Crack. Lord Shi Di crushed the armrests under his hands. He slowly extended a hand and pointed to the divine weapon on the stage, then pointed to Mo Tianliao and said “That’s… that’s… the divine weapon?”
“Correct.” Mo Tianliao looked excited, like a drowning man who had finally found a life-saving straw.
The kitten jumped onto the lion’s head, looked up and sneered. He had already said it was a piece of trash, yet everybody still regarded it as a treasure, anyone who bought it would surely regret it.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward but the auctioneer on the stage seemed completely unaware. He was still vigorously extolling, “Great art conceals itself. This is characteristic of Lord Duantian’s greatest works. Ladies and gentlemen, don’t forget Shi Di’s Taiji Sky Splitting Axe or The Xuanyuan Ground Tearing Hammer, which are among the best top-grade spiritual weapons, practically half Immortal Weapons…”
Shi Di frowned. Why did they have to use him as an example?!
Hearing this, the people in the crowd all nodded. They recalled that one of Lord Duantian’s ultimate treasures looked just like a common wood chopping axe, and felt less doubtful about the pig-killing knife on stage.
“You should know that no one has been able to finish refining this divine weapon for the 300 years since the death of Lord Duantian,” the auctioneer’s tone became calm once more and he assumed an “I’m just an honest businessman” look. “For now, this is just an invincible magical weapon, nothing else.”
This helped further allay the crowd’s doubts, who hadn’t heard the news? They naturally knew that this divine weapon had a problem, if it didn’t, someone would have taken it long ago and started a blood bath.
“Over the past 300 years, many craftsmen have discovered more or less how to activate the divine weapon. Included in your purchase you’ll also receive these research notes,” The female auctioneer took out a jade slip and said with a smile.
After this remark, the atmosphere of the audience once again became excited. Those who wanted to buy the divine weapon were, of course, people who knew a craftsman or were themselves craftsmen, but no one had been able to complete it for three hundred years, even if they suddenly took over, they also wouldn’t know how. Acquiring their predecessors’ knowledge would, of course, save a lot of effort.
“The starting price is 300,000 top-grade lingshi,” the auctioneer said.
Although it was an unfinished product, a divine weapon was a divine weapon, its price could not be lower than that of an immortal weapon, but it was also not much higher.
After the starting price was quoted, it kept rising by ten thousand lingshi at a time. In reality, only a few demonic Lords and several high-level craftsmen would bid. Other cultivators simply did not have the power to do so.
“Shishu, it seems some demonic Lords also want this divine weapon, I’m afraid we…” In a remote private room, a cultivator, dressed in a Taoist robe decorated with flowing clouds, was trying to dissuade the young man next to him. The youth had been born with fine features and was very handsome, he looked just like an ordinary teenager, but upon closer inspection, he was surprisingly already a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.
“How will we know unless we try?” The boy said and motioned to the other cultivator to continue bidding, unconsciously rubbing the wrist guard under his sleeve, “Don’t bid more than 500,000.”
The wrist guard seemed to be made out of silver and was inlaid with various rare precious stones, most of them a deep sea-blue. It was very similar to the bracelet worn by Mo Xiaozhao, except that it was slightly wider and one end was rounded while the other end was convex. It had been Lord Duantian’s wrist guard and it contained a huge storage space, but even so many years after Duantian’s death, the soul mark on it had not faded and he had no way to open it.
It was like carrying a mountain of treasures every day, without being able to use any of them; very frustrating.
Due to the common practice of killing people and stealing treasures, the people of the demonic path were much more aggressive in their bidding than those of the righteous path. The process was always carried through divine sense. Watching the price of the divine weapon keep rising, Shi Di was unworried.
Shi Di stretched out his hand slowly and leisurely. “400,000.”
The bidding paused for a moment, then continued to rise.
Shi Di reached out slowly once more. “450,000.”
Whenever the price stalled, Shi Di bid hugely.
“Damn it. Just who is so rich?” The young Nascent Soul cultivator’s eyes were red with fury.
“Ziyu, as I said, these demonic Lords have plenty of money, you should know that better than anyone.” His shixiong, who was standing beside him, patted him on the shoulder.
When the price exceeded 500,000, the teenager had to wave his hand and let the bidding cultivator give up. He clenched his fists and said coldly, “Shixiong must be joking. I don’t know much about any demonic Lord.”
His shixiong secretly sneered. This Ding Ziyu was the illegitimate son of Elder Ding. Everyone knew he had been sent to warm Lord Duantian’s bed. Why bother pretending?
Many demonic lords were rich, but they were not as invested in the divine weapon as Shi Di, they stopped bidding after a while. Finally, Shi Di bought the pig-killing knife for 550,000 top-grade lingshi.
When the attendant brought the divine weapon on a tray, Shi Di tossed it from one hand to the other while looking it all over. “Dear nephew, are you sure this is the real thing?” No matter how you looked at it, it was just a pig-killing knife made of high-quality materials.
“Great art conceals itself.” Mo Tianliao took the pig-killing knife and slowly rubbed the ample blade. Looking carefully, the blade was not pure black, it had some yellow splotches. Under the light, it looked like tortoiseshell, but still very ugly. Nobody else could see that when it made contact with Mo Tianliao’s palms, the pig knife emitted a faint flash of light.
Shi Di did not dare publicize his purchase of the divine weapon, so, hiding the pig-killing knife, he led his group out of a secret passage in the private room. Xiaoyao Auction House was located underground and each private room had a secret passage that went straight outside, the exit place was different for each room.
