Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 396 Xuan Ziwen, Level Six Soul Tool

At noon, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy prepared a sumptuous lunch for the Shrek Academy exchange students.

Teacher Fanyu sat with the students, eating as she asked, "We visited the academy this morning and experienced their physical fitness test and soul guidance device. What are your thoughts?"

He Caitou put down his cutlery, a wry smile appearing on his honest face, and said in a deep voice:

"Teacher, the gap... is too big. The prevalence and sophistication of their soul tools far surpass our academy, not to mention the Three Kingdoms outside."

Upon hearing this, Fan Yu's expression turned serious. He glanced at all the students and said in a deep voice, "Cai Tou is right. The gap between us and the Sun Moon Empire in terms of soul tools is an objective fact."

"But it is precisely because we see the gap that we are here. Don't be afraid of the gap. As long as the gap is visible, we can catch up through hard work and relentless effort, and eventually surpass them. This is the most important purpose of our trip!"

His tone was firm and resolute; he was educating his disciples, and also inspiring himself.

But to be honest, deep down he wasn't entirely sure how much of the core knowledge he could learn during the two-and-a-half-year exchange period.

It's obvious to anyone with a brain that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy would keep the most crucial soul tool technology and blueprints strictly confidential.

Even if they are allowed to attend classes or even obtain higher-level Soul Master badges and learn step by step, how much truly advanced technology can they access and master?
The reason he could still maintain his confidence was actually due to Huo Yuhao's incredible mental detection ability.

This is the "ultimate cheat code" for learning skills by stealing knowledge. As long as Huo Yuhao can "see" the internal structure of a high-level soul tool, it is equivalent to mastering its core secrets.

As for Gura...

Fan Yu's gaze inadvertently swept over Gura, who was quietly eating.

To be honest, he couldn't see through this young man at all.

He had studied the "evolution chart" created by Gula in detail, but its design concept and the construction philosophy of the soul guidance array were completely different from any school of thought he knew, giving him a sense of "delicacy" and "efficiency" that transcended the times.

He even had a hunch that Gula's knowledge system of soul tools might be completely different from what he knew, or even more... advanced?
But he couldn't say such things aloud, much less investigate them.

Gula was not a disciple of his Soul Guidance Department, and he had no reason or demand that the other party share his inheritance and blueprints. He could only suppress his curiosity and pretend not to know.

In the afternoon, Sun Moon Academy assigned instructors to the Shrek students.

Due to the special nature of Gula and Huo Yuhao—one possessing extreme attributes and having created an evolution chart, and the other possessing twin martial souls and abnormal mental strength—they were assigned together to the Third Laboratory, under the supervision of the eighth-level soul master Xuan Ziwen.

The two entered the clean laboratory, which was filled with various parts and blueprints. A middle-aged man with glasses, a refined demeanor, and sharp eyes was bent over his desk drawing something.

"Teacher," the two greeted in unison.

Xuan Ziwen raised his head, adjusted his glasses, and glanced at the two of them before raising his hand to stop them: "Don't rush to call me teacher. I can't refuse the academy's arrangements, but if you want guidance from me, you need to pass my assessment."

"Of course, even if you don't pass, I won't shut you out; you can still use the lab. But if you do pass the assessment, I will naturally do my best to teach you knowledge that matches your level."

His attention was mainly focused on Gura. Although he was devoted to the research of civilian soul tools and opposed the excessive development of military soul tools, he also paid close attention to the sensational "evolution table".

Even from the perspective of a top-tier eighth-level soul master in the Sun Moon Empire, the design of that soul tool was truly amazing, filling him with curiosity about Gula.

Huo Yuhao stepped forward and said respectfully, "Teacher Xuan, I am willing to take the test."

Xuan Ziwen nodded, glanced at the Soul Master badge on Huo Yuhao's chest that represented level three, and said, "Since you are a level three Soul Master at Shrek Academy, then here, in one hour, create a level three Soul Tool that you think best represents your current level."

He then looked at Gula: "Where is your Soul Master badge?"

Gula calmly replied, "I haven't specifically taken any assessments for the rank."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ziwen frowned almost imperceptibly.

As a soul master with a traditional academic background, he tends to favor a system that is methodical and hierarchical.

