Douluo Continent, my martial soul is a mushroom.

Chapter 67 Chi Ping's First Soul Tool, Heaven Dou Auction House

A soul tool is a man-made device powered by soul power to perform special effects. Its creation requires the use of special rare metals and gemstones to carve a core magic array.

In this era, the production of rare metals and gems on the continent was extremely low, and the lack of raw materials severely limited the development of soul tools.

Combat-use soul tools suffer too much wear and tear, making their development impossible. As a result, existing soul tools are basically auxiliary tools, and the impression of their weakness has been deeply ingrained.

Soul Masters take pride in battle and naturally scoff at soul tools that cannot assist in combat.

The lack of ideological support makes the development of soul tools even more difficult.

Only major powers like the royal family, the Spirit Hall, and the seven major sects would collect books on soul tools and research soul tools in order to fully develop and enrich their foundation.

……

Chi Ping is very optimistic about the future of soul tools.

Even in extraordinary civilizations, artifacts are one of the most effective means of enhancing one's abilities. In the fantasy and martial arts novels of my past life, the importance of magical artifacts was self-evident. Soul-guided devices, in a sense, are the "magical artifacts" of the Douluo Continent.

In addition, Chi Ping had always wanted to use a soul tool to replace the mycelium to simulate the gravity training environment within the academy.

People are fickle, and tools are difficult to make easy.

The very foundation of a school cannot be sustained by training the same type of Soul Masters; Soul Tools, which can be mastered by more people, are clearly more suitable for long-term development and survival.

Previously, there were no conditions available, but now that the opportunity has presented itself, Ikehira naturally wouldn't let it slip by.

……

The Royal Soul Tool Workshop is the exclusive workshop for the Heaven Dou Royal Family to research and produce soul tools. It is not large, with an area of ​​nearly 1,000 square meters. Most of it is used as material storage rooms. There is a large studio that occupies less than one-tenth of the area, with 25 workstations, 13 of which are occupied.

Xue Qinghe assigned Chi Ping, a nine-foot-tall man, a workstation of less than three square meters, and assigned him the title of apprentice.

"Well done. As an apprentice, you're learning very quickly," Liu Wenzhi commented, holding up a fine iron sphere about the size of a child's fist, covered with various patterns.

Liu Wenzhi, the chief master of the workshop, is the most skilled soul tool user in the Heaven Dou Empire. He appears to be a refined scholar in his thirties, wearing crystal glasses, but he is actually nearly fifty years old, possessing the cultivation of a Soul Master and the martial soul of the Carving Knife. He is currently Chi Ping's soul tool teacher.

The iron ball in his hand was the result of Chi Ping's learning over the past three months since joining the workshop—a scale model of a defensive soul tool core.

"Looks like you're not here to gain prestige or to be a joke," Liu Wenzhi said bluntly, adjusting his glasses.

These glasses are soul-guided devices he made himself, and they function similarly to magnifying glasses.

The workshop has a complete assessment process; only those who pass the assessment can join. Chi Ping was directly placed into the workshop by Xue Qinghe without going through the proper procedures, which Liu Wenzhi has always disliked. In addition, Chi Ping's appearance after being disguised was too rough, not like someone who could do delicate work, which made him even more unhappy.

Chi Ping understood this, after all, it was normal for someone who was researching soul tools in an era when soul tools were not valued to be a little aloof.

He cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching."

Liu Wenzhi waved his hand, "You've worked hard yourself. You have good talent and a decent brain. What does your quick learning have to do with me? You've practiced the basics for three months and want to get started, right? Take this and go to Old Chen in the warehouse to get a standard-sized piece of blue jade."

Liu Wenzhi carefully placed the refined iron model made by Chi Ping on his workstation, then took out a piece of paper from the side, wrote "A standard primary defensive soul tool specification blue jade, approved" and threw it to Chi Ping.

"If you messed up, get out!"

After saying that, Liu Wenzhi turned his head and immersed himself in his research.

Chi Ping carefully retreated.

A standard specification refers to two 5-centimeter square pieces of blue jade, with one tolerance.

Blue Jade, as the name suggests, is a sky-blue jade. It originates from the northernmost province of the Heaven Dou Empire. It is a special water-attribute jade material that can be used to craft the core of defensive soul tools. Once activated, it generates a protective soul power barrier that can defend against powerful offensive soul skills used by soul masters below level 20. It is the main product of the Royal Soul Tool Workshop and is rated as a basic soul tool by the workshop.

