Chapter 8: Second Profession Choice: The First Person to Exploit Soul Spirits (Part 2)

Armor of the Soul was first traced back ten thousand years to the predecessor of the Lunar Federation, the Lunar Empire.

“At that time, Soul Engineers envisioned whether soul tools could amplify Soul Masters, enabling them to transcend class boundaries—thus, the humanoid soul tool was born,” said Leng Yaoju.

“The ancestral founder of the Spirit Transmission Tower, Ice-Soul Douluo Huo Yuhao, further refined the humanoid soul tool and created the prototype of the Soul Armor, known as the Ice-Polar War God Armor.”

Xuanzhen, you are my direct disciple. I set two goals for you—remember them forever and strive toward them without ceasing.

First: Limit Douluo, Semi-God.

Second: Four-character Soul Armor Master.”

Leng Yaoju’s expression turned solemn. Noble birth does not mean slacking off for life and waiting to die—it means rigor, especially for geniuses, who are the very foundation of every major faction’s strength.

With the Divine Realm gone, the Limit Douluo, Semi-God stands as the pinnacle of a Soul Master’s personal cultivation; the Four-Character Soul Armor Master stands as the summit of Soul Engineering artistry. Since age six, Leng Yaoju had trained Zhao Xuanzhen to pursue these two goals, effectively telling him: You are the limit of the Douluo Continent!

Zhao Xuanzhen nodded heavily, yet silently told himself: Semi-God and Four-Character Soul Armor Master are only halfway— he would surpass the world’s very limit!

Leng Yaoju smiled faintly. “Soul Armor currently has four tiers, from one-character to four-character, with each tier vastly different from the last.

To become a Soul Armor Master, you must first master a second profession tied to Soul Armor.

Forming Soul Armor involves four steps: forging the metal, designing the armor blueprint, crafting and engraving the core soul array, and repairing and refining it.

Thus, Soul Armor Masters have evolved into four professions: Forger, Mech Design Engineer, Mech Manufacturing Engineer, and Mech Repair Engineer.

Today’s lesson is on second professions. If you wish your Soul Armor to grow powerful, it must suit you perfectly. The Soul Armor Master and Soul Armor must be inseparable—during crafting, your martial soul merges with it, resonating until you become one.

The Mech Design Engineer has the highest compatibility with Soul Armor. No one understands you better than yourself. The strength of the armor is tied to compatibility—a perfect match grants a twenty-level soul power boost, allowing the Soul Master to leap across two major realms.

The Mech Manufacturing Engineer’s work is meticulous; engraving the core array demands endless repetition. The Mech Repair Engineer leans toward logistics, understanding only parts of design and manufacturing, contributing little during creation, and facing greater difficulty in fusion.

The Forger demands the greatest innate talent and is hardest to enter. Mid-stage investment costs rank highest among the four professions. After breaking through Seventh Grade Saint Artisan, high-level Forgers become the most sought-after talent by all major factions, for forging the metal is the prerequisite for crafting Soul Armor.”

After introducing all four professions, Leng Yaoju said: “Xuanzhen, take a moment to consider which second profession you’ll learn, then give me your answer. Youth is an advantage—you have more room to fail and try again.”

This is the advantage of a top-tier faction’s beginning: mentors prioritize early education. In another timeline, Xie Xie and Xu Xiaoyan entered Shrek Academy at thirteen, their second profession levels barely at a pitiful Level One—even excluding the anomaly Tang Wulin, peers of the same age already held Level Three or Four professions.

Both reached Level Nine in their second professions by their twenties, proving their talent was no weakling’s—it was merely the lack of family elders cultivating them from childhood. In contrast, the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo truly deserved her title: at six, she began “exploiting” children.

Leng Yaoju watched Zhao Xuanzhen in silence, eagerly awaiting his choice. Her words subtly favored Mech Design, neutrally acknowledged Mech Manufacturing, lightly dismissed Mech Repair, and fairly assessed Forging.

No one is perfect; everyone has bias. As a Four-Character Soul Armor Master, Leng Yaoju’s second profession had long surpassed Level Nine—she was a Level Nine Mech Design Engineer and Level Eight Mech Manufacturing Engineer. Naturally, she wished her disciple to follow the same path. Her neutrality toward Forging was merely out of respect for the Divine Artisan’s singular, unmatched status.

After a long pause, Zhao Xuanzhen made his decision: “Teacher, I will learn Mech Design, Mech Manufacturing, and Mech Repair—all three simultaneously.”

“Why?”

Leng Yaoju’s dark brows furrowed. Zhao Xuanzhen choosing Mech Design pleased her, but his ambition was too great. Having trained in two second professions herself, she understood their difficulty better than anyone.

“There appear to be four second professions, but in truth, only two: Forger and Soul Engineer,” Zhao Xuanzhen explained. “The Annals of the Continent record that the earliest Soul Armor Masters were Soul Engineers.

Soul Engineers spent countless hardships developing the first Soul Armor, but its principles were too complex—only a few Soul Engineers grasped its secrets.

Thus, the Soul Engineer gradually evolved into three second professions, lowering individual talent requirements and enabling Soul Armor Masters to collaborate in crafting armor.

Mech Design, Mech Manufacturing, and Mech Repair are essentially one entity, interdependent and mutually reinforcing.

Mech Repair includes knowledge of design and manufacturing; a Mech Design Engineer must consider manufacturing constraints when designing; a Mech Manufacturing Engineer must comprehend the essence of the design.

When these three merge into one, and you control everything yourself, only then can you forge a Soul Armor of perfect compatibility.”

“I understand. I’ll let you do as you wish.”

Leng Yaoju’s tone lightened, her clear eyes sparkling with delight.

A good teacher is a rare creature; a genius disciple is even rarer. How much more so a disciple of extraordinary talent, with independent thought and the will to strive? No matter how strict Leng Yaoju was, she found not a single flaw in Zhao Xuanzhen.

“Xuanzhen, let us make a pact,” Leng Yaoju extended her pale, jade-like palm. “Within five years, all three second professions must reach Level Four, and your soul power cultivation must not lag behind—or you must choose one to abandon.”

“Agreed.”

With a sharp clap, the teacher and disciple sealed their pact.

Everyone has innate strengths and interests—there’s no need to force yourself into Forging. But the Divine Artisan’s control over all Four-Character Soul Armor is truly godlike. Zhao Xuanzhen already had a plan: from within the Eight Trigrams Mystic Gate, a living being would rise to claim the throne of the Divine Artisan!

In the following time, Leng Yaoju taught the fundamentals of two second professions. Beginners could not yet reach the advanced levels of Mech or Soul Armor—so she began with basic soul tools.

With a Level Nine Mech Design Engineer and Level Eight Mech Manufacturing Engineer personally instructing him, Zhao Xuanzhen absorbed knowledge like a sponge.

Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught Lingrui Waterhog dozing beside him.

Outside combat, Lingrui Waterhog consumed almost no soul power from its host. Zhao Xuanzhen had let it out to breathe, and to bond with it.

Meanwhile, the host studied diligently, while the soul spirit slept and slacked off…

Of course—the waterhog doesn’t go to school, doesn’t work, doesn’t wake up at eight, doesn’t learn Soul Armor… damn it!

My lord Waterhog, I’m truly sorry I didn’t let you play enough…

“Teacher, pause for a moment.”

Zhao Xuanzhen watched Lingrui Waterhog lazily scratching its belly, then opened a Soul Armor design book before it.

“Come on, learn this—later, you’ll help me craft Soul Armor!”

The First Person to Exploit Soul Spirits!

(End of Chapter)