First-Grade Soul Tool, Concealment Pendant

Time passed slowly.

One hour, two hours, three hours...

By the time the sun set, the metal in the furnace had finally solidified into shape.

It was a small jade pendant, silver-white throughout, with faint streams of light flowing across its surface.

The pendant was only the size of a thumb, with a silver crystal the size of a grain of rice embedded at its center.

That was the core of the Void Stone, where all the power of space converged.

Gu Ci carefully removed the pendant and held it in his hand.

It was cold and smooth, and a strange, faint fluctuation emanated from it.

"The final step: activation."

He took a deep breath and injected a thread of Soul Power into the pendant.

The pendant instantly lit up, its silver-white radiance enveloping the entire room.

Gu Ci felt his body wrapped in an invisible membrane. It was thin, yet it completely sealed off his aura.

He looked down at his feet.

Two Soul Rings slowly emerged. Their originally deep purple color had now turned a faint yellow, the color of a hundred-year level.

"It worked."

A smile curved Gu Ci's lips.

He picked up the pendant and examined it closely.

Not only could this pendant conceal one's aura and alter the color of Soul Rings, it also contained a cubic meter of storage space.

Though it was not large, it was enough for him to carry some important items with him.

"I'll call you... Cloud Pattern."

He hung the pendant at his waist and pushed open the door.

In the courtyard, Zi Dian and Night Shadow both raised their heads to look at him.

Confusion filled the two Soul Spirits' eyes. They could sense that their master was right in front of them, but without relying on their contract, they could not detect even the slightest trace of his aura.

"What do you think?" Gu Ci asked with a smile.

Zi Dian gave a low growl, seemingly saying, "Can't sense you."

Night Shadow narrowed its eyes. It was a soul beast skilled in concealment by nature and was especially sensitive to methods of hiding one's aura.

Gu Ci nodded in satisfaction and headed toward Dugu Yan's courtyard.

Next, it was time to make one for Yanyan as well.

Dugu Yan's courtyard was not far away. As Gu Ci passed through a moon gate, he heard laughter coming from within.

"Ice Fire, spray to the left! That's it, that's it! Mo Jiao, flank from the right!"

In the courtyard, Dugu Yan was happily directing her two Soul Spirits.

Ice Fire opened its mouth and spat out a ball of crimson flame, while Mo Jiao cooperated by spewing a cloud of dark green poison mist. The two forces intertwined in the air and exploded into a dazzling burst of light.

"Yanyan." Gu Ci stood at the courtyard entrance and called out with a smile.

Dugu Yan turned around. The moment she saw him, she immediately skipped over to him.

"Brother Gu Ci! Look how well Ice Fire and Mo Jiao work together!"

Gu Ci nodded, his gaze falling on the two Soul Spirits.

Ice Fire was coiled atop the artificial rockery in the courtyard, its black-and-white scales gleaming darkly beneath the sunlight.

Mo Jiao, meanwhile, was curled up in the shadows of a corner, occasionally flicking out her tongue.

One bright and one dark, one fire and one poison—the two Soul Spirits worked together with remarkable coordination.

"Come here. I have something good to show you."

Gu Ci removed the Concealment Pendant from his waist and handed it to Dugu Yan.

Dugu Yan took the jade pendant and turned it over in her hands. "It's so pretty... What is this?"

"Try putting it on."

Dugu Yan did as he said and hung the pendant at her waist.

The moment the pendant touched her body, it glowed faintly, and an invisible membrane instantly enveloped her.

She lowered her head and looked at her feet.

Two Soul Rings slowly emerged. One was the two-thousand-year ring brought by Mo Jiao, and the other was the seven-thousand-year ring brought by Ice Fire.

Their originally deep purple color had now become a faint yellow.

"Ah!" Dugu Yan cried out. "My Soul Ring colors changed!"

Gu Ci nodded with a smile. "It's a type of Soul Tool I just made. It's called the Concealment Pendant. It can hide your aura and change the color of your Soul Rings."

"As long as you don't make a move yourself, no one will be able to see your true cultivation."

Dugu Yan's eyes widened as she bounced excitedly. "That's amazing! This way, no one will know I have two thousand-year Soul Rings!"

"Brother Gu Ci, you're incredible!"

"Mm, I just made it," Gu Ci said. "I'll make one for you too."

Dugu Yan nodded vigorously, then seemed to remember something. "What about Grandpa and Uncle Gu?"

Gu Ci shook his head. "They don't need it. A Titled Douluo and a Soul Saint are obvious wherever they go; there's no need for them to hide. Besides..."

He paused and lowered his voice. "The materials for this are limited. There's only a little Void Stone left, enough to make at most two more."

Dugu Yan nodded, seeming to understand.

As the two spoke, a series of footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.

Gu Xiao strode in with a smile on his face. "Ci'er, I heard you shut yourself away for several days and tinkered up something?"

Gu Ci explained the Concealment Pendant's effects.

After hearing it, Gu Xiao's eyes lit up. "Good stuff! If this were used by intelligence agents, it'd be an absolute godsend!"

After thinking for a moment, he added, "But you're right. It's best suited for you and Yanyan."

"You two are too eye-catching. It'd be troublesome if someone set their sights on you."

Gu Ci nodded. "Father, you came at the right time. I was just about to ask: are there any more Void Stones in Heaven Dou City? Other ores containing the power of space would work too."

Gu Xiao pondered for a moment. "Void Stones are rare to begin with. That one we got last time was exchanged from the Royal Treasury. But..."

He paused. "I've heard that the black market in the eastern part of the city occasionally has such rare items. The prices are outrageous, though, and it's hard to tell real from fake."

"Of course, Gengxin City, the city of blacksmiths, probably has some as well. But it's within the Star Luo Empire, too far away."

"The black market?" Gu Ci raised a brow.

Gu Xiao nodded. "Heaven Dou City has an Underground Black Market that specializes in trading things that can't see the light of day."

"Hundred-year soul bones, rare metals—if you can afford the price, you can buy anything."

"Of course, it's a den of all sorts. If you aren't careful, you'll get robbed by someone stronger."

He looked at Gu Ci. "You want to go?"

Gu Ci considered it, then shook his head. "Not now. We'll talk after I use up the Void Stone I have."

Gu Xiao nodded, gave a few more reminders, then left.

Over the next few days, Gu Ci buried himself in researching Soul Tools in the courtyard.

Using the remaining Void Stone, he made another Concealment Pendant for Dugu Yan.

The little girl was overjoyed. She wore the pendant everywhere and even deliberately showed it off in front of Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo did not notice at first. Later, when he discovered that his granddaughter's Soul Ring colors were wrong, he was startled and thought something had happened.

After learning that it was Gu Ci's handiwork, Dugu Bo fell silent for a long time before saying only one thing.

"That brat is becoming harder and harder to read."

After making Dugu Yan's Concealment Pendant, only a fingernail-sized piece of Void Stone remained.

Gu Ci did not waste it. He used the material to make himself a Storage Ring.

The ring had only a cubic meter of storage space, but it could store living things and was enough for him to carry some important items with him.

For example, a few spare Immortal Herbs, or some rare metals.

After finishing all this, he temporarily put his Soul Tool research aside.

Because Dugu Bo had come to find him.

"Ci'er, Yanyan, get ready."

Dugu Bo stood at the courtyard entrance with a solemn expression. "Before long, Heaven Dou Royal Academy will begin accepting students. You two should go to school."