Of course, compared to the uproar among the other students, Mr. Xuan on the podium appeared exceptionally calm.
Not only did his eyes show no hint of disdain, but they instead carried a sense of realization and understanding.
After all, Liu Yuan came from Shrek Academy.
It was only natural for a student from such a place to know absolutely nothing about spirit tools.
Mr. Xuan smiled gently and pressed his hand down toward Liu Yuan, signaling him to sit.
"It's alright, Student Liu Yuan. Please, sit."
"I already understand your situation."
"Since you have zero foundation, it's only natural that you can't understand these things."
"How about this: wait here for a moment. Once I've finished explaining the key points of today's lesson, I will personally provide you with some introductory basic knowledge."
"After that, you can join us at the Soul Tool Laboratory and try out some of the most basic practical operations."
His voice was clear and steady, arranging everything in just a few words. He accommodated Liu Yuan's special circumstances without delaying the progress of the other students, fully displaying the professional quality of a top-tier teacher.
"Yes, thank you, teacher." Hearing this, Liu Yuan sat down decisively.
For the remainder of the time, Mr. Xuan addressed difficulties and answered questions regarding the transition from second-year to third-year courses. The academic atmosphere in the classroom remained thick.
Meanwhile, Liu Yuan sat quietly on the side, digesting the theories he had forcibly memorized earlier. Although he still only half-understood them, he was no longer as completely lost as he had been at the start.
Soon, the theoretical portion of the class came to an end.
Mr. Xuan arranged for the other students to study independently for a while, then came to Liu Yuan's side to begin a one-on-one "literacy lesson."
"The foundation of a Soul Engineer is actually not as complicated as you might think."
Mr. Xuan kept his voice very low, ensuring only Liu Yuan could hear him.
"In the final analysis, it boils down to three things: Forging, Shaping, and Engraving."
"First is Forging, which is the preliminary processing of metal."
"This is the correct way to hold a Forging hammer. The point of force must be concentrated in the wrist. Through the vibration of spirit power, the Impurities inside the metal are expelled, improving its density and spirit power conductivity..."
As he spoke, he took out a hammer and personally demonstrated for Liu Yuan.
"Then there is reading the blueprints. Every spirit tool blueprint details the required metal types, ratios, dimensions, and final form."
"You must learn to understand this data; it is the prerequisite for production..."
"Finally, and the most critical step, is carving the Core Formation."
"This is the carving knife. When Engraving, the output of spirit power must be absolutely steady. The depth and direction of every stroke must strictly follow the formation diagram without the slightest deviation..."
Mr. Xuan explained very meticulously, unreservedly passing on the most basic knowledge a qualified Level 1 Soul Engineer needs to master to Liu Yuan.
This theoretical knowledge itself wasn't difficult; Liu Yuan understood it as soon as he heard it.
What is truly difficult is always the practice.
Because whether it is the exquisite control of strength during Forging or the stable output of spirit power during Engraving, it requires tens of thousands of repetitions to form muscle memory.
Mr. Xuan understood this, and Liu Yuan understood it too.
Therefore, after completing Liu Yuan's introductory teaching, Mr. Xuan led the entire class in a grand procession toward the dedicated Soul Tool Laboratory.
The massive alloy gate rose slowly, revealing a vast space filled with a metallic and technological atmosphere.
Rows of neat Forging tables, precision spirit power testing instruments, and various rare Materials radiating metallic lusters were a dazzling sight.
The students familiarly found their workstations, took out their exclusive tools from their storage spirit tools, and began preparing for today's practical lesson.
Liu Yuan followed suit and, under Mr. Xuan's guidance, arrived at a vacant Forging table.
He first picked up the Forging hammer from the side.
"Hmm?"
The moment the hammer entered his hand, Liu Yuan was slightly stunned.
"Why is it... so light?"
This refined steel Forging hammer, specifically crafted for Spirit Masters, had considerable weight, but in his hand, it felt no different from a piece of straw.
He swung it twice casually; it even created a whistling sound in the air, appearing incredibly easy.
Liu Yuan quickly realized why.
This was likely the result of his physical fitness skyrocketing in all aspects after Awakening the Mega Rayquaza Spirit.
He didn't pay it much mind, simply thinking that this might make Forging less strenuous for him.
Next, he randomly pulled a Level 1 spirit tool design from the nearby blueprint rack.
The drawing depicted a melee soul dagger with a relatively simple structure. It only required Forging Iron Mother into shape and then Engraving a basic Sharpness Formation. It was one of the most common practice pieces for apprentices.
Liu Yuan picked up a fist-sized piece of Iron Mother and placed it on the Forging table.
Recalling the hammer grip and force techniques Mr. Xuan had just taught, he took a deep breath and swung the hammer.
Clang!
A crisp, loud bang echoed through the laboratory.
Sparks flew in all directions!
