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The top floor of the Sun Moon Pavilion—the Pavilion Master's private workshop.
"A Soul Emperor with a formidable presence, yet absolutely no history to speak of." Lin Tian sighed with emotion as he looked at Su Wen, his voice tinged with curiosity. "I am truly intrigued, Brother Su. Just where do you hail from?"
Su Wen simply smiled, offering no answer to the question.
Lin Tian didn't press the matter. Based on Su Wen's demeanor over the past few days and his complete lack of intervention when Zhao Yuan was heavily injured and hauled away, Lin Tian could reasonably conclude that Su Wen had no ties to the official government represented by the Sun Moon Imperial Family.
Of course, there was a slim possibility that this "Su Wen" who had appeared out of thin air was a plant from the authorities—someone cold-hearted enough to watch Zhao Hai's younger brother be sacrificed just to serve as a fuse for a greater conflict.
But if that were the case, it would be impossible for Zhao Hai not to harbor a grudge. For the official forces, which were already fragmented by regional interests, such a scenario would be disastrous. Thus, Lin Tian had effectively ruled out that possibility.
"Regardless of your past, as long as you are here at my Sun Moon Pavilion, you are our honored guest."
"You seem interested in Soul Tools. My Sun Moon Pavilion can provide you with ample study materials and rare metals to help you elevate your level as a Soul Tool Engineer."
"In the current state of the continent, while the pinnacle of Soul Tool technology undoubtedly rests in the hands of the Imperial Family, our research below the 'Super Soul Tool' level is by no means inferior to theirs. As for the study of Super Soul Tools, while it falls outside the scope of this Pavilion's capabilities, the Cult itself possesses dedicated research institutions and Super Soul Tool Engineers whose heritage has never been broken."
Lin Tian laid out the foundations of the Sun Moon Pavilion and the Sun Moon Cult with clear intent: he wanted to recruit Su Wen.
Given Su Wen's youthful vitality, he was likely not even thirty, yet he had already reached the rank of Soul Emperor. A genius of this caliber was almost guaranteed to become a Contra in the future. Lin Tian merely detailed their resources regarding Soul Tools and waited quietly for Su Wen's response.
He didn't bother debating the pros and cons of the Cult versus the Imperial Family. He believed a Soul Emperor would be capable of making that judgment for himself.
Su Wen nodded slowly upon hearing this.
To be honest, he didn't have a strong preference for either side. As an outsider, he had come to the Sun Moon Continent specifically for Soul Tools, and his primary focus wasn't necessarily the highest-level technology, but rather the foundational and mid-tier systems.
Of course, while his focus was on low-to-mid levels, that didn't mean he had no interest in the peak of their craft.
Since there was no significant gap between the two powers regarding mid-level tools, joining the Pavilion seemed like the better choice; after all, even a religious institution tended to offer more freedom than the Imperial Court.
However, the Imperial Family did possess the ultimate Soul Tool secrets, which balanced out the "freedom" factor in Su Wen's mind, leaving him neutral.
There were other factors at play, too. For instance, the Sun Moon Cult was founded by gods and possessed the inheritance of two suspected God-level martial souls: the Blazing Sun and the Cold Moon. Su Wen's curiosity was piqued.
On the other hand, the Imperial Family held the inheritance of the Purple Radiant Destructive Sky Dragon, which had a connection to the Thunder Dragon Ring in his possession.
Ultimately, Su Wen remained indifferent to which side he officially joined. With his abilities, he could thrive anywhere.
"I will visit the Cult," Su Wen said calmly. "When the timing is right, I'll head to the headquarters to take a look."
A smile spread across Lin Tian's face.
"The Cult Headquarters... that is the dream of every Soul Master on the Sun Moon Continent."
Since the Sun Moon Cult was responsible for Martial Soul Awakenings across the entire continent, their prestige among commoner Soul Masters was unparalleled. Lin Tian wasn't exaggerating.
"This is the Guest Elder Token of my Sun Moon Pavilion. Please, take it." Lin Tian produced a token engraved with the "Sun and Moon Shining Together" motif and handed it to Su Wen.
The Cult issued a similar token, but theirs included patterns of other top-tier martial souls from the continent, such as the Purple Radiant Destructive Sky Dragon. The Pavilion's token featured only the Sun and Moon, signifying an exclusive tie to the Cult's internal structure.
Su Wen accepted the token and asked, "Is Pavilion Master Lin also a Soul Tool Engineer?"
At this, Lin Tian flashed a confident smile. He didn't say a word, but his expression spoke volumes. It was an obvious answer—the Sun Moon Pavilion managed Soul Tool operations, so how could a branch manager not be an engineer?
However, Su Wen had asked specifically to steer the conversation.
"If you have questions, Brother Su, feel free to ask," Lin Tian said, gesturing for him to be at ease.
"I actually do have a few. Although I haven't studied the formal theory yet, I've looked at many Soul Tool blueprints. The complexity of the lines on these prints varies wildly. Even among Primary Soul Tools, there seem to be three distinct levels of intricacy. I wonder if this pattern continues into Mid-level and High-level Soul Tools?"
Lin Tian was genuinely surprised by the question.
He hadn't even looked at the theoretical texts, yet he could identify these nuances just from looking at blueprints?
While the difference in complexity was real, the actual drawing of the blueprints didn't look that different to the untrained eye. The number of lines in a Soul Formation usually stayed within a certain range, which was why all three "levels" were grouped under the Primary category rather than being split into separate ranks.
The "complexity" Su Wen referred to was the combination of individual units within the lines.
On the lowest level, ten lines might form a single functional unit. But on a higher-tier Primary blueprint, those same ten lines might be combined into three distinct units that also interacted with one another.
The fact that Su Wen could sense this just by looking meant his talent for Soul Tools was extraordinary!
Lin Tian felt as if he had stumbled upon a hidden treasure. A Soul Master with great talent was valuable, but one who also possessed a high aptitude for Soul Tools was worth any price.
Su Wen had already proven his talent as a fighter; if he applied that same power to crafting, his rate of progress would be terrifying.
Shaking off his shock, Lin Tian quickly organized his thoughts to address Su Wen's query.
"The concern you have is one many Soul Tool Engineers face when they first start out."
"In truth, that specific variation is a characteristic unique to Primary Soul Tools. Once you reach the Mid-level, that jarring sense of disparity in complexity disappears."
"Oh?" Su Wen stared at Lin Tian, waiting for a deeper explanation.
(End of Chapter)