Douluo Continent: I Can Summon Heroic Spirits

Chapter 48 is too unfair.

Deep within Mingde Hall, in a top-secret underground laboratory.

The three most outstanding Soul Masters of the Sun Moon Empire—Kong Deming, Ye Yulin, and Jing Hongchen—are gathered together at this moment.

But these three powerful figures, who could command the winds and rains across the mainland, were now looking intently at the white-haired boy on the production table in front of them, like three naive apprentices who had never seen the world before.

The boy's expression was serious and focused, yet he showed no sign of nervousness. The carving knife in his hand flew up and down, his movements flowing naturally, as if he had already created this soul tool thousands of times in his mind and hands, and knew it by heart.

Compared to their composure on stage, the three people offstage were far less composed. Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin, who were always mindful of their manners, were dumbfounded, their jaws practically dropping to the floor in astonishment.

"Old Ye, am I dreaming? Pinch me..." Jing Hongchen murmured, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap echoed loudly in the quiet laboratory. Ye Yulin had delivered a solid slap to Jing Hongchen's face.

"Damn it! You're getting revenge, aren't you?!" Jing Hongchen covered her face, glaring at her mortal enemy beside her in shock and anger.

Ye Yulin rubbed her hands together and took a deep breath: "Does it hurt? If it hurts, it means we weren't dreaming after all..."

"You son of a bitch—"

"Quiet down, everyone." Kong Deming, who was standing at the front, spoke calmly. He was still staring intently at Ye Chenxing on the stage. Those who knew Kong Deming would have noticed that he had entered the focused state that he only entered when he was researching soul tools.

At this moment, they are testing Ye Chenxing's Soul Master level.

When Master Kong learned that Ye Chenxing not only possessed heaven-defying martial soul talent, but also had a monstrous talent in high-altitude soul tools, he was both surprised and delighted. He immediately arranged this top-secret soul master level test and had his two good-for-nothing disciples, Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin, witness it together.

After the results of the last inspection were leaked, Jing Hongchen conducted a thorough investigation of his subordinates, eliminating almost all informants. However, Ye Chenxing's information was still too important, so this time he did not choose to ask his subordinates for help, but instead assisted Ye Chenxing himself.

At this moment, four soul tools emitting a faint glow were neatly arranged on the table in front of Ye Chenxing.

In other words, the core magic array he is currently carving has reached the level of a level 5 soul tool!

The advantage of his Ultimate Fire Martial Soul made refining and processing rare metals much easier and simpler than that of ordinary Soul Masters, which greatly improved his production efficiency and speed. But even so, the scene before him was enough to defy common sense.

For most Soul Masters, being able to create items that exceed their own level by a whole realm is already considered a rare talent.

And what about Ye Chenxing? He is currently only a Great Soul Master, but he has already begun to create Level 5 Soul Tools!

What made the two level-nine soul masters even more uneasy was that Ye Chenxing had chosen five completely different rare metals for these five tests!

It's important to understand that a Soul Master who carves a core magic array must have a very deep understanding of the properties and characteristics of the metal used. If someone dedicates themselves day and night to specializing in a single metal, it is indeed possible to achieve extraordinary results in carving a core magic array for that specific metal.

But Ye Chenxing was clearly not among them. Every time he changed metal or carved a magic array, he did it in one go, without the slightest hesitation or pause. Even Jing Hongchen couldn't help but feel ashamed after secretly comparing himself to him with that level of precision and speed.

Even as a level nine soul master, he wasn't confident he could rival Ye Chenxing in carving these low-level core arrays.

Ye Yulin, standing to the side, muttered to herself, "Incredible, truly incredible. How can there be such a genius in this world..."

At this moment, Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin had completely abandoned their previous prejudice that "this child is a genius at high-altitude detection soul tools".

This isn't just one student being good at one subject; this is an all-rounder!

As Ye Chenxing's hand gestures changed, the shock in the three people's eyes intensified.

Because they discovered that the core array Ye Chenxing was currently constructing was not only mysterious and complex in structure, but also followed a route they had never seen before!

Although both Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin were level nine soul masters, they could only barely understand the general classification of these magic arrays. What puzzled them was that all the magic arrays Ye Chenxing created were core magic arrays that were mainly auxiliary.