The workshop's prized product is a defensive soul tool that can defend against a Soul Master's thousand-year-old soul skill, and it is rated as a high-grade soul tool.

The creation of a soul tool involves three steps: shaping, carving, and assembling.

The process of making a blank involves grinding the core material into a blank while preparing other components. Carving involves carving magic arrays on the core material. This is the core process of making a soul tool. Assembly is the process of assembling the core and other components together.

Use tools to polish the blue jade into a standard sphere shape.

Then Ikehira began preparing to carve.

A mycelial arm grows from the left shoulder.

This is the martial spirit of the nine-foot-tall man Chi Ping, named the Hand of Transformation. It is a tool hand that can transform at will. Its essence is that Chi Ping controls the plasticity of mycelium. It works on the same principle as the left arm that Chi Ping sculpted and the broadcast he made in Martial Spirit City.

Using a special tool to fix the blue jade ball, then holding a carving knife in her right hand, her left arm spreads mycelium to wrap around the blue jade ball, leaving only the carving area. Her ever-changing hand holds a small fan blade to act as a low-powered fan, and is always ready to help Chi Ping change tools.

In a state of intuitive understanding, Ikehira began to sculpt.

Time passed second by second, but his body remained motionless like a sculpture. He controlled a small carving knife with a few fingers, slowly carving with the infusion of soul power. Fine powder was blown away by the fan and fell onto the table.

The studio was quiet, everyone was busy with their own things, there was the scratching of pen tips across paper, and the clicking of carving knives cutting through metal or jade.

It's a place where you can work in peace.

As the final cut was slowly made, a gentle breeze blew away the fine metal shavings, and Chi Ping's movements stopped.

Carefully turn off the mycelium fan, retract the mycelium covering the blue jade ball, and remove the completed core from the fixture.

Input soul power, and the core emits soul power fluctuations.

Chi Ping led the core into the testing room.

Once the core is fully activated, it feels like a gentle breeze, and a sky-blue, eggshell-shaped defensive barrier unfolds around the body.

Chi Ping placed his hand on the barrier and exerted force until the barrier shattered.

He let out a soft breath.

"That meets the standard."

The soul power barrier activated by the Blue Jade Primary Defense Soul Tool is a two-way defense, but due to its shape, the external defense is stronger.

"Success on the first try, I'm awesome!"

After praising himself, Chi Ping walked out of the testing room and looked out the window.

—Hmm? Is it already dark?

Chi Ping quickened his pace, inserting the core into a metal shell, and then adding a handle, thus completing a basic blue jade defensive soul guide staff.

Carrying a cane, I arrived at Master Liu Wenzhi's workstation.

"Finished on the first try, not bad." Liu Wenzhi took the cane, glanced at it briefly, and nodded. (Actually, with Liu Wenzhi's skill level, he couldn't judge the quality at a glance, but he had secretly watched Chi Ping's work all afternoon, so he was confident that he didn't need to open it for inspection.)

"Three days from now, the workshop and a batch of works will be auctioned at the Tiandou Auction House. Your piece will be included as well. Come with me then."

"I see."

"Hmm, go back and rest. The Crown Prince has good judgment. Remember to come on time tomorrow, and I'll teach you the next method for making soul cores."

……

Three days later, at the Tiandou Auction House.

This is a semicircle placed on the ground, with a diameter of at least 500 meters and a maximum height of over 80 meters. The auction house's entrance is also semicircular, and like the overall architectural style, it is milky white. Four tall young women stand in front of the entrance.

The Royal Soul Guidance Workshop has its own shops, but this does not prevent it from cooperating with the Heaven Dou Auction House. Every quarter, the Royal Soul Guidance Workshop will take a batch of products to the auction house for auction, in order to prove the excellence of its products.

Liu Wen's decision to put Chi Ping's first piece up for auction demonstrates his high regard for Chi Ping. Of course, this also depends on Chi Ping's skill level; otherwise, it would tarnish the workshop's reputation!

The setting of Soul Tools in Douluo Continent I is very strange. It is said that the manufacturing method has been lost, but it seems to be everywhere. There are amplifying Soul Tools in the Soul Arena, and the Spirit Hall can use a large number of Soul Tools to reinforce the arena.

This story assumes that a production method exists, but it hasn't been developed due to material limitations.

In the Wuhun City incident, many throat models were created using mycelium to repeatedly execute the vibration information of the oath, controlled by a matching mycelium horn and mycelium airbags. After becoming familiar with the mycelium arm for over a month, Chi Ping's control over the mycelium has greatly improved, allowing him to perform more precise operations.

(End of this chapter)