Level 3

"Success!"

Su Luoheng raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and carefully held up the Level-3 core formation, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

He was feeling incredibly excited at this moment, and it wasn't just because he had successfully crafted a Level-3 soul tool core.

This was the fifth Level-3 soul tool core he had successfully crafted, marking his official qualification as a Level-3 soul engineer! To meet the requirements for certification as a soul engineer, one had to independently complete at least five core formations.

Today, this one happened to be his fifth!

Su Luoheng took a deep breath to calm his excitement, then turned to look at his teacher, who had been quietly waiting behind him.

"Teacher, I did it."

"Hahaha, good, very good!"

Ran Yuming stroked his long beard, his smile filled with satisfaction. "Luoheng, you have not disappointed me!"

As he looked at Su Luoheng, his eyes were filled with affection and admiration.

Beyond that, though, his heart was mostly overcome with joy.

Through spring and summer, autumn harvests, and winter storage—it had taken a year and a half.

In that time, Su Luoheng had advanced from a Level-1 soul engineer to become a true Level-3 soul engineer. Such a rapid ascent was unheard of, not only in the strict certification system of the Sun Moon Empire but also in the more lenient systems of the Heavenly Soul, Star Luo, and Dou Ling Empires.

Ran Yuming felt fortunate to have found a disciple with such a perfect blend of talent, character, and capability, especially in his twilight years.

Ran Yuming patted his shoulder, filled with emotion.

"Luoheng, among all my disciples, you are the most outstanding."

"Thank you, Teacher, for your guidance and teaching all this time. Without it, I wouldn't have become a Level-3 soul engineer so quickly." Su Luoheng smiled shyly, displaying a rare moment of humility.

As he delved deeper into his studies on soul tools, he increasingly understood the immense value of his analytical abilities!

The speed at which he progressed in soul engineering was largely due to the significant impact of his first soul skill.

Ran Yuming raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but laugh. "You've finally learned to be modest."

"Hehe…"

Su Luoheng chuckled, scratching his head.

"Now that you're a Level-3 soul engineer, wearing a Level-2 badge wouldn't be appropriate."

With that, Ran Yuming personally removed the Level-2 soul engineer badge from Su Luoheng's chest, replacing it with a brand-new Level-3 badge.

The badge had a blue octagonal base, with three diamonds embedded in it. The diamonds sparkled like stars, shimmering brightly under the sunlight.

Encircling them were faint gold and silver patterns, simple yet elegant, perfectly embodying the identity and poise of a soul engineer.

Ran Yuming straightened Su Luoheng's collar and said solemnly, "Luoheng, from today onward, you are officially a Level-3 soul engineer. But remember, being a Level-3 soul engineer is just the beginning. Never become complacent. Your future lies in Illustrious Virtue Hall, in the Sun Moon Empire, and even across the entire continent!"

"Don't waste your potential. Do you understand my meaning?"

"I understand, Teacher!"

Su Luoheng solemnly bowed to Ran Yuming.

He understood his teacher's expectations well, and indeed, they aligned with his own goals.

"Hahaha~"

Hearing this, Ran Yuming burst into hearty laughter. "Good! As long as you have this determination, I will spare no effort to help you rise to the top!"

"Teacher!" Su Luoheng cupped his hands in respect.

Ran Yuming gave a slight nod, his eyes filled with profound hope.

For himself, reaching the rank of Level-9 soul engineer was beyond his grasp, but he believed his disciple could go even further—perhaps to heights no soul engineer had ever achieved. Level-10 soul engineer. For Su Luoheng, this was not out of reach.

Ran Yuming already had a theoretical outline in mind, but unfortunately, his limited spiritual power held him back.

His disciple, Su Luoheng, would carry on and verify it in his stead!

Su Luoheng put away his carving knife, moved closer to Ran Yuming, and rubbed his hands with a hopeful expression. "Teacher, may I take the afternoon off?"

"You want to go sell those soul tools you've projected again, don't you?"

Ran Yuming gave him a sidelong glance, directly exposing Su Luoheng's real intentions.

"How did you know, Teacher?"

Su Luoheng's face immediately filled with surprise.

Ran Yuming stroked his beard with an amused expression. "You've been running to the Mingdu Soul Tool Market every week. It's so obvious; how could I not figure out what you're up to?"

"Teacher, you're brilliant!"

Su Luoheng chuckled, scratching his head, quickly complimenting his teacher.

"Then, I'll just…"

Ran Yuming flicked his forehead, scolding him with a smile. "Brat, don't be in such a rush. Tell me first, how are those soul tools selling?"

"You know about my second soul skill, Teacher~"

Su Luoheng scratched his nose, chuckling. "Business is pretty good. I sell Level-1 soul tools for twenty gold soul coins, Level-2 for fifty, Level-3 for one hundred, and Level-4 for one thousand. With a few projections during my free time each week, I can make four to five thousand gold soul coins."

"Prices that low?"

Hearing this, Ran Yuming's brow furrowed slightly.

The typical market price for a Level-1 soul tool was around fifty to one hundred gold soul coins; Level-2 tools went for around one hundred to two hundred, and Level-3 for about five hundred. For Level-4 tools, the prices varied greatly but generally started at three thousand gold soul coins.

The prices he was offering were drastically undercutting the market rate!

Even if projected soul tools had some flaws, they were still authentic and functional tools of the same level. A Level-4 soul tool was still a Level-4 tool, even if it performed at a slightly reduced capacity compared to the original.

But lowering prices to just a quarter of the market rate was simply too extreme!

"This is practically daylight robbery!"

Su Luoheng could only manage a wry smile at his teacher's remark.

"These are the prices out there."

Ran Yuming frowned and asked, "Luoheng, don't you know the true market prices for soul tools?"

"Of course I know, but the shops have banded together, so I can only sell to them. And while the prices are low, I can still accept it."

Su Luoheng shrugged with a helpless smile.

He knew exactly what was happening, but he was powerless to change it.

In fact, many academy disciples were exploited like this. Compared to them, he considered himself lucky. At least he had his projection soul skill, which eliminated the cost of producing soul tools. So, no matter how low the price, as long as they sold, it was still a profitable, no-loss venture for him.