A Peerless Masterpiece

Dragon Rising City was especially lively in the morning.

All kinds of stalls and sundry shops lined both sides of the streets.

The cries of hawkers rose and fell one after another, making the place incredibly noisy.

Looking at the commoners on the streets, dressed in coarse clothes and hurrying along,

Wukong could not help inwardly complaining about the prices on Douluo Continent.

The gap between rich and poor in this world was simply too vast.

An ordinary commoner could work hard for an entire year and still fail to earn more than a few Gold Soul Coins.

Yet a single lavish meal for him could cost someone else half a lifetime of savings.

Knowledge and wealth were all controlled by a small minority.

No wonder those commoners dreamed of awakening Soul Power and changing their fate.

Following the familiar streets, Wukong quickly arrived at Ink and Brush Bookstore.

The bookstore owner, Li Shoumin, was sitting behind the counter, doing the accounts.

Li Shoumin was in his thirties and had a pair of small mustaches.

He was fair and plump, cheerful all day long, and looked easy to get along with.

Wukong had frequently come here to buy books over the past few months, and the two had long since become acquainted.

"Uncle Li, doing the accounts?"

Wukong walked over and greeted him.

Li Shoumin looked up, and when he saw Wukong, he immediately smiled.

"Little Wukong, you came at just the right time."

"The bookstore just got a batch of new books a couple of days ago."

"There are several supernatural tales. Take a look and see if there's anything you like."

"I'll give you a twenty percent discount today!"

Li Shoumin also possessed a Martial Soul and Innate Soul Power.

But his Martial Soul was Ink, and his Innate Soul Power was only rank one.

He was destined never to become a powerful Soul Master and could only make a living by running a bookstore.

However, although his rank was low, the effect of his Soul Skill was extremely convenient.

His first Soul Skill was called Imprint.

It could quickly reproduce the contents of a book.

And it was precisely through this Soul Skill that he had opened this bookstore.

He usually sold legitimate books and occasionally sold pirated copies in private.

Thus, he lived a fairly comfortable life.

Wukong waved his hand and spoke with a grin.

"Uncle Li, I'm not here to buy books today."

"I'm here to sell one."

Li Shoumin froze.

"You're selling a book?"

"I don't take used books here."

Wukong took a manuscript from the Hundred Treasures Pouch and slapped it heavily onto the counter.

"It's not a used book. It's a novel I wrote myself."

Looking at the thick stack of manuscript pages, Li Shoumin could not help but laugh.

"Oh? You wrote a novel too?"

"Sure, sure. Let Uncle Li see what you've written."

With a teasing attitude, Li Shoumin accepted Wukong's manuscript.

He first glanced at the title and author name on the cover.

"God Realm Legend"

Author: Heaven-Equal.

"Not bad, not bad."

"The title sounds grand, and the pen name is imposing too."

Li Shoumin opened the first page and began reading.

But it would have been better if he had not started.

The moment he did, he was utterly shocked.

"The world had once been Chaos, without heaven or earth, without living creatures."

"Three thousand gods and demons represented three thousand laws of the Great Dao..."

"..."

Li Shoumin's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and his expression instantly changed.

The teasing smile on his face completely froze.

The scale of this opening was terrifyingly vast.

The novels currently on the market all began with fallen geniuses or broken engagements followed by face-slapping revenge.

Or they were about a Martial Soul prodigy falling in love with a commoner girl.

When had there ever been anything with such majestic grandeur, pointing directly at the origin of the universe and the creation of heaven and earth?

"This opening is written so well!"

Li Shoumin sucked in a cold breath and continued reading.

Pangu created heaven and earth, slew three thousand gods and demons, and transformed his body into all things.

Hongjun preached the Dao, with three thousand guests at Zixiao Palace.

The Five Godkings were born.

The God King of Kindness created Martial Souls, giving the Human Race a foundation for cultivation.

The God King of Destruction established the Soul Ring system, allowing the Human Race to break through its limits.

The God King of Asura passed down the rules of Soul Skills, allowing the Human Race to wield power.

The God King of Evil fused Soul Bones, allowing the Human Race to gain additional abilities.

Li Shoumin felt his scalp go numb.

Goosebumps rose all over his body!

The contents of this book completely overturned everything he knew.

He even developed an utterly absurd illusion.

This was not a novel, but something that had truly happened!

This was a lost ancient secret history!