Once out of the tunnel, Shi Di quickly took out his flying boat and headed straight to his Mo Palace.
“My good nephew, it’s not late yet. You should start now.” Shi Di hastily sent for the Primordial Stone and prepared a good forge room for him.
“Er…” Mo Tianliao stood somewhat awkwardly, pig-killing knife in hand.
“What, are you planning on going back on your word?” Shi Di said with a cold face. Was this brat trying to swindle him?
“That’s not true,” Mo Tianliao said with a smile, “It’s just that, as uncle knows, this nephew is merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator. I certainly don’t have enough spiritual force to refine a divine weapon, I hope uncle can prepare enough lingshi.”
Hearing that it was only a question of money, Shi Di heaved a sigh of relief and, with a wave of his hand, sent someone to the mine to dig enough lingshi for him.
The lingshi excavated from the mine was usually of varying sizes, it was only cut into the same size for circulation. When Mo Tianliao entered the forge room, he saw that the whole floor had been replaced with top-grade lingshi.
Putting aside the Primordial Stone and the pig-killing knife, Mo Tianliao took a look around his crafting room and was satisfied. He pulled closed the stone door of the room, leaving only a small gap so Lord Kitty could go out and play.
The divine weapon, Taishi, was indeed Mo Tianliao’s masterpiece. However, it was not difficult to finish the final refining step. The difficult thing would be how to explain it to Shi Di after he was done.
The white kitten was beside him, idly playing with some fragments of lingshi and had no intention of helping find a way out of his dilemma.
From his bracelet, Mo Tianliao took out the things he had bought in Liuhe Market, namely Xuanyuan Iron, Resplendent Stone and Starfall Stone. The Starfall Stone glittered like twinkling stars under the light of the forge fire. It seemed covered in stars but, upon closer inspection, it actually had a tortoiseshell colour.
Removing the impurities of large quantities of Xuanyuan Iron in a furnace would take a long time, between ten days to half a month.
“Selling counterfeit goods, huh?” A melodious voice sounded in his ear sweetly, flowing like a cold spring. Mo Tianliao looked back and saw that his cat had turned back into his beautiful Master.
Mo Tianliao looked back at him and said, “Who says it’s fake? It is being made by Duantian himself.”
Qingtong ignored him and picked up the pig-killing knife. “What else does this piece of trash need?” He reached out with his slender fingers, flicking the knife. A flash of light glinted across the knife’s surface, expressing dissatisfaction at the lack of respect.
“It needs time,” Mo Tianliao said to Master, drawing his face very close. “Shi Di’s not as stupid as he looks.”
Qingtong pushed him away. “So?”
“Shhhh” Mo Tianliao took Master’s hand and leaned close again. “The walls have ears, let’s whisper.”
Qingtong slapped him on the back of the head. The walls had ears? If Shi Di wanted to snoop, he could hear them even if they whispered. He had already set up a sound insulation barrier around the room, that’s why he had become human.
Mo Tianliao massaged his slapped head. “I made Shi Di a special item that can be used to listen through a sound insulation barrier.”
“Did you?” Qingtong raised his eyebrows.
“I would never trick you,” said Mo Tianliao. He leaned forward again, grabbed Master’s shoulder and pressed their foreheads together. He used his divine soul to communicate mentally, “Like this, we need not fear being heard.”
Without a blood pact, they could not use direct mental communication, but they could understand each by putting their lingtai into contact. Under normal circumstances a Demonic Beast would never allow a cultivator to do this, this was only possible given the strange relationship between Mo Tianliao and his cat.
“To fool Shi Di, I need to make him a top-grade spiritual weapon at least.” Mo Tianliao rubbed against that smooth forehead. He talked casually in his mind while stealthily probing his soul. Neither people nor Demonic Beasts would easily allow this action unless they had formed a blood pact, the reason being they both became defenceless while doing this.
“At your Foundation Establishment level?” Qingtong laughed at him, shoving the hand off his shoulder. Unexpectedly, the evil hand left his shoulder only to slide around his waist. “What are you doing, you perverted disciple?”
“I have to form my core first.” Mo Tianliao smiled and took Master into his arms to distract him. His divine soul invaded him, carefully examining his condition. “What advice does Master have on this matter?”
“Ohh, you… ahn…” Qingtong was about to scratch the hand on his waist when he suddenly felt something invading his soul. He immediately struggled, “Out, get out!”
“Be good! Don’t move, show me!” Mo Tianliao held tightly to the person in his arms, he had no intention of letting go. The damage inside his soul was shocking, he could see the old wounds. At the time, probably because of his haste, when his soul split it almost tore. For a moment, he felt so distressed he thought his heart would crack in two from the pain.
There was a flash of light, the beauty in his arms turned into an impossible to catch little furball and jumped away instantly, shrinking into a corner and staring at him.
Mo Tianliao did not go after him, only looked at him silently. After a long time, he said slowly, “Does it always hurt?”
None of your business! The kitten ignored him and turned to squeeze through the small gap in the door, then disappeared.
“The Cultivation World’s 315 Exposure Platform”
Sledgehammer: I want to make a complaint. This divine weapon crafted by Lord Duantian is fake
Carpenter: *shocked* Why do you think so?
Carpenter: …Come, come. Let me draw it for you. Is that alright?
Sledgehammer: That’s more like it
Unedited, please point out any mistakes
SD: Was this brat trying to swindle him?
How could you think that SD? MTL would never
I’ll be shortly posting some extra chapters, thank you so much for the ko-fi
Look at this gorgeous fanart by Beyond!!! Link It’s so amazing!