Academy Life, Time Flies

Sunlight slanted across the first-year teaching building of Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, glazing the entire structure in a faint golden hue.

Yan Hongchen sat by the classroom window, flipping through A General History of Soul Tools. His gaze swept over the dense text, page after page, neither too fast nor too slow, as though he were reading for leisure.

Xiao Hongchen idly sketched drafts of soul tool formations on paper with his pen. From time to time, he glanced at Yan Hongchen, seeming to want to say something but holding back.

Meng Hongchen sat beside Xiao Hongchen, carefully copying the notes from the blackboard in neat handwriting.

It was the first week for the first-year freshmen. According to academy rules, all new students had to take a week-long "introductory course" after enrolling.

Put simply, it taught them what soul tools were, what they could do after learning about them, and most importantly, how not to get expelled before turning eighteen.

Metal Materials was a course that began later on. The instructor was surnamed Li, a young, capable researcher from Mingde Hall who spoke at an extremely rapid pace.

He lectured on the classification, properties, origins, and processing methods of metals; on the special properties of rare metals; and on alloy ratios and smelting techniques.

Holding a silver-white metal sample, Teacher Li walked around the classroom and passed it around for the students to examine. "This is mithril. Its soul power conductivity is ten times that of ordinary iron, but it also costs a thousand times as much. You'll be dealing with it in the future, so remember how it feels. I'll bring different metals for the rest of the lessons."

When the metal reached Yan Hongchen, he closed his eyes and carefully examined it with his spiritual power. Mithril's internal structure was far denser than that of ordinary metal, and soul power flowed through it with almost no resistance.

When Xiao Hongchen took the mithril, his eyes visibly lit up. His Three-Legged Golden Toad martial soul was naturally sensitive to metal, and in his hand, the mithril seemed to come alive, warming slightly.

The students nearby leaned over curiously for a look. Xiao Hongchen generously handed it over, a hint of pride in his smile.

The moment it reached Meng Hongchen, the metal cooled instantly, becoming icy cold. After observing and sensing it, she passed it on to the next person.

Introduction to Basic Formations was the most difficult course, and also the most crucial. Soul tool formations were the core of a soul tool, like a human heart. Without a formation, a soul tool was merely a piece of scrap metal with a metal shell.

The instructor was a seventh-rank soul engineer surnamed Zhou. He had a somewhat bad temper, but his skill was exceptional. The first thing he said in class was, "Formations aren't drawn. They're 'conceived.'"

He took out a metal plate and an engraving knife, then engraved a first-rank energy-gathering formation on the podium. His movements flowed as naturally as drifting clouds and running water, the engraving knife gliding over the metal plate with a faint scratching sound.

In less than a few minutes, a complete formation appeared on the metal plate, lighting up with a ring of pale blue radiance.

"Look. This is a first-rank energy-gathering formation." Teacher Zhou raised the metal plate so that the entire class could see it. "The lines are smooth, the depth is even, the nodes are clear, and soul power flows through it without obstruction. Only when you can engrave a formation like this will you pass the test for the first-rank soul engineer examination later on."

He paused, and his tone turned stern. "But don't think you can succeed just by tracing the diagrams in your textbooks. The heart of a formation lies in its 'intent,' not its 'form.'"

"You must understand the purpose of every line and every node. You must know how soul power flows through the formation, and feel how metal responds to soul power. If you can't do that, then even if you engrave a formation, it won't be able to display more than a fraction of its power."

Teacher Zhou mostly explained the various basic formations. Though he did demonstrate the engraving of soul tool formations, the students had not yet begun engraving themselves. They had to wait for practical classes.

Naturally, soul tools could not be learned through theory alone. Practical work was also necessary, since the final assessment tested the soul tools one could actually create.

"Don't underestimate this straight line." The practical instructor was a seventh-rank soul engineer in his forties named Wang, and his voice was thunderous. "The first step in making soul tools is controlling the knife. If you can't even hold a knife steady, don't talk to me about formations."

"This afternoon, you'll practice this—engraving straight lines on metal plates. Keep at it until I'm satisfied."

Xiao Hongchen picked up an engraving knife, brimming with confidence. His martial soul was Metal Control, and the knife felt like an extension of his body in his hand, perfectly steady.

He engraved a line that was ruler-straight and evenly deep. Teacher Wang came over for a look and, rare as it was, showed a trace of approval. "Not bad. Your knife control is very solid. You're from the Hongchen Family?"

