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"Sir, are you a beginner at soul tool crafting?"
The receptionist had picked up on his lack of familiarity and, rather than hiding her observation, asked him directly. Su Wen admitted it candidly. On the Sun Moon Continent, there were plenty of soul masters who didn't know the first thing about crafting soul tools.
"I see. Sir, if you don't belong to any particular faction, you might consider joining our Sun Moon Pavilion. For soul masters at the Soul King level or above who wish to learn the craft, our pavilion offers a significant amount of support."
Su Wen nodded, but he didn't agree to join. "In that case, the Sun Moon Pavilion should have specialized rooms for learning and crafting, right?"
"Ah, you mean a Soul Tool Workshop? Yes, we do. We offer workshop rentals as part of our business." The receptionist was slightly puzzled by Su Wen's phrasing, calling it a "room for learning and crafting," but she didn't dare question him further.
"I'll rent one for a month," Su Wen said.
"Very well. Our workshops are divided into Low, Medium, and High grades based on the equipment provided. Which would you prefer?"
"High-grade."
"A high-grade workshop is 1,000 Gold Soul Coins per day. A full month would be 30,000, but we offer a discount for monthly bookings—it will only be 25,000."
Hearing the price, Su Wen's eye twitched. He had been in Ninghai City for half a day and had scouted the general cost of living, which wasn't drastically different from the Douluo Continent. However, he truly hadn't expected anything related to soul masters or soul tools to be quite this expensive.
"Since you are learning, will you be needing to purchase rare metals as well?"
Su Wen nodded.
"The Sun Moon Pavilion can provide those. Since you are a beginner, we recommend starting with Sunk Silver. Its output is the highest among rare metals and it is the most widely distributed and frequently used. It's also sufficient for crafting almost any primary soul tool."
Su Wen was well aware of Sunk Silver's reputation. Seeing as the receptionist's advice was sound, he didn't argue and accepted the suggestion. "What's the price for Sunk Silver?"
"Ten Gold Soul Coins per unit."
A unit? Su Wen thought. It seemed they didn't calculate it by weight. "Prepare a thousand units for me first."
"Understood, sir."
With a wave of his hand, Su Wen released a massive pile of Gold Soul Coins. They cascaded down with a loud, metallic clatter. While the coins themselves were universal, the stored-value cards from his home continent were not, so he had been forced to withdraw the cash to use it here.
In reality, 100,000 Gold Soul Coins took up over a hundred cubic meters in his storage tool. He had to bring them out in batches. Sensing this, the receptionist handed him a storage ring, signaling that he could simply transfer the coins into the ring instead.
"Sir, your total expenditure at the Sun Moon Pavilion has reached 65,000 Gold Soul Coins. Since you've spent over 10,000, you are entitled to Level 5 clearance, which grants you a uniform 5% discount."
A 5% discount saved Su Wen several thousand coins.
"There's no need to refund the difference. Just exchange the remaining balance for more Sunk Silver."
"Of course, sir."
Inside the high-grade workshop, Su Wen stared at the blueprints before him, his brow furrowed.
To be honest, he had wanted to try studying the blueprints and figuring it out for himself without referencing introductory materials. As it turned out, he had underestimated the difficulty of soul tool crafting. On the Sun Moon Continent, there were countless soul masters who simply couldn't become soul masters.
Even Soul Emperors and Soul Saints often failed to become soul masters. Even if they used their powerful soul power and honed spiritual sense to force the issue, most plateaued at the primary level. Su Wen's analytical skills were top-tier, but he wasn't so god-like that he could understand every nuance of a complex process just by looking at the "final answer."
He called for Lin Qingyue—the receptionist who had been attending to him.
"Sir, how can I help you?"
Due to Su Wen's spending power and his soul power level, Lin Qingyue had been temporarily pulled from her post to serve as his dedicated liaison. The 65,000 coins were one thing, but the fact that Su Wen was a Soul Emperor was the real kicker. Even though soul masters held a lofty status, this world was still one where strength reigned supreme. Soul masters were respected precisely because powerful soul masters became even more formidable with their tools.
A Soul Emperor was well worth the Sun Moon Pavilion's recruitment efforts—especially for a local branch in Ninghai City.
"Find me the most comprehensive introductory material for soul tools available."
"Yes, sir."
"Also, help me find a high-quality carving technique for use with an engraving knife."
Lin Qingyue looked hesitant. Su Wen noticed the change in her expression and realized this might be a difficult request. "Is it unavailable?"
"Sir, the truth is that a soul master's carving technique is their bread and butter. It's rarely taught to outsiders or made public. Even our Sun Moon Pavilion doesn't officially offer that as a service." Seeing Su Wen frown, she added quickly, "However, we can provide you with the basic techniques for handling an engraving knife."
She didn't mention a price this time. Su Wen glanced at her but didn't bring up payment either. This was a form of invisible investment and courtship, and he saw no reason to reject it.
Relieved, Lin Qingyue hurried away to report to her supervisor and compile the materials Su Wen required.
"Qingyue, so this is where you were."
Halfway through her task, Lin Qingyue was intercepted by a leering, middle-aged man. His greasy eyes scanned her up and down. "Well? Have you thought about what I suggested last time?"
Lin Qingyue's brow tightened. She felt a deep loathing for the man's gaze but couldn't afford to show it openly. "Master Zhao, this is the Sun Moon Pavilion and I am currently working. Please, step aside."
"Lin Qingyue!" The man's tone turned sharp and threatening.
"Zhao Yuan, what do you think you're doing?" A voice cut through Zhao Yuan's threat.
"Supervisor." Lin Qingyue turned and saw her supervisor approaching. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped behind him.
"Wang Lin, you're going to protect this brat?" Zhao Yuan said, narrowing his eyes.
"Zhao Yuan, this is the Sun Moon Pavilion. Do you really dare to cause trouble here?" Wang Lin shouted sternly.
The Sun Moon Pavilion was a direct affiliate of the Sun Moon Divine Church, representing the Church's authority. Furthermore, because it handled the trade of soul tools and soul masters, its status within the Church was no lower than the local city branches.
"Wang Lin, don't you dare try to use the Pavilion to pressure me," Zhao Yuan snorted. He was the younger brother of the City Lord of Ninghai. A City Lord's status was by no means inferior to that of a local Pavilion branch supervisor.
Wang Lin stared at Zhao Yuan's arrogant face but decided not to escalate the confrontation further. "Qingyue, take those materials to the guest first."
(End of Chapter)