Both of them stood firm before their respective workbenches.
Xiao Hongchen took out an exquisite timer from his Storage Soul Tool, placed it in the corner of the workbench, and then turned around to look at Huo Yuhao.
"The rules are simple."
He held up three fingers, his tone carrying a hint of professional impartiality.
"Completion is one standard, quality is another, and time is also a standard."
"Of course, if you cannot make it, then naturally you lose."
He pointed to the three sets of Materials neatly arranged on the workbench.
"There are only three chances and three sets of Materials. If you use them all and still haven't made it, you lose."
Huo Yuhao's gaze swept over the three sets of Materials, and he made a silent estimation in his heart.
The quality of these Materials was similar to those used in the academy, or perhaps even slightly inferior. Although the Oscillation Cannon was complex, it wasn't too difficult for him.
"Understood."
He nodded and took out a Carving Knife from his Storage Soul Tool, resting it in his palm.
Xiao Hongchen's gaze fell upon that Carving Knife and he examined it carefully. It was a very ordinary Carving Knife, silvery-white throughout without any decoration; the blade was sharpened, but that was all.
It wasn't made of any special material, just the most common kind.
Xiao Hongchen shook his head inwardly. The Carving Knife he used was custom-made, inscribed with three auxiliary circuits that could improve the stability and precision of the carving. He had offered a Carving Knife to Huo Yuhao, but Huo Yuhao hadn't used it.
Xiao Hongchen didn't say anything more.
The tools belonged to the person; it wasn't his place to interfere.
"Are you ready?"
Xiao Hongchen asked.
Huo Yuhao gripped the Carving Knife and nodded.
"Start!"
As soon as Xiao Hongchen's voice fell, he immediately immersed himself in the production. His movements were skilled and fluid as he picked up the first piece of metal and quickly processed the surface.
His technique was fast, but every step was precise and in place, without the slightest hesitation.
This was the result of practicing countless times.
However, just as he was focused on the work in his hands, his peripheral vision inadvertently swept across Huo Yuhao opposite him, and his movements suddenly froze.
He saw Huo Yuhao's hands moving at an incredible speed. His left hand picked up a piece of metal, and the Carving Knife held in his right hand swept across the metal surface rapidly, as precise Spirit Power circuits emerged under the blade like flowing water.
And at the same time, his right hand hadn't even stopped!
While he was carving the Core Formation, he was using his left hand to process another piece of material—removing burrs, polishing edges, and adjusting dimensions...
Both hands were performing different processes simultaneously!
Xiao Hongchen's eyes bulged, his mouth opened slightly, and his face was filled with disbelief.
What kind of operation is this?!
During a Soul Engineer's production process, every step requires full concentration; the slightest carelessness can lead to the entire Spirit Tool being scrapped.
Especially when carving a Core Formation, it is even more necessary to concentrate all energy and Mental Force on the Carving Knife.
But this Huo Yuhao was actually processing other Materials while carving the array?!
Moreover, his movements didn't have the slightest stagnation; they were as smooth as floating clouds and flowing water, completed in one go.
How is this possible?!
Xiao Hongchen's mind was in a mess. He even forgot the work in his own hands, just staring blankly at Huo Yuhao's movements, with stormy waves surging in his heart.
Huo Yuhao's Carving Knife moved rapidly across the metal surface at an astonishing frequency. Every time it descended, it was incredibly precise; every time it was lifted, it was just right.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the first Core Formation was completed.
Huo Yuhao set that piece of metal aside, picked up another, and continued.
His movements remained swift and accurate, without any pause.
Xiao Hongchen finally came to his senses, took a deep breath, and suppressed the shock in his heart.
"I can't let him affect me..."
He whispered to himself, forcing himself to refocus and continue the work in his hands.
However, his gaze still couldn't help but drift toward Huo Yuhao's side.
Every time it drifted over, his mood became a bit more complicated.
Because Huo Yuhao's speed was much faster than his.
And it wasn't just speed; Huo Yuhao's techniques, those skills he had never seen before, and the exquisite coordination of operating with both hands simultaneously, all made Xiao Hongchen feel a deep sense of powerlessness.
