Chapter 16: Core Formation
One year later, in Shi San's blacksmith shop.
"Brother, this sword is very well made, made entirely of iron essence. But why did you forge the blade and hilt together? That not only uses more iron essence but also increases the weight of the sword. Wouldn't it be better to use a lighter material for the hilt?"
Shi Yi nodded and said, "I'm not looking to forge an ordinary sword. A hilt made of ordinary lightweight materials would easily break, and if the materials between the blade and hilt are incompatible, the flow of spirit power will be affected."
Hearing this, Tang San was slightly surprised and asked uncertainly, "Brother, you want to forge a sword that a spirit master can use?"
Shi Yi nodded and said, "Yes, we're just one step away."
He looked at the sword, which shone with a cold light, and there was a hole in the hilt.
The melee spirit tool was Shi Yi's first attempt, and compared to other spirit tools, it had an unparalleled practical basis. If one were to ask what the most common weapon used by non-spirit masters on the continent was, it would be the sword, and for the military, the spear.
This sword was also forged by Shi Yi, using materials he had scraped together from his daily Spirit Master allowance. Actually, Shi Yi was more suited to long weapons like spears and clubs than swords, but he was now too poor.
A spear forged entirely from iron essence would fetch at least five hundred gold spirit coins on the market. He was able to acquire iron essence at such a low cost because he had trained with Tang San in the Chaos Cloak Hammer Technique.
"One step short?" Tang San asked, puzzled.
"Xiao San, this sword needs something to truly succeed—something that can allow your spirit power to manifest the properties you desire and amplify those properties." Shi Yi chuckled.
"What is it?" Tang San asked, puzzled.
"A brain, the core formation of a spirit tool," Shi Yi smiled.
With that, Shi Yi placed the forged sword into his own spirit tool.
Tang San's surprise deepened. He had also studied with Yu Xiaogang for a year, so he naturally knew what a spirit tool was.
"A weapon-like spirit tool, I wonder how it compares to a hidden weapon?" Tang San thought to himself.
Tang San didn't ask any further questions. It was clear that Shi Yi's spirit tool was still in the research phase.
Seeing that Tang San had no questions, Shi Yi continued to ponder the design of his first spirit tool.
"Iron Essence is the best material I have available. Elite military weapons are mostly made of Iron Essence. Its biggest advantage is its durability, but it's incredibly heavy, far exceeding ordinary iron. If I hadn't absorbed the spirit ring of the Thousand Jun Ant, I wouldn't have been able to lift it, let alone wield it freely. The material used for the core magic array is optimal for wind properties, which not only makes the weapon lighter but also enhances its cutting power."
"I'll have to ask the teacher for help with the materials. I'd better think about the design of the core magic array first."
With this in mind, Shi Yi pulled out his small notebook from his spirit tool and began to ponder.
According to Shi Yi's research on spirit tools, a core magic array represents the underlying logic of the spirit tool's operation. Take the storage belt that Yu Xiaogang gave him as an example. Just for the storage function, the core magic array is composed of two distinct layers.
Shi Yi observed carefully, realizing that the two sections represented storage and extraction, respectively. He attempted to carve the same core formation on other materials, but to no avail. He had two theories: incomplete carving or subtle errors, or a material issue. Each jade stone on the belt was made of more than just a simple material.
"The core formation of a melee soul guide's main function is to store and amplify energy, allowing a soul master to unleash power beyond their capabilities with each move, even when using their soul power normally. If a wind-attributed material is used as a foundation, and since soul masters can accelerate their cultivation through specialized soul power circulation pathways, the energy-storing core formation must form a closed loop, much like the circulation of soul power within a soul master. Different materials have different properties and patterns. To accelerate energy storage and amplify soul power bursts, we must experiment with the material to find the most efficient soul power circulation path and shape."
"No wonder most core formations are primarily circular,"
Shi Yi thought, his lips curling slightly. He already had his own experimental ideas for carving the core formation; now, he only lacked the materials.
Helpless, Shi Yi could only accompany Tang San as he worked peacefully on the ironwork.
After Shi Yi and Tang San finished their day's work in Shi San's blacksmith shop, it was dinnertime, and Shi Yi eagerly went to the second floor cafeteria to await Yu Xiaogang's arrival.
