Wei Xuan smiled faintly, quietly absorbing the pure Soul Power from the recovery bottle.
Jing Hongchen didn't disturb him — he simply turned the forged components over in his hands, a contented smile playing at his lips.
He was already trying to guess what kind of Soul Tool Wei Xuan was planning to make.
In the sealed chamber, Kong Deming had also heard Wei Xuan's earlier explanation. He couldn't help but murmur, "Excellent."
A born Soul Engineer, he thought, eyes shining. Excitement stirred in him — it had been many years since he'd felt this kind of admiration.
Ten minutes later, Wei Xuan's Soul Power was fully restored. He began again — reforging another strip of Ice Crystal Cold Iron, repeating his earlier steps.
Hours passed. By midnight, he slumped into a chair, utterly spent. His young body trembled from exhaustion.
Before him lay fifteen meticulously forged metal components, each one made of Ice Crystal Cold Iron — the result of over ten hours of continuous work.
Every piece had cost him an entire reservoir of Soul Power to complete. He had drained himself fifteen times, meditating to recover each time before continuing. The physical and mental strain was staggering.
Though his spiritual sense was powerful enough to keep his focus sharp, his six-year-old body was not built for such grueling labor. Without his immense willpower and refined consciousness, he would have collapsed long ago.
Now, with the fifteen components laid neatly in front of him, a tired smile appeared on his face. Finally satisfied, he leaned back into his chair — and within seconds, was asleep.
Jing Hongchen, startled, immediately leaned closer, fearing something was wrong. But after a quick check, he exhaled in relief.
He looked at the boy's peaceful face and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"You could've taken three days to do this, but no — you just had to finish it all at once. Now look at you, completely wiped out…"
A deep, calm voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Let him rest."
Jing Hongchen jumped — then turned and bowed respectfully.
"Teacher."
Standing behind him was none other than Kong Deming.
In front of this man, Jing Hongchen shed all pretense of authority. The usually proud Hall Master was now humble and reverent, showing genuine respect.
"This child…" Kong Deming said, gazing at Wei Xuan with approving eyes. "Such talent, perseverance, and focus. With him, the Sun and Moon Empire's Soul Toolcraft will surely reach a new height."
Jing Hongchen blinked in surprise. "Teacher, you've never praised anyone like this before."
It was true — in the entire empire, no one had ever received such words from the legendary Kong Deming. If anyone learned that the empire's greatest Soul Engineer had praised a six-year-old in such terms, it would shake the entire continent.
Kong Deming merely smiled, then disappeared without a trace.
Jing Hongchen stared at the spot where he had stood. "Teacher's power grows even more unfathomable," he murmured in awe.
The Next Morning
Wei Xuan woke early, stretched, and drew open the curtains. Warm sunlight flooded in, bright but gentle.
"This body's still too fragile," he sighed with a wry smile. "To think I'd actually pass out from fatigue — how far I've fallen."
In his previous life, he could have worked for days without pause. Now, mere forging had drained him to the point of unconsciousness. The contrast was almost laughable.
Still, even consciousness must yield to physical exhaustion. When the body demanded rest, no amount of will could stop it.
After washing up, Wei Xuan headed back to Jing Hongchen's laboratory.
The Hall Master greeted him with a grin. "Good morning, Your Highness. Eat something first."
On the worktable sat a breakfast tray.
Wei Xuan chuckled and sat down without ceremony. "Thanks." He finished it quickly — then, as soon as he swallowed the last bite, Jing Hongchen clapped his hands.
"Alright — time to get back to work!"
Wei Xuan blinked. "So that's why you let me eat in here today. You've never allowed food near your instruments before."
"Hehe," Jing Hongchen chuckled shamelessly. "I was just trying to save time! Besides, it's for your own good — I gain nothing from this."
"Nothing except satisfying your curiosity," Wei Xuan teased, shaking his head with a smile. "Alright, let's continue."
Now came the most crucial stage of Soul Tool creation — inscribing the arrays.
Wei Xuan arranged the fifteen components in order, matching each to its final position. Picking up one piece, he examined its surface, then began carving.
Each piece had its own unique array, not shared like in ordinary Soul Tools where multiple components used the same structure.
This one, however, had both core and auxiliary formations — a complex interplay that even experienced engineers rarely attempted.
But just as he was about to start, Jing Hongchen raised a hand. "Wait."
Wei Xuan paused, puzzled. "What's wrong? I thought you were the one in a hurry."
Jing Hongchen smiled mysteriously. "To make your first Soul Tool truly perfect, you'll need a special engraving blade."
"A special blade?" Wei Xuan raised an eyebrow — then grinned knowingly. "Don't tell me you're lending me your Red Dust Engraver? Or… gifting it to me?"
Jing Hongchen immediately glared. "Dream on! That's my family heirloom. You can stop coveting it right now."
