Treasure Gathering Pavilion

It was another weekend, and after Qi Xuan practically dragged him out, Huo Yuhao finally gave up spending the entire day cultivating and went to browse the Treasure Gathering Pavilion with him instead.

Shrek City had an excellent business environment, so many merchant associations chose to gather there.

If every Titled Douluo was a walking nuclear bomb, then Shrek was the world's largest nuclear bomb launch silo.

Causing trouble here was no different from courting death.

The Treasure Gathering Pavilion was the largest trading house in Shrek City. It had dealings with all the major commercial networks across the continent, and some of its connections even extended into the Sun Moon Empire.

Huo Yuhao was feeling refreshed, too. After winning the Freshmen Assessment Tournament, he had successfully become a core disciple of the academy-and the only core disciple with just one ring.

If you've got anything to say, say it to my championship trophy.

Becoming a core disciple naturally came with benefits-he could now eat his fill at lunch every day.

The Treasure Gathering Pavilion stood in the northern part of Shrek City, which did not connect directly to Shrek Academy.

To reach the North Gate, they would either have to enter through the east gate and cross the city.

Or they could simply circle around outside the city and head straight for the North Gate.

Huo Yuhao glanced at the vast streams of people inside the city, deeply shocked by the crowds waiting in line. "Why don't we go around outside, Brother Xuan? We can count it as exercise."

Qi Xuan had no objection.

The two ran along the dirt road outside the city, chatting casually as they went.

"Brother Xuan, have you heard? In a couple of days, a teacher from the Soul Tool Department is coming to give us freshmen a lecture. Apparently, it's even their vice dean, a Level 8 Soul Engineer. It's a rare opportunity, so I want to go."

Originally, Shrek had only required students in the Martial Soul Department to be able to identify basic soul tools. But as one directive after another came down from the Sea God Pavilion, the Soul Tool Department received unprecedented support.

Students had originally been divided into departments according to their aspirations only in their second year. Now, however, even first-year freshmen could visit the Soul Tool Department for hands-on experience, as long as they were interested in soul tools.

A considerable amount of soul tool-related material had also been added to the upper-year students' courses, leaving them groaning endlessly.

Rumors had been spreading like wildfire lately, too. Supposedly, soul tools would carry greater weight in future assessment assignments, which left them worried sick-most soul masters only knew how to use soul tools and understood nothing of their actual principles or construction.

Qi Xuan frowned, vaguely sensing that something was off. Was this still the Shrek he knew?

Still, it was a good thing overall.

Otherwise, a few years down the line, Huo Yuhao would have to go to the Virtuous Hall and work himself half to death for several years, only to have that wicked woman cut out his kidney in the end.

After running for a little over an hour, they entered the city through the North Gate.

The northern district could probably be called the most prosperous part of Shrek City.

Buildings of every kind stood packed together like fish scales and comb teeth, their heights rising and falling. Ornamental candles came in countless forms, and lights shimmered with flowing colors, creating a scene of lavish splendor.

Following the directions, the two arrived at the entrance to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. The entire building resembled an enormous gold ingot, standing over twenty meters tall and covering a vast area.

Eight young women in long dresses stood attending the entrance. When they saw the two approach, one stepped forward and bowed with a smile. Her fair skin gleamed beneath the lights, looking hazy and dreamlike.

"Hello. Have you come to shop at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion?"

Having grown up poor, Huo Yuhao found the intoxicating extravagance a little overwhelming and was at a loss for what to do.

Qi Xuan was a transmigrator, at least. Even if he had never eaten pork, he had seen pigs run, so he put on a calm front and answered, "Yes."

The young woman ushered them inside and gave a brief introduction. "This is the first-floor lobby. If this is your first visit, you can register for membership at the front desk. Our regular displays occupy the three floors above: fine-grade goods on the second floor, rare-grade goods on the third, and supreme-grade goods on the fourth."

Huo Yuhao asked curiously, "Are there any grades higher than supreme?"

The young woman maintained her professional smile. "Our Treasure Gathering Pavilion holds treasure appraisal fairs and auctions from time to time. On those occasions, we display immortal-grade treasures of an even higher rank."

Huo Yuhao could not help clicking his tongue. Just registering for a membership card at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion cost one hundred Gold Soul Coins, which made his perpetually stingy heart ache.

Fortunately, the perceptive young woman at the front desk reminded them, "If you're from Shrek Academy, you can register for free with your student badges."

"Oh, there's a perk like that?" Only then did Huo Yuhao relax. "The academy really does have high standing."

Qi Xuan rolled his eyes furiously in his mind. Even an idiot could tell that an enterprise this enormous in Shrek City had to have ties to the academy.

If he remembered correctly, the Treasure Gathering Pavilion should have been under the Sea God Pavilion's direct jurisdiction.

Through the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's operations, many high-quality pills, materials, and soul tools were shipped to Shrek City from all over. Quite a few students came from wealthy families and shopped here for whatever they wanted.

Armed with three supreme-grade vouchers and the enormous sum of twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins, Qi Xuan and Huo Yuhao looked curiously this way and that, like newly rich country bumpkins arriving in the city.

On the second floor, they even spotted some familiar faces.

Cao Jinxuan and Zhou Sichen were browsing and picking through the goods there. Both had been assigned to Class One along with them, making them classmates.

Qi Xuan greeted them and walked over.

"Found something suitable?"

Cao Jinxuan pointed at the display cabinet in front of him. "Old Zhou has. This five-hundred-year essence spirit herb has no attribute, so it's pretty suitable for him to absorb."

"As for me..." Cao Jinxuan gave a bitter smile. "Anything with even a hint of the time attribute costs an astronomical amount."

Both Qi Xuan and Huo Yuhao gave him sympathetic looks.

That was the downside of rare attributes.

For someone with a time attribute like Cao Jinxuan, even the academy could not find a teacher who was a perfect fit to teach him.

Huo Yuhao wandered around. Most of the second-floor displays were somewhat uncommon medicinal herbs and relatively common rare metals, along with some pills.

Pills such as the Mystic Water Pill and the Spirit-Moistening Pill, which helped low-level soul masters lay their foundations, were mostly found here.

On the third floor, natural treasures began to appear.

Huo Yuhao stopped in front of a pitch-black piece of whale rubber.

"Thousand-year whale rubber. Whale rubber is a special substance produced in the brains of whale-type soul beasts. It has excellent nourishing effects on soul masters, strengthening their bodies and increasing their capacity to endure strain. This piece of whale rubber is said to have come from a Thousand-Year Demon Whale.

However, whale rubber from a Thousand-Year Demon Whale should normally be golden yellow. This piece is black, so it has likely weathered and deteriorated over time. Although its quality has declined, it remains usable. Price: six thousand Gold Soul Coins."

"Brother Xuan, do you have enough money?" Huo Yuhao asked quietly.

Qi Xuan did the math. "After setting aside what we both need for living expenses, there's about sixteen thousand left."

Huo Yuhao licked his lips. "Buy it."

Of course, he could not recognize what was unusual about this piece of whale rubber, but the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was already bursting with laughter in his Sea of Consciousness:

"Hahahaha, these foolish humans. Deteriorated thousand-year whale rubber?"

"This is ten-thousand-year whale glue!"