Liu Yuan felt like he hadn't used much force, but when the hammerhead hit the Iron Mother, it exploded with an astonishing power.
The hard Iron Mother was actually flattened by a large margin under his hammer, as if it were dough.
"Hmm? Did I... use a bit too much strength?"
Liu Yuan scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.
He tried to restrain his strength and swung the hammer again.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A rhythmic striking sound rang out.
He quickly found the rhythm. Every strike landed precisely on the spot of the Iron Mother that needed hammering the most.
Accompanying the strikes, his spirit power seeped into the metal steadily and efficiently, forcing out the Impurities bit by bit.
The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, filled with a beauty of power and rhythm.
In just over ten minutes, a piece of Iron Mother that originally had many Impurities had them all removed under his hammer! Furthermore, it had been completely shaped into the prototype of the dagger on the blueprint.
"Done?"
Liu Yuan stopped his movements and looked at the half-finished dagger before him, hardly able to believe it himself.
"It's already... shaped? It seems... quite simple."
He didn't realize at all that for a novice Soul Engineer—someone like Huo Yuhao, for instance—completing this step would take at least several months. Yet he had only used ten minutes.
Next was Engraving the Core Formation.
Liu Yuan switched to the carving knife, held his breath, and focused, recalling the patterns of the Sharpness Formation from the blueprint.
He injected spirit power into the tip of the knife and began carving on the surface of the dagger.
He had originally thought this step would severely test his control, but when he actually started cutting, he found his hands were incredibly steady.
It felt as if a top-tier painter were calmly working on their canvas.
The spirit power output was as steady as a straight line. The carving knife seemed to take on a life of its own in his hand, precisely gliding across the surface of the dagger, leaving behind perfectly uniform and flawless patterns.
Another half hour passed.
Buzz—
As the final stroke fell, the entire dagger trembled slightly, and a faint white light flashed across the blade.
Success!
Liu Yuan picked up the freshly made soul dagger, looking at the smooth and perfect formation patterns as well as the faint sharp aura emanating from the blade, and fell into deep self-doubt.
"It's... finished?"
"How can it be so simple?"
"Did something go wrong with one of the steps?"
He looked it over repeatedly, feeling that everything had gone a bit too smoothly.
He decided to take his work to Mr. Xuan to have him appraise it and see if he had made a mistake somewhere.
And just as Liu Yuan stood up, the commotion on his side had already attracted the attention of the other students in the laboratory.
From the moment his terrifying Forging sounds—like a blacksmith's symphony—began, many people had been casting curious glances his way.
When they saw that he had completed the Shaping in just ten minutes and finished Engraving the formation half an hour later, the eyes of those who noticed almost popped out.
At this moment, seeing Liu Yuan actually stand up with a finished dagger, the faces of everyone watching were filled with shock, curiosity, and a deep sense of doubt.
"No... way? He's already finished?"
"How long has it been? Not even half an hour, right?"
"You've got to be kidding! Doesn't he have zero foundation? How could he be so fast! He must have failed and just doesn't know how to fix it, right?"
"Definitely! Look at that confused expression on his face; he probably feels something is wrong himself and wants to ask the teacher."
"Yeah, that makes sense."
The students discussed fervently. No one dared to believe Liu Yuan could succeed on his first try, much less at such an absurd speed.
They all subconsciously assumed that what was in Liu Yuan's hand was merely a failure that looked good on the surface.
Meanwhile, Mr. Xuan was currently standing by Xiao Hongchen's Forging table, instructing him with a serious expression.
"Xiao Hongchen, pay attention to the rhythm of your spirit power output! The core of your Level 5 spirit tool, the 'Sword of the Mortal World,' is energy amplification, which requires extremely high spirit power conductivity from the metal!"
Xiao Hongchen was drenched in sweat, laboriously hammering a piece of metal that emitted a silver light. Hearing this, he said with a bitter face, "Teacher, this is too hard!"
Just then, Mr. Xuan felt someone gently tugging at the corner of his clothes.
He turned around and saw Liu Yuan's face, which held a hint of confusion.
Mr. Xuan was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion, "What is it, Student Liu Yuan? Did you run into a problem? Don't worry, take it slow. Failing the first time is very normal."
In his mind, Liu Yuan must have hit a snag as soon as he started and came over to ask for help.
However, Liu Yuan's next words caused the smile on his face to instantly freeze.
Liu Yuan handed over the dagger and asked somewhat uncertainly:
"Reporting, teacher. I think I... finished crafting this Level 1 spirit tool."
"Could you help me check if there's something wrong with it? I feel... it was a bit too simple."
"..."
The entire world seemed to fall silent at that moment.
The expression on Mr. Xuan's face shifted from gentle confusion to bewilderment, then to a daze, and finally turned completely blank.
He was utterly dumbfounded.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"