruffled his hair as she explained, "It's called Ice Blue Jade. This Level 4 Soul Tool was built around it as its core. Wearing it will make your regular training a little easier."

Ice Blue Jade was just what its name suggested.

It was clear as crystal and soft to the touch. Once worn, a chill would flow over the skin and throughout the body, dispelling fatigue and nourishing him.

It was just right for Su Luoheng.

But don't be fooled by its size—it was smaller than a fingernail.

His father had paid a hefty price to buy this piece of jade and add it to his collection.

Making it had also taken considerable effort.

Even Ye Lan, a Level 4 Soul Engineer, had needed to work at it for quite a while. It had taken nearly two months from start to finish.

Chapter 6: The First Lesson in Soul Tools [Please Recommend, Invest, and Collect!]

"Do you like it?"

"I love it, I really do~ Thank you, Mom!" Su Luoheng stroked the cool, smooth bracer with delight and nodded like a bobblehead.

"I'm glad you like it~"

"Mom, what's it called?"

"It's your gift, so you should name it yourself."

"Then... I'll call it the Ice Crystal Bracer."

"Mm-hm."

Seeing how excited the little one was made Ye Lan happy. All the hard work she had put in over the past two months had been worth it.

Su Luoheng suddenly waved his right arm, the bracer on his wrist.

"Dad, if I wear this, won't it affect my training?"

"It won't."

"Good!"

Seeing little Luoheng so enamored with the bracer, Ye Lan tapped her chopsticks against the table and reminded him, "All right, hurry up and eat. Afterward, the three of us will go out for a stroll."

"Mm-hm~"

Su Luoheng nodded.

But during the meal, he kept glancing at the Ice Crystal Bracer, lost in thought.

Ye Lan and Su Junran exchanged a smile. Children were always like that when they got a new present.

"..."

Su Luoheng put down his bowl and chopsticks.

After a moment's hesitation, he suddenly asked, "Mom, you made this Soul Tool yourself, didn't you?"

"Of course~"

Ye Lan's beautiful eyes crinkled with a smile. She affectionately pinched Su Luoheng's cheek and said, "Your mom is a Level 4 Soul Engineer, you know~ How about that? Pretty impressive, right?"

"Im-pre... pretty impressive..."

"Mom, let go! I have something important to say!"

Su Luoheng wriggled free of his mother's clutches and rubbed his reddened cheek, his gaze full of reproach.

"You're breaking your mother's heart~" Ye Lan, still wanting more, pouted unhappily, but soon smiled again. "Go on, then. What's so important, little Luoheng?"

"I want to learn about Soul Tools."

"Hmm?"

"I want to learn about Soul Tools."

Su Luoheng sat up straight, his little face brimming with seriousness.

"..."

The couple exchanged a glance. Su Junran slowly said, "Luoheng, you can learn about Soul Tools after you become a Soul Master. For now, it'd be better to focus on improving your Soul Power and training."

"Dad, I know."

"I just want to learn a little about them ahead of time. It won't interfere with my regular training."

Su Luoheng hadn't made the decision on a whim.

Ever since learning that his Martial Soul was unusual, he had been thinking about Soul Tools.

If his Martial Soul wasn't to his liking, becoming a Soul Engineer would be the best choice for someone with his talent. Otherwise, learning a few extra things wouldn't hurt either.

The Ice Crystal Bracer had given him the perfect opportunity to bring it up.

Even without it, Su Luoheng had planned to ask after a while.

"This..."

"Mom, can I, please~?"

Seeing Su Luoheng's pleading eyes, Ye Lan couldn't make up her mind.

She didn't mind teaching him about Soul Tools, but Su Junran had always been the one to make decisions about Luoheng's training.

"Junran, what do you think?"

"Let him." Su Junran turned to Su Luoheng and reminded him, "But think it through, Luoheng. From now on, you'll have no free time each week."

"Until you break through to become a Soul Master, you'll only be able to study theory," Ye Lan reminded him.

"Mm-hm, no problem!"

At that, Su Luoheng quickly thumped his chest and agreed without hesitation.

"Then we'll start today."

"Okay!"

After breakfast, Ye Lan began teaching him about Soul Tools.

As a Soul Engineer herself, Ye Lan was naturally delighted by her son's interest in Soul Tools.

She took particular care with this first introductory lesson.

"Luoheng, what do you think a Soul Tool is?"

"A weapon that's activated with Soul Power and can improve a Soul Master's abilities."

"You're right."

Ye Lan nodded slightly and said, "In a sense, a Soul Tool is a weapon made for Soul Masters. But my teacher once told me that the future of Soul Tools lies in making them accessible to everyone, so that people can use them whether or not they have Soul Power.

"That's what a true Soul Tool should be.

"It's difficult to achieve for now, but I believe it will be possible one day."

"I believe it too."

Su Luoheng nodded, agreeing with his mother.

"All right, back to the lesson. Soul Tools are man-made devices crafted by engraving Core Arrays onto rare metals and gemstones. The Soul Tools on the continent are currently divided into close-combat Soul Tools, ranged Soul Tools, and fixed-installation Soul Tools. There are also storage, flight, detection, and various other Soul Tools that serve as support. Although they have no combat capabilities, they still play an important role."

"A Soul Tool's level is determined by its array and inscriptions. Valuable Soul Tools can also be upgraded by replacing their materials."

"..."

Ye Lan was very serious about Soul Tools.

Over the course of a day of theoretical lessons, Ye Lan's extensive knowledge of Soul Tools greatly benefited Su Luoheng. His understanding deepened, and he laid a solid foundation.

Even if he never became a Soul Engineer, this knowledge would still make it easier for him to use Soul Tools.

Time flew by.

Unlike ordinary children, Su Luoheng hadn't enrolled at a junior Soul Master academy.

At best, the strongest teachers at those junior academies were Soul Elders with three rings. Their teaching could hardly compare to that of his parents.

For more than a year, Su Luoheng had never let up on his training.

His physical strength was now such that even Soul Masters with their First Soul Ring might not be able to beat him for certain.

Meanwhile, Ye Lan had explained all kinds of Soul Tools to little Luoheng in detail.

Besides that, he had read plenty of books about Soul Tools.

Although his Soul Power had kept him from trying things out firsthand, he had already learned the fundamentals of Soul Tools and mastered the construction of several low-level Soul Tool arrays.

These advances delighted Ye Lan.

As a Level 4 Soul Engineer certified by the Sun Moon Empire, she could tell that little Luoheng had considerable talent and interest in Soul Tools.

But all that would have to come to a pause today.

After more than a year of settling, Su Luoheng's Soul Power had finally stabilized completely at level ten.

That also signaled that his Martial Soul had fully awakened.

The most noticeable change after his Martial Soul fully awakened was that materializing it consumed far less Soul Power. Its other abilities were still unclear, but now he could finally go hunt for his First Soul Ring and become a true Soul Master.

That was what mattered most to Su Luoheng.

In the courtyard.

"Luoheng, are you ready?"