Even a low-quality Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone with a relatively low age would start at three million Gold Soul Coins at auction. Anyone without ten million could only watch from the sidelines.
Five Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones were expensive, certainly, but compared to the might of a divine artifact, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could afford them.
As for secrecy, divine artifacts had enormous implications. A trump card like this was best hidden as deeply as possible, and he naturally understood that.
Ning Fengzhi stood and straightened his sleeves.
"No problem, but... I have one personal request."
"My daughter, Ning Rongrong, has been spoiled by me and our two elders. When Gengxin's Artisan Soul Academy begins accepting students, I would like to enroll her. What do you think, young friend Lou?"
"That's fine."
Lou Xu also stood, meeting Ning Fengzhi's eyes.
"But let me lay out the unpleasant terms first. Once completed, the academy will be an advanced academy. Don't let your daughter waste precious cultivation time waiting for it.
"Also, once she enters the academy, there will be no such thing as a sect master's daughter. If your daughter causes trouble, I won't make allowances."
"Of course." Ning Fengzhi chuckled.
"When the time comes, teach her as you see fit, and beat her if she causes trouble. If you hurt her, let me know. I'll take her home, get her healed, and send her back."
The two exchanged a smile, and their hands, one large and one small, clasped together.
"Deal."
The Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, Heaven Dou City
A gray-and-white bird slipped through the window and landed silently beside the lamp.
Xue Qinghe reached out to catch the bird and opened the copper tube tied to its leg.
Compared with the information She Long had brought from the branch hall in Gengxin City, this letter detailed Lou Xu's experiences, including his conflict with Dai Weisi, his meetings with Dai Changkong and Xu Xingxuan, and the presence at his side of a powerful expert capable of killing Tang Hao.
At the end of the letter were three more statements from Qian Daoliu.
"The Pope has ordered that all information on Lou Xu's background be submitted to the main hall. No copies may be kept."
"Runic forging passed down, Artisan Soul established-these may stir up waves. Simply watch from the ramparts. Ensure your safety; there is no need to force the plan."
"The soul bones will arrive shortly. In your dealings with the Lou family, do not be overly cautious."
Holding the letter, Xue Qinghe sat beneath the lamp for a long time.
This was already the second time his grandfather had explicitly told him to abandon the infiltration plan.
But... six years of infiltration, six years of disguise. How could he resign himself to that?
The candle flame ignited the letter, its glow illuminating the concerned expressions of the two men behind him.
"Uncle Ci."
"Young master, what are your orders?"
"Poison Xue Ye."
Ci Xue hesitated.
The young master had held the position of crown prince for less than a year. Wasn't it too early to plan a usurpation?
But when he looked up and saw Xue Qinghe's cold expression, he lowered his head and answered.
"...Yes."
Xue Qinghe blew out the candle, plunging the room into darkness.
The next day, before dawn, Xue Qinghe walked through the morning dew to attend court.
After court adjourned, Xue Ye summoned him to Zhenghe Hall.
"Your son, Xue Qinghe, greets you, Father. May countless blessings be upon you."
He knelt on both knees, his forehead pressed against the backs of his hands.
Xue Ye was reviewing memorials, his expression betraying neither pleasure nor anger.
"Qinghe, I have read your memorial."
"The Lou family's roots lie in Gengxin City in the Star Luo Empire. Are you certain you want to grant them land and establish an academy?"
Xue Qinghe raised his head.
"Father, since the Lou family is willing to pass down runic forging, I wish to secure a share for our Heaven Dou as well. If we can recruit their descendants into the imperial family, they may well help our Heaven Dou flourish."
"Mm."
Xue Ye grunted and said nothing more.
Only when the sunlight grew scorching did an attendant remind Xue Ye that it was time for lunch.
Xue Ye set down his memorial and looked at Xue Qinghe.
"Rise."
"There is an abandoned alchemy workshop in the western outskirts. I shall entrust it to you."
"Do as you wish. I will be right beside you."
"I understand, Father. I shall take my leave."
Leaving Zhenghe Hall, Xue Qinghe returned to the Eastern Palace expressionlessly.
He had not even had time to eat.
An attendant came to report that a minister sought an audience with the crown prince and had already been waiting for some time.
