Zheng Yiran furrowed her brow, but still said,
"Soul Masters usually entered a period of rapid Soul Power growth when they were twelve or thirteen."
"You look to be about that age."
"A solid foundation was the only way to go further."
"You don't need to feel indebted to me."
"You could consider this an investment. If you became a Titled Douluo someday, I'd naturally get several times my money back."
"We're just getting what we each need."
Seeing Zheng Yiran put it that way, Wang Zhi sighed inwardly.
He knew that even though Zheng Yiran had said that,
as a member of a powerful family, she wouldn't invest in just anyone.
Much less invest in someone by buying something at the Treasure Appraisal Fair.
Still, he was confident he could repay her investment.
So Wang Zhi said softly,
"Thank you."
The two continued browsing the exhibition stands.
After making a round, Wang Zhi stopped in front of one of them.
It held a Left Leg Soul Bone.
It was deep black all over, its surface shimmering with a dark sheen. Faint shadows seemed to flow within it.
The label beside it read,
Ten Thousand Year Dark Shadow Tiger Left Leg Soul Bone, increases speed and concealment ability.
Price: 1.1 billion Federal Currency.
1.1 billion.
Wang Zhi took a look, then silently turned away.
A treasure of this caliber wasn't something he could even think about right now.
However, Zheng Yiran noticed his lingering gaze.
She glanced at the exhibition stand, then at Wang Zhi's expression, and without a word, beckoned.
A young woman in a gold miniskirt immediately hurried over, wearing a professional smile.
"Esteemed guest, have you taken a liking to this Soul Bone?"
Zheng Yiran nodded.
"Mm. I'll take it."
A flash of delight crossed the young woman's eyes, and she hurriedly bowed.
"Certainly. Please follow me to the west side to complete the transaction."
Wang Zhi froze.
He hurried back to Zheng Yiran and lowered his voice.
"What are you doing?"
Zheng Yiran glanced at him, her tone matter-of-fact.
"Don't you like it?"
"So I'm buying it."
"1.1 billion!"
Wang Zhi stressed.
"That's 1.1 billion, not 110,000!"
Zheng Yiran chuckled and waved a hand.
"Relax. The Zheng Family can afford this much."
"Besides, didn't I say this was an investment?"
"Just don't forget about me when you become a Titled Douluo."
With that, she followed the young woman toward the west side.
Wang Zhi stood where he was, watching her leave, at a loss for words.
1.1 billion Federal Currency.
She'd spent it just like that.
Was this the wealth of a Ten Thousand Year Family?
He took a deep breath and followed them.
The trading area on the west side had dedicated VIP rooms.
Zheng Yiran sat on a soft sofa. Standing before her was a smiling middle-aged man who, judging by his clothes, was a manager at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
"Miss Zheng certainly has a keen eye. This Dark Shadow Tiger Left Leg Bone is one of the highlights of this Treasure Appraisal Fair."
"Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones are rare to begin with, and one that might come with a Movement Type Soul Skill is even harder to find."
As he spoke, the manager personally took the Soul Bone out of the safe and respectfully placed it on the coffee table in front of Zheng Yiran.
Zheng Yiran glanced at it casually and nodded.
"Alright, charge it to my card."
She took a black Soul Guide Card from her robe and handed it to the manager.
He accepted it with both hands and swiped it across the device he carried.
"Ding—"
With a soft chime, 1.1 billion Federal Currency was deducted.
The manager's smile grew even brighter. He placed the Soul Bone in an exquisite brocade box and handed it to Zheng Yiran with both hands.
"Miss Zheng, here is your Soul Bone."
"Also, this is a VIP Card from the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. You can use it to receive a ten percent discount on future purchases here."
Zheng Yiran took the box and VIP Card, then casually handed them to Wang Zhi behind her.
"Take it."
Wang Zhi accepted the box. Feeling its considerable weight in his hands, he was filled with mixed emotions.
"Thank you."
He spoke earnestly.
Zheng Yiran waved a hand.
"Come on, let's keep looking around."
"Let's see what else they have."
The two continued browsing the second floor.
Wang Zhi saw what true wealth looked like.
The items in the display cases cost tens of millions at the very least, and plenty were worth over a hundred million.
Rare Treasures, Rare Metals, Soul Tools, Soul Bones—the dazzling array left him overwhelmed.
But Wang Zhi no longer felt like looking around.
The Soul Bone in his hands was worth 1.1 billion.
1.1 billion.
The number echoed in his mind again and again.
Zheng Yiran, on the other hand, browsed with great interest. In the end, she bought a few Spirit Plants of decent age, spending around twenty million.
By the time they left the Treasure Gathering Pavilion...
darkness had fallen.
Zheng Yiran stretched and turned to Wang Zhi.
"Alright, we're even now."
"Good luck in the competition tomorrow. Don't get knocked out too soon, or my investment will go down the drain."
Wang Zhi looked at her and said seriously,
"I won't let you down."
Zheng Yiran chuckled, waved a hand, and turned to leave.
Wang Zhi stood still, watching her disappear into the night.
Then he looked down at the brocade box in his hands.
Ten Thousand Year Dark Shadow Tiger Left Leg Bone.
He took a deep breath and headed home.
The Soul Bone fused smoothly.
As soon as he got home, Wang Zhi eagerly began fusing the Ten Thousand Year Dark Shadow Tiger Left Leg Soul Bone.
He placed the Soul Bone against his left leg and slowly drew it in with his Spiritual Power.
The next moment, the Soul Bone turned into a dark stream of light and merged into his left leg.
A chill surged through his entire body.
The chill wasn't biting. Instead, it carried a curious warmth as it spread along his meridians...
Finally, it gathered in his left leg.
The fusion lasted about two hours.
When Wang Zhi opened his eyes again, the Left Leg Soul Bone had completely fused with him.
He stood up and moved his left leg, clearly sensing the power it contained.
But what truly surprised him was the Soul Skill that came with the Soul Bone.
Shadow Animation.
This Soul Skill wasn't the Movement Type ability he had initially expected. Instead, it was an exceptionally unusual control-type Soul Skill.
Its effect was:
It animated Hostile Soul Masters' Shadows, giving them basic intelligence and some of their original owners' abilities and overall strength.
The Activated Shadows would obey the caster's commands and attack their original owners.
Most importantly...
This Soul Skill could be used on one target or a group.
Against one target,
it could animate a single enemy's Shadow.
Against a group,
it could animate multiple enemies' Shadows at the same time.
A glint flashed in Wang Zhi's eyes.
For him, this meant his Ghost Shadow Legion could gain an entirely new kind of soldier...
The Shadow Legion.
They weren't soldiers summoned from the Black Shadow Kingdom. They were warriors born directly from the enemies' Shadows.
These Shadow Warriors possessed some of their original owners' strength, yet obeyed his commands completely.
It was practically a War God Skill.
Before you continue