But thinking of Gula's creation, he gained more patience: "In that case, spend an extra hour crafting a soul tool to the limit of your abilities. If it satisfies me, I can directly apply to the academy to award you the corresponding Soul Master Badge. However…"

He specifically emphasized, "Your evolution chart borrowed from soul bones and special energy, which was too opportunistic. We cannot make something similar this time."

“Okay,” Gula readily agreed.

"Go ahead, take the materials from that shelf over there. Come find me here in an hour." After saying that, Xuan Ziwen ignored them and continued to bury himself in his research.

Gula and Huo Yuhao walked to the experimental table next to them and each chose a spot.

Without the Dark Gold Terror Claw external soul bone to assist him, Huo Yuhao could only take out his carving knife, select the most common and cheap iron essence as the core material, and begin to focus on inscribing the core magic array.

Xuan Ziwen glanced at it and nodded slightly. He appreciated this attitude of not wasting materials and focusing on the basics.

Meanwhile, Gura began to think about what to make. He wasn't worried about the test itself; he was more interested in making something that he might be able to use.

He recalled Yun Ming's earth-shattering three shots and the phantom of the Sky-Piercing Spear, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him.

'Is it possible to seal away that trace of spear intent and create a special soul tool that combines attack and defense, and could even help others comprehend spear intent?'

Once he had an idea, he immediately put it into action.

He went straight to the materials shelf and specifically selected several rare metals that were hard, had excellent energy conductivity, and were quite precious, without caring about their high cost.

This scene made Xuan Ziwen's lips twitch slightly.

Compared to Huo Yuhao's frugality, Gula's extravagant and unreserved style made him seem like a rich kid who had come to experience life, which made this Soul Master, who advocated efficiency and practicality, feel a little pained.

Gula extended his right dark gold claw, emitting a faint dark gold glow, and began carving on the hard metal, using the claw as a carving knife.

His movements were fluid and precise, and the complex core magic array patterns appeared like art under his claws. His effortless control caused a hint of surprise to flash in Xuan Ziwen's eyes when he occasionally glanced up.

An hour passed quickly.

Both of them finished their works. Xuan Ziwen put down his pen, stood up and said, "Bring your works and come with me to the testing area."

The three arrived at the testing area attached to the laboratory. Xuan Ziwen turned around and asked, "Who wants to go first?"

Huo Yuhao looked at Gula and said, "Teacher, let me go first."

Xuan Ziwen nodded: "Let me see the power of your... disposable soul tool."

With his sharp eyes, he immediately saw that the iron essence Huo Yuhao was using could not withstand repeated infusions of soul power.

Huo Yuhao aimed the metal box in his hand at the target in the distance and activated it by injecting his soul power.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——!
In an instant, countless energy crossbow bolts poured out like a torrential rain, instantly covering, tearing apart, and destroying dozens of targets in front.

Its burst of firepower reached the level of a level four soul tool. If the materials were better, its power could definitely reach level five.

Xuan Ziwen's eyes lit up with surprise: "A trigger-based chain activation array? And a high-capacity soul power storage array, pre-charged, so even non-soul masters can use it, brilliant! How did you solve the problem of instantaneous energy output and structural stability..."

He analyzed the key technical difficulties almost instantly, and his eyes were full of admiration as he looked at Huo Yuhao.

But he remembered that it was a test, so he suppressed the urge to investigate immediately and looked at Gura. "Very well, wait a moment. Gura, it's your turn."

Gula stepped forward and took out a metal sculpture. The sculpture depicted a tall, upright man holding a long spear. The details of the man's face were somewhat blurred, but his fierce aura, as if he wanted to pierce the sky, was overwhelming.

Given the Soul Master's control over his essence, it's impossible that he couldn't carve out a face; therefore, it must have been intentional.

In fact, this was indeed Gula's intention. His item was a level six soul tool, hastily made, and he didn't think it could replicate even a fraction of Yun Ming's essence, so he decided to blur his appearance.

Xuan Ziwen pushed up his glasses, somewhat surprised: "A sculptural soul tool? That's rare. Judging from its appearance, it doesn't seem to be good at direct attack or defense. Could it be some kind of functional soul tool?"

Although it was his first time meeting Gula, he did not believe that the other party would make anything flashy but impractical.

