Chapter 47: You Call This a Test for a Genius Soul Engineer?
Huo Yuhao looked at the two and said, "Senior brothers, I'm not lacking materials at the moment, so you don't need to do this."
He had zero interest in Zimu and Wang Shaojie's offers mainly because they didn't have anything truly valuable to offer.
In the world of Soul Engineers, the term "materials" covered an extremely broad range. Rare metals were just one type of material used in crafting soul tools.
Take the Rank 8 Close Combat Soul Tool, the Overlord Tiger Soul Refining Blade, for example.
Its core material wasn't a rare metal, but rather a ten thousand year old soul bone.
Because of that soul bone, the blade even had a fixed soul bone ability Overlord Slash.
Zimu and Wang Shaojie were momentarily stunned before their faces turned slightly awkward.
Still, Wang Shaojie, thick skinned as ever, pressed on.
"But Brother Huo, I just feel like something is wrong with those materials," he said. "If a genius Soul Engineer like you could check them out, you might help me solve the problem.
Also… one of those materials is a soul bone!"
Wang Shaojie's older cousin was part of the Imperial Inspection Corps, which served under the Third Prince.
Currently, the Third Prince was the strongest contender against Xu Tianran for the throne.
With the support of the Imperial Clan, the Third Prince's influence was at an all time high.
However, compared to the Crown Prince, the Third Prince still fell short.
If Xu Tianran ascended the throne, no amount of imperial backing would save the Third Prince because, at the end of the day, he wasn't Xu Tianran's most beloved sibling, Xu Tianzhen.
If the Third Prince's fate turned grim, then his subordinates, including Wang Shaojie, would also suffer.
For the sake of his own future, Wang Shaojie was even willing to offer up his family's thousand year old soul bone.
If it meant securing the favor of a genius Soul Engineer, it was a small price to pay.
After all, no matter who became emperor, someone like Huo Yuhao would always be highly valued.
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao gave Wang Shaojie a surprised look.
You call this a test for a genius Soul Engineer?
What kind of genius Soul Engineer would fail this kind of test?
To him, soul bones weren't a rare commodity at all.
Even Kong Deming, the Empire's top Soul Engineer, had already taken notice of him.
With Kong Deming's authority and resources, securing an entire set of soul bones for Huo Yuhao would be a trivial matter.
Of course, for Huo Yuhao, finding the right soul bone was more important than simply having one.
At that moment, Xuan Ziwen stepped forward, his tone carrying a trace of exasperation.
"I, along with the Hall Master, will fully support any material needs that Huo Yuhao has.
Even soul bones will be covered.
As for you two, stop bothering him."
Only then did Wang Shaojie finally back off, retreating with Zimu to the sidelines.
Xuan Ziwen turned to Huo Yuhao.
"Huo Yuhao, you may begin now," he said.
"I hope your soul tool continues to impress me."
Xuan Ziwen had full confidence that Huo Yuhao would pass the test.
What he didn't know was what kind of soul tool Huo Yuhao would create.
To him, Huo Yuhao's ideas were always fresh and innovative worthy of the title "genius Soul Engineer".
"Understood, Teacher."
Huo Yuhao nodded and began crafting his soul tool.
The others watched intently, their gazes fixed on his every movement.
Some Time Later
Huo Yuhao pointed to a black metal disc on the table.
"Teacher Xuan, this is the Rank 3 soul tool I crafted."
Xuan Ziwen blinked, studying the black metal disc with curiosity.
It had intricate engravings on its surface.
From what he had observed earlier, Huo Yuhao had inscribed two energy storing formations, three soul power detection formations, and one completely unfamiliar formation.
That unfamiliar formation was something Huo Yuhao had created himself.
In the world of Soul Engineers, formations were the core knowledge that held everything together.
However, formations weren't set in stone they evolved over time as new research expanded the field.
"…So, what does this thing do?"
Xuan Ziwen pondered.
Because the other students were watching, he didn't immediately ask Huo Yuhao for the answer.
Instead, he began analyzing the soul tool himself.
The others also looked at the device with confusion.
"Did Huo Yuhao… fail the Rank 3 soul tool test?"
The thought flashed across Wang Shaojie's mind.
But he instantly dismissed it.
There's no way a genius like Huo Yuhao would fail at making a Rank 3 soul tool.
Xuan Ziwen studied the device for a while, then let out a long sigh.
A hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes.
"Huo Yuhao, from what I can tell… this tool detects soul power.
But if that's all it does, then Sun Moon Empire's ongoing research into soul power detectors already surpasses this.
So… what exactly makes it unique?"
For a brief moment, Xuan Ziwen wondered if he had placed too much pressure on Huo Yuhao.
Was he expecting too much from the boy?
Had his expectations been so high that Huo Yuhao felt creatively stifled?
He sighed internally.
After all, Huo Yuhao was still just a child perhaps he had been too harsh, placing such a heavy burden of expectations on him.
But Huo Yuhao simply smiled.
"Teacher, you're correct this tool detects soul power.
However, it doesn't just detect it.
It can differentiate between different soul power signatures."
Xuan Ziwen raised an eyebrow.
"…Differentiate soul power?"
"Yes."
Huo Yuhao nodded.
"For example
Imagine two academies competing in a spirit arena tournament.
One side receives outside interference hidden reinforcements aiding them from beyond the battlefield.
This gives them an unfair advantage, allowing them to secure victory through cheating.
Now, tell me, Teacher would you consider that a fair match?"
"Of course not!" Xuan Ziwen frowned.
"So your Rank 3 soul tool is designed to prevent cheating?"
"Exactly."
Huo Yuhao's tone was calm.
"Its core function is to record a soul master's unique soul power fluctuations.
If any soul power outside of those recorded appears within its detection range, it will immediately issue a warning.
However, due to its Rank 3 limitations, it can only record up to Soul Emperor level soul power signatures."
A Necessary Countermeasure
The effectiveness of a soul tool isn't always determined by its rank.
Not all soul tools scale up to Rank 9 for example, Invincible Barriers.
A Rank 5 Invincible Barrier can block a Soul Douluo's attacks for three seconds.
By Rank 6, it can block a Titled Douluo's attacks for three seconds.
This tool was no exception.
It required high quality rare metals to function properly.
And he needed it because Shrek Academy and Tang Sect had a history of cheating.
Now that he wasn't on Shrek's side, the upcoming Death God Envoy attack would catch them off guard.
Without his Spirit Detection to warn them, Shrek Academy would suffer even greater casualties.
If Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy faced Shrek in the upcoming tournament, then given Shrek's obsession with their legacy, they would undoubtedly cheat to maintain their millennia old prestige.
And if they tried anything,
This tool would expose them immediately.
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