Looking at the four "finished products" on the table, each with a different shape, the two were completely baffled and had no idea what their specific functions were.

But they knew very well that Ye Chenxing was not the kind of person who was all show and no substance, trying to attract attention. Since he didn't flaunt his abilities and instead meticulously crafted the device step by step, he had definitely created a valuable soul tool!

Only Kong Deming, who was standing at the very front, seemed to have seen something in the chaotic formation. He kept staring at the complicated formation while nodding frequently with a sense of doubt.

At this moment, Ye Chenxing was completely immersed in a wonderful state.

That was a state of "fanatical" dedication to the field of soul tools that Archer had bestowed upon him. This state allowed him to discard all external distractions and maintain absolute focus and ultimate precision.

With the final, deft and perfect stroke of the engraving knife, metal shavings fell in a flurry, marking the perfect completion of the core magic array.

Ye Chenxing put down the special carving knife in the laboratory and wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead. Even with the blessing of the ultimate fire and the heroic spirit template, the continuous high-intensity production of four soul tools followed by the production of a level 5 weapon had greatly depleted his mental and physical strength.

"Phew...it's finally over." Ye Chenxing let out a long sigh of relief.

Hearing the boy's exclamation, Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin in the audience couldn't help but exchange a glance, their lips twitching involuntarily.

Back when they were still Great Soul Masters, they were already quite satisfied with making a Level 3 Soul Tool. Yet Ye Chenxing actually leaped three major realms and made one in a row?!

Although Ye Chenxing's martial soul talent might be comparable to his current soul master talent, Jing Hongchen is a soul master after all. Just as soul masters discriminate against soul masters, the impact of Ye Chenxing's dual extreme martial souls on him is not as great as he imagined.

Now things are completely different. As the saying goes, you don't know the pain until the stone hits you. Today, in the field of soul tools, which they are most proud of, they have been utterly defeated!

This disparity, this impact, surpasses the power of dual ultimate martial souls by a thousand times, ten thousand times!

But reality wouldn't change in the slightest because of their setbacks. Before they could even recover, they were horrified to see Ye Chenxing's hand reach out to the sixth piece of rare metal on the table with remarkable ease!

Holy crap! Again?!

The two dignified level nine soul masters couldn't help but feel a dark expectation rising in their hearts—failure! Failure already! If this kid continues to have such a smooth ride, they've wasted most of their lives.

However, Ye Chenxing completely ignored the two men's uncomfortable expressions and remained fully focused. Meanwhile, Elder Kong seemed to have entered the same profound state as Ye Chenxing, even his breathing rhythm subtly matching the rise and fall of the carving knife, his eyes fixed intently on the metal.

Then, a dazzling scene unfolded!

As Ye Chenxing carved the most detailed part, he suddenly flicked his wrist, and the carving knife that had been dancing on his fingertips instantly flipped over. With a "ding," he pinned the laboratory carving knife firmly to the unfinished soul tool!

What is he doing? Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin stood up at the same time. They looked at each other, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Is he experiencing a creative block? Or has he given up?

But this child didn't pause at all just now, that doesn't seem right.

Before they could figure it out, Ye Chenxing's actions had already given them the answer. His left hand suddenly exerted force. Accompanied by a low cracking sound, his left palm flashed with light, and his fingers transformed into sharp, dark golden claws!

The moment that icy, violent, and seemingly all-encompassing sharpness appeared, the pupils of Kong Deming and the other two contracted violently at the same time.

External soul bone?!

With the experience of these three powerful figures standing at the top of the continent, they recognized what this thing was at a glance: an extremely rare palm-shaped external soul bone!

Although they couldn't immediately identify what kind of soul beast it came from, the external soul bone was a true treasure, its value even surpassing that of a level nine soul tool.

How many secrets does this child still hold?! Such extraordinary talent, and such incredible luck...

That's so unfair!

Jing Hongchen swallowed hard, then secretly leaned close to Ye Yulin's ear and whispered, "Old Ye... do you think this kid might be some kind of god reincarnated?"

Ye Yulin nodded stiffly, unusually not refuting: "I think... it's very likely."

Ye Chenxing used his dark golden claws as blades, carving wildly yet precisely into the metal. Sparks flew as the array patterns rapidly took shape. However, just as the array was about to close completely, his movements abruptly stopped.