Gula began his demonstration, explaining, "What the teacher said isn't entirely correct. This is a trinity soul tool."

"Trinity?" Xuan Ziwen and Huo Yuhao both showed surprised expressions.

Huo Yuhao subconsciously tried to use his mental detection to investigate, but he felt an incomparably sharp "intention" emanating from the sculpture, gently blocking his mental power, which horrified him.

“Not bad.” Gula glanced at Huo Yuhao and continued, “This work is similar to Huo Yuhao’s; it is also a one-time use soul tool, except that it will not be damaged itself, but will consume the power sealed inside.”

“I have sealed a special ‘gun intent’ inside. Soul Masters can activate it actively or passively when encountering fatal danger, summoning a phantom of a Soul Master wielding a gun to attack or block.”

"In addition, wearing it close to your body can also help you hone your spirit and slowly comprehend its meaning."

“All three processes consume the sealed ‘gun intent,’ which needs to be replenished later. Moreover, this kind of spiritual power has a special nature and will spontaneously and slowly dissipate, so… its practicality is actually not very strong.” Gula explained the shortcomings in a calm tone.

Xuan Ziwen and Huo Yuhao were both shocked by this unprecedented idea.

Gula activated the statue, and a slightly blurry phantom of soul power appeared, holding a long spear. The soul power fluctuations it emitted were not very strong, but the condensed, sharp, and unyielding spirit made the two feel a stinging pain between their brows, as if they were being pointed at by an invisible spear tip.

“Teacher Xuan, this phantom will only attack hostile life forms. We need your cooperation to test its defensive capabilities,” Gula said.

Although Xuan Ziwen mainly studies soul tools and lacks combat experience, as an eighth-level soul master, he has his own means of survival.

Out of curiosity, he also wanted to know the effect of this soul tool, so he put on the simple protective soul tool and nodded in agreement.

Sensing the "hostility," the phantom moved instantly, sending a condensed spear beam straight at them!

Xuan Ziwen felt a sharp mental shock mixed with physical attack coming towards him, which frightened him so much that he quickly defended himself with all his might. He secretly regretted agreeing to the test, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.

The test ended, and Xuan Ziwen looked at the soul power phantoms guarding the statue, their light now somewhat dimmed, and let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes filled with amazement:
"Incredible! To be able to seal away the 'spiritual realm' and transform it into a means of both offense and defense. This is absolutely a groundbreaking concept!"

"Unfortunately... the requirements for materials and mental strength are too high. Mental-type Soul Masters are ultimately a very small minority, and it is difficult to maintain them for long. Otherwise..." He shook his head regretfully. The promotional value was indeed not great, but the concept was enough to give him great inspiration.

Gula smiled and put the statue away.

He actually held back; if he used spiritual metals or even underwent soul forging or heaven forging, the rate at which his spiritual power was lost would be greatly slowed down.

He even thought that the principle was similar to that of a warning soul guide device, but at a much higher level.

Xuan Ziwen looked at the two teenagers in front of him, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, "You have both passed the test. Your imagination and practical ability with soul tools far exceeded my expectations."

He paused, his gaze becoming extremely serious, even tinged with a hint of fervor. "I am now formally asking you whether you are willing to leave Shrek Academy and join the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy? I can accept you as my disciples."

He looked especially at Gula, "My teacher is the only level 10 Soul Master in the world. I can't say his name, but I can assure you that with your talent, you will definitely be qualified to receive his guidance in the future."

To win over the two Soul Masters who had given him such a huge surprise, Xuan Ziwen even revealed confidential information, which was enough to prove his determination.

However, Huo Yuhao and Gula shook their heads almost without hesitation.

Huo Yuhao said firmly, "Thank you for your kindness, Teacher Xuan, but Shrek Academy is my home. I will not leave Shrek Academy to join someone else. Moreover, the Sun Moon Empire is always aiming at the Three Kingdoms of Douluo. I don't like this kind of place."

Gula replied calmly but firmly, "Me too. Learning about soul tools is just a hobby; I won't do anything because of it."

A deep regret flashed in Xuan Ziwen's eyes, but he did not insist. He simply sighed and said, "Alright, everyone has their own ambitions. Starting tomorrow, you will officially begin your studies in the lab."