Wearing a gentle expression, Xue Qinghe welcomed the minister inside.
An hour later, the minister took his leave.
With no one else in the room, he had just leaned back in his chair to catch his breath when She Long appeared, holding two jade boxes.
Presenting the soul bones with both hands, he looked at the exhaustion nearly spilling from Xue Qinghe's eyes and hesitated to speak.
"Young master, the soul bones have arrived..."
Xue Qinghe closed his eyes and slowly exhaled a weary breath.
"Attend me. Prepare a carriage."
"..."
That afternoon, three large carts stopped outside the Blacksmiths' Association in Heaven Dou City.
The first carried chests of money and metal.
The materials and deposit for the ten runic weapons ordered by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were inspected and entered into the records.
The second contained four jade cases, escorted by a Soul Douluo who solemnly handed them to Lou Xu.
"The sect master said that the sect had several soul bones of respectable age whose attributes were unsuitable. This extra one is a gift for the young proprietor."
Lou Xu's fingertips glided over the jade cases. After examining them one by one, he committed the information on all four soul bones to memory.
There were three Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones from ordinary bloodlines, ranging from fifteen thousand to twenty thousand years old, and one forty-thousand-year Flame Lord right arm bone.
Lou Xu placed the right arm bone in his storage ring and told the man,
"Please tell Sect Master Ning that I'm very satisfied with the deposit."
The third carriage belonged to Xue Qinghe.
The crown prince had traveled with a small entourage today. After arriving, he had not asked Lou Xu to keep him company, instead quietly taking a seat in the reception room to wait. Lou Xu thus left him alone and went about his work.
After seeing off the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's people, Lou Xu instructed Xiong Jun to keep watch, then returned straight to his room and took out the three ordinary Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones.
The Star-Iron Furnace Anvil hovered beside him. With a sweep of primal fire, the three soul bones became pure life energy, which flowed into it.
Sensing that the furnace anvil, parched for so long, was finally being nourished with life energy, Lou Xu could not help smiling with delight.
He carefully examined it.
Lou Xu made a surprising discovery.
Although these three soul bones had come from ten-thousand-year soul beasts with ordinary bloodlines, and their ages differed slightly, the converted life energy was still enough for him to forge six intermediate divine artifacts, or one high-tier divine artifact with some left over.
This meant that converting soul bones into life energy had nothing to do with bloodline, only with the soul bones' ages.
When he had absorbed the corpses of two thousand-year soul beasts simultaneously last time, Lou Xu had already suspected as much. But there had been so little life energy then that the sensation had been indistinct.
After absorbing three soul bones in succession this time, he was certain that his approach of collecting soul bones had indeed been correct.
Life energy circulated, increasing his Tank Engine stacks by fifty.
With a total of one hundred and forty-four stacks, it increased his soul power and vitality by roughly fifty-four percent.
That was already a considerable increase.
Yet Lou Xu clicked his tongue, somewhat dissatisfied.
After all that effort, I only got three Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones. When am I ever going to become the strongest in the world?
I miss Brother Sky Dream.
Just then, the furnace anvil gave a soft hum, feeding a portion of its life energy back into him.
His long-stagnant soul power surged in an instant, the vast life energy driving it ever higher.
Level twenty-eight, level twenty-nine, level thirty.
He broke through his soul power bottleneck, only stopping upon reaching Quasi-Soul Elder. The small amount of excess soul power was stored away.
The disturbance of his breakthrough caught Xiao Wu's attention.
She put down her book and raised her head. Watching Lou Xu stand there with his eyes closed while his soul power level kept climbing, she bit her lip. Sensing that her own soul power was still some distance from a breakthrough, she muttered softly.
"You're improving so fast. How am I supposed to catch up...?"
"...You meanie."
Lou Xu let out a long breath. Looking at the three soul bones on the table, now reduced to fine dust, he curled his lips into a smile.
Now this is my talent.
After requesting some precious materials from the manager, Lou Xu placed the Stariron Furnace Anvil on the forging table. With the Stariron Hammer in hand, he prepared to hammer out a divine artifact while his touch was still hot.
Clang!
Clang!
The hammering rang throughout the room. Xiao Wu rolled over on the bed, put her book away, and clamped her hands tightly over her ears.
"You're so noisy, you meanie!"
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