Chapter 94: Circuit Arrays – The Essence of Soul Tools

"After the lightning-type soul power passed through the wires, it went into the tungsten filament bulb, heated it up until it glowed, and then returned to my hand."

"If it weren't for the poor quality of the tungsten filament bulb, it could have stayed lit for several days."

Xiao Lin's explanation made sense to Tang San, who had an engineering mindset. Meanwhile, the illiterate Xiao Wu was completely lost, nodding along just because Tang San was.

"Mm-hmm, I get it now. So the energy inside a soul ring—soul power—is also a kind of circuit?"

Tang San seemed to be grasping the concept, and he was starting to see how circuits could enhance even hidden weapons.

"More or less. Soul tools also require soul masters to recharge them with soul power. Some can even store a little bit of soul power inside, enough to last a few days."

As he spoke, Xiao Lin pointed to the lighting soul tool installed on the ceiling of their secret base.

Tang San paused, deep in thought, then his eyes lit up: "It's incredible. I can't believe ancient people actually managed to invent something like this."

His enthusiasm surged. He silently vowed to master soul tool technology and surpass the Tang Sect of his previous life.

You didn't let me study this before. This time, I'll surpass you all.

Tang San silently motivated himself.

"Alright, now that you have a basic understanding of circuits, let me say this—this simple circuit structure is probably the most basic structure of a soul tool."

"Once we add a switch, it'll be almost identical to the lighting soul tool we use now."

"Xiao San, your task today is to dismantle the other lighting soul tools we bought. Use your Purple Demon Eye to examine the internal soul power structure."

"I'll explain them in the next lesson."

Having assigned the task to the observant Tang San, Xiao Lin wrote four large characters on the blackboard: "Circuit Array Formation".

Tang San was a bit dumbfounded. He understood formations, kind of, even if he hadn't seriously read any books on them. Circuits, he was beginning to understand. But combining the two? That was completely new to him.

Beside him, the clueless Xiao Wu was already totally lost.

What's going on? Wasn't self-condensing soul rings just about... this and that, and then poof?

Even though Xiao Wu could self-condense soul rings, asking her to explain how or why was a tall order.

Seeing the confusion on their faces, Xiao Lin sighed inwardly. A guy who only knows a little basic electronics has to teach two illiterates...

One a traditional-era illiterate, the other a wild rabbit illiterate.

Ignoring the freeloading Xiao Wu, Xiao Lin drew a circle on the board.

"Pay attention to this circle. Let's say it represents an offensive soul skill. A really weak one. Like, releasing some soul power to kill an ant—something like that."

Afraid they wouldn't understand, Xiao Lin gave plenty of description.

Strictly speaking, that wasn't even a real offensive skill. A soul master could just use pressure from their soul power to squash an ant. But for ease of explanation, he described it this way.

Then Xiao Lin drew another circle and connected it to the first with a straight line.

"Now, what happens if I continuously pour soul power into the first circle? It will keep releasing that weak offensive soul skill, right?"

He asked and answered himself—he didn't expect them to respond, just to understand.

Seeing Tang San furrow his brows but still nod seriously gave Xiao Lin some comfort.

As for freeloader Xiao Wu... just forget her.

"Then, once the first circle keeps outputting offensive soul skills, it eventually hits the second circle, right? That circle would then also start outputting offensive soul skills."

"Do you understand now?"

Neither Tang San nor Xiao Wu spoke, but Tang San nodded again, still silently thinking.

"Good. Now, if we add a third circle here, forming a triangle and completing a circuit, then we've created a basic array formation."

Xiao Lin drew another circle and connected all three with straight lines.

Now, the diagram on the board showed that as long as the first circle continued outputting soul power, all three circles would keep feeding off each other, forming a basic circuit.

"But here's the key—so long as the first circle never stops outputting soul power, the soul skill being cycled through the circuit will grow stronger and stronger."

"Originally, it was just one unit of soul power going back and forth. But now, it becomes two units, three units... eventually countless."

"Congratulations, you've created the most basic offensive or defensive array formation."

"Once the soul power being cycled through reaches the volume of a ten-year soul ring, it takes shape—its offensive or defensive effects become real."

"Anyone who comes in contact with the area influenced by this circuit will be attacked by all these soul skills at once—injury is guaranteed."

After finishing, Xiao Lin took a big gulp of water. Teaching was exhausting.

Tang San, hearing this, now fully understood the relationship between formations and circuits. If this is how offensive and defensive soul tools worked, it made perfect sense.

"Brother Lin, if we want to upgrade this ten-year-level offensive soul tool to a hundred-year quality—how would we do that?"

"Would we change one of the circles into a kind of amplifier structure?"

"Like, say, the second circle—what if it absorbs one unit of soul power but outputs two?"

As Tang San said this, he hesitated. Wait, how could soul power just increase out of nowhere?

But Xiao Lin's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Exactly, Xiao San, you're a genius!"

"Okay, amplifying soul power like that might not be possible, but we can accelerate the process to mimic amplification."

He erased the second circle and drew two smaller circles next to it, then illustrated how soul power would reflect and rebound within the space between them.

In that way, soul power sent into this area would bounce back and forth multiple times within the same time period, increasing the impact frequency.

And when it finally exits, the attack happens much faster and more powerfully.

Isn't that just the effect of amplifying soul power output?

Add more structures like this, and even if it's the same skill, the quality is on a different level.

Of course, you could also modify the other circles to input and output offensive soul power simultaneously.

With all three attacking together, the efficiency would triple.

"Hehe, it's nothing!"

Though Xiao Lin praised him, Tang San still acted modestly, brushing it off instinctively.

"But Brother Lin, isn't this just for offensive and defensive soul skills?"

At this point, Xiao Wu raised her hand to ask. She'd finally understood a little and now was curious.

"Yeah, because that's all I know. The books don't cover anything else."

Xiao Lin shrugged confidently, arms wide.

If crafting soul tools for other types of soul skills were that easy, then they wouldn't have been lost to history on the Douluo Continent.

"But… but…"

Xiao Wu wanted to say something but wasn't sure if she should.

She felt that self-condensing soul rings didn't seem so complicated. Wasn't it just a matter of "wanting it"?

She never felt like it was all that complex…

But in the end, she didn't say it aloud and sat back down awkwardly.

(Author's Note):

The soul tool formation center idea here is inspired by a Plants vs. Zombies mod, where a scaredy-shroom initiates attacks, and other plants respond to its output to form an unbeatable formation. Some readers might recognize this setup.

(End of Chapter)