Myriad-Era Catalyst Stone, Pet Rabbit!

When she heard Lou Xu introduce her as his maid, a trace of dejection flashed through Xiao Wu's eyes.

She smiled as though nothing had happened and offered a polite greeting.

Siyu laughed heartily. Seeing how well-behaved she was, he pulled a piece of malt candy from his robes and pressed it into her hand.

"No need to be shy. Have some candy from your senior brother. This is a specialty I brought back from the Heaven Dou Empire!"

"..."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lou Xu explained what he had come for.

He had long wanted to forge a divine artifact, but the life energy in his forge was nowhere near enough to create something from nothing. He therefore needed suitable metals whose internal structures he could alter, reducing the energy required.

Once Siyu understood, he wasted no time. He led Lou Xu to a tall carriage in the middle of the convoy and opened its doors, letting him choose for himself.

Wind-pattern silver, thousand-refined steel... Inside the carriage, all manner of precious metals gleamed enticingly in the shadows.

Lou Xu plunged into the carriage. Before long, he emerged with a piece of mist tin giving off pale white vapor tucked under one arm, and a piece of sprout copper, its surface covered in verdigris and growing plants, hoisted in the other.

"Thanks, Second Senior Brother. I've got work to do. See you later!"

After saying goodbye to Si Long, Lou Xu handed the lightweight mist tin ore to Xiao Wu and hurried back to his room with her.

"Xu, what do you need these two pieces of ore for?"

Watching Lou Xu bustle around beside the forge, Xiao Wu looked curious.

"I'm going to forge a divine artifact!"

After cutting the two pieces of metal ore and pushing them into the forge to smelt, Lou Xu briefly explained the abilities of divine artifacts as he made his preparations.

Xiao Wu only half understood, but she understood the words "contains the power of laws."

"...Xu, I want one too!"

Xiao Wu's eyes immediately lit up. Even the two filthy pieces of metal ore now received a less disdainful look as she circled Lou Xu, trying everything to get on his good side.

Lou Xu glanced at her and said irritably,

"No divine artifact for you. I'll buy you a carrot to gnaw on. Go play somewhere else. Don't bother me."

He still wanted to forge divine artifacts for the old man, Xiong Jun, and his senior brothers.

The life energy in the anvil was stretched thin, and Xiao Wu's soul power level was so low that giving her a divine artifact would not do much good.

Still, he could consider it later.

After all, Xiao Wu's identity was a sensitive matter. Since she had come with him, he would not be stingy as her pet keeper.

Once he shooed Xiao Wu aside, the flames in the forge grew stronger, casting flickering light across his profile.

Xiao Wu took a book she had not read from the shelf. She glanced back at Lou Xu, who was absorbed in his work, then sat on the sofa with a pout and could not help muttering,

"Mean guy. All you ever do is bully me!"

She set down the book and picked up the carrot cushion Lou Xu had given her. Clenching her fists in a huff, she held it on her lap and pummeled it as though it were Lou Xu rather than a cushion.

"You dared tug my ears! I'll beat you to death!"

"You called me your maid! I'll beat you to death!"

"You're stingy, and you snapped at me! I'll beat you to death!"

"You even made me call you... I'll beat you to death! Beat you to death!"

After venting fiercely, Xiao Wu seemed to remember something, and a blush rose to her cheeks.

She tiptoed quietly over to the bookshelf.

Through the gaps between the books, she saw that Lou Xu had finished his preparations and was holding his martial soul, beginning to forge the divine artifact.

As she watched his focused face, the blush on her pretty cheeks deepened. Before she knew it, even her ears had succumbed, radiating a faint warmth.

Clang!

The hammer struck, sending sparks flying.

The two pieces of metal slowly softened in the primal fire. Pure life energy poured into them, silently altering their structures.

The hammer swung again and again, removing impurities from the metal. Together with the primal fire's searing heat, it bound the life energy ever more tightly into the material.

Clang!

Loud, unbroken hammer blows reverberated through the room as the life energy within the Star-Iron Furnace Anvil steadily dwindled.

On the anvil, the shape of a plain white gemstone gradually took form.

One mysterious, wondrous rune after another merged into it.

Clang-clang! Ting-!

A clear, lingering metallic vibration rang out.

