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[You review what you've learned, gaining a deeper understanding of crafting soul guidance devices.]
Su Yu took a deep breath, recalling all the information about soul guidance hand grenades.
He then opened his eyes and confidently lowered the carving knife in his hand.
Yang Chengyu observed Su Yu's every move, watching as he meticulously engraved fine lines on the small core component.
Su Yu's soul power input was steady.
This was a reflection of his natural control over soul power, not something he had deliberately trained for; it was merely a byproduct of his daily practice in body refinement techniques, which involved exploring the flow of energy through his meridians.
He reached a crucial point!
As Su Yu inscribed the formation, he arrived at the first critical juncture.
This was the intersection of three core lines!
Su Yu appropriately increased his input of soul power.
The carving knife in his hand was a third-level soul guidance device, exceptionally sharp and capable of effectively conducting soul power.
Moreover, the knife was inscribed internally with auxiliary lines, assisting the soul master in better and more precise control of their soul power.
As soul power clung to the tip of the knife, it divided into three streams under Su Yu's control as he carved the lines on the core component.
Two streams of soul power connected flawlessly with the energies flowing along the other two lines.
The remaining stream of soul power continued to move with the carving knife.
Su Yu's engraving of the formation was stable.
Seeing this, Yang Chengyu was already able to confirm Su Yu's level.
He was astonished.
Who would have thought that a month ago, Su Yu had no knowledge of soul guidance devices, yet now, just a month later, he exhibited the skills of a first-level soul master?
And all of this had been self-taught over the month.
As for the possibility of Su Yu acting,
From the perspective of a sixth-level soul master like Yang Chengyu, he saw no evidence of such a ruse.
If Su Yu were to act convincingly enough to replicate the clumsiness of a novice crafting a soul guidance device for the first time, Yang Chengyu would certainly be impressed.
Time passed.
Su Yu had begun to sweat, droplets falling from his forehead.
After half an hour of focused effort on engraving the formation, he felt a combination of fatigue and tension weighing on him.
As the final line was perfectly inscribed,
the connection of the soul power was successful.
The entire formation emanated a blue glow.
"Alright, your skills are sufficient now."
Yang Chengyu tried to maintain an appearance of calmness as he assessed the soul guidance hand grenade that Su Yu had created.
"For a first attempt, your technique is still somewhat unrefined. There are several flaws in the forging and engraving of the outer shell and core component.
If you can rectify these issues, reducing errors during the forging process will make the engraving of the formation much easier.
The entire process of crafting a soul guidance device is interdependent; even the forging and engraving can influence the subsequent engraving of the formation.
Of course, despite the roughness of the component, your ability to completely inscribe the formation demonstrates a deep understanding of its principles."
The surface of the forged core component was uneven and had tiny pits that were invisible to the naked eye, which could hinder the flow of soul power during engraving.
Yet Su Yu managed to handle these challenges well.
"If you want to become a core disciple, obtaining certification as a second-level soul master before the assessment is essential.
Your current level is sufficient for certification as a first-level soul master.
You have one month left; if you encounter any problems, feel free to ask me."
Su Yu nodded in response.
Yang Chengyu continued,
"If you can reach the level of a second-level soul master before the assessment, I can help you negotiate for the highest-level core disciple benefits from the dean."
Hearing this, Su Yu began to understand Yang Chengyu's affiliations in other contexts.
Jing Hongchen!
This individual was the leader of the Sun-Moon Hall, part of the faction aligned with the president of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
"This is good. Jing Hongchen represents an independent faction within the Sun and Moon Empire, making it the safest and most convenient for my cultivation and research."
Su Yu leaned towards Jing Hongchen in his heart.
Previously, Vice President Xu's surname alone indicated his identity, confirming that he was of royal blood.
Such individuals are inevitably entangled in struggles for power.
In these power struggles, there is one extremely dangerous aspect:
One could easily become a pawn.
Their potential is often irrelevant; what they truly care about is the final outcome.
Su Yu didn't know if the collusion between the Sun and Moon Empire and the evil soul masters began with the current Crown Prince Xu Tianran or if it started earlier.
However, it was evident that Jing Hongchen was not aligned with them.
"If I want to become a core disciple, I must align with Jing Hongchen's faction."
Su Yu made up his mind.
"Teacher, I'll be counting on you in the future." Su Yu bowed to Yang Chengyu.
Yang Chengyu waved his hand, smiling, indicating it was no trouble at all.
Su Yu left the office.
Yang Chengyu remained lost in thought for a while.
In just one month, Su Yu had become a first-level soul master.
Considering the prerequisite skills in forging and engraving required for making soul guidance devices, achieving the level of a first-level soul master in a month was remarkable.
Su Yu had matched the record of the Sun and Moon Empire.
Currently, the record for second-level soul master certification was held by the current leader of the Sun-Moon Hall, Jing Hongchen's grandson, Xiao Hongchen.
Three months.
Although Su Yu was now a Soul Elder, at that time, Xiao Hongchen was only a Great Soul Master, and the requirements for becoming a second-level soul master were merely that of a Great Soul Master.
Moreover, Su Yu's ability to reach Soul Sovereign status was solely due to his talent.
History only remembers the numbers.
Coming back to reality, Yang Chengyu tidied up the workbench, quickly assembling Su Yu's parts into a complete soul guidance hand grenade.
"I should report this to the dean."
Yang Chengyu stored the soul guidance hand grenade in his storage soul guide and left the office, heading towards Sun-Moon Hall.
Meanwhile, Su Yu returned to his dormitory.
"Boss, what did the teacher want with you?"
Qian Buduo asked curiously upon seeing Su Yu enter.
"Oh, nothing much. He just wanted to learn about my basic situation."
"I see." Qian Buduo nodded, not pressing further.
After just completing his first attempt at crafting a soul guidance device, Su Yu felt mentally exhausted and a bit drained from the concentration required.
He sat cross-legged on his bed.
As he circulated his soul power, he began to recover.
In the vast expanse of his mental space,
a small puddle churned.
Su Yu's consciousness transformed into his physical form, manifesting in this space.
A gray pearl hovered above the puddle.
"My mental power cultivation is still too slow."
Although Electrolux had fallen into a deep sleep after entering Su Yu's sea of consciousness,
it had nonetheless opened up the mental sea for Su Yu.
Despite having no specific cultivation methods, Su Yu had explored ways to enhance his mental power through trial and error.
However, the efficiency was still somewhat lacking.
"Magic requires mental power. I wonder if there are any mental cultivation methods in Electrolux's memories." Su Yu pondered.
Unfortunately, despite his calls, the gray pearl that was Electrolux remained completely unresponsive.
Su Yu had no choice but to rely on himself.
(End of Chapter)