"So... you were forced to drop out?"
A girl, vibrant as a flame spirit, stormed out of the dormitory with fury written all over her face—clearly intent on settling a score with someone.
"My soul power is only at Rank 41. That's already a bit below the inner court's admission threshold," Chen Fu said quietly as he packed his things.
The girl who had just rushed out came storming right back in, visibly outraged.
"Even I, a Rank 55 Battle Soul King, can't beat you! Their evaluation system must be completely blind!"
"I only relied on external tools," Chen Fu said, raising his hand. In an instant, the chaotic mess of metal components scattered around the room neatly flew into his spatial Soul Tool.
Only once the girl had calmed down did Chen Fu continue.
"Truth is, they really don't have anything left to teach me. Instructor Fan Yu hovers around the seventh to eighth-tier standard. He's already passed on everything he knows. With the right support tools, I can now slowly construct standard seventh-grade Soul Tools on my own."
"You mean even your 'standard' seventh-grade Soul Tools can be activated?" The girl's orange-red eyes bore intensely into him.
"Alright, stop fussing, Xiao Tao," he said, gently nudging her forehead and stripping the bed of its covers. "The [Ark] technology hasn't been upgraded yet. Relying solely on a fourth-grade Ark core, you can theoretically trigger activation with a matrix of twelve—barely."
He balled up the bedclothes and pointed to them.
"Xiao Tao—flamethrower, please."
"I'll flamethrower your head!" she shouted, punching him in frustration. "Do you even understand what this means...? Wait!"
Suddenly, the girl stopped mid-rant, realization dawning on her.
"Then why not just teach them your energy Ark technology?"
Four uneven soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, yellow—floated behind Chen Fu. As they rhythmically pulsed, the pile of discarded fabrics slowly turned to ash.
"It's not just about overlapping circuit structures. There's also the design logic, layout methodology, optimal material ratios, macro-control variables... all of it needs to be resolved."
"I figured it all out using my Martial Soul's special traits. It's a great practice project. But if I simply give them the answer, they'll start off crippled. They won't be able to innovate on their own."
Chen Fu shrugged, as if to say: This black-tech miracle was hand-crafted with my Martial Soul and cognition. Use it as reference, not a template.
"So what's your plan now?"
"Set up a research lab in Shrek City, earn some coin, and update the Ark tech while I'm at it. Fourth-grade's already getting outdated."
"Oh, and I'll need you to refine some metals for me. I'll give you a stake in the lab."
"Who wants your measly stake?" the proud young heir of an ancient family sneered.
As they walked by the lake, Chen Fu couldn't help but smile at the girl marching ahead in a huff.
"Don't be mad. I've got a gift for you."
He pulled out a matte black metal box from his Soul Tool wristband.
"What's this?"
She turned, her orange-red hair dancing in the breeze. In her amber-golden eyes, the boy's reflection shimmered.
"My real graduation project," he said, a rare ease softening his expression.
Curious but cautious, the girl accepted the box—not because she suspected a trick, but because she didn't quite understand what "real graduation project" meant.
"Go ahead. Open it," Chen Fu gestured.
Inside, there was no dazzling glow, no energy pulse—just a black-rimmed metal ring with golden edges, quietly lying in the box. At its center was a red engraving: a phoenix in full spread-wing flight.
"How do I use this?" she asked, eyeing the oversized ring curiously.
"Wear it around your neck—"
Before he could finish, she had already pressed the clasp and fastened it around her neck.
"Now try circulating your soul power."
The moment Ma Xiaotao did, she sensed something odd. The ring seemed to draw in her soul power, absorbing part of it, and then—after a delay—returning it.
Only now, the soul power felt purer. Cleaner. Sharper.
"Don't get too excited."
Chen Fu raised his hand, activating an energy shield to suppress the surging aura around Ma Xiaotao.
"It's just a soul power refinement device. It supports normal cultivation. But don't use it during battle, or you'll risk burning it out."
As the former "Final Boss of the Academy Library's Last Gate," Chen Fu naturally understood the problems with Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul. This wouldn't fix the root issue—but it could consistently alleviate the symptoms.
"Thank you!"
Feeling the "warmth" from the ring around her neck, Ma Xiaotao suddenly hugged him tight.
Caught off guard, Chen Fu hesitated—then gently patted her back in return.
"How long have you been working on this?" Her voice was hoarse.
"Since second-year class assignments. That's when the [Ark] tech first reached early maturity—beyond the version I demoed to Fan Yu."
"The tech design took nearly two years. Final assembly took another full year."
His Martial Soul naturally excelled at micro-manipulation of matter. The Soul Tool rifle he once casually built was just a side project. Most of his true free time had been spent crafting this gift.
"Then... it must be really valuable?"
"It is. So take good care of it. Making another would be a huge pain."
Several days of full-effort labor, at the very least.
The metal used in the ring was a brand-new superalloy born from his Martial Soul—Throne of Technology. The internal soul circuitry mimicked integrated circuits, painstakingly etched out through his soul power.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. Does it have a name?"
"A grade-less auxiliary Soul Tool. An extension of Ark tech. You can call it—[Nirvana]."
From a purely technical standpoint, it was enough to leave Fan Yu dumbfounded for twenty years.
"So... do you like your sixteenth birthday gift?"
"Chen Fu..."
The girl tightened her hug. Chen Fu sighed helplessly.
"I'm here."
"Someday, I'll avenge you."
Silly girl. Always saying such dramatic things.
---
After finally prying the newly armed girl off him, Chen Fu slung his small pack over his shoulder and headed for the academy gate.
Along the way, he exchanged farewells with a few friends—some from the inner court, but most from the outer court.
In this school full of prodigies, Chen Fu's cultivation level was far from outstanding. At sixteen, he was only at Rank 41—firmly below average.
In the same class as Ma Xiaotao, for example, the average soul power rank was 48. He was the bottom of the list.
At the academy gates, a boy with strong, defined features—though still with a childlike face—stood beside a young girl, as if waiting for someone.
Seeing them jogged Chen Fu's memory. That coal-colored-haired disciple Fan Yu had just accepted... was this year's new student.
"You're... Bei Bei, right? Top of this year's freshman class?"
He recalled Ma Xiaotao dragging him to watch the first-year evaluations.
"Good day, Senior Chen!" the boy said respectfully, then tugged the girl behind him forward.
"We were wondering if you had any plans after graduation. If not, our Tang Sect would be honored to invite you as a guest elder."
"We even have secret techniques that could help speed up your cultivation," the girl added.
"I appreciate it, but I already have a destination."
Given the alliance between Shrek and Tang Sect, it would've been a decent offer. Not much risk of interference from the academy. Besides, Tang Sect was in a weakened state.
But alas—Chen Fu doesn't bully children.
He ruffled the little girl's hair, then turned away, leaving her pouting in disappointment.
---
After walking a short distance, he took out a pair of glasses from his Soul Tool wristband and slipped them on. With a wave of his hand, a translucent panel appeared before him:
[Name: Chen Fu]
[Level: 41]
[Martial Soul: Throne of Technology / Spirit Body]
(A faint blue, formless spirit born from Chen Fu's mental response to a particular concept.)
Martial Soul Passive: Matter Manipulation (Microscopic)
[Soul Skills: Overclock ×4 (Accelerates mastery and manipulation of material structure)]
"Feels a bit too basic right now. Needs optimization. Add a mission tab. The Battle Soul Scanner can be the first prototype product of my lab. Yeah… sounds good."
[Mission Tab Updated]