Yu Xiaogang arrived promptly, and upon reaching the second floor, he saw a look of surprise on Shi Yi's face. Shi Yi had arrived early. After skillfully ordering a few dishes at the cafeteria window, Yu Xiaogang slowly sat down in front of Shi Yi.
"Just tell me what you want to say," Yu Xiaogang said helplessly, looking at Shi Yi. Shi Yi chuckled and said, "Teacher, do you have money? Or can you help me get some special wind-attributed materials with excellent conductivity?"
Yu Xiaogang, surprised, said, "In just one year, you've made some progress in your soul guide research?"
Shi Yi smiled, "All that's left is the experiment."
"I don't have any money, but I might be able to help you with special wind-attributed materials," Yu Xiaogang said to Shi Yi.
Shi Yi, surprised, extended his hand to Yu Xiaogang.
"Not now, but maybe in a few days," Yu Xiaogang said calmly to Shi Yi.
"In a few days? You're not going to set your sights on your two old friends, are you?" Shi Yi smiled.
Yu Xiaogang looked at Shi Yi and sighed slightly. "It seems you already know my background. I haven't been in touch with Flender in a long time."
"How did you know that old friend would have what I want?" Shi Yi asked suspiciously.
Yu Xiaogang, lost in memory, said, "Because building an academy was Flender's dream. When we traveled across the continent, Flender collected a lot of materials with different properties. The most important thing for an academy is a simulated training environment. Only by combining a large number of special materials with the same properties through special means can a simulated training environment suitable for spirit masters be created."
Shi Yi's eyes lit up. Flender's wealth was far richer than he had imagined.
"If I can successfully create the first spirit guide, then when I go to Shrek in a few years, I'll be able to connect with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. I won't have to worry about materials and money anymore," Shi Yi thought to himself.
"Okay, let's eat first. Now that you've made some progress, I'll write a letter after dinner and ask for some materials," Yu Xiaogang said to Shi Yi.
Shi Yi nodded happily.
...
Three days later, Shi Yi returned to his room after a day's work.
Opening the door, he saw a pile of various materials, gleaming green, piled in Yu Xiaogang's room. Seeing this, Shi Yi's young eyes filled with excitement.
At this moment, Shi Yi had a clearer understanding of Soul Sages. He had assumed that a Soul Sage like Flanders, who refused to bow to the powerful, would be poor, but he was certain that the wind-attributed materials in this room were more than enough for his experiment to succeed.
Shi Yi took a quick inventory and found not only special metals, but also numerous wind-attributed materials found in spirit beasts, including hardened claws, feathers, and inner elixirs.
He casually tapped the special metals.
"Oh my goodness, these materials are too much for a regular chisel to carve," Shi Yi muttered to himself.
"If these are used as the core for the iron essence's forge, I'm afraid that if the soul power is concentrated to a certain level, the entire soul guide will collapse."
Shi Yi sorted through the various materials and finally found a large piece of special wind-attributed metal.
While ordinary wind crystals weren't particularly valuable, this one was valuable because it was pure enough to ensure easy carving, and the material was sufficient to ensure the iron essence wouldn't be overwhelmed by the force.
Finally, Shi Yi found a feather amidst the pile of materials. It was so sharp that even holding it in his hand, he could feel a gentle breeze brushing against it. But this was in a room; a gust of wind wouldn't just appear out of thin air.
"This thing is a natural carving knife. If it were made into a hidden weapon for Tang San, it would surely inflict considerable damage." Shi Yi's face lit up at the feather's power.
Carefully, he tried to use the feather to cut the large chunk of wind crystal into smaller pieces. The feather's sharpness far exceeded his expectations, slicing the crystal with a single stroke. Seeing this, Shi Yi was certain that the object in his hand came from a wind-attributed spirit beast at least thirty thousand years old.
He marked the chunk of wind crystal with a pen, divided it into several pieces, and eagerly began experimenting.
In fact, Shi Yi believed that the core array of a soul guide was similar to the CPU of a computer in his past life. Carving a core array meant building upon the material foundation, continuously adding cores and threads to the core array to ensure increased efficiency.
