With the entire process and data thoroughly mastered, making a soul core took Chen Fu about a full day for just one piece.
But he only needed to craft a single one. After that, the repetitive manufacturing could be handed off to Youlan, who had already collected all the necessary production data.
All Chen Fu needed to do was find the two human-shaped power banks in the shop from time to time to provide energy. Efficiency increased at least a hundredfold.
"So? Task completed?"
Handing most of the data verification for the Ascension Project to Youlan, Chen Fu finally had some rare free time.
He brewed a cup of tea for the girl and slid it toward her.
"Teacher Fanyu agreed. Actually, it's easier if you talk to Elder Xuan."
She downed the tea in one gulp, then snatched the small teapot from Chen Fu and poured for herself.
"You… used spatial soul-tool materials to make a teapot? Isn't that a bit extravagant?"
As she poured, Ma Xiaotao realized something was off about the little teapot's capacity.
"Haha, it's a special custom version. If you like it, I'll give it to you."
"Elder Xuan doesn't understand these things. He only knows how to haggle with me. It's annoying."
Chen Fu took out a palm-sized red metal box from his storage wristband. Flaming patterns seemed to ripple across its surface.
"What's this treasure?"
After stuffing Chen Fu's finely crafted personal teapot openly into her pocket, Ma Xiaotao's gaze was immediately drawn to the fiery box.
The color scheme matched her aesthetics perfectly.
"A custom battle-soul device. Codename: Vermillion Phoenix. It has access to the Youlan database."
He personally opened the box and helped her put on the single-piece battle-soul device decorated with firebird motifs.
Her orange-red eyes behind the phoenix-patterned lens had a unique sort of beauty.
"Does it look good?"
Seeing the boy momentarily dazed, she laughed.
"…It's your seventeenth birthday gift. Do you like it?"
Chen Fu quickly regained his composure and changed the topic.
"Of course I like it!"
She became visibly excited.
"Chen Fu, I have good news to share!"
"Mm, go ahead."
"Those few Soul Sages who gossiped about you in the inner court back then,I beat all of them into the ground last week!"
Those were ancient trivial matters. Why did she hold grudges so tightly? How many years had it been?
Back then, Chen Fu had dominated the unrestricted individual soul duel exam using soul tools and was mocked by traditional soul masters. If Ma Xiaotao hadn't mentioned it, he would've forgotten.
"You've mastered all your storage rings. A level sixty-three Soul Emperor beating up Soul Sages isn't exactly fair."
After breaking through Soul Emperor and obtaining a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, Ma Xiaotao's soul had grown much stronger. During that time, Chen Fu used the Divine Ring soul tool to gradually purify all four of her remaining soul rings.
After chatting a bit more, Chen Fu handed her the production blueprint for the battle-soul device assembly line, asking her to deliver a message on her way back.
Watching the girl's departing figure, Chen Fu smiled silently.
"Think of it as extra insurance. Xiao Lan, execute Project Mortal Banishment."
[Task list updated. Current computation load: 89%]
Soon afterward, a new type of soul tool began trending across Shrek City.
"Boss, how do you use this soul tool?" A man picked up a pair of glasses, uncertain. Whenever he had free time, he liked browsing Lin Pavilion. If he was lucky, he could find delicate and practical gadgets made by Grandmaster Chen Fu.
Though most items recently were made by Chen Fu's disciples and of noticeably lower quality, some were still quite interesting.
"Sir, you can try wearing it."
Old Fu was serving customers personally, as he liked to do when the shop wasn't too crowded.
Following his demonstration, the man put on the battle-soul device.
"What the,! Incredible!"
Looking around the shop with the device on, he shouted nonstop.
"Damn, this plant actually contains a mild toxin! I used to eat it every day as a vegetable!"
"Holy,there's even a soul-tool price estimator here!"
"Shopkeeper, how much? I'll take them all!"
"Sorry, each person is limited to three. Two thousand gold soul coins each."
"Then give me three!"
Old Fu collected the coins and told the attendants to pack them.
Scenes like this were happening in soul-tool shops all over Shrek City.
Chen Fu had essentially worked half for free to reduce the base material cost of the battle-soul device to a thousand coins, but retail shops had to account for labor costs.
Rapidly spreading the battle-soul devices throughout the city was crucial for Chen Fu's long-term plans.
Soon, soul masters who bought the devices realized they functioned outside Shrek City as well,though many features stopped working. Only basic recording and analysis remained, but that alone greatly improved travel safety.
Within Shrek City, Chen Fu shared the "basic knowledge" section of the Youlan database for free. Every user's recorded data within Youlan's range was copied into Youlan.
A mutually beneficial arrangement.
While editing data and analyzing records, the battle-soul device consumed a small amount of the user's spirit and soul power. This energy was then partially converted into nourishment for Youlan's data god-ring, steadily expanding it.
In the laboratory, sensing the god-ring growing stronger day by day, Chen Fu couldn't help smiling.
"The research cost of the battle-soul device isn't something a few thousand coins could cover. A bit of extra energy consumption counts as interest."
Thinking this, he felt much more balanced.
As for whether others could crack it,Chen Fu simply didn't care. In fact, he looked forward to it.
If someone could break through the true technical barrier of the soul core using primitive tools, Chen Fu would only feel glad,great paths were never lonely.
Based on the estimated spirit reserves of Elder Mu and Elder Long, two Limit Douluo, deciphering the soul core using traditional theory would require ten Fanyus working nonstop for twenty years. If the anti-decryption Lin-seal was included, the time would increase geometrically.
As Chen Fu said in his previous life: everyone knows the mass–energy equation, but only a few nations can actually build nuclear weapons.
With the Ark's black technology created, he now stood at the same starting line as traditional rank-nine soul engineers.
The objective existence of the technological throne, Youlan, gave him the sharpest blade to cut down obstacles on the path of technological development.
His scientific mindset from his past life helped him grasp the core of all advancement,energy.
Whether soul power, spirit, or soul essence, Chen Fu was attempting to convert all of them into usable energy and build all research on that foundation.
Using the Ark as the base, Nirvana, Jade, Divine Ring, Youlan, Vermillion Phoenix, and the ongoing Ascension and Mortal Banishment projects were all attempts to probe the limits of soul power, spirit, and soul essence.
Chen Fu admitted that sometimes he felt a little insane. He occasionally heard faint whispers from the void. Part of this was his increasingly powerful spiritual sensitivity, which he suspected was linked to the ever-growing data god-ring of Youlan. Another part… was that some unknown existence may have begun watching him. More than one.
"Perhaps this is what they call divinity?"
As more soul masters in Shrek City used the battle-soul devices, the azure data god-ring began undergoing strange changes.
"To feed on the breath of all beings, to drink the essence of sun and moon, to nourish my soul and god…"
A soft golden light enveloped Chen Fu as he pondered. A sacred, solemn aura flowed around him.
Moments later, face darkened, he opened his eyes and stared at his fifth soul ring.
The soul-ring self-evolution plan was postponed.
If you want to read 40 advanced chapters and 3 new chapters daily, please subscribe to my : patreon.com/Moorowkeel