Chapter 53: The "Universal Blueprint," Creating Nuclear Weapons
"Hehe~ alright, alright, stop flattering me. I'm not that pretty~ hahaha~"
Xian Lin'er lightly poked Ye Chen's nose.
It looked like mock anger, but her laughter carried pure delight.
Ye Chen really knew how to talk. Handsome, charming, and good with words—she was starting to like him more and more.
Xian Lin'er decided that as long as Ye Chen showed even the slightest hint of talent as a soul engineer, she would pull him into the Soul Tool Department even if she had to snatch him from someone else.
Hmm, Yan Shaozhe definitely wouldn't agree. Oh well, they could share him.
No way she'd let Yan Shaozhe monopolize Ye Chen alone.
The more she looked at Ye Chen, the more pleasant he seemed to her. The two soon engaged in cheerful conversation, quickly growing closer.
While chatting, Ye Chen quietly activated his daily sign-in.
[Sign-in successful. Reward: "Universal Blueprint."]
["Universal Blueprint": Contains countless blueprints for soul tools, comprehensive and infinite, freely searchable.]
"Hiss—"
Seeing the reward, Ye Chen's eyes lit up instantly.
Creating soul tools wasn't hard for him. With the Purple Demon Eyes, his Qilin Arm, and heaven-defying comprehension, he was confident he could become a Level 1-5 Soul Engineer within a month!
The only issue before had been the lack of design schematics.
But now, with the Universal Blueprint, Ye Chen felt he could begin preparing to unify the entire continent...
There had to be nuclear weapons in there!!!
At this moment, he was even starting to plan ahead for the future.
First, he'd raise his cultivation. After Mu En died, he would reveal his unimaginable talent, take control of Shrek Academy, develop nuclear weapons, start a world war, and conquer the continent—hehehe…
This game was way too fun!
"What's wrong?"
Xian Lin'er noticed Ye Chen suddenly freeze and grin strangely, and she asked worriedly.
"Ahem... nothing, just a muscle twitch on my face." Ye Chen coughed lightly and regained his composure.
Xian Lin'er: …
Moments later, the two arrived at the courtyard of the Soul Tool Department.
Xian Lin'er held Ye Chen's hand and led him into a lab filled with a futuristic glow.
All around them were metal soul tools of every shape and size—strange and intricate—none of which Ye Chen had ever seen before. For a second, he nearly thought he had traveled back to his past life.
Although the soul tools of this world followed a different system entirely, they were still crafted from metal, mechanical in nature—quite similar to instruments from his former world.
...
...
...
They soon entered a more spacious laboratory.
This one was empty except for a huge metallic half-circle table.
On top of it lay many metal discs, each of varying form—some smooth, others engraved with intricate, dazzling patterns.
"Here, take this."
Xian Lin'er handed Ye Chen a metal disc and a carving knife. "These are the most basic core array formations. Pick one at random and copy it. I'll judge your talent in soul engineering based on the result."
For soul engineers, the key skill was the engraving of the core formation.
Other steps could be outsourced, but engraving the core array could only be done personally. This step was what decided a soul engineer's level and talent.
As for herself, though she was a Title Douluo, she had yet to complete a Level 9 core formation, which was why she was called a "Level 8-and-a-half" Soul Engineer.
If she could succeed in that, others could handle the rest of the crafting, and she would soon become the first Level 9 Soul Engineer in the three empires.
...
This test for Ye Chen was simple—copy a core formation.
It demanded extreme precision, control, and mental stability.
Although one could train this over time, talent could make a world of difference.
If Ye Chen, with his powerful martial soul, had no gift for soul tools, it would be a waste of effort. Better not to force it.
Even though she wanted him in the Soul Tool Department badly, she wouldn't let that desire derail his future.
...
"Alright, I'll give it a try~"
Ye Chen found the process intriguing and chose a random array to copy.
It sounded easy—just imitate the lines—but engraving onto a metal core with absolute precision was another story altogether.
As he began, a sudden crack echoed.
Good grief—he had pressed too hard, completely shattering the metal core.
"Don't be nervous, take your time. Everyone's first attempt is like this. Teacher believes in you."
Xian Lin'er didn't show a hint of disappointment. She smiled softly, rubbing Ye Chen's head to comfort him before handing him a new metal plate.
This was the same entrance test for all Soul Tool students.
Those with good talent succeeded within one hour—after about a hundred failures.
Average ones took two hours and failed three hundred times or more...
If Ye Chen could replicate one successfully within an hour, Xian Lin'er would know he had talent and would make plans to train him.
If he couldn't, she'd have no choice but to give up.
...
"Thank you, teacher~"
Ye Chen smiled brightly, completely undiscouraged.
This only made Xian Lin'er like him more.
The second metal plate lasted a bit longer but still cracked soon after.
Unbothered, Xian Lin'er continued gently handing him new ones.
Twice, thrice, four times...
Crack!
The tenth metal plate split apart in Ye Chen's hands. His tenth failure.
"Xiao Chen, be patient. There's no need to pressure yourself. It's fine even if it doesn't work."
Seeing the sweat on Ye Chen's forehead, Xian Lin'er felt a pang of affection. She took out a handkerchief and softly wiped his sweat.
"Mm, I understand. Thank you, teacher~" Ye Chen nodded, then picked up another disc on his own.
These basic materials were cheap, so wasting them was no issue.
To avoid distracting him, Xian Lin'er turned slightly away, not watching his process this time.
As she quietly counted the seconds, preparing to hear another crack, nothing came.
A look of mild surprise flickered across her face. She waited a bit longer.
Still… silence. Only the whisper of a carving blade scraping metal reached her ears—a smooth, steady sound, completely even and controlled.
"This can't be…"
Unable to resist, Xian Lin'er gently turned to look.
And that single glance made her eyes widen instantly.
Ye Chen's core array was almost complete!!
And to her shock, the pattern he had chosen to replicate… was the most difficult one of all!!
(END CHAPTER)
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