Chapter 295: Arriving Together |
Hearing this, Zhou Yunyang had no extra questions and continued to determine the requirements: "What about the category? Sabers, spears, swords, or the like?"
"Hmm." Su Chen considered it briefly.
Judging by the Weapon Lord he had used for so long, its main augmentations to the physical body were roughly only in three aspects: strength, speed, and defense.
On a more microscopic level, it could also be reflected in the conductivity of elemental power, resistance, and the like, or perhaps the Metal Mask's concealment whose essence was masking his aura. However, these were far less obvious than the augmentations of the three main categories.
The Crystal Skull could also serve a protective role for the Mental Core, but now that his Psionic Power had fused into his body, the Crystal Skull could probably only serve to amplify his Psionic Power.
And aside from a few relatively concrete aspects, it was very difficult for the Weapon Lord to augment some abstract concepts onto his body. For example, a large part of the lethality of sword-type weapons benefited from their inherent sharpness.
But a concept like sharpness could not be augmented onto his body.
The Mystic Tools he controlled before undergoing Job Entry for Weapon Lord could no longer be changed, but for the future ones, he definitely had to maximize their augmentation effects.
He thought for a moment and responded, "A commonly used weapon, actually it doesn't matter. However, it's best if it's the kind with a relatively powerful strength amplification."
He fiddled with the Terminal on the table for a while, and then projected a Virtual Screen.
Su Chen only took one look and was attracted by the weapon on it.
It was a crimson-purple Great Hammer. Next to it was an illusory human model labeled as 1.8 meters, which roughly only reached the handle of the hammer.
The hammer head was three to five times larger than the illusory model's head. Dark red streams of light flowed within the cracked lava patterns on its surface. From deep within the rifts, purple electric snakes darted in and out from time to time, sometimes gathering into a spiderweb to shroud the heart of the hammer, and sometimes exploding into fine threads.
Zhou Yunyang introduced it to him: "This is the Thunder-Dash Peak-Sunderer Hammer. It is a weapon forged from a Lava Core supplemented by Thunder Pith Essence, along with the assistance of multiple engraved patterns. It should be highly suitable for Your Excellency. Besides this piece—"
Before he could finish his introduction, he was interrupted by Su Chen: "This is it."
This Great Hammer looked extremely explosive.
Su Chen was quite satisfied. Zhou Yunyang looked unreliable, but his professional capabilities were quite up to par.
In just a few words, he had selected a suitable weapon for him.
If this Great Hammer were augmented to the 7th-Tier and then integrated into his body, who knew how fierce it would be?
"It's good as long as you are satisfied." A smile surfaced on Zhou Yunyang's face as he said, "This hammer is still in the storehouse. I will retrieve it for you as quickly as possible. It should be delivered to you along with the materials you requested. I estimate it won't be later than the day after tomorrow."
"Sorry to trouble Deacon Zhou." Su Chen stood up. Zhou Yunyang hurriedly saw him out, watching him leave his field of vision before turning back to return to the Artifact Hall.
"Deacon Zhou has a wide network of connections; this Star Seed Su even requested your services by name," someone complimented, envy evident in their eyes. This old slicker was truly formidable; not only did he have a good relationship with Su Chen, but he also had a very good relationship with the Qin Family.
Not long ago, someone had even seen him chatting happily with Qin Tianlin.
"It's all just serving the sect." Zhou Yunyang waved his hand repeatedly. As he walked up the stairs, his expression restrained, and he murmured in his heart, 'Truly unimaginable... what secret exactly does this Star Seed possess?'
Even his heart couldn't help but give rise to certain thoughts.
Slap!
He slapped himself across the face, drawing the astonished gazes of the surrounding colleagues. Zhou Yunyang paid no heed, warning himself in his heart—
Do what you are supposed to do well, and don't entertain even a sliver of thoughts you shouldn't have!
Equilibrium Hub, within the Royal Court's encampment here, on the top floor of one of the tallest metal buildings.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened, and a group of people emerged from within. The person in the lead had an imposing bearing, standing a full two meters tall with arms thicker than an average person's waist. A fierce and savage aura rushed out to strike against one's face.
Two people followed behind him. Neither was very old, but the one on the left was obviously younger.
"Venerable Qi Heng." Han Xingliu, who had been waiting for a long time, went up to greet the leader, his gaze sweeping over the two people behind him.
Qi Heng nodded, his gaze falling directly onto the metal doors at the end of the corridor. "Are they all inside?"
"Yes." Han Xingliu nodded.
Qi Heng said indifferently, "It seems I am late."
He strode past, while the two people behind him remained.
Qi Heng pushed open the metal doors. Four people were already seated around the circular table in the center—three men and one woman. Their bearings were all different. They seemed to have already noticed his arrival and stared at the doorway.
"I was delayed on the road for a bit and arrived late. Please forgive me, everyone," Qi Heng said, and then looked towards the side of the table. Lying on a floating metal chair there was an emaciated old man.
His white hair hung down to his chest, and his body had withered to an unrecognizable state. He looked to be only around 1.5 meters tall, his breath as weak as a gossamer thread.