"I will do my best to teach you, and I hope you will not waste your talents."

He knew that the empire's task of recruiting these two geniuses was likely to be arduous and long-term.

Just as Gula put away the statue that contained astonishing gun intent, and Xuan Ziwen was still marveling at it, a huge wave had already been stirred up in the depths of Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea.

"Awooo—! Bingbing, Grandpa, did you see that? What...what is that thing?!"

The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm let out an exaggerated cry, its round body tumbling in the sea of ​​consciousness, appearing extremely excited:
"Gun intent?! It's like sealing away that mysterious 'spiritual will' like a can? And then using it to attack people?"

"This...this...is this something a living being could conceive of?! Just how strong must his willpower be to control that raging 'will' without being devoured by it?!"

Hyotei's usually cold voice carried an unprecedented gravity: "Shut up, Tenmu! You're so noisy! But... you're right. This Gura, his understanding and application of mental power has reached an... inconceivable level."

"To seal away the artistic conception and make it stable and even usable in multiple uses is something that cannot be achieved simply by having strong mental strength."

"This requires extremely precise control over mental power, as well as a profound understanding and comprehension of 'artistic conception' itself. It may even touch upon some level that we are not yet aware of. It's a pity that you, fat worm, have a huge amount of mental power but don't know how to use it at all."

Hyotei looked disgusted.

Even the usually calm and composed Electrox's gray sphere of light rippled slightly, emitting an aged voice filled with deep surprise and inquiry:
"Wonderful... truly wondrous. This child's methods are no longer purely the application of mental power, but rather... a process of imbuing the ethereal spiritual will with the physical metal structural force, and integrating it into the illusory soul power."

"I have traversed many planes and have never seen such exquisite and unparalleled spiritual power. Yuhao, your classmate's foundation is probably far deeper than anything we have ever seen."

Electrolux's tone became extremely serious: "Especially the fact that he could control that fierce and unparalleled spear intent so effortlessly, which shows that the spiritual power he possesses is far stronger and more refined than it appears. Otherwise, he would have already been torn apart and devoured by that spear intent. This kid... is definitely not simple."

Huo Yuhao listened to the shocked discussions of the three "grandpas" inside him, and his heart was also filled with turmoil. He was already used to Gula occasionally producing some eye-opening things—dual extreme attributes, an evolution chart, and that unfathomable physical and mental strength.

Every time, I felt like I had figured out Gura's limits, only to find that he would show an even more amazing side next time.

An indescribable pressure and...resentment quietly welled up in my heart.

He possessed the spiritual power of a million-year-old Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm as a foundation, a soul ring and soul bone with four hundred thousand years of cultivation from the Ice Emperor, and the guidance of the Holy Law God, Ilex. His fortuitous encounters were undeniably abundant. Yet, even so, he still seemed somewhat...inadequate in front of Gula?

But Huo Yuhao's will had already been tempered to be extremely resilient, and this pressure quickly transformed into an even more intense driving force. He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes becoming even more determined.

'Gura is very strong; his fortuitous encounters and talent might be even more astonishing than mine. But... I have the help of Tenmu-ge, Hyotei, and Ichiro, and I also have unique advantages!'

"I cannot be discouraged, nor can I underestimate myself. As long as I study and practice harder, and absorb the knowledge of every teacher, I will definitely... I will definitely catch up with them in the future."

He withdrew his gaze from Gula, took a deep breath, and refocused on Teacher Xuan Ziwen and his own soul tool.

We must take things one step at a time. The most important thing now is to seize the opportunity to study at Sun Moon Academy and improve myself.

Gula noticed Huo Yuhao's intense gaze. He didn't use his mental power to sense it, but his 'intention' had reached a certain level, which could influence the outside world. He didn't need to release his mental power; his sixth sense would tell him that someone was watching him.

Xuan Ziwen was naturally unaware of the many thoughts that had unfolded during that brief silence. He was simply regretful that he couldn't recruit these two geniuses, and waved his hand, saying:

"Alright, the test is over. You've all passed. Be at the lab on time tomorrow, and I'll arrange the learning content according to your level. Now, you can go back and familiarize yourself with the environment."

Gula and Huo Yuhao bowed to Xuan Ziwen in unison and took their leave, each with their own thoughts.

(End of this chapter)