Myriad-Era Catalyst Stone! Complete!

Lou Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead. Half the life energy in the anvil had been consumed, but he was elated.

"Finally finished! My first divine artifact!"

He picked up the gemstone, which shone all over with a mysterious white light, and the divine artifact's information appeared before him.

Intermediate divine artifact: Myriad-Era Catalyst Stone!

Effect: when soul power is consumed, restores vitality equal to five percent of the soul power consumed; when injured, restores soul power equal to five percent of the damage received.

After gaining ten levels of soul power, grants a unique bonus of one additional soul power level.

Later, once he had enough soul power to forge higher-tier divine artifacts, he could reforge this Myriad-Era Catalyst Stone into the Rod of Ages, greatly helping him break through levels.

Become a Titled Douluo at twenty-four? That was far too slow!

Finding a sturdy braided cord, Lou Xu threaded it through the hole he had left beforehand and hung the divine artifact around his neck as a necklace.

He faintly noticed two little glimmers among the bookshelves. The moment he turned his head, Xiao Wu's shimmering gaze met his eyes.

Realizing Lou Xu had noticed her, Xiao Wu flushed scarlet. She turned and leaped onto the sofa as though flying, crossed her legs, summoned her martial soul, and pretended to meditate.

Lou Xu leisurely put away his tools, then strolled into the bedroom.

"Little bunny."

"Hmm? What is it, Xu? I was just cultivating. What happened? Did you call me?"

She hadn't been peeking! She was still angry!

Xiao Wu kept her eyes shut, feigning composure, but her voice was unusually flustered. She stammered like someone who had done something wrong and dared not admit it.

She looked just like a startled rabbit.

Silence hung in the air for a while.

Xiao Wu sneaked one eye open, only to find Lou Xu standing before her with his arms folded, studying her with a mischievous smile.

Mortification instantly turned to anger. She grabbed the carrot cushion beside her and hurled it at him.

But Lou Xu caught it with quick hands, walked over, and put it back on the sofa.

"You even dare throw things at me? Little bunny, and here I was thinking of forging you a divine artifact once you became a Soul Elder."

He sighed in feigned disappointment and plopped down on the other end of the sofa.

"A divine artifact... W-would I get one too?"

Her anger vanished in an instant. Xiao Wu hurried over and clasped Lou Xu's hand, staring at him imploringly.

A divine artifact containing the power of rules-the only thing Xiao Wu had ever encountered that could compare was a soul beast's lightning tribulation, which likewise contained the power of laws.

She had nearly died in that lightning tribulation. The value of a divine artifact went without saying.

Forge a divine artifact for her?

Did a maid deserve a divine artifact too?

At that thought, Xiao Wu's eyes suddenly dimmed a little.

During their time together, Lou Xu had often stroked her ears. She had thought they were good friends, but it turned out that had only been her own wishful thinking.

"You're my pet rabbit. Don't you know that when one person ascends to immortality, even his chickens and dogs rise to heaven?"

"You're the dog!"

At his words, flames instantly sparked in Xiao Wu's dimmed eyes, and the anger that had just faded flared up again.

Fine, a pet rabbit was a pet rabbit. Sister Xiao Wu knew how to honor a lost wager!

But who was he calling a dog?

Lou Xu held down the hand she had raised to hit him and reached out to pinch her ear, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"All right, you're a rabbit. Then be a good pet rabbit."

"When a rabbit behaves, her owner rewards her with a carrot... Oh, no, a divine artifact. That's perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"

"You..." Xiao Wu began.

She puffed out her cheeks and held it in for a long moment before giving a quiet, aggrieved huff.

"Stop snapping at me."

Sitting beside Lou Xu, she glanced at the Myriad-Era Catalyst Stone around his neck and thought,

That's a divine artifact! The great Sister Xiao Wu would never submit. Even if Lou Xu takes me shopping, buys me carrots, gives me... Anyway, I absolutely won't be a pet rabbit!

Lou Xu's gaze grew deep as he stroked her furry ears, silently lost in thought.

Fortunately, Xiao Wu's soul ring was not something he was considering.

Otherwise, with the naive innocence of someone who had grown up sheltered beneath others' wings, he would not even have to wait until level sixty to get her soul ring.

Sure enough, Xiong Jun had been right.