Collection and Utilization, Classification

Chapter 69 Recycling and Sorting

After crafting his first soul tool, Chi Ping was no longer an apprentice, but a certified junior soul master by the workshop.

This is a title proposed by Liu Wenzhi, used to rate those who have mastered the technology of making soul tools.

Those who are certified will receive a certificate, which allows them to move freely within the workshop.

This is an acknowledgment of Ikehira's skills, and it also means that he can learn the craftsmanship of other soul tools in the workshop.

Within the workshop, apprentices are only allowed to learn basic knowledge and are permitted to access the manufacturing process of a basic soul tool.

This is a confidentiality measure, and also to prevent apprentices from being overconfident and lacking practical skills.

After all, even with Ikehira's intuition fully activated, it took him a full three months to go from a complete novice to mastering the craft of a basic soul tool.

If it were an ordinary person, without sufficient focus, it would probably take years to even get started.

With benefits come obligations.

The workshop's target for junior soul masters is five junior soul tools per month, and they receive a salary.

With the focused effect of intuition and the additional transformative power, the success rate of Ikehira in creating basic soul tool cores is so high that he almost never fails.

Moreover, he is very fast, able to complete two basic soul tools a day. This is quite outstanding among the basic soul masters in the workshop.

Therefore, after completing the target, Chi Ping had plenty of time to learn the inscriptions of other basic soul tools.

With a knack for drawing inferences from one instance to another, Chi Ping mastered the basic soul tool inscriptions at an astonishing speed. In less than a month, he had mastered all the basic soul tool inscriptions in the workshop.

This is partly due to the limited number and similarity of the basic soul tools the workshop possesses, and also because Chi Ping's basic qualities are solid enough, with excellent soul power control, body control, and memory.

After that, Chi Ping began to study intermediate soul tools.

With Xue Qinghe's support, as long as Chi Ping's own skills are sufficient, no one in the workshop will dare to stop Chi Ping from learning these skills.

After intermediate-level soul tools come advanced-level soul tools, and Chi Ping learned them one level at a time.

Three months to learn the basics, two months to reach the intermediate level of Soul Master, and another three months to reach the advanced level of Soul Master.

From now on, you have to walk your own path. The workshop's highest level is this; it may go quite far, but there's no qualitative change.

……

In the main hall of Qingzhu Garden, Chi Ping was conducting an experiment. Xue Qinghe, out of curiosity, came over to take a look.

"You've reached the advanced Soul Master level so quickly? I was quite surprised when Master Wenzhi told me about it," Xue Qinghe asked.

"This is just the beginning," Chi Ping said casually.

Perhaps it was because they had spent so much time together, or perhaps it was because Xue Qinghe's methods were so skillful, but Chi Ping became more and more at ease with him.

"I've only learned how to use a level three soul tool; I'm still far from mastering it."

"A level three soul tool?"

"Master Wenzhi's classification is a bit stingy, from one to nine corresponding to the first to ninth rings of a Soul Master. If we want to promote Soul Guidance Devices, we should have this kind of ambition."

Xue Qinghe smiled and said, "I can't pretend I didn't hear what you said. I'll have to talk to Master Wenzhi next time I see him."

"Whatever you want, I personally think the Soul Master profession has that potential."

Xue Qinghe was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Do you think it would be worthwhile if I sent more people to learn about soul tools?"

Chi Ping rolled his eyes. "Unless the problem of raw material scarcity is solved, and the basic theory of soul tools is perfected, at least theoretically deduced to the level of a level seven soul tool, which would take decades or even centuries."

"Wasn't it premature for you to boast?"

"What do you mean by 'bragging'?!" Chi Ping's voice rose eight octaves. "A person without ideals is no good! Besides, I'm not the only one working towards this goal; Master Wenzhi is also researching inscription miniaturization!"

What does "salted fish" mean?

"Salted fish is dead fish, and dead fish can't be turned over."

Xue Qinghe seemed to be deep in thought.

"What are you doing?"

"Let's do an experiment."

"What experiment?"

"An experiment on material recycling and reuse."

"Just these bottles and jars?" Xue Qinghe was even more curious.

In the center of the hall was a huge table with many glass jars filled with various powders and four large jars filled with a strange milky white viscous liquid. Upon closer inspection, the liquid contained faint traces of gold, blue, purple, and brown.

"It's a bit disgusting."

"I don't like hearing that," Chi Ping said unhappily.

"How did you make this?" Xue Qinghe asked, pointing to the slime jar.

"I used my martial spirit to make the elemental adhesive."

"I'm asking how it's done."

Chi Ping clicked his tongue. "The mycelium devours elemental substances, digests them to a certain extent, then extracts the juice, and adds some auxiliary ingredients to make it."

"Nausea."

"How can you call scientific research disgusting!" Chi Ping glared angrily.

Xue Qinghe ignored it, "What's the use of it?"

Chi Ping took an empty jar, mixed the water element adhesive and blue jade powder in a 3:7 ratio, stirred it evenly, and poured it into a spherical mold.

While inputting soul power and waiting, Xue Qinghe picked up two experimental record books on the table and casually flipped through them.

Fifteen minutes later, the mold was opened and a blue and white ball was taken out.

"That's how it's used. Rare metals can be melted and recycled, but jade materials can only be carved once and are difficult to reuse. So I came up with this method: grinding and reshaping those discarded jade materials. The effect is definitely not as good as the original intact material, but it's about 70-80% effective."

"A very ingenious idea." Xue Qinghe picked up the blue and white ball, walked to the window, and saw that it had the appearance of a cheap gemstone in the sunlight. "Could this be promoted?"

"I've already consulted a herbalist, who recommended several plants with similar mycelial properties to mine. I've done some experiments. The extracted binder isn't very effective, but it's barely usable. I've also written down the formula; you can take it if you want."

"Thanks."

Chi Ping: "If you hadn't allowed it, I wouldn't have been able to master this knowledge so easily."

Xue Qinghe smiled and continued, "However, it seems you've recorded more than just this. What does this 'Energy Gathering Inscription Circuit' mean?"

"This is theoretical research. I'm 'disassembling' the Soul Guiding Inscription."

"Oh?" Xue Qinghe asked curiously.

"Many things are made up of very small parts. Just like a gun can be divided into a spearhead, a shaft, rivets, and a tassel. Each part has its own function: the spearhead is sharp enough to pierce armor, the shaft is flexible enough to store power, the rivets connect the parts, and the tassel absorbs blood."

The same applies to soul guide inscriptions; the energy-gathering inscription circuit is one example. Understanding the function of each inscription and circuit allows us to grasp the principles of soul guides, thereby enabling the development of even better devices.

The workshop's research in this area is still in its early stages and hasn't yet developed a systematic approach. I hope to build such a system. However, we've encountered some difficulties.

"What difficulties?"

Chi Ping spread his hands, looking distressed. "There are too few samples."

"Is there any solution?"

"Disassemble those higher-level soul tools that have been passed down."

"Can it be restored?"

"It cannot be guaranteed."

Xue Qinghe had a headache. "It is indeed a problem."

High-level soul tools are all treasures; how could we just give them to Chi Ping to ruin?

"Let's talk about something happy. You didn't come here just to watch the show, did you?"

Xue Qinghe smiled and said, "Grain production reports from various regions are arriving one after another this year. A bumper harvest has been confirmed near Tiandou City. I am looking forward to the subsequent reports."

Chi Ping smiled as well, "That is indeed something to be happy about."

(End of this chapter)