Continuously and precisely carving within the already extremely small core array, in order to transform it into a multi-core, multi-threaded system, required exceptionally keen eyesight and mental strength.
"No wonder soul guides wear glasses! If only I could learn the Purple Demon Eye from Xiao San. Better get started! Without Zhang the butcher, I'll still be eating hairy pigs," Shi Yi thought to himself.
"Start with the simplest closed circular loop, and try to create multiple interconnected loops within it..."
Shi Yi carved with such intense concentration that he didn't even notice the rustling of the door opening and closing after Yu Xiaogang returned.
Seeing Shi Yi's state, Yu Xiaogang nodded in satisfaction. It was the first time he'd seen Shi Yi so, and of course, this also underscored the immense difficulty of soul guide research.
Although Shi Yi was still a child, Yu Xiaogang had never treated him like one.
Shi Yi toggled back and forth between carving and replacing the Wind Crystal in his hands, forgetting even his most important daily meditation.
Seeing Shi Yi's devotion, Yu Xiaogang didn't interrupt him, instead sinking into his own meditation.
An indeterminate amount of time passed before Shi Yi's final cut, and a gentle breeze emerged from the Wind Crystal in his hand. Shi Yi knew he had succeeded.
Using a simple circle as the foundation for his formation, Shi Yi, drawing inspiration from Tai Chi techniques from his past life, created two interdependent and interconnected cores within the formation, accelerating the efficiency of his soul power.
Then, excitedly, Shi Yi pulled out his iron-forged sword from his soul guide. He had already prepared a groove in the hilt and then inserted the Wind Crystal, containing the core array, into it.
Looking at the sword in his hand, Shi Yi exclaimed with joy, "I succeeded."
Recovering from his reverie, Shi Yi glanced out the window. Unbeknownst to him, daylight had already risen. A simple dual-core formation had taken him a whole day and night, and Yu Xiaogang's whereabouts were unknown.
Just as Shi Yi was about to test out his first soul guide, a wave of intense fatigue washed over him. His eyelids felt as heavy as a mountain.
The sword in his hand dropped, and Shi Yi passed out.
After an unknown amount of time, Shi Yi gradually regained consciousness, a sense of emptiness permeating his entire being.
"Awake?" Yu Xiaogang's voice reached Shi Yi's ears.
Shi Yi tried to turn his head, only to see Yu Xiaogang looking at the sword he had forged.
Shi Yi smiled weakly and said, "How's it? Very good, isn't it?"
Yu Xiaogang put down his sword and produced a bowl of porridge from somewhere. He fed Shi Yi a mouthful and said, "Not bad. With the blessing of the wind attribute, its sharpness far exceeds that of ordinary swords.
The speed of the sword and the weight of the sword will change with the infusion of soul power. Most importantly, as you continue to inject soul power, you can easily release wind-attributed sword energy. With this sword and your strength, even ordinary great soul masters will be no match for you."
"Really? Just as I expected," Shi Yi said. He took a moment to relax, struggled to sit up, took the bowl of porridge from Yu Xiaogang's hand, and began to eat. The feeling of being waited on was indeed a bit strange.
"Remember, don't tell anyone that you can make soul guides easily," Yu Xiaogang warned softly, placing the longsword next to Shi Yi.
Shi Yi nodded slightly and said, "I understand."
Yu Xiaogang looked at Shi Yi with emotion. The child before him had achieved something he could hardly imagine.
"It's best to use this sword sparingly. If someone targets you, it won't be good. I think it would be better if you researched defensive soul tools rather than offensive ones. I can't imagine what the world would be like if soul tools became commonplace," Yu Xiaogang said.
After drinking a few sips of porridge, Shi Yi gradually regained some of his strength.
Shi Yi smiled and said, "Teacher, there's nothing wrong with weapons. Soul tools aren't commonplace right now, but does that mean there's less conflict?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly. "You have a point, but I'm more worried about soul beasts than soul masters. Once these soul tools become widespread, soul masters' powers will skyrocket, and there won't be a place for soul beasts on the entire continent."
Shi Yi nodded in agreement.
"Take a few days to rest. Your age isn't suited to such long-term research."
With that, Yu Xiaogang took out his notebook and began observing the sword Shi Yi had forged.
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