Ranked Carving Knife

While taking a Star Luo Empire merchant ship to Yueshu Island, Xu Zihuang had gained a general understanding of the island through maps.

There were seven cities on Yueshu Island in total. However, aside from the main city, Yueshu City, the other six were much smaller, with permanent populations of only around a hundred thousand.

The distant sky was cloudless for miles, sunlight pouring straight down. Yueshu City, built along the coast, stood amid it all like a paradise on earth. Its towering, massive city walls were completely unobstructed, presenting a grand and majestic sight.

The northern port of Yueshu Island led directly to Yueshu City's gates. The roads on both sides bustled with traffic and brimmed with life.

Xu Zihuang raised his right hand to shield himself slightly from the scorching sunlight. Having grown up in Ming City in the north-central region of the Sun Moon Empire, he was somewhat unused to the southern climate.

Still, it was not enough to truly affect him.

With his current physical constitution, he was completely unaffected by heat or cold. He quickly adapted to the glaring sunlight that was rarely blocked by clouds and strode steadily toward Yueshu City's gates.

Amid the clamor around him, he could even hear accents from the Star Luo Empire, as well as the Heaven Dou Empire and Dou Ling Empire.

And there were quite a few of them.

Stopping casually beside a shop selling local Yueshu Island fruits, Xu Zihuang ordered a chilled fruit juice and casually asked the busy middle-aged shopkeeper, "Sir, isn't Yueshu Island territory of the Sun Moon Empire? Why am I hearing so many accents from the Three Great Empires that originally belonged to the Douluo Continent?"

Seeing the air of nobility Xu Zihuang exuded with every gesture, as well as Meng Lang and the other four standing respectfully behind him, the middle-aged shopkeeper immediately knew that Xu Zihuang was no ordinary person. He answered respectfully, "This young master must not be from Yueshu Island, right?"

"More than four thousand years ago, wars often broke out between the Sun Moon Empire and the Three Great Empires originally on the Douluo Continent. Many people fled here to escape the conflict, including quite a few from the Star Luo, Heavenly Soul, and Dou Ling Empires. Though the Yuenan Islands are not large, they have never been touched by war. After more than four thousand years of intermarriage, things gradually became what they are today."

As he spoke, his hands did not slow. He split open the hard skin of a grayish-brown fruit, inserted a green bamboo straw about the length of a finger, and handed it to Xu Zihuang with both hands, grinning. "That'll be five Copper Soul Coins."

Without needing Xu Zihuang's instruction, Meng Lang took out a gleaming Silver Soul Coin from his Soul Tool and placed it on the counter. Then he continued following behind Xu Zihuang.

Xu Zihuang sipped the fragrant, icy juice, his interest undiminished.

Since Yueshu Island was his starting point, he did not mind spending some time carefully familiarizing himself with the situation here.

The northern port was only a few kilometers from Yueshu City. Before long, Xu Zihuang led the group inside after paying a Silver Soul Coin as the entrance fee.

The broad, clean main road could accommodate more than ten carriages traveling side by side, while tall buildings rose from the ground on either side. The city's overall palette was white and gold, vastly different from cities in the Sun Moon Empire proper.

Just as the middle-aged shopkeeper had said, after more than four thousand years of intermarriage, the people living in Yueshu City were no longer purely of Sun Moon Empire descent. Skin color was the most obvious feature. People of the Sun Moon Empire generally had darker complexions, but fair-skinned people like Xu Zihuang were by no means rare in Yueshu City.

Their clothing was also quite bold. From time to time, smiling young girls passed by, exposing large swathes of fair skin, and their fragrant scents drifted through the air.

Although Xu Zihuang was dressed very modestly in nothing more than fitted black clothes, his flawless, exquisite features and deep violet eyes that radiated nobility still drew plenty of attention. Combined with Meng Lang and the other four following behind him with their steady, imposing bearing, he caused quite a stir after only a few steps.

Most people offered friendly smiles.

No matter who Xu Zihuang was, it would be best if they could befriend him. Even if they could not, they certainly should not carelessly offend him and incur his displeasure. In any case, it cost them nothing to smile.

Xu Zihuang wore a helpless expression and lost the mood to keep strolling. He had still underestimated his own looks.

Just as he passed a roadside shop, his pupils suddenly contracted. He stopped and looked through the transparent glass window beside him at a tray wrapped in red cloth. As a Spirit Attribute Soul Master, he keenly sensed an indescribably sharp presence.

Noticing Xu Zihuang's reaction, Meng Lang hurriedly asked, "What is it, Young Master?"

"Let's take a look inside this shop." With that, Xu Zihuang pushed the door open and entered.

A slightly plump middle-aged man sat behind the counter. His small eyes were narrowed, his eyebrows exceptionally thick, and his appearance was quite distinctive.

The instant Xu Zihuang entered, the man's eyes lit up. He rubbed his hands together. "What would this young master like to buy? Our shop has all kinds of Rare Metals, as well as quite a few fine Soul Tools..."

Xu Zihuang smiled as he appraised the man without saying a word. The plump middle-aged owner, who had been speaking endlessly, gradually began to look uncomfortable.

"This young master..."

"Bring over the item in that tray for me to see." Xu Zihuang did not conceal his intentions in the slightest.

Following Xu Zihuang's gaze, the fat owner's brow twitched. After pondering for a moment, he put on a fawning smile again. "This young master truly has a sharp eye. You spotted our shop's prized treasure at a glance."

Holding the tray in both hands, the fat owner returned to stand before Xu Zihuang and pulled away the red cloth covering it.

There was no dazzling radiance or peerless brilliance. What appeared was merely an object that looked utterly ordinary. The item on the tray was very small, around half a foot long and only as thick as a finger. From bottom to top, it tapered from wide to narrow, ending in an exceptionally sharp-looking point. At the bottom was a blade about half an inch wide. The whole thing was ancient and black, with faint patterns engraved upon it, giving off a subtle, archaic aura tinged with a hint of gloom.

Neither Xu Zihuang nor Meng Lang and the others behind him were unfamiliar with this item.

A carving knife. This was a knife Soul Engineers used to inscribe Core Arrays. Both ends of a carving knife had their uses, and their functions differed depending on the array being inscribed. No Soul Engineer could do without a carving knife; it was an essential tool for making Soul Tools.