Xiao Hongchen nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"The Hongchen Family's talent for Metal Control certainly lives up to its reputation," Teacher Wang said. "But don't get arrogant. Straight lines are only the beginning. Next come curves, broken lines, circles, and formation nodes—none of them will be easy."

This was Xiao Hongchen's greatest strength. Both Meng Hongchen and Yan Hongchen had to admit themselves inferior to him in this regard.

After all, Xiao Hongchen only needed to engrave the core formation into a portable metal sphere, then combine it with his martial soul to craft a soul cannon by hand. In this area, he was simply the authority.

When it was Meng Hongchen's turn, her performance was steady and unremarkable. Her hands were stable and her mind calm. Though the straight line she engraved was not as perfect as Xiao Hongchen's, it was still neat and tidy.

Yan Hongchen picked up the engraving knife. His spiritual power was strong, and as he unfolded Gentle Wave of the Gentle Waves Realm, the knife seemed to be steadily supported by an invisible hand. Though he had never practiced before, every stroke he made was precise, steady, and smooth.

The straight line he engraved was not only perfectly straight, but also carried a delicate sheen deep within its groove. That was the result of resonance between his spiritual power and the metal.

Teacher Wang watched for a while, surprise flashing through his eyes. "Your spiritual power is very strong. Have you practiced before?"

Yan Hongchen shook his head. "No. I simply possess both spiritual and water attributes. My spiritual power is naturally strong, and with a calm mind, it comes naturally."

Teacher Wang did not press further. Yan Hongchen was also a member of the Hongchen Family. Each of these three had their own strengths; all he needed to do was teach them well.

Beyond that, numerous other courses awaited them. Over the following weeks, the difficulty of practical classes gradually increased, from straight lines to curves, from curves to broken lines, and from broken lines to complete formation nodes.

At every stage, more than half the students got stuck. Some let their engraving knives slip off course, some made the grooves uneven, and some simply carved straight through their metal plates.

Xiao Hongchen advanced triumphantly all the way through, finishing every stage first in the class. His talent for Metal Control was fully displayed in practical lessons. The engraving knife was a brush in his hand, the metal a canvas, and he could sketch upon it however he pleased.

Meng Hongchen's progress was not as fast as Xiao Hongchen's, but she was steady. She did not seek to be the fastest, only the most precise. Every stroke was carefully considered, and every line pursued perfection. Her work might not have been the most dazzling, but it was certainly among the neatest in the class.

Yan Hongchen did not deliberately pursue speed, nor did he deliberately pursue perfection. He infused spiritual power into every movement of the engraving knife, allowing it to "sense" the metal's grain, density, and soul power response. The lines he engraved were not merely precise in shape—they possessed a deeper harmony on the spiritual level.

Four months later, Xiao Hongchen was the first to pass the first-rank soul engineer assessment.

That afternoon, he emerged from the examination room clutching a brand-new soul engineer badge. The smile on his face was as brilliant as the summer sun over Bright Capital.

He stood in the corridor, waiting for Yan Hongchen and Meng Hongchen to come out. The badge spun around his fingertips, reflecting the white light of the soul lamps in the hallway.

"I'll be waiting for you two," he said to them as they approached, unable to conceal the pride in his voice. The two merely glanced at him without replying, smiling faintly.

The following month, Meng Hongchen and Yan Hongchen also passed the assessment one after the other. Meng Hongchen remained calm when she received her badge, simply putting it into her storage ring before returning to class. Yan Hongchen did not even change expression when he received his, merely slipping it into his pocket.

In five months, all three had become first-rank soul engineers. Xiao Hongchen had broken Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy's record for the fastest achievement, with Meng Hongchen and Yan Hongchen close behind.

During those five months, neither Xiao Hongchen nor Meng Hongchen had slackened in cultivation. Their soul power finally rose from rank twenty-eight to rank thirty, and both reached the bottleneck for obtaining their third soul ring.

Yan Hongchen, meanwhile, redirected his surplus soul power toward tempering his external soul bone. Under his continued nurturing, the strength of those azure wings increased by roughly four thousand years, and their enhancement of his body also became noticeably greater.

After the first-rank soul engineer examinations, the academy granted them a period of vacation.

Jing Hongchen, Liu Yueming, and Yue Hongchen remained at the academy to handle certain matters. Yi Hongchen brought the three children back to the Hongchen Duke's Estate for a temporary stay, preparing to head to the Extreme North to obtain their third soul rings.

On the night they returned to the duke's estate, Yan Hongchen finished bathing and was about to sleep when someone knocked on his door.