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*****
"May I ask which specific manuals Senior wishes to browse?" Tang Xian asked.
Su Wen looked at her. To ensure she understood he wasn't joking, his expression became exceptionally grave and sincere. "I wish to browse every single manual in the possession of the Boundless Palace."
"What?" Tang Xian suspected she had misheard him.
While she expected something audacious, she had assumed Su Wen might want to see some of the Palace's core techniques. That was something they could tolerate provided the price was right. But she had never imagined he would demand access to their entire library.
This was no small matter. While the Boundless Palace was built on its patronage of numerous Consolidation Masters, its primary foundation was its possession of the most comprehensive collection of cultivation techniques on the continent. If one person were to absorb all that knowledge, wouldn't the Boundless Palace effectively lose its unique competitive advantage?
Strictly speaking, with such a foundation and sufficient strength—not even a Heavenly God, just a Heavenly Emperor—one could establish a major power. In a few hundred years, such an organization might even evolve into a new Saint Land.
The Boundless Palace would never allow that. On the Boundless Mainland today, the Five Great Saint Lands had already divided the continent's resources. They were even at each other's throats, encroaching on territories because resources were no longer enough to support their collective ambitions. Why would they allow the seeds of a potential sixth Saint Land to be sown?
Su Wen, seeing the shift in her expression, remained unruffled. "Rest assured, Madam Tang. I can provide a price that will satisfy the Boundless Palace. I won't put you in a difficult position."
Hearing this, although Tang Xian still doubted any price could truly compensate for their library, she felt significantly better. At least Su Wen wasn't planning to take it by force; he intended to trade.
"Madam Tang?"
Prompted by Su Wen, Tang Xian took a deep breath and nodded. "I will help you contact Tianyue and my eldest brother. But whether they agree depends entirely on your preparations."
Su Wen smiled. "The Palace Masters are busy men, and traveling to the Heavenly Bow Empire is quite a hassle. We can go to the Boundless Palace instead."
To put it bluntly, the Heavenly Bow Empire was far too remote; its cultivation resources were not of the highest tier. To become a proper Heavenly Jewel Master, Su Wen naturally needed to go through the steps of Consolidation and Skill Snatching. Finding top-tier Consolidated Equipment Sets and suitable Heavenly Beasts for skills was not a simple task. Going to the Boundless Palace was the easiest way to solve this.
"I need to make some preparations first." Tang Xian had no objections, but she had a daughter here. She needed time before she could escort Su Wen back to the Palace.
Because of Su Wen—a man who seemed even more of a monster than Long Shiya—Tang Xian had momentarily forgotten her anger. Strengthening the Palace through a connection with such a powerhouse was a priority. As for the possibility of the Palace rejecting Su Wen and souring the relationship... Tang Xian considered it, but only briefly.
Let Shangguan Tianyue deal with that headache.
She might have set aside her tantrum for business, but she was still technically in a "displeased" state. A woman's heart is a labyrinth best left unmapped.
Having agreed to meet at the Marshal's Mansion in one month, Su Wen led Zhou Weiqing out of Heavenly Bow City.
"Master Wen, where are we going?"
"For a Heavenly Jewel Master, the most important things are Consolidation and Skill Snatching. The Heavenly Bow Empire lacks a Consolidation Master and a branch of the Skill Snatching Palace. We must go to a major city in a Great Empire. Feituo City in the Fei Li Empire is the closest."
The Fei Li Empire, located in the west of the Boundless Mainland, was one of the "Western Twin Powers" alongside the Baida Empire. Its territory was over a hundred times the size of the Heavenly Bow Empire. Feituo City was a major southern stronghold, ranked among the top five cities in Fei Li. It was ten times the size of Heavenly Bow City and incredibly prosperous.
Su Wen was taking Zhou Weiqing there for his first skills and equipment. Of course, Su Wen had also awakened his first pair of jewels and needed the same.
"Second Trial of the Red-Grade Seven Trials: Become a Consolidation Master. Reward: Pure Evil Power."
This was Su Wen's current objective. Unlike the ambiguous first reward, this one was clear. The only thing that piqued his interest was that the God of Time could actually grant Evil Power as a reward.
Snow God Mountain.
A little white tiger opened her eyes, a trace of confusion flickering in her gaze. She had been in the middle of cultivation when she felt a strange pull, as if her destiny had suddenly appeared.
"The southwest?"
She looked toward the southwest, unsure of what this perceived opportunity could be. Doubt and hesitation flashed in her eyes, followed by resolve.
"Just as well. I wanted to leave anyway."
She had recently learned that her father had arranged a marriage for her, and she was furious. She had planned to run away in a few years, but now she decided to set out immediately.
Fei Li Empire, Feituo City.
Two figures appeared at the city gates. Zhou Weiqing looked at the towering walls in a daze.
Ten days!
In just ten days, they had crossed thousands of miles to reach this city! He looked at Su Wen beside him, his eyes full of awe and reverence. For an ordinary person, the journey would take half a year. Even for a Heavenly Jewel Master traveling by day and resting by night, it would take at least two months.
Is this the power of a true master? Simply the ability to traverse the continent with such ease was enough to inspire longing. If I can reach this level, couldn't I see every city in the world?
A fierce desire to grow stronger ignited within him. With the Technique of Immortality and the Dark Devouring God Pearl, he certainly had the capital.
"Let's go. Most Consolidation Masters don't require an appointment for basic work, but crafting scrolls takes time. We only have ten days."
Su Wen led Zhou Weiqing into the city. Their first stop was the Skill Snatching Palace to register their information and, more importantly, acquire skills. However, Skill Snatching was notoriously expensive; the entire treasury of the Heavenly Bow Empire couldn't support a single Heavenly Jewel Master's full set of skills.
(End of Chapter)