After several busy days, Lou Xu said goodbye to the master and his four disciples, who were still absorbed in their research, and returned to his room to rest.
Even with plenty of life energy remaining in his martial soul, he simply could not keep going.
Dragging his heavy head back to his room, Lou Xu fell asleep the moment he lay down.
When he woke, a bowl of steaming ginseng porridge sat beside his bed, and Xiao Wu was cultivating with her eyes closed on her little bed.
The sound of Lou Xu getting up roused her. Her rabbit ears quivered gently, and as she leaned closer, her eyes shone with delight in the lamplight.
"Xu, I'm level thirteen!"
Lou Xu reached out and rubbed her soft, fluffy rabbit ears, praising her under her reproachful gaze.
"Not bad. Another thirteen levels and you'll catch up to me."
"Who wants to compete with you? I'm just a pet rabbit."
She hugged Lou Xu's arm and gently rocked it, her round red eyes wide as she drew out her soft, sweet words.
After he had last demonstrated through action that talent was worth nothing before raw numbers, Xiao Wu had still tried to struggle. Only after two more thrashings had she finally submitted.
Being a pet rabbit was great. No tickling, and I even got a divine artifact. Lou Xu was someone even the Sovereign thought highly of. What was so bad about being his pet rabbit?
"If you don't cultivate properly and your soul power level falls too far behind mine, don't tell anyone you know me when we go out. I'd be embarrassed."
"No, no!"
Ignoring Xiao Wu's wheedling, he picked up the porridge from the bedside table and took a spoonful.
"Is it good?" Xiao Wu looked at him expectantly.
"It tastes pretty good. Did you make it?"
"I brought it over. It went cold twice, so I took it to the forge to warm it up. I nearly burned my hand, too."
"Ow!"
Seeing her pout as she sought credit, Lou Xu gave her forehead a hard flick. Xiao Wu clutched her head and pretended it hurt.
"Out with it. What do you want this time?"
At that, Xiao Wu raised her head, revealing a smile of triumphant calculation.
"Hehe, Xu, we haven't left the Blacksmith Association in ages. I want to go shopping..."
Lou Xu lowered his head and drank his porridge without answering.
"I'll cultivate properly when we get back. One level... then two levels. Please?"
Under Xiao Wu's expectant gaze, Lou Xu unhurriedly set down the empty bowl and wiped his mouth with the handkerchief she handed him.
"Get ready. I'll take you to an auction."
"Yay!"
Heaven Dou Auction
Twelve crystal chandeliers hung high beneath the dome, spilling warm light over the faces below, each flushed with barely contained excitement.
The circular rows of seats rose outward from the auction stage. Every seat was occupied, and even the aisles were packed with standing spectators.
The auctioneer wore a gold-and-red qipao and held a rosewood gavel. Her voice rang out firmly from the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Today's grand finale is the latest runic weapon series developed by Divine Craftsman Lou Gao—Jingzhe!"
The curtain lifted, revealing four exquisite weapons of different designs inside a glass display case.
A saber, a spear, a dagger, and a sword.
Under the lights, the red lightning patterns on their surfaces flickered in and out of view.
"Crafted using Master Lou Gao's newly developed runic forging technique, these weapons summon heavenly lightning after striking the same target three times in succession!"
"The lightning strike never misses! Its power rivals a Soul Elder's attack! Soul Masters can enhance its power with soul power, and ordinary people can wield it as well!"
"The opening bid is five thousand Gold Soul Coins, with each increase no less than one hundred Gold Soul Coins.
"Ladies and gentlemen, place your bids!"
The gavel tapped lightly, but the crowd below had already boiled over.
People whispered to one another and exchanged astonished looks.
Ordinary people could use it, and it delivered an unerring Soul Elder-level strike?!
"Five thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
"Eight thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
"Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins! The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will take it!"
Everyone turned toward the voice.
In a private box on the second floor, Yu Luomian, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's second-in-command, rose and walked to the railing, looking down with a sharp, domineering gaze.
In the neighboring box, Ning Fengzhi smiled and quietly called over an attendant.
"Fine goods naturally go to the highest bidder."
He took the bidding device and tapped it lightly.
"This honored guest bids twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
On the other side, Xue Qinghe's hand remained perfectly steady around his teacup, but a flash of astonishment crossed his eyes.
He set down the cup, dipped a fingertip in tea, and wrote the word "buy" on the table. The attendant beside him understood and quietly withdrew.
After the attendant left, silence settled over the box.
