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Success on the very first try!
Though it was merely his first attempt, Su Wen had carved intricate patterns onto a sphere of rare metal that an ordinary novice Soul Tool engineer would struggle to even trace correctly.
Multiple factors contributed to this feat, but the primary keys were Su Wen's Soul Power rank and his Mental Power level. These two attributes allowed him to manipulate the rare metal with effortless precision while memorizing and replicating the Core Array down to the most minute detail.
Looking at the sphere in his hand, Su Wen injected his Soul Power. The energy circulated through the etched lines of the Core Array, eventually emitting a vibrant red glow.
Boom!
A ball of fire manifested out of thin air.
However, Su Wen quickly cut off the output of Soul Power. With the assistance of his Mental Power, the flames promptly flickered out. Despite the success, the silver sphere serving as the core had become slightly deformed from the heat of the flames.
While the melting point of Deep Silver was high and the previous flames weren't enough to melt it entirely, they were sufficient to cause slight structural warping. This was a major factor in the wear and tear of Soul Tools.
"If I study Smithing as a sub-skill, I can hammer the rare metals to be more compact, thereby preventing external factors from damaging the Core Array."
Beyond that, there was the matter of the outer shell.
A searing flame rose from Su Wen's palm, melting the newly carved core back into a liquid state before he reshaped it into a sphere once more. He set aside the Intermediate-rank carving knife and condensed wind element energy at his fingertips, forming a razor-sharp wind blade.
The wind blade traced lines across the surface of the Deep Silver sphere as he imprinted the Core Array for a second time. Once the core was complete, Su Wen took out more Deep Silver, melting and forging it into the shape of a longsword with a hollowed-out slot at the crossguard to house the core.
After the shaping was finished, Su Wen began to engrave the Soul Tool's auxiliary arrays onto the blade itself.
"Done."
He inlaid the core into the slot at the hilt and injected Soul Power to calibrate the first true Soul Tool he had ever created. Soul Power surged through the sword, faintly radiating from the steel to form sharp arcs of sword qi.
Then, Su Wen directed his Soul Power into the core. A burst of flame instantly ignited along the length of the blade. The Soul Power guided the fire to coat the entire sword, and the sword qi became enveloped in flames, transforming into fiery blade waves.
His Mental Power swept inside and out of the longsword to check for flaws. Confirming there were none, Su Wen halted the flow of energy.
"This sword... it should be considered mid-tier for its grade, right?"
Su Wen had observed various finished Primary Soul Tools in the Sun Moon Pavilion. By comparison, he could roughly judge the quality of his own creation.
While his high cultivation realm was a major factor in his immediate success, another crucial point was his existing foundation in exploring formations and Soul Power circulation routes. If the Soul Masters of the Sun Moon Continent knew that Su Wen had only just looked at the materials and theory today—and had successfully crafted a functional Soul Tool on his very first attempt—they would likely lose all will to live.
To succeed on the first try was inherently absurd. Yet, Su Wen was attempting Soul Tool craftsmanship.
Furthermore, Su Wen had created two core components in rapid succession during this process, a speed and efficiency that many Intermediate Soul Tool engineers couldn't match. Even the feat of melting and reshaping Deep Silver with flames produced from his bare hands was not something just any engineer could do. Most engineers relied on machinery, such as the forging furnaces equipped in the workshop Su Wen was currently using.
A forging furnace's unique structure could rapidly generate powerful flames to melt rare metals and allow the engineer to hammer them under controlled conditions.
Su Wen continued his practice with Primary Soul Tools. Deeply aware of the importance of foundations, he did not skip straight to higher levels just because of one success. Amidst the repetitive practice, Su Wen summarized the nuances of using a carving knife and constantly experimented to find a technique that suited him best.
Time flowed by.
In the blink of an eye, Su Wen had been in Ninghai City for half a month. During this time, he had attempted to craft over a hundred Primary Soul Tools. Among them were more than ten pieces that even Su Wen considered perfect. He handed these over to Lin Tian to be sold within the Sun Moon Pavilion.
In exchange, Su Wen earned contribution points, which he used to trade for various internal records and data. Within half a month, he had built an incredibly rock-solid foundation in Primary Soul Tool theory and practice.
While Su Wen's workshop had heard nothing but the sound of flames and carving knives for fifteen days, the city of Ninghai had been turned upside down.
The conflict between the Sun Moon Pavilion and the City Lord's Mansion had become irreconcilable due to Zhao Yuan's presence, finally reaching a boiling point. Violent clashes involving Soul Ancestor-level masters occurred frequently within the city.
Notably, Wang Lin had engaged in a fierce battle with the commander of the City Lord's guard. The commander was a Soul King; though not a Soul Tool engineer himself, he was equipped with high-quality Soul Tools. Despite this, Wang Lin managed to fight above his level and hold his own.
This battle became Wang Lin's claim to fame. It was also recorded by Lin Tian in his evaluation report as the most highlight-worthy achievement of this trial.
"Lord Su, you've finally emerged from seclusion!" Lin Qingyue's voice held a distinct sense of relief.
Although Su Wen hadn't been completely cut off from the world for the past half-month, he hadn't initiated any contact with the outside world beyond receiving his meals. His departure from the workshop and his inquiry into the current state of Ninghai City signaled the official end of his seclusion.
Lin Tian had previously instructed Lin Qingyue not to disturb Su Wen. Although Su Wen was starting his Soul Tool education late, Lin Tian believed Su Wen's high Soul Power rank was a massive advantage. This first experience with the craft was crucial for Su Wen; perhaps he could find his "feel" and produce his first finished product quickly.
However, as Su Wen began to turn in one top-tier Primary Soul Tool after another, Lin Tian found Su Wen harder and harder to read. He even had a fleeting thought that Su Wen might actually be some hidden Grandmaster who was posing as a rookie to mock him, but he quickly dismissed the idea. It simply served no purpose.
Over the past two weeks, though Lin Tian insisted that Lin Qingyue leave Su Wen alone, his own attention toward the workshop grew more frequent. He asked about Su Wen's status and progress with increasing regularity.
Lin Qingyue could sense a growing urgency in Lin Tian's tone and behavior. Clearly, the true storm in Ninghai City was about to break. To have Su Wen—the Sun Moon Pavilion's strongest hidden trump card—emerge just before the storm broke was the most comforting situation Lin Qingyue could imagine.
"What is it?" Su Wen asked calmly. "Has the situation in Ninghai City reached the point where a final decisive battle could break out at any moment?"
(End of Chapter)