He bowed slightly and called out, "Black Tortoise King."
"En," the Black Tortoise King nodded, speaking no further words.
Only then did Qi Heng take a seat, asking, "Where were we?"
King Peng, who sat in the main seat, cast a glance at him and said, "We came for Qin Yun, but exactly to what extent we should go, and exactly how much pressure we should apply, we still have to discuss and come up with a set of rules."
"This matter is not very easy to handle." Someone to the side spoke up. It was an elegant and gorgeous woman, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. "If Qin Yun truly doesn't know, then with us pressing them like this, what kind of result do we actually want?"
"Li Qingyi." The middle-aged man opposite her sneered, "Your Profound Heaven Sect and the Bronze Sect have historically had a good relationship. It's understandable that you don't want things to look too ugly. But search your own conscience—is it really possible that Qin Yun knows absolutely nothing?"
"Ever since she came out, we have never seen her once. This is all the Bronze Sect's one-sided story. What the exact situation is, we know absolutely nothing."
"Wu Yue..." Li Qingyi was squeezed by his words, but her expression didn't change at all, merely saying softly, "What you said is indeed possible, but what I said is also possible. All possibilities must be taken into consideration."
"In the one-in-ten-thousand chance that Qin Yun truly doesn't know, could it be we must force her to prove her innocence with death?"
"Qin Yun knows," King Peng suddenly spoke up, and everyone's gazes shot over at once.
Qi Heng's brow furrowed tightly. "What do you mean?"
King Peng's voice was dark and solitary as he said, "The Hell-Suppressing King left a message for us, but not much, only the two words: 'Qin Yun'."
"The Hell-Suppressing King left a message?" Li Qingyi's gaze condensed slightly, and the others also stared intently. "Why didn't we know about this before?"
Even Wu Yue had his brow tightly furrowed right now, staring at King Peng.
King Peng didn't care at all, saying unhurriedly, "Not saying it beforehand was to catch the Bronze Sect unprepared. Otherwise, if they said Qin Yun had fled without a trace, what would we do then?"
"Saying it only now, how can we believe you?" Li Qingyi frowned.
King Peng swept his gaze over the crowd and extended his palm. A wisp of Purple Flame darted out from his palm. Its temperature wasn't considered high, but everyone's expressions changed slightly.
Wrapped within it were characters formed by streams of crimson mist—Qin Yun.
Seeing this Purple Flame, everyone believed it seven parts out of ten.
Li Qingyi sighed softly in her heart, while Wu Yue's face was indifferent.
"Since that is the case, the Bronze Sect must inevitably produce an explanation. The Royal Court and the several Great Sects have all given the Ancient Bronze King face, using the Peak Star Tournament as a cover so things wouldn't look too ugly. We also hope that Ancient King can understand us."
"Everyone, there shouldn't be any objections now, right? This time we must break the sandpot and ask until we hit the bottom," King Peng put away the Purple Flame in his hand and said unhurriedly.
Expressions varied on the faces of the Venerables. Qi Heng's eyes narrowed slightly as he opened his mouth to ask, "If the Ancient Bronze King defends Qin Yun to the death, what should we do?"
King Peng's expression was calm as he said, "Therefore, we must first determine the condition of that Ancient Bronze King."
"A while ago, there was anomalous movement from the Ancient King Monument, causing widespread speculation across the stars. With us arriving together, the Black Tortoise King even coming personally, and adding the matter of Qin Yun, even if the Ancient Bronze King only has the slightest possibility of doing so, he will definitely force himself to come out."
"If he doesn't come out..." King Peng paused, his meaning hard to discern. "We will have to notify the other Ancient Kings and have them persuade the Ancient Bronze King to prioritize the greater picture."
Wu Yue sneered, Li Qingyi remained silent, and the remaining man, who looked quite refined and cultured, hadn't spoken the entire time.
The Black Tortoise King sighed softly. "After all, Jin Siye and I share some affection, yet alas..."
Everyone's expressions varied. Jin Siye was exactly the name of the previous Ancient Bronze King.
"Brother Luo."
Outside the doors, Han Xingliu greeted the slightly older person, his gaze then falling on the young man by his side. "This must be the other Star Seed of the Celestial Vault Order, Zhang Yuan, right?"
"Correct." Luo Yao's gaze swept over Han Xingliu before turning to the young man beside him. "Zhang Yuan, this is the Vast Sea Emperor's son, Han Xingliu. You should have heard of him."
Zhang Yuan hurriedly greeted, "I have long heard your great name. A pleasure to meet you."
"You're too polite." Han Xingliu smiled faintly, not paying too much attention to Zhang Yuan. His gaze landed solely on Luo Yao. "The last time we met was at the Peak Star Tournament hosted by the True Martial Sect."
"Indeed." Luo Yao nodded, his tone containing a certain indescribable nuance. "Last time I could only be a spectator, yet Brother Xingliu went quite far. This time, I'm afraid you are fully confident."
"Haha," Han Xingliu waved his hand repeatedly. "I'm just a few years older, that's all. Brother Luo, stop making fun of me. With you and Sheng Huaixu around, how could I seize any position of Star Prime?"
