Qian Daoliu Examines the Spear

Lu Yuan walked with the golden-robed elder toward the depths of the Elder Hall. The area where the youth special training took place was already considered the outer perimeter, and further inside, there were actually fewer and fewer people. Passing through two long corridors, the elder stopped before a quiet grand hall. "Go on in." Lu Yuan glanced at him. "You aren't going in?" "The one who called for you isn't me." The hall doors pushed open. Inside, there wasn't a group of elders, only a white-haired, white-robed elder standing before a long table. Lu Yuan recognized him at a glance. The Grand Pontiff, Qian Daoliu. "Lu Yuan?" "Yes." "The spear." Qian Daoliu uttered only a single word. Lu Yuan held the Piercing Spear horizontally before him. Qian Daoliu beckoned to him. "Come here." Several pages of records were laid out on the long table. The topmost sheet was precisely Lu Yuan's martial soul awakening archive.

[Lu Yuan]
[Six years old]
[Martial Soul: Dark Iron Spear]
[Innate Soul Power: Rank Ten]

Beside it was the mission report just sent back from Qingshi Valley. The names of Han Yue, Bai Li, and Qian Renxue were all on it. Qian Daoliu extended a hand. "Give it to me." Lu Yuan handed the Piercing Spear over. The moment the long spear landed in Qian Daoliu's palm, his fingers paused. His gaze swept all the way from the dark gold patterns at the spear's butt to the spear tip. "Were these there when it awakened?" "No." "What about after the first spirit ring?" "Neither." "When did it change?" "Today." Qian Daoliu raised his eyes. "After the Man-Faced Demon Spider died?" "There was a slight change first right after the battle ended, and later it completely turned into what it is now." Qian Daoliu did not continue to press. A layer of extremely faint golden light emerged from his palm, slowly covering the spear body. There were no spirit rings, nor were there intense soul power fluctuations. Yet Lu Yuan still felt the Piercing Spear gently vibrate once. A moment later, the golden light scattered. Qian Daoliu handed the spear back. "It's not an external object attached, nor is it like someone forcibly changing the martial soul form." Lu Yuan caught the spear. "Then what is it?" "I don't know either." Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned. "The Grand Pontiff doesn't know either?" "Spirit Hall has recorded many martial souls, which doesn't mean there are answers for everything." Qian Daoliu picked up his awakening record. "The Dark Iron Spear was very ordinary when it awakened, and the first spirit ring didn't change its form either." "Before Qingshi Valley, the spear you used was still your original one." He looked at the Piercing Spear in Lu Yuan's hands. "After returning, however, it became another spear." "This spear is not in Spirit Hall's existing archives." Lu Yuan gripped the spear and did not speak. These words were even less something he could talk about too much. Qian Daoliu did not force the issue either. He flipped open the Qingshi Valley report. "Discovered the beast herd fleeing toward the outside of the valley." "Judged that the Dark-Patterned Shadow Leopard was not the cause of the Red-Armored Rhinoceros's death." "Used the spear rope to save people." "Restrained the Man-Faced Demon Spider, creating an attack opportunity for Han Yue." He looked further down. "Finally, also discovered the spider silk remaining in Xiaoxue's wound." Lu Yuan couldn't help asking. "The report came this fast?" "Bai Li's first priority after returning to the city was to hand in the report." Qian Daoliu raised his head. "Six people went out, two were poisoned, and the original intelligence was also wrong to an outrageous degree. If she hadn't written it, I would have looked for her anyway." Lu Yuan didn't speak. Qian Daoliu continued to ask. "The report also wrote that Xiaoxue wanted to use soul power to suppress the poison, and it was you who first discovered the poison line speeding up." "Mn." "How did you figure it out?" "I kept staring at her arm." "Why?" "If anything happens to her again, this trip really won't have anyone who can be said to have returned safely." The grand hall fell silent for an instant. Qian Daoliu suddenly smiled slightly. "Han Yue also mentioned you." "What did he say?" "Your eyes can't stay idle." Lu Yuan didn't take up the conversation. This didn't sound like he was praising someone. Qian Daoliu put the report down. "That Man-Faced Demon Spider in Qingshi Valley was killed by Han Yue, Bai Li, and Xiaoxue joining forces; this credit won't be calculated onto your head." "Originally it wasn't killed by me either." "But what is yours will not be short." Qian Daoliu reached out and tapped the desktop. "Starting from today, your resource standards in the youth special training will be raised by one tier." "One extra portion of cultivation medicinal bath every month." "You can independently use the east blade-testing ground." "Instrument martial soul and spirit beast materials can be directly looked up in the Elder Hall outer archive room." Lu Yuan listened earnestly to the end. "Just these?" Qian Daoliu glanced at him. "You think it's too little?" "No." Lu Yuan lowered his head and glanced at the Piercing Spear. "I just feel that the Grand Pontiff calling me over isn't just for an extra medicinal bath." The golden-robed elder outside the door twitched his eyelids. Qian Daoliu watched him for a moment, then faintly smiled. "You actually figured it out clearly." He took a small golden token from the edge of the table and tossed it to Lu Yuan. The front was engraved with the Elder Hall's angel crest, and the back had only a single character for "Outer". "Go to the outer treasury tomorrow." Lu Yuan caught the token. "To take things?" "To look first." "The Elder Hall has taken in quite a few special metals, weapon fragments, and mineral materials." Qian Daoliu's gaze landed on the Piercing Spear. "Since your martial soul changes on its own, come into contact with all of them and see if there is any reaction." Lu Yuan flipped the token over and over. "What if there really is a reaction?" "Write it down." "Can't take them?" "Not right now." Qian Daoliu's tone was calm. "We'll talk when you are qualified enough." Lu Yuan tucked the token into his bosom. Being able to go in and look was still better than knowing nothing at all. Qian Daoliu picked up his awakening record once more. "There is one more thing." "From now on, come here once every month." "To do what?" "Examine the spear." Qian Daoliu looked at him. "I want to see if it will still change in the future." Lu Yuan gripped the Piercing Spear tightly. "Alright." "Go back." Qian Daoliu waved his hand. Lu Yuan withdrew from the grand hall. The golden-robed elder was still waiting outside. Seeing the outer treasury token in his hand, his gaze noticeably lingered for two more breaths. "Follow me, I'll send you back to the training area." The two returned along the original path. When passing a long, narrow stone corridor, Lu Yuan's footsteps suddenly halted. Hum. The Piercing Spear vibrated slightly. Very lightly. Yet he could not possibly feel wrong. Lu Yuan turned his head. To the right of the stone corridor was a completely sealed black iron door. There was no name on the door, only a golden lock seal.

"What is inside here?"

The Golden-Robed Elder followed his gaze and his expression changed slightly.

"Don't ask."

"Why?"

"Because that isn't the Outer Treasury."

The old man reached out and gave him a push.

"You can't get in right now anyway."

Lu Yuan did not move.

Hum.

The Piercing Spear vibrated once more.

This time, even the Golden-Robed Elder heard it.

His gaze snapped down onto the spear.

"Your Martial Soul..."

Lu Yuan looked at that black Iron Door.

"What on earth is stored inside?"

The old man fell silent for a moment.

His voice lowered a fraction.

"Things the Elder Hall sealed away over twenty years ago."

"Below level thirty, you aren't allowed to touch them."