Douluo: Favored Children of Different Eras Gathered, but Their Times Were Misaligned

"I'll wait for you here."

"Sure, whatever you want."

Bai Chen shrugged and turned back to forging.

He had already improved the metal quality and completed the Blood Sacrifice. All that remained was shaping it.

For a blacksmith like him, this was the simplest step, but also the most time-consuming.

Second by second, time passed. Before they knew it, the sky outside the window had grown dark.

Xuan Ziwen had already returned to his room, while Ning Tian and Jing Ziyan had left early. Only Bai Chen and Ji Juechen remained in the enormous laboratory.

Finally, as the last hammer fell, Bai Chen put away his forging hammer and spoke to Ji Juechen, who was still sitting in the corner.

"It's done, Brother Ji. Your sword."

"..."

Ji Juechen rose silently, walked over to Bai Chen, and accepted the dark black sword.

It was truly strange. Though this was his first time touching the sword, the sense of familiarity it gave him surpassed even that of his broken one, as if he had wielded it for decades.

Ji Juechen suddenly bowed to Bai Chen.

"Thank you. If you ever need my help in the future, I will give it everything I have."

"Alright. I'll remember that."

Bai Chen did not decline. From the look in Ji Juechen's eyes, he knew that refusing would be useless.

Sword Maniacs were the most stubborn people. Since Ji Juechen had made up his mind, Bai Chen could not change it.

This meant he had taken another step forward.

Alchemy

Before he knew it, Bai Chen had already spent a month at the Sun-Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.

That day, he and Ning Tian received a package from the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect.

When they opened it, they found several jade bottles and boxes filled with herbs and pills, along with instructions on how to consume them.

As a sect renowned for its wealth, the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect naturally would not skimp on resources for its young sect mistress.

As Ning Tian's guard, Bai Chen's treatment should have been somewhat inferior to hers. However, after Ning Jingchen explained the situation to the council of elders, they unanimously decided to increase their investment in Bai Chen's resources to the same level as Ning Tian's—the highest level currently offered by the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect.

Upon receiving the herbs, Ning Tian was overjoyed.

She had just broken through to Rank Nine a few days ago. With the medicinal effects of these herbs, she could use the opportunity to break through to Rank Ten and obtain her first Soul Ring.

Once she had her first soul skill, she would no longer be the useless person who could only watch from behind Bai Chen. The percentage-based boost of the Seven-Treasure Glazed Pagoda would provide Bai Chen with tremendous support.

However, Bai Chen stopped her and did not allow her to immediately take the medicine according to the instructions.

He went to find Xuan Ziwen.

"Teacher Xuan, can you make a small alchemy furnace?"

"Hm?"

Hearing this request, Xuan Ziwen raised his brows in confusion.

"I can, but what do you need it for?"

Bai Chen answered without hesitation.

"To make pills. What else would an alchemy furnace be used for?"

"No, that's not what I mean..."

Xuan Ziwen rubbed his brow with a headache.

"What I mean is, you brat, you know how to make pills too?"

"Yeah."

While researching ways to detoxify poison, Bai Chen had also studied the techniques of alchemy.

Besides technology, the Tang Sect was most famous for its pharmacology. Its attainments in alchemy were naturally not lacking.

At least in Bai Chen's opinion, the consumption methods proposed by the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect were far too primitive and inefficient. They would waste a great deal of energy. As the person taking the medicine, he certainly could not allow such waste.

Seeing Bai Chen's indifferent expression, Xuan Ziwen could not help twitching the corner of his mouth.

After Soul Master abilities, forging techniques, and Soul Engineer talent, now it was alchemy?

Wonderful. Just wonderful...

He felt that ever since meeting Bai Chen, he had suffered no shortage of blows.

With a dark expression, Xuan Ziwen extended his hand toward Bai Chen.

Bai Chen blinked in confusion.

"Uh, Teacher Xuan, what is it?"

Xuan Ziwen replied irritably.

"What do you mean, what is it? An alchemy furnace is a top-tier Level-Seven Soul Guide Device. I can make one for you, but where's my payment?"

"Hmm..." Bai Chen pondered for a moment. "How about ten pieces of First-Grade Thousand Forging metal?"

"Deal!"

Xuan Ziwen agreed immediately.

First-Grade Thousand Forging metal was the strongest material he had encountered so far. With such materials, he could even create works approaching the level of a Level-Nine Soul Guide Device.

During this time, he had conducted quite a few transactions with Bai Chen. A piece of First-Grade Thousand Forging metal was priced at over one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. Ten pieces meant one million Gold Soul Coins, far exceeding the price of a Level-Seven alchemy furnace.

Having received a satisfying answer, Xuan Ziwen cheerfully got to work.

In less than three days, he delivered the finished product.

Thus, a small crimson-gold alchemy furnace appeared in Bai Chen and Ning Tian's laboratory.

After briefly familiarizing himself with the alchemy furnace's various functions, Bai Chen began refining pills.

With pharmacological knowledge far beyond this era, Bai Chen completed the alchemy work in less than two days.

During the process, he could not help sighing. The resources of this era were truly far more abundant than those of ten thousand years later.

In the Douluo III Era, he had investigated the heavenly treasures provided by the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect. In that era, nearly all of them were treasures among treasures, and some were worth more than one hundred million Federation credits.

To purchase this single batch of resources in the Douluo III Era would cost more than three hundred million Federation credits.

The gap was simply terrifying. Bai Chen suspected that, during the years he and Ning Tian spent in the Sun-Moon Empire, they might consume resources worth tens of billions of Federation credits.

