Treasure Pavilion

Within Spirit Hall stood a building constructed entirely of marble. It had three floors, and the whole structure seemed to nestle into the far end of a valley, flanked on three sides by steep cliffs.

Su Chen's gaze swept over the vast, ancient pavilion before settling on an old plaque above it. Three characters, worn indistinct by the passage of time, were just barely visible.

Treasure Pavilion!

Battered by the years, the ancient lettering carried an air of timeless antiquity.

Two elderly men in red robes sat before the entrance to the Treasure Pavilion. When they saw Su Chen and Chrysanthemum Douluo approach, both opened their eyes, rose, and stepped forward to bow respectfully to Chrysanthemum Douluo.

"Greetings, Elder Ju!"

"Greetings, Elder Ju!"

"Mm, dispense with the formalities. This is the champion of this year's Four-Academy Friendship Tournament. By order of the Supreme Pontiff, I have brought him here to select a treasure," Elder Ju calmly explained their purpose.

"Young man, follow me!"

One of the bishops looked Su Chen over, then led him to the entrance. He formed a seal with both hands, and a ray of light shone from the doors. They slowly opened with a low creak.

"Thank you, Bishops!" Su Chen gave the two elderly men a simple, courteous bow.

To become a bishop of Spirit Hall, one needed to be a Soul Saint above rank seventy. To become a red-robed archbishop, whose status was second only to the elders, one had to reach the Soul Douluo realm above rank eighty.

Since these two elderly men wore red robes, they were clearly red-robed archbishops. If even such distinguished archbishops stood guard here, what rare treasures lay hidden within this Treasure Pavilion?

Filled with curiosity, Su Chen stepped into the Treasure Pavilion.

The light inside the Treasure Pavilion was rather dim. Rows of shelves came into Su Chen's view, laden with all sorts of armor, jade ornaments, and other objects.

"The first floor holds armor and Soul Tools. Every piece of armor you see was made by at least a master blacksmith. Some were crafted by grandmasters or Divine Blacksmiths. The best pieces are on the table in the center," Chrysanthemum Douluo explained beside Su Chen.

"Mm."

Su Chen nodded and walked to the center of the first floor. Sure enough, he found several exquisitely designed Soul Tools there. Looking toward the second floor, he asked, "Elder Ju, what about the second floor?"

"The second floor holds rare medicinal herbs, though they aren't particularly old. The third floor holds ancient books containing insights left behind by former Titled Douluos. They include some of their Self-Created Soul Skills. Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan came here yesterday. They each selected a well-fitting suit of armor! I suggest you choose a suit of armor too. It's about time you replaced the one you're wearing!" Chrysanthemum Douluo said.

"Mm. Thank you, Elder Ju. I'll have a look first before deciding!" Su Chen nodded and glanced at Chrysanthemum Douluo. With his discerning eye, he could tell that Chrysanthemum Douluo's armor was extraordinary. Presumably, Chrysanthemum Douluo had also chosen a suit of armor when he first came here.

The armor of the Douluo Continent held many mysteries. Some suits offered astonishing defense, and possessing a top-quality set of equipment could greatly improve one's chances of survival.

Su Chen ran his fingers over the armor and several Soul Tools. Leaving the armor aside, if these Soul Tools appeared on the market, they would be treasures that money alone could not buy, exceptionally rare. Yet Su Chen truly had little interest in them.

Soul Tools were optional as far as Su Chen was concerned. Besides, Chrysanthemum Douluo had gotten one thing wrong: what he wore was not ordinary armor, but weighted training equipment.

Curious, Su Chen stepped onto the Treasure Pavilion's second floor. The dazzling array of medicinal herbs was more than the eye could take in. However, they were not particularly old, nor had they reached the immortal grade.

The Treasure Pavilion's third floor housed numerous treasure chests. Each contained a single book. A descriptive plaque on the outside of each chest introduced the life of the person who had owned its contents.

Since Su Chen could control the elements to create his own Soul Skills, he naturally had no use for these things. But when he reached a secluded corner, his expression briefly froze.

"Golden Hammer Douluo!" Su Chen murmured.

Golden Hammer Douluo: His Martial Soul was a golden hammer, and he possessed innate full soul power when it awakened. Exceptionally gifted, he was deeply obsessed with the art of forging, so much so that he did not enter the Titled Douluo realm until the age of ninety. He was the founding patriarch of the Blacksmith Association, the creator of Soul Tools, and the continent's first Divine Blacksmith.

"A Divine Blacksmith?"

With curiosity, Su Chen slowly opened the large chest. Inside lay a thick stack of manuscripts. He carefully leafed through the yellowed parchment, which recorded several long-lost forging techniques.

"What a treasure!" Su Chen's face lit up with delight.

"You want to choose this?" Chrysanthemum Douluo looked at Su Chen in surprise.

"Yes." Su Chen nodded.

"Golden Hammer Douluo was indeed an extraordinary talent, but his glory lay in blacksmithing. These are all manuscripts on forging. There aren't any Soul Skills in them. Are you sure you want to choose this?" Chrysanthemum Douluo tried to dissuade him. As he mentioned Golden Hammer Douluo, a trace of disdain even appeared in his eyes.

"I'm sure." Su Chen nodded.

On the Douluo Continent, blacksmiths did not receive the recognition they deserved-not just in Spirit Hall and Spirit City, but in the two great empires as well. Yet military weapons and equipment, farming tools, buildings, furniture, and more all required their involvement. Neither Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire, nor the Star Luo Empire had realized the importance of blacksmiths.

A craftsman who wished to do his work well must first sharpen his tools. Storming cities and seizing territory required not only soldiers, but weapons suited to their hands. Yet the people of this continent clearly had not recognized that fact. Perhaps the brilliance of Tool Martial Soul Masters, who possessed powerful Tool Martial Souls of their own, had eclipsed the standing blacksmiths should rightfully have enjoyed.

Seeing how determined Su Chen was, Chrysanthemum Douluo did not press the matter. What he chose was entirely up to him. Upon leaving the Treasure Pavilion, Su Chen registered his selection with the two Red-Robed Cardinals. Then he set out for Suotuo City.

Perhaps, to Chrysanthemum Douluo, the manuscripts left by his predecessor, Golden Hammer Douluo, were merely useless objects. But to Su Chen, they were treasures that might very well shape the continent's future destiny.

As far as Su Chen knew, in the war several years later, Spirit Hall would suffer a major setback because of weapons.

"You're saying Su Chen chose the manuscripts left behind by Golden Hammer Douluo?" Bibi Dong asked in surprise.

"Yes." Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded.

"All right, I understand. From now on, unless something concerning him is important, there is no need to report it to me. No one likes having their every move known to someone else!" Bibi Dong said mildly.

PS: I'm not feeling up to it tonight, and I've caught a cold and have a runny nose. There'll only be one update today. The good stuff is about to begin. Tomorrow's two updates will be posted in the morning. Sorry, everyone!