Li Shoumin became completely immersed in the world of the book, unable to pull himself free.

He flipped through the manuscript page by page, growing faster and faster.

The ideas were novel, the writing bold.

The plot was ingenious, the characters vivid.

Before he knew it, an hour had passed.

Li Shoumin remained in the same posture, unwilling even to blink.

Meanwhile, Wukong had drained an entire pot of tea beside him and yawned in boredom.

"Uncle Li, have you read enough yet?"

"It's already noon, and I haven't even eaten."

Li Shoumin was jolted awake by the knocking sound.

He abruptly raised his head, his face filled with shock and fervor.

He had read more than thirty thousand words in one go, yet still felt unsatisfied.

If Wukong had not been urging him from the side,

he would definitely have gone without food or drink to finish all three hundred thousand words in one sitting.

And with his discerning eye from years in the trade, he could naturally tell

that this was a peerless masterpiece!

Once released, it would certainly set the market ablaze!

Li Shoumin set down the manuscript with trembling hands, staring intensely at Wukong as his expression turned serious.

"Wukong, tell Uncle Li the truth."

"Did you really write this book?"

"And not some elder in your family?"

It was not that Li Shoumin did not believe Wukong.

The main reason was that Wukong was simply too young.

How could an eight-year-old child possibly write such a monumental work?

This grand worldview and rigorous cultivation system both had clear origins.

Without decades of experience and a profound understanding of the Soul Master world, it would be absolutely impossible to write this.

Furthermore, although the handwriting on the manuscript was somewhat immature, it truly did not look like an adult's handwriting.

Thus, Li Shoumin guessed that perhaps Wukong had copied a manuscript written by one of his family elders.

When Wukong saw how absorbed Li Shoumin had been in the novel just now,

he had already gotten his answer.

His novel was not merely a product of self-indulgence.

It was truly an exceptional book capable of captivating the natives of Douluo Continent.

Thus, Wukong no longer had any worries.

He looked at Li Shoumin with a grin. "Of course I wrote it."

"Uncle Li, what do you think? Can it be published?"

Li Shoumin wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"It can be published, but did you really write this book?"

"It's not that Uncle Li doesn't believe you. The contents of this book are simply too shocking."

"If it causes trouble later, Uncle Li won't be able to bear the responsibility."

Li Shoumin still wanted to confirm the author's identity once more.

The instant Wukong heard this, the smile on his face disappeared.

He reached out and began stuffing the manuscript on the counter back into his cloth bag.

"Uncle Li, if you think there's a problem and are afraid of taking the risk,"

"then forget it. I won't force you."

"I'll just find another place and ask someone with more courage."

Carrying the cloth bag, Wukong turned and headed for the door.

The moment Li Shoumin saw Wukong about to leave, he panicked.

He lunged across the counter and grabbed Wukong.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

"I believe you! Isn't that enough? I believe you!"

"Don't go. Let's talk some more..."

Li Shoumin knew very clearly

that a book certain to become wildly popular was a money tree that could earn a fortune.

If he let this money tree slip away, he would regret it bitterly.

Therefore, no matter who had written this book,

he had to keep it in his own hands and sell it!

Seeing Uncle Li plead like this,

Wukong finally smiled and placed the book back on the table.

"Then how exactly will we go about publishing this book?"

Li Shoumin let out a breath of relief and began explaining it to Wukong.

"Wukong, the quality of this book is too high."

"I need to take it to headquarters to set the price and conduct a strict evaluation."

"But judging from its quality and word count, selling each copy for five Silver Soul Coins definitely won't be a problem."

Wukong raised his brows in surprise.

"Headquarters?"

"Your bookstore has a headquarters?"

Li Shoumin puffed out his chest and explained with a proud expression.

"Of course."

"Our Ink and Brush Bookstore is an enterprise of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"When it comes to this field, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is the number one publisher in the Heaven Dou Empire."

Wukong was quite surprised after hearing this. He had not expected to establish ties with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect so quickly.

But on further thought, it was perfectly normal.

The wealth of this world had always been held in the hands of a small minority.

Especially in a world of the supernatural, this situation was even more severe.

Things like writing and knowledge often circulated only among the middle and upper classes.

Ordinary farmers could barely afford enough to eat; few had the chance to read or learn to write.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect claimed to be the wealthiest sect in the world.

Its businesses spanned every industry.

Naturally, it would not overlook the hugely profitable cultural industry.