Wei Xuan sighed in disappointment. He had long admired that blade — ranked seventeenth on the Continental Engraving Blade List.
"Don't look so down. I'm not giving you the Red Dust Engraver — and I won't lend it either. If you used it, you'd only want it more," Jing Hongchen said teasingly.
Wei Xuan rolled his eyes. "If you hadn't stopped me and said all this, I probably wouldn't be disappointed right now."
"Heh, don't sulk," Jing Hongchen said with a grin. "I do have another blade for you to try."
Wei Xuan's eyes lit up instantly. "Let me see!"
Jing Hongchen chuckled, clearly pleased with the boy's eagerness. He reached into his storage ring and drew out a dark-golden engraving knife.
It was about a foot long, its body gleaming dully with metallic luster. The blade edge was thin as a cicada's wing — a bright, silvery contrast against the darker hilt.
"This is…" Wei Xuan's expression changed to astonishment.
The sharp aura emanating from the blade was almost tangible — it made his skin prickle. Even without testing, he could tell this was sharper than the Red Dust Engraver itself.
"This is the Darkgold Engraver, ranked fifteenth on the list," Jing Hongchen explained.
Wei Xuan laughed. "So the Hall Master hides more than he lets on! Two blades in the top twenty — impressive."
Jing Hongchen shook his head. "This one isn't mine. Its owner lent it for special use — don't ask who. Just know you can use it temporarily."
Wei Xuan's gaze flickered subtly toward the hidden observation chamber. He had a good guess.
"Then I'll make the most of it," he said, accepting the blade.
He turned it lightly in his hand, testing its balance. A light press of the edge against his fingertip — and a thin line of blood appeared.
"So sharp," he murmured. Instantly, frost gathered around the wound, freezing the blood and sealing it with a translucent film of ice.
Watching him handle it so casually made Jing Hongchen twitch. "Careful! That blade was forged from the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear's talons — its sharpness ranks among the top three!"
Wei Xuan blinked. "The Dreadclaw Bear's claws?"
"To be exact," Jing Hongchen said, his voice tinged with awe, "it was made from the left palm bone of a thousand-year-old specimen — an external spirit bone."
Wei Xuan whistled softly. "An external bone… turned into a blade? That's extravagant."
Indeed, for Soul Masters, using such a priceless treasure for crafting seemed absurd. But for Soul Engineers, a blade like this was worth even more — a permanent tool rather than a fleeting power.
Jing Hongchen's expression was mixed — admiration and helplessness both. "It's hard to say if it's a loss or a gain. A spirit bone dies with its host… but a blade like this endures."
"Enough talk," he finally said. "Familiarize yourself with it, then start carving."
Wei Xuan nodded. The Darkgold Engraver fit his hand perfectly. Its edge slid through metal like butter — cutting iron as though slicing silk.
Once he had fully adjusted to its precision, he began inscribing the basic formation arrays onto the Ice Crystal Cold Iron.
Every stroke was steady and clean. His divine sense guided the blade flawlessly — no tremor, no hesitation.
Even with his speed, each line was exact.
Jing Hongchen's eyes widened more and more as he watched. He wanted to interrupt — to tell him to slow down — but he dared not risk breaking the boy's focus.
"The pattern… a third-tier standard array," Jing Hongchen murmured — then frowned.
"No… it's different. The lines are more intricate, the structure more refined — the energy flow feels stronger, closer to a fourth-tier formation."
Hours passed.
Wei Xuan's Soul Power was drained five times before he finished carving the two arrays. Each required thousands of tiny lines, each line imbued with Soul Power.
At last, he leaned back, exhausted but calm.
Jing Hongchen examined the result, eyes gleaming. "Perfect… utterly perfect! But Your Highness, your Soul Power is still too low — trying to inscribe something at fourth-tier strength is dangerous."
Though he sounded regretful, his expression was all pride. He couldn't look away from the arrays — they were works of art.
"Fourth-tier?" Wei Xuan smiled faintly. "That's a third-tier array — I just improved it a bit."
"What?" Jing Hongchen froze. "You improved it?"
Wei Xuan shrugged casually. "The old structure had flaws, so I refined it. That's all."
His tone was light, as if it were nothing remarkable.
But to Jing Hongchen — and to Kong Deming watching from behind the one-way glass — it was earth-shattering.
Improving an existing Soul Formation was no small feat. Even veteran engineers spent decades trying — and here was a six-year-old doing it casually.
Jing Hongchen rushed over, gripping Wei Xuan's shoulders, his voice trembling.
"Your Highness — please, tell me you're not joking. You really improved a third-tier array!?"
If Wei Xuan had merely drawn a fourth-tier formation, that would be impressive enough.
But to elevate a third-tier formation to rival a fourth-tier one through innovation — that was revolutionary.
The implications were immense. Enough to change everything they knew about Soul Toolcraft.
(End of Chapter)