"Uncle She, look into this Divine Craftsman's background for me."
The figure concealed in the corner acknowledged the order and vanished from the box.
The price soared wildly, the gavel rising and falling like rain.
In the blink of an eye, the bidding had reached an astonishing fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins!
In a corner box on the second floor, Dugu Bo narrowed his emerald-green serpentine eyes and scoffed.
"All flash and no substance. How could it compare to the astonishing power of my poison?"
Despite his words, the thought of his young granddaughter made him extend his pale fingers and tap the bidding device.
"This honored guest bids eighty thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
With the dazzling Jingzhe on the stage, Prince Xue Xing spoke quietly to Xue Beng beside him.
"Your Highness, if you present this weapon to His Majesty, your position as crown prince..."
Still young, Xue Beng's eyes lit up at those words. He sprang to his feet and raised his bidding paddle.
"One hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
The entire hall fell silent, then erupted into an uproar.
The auctioneer cried out excitedly in her sweet voice, "One hundred thousand! Prince Xue Beng bids one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins! Does anyone wish to raise the bid?"
Yu Luomian shot Xue Beng a displeased glare, then turned and sat back down.
Xue Qinghe's fingertips paused, a chill flashing in his eyes. He raised his hand to signal another bid.
"This honored guest has placed a bid! One hundred and twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
Ning Fengzhi's brows knitted tightly, but in the end, he gently shook his head.
There were still three more. Letting one go would do no harm.
The gavel fell three times, its final strike settling the matter.
"Sold! The first runic weapon in the Jingzhe series belongs to this honored guest!"
Xue Qinghe rose and left his box to collect the Jingzhe Dagger. He turned it over in his hand, his gaze unfathomable.
The auction continued. The other three Jingzhe weapons were won by Ning Fengzhi, Dugu Bo, and Xue Beng for one hundred and ten thousand, one hundred and eight thousand, and one hundred and thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins respectively.
Thunderous applause rose from below, while several meaningful glances crossed in the corridor outside the second-floor boxes.
"Hmph! With our Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, why would the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan need some paltry external tool?"
"Uncle Bone, find out whether this Divine Craftsman is willing to meet us. If these weapons can be mass-produced, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will buy every last one!"
The same scene played out at auctions across the land.
The name of Divine Craftsman Lou Gao, along with the weapons he had developed that allowed ordinary people to rival Soul Masters, struck like a heavy hammer crashing into a tranquil lake.
The entire continent trembled in response.
Spirit Hall, the Pope's Palace
Bibi Dong sat high upon her throne, her fingertips tapping the armrest in a slow, icy rhythm.
Inside the hall, Platinum Bishop Salas stood with his back bowed, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.
"Runic weapons, rivaling a Soul Elder's attack..."
Her red lips parted. Her voice was soft, yet it froze the air throughout the great hall.
"Salas, is this information accurate?"
"Your Holiness, it is absolutely true."
Salas spoke respectfully.
"They have appeared at auctions everywhere. Reports have come in from the local Spirit Hall Branches. Eyewitnesses saw those weapons truly summon heavenly lightning after three consecutive strikes!"
Bibi Dong's tapping fingers stopped.
"Investigate."
Her tone carried an authority that brooked no refusal.
"I want to know whether these weapons can be mass-produced."
"Go recruit that man. If he refuses..."
A trace of coldness flashed through her eyes.
"Kill him!"
"..."
Worship Hall
Qian Daoliu sat cross-legged before the Angel God Statue, his eyes half-closed as vast soul power surged around him.
"Elder Brother, Xiao Xue has sent word..."
Golden Crocodile Douluo strode into the hall and handed him a secret report and an exquisite dagger.
"A blacksmith has developed weapons that even ordinary people can use. Their attacks can reach the Soul Elder level, and infusing them with soul power increases their strength by another thirty percent! If these things spread unchecked, the status of Soul Masters..."
Qian Daoliu slowly opened his eyes. He took the Jingzhe Dagger, golden light flowing through his gaze.
"The status of Soul Masters will not be shaken."
His tone was certain, but a trace of worry crossed his handsome face when he looked at the Angel God Statue.
"Tell Xiao Xue to be ready to terminate the plan at any moment. The skies over this continent are about to change..."
"Yes!"
He rose and looked toward Gengxin City, lost in silent thought.
"Lou Gao... in creating this thing, have you thought through whether it will bring fortune or disaster..."
"When Xiao Xue reaches that point, she will choose between right and wrong."
"..."
Before you continue