He was the Genius of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, the one everyone looked up to.
But at this moment, in front of Huo Yuhao, his title of Genius seemed so pale.
Xiao Hongchen gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to look at Huo Yuhao, and concentrated all his attention on the Carving Knife in his hand.
However, his heart was already in turmoil.
The Carving Knife drew a shallow mark on the metal surface. He quickly pulled back, but it still left a scratch that shouldn't have been there.
"Damn it!"
Xiao Hongchen cursed in a low voice, threw the piece of metal aside, and picked up the second set of Materials.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao was still working methodically.
His hands didn't stop, and his eyes didn't wander; he just focused on every piece of metal and every part in his hands.
In his eyes, the difficulty of this Oscillation Cannon was actually not high.
During his studies at Sky Shrek Academy, he had encountered Level 4 spirit tools much more complex than this.
This Oscillation Cannon, according to the academy's rating, was probably equivalent to an upper Level 2 difficulty.
He had said he wanted to see the blueprints first just to confirm what level the Level 4 spirit tools of the Sun Moon Empire were at.
After seeing it, he knew what to expect.
Moreover, his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul gave him Mental Force and concentration far beyond ordinary people, and the Heavenly Derivation Divided Soul Art he learned allowed him to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without error.
Even if the difficulty were a bit higher, he could still manage to assemble it while looking at the blueprints.
Of course, if the difficulty reached the level of a Level 5 spirit tool from the academy, that would be a different story.
Time passed minute by minute.
In the hall, only the subtle sound of metal cutting and the slight hum of Spirit Power circulation remained.
Xiao Hongchen's second set of Materials was also scrapped.
He took a deep breath and picked up the final set of Materials, his hands trembling slightly.
He no longer dared to look at Huo Yuhao's side.
"There's still a chance..."
He whispered to encourage himself.
"He's fast, but the quality might not be good. As long as I make a finished product with high enough quality, I still have a chance..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Huo Yuhao spoke from the opposite side.
"I'm finished."
Xiao Hongchen's hand suddenly froze.
He looked up at Huo Yuhao.
On Huo Yuhao's workbench lay a silver-white spirit cannon quietly.
The shell was smooth and even without any flaws. Through the observation port reserved on the shell, one could see that the internal Core Formation was carved quite precisely, and the Energy Circuits were distributed evenly without the slightest deviation.
And the time shown on the timer was less than ten minutes.
"Less than ten minutes..."
Xiao Hongchen murmured to himself, his voice trembling.
He put down the Carving Knife in his hand, walked to Huo Yuhao's workbench, picked up the Oscillation Cannon, and began to inspect it carefully.
The shell, perfect.
The Core Formation, perfect.
The Energy Circuits, perfect.
Every detail was beyond reproach.
It was even more exquisite than any Oscillation Cannon he had ever made.
Xiao Hongchen's mind went blank.
He turned around and looked at Huo Yuhao, opening his mouth, but found he couldn't say a single word.
After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a few words.
"You... have you made an Oscillation Cannon before?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head.
"No, it's the first time I've seen one."
"Then how could you possibly..."
"When I was looking at the blueprint, I already knew how to do it."
Huo Yuhao's answer was quite calm.
Xiao Hongchen's mouth twitched twice.
"He already knew how to do it when looking at the blueprint?"
This Huo Yuhao, the first time he saw the blueprint, in less than ten minutes, produced a finished product better than his?
"Is this something a human can do?"
Xiao Hongchen took one deep breath, then another, trying to calm himself down.
He admitted that he had lost.
He had lost thoroughly, without any power to fight back.
"You win."
Xiao Hongchen's voice was low, carrying a hint of bitterness.
He put down the Oscillation Cannon and looked at Huo Yuhao, his eyes full of complexity.
"I, Xiao Hongchen, admit defeat."
...
Meanwhile, in the Deans Office.
"[Detected that the key character Xiao Hongchen's recognition of Shrek Academy is a Monster Academy has increased!]"
"[Congratulations to the Host for receiving the reward: Special Student—Yi Zichen (Three-ring Spirit Elder)]"
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A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.