"Seriously, man, have you lost your mind?!"
Inside the library.
Xiao Hongchen looked stunned. Only after noticing the strange looks coming from around them did he lower his voice and ask Xu Cheng, "Don't tell me you're actually planning to repair this Soul Tool?"
"How will I know whether I can unless I try?"
Xu Cheng looked slightly exhausted, but his crimson eyes brimmed with excitement and a thirst for knowledge.
Xiao Hongchen picked up the books piled beside him.
[On Three Possibilities for Sealing Soul Tools]
[A Beginner's Guide to Level 5 Soul Tools]
[A Proposed Linked Soul Guidance Core]
Having grown up under Jing Hongchen's influence, he might never have eaten pork, but he had certainly seen pigs run. He knew what level these books were meant for. They were the sort of material the fellow students at Mingde Hall would only borrow and study once they were at least Level 5 Soul Engineers.
But...
Watching Xu Cheng bury himself in the sea of books again, Xiao Hongchen swallowed, momentarily at a loss for words.
Had it been anyone else, he would definitely have mocked them.
What the fuck are you showing off for?
A Level 3 Soul Engineer studying a Level 7 Soul Tool? Can you even make sense of it?
But when it came to Xu Cheng...
He believed this guy would never show off just for the sake of it. From the look of things, he had genuinely become engrossed. His passion for Soul Tools far exceeded anything Xiao Hongchen had imagined.
Over the past week, this guy had barely spent any time in their dorm, instead immersing himself in either the laboratory or the library.
Madman!
Xiao Hongchen let out a breath.
He left helplessly.
Although he doubted Xu Cheng would succeed, seeing him like this, he really couldn't bring himself to discourage him...
As for his sister, he would keep it from her for now.
Thinking of his sister left him feeling helpless all over again.
Time flew.
Inside a laboratory on the second floor.
Xu Cheng slowly raised his head.
After fitting the final core component into the formation, he slowly set down his carving knife and let out a deep, weary breath.
A month's hard work had not been in vain after all.
This Daoist did it!!!
Xu Cheng let out another deep breath.
Of course, he had only succeeded in theory. The actual result still awaited testing...
Next came assembly. He connected the links to the metal casing, completing the process.
Xu Cheng took hold of the dagger with trembling hands. Every step was incredibly slow, like a turtle crawling, yet it bore witness to the results of nearly a month's hard work.
"Bzzzt!"
At last, as soul power flowed through the handle, a tremendous repulsive force greeted him first.
Xu Cheng gritted his teeth and kept his grip firm.
Fortunately, after only a few seconds, that tremendous repulsive force gradually weakened before settling into stillness. It was as though the Soul Tool had found a suitable point of balance within the soul power Xu Cheng supplied-a corresponding level of strength...
"..."
Only now had he truly succeeded.
He headed to the target range.
Holding the short dagger in a reverse grip, Xu Cheng darted forward and thrust it toward the iron target ahead.
He injected soul power.
In an instant, a pale blue gleam flashed from the tip of the dagger.
At the same time, sparks crackled across the metal target, leaving a deep gouge.
Xu Cheng nodded in satisfaction.
As expected of a Melee Soul Guidance Tool, and one made by Jing Hongchen at that. Even at Level 3, it could leave a mark on a metal target. Calling it ferocious would be no exaggeration.
After an entire month of hard work, he had finally repaired the short dagger.
Rather than repairing it, though, it would be more accurate to call it reforging.
Not only had he crammed an enormous amount of advanced soul guidance knowledge, but he had also barely stopped experimenting and forging. Experiment, trial and error, then experiment again...
"..."
"Phew..."
Xu Cheng yawned.
As his excitement faded, exhaustion took over his mind.
He nearly stumbled and fell...
"I should head back to the dorm and catch up on sleep."
He walked out of the Experimental Area.
Instinctively, he raised a hand to shield his eyes.
Only after a good while did he slowly raise his head.
The first light of dawn broke through, the haze along the horizon gradually receding as a red sun slowly rose above it.
Golden sunlight pierced the thin mist and spilled across the metal stories of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy's buildings, casting faint patterns of light and shadow.
He hurried back to the dormitory building.
Xu Cheng fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
"Huh... this guy's back?"
After returning to the dorm, Xiao Hongchen heard faint breathing and glanced toward Xu Cheng. Seeing him sleeping soundly, he froze for a moment.
He had spent an entire month guarding the dorm alone.
Xu Cheng had practically traveled back and forth between just two places, studying his sister's Soul Tool until he was almost obsessed.
"Looks like... he gave up?" Xiao Hongchen sighed.
Although he had known that Xu Cheng giving up was only a matter of time, the sight still stirred a little emotion in him...
No matter how fierce you are, you can't defy the heavens!
Did you really think Soul Tools could be fixed through hard work...
Just as Xiao Hongchen was lamenting, he suddenly noticed a short dagger lying on the dorm room's desk. A closer look revealed it was indeed his sister's.
He casually picked it up and weighed it in his hand.
Shaking his head, he sighed. "It's all your fault Cheng got so obsessed. If I'd known, I never would've let Meng bring you out..."
"Oh well. If it's a blessing, it won't be a calamity; if it's a calamity, there's no escaping it. I just hope this doesn't leave Cheng with any lingering trauma."
With that, he put it into his storage Soul Tool.
He tiptoed toward the door. Once he handed this Soul Tool over to Meng, his task would be complete.
Before leaving, he glanced at the soundly sleeping Xu Cheng and grinned.
"Sweet dreams, Cheng."
Xu Cheng slowly stood up.
He stretched at length.
He felt the lightness of a program after a reboot.
Glancing outside, he saw sunlight streaming through the window and filling every corner of the room. It seemed to be noon.
The fresh scent of trees drifted into the room through the window.
It felt quite refreshing.
Having repaired the short dagger, Xu Cheng was in excellent spirits.
If this really had been a test, then he had not only passed but done so flawlessly. Jing Hongchen would surely have a clearer understanding of his talent now.
Even if it hadn't been a test, forcing himself to learn so much advanced soul guidance knowledge over these past days, dismantling a high-level Soul Tool for the first time, and studying its formations had benefited him greatly.
Although he remained a Level 3 Soul Engineer, his understanding of Soul Tools had grown ever deeper...
"Oh, Cheng, you're awake?"
Xiao Hongchen walked into the dorm and dropped casually into a chair.
"I went and gave that short dagger to Meng. Don't get hung up on it. So what if you couldn't fix it? We're only Level 3 Soul Engineers. You'd have to be a monster to fix it..."
"..."
Xu Cheng paused.
He glanced at Xiao Hongchen, who was still trying to console him.
Apparently, this guy hadn't even noticed that the Soul Tool had been repaired?
"You... never mind."
Xu Cheng shook his head.
Once Meng Hongchen used it, she would understand.
"The final assessment is coming up. Don't go getting any foolish ideas."
That single sentence from Xiao Hongchen successfully diverted Xu Cheng's attention.
"The final assessment? When?"
"Hehe, nobody knows you like I do, Emperor of the Grind." Xiao Hongchen chuckled.
His nickname for Xu Cheng had also gone from King of the Grind to Emperor of the Grind.
"This afternoon."
Xiao Hongchen said.
"If you hadn't come back in the early hours yesterday, I would've had to go to the laboratory and drag you back."
"Get ready. Meng and the others have probably already reached the assessment grounds..."
Before you continue