It is clearly incomplete.

This is finally over.

Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin watched Ye Chenxing's movements closely, and only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw him retract the soul bone into his palm.

Thank God, it's finally stopped.

If he, a great Soul Master, were to actually create a level six core magic array in one go, they would lose all face and might as well just dig a hole and bury themselves on the spot.

"Thank you for your hard work." Kong Deming smiled and nodded, then stepped forward.

Upon hearing Elder Kong's voice, the fervor in Ye Chenxing's eyes gradually faded, and he withdrew from that state of absolute focus.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at the half-finished product in his hands, and shook his head with some annoyance: "What a pity, Elder Kong, my soul power is exhausted, but it can still be used for now."

"..."

The relief on Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin's faces froze instantly, their mouths twitching wildly.

So it turns out it wasn't a technical limitation after all? It was simply because the soul power couldn't keep up?!

Kong Deming ignored the two devastated people beside him and instead held the first five finished products made by Ye Chenxing in his hands, examining them carefully.

His aged fingers gently traced the intricate patterns on it, and he pondered, "Without a doubt, these five components contain core magic arrays ranging from level one to level five. However, in my opinion, they are probably not intended for individual use, but rather for combination."

"Master Kong has excellent eyesight!" Ye Chenxing's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed sincerely.

Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen and Ye Yulin, who ranked last and second to last in soul tool talent, in this "small classroom" representing the highest academic level of the Sun Moon Empire, suddenly realized what was going on.

Combined Soul Guidance Device?

This concept has been tried before in Mingde Hall, but the conflict of soul power between multiple core arrays is extremely difficult to resolve, resulting in a significant reduction in the final effect. It is often a thankless task and not as practical as a complete single soul tool.

"In that case, show me its complete form." Kong Deming's eyes were full of anticipation.

"it is good."

Ye Chenxing took a deep breath and quickly assembled the five seemingly unrelated parts on the table. Accompanied by a series of extremely pleasant "click-clack" sounds of precise mechanical meshing, the five parts were rapidly assembled and inlaid.

In just a dozen breaths, a strange instrument with a heavy metallic feel and an extremely precise and complex structure was steadily placed on the ground.

The native inhabitants of Douluo Continent had never seen anything like this before, but if a modern person from Earth were here, they would recognize it at a glance—it was a miniature CNC machine tool!

Ye Chenxing patted the cold metal casing and began his introduction: "Elder Kong, Hall Master, Elder Ye. I call it—the [Soul Control Tool Machine]. This machine can automatically mass-produce standard parts for soul tools."

In other words, as long as I design and input the transmission route of the core magic array in advance, it can handle the entire automated production of a specific soul tool, except for the final assembly!

"All you need to do is inject soul power."

As he spoke, Ye Chenxing inserted a fully charged baby bottle soul tool into one of the slots.

"bite--"

With a crisp notification sound, the metal behemoth instantly awoke! Amidst a series of extremely regular and rhythmic mechanical hums, the internal conduction array began to operate frantically. The metal mechanical arm, like a tireless skilled worker, actually began to cut, polish, and carve on a rough piece of metal with fluid movements, just like a person rapidly creating a soul tool inside!

"What a pity..." Ye Chenxing sighed as he looked at the machine tool that was operating automatically. "The most crucial sixth-level part, which is the module used to automatically inscribe the core magic array, is only able to produce first to fourth-level soul tools because my sixth-level soul tool is not yet perfected."

"In my theoretical conception, once this type of machine is fully developed, it should be backward compatible, enabling the mass production of soul tools that are one level lower than itself."

Quiet.

The laboratory fell into a deathly silence.

"Holy crap..."

Ye Yulin and Jing Hongchen were completely blank at this moment. A soul tool?! They could make a soul tool themselves in a fully automated way?!

The next second, they practically abandoned all decorum and pounced on the operating soul-control machine tool. Examining it carefully, afraid of missing a single detail, Jing Hongchen watched it meticulously as it fused, refined, cut, assembled, and sculpted the core magic array, as if admiring a work of art in a museum.

Not only did he shower her with praise, but he also occasionally let out a lewd laugh, which gave Ye Chenxing goosebumps.