"The main framework of the Data Spirit Ring is basically complete. It's time to show some real technology and serious work."
Chen Fu, his black, messy hair sticking out in all directions, looked at the faintly glowing blue ring before him and muttered to himself. He had already finished editing the core program; what remained was filling in the data.
"Ning Tian, from now on you'll be in charge of level-one and level-two soul tools in the Lin Pavilion."
"But Teacher, I've only been studying under you for three months! I've mastered the basic level-one soul tool theory, but some of the level-two materials have properties I can't handle at all!"
A small head poked out from a pile of "junk," the girl's face full of grievance. Wasn't he being too hard on her, a tiny soul master? Her father had entrusted her to this teacher, and before she even finished her beginner basics, he tossed her a pile of theoretical textbooks far beyond her level, ordering her to finish them within half a year.
"How many times have I told you? The traditional soul tool ranking system is nonsense."
Chen Fu summoned Xiao Lan, who began cleaning the laboratory, which had been blown into a mess by the young girl. Numerous consumed materials rose into the air, sorted themselves, and melted into new secondary components. Fortunately, her father was wealthy enough to support this kind of wastefulness.
Practice leads to true understanding, so Chen Fu often had Ning Tian personally perform key operations. Even if she made mistakes and burned or exploded circuits, it didn't matter. For dangerous tasks, he already had Xiao Lan monitor material data in real time and suppress any abnormalities.
Thus, while passing on his soul tool theories and concepts to Ning Tian, he also created opportunities for her to practice.
"How far have you gotten in that set of textbooks?"
"I got stuck on the section about making soul circuit layouts orderly and miniaturized. It's like reading an alien script ≥﹏≤"
Ning Tian's pretty little face looked discouraged. Three months of study had shown her exactly how unusual her teacher was. In terms of soul tool development concepts, he was practically an anomaly. No,compared to Chen Fu, all other soul tool masters were anomalies!
Even though she had been force-fed a large amount of advanced theory, she still couldn't work with higher-level materials. Even with support from the Ark's core soul power, she always failed in practical lessons. She began to doubt whether she was even suited to be a soul tool master.
"Miniaturization, huh? Not bad. You've been working hard."
Seeing the girl kneeling in front of him with a soot-darkened face, almost reaching his shoulder in height, he reached out and ruffled her messy long hair.
"If you've gotten that far, then by theory you should be able to handle traditional level-four soul tools."
Chen Fu rubbed his chin, estimating the technical reserves required.
"What? Teacher, I can't even manage level two yet, and you want me to do level four? This is child labor abuse (ó﹏ò)"
Ning Tian's face fell. She thought, not everyone has a martial soul perfectly suited for research like her teacher.
"You're thinking that not everyone has a martial soul specialized for research, aren't you?"
Chen Fu instantly saw through her thoughts.
"Soul power is a means, not an end. A martial soul is also only a means, not the end."
He stood up, brushed off his clothes, and summoned his martial soul, the Tech Throne.
Clang!
The soul rings behind him unfolded into a matrix formation through ring-melting technology. Around them revolved a disc composed of Ark soul tool units.
"Doing this alone before was pointless, but now I can create it for you to practice with."
Large quantities of metal materials wrapped in soul power began melting and reshaping at a speed visible to the naked eye under the authority of the Tech Throne.
This method could be used in combat, but high-level soul masters had soul power barriers and high soul power vitality, making it less effective. Besides, Chen Fu normally had no need to fight personally.
"Teacher, what are you making?"
Watching him enter what he called Creator Mode, Ning Tian looked with envy at the mysterious metallic soul tool gradually forming in the air.
She could only use the Ark's energy disk with the help of large machinery, not freely like her teacher.
As for the soul power used in the Ark's functions, the type infused with his own will and spiritual origin was stored for research involving spiritual core issues. The second type, used as general-purpose soul power, could be filled with any soul master's soul power for regular experiments.
Converting personal soul power into universal soul power,this was why Shrek's Soul Tool Academy had stubbornly clung to the first-generation Ark for three years.
Traditional "milk bottles" could only use their own soul power and expired quickly. The Ark, however, was like "one kiss shared by thousands" and "beauty undefeated by time."
And beneath the laboratory were two enormous power storage devices,essentially providing the entire lab's "electricity bill."
"Don't envy this too much. It's just second-level energy tech. Once I finish testing third-level energy tech, this will be outdated."
While sketching the circuit blueprint with his spiritual power, Chen Fu guided Xiao Lan to adjust the soul tool structure accordingly.
Rather than expanding the Ark's capacity, he aimed for a qualitative breakthrough.
"All right… not that I understand any of this."
Ning Tian sighed helplessly. She could still follow applied technology, but energy technology felt like something from another world. According to her teacher's system, traditional milk bottles were first-level energy,temporary supplements. Second-generation Arks were second-level energy,universal soul power. She couldn't begin to imagine what third-level energy would be like.
Once Chen Fu finished outlining the details of the two-meter-long soul tool,shaped somewhat like a single bed,Xiao Lan completed the material processing according to the program.
Boom!
The heavy soul tool landed solidly on the floor behind Ning Tian, scattering fine metal dust.
"Wah! Teacher, you could've warned me!"
Ning Tian pouted as she crawled up from the floor, waving her tiny fists at Chen Fu.
"I pre-measured everything. There was no danger."
One hand pressed down on her head, while the other traced motions in the air, instructing Xiao Lan to adjust its appearance. Decorative circuit patterns appeared on the surface, designed to glow faint blue as the soul tool ran.
Chen Fu admitted he did care about aesthetics. When he could balance function and appearance, he would always aim for harmony.
For example:
"Teacher, what do you call this soul tool that looks like a big table?"
"A machine table."
…
"The appearance of the first-generation machine table marked the true beginning of the concept of using tools to create tools. Of course, we still feel regret that Instructor Chen Fu did not grant it a formal title, even though the name he gave it was indeed concise and accurate." , Modern Soul Tool Development History