Although the two conversed with smiles, there weren't many emotional ripples in their eyes.
At their age, this was already the last tournament they could participate in. When the next one came, they wouldn't be able to participate.
Even for someone like Luo Yao, who was only forty-two or forty-three years old, it was truly somewhat of a loss, but there was nothing to be done; such were the rules.
No matter who it was, they were all set on victory.
The two dealt with each other courteously but without sincerity for a while, and then tacitly avoided the sensitive topic of the Star Prime.
Han Xingliu changed the topic, saying, "On this trip to the Bronze Sect, there is actually one person worth paying attention to."
Luo Yao frowned. "Shen Yi'an. This person is indeed not simple either. The Shen Family has flourished within the Bronze Sect for many years—"
"Shen Yi'an?" Han Xingliu chuckled. "I am talking about Su Chen. Have the two of you heard of him?"
Hearing this name, Zhang Yuan, who had been standing to the side with a wooden expression, seemed to liven up, sighing with emotion, "Achieving a rank-defying slaying against the Divine Radiance Grade 6th-Tier Qin Tianlin with a 5th-Tier body, it's hard to not have heard of him."
"This person is indeed... unimaginable." Luo Yao's eyes narrowed slightly as he also spoke. "For a Barren Planet covered by Nether Mist to unexpectedly birth this kind of talent. Word is... the Prophet Society has already listed him as a key observation target."
"The related information changes three times a day, yet from the gathered data, nothing peculiar can be seen at all. It is truly astonishing."
"Going to the Bronze Sect this time, I actually want to meet him." The curiosity in Han Xingliu's heart was not faked. If things went smoothly, the Bronze Sect would merge with the Royal Court.
He definitely had to recruit this person. However, if the secrets on his body were too great...
Luo Yao remained noncommittal, his eyes flashing. "If this person's momentum does not diminish, the position of Star Prime in the tournament after the next will probably belong to none other than the Bronze Sect."
Zhang Yuan swept a glance at Luo Yao, dissatisfaction flashing through his eyes. Given his age, if he wanted to seize the position of Star Prime, Su Chen would be a powerful competitor.
But for Luo Yao to think right now that the position of Star Prime in the tournament after the next belonged to Su Chen was truly a bit too early.
Perceiving the oddity between the two, Han Xingliu chuckled softly but did not respond. If the Bronze Sect hadn't changed its surname to the Royal Court by then...
Zhou Yunyang's efficiency was very fast.
Just on the afternoon of the second day, he personally came knocking with the entire series of materials Su Chen needed.
"The items are all here. Your Excellency, see if anything is missing." Zhou Yunyang directed his subordinates to bring out Metal Cases one by one. Among them was an extremely large case that required two or three people to move.
These subordinates of Zhou Yunyang were also all 5th-Tier Professionals.
"With Deacon Zhou handling matters, I am still at ease." Su Chen fully expressed his trust.
After unloading the items, the two exchanged a few pleasantries, and Zhou Yunyang sensibly took his leave.
Su Chen swept his gaze over the Metal Cases on the ground. When he turned around, the cases floated up one after another, following behind him as he arrived in the Training Room and laid them out one by one.
Su Chen first opened the largest one. Lying horizontally within was precisely the Thunder-Dash Peak-Sunderer Hammer. A sense of power rushed toward him.
Su Chen reached out and gripped the hammer's handle, lifting it up in one motion. Its weight alone was not to be trifled with.
He swung it around in his hand. Crimson-purple lightning exploded from the cracks on the hammer's head. As he spun and swept it horizontally, amid the howling wind, lava-like waterfalls of fire splashed out from the hammer's face.
"Not bad, not bad..." Su Chen weighed it in his hands, growing increasingly satisfied. Psionic Power surged out, gradually covering it completely and turning it into a Mastery Secret Tool.
Immediately, the Great Hammer unreasonably merged into his body. The effects yielded instant results. A continuous stream of power surged out from his bones, muscles, and meridians.
Su Chen squeezed his palm, producing crisp popping sounds of his bones. He slowly exhaled a breath wrapped in fine electric arcs that sizzled and crackled.
"Not bad. In terms of strength augmentation alone, it's stronger than the Formless True Blade."
The Great Hammer emerged from his body again. Then, his gaze fell on the large pile of metal materials beside him. He rubbed his hands and began upgrading his Mystic Tools one by one.
Upgrading a Mystic Tool consumed quite a lot of Psionic Power, but he could afford the consumption now. After spending five or six hours, Su Chen had elevated all of his Mastery Secret Tools to the 6th-Tier.
"Phew."
Su Chen only reached out a hand, and all the Mystic Tools laid out before him sank into his body like swallows returning to the nest.
In an instant, his physical strength increased sharply. His cells became tighter, his muscles as condensed as refined iron, and terrifying power surged within his body.
Even before augmenting these Mystic Tools to the 7th-Tier, Su Chen had a strong feeling that he seemed truly able to attempt purifying those mid-level Mist Embers.