"Sister Xue, since you like it so much, you can have it. I'll make another one later." After finishing the technical drawings, Ling Yu looked up and discovered that Qian Renxue was still playing with the Snowlight Lamp he had just made.
"Wouldn't that be too precious a gift?" Qian Renxue pursed her lips, a trace of delight flashing through her clear eyes.
"Actually, it counts as an unranked Soul Tool. It isn't too difficult to make, and the formation patterns are fairly simple." The corners of Ling Yu's lips lifted in a faint smile.
"Unranked? How did you classify them?" Qian Renxue tilted her head slightly, a hint of surprise surfacing in her cool eyes as her long lashes fluttered.
Ling Yu took out the unfinished first draft of his Soul Tool textbook, opened it, and pointed to a passage. It read-
"Scalar": an abbreviation for "standard Soul Power output."
One scalar: equivalent to all the Soul Power an ordinary first-tier, Level 10 Blue Silver Grass Soul Master could output.
Two scalars: equivalent to all the Soul Power an ordinary second-tier, Level 20 Blue Silver Grass Soul Master could output.
Nine scalars: equivalent to all the Soul Power an ordinary ninth-tier, Level 90 Blue Silver Grass Soul Master could output.
Soul Tool classification: assessment was based on the Soul Power used when a Soul Tool operated at full capacity/the maximum Soul Power of an instantaneous burst.
Unranked Soul Tool: a Soul Tool whose operating or burst Soul Power did not exceed one scalar.
Level 1 Soul Tool: a Soul Tool whose operating or burst Soul Power exceeded one scalar.
Level 2 Soul Tool: a Soul Tool whose operating or burst Soul Power exceeded two scalars.
Level 9 Soul Tool: a Soul Tool whose operating or burst Soul Power exceeded nine scalars.
Qian Renxue's brows knitted slightly, and even her lips tightened into a straight line. She looked at Ling Yu in confusion. "Blue Silver Grass can cultivate to Level 90? Why specifically emphasize the word 'ordinary'? Would Blue Silver Grass that could cultivate to Titled Douluo still be ordinary Blue Silver Grass?"
"It's only meant as a measurement standard. I did consider using the complexity of formation patterns or their damage as the standard, but that would make it difficult to assess support-type formation patterns rigorously."
"So using Soul Power output would be a little better. Once there's a better constant in the future, we can use that as the standard instead."
"And what's a constant?" Qian Renxue raised a brow slightly and instinctively pressed her temple, feeling a little dizzy.
"An abstract quantity with a fixed or nearly fixed numerical value. Its core characteristic is numerical stability, with almost no change over a long period."
"All right, all right, stop talking..." Qian Renxue covered her ears, refusing to let a certain evil voice keep pouring into her head.
"How does that brain of yours work? Could there be something like whale rubber inside it too, making you so clever?"
"It's all the wisdom of those who came before us. I just organized and classified it. Also, when thinking through problems, write things down more often to organize and summarize them." Ling Yu's lips lifted slightly, a calm smile appearing.
Qian Renxue pretended not to have heard. She raised her fair hand, bent her fingers, and gave Ling Yu's forehead a tap that was neither light nor hard.
Her brow rose slightly, a faint smile lingering at her lips and a hint of teasing rippling through her cool eyes. Her expression clearly said-I just want to listen and see whether there's whale rubber in your head. Then she could no longer keep up the act and laughed herself.
"By the way, what are you planning to do with all this? Xue Ye, Ning Fengzhi, and that side..."
"We can't keep it from Ning Fengzhi anymore. According to our inside source, he's already turned his attention to Heaven Dou Royal Academy." Qian Renxue tilted her head slightly, her gaze settling on Ling Yu's face, a barely perceptible emotion hidden in her eyes.
"How about this? I'll make two more Soul Guidance Lamps over the next couple of days. Send this draft, the drawings, and a finished lamp to Spirit Hall as a progress report."
"If possible, have them send some more discarded Soul Tools. Once things are on track, I'll need a large number of formation patterns to build up my foundation."
"Wait a few days before telling Xue Ye about the other set, including the matter with Ning Fengzhi. Given his personality, he'll most likely choose to cooperate with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Just call me over when the time comes." Ling Yu raised a hand to rest lightly against his chin and quickly sorted things through.
"Having Ning Fengzhi's eyes on you isn't a good thing, especially when this is an obsession of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"Since it's come, we might as well settle in. As long as the people around the research lab are still ours, we'll hold the initiative. Besides, they shouldn't go so far as to tear off all pretense and snatch someone away right now."
"With the Heaven Dou Secret Medicine and Soul Tool research together, that's hard to say." Qian Renxue's gaze was deep, her long lashes half-lowered.
"At least I can keep my little life. With the Great Enshrined's combat strength, I'm sure snatching someone away would be easy, right?"
"Scheming to make use of my grandfather like that? Looks like I'll have to add a line to the letter." A glint of slyness flashed through her golden eyes.
"No, no, no, I was wrong! I shouldn't have schemed to use the Great Enshrined!" Ling Yu hastily raised his hands in surrender.
"As long as you know." Qian Renxue's lips unconsciously curved into a faint, genuine smile. With all her defenses and pressures set aside, she felt an ease she had not experienced in a long time.
"Are you all right with it? Just giving away something you poured so much effort into compiling?" Lifting the draft and drawings, Qian Renxue unexpectedly felt a weight to them.
"Aren't I getting resources and support in exchange? Besides, it would take at least several years of study to reach my level." Ling Yu's lips lifted slightly, his gaze clear and unclouded.
"Mm... Then I'll take these back first. Let me know when you're done, and I'll send them all together."
"All right, Sister Xue."
"I'm off, then." Qian Renxue lowered her lashes slightly, a trace of reluctance passing through the depths of her cool eyes. Once she stepped outside, she would have to become Xue Qinghe again.
"Goodbye." Ling Yu waved with a smile.
After seeing her off, he stretched. Before he knew it, night had fallen, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him. That really used up a lot of mental power. A thought stirred in Ling Yu's mind.
Then he flopped onto the bed in the corner, tugged up the blanket, and fell asleep.
The next day, after finishing his required and elective classes, Ling Yu got busy casting the outer and inner casings. Fortunately, plenty of the materials he had prepared earlier remained, and the molds were still there, so it did not take much effort.
Two days later, looking at the two new Soul Guidance Lamps on the table, Ling Yu pondered-
If I replaced the clear light gemstone with a higher-grade light-type metal/gemstone, would it produce a laser/high-temperature effect?
But carving simple formation patterns into a gemstone of such a high grade wouldn't be very cost-effective. That would be purely a case of making a brick fly through sheer force. Besides, I'd have to change the materials for both the outer and inner casings, making the cost even higher.
There aren't that many formation patterns, and the metal materials aren't particularly high-grade either. It would probably be a Level 1 or Level 2 Soul Tool, but I'd have to make it and test it to know for sure.
After stretching, Ling Yu called Su Yao over and asked her to notify Qian Renxue, then lay his head on the desk for a short nap.