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt rather fortunate.

Perhaps awakening the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul during the Douluo II Era was not such a bad thing.

Of the three eras, this era possessed the most abundant resources. Though its total resource reserves could not compare to the Douluo I Era, humanity's resource extraction efficiency was far greater than in the Douluo I Era.

The Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul would definitely follow a body-tempering path, and body tempering inevitably required investments in heavenly treasures and other resources.

Obtaining such resources would require an enormous price in the other two eras. Only in the Douluo II Era was the cost the lowest.

As for the issue of medicine utilization efficiency, he had already completely made up for that weakness through the Medicine Canon.

Only by combining the resource advantages of the Douluo II Era with the technological advantages of the Douluo III Era could the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul be cultivated in the best possible way.

"Whew, done."

Before the alchemy furnace, Bai Chen wiped away his sweat and handed the refined pill to Ning Tian.

"Here, this is yours."

"Mhm..."

Ning Tian accepted the dazzling golden pill, glanced at Bai Chen, swallowed it in one gulp, then sat down on the spot to absorb it.

Throughout the process, Bai Chen watched beside her. Only after confirming that she had fully absorbed the pill did he swallow his own share and begin absorbing it.

The heavenly treasures Bai Chen received differed from Ning Tian's. The Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect also knew that his physique was far stronger than hers, so the medicinal effects of the treasures prepared for him were much more potent.

Yet no matter how potent the medicinal power was, it could hardly cause Bai Chen much impact. Before the abilities of his Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff, the medicinal power only stirred for a brief moment at the beginning before he forcibly absorbed it.

When he opened his eyes again, his soul power rank had risen two levels in succession, reaching Rank Eighteen.

That was merely a side effect. The heavenly treasures supplied by the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect this time were all meant to strengthen his body, and the improvement to his physique was even greater than the increase in soul power.

Bai Chen was certain that the upper limit of his strength had probably reached the level of a power-type Soul Emperor. If he sparred with Ji Juechen again now, he would likely put on a much better showing than last time.

The only pity was that Bai Chen could not maintain this speed forever. After all, medicine was poison in three parts. Even immortal-grade pills like the Heaven-Earth Creation Pill would truly affect one's foundation if consumed continuously without pause.

According to the letter, the Nine-Treasure Glazed Sect would send another batch of resources in three months. During that time, he needed to work hard to digest the improvements brought by these heavenly treasures.

However, compared to considering how to handle the next batch of heavenly treasures, Bai Chen had a more urgent matter to deal with.

Ning Tian had reached Rank Ten. It was time to take her hunting for her first Soul Ring.

The Prototype Disintegration Cannon and Sealed Milk Bottle

"Hm? You're going to hunt for a Soul Ring?"

Thus, that day, while Jing Ziyan was visiting Xuan Ziwen's laboratory again, Bai Chen told everyone about the matter.

Jing Ziyan immediately raised her hand excitedly.

"Then I'm coming too! I've been cooped up in the academy for a while. I want to go out and get some fresh air!"

Ji Juechen crossed his arms over his chest and stated succinctly.

"Take me."

"Hold it."

Seeing the two of them eagerly wanting to drag Bai Chen out immediately, Xuan Ziwen hurriedly stopped them and said helplessly.

"Do you even know where you should go to hunt Soul Beasts, rushing off like this?"

Jing Ziyan waved her hand dismissively.

"What are you talking about, Senior? It's not like I've never been taken by a teacher to hunt Soul Beasts before. Of course I know the Soul Beast gathering grounds near Mingdu."

"That's exactly why you're an idiot."

Xuan Ziwen pushed up his glasses and said irritably.

"Different Soul Masters need different types of Soul Rings. Soul Engineers do not need to be too particular about it, but they are Soul Masters from the Douluo Original Three Kingdoms. Do you think they can just absorb any Soul Ring they want?"

Only then did Jing Ziyan realize the problem. She asked blankly.

"Uh... then, Senior, what should we do?"

"Wait here for me."

Xuan Ziwen quickly left the laboratory. Fifteen minutes later, he returned with a map.

"Here. This is an internal map of our academy. It marks the Soul Beasts found in different Soul Beast gathering grounds. Decide where to hunt based on the information marked here."

"Mm..."

Bai Chen looked at Xuan Ziwen with admiration.

He truly had not chosen the wrong person. Xuan Ziwen was far more reliable than those two.

Though he was only two years older than Jing Ziyan, judging from how they actually got along, no one would doubt it if they were told Xuan Ziwen was Jing Ziyan's teacher.

He searched the map and quickly found a suitable Soul Beast gathering ground.

"Qiling Mine Cave, fifty li from Mingdu. It contains a vast variety and quantity of rare metals, suitable for mining in the upper layers. In the deeper layers, metal-element and gemstone-type Soul Beasts gather, making it suitable for Soul Masters with related attributes to hunt Soul Beasts there."

Bai Chen read the note written on the map and asked Ning Tian.

"Ning Tian, what do you think of this place?"

As far as he knew, gemstone-type Soul Beasts should be the most suitable for the Seven-Treasure Glazed Pagoda.

Ning Tian nodded lightly.

"I think it's fine."

Before coming to the academy, Ning Jingchen had also told her about the attributes and species of Soul Beasts suitable for her.

In fact, for Seven-Treasure Glazed Pagoda Soul Masters, hunting Soul Beasts in the Sun-Moon Empire was actually easier than in the Douluo Original Three Kingdoms.