Night fell.
The bright moon hung high.
The Experimental Area was still ablaze with lights.
The lower floors, in particular, were packed.
"They... aren't going to the welcome party?" The corner of Xu Cheng's mouth twitched.
Judging by their uniform insignias, at least half the people here-over three hundred-were first-year students.
"That's normal. Everyone wants to be the king of the grind, secretly work themselves to the bone for a semester, then stun everyone." Xiao Hongchen waved indifferently. "Believe it or not, plenty of them were joking with each other this morning, saying whoever grinded was a loser and that they'd definitely go to the welcome party to check out the pretty girls. Then tonight, they all ended up here without planning it..."
"What's even worth grinding over? Seriously..." Xu Cheng said with a frown.
"You're in no position to talk. I've figured you out-you're the biggest fucking grind king in the entire new first-year class!" Xiao Hongchen curled his lip in disdain.
As he spoke, Xiao Hongchen walked up to a metal door. He turned his palm, and a silver-white card appeared between his fingers.
Beep. Level 3 Card. Identity: Xiao Hongchen. Verification successful!
Hum!
The metal door slowly opened.
It was a simple elevator.
The two stepped inside.
Its interior and exterior weren't entirely metal; there was also a layer of glass. As the metal elevator rose, Xu Cheng clearly saw his view gradually expand, the bustling Experimental Area below reflected in his crimson eyes.
A few students caught sight of him, envy rising in their eyes...
During class that day.
Lin Jiayi had explained that Level 1 and Level 2 Soul Engineers could only conduct experiments on the first floor. Of course, the equipment there was more than sufficient for experiments at those two levels.
Above that, the second floor housed the laboratories for Level 3 and Level 4 Soul Engineers.
As for Soul Engineers at Level 5 and above, most were graduates. Much like universities in his previous life, they joined the laboratory of a Mingde Hall lecturer to conduct research and no longer needed to come to the Experiment Building...
Hum!
Accompanied by a metallic sound.
The door opened.
Compared with the crowded first floor, the space before them seemed considerably emptier.
The experimental workspaces also appeared to be enclosed by metal partitions, making it impossible to see inside from outside. Privacy was excellent, and each workspace was clearly much more spacious.
They approached a workbench.
Xu Cheng looked it over and felt the texture of the metal. Clearly, its hardness alone put it more than a grade above the workbenches on the first floor, while the cutting tools for the metal molds and the circuit equipment were also made from far superior materials.
"Here, Level 1 Soul Tools. I carved all these Core Arrays when I first enrolled. As you requested, they're the most... basic sort, including ranged soul guidance and melee soul guidance."
"As for fixed-installation soul guidance, that's Level 3 at the very least. The same goes for the Core Arrays of Space System tools and Milk Bottles..."
Xiao Hongchen swept his hand.
Seven or eight metal cores appeared on the workbench.
"Thanks, Xiao."
Xu Cheng nodded.
"No big deal. If there's nothing else, I'm heading to the welcome party..." Xiao Hongchen waved casually, turned, and left.
Xu Cheng turned his gaze to the workbench.
He couldn't grow fat from a single mouthful. Even with his extraordinary spiritual power and [Analysis] ability, he still had to start with the basics, understand how these simplest formations operated, then advance with his feet firmly on the ground.
Besides, he was putting this pressure on himself.
Although the Final Boss, God King Tang, seemed able to blot out the sky with one hand in the Divine Realm, he was actually subject to considerable restraints.
At least before Destruction died, he wouldn't dare act too brazenly. Otherwise, his schemes in Douluo II wouldn't have been so deeply concealed, with many carried out through Da Ming and Er Ming of the Clear Sky Sect...
There were still three or four years before the plot began, leaving him ample time.
"Let's get to work!"
Xu Cheng rolled up his sleeves and got straight to it.
He first picked up a random piece of metal and began his analysis...
"Soul Guidance Sword, Level 1 Melee Soul Guidance Tool. The user injects soul power into the hilt to activate the core formation, unleashing power far beyond that of an ordinary Soul Master. Average difficulty of use."
"Soul Guidance Ray, Level 1 Ranged Soul Guidance Tool. Inject soul power to release matter-annihilating energy in a straight line capable of piercing an enemy's defenses."
"..."
An unknown amount of time passed.
Xu Cheng stopped and examined the Soul Tools on the workbench.
He had made every one of them himself.
Although they were all the lowest-grade Level 1 Soul Tools, he felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
"The power of Ranged Soul Guidance Tools is heavily restricted by their range..."
Xu Cheng picked up a ranged soul guidance cannon and idly played with it.
Why were Ranged Soul Guidance Tools less powerful than melee ones at the same level?
The principle of energy conservation applied in this world, too. Melee Soul Guidance Tools were used by close-combat Soul Masters, who fought at short distances, whereas Ranged Soul Guidance Tools had to launch that energy first. By the same principle, the farther it traveled, the less power it retained...
If you shouldered the cannon and blasted someone point-blank, its power would be more or less the same as a melee tool's.
During his earlier analysis.
Xu Cheng had also clearly seen it.
Within their Core Arrays, Ranged Soul Guidance Tools had one more rune than Melee Soul Guidance Tools, and that rune was what distinguished the two: launch.
The rune wasn't particularly complicated, but its length determined the maximum range.
The most suitable balance had to be found between the energy driving it and the firing distance. Otherwise, even a hair more or less would prevent the Soul Tool from activating.
Perhaps that was why most people needed over a year to advance to making Level 1 Soul Tools...
Only someone like Xu Cheng, with his extremely strong spiritual power and Analysis ability, could make them so easily.
As for what came next, Xu Cheng wasn't interested in researching it further.
Regarding Tracking and Positioning Technology.
It probably also involved working on that "launch" rune. At least for now, he wouldn't discover anything by studying these Level 1 Soul Tools...
"Master."
A soft voice sounded beside him.
Xu Cheng jolted in fright.
"Nana... when did you get here?"
"Perhaps... just after your classmate left, Master?" Beside Xu Cheng stood a beautiful, tall girl with wheat-colored skin and a ponytail. She smiled as she deftly tidied the metal scraps and returned several instruments to their places.
"Ugh, you really are a... ghost." Xu Cheng helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead.
Five years ago, when he had entered the Holy Spirit Cult and become its Holy Son, the very first thing he had done was rescue Nana.
In the original story, her mother had awakened a ghost martial soul and encountered the Holy Spirit Cult while hunting for a soul ring. Because of her martial soul, the Holy Spirit Cult had tried to recruit her, but she refused. The Branch Altar Master at the time had therefore brainwashed her and brought her under his control. However, because of Nana's father, her mother would sometimes break free of that control, so the Holy Spirit Cult sent her mother to kill her father, intending to sever the bonds in her heart completely.
But after killing her father, her mother came to her senses and took her own life to follow the man she loved in death...
Unfortunately.
By the time Xu Cheng arrived, it had already happened.
The Branch Altar Master had taken her parents' souls away.
All that remained was a terrified little girl, sprawled over her parents' bodies and wailing.
Afterward, all Xu Cheng could do was release her parents' souls and keep the little girl by his side...
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