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*****
"Consolidating Equipment Set?"
Hearing Su Wen specify that his interest lay in the development of his own set, Shangguan Tianyue breathed a final sigh of relief.
Connecting the request to a Consolidating Equipment Set made Su Wen's motives much more believable and professional. After all, the importance of such sets to a Heavenly Jewel Master was beyond doubt. It was perfectly reasonable for an expert like Su Wen to seek a trade with the Hallowed Vast Palace to perfect his own equipment.
"I cannot make the final decision on this," Shangguan Tianyue admitted. "I need to return to the Palace and consult with them. Even though the Divine-tier Masters have joined our Palace, it does not mean we can simply order them around at will."
Su Wen nodded; this wasn't unexpected. Experts of that caliber always commanded a certain level of autonomy.
"However, Senior need not worry. Given the unique nature of your equipment, I suspect our Divine-tier Masters will be extremely interested," Shangguan Tianyue guaranteed, patting his chest.
The only things that could truly entice a top-tier Master were rare materials or innovative equipment. Su Wen's unique book-type Consolidated Equipment was almost certain to trigger the curiosity of those obsessed with the craft.
Deep down, Shangguan Tianyue was also harboring his own calculations: perhaps his Palace's Masters could reverse-engineer the secrets of Su Wen's book while assisting him in developing his set. It wasn't a malicious thought, merely a pragmatic one—after all, by letting Su Wen interact with their Masters, the Palace was also running the risk of Su Wen "stealing" their secret techniques. It was a mutual gamble.
"No rush. I imagine the Second Palace Master will also want to verify the attribute-expansion method once we return," Su Wen said, appearing unhurried.
He truly wasn't in a rush. The cultivation of a Heavenly Jewel Master differed significantly from that of a Soul Master. A Soul Master couldn't advance without absorbing a soul ring, but a Heavenly Jewel Master faced no such hard bottleneck. As long as their Heavenly Energy broke through certain thresholds, a new pair of Jewels would manifest, granting them the right to Store Skills or Consolidate Equipment. They could choose to wait and perform those actions later when better opportunities arose.
Su Wen had a need for a set, but it wasn't an urgent crisis. He simply preferred to prepare in advance so he wouldn't be stymied by technical limitations when the time came to finalize his gear.
"Would Senior care to accompany us back to the Hallowed Vast Palace?" Shangguan Tianyue asked tentatively.
Su Wen glanced at Tang Xian. Their meeting location had been her idea, and now that a preliminary consensus had been reached, it was time for the "exchange of goods."
While it was easy for Su Wen to hand over his solidified pages, the vast library of techniques held by the Hallowed Vast Palace was a different story—it was far more practical for Su Wen to go there and study in person.
"Senior should go back with him," Tang Xian said respectfully.
"Senior, although we are now within the Zhongtian Empire, it is still quite a distance to the Palace. We needn't rush; let us rest here for a few days before setting out," Shangguan Tianyue suggested.
Su Wen glanced at the couple. He didn't care to get involved in their marital friction, so he simply nodded and returned to the hotel to cultivate.
After Su Wen left, Shangguan Tianyue's gaze softened instantly, looking at Tang Xian with eyes full of tenderness. He didn't offer a clumsy apology; instead, he used the day's successful trade to thank her.
"Xian'er, thank you for bringing this opportunity to the Hallowed Vast Palace."
"Hmph. I only did it for Xue'er and Fei'er," Tang Xian replied, turning her head away with a touch of stubborn pride.
"..."
Su Wen didn't know how Shangguan Tianyue pulled it off, but when he saw them the next morning, the two were already out shopping together. Although Tang Xian still wore a huffy expression, it was clear she was giving him a chance to mend the rift.
"Second Palace Master, can we return to the Palace now?"
After waiting two days, Su Wen felt their relationship had stabilized enough and suggested they move out.
"Senior, thank you for your patience," Shangguan Tianyue said with genuine gratitude. He looked at Tang Xian, who gave a non-committal hum but didn't object.
"Let's go, let's go. We set out for the Hallowed Vast Palace today!"
For the journey, Su Wen continued to use his flying car, while the Shangguan family traveled separately. This suited Su Wen just fine, as it gave him peace and quiet to continue mapping the meridians and nodes in his body.
The journey took another half-month.
The Hallowed Vast Palace
Heavenly Jewel Island, where the Hallowed Vast Palace resides, is home to nearly half of the Master-tier and above Consolidating Equipment Masters on the continent.
The island is rich in rare medicinal herbs and exotic minerals—treasures that are the lifeblood of the craft. It is a literal paradise for creators, attracting craftsmen from every corner of the mainland. It could be said that any Master wishing to further their craft would eventually find their way here.
The Hallowed Vast Palace maintained a very relaxed policy toward these Masters, placing no restrictions on their freedom. This "come and go as you please" attitude had, over time, led to a staggering concentration of talent. Heavenly Jewel Island had evolved into the ultimate Holy Land for Consolidating Equipment.
Even though the Palace didn't technically own these craftsmen, they were still the foundation of its power. This wasn't a contradiction; over the centuries, through the various trade fairs and auctions hosted by the Palace, almost every innovation in the field had been recorded by them. Furthermore, every rising genius was essentially under their watchful eye. Most gifted Masters eventually chose to join the Palace officially to exchange their skills for the superior resources available.
Consequently, almost every Divine-tier Master on the island was, in some capacity, a member of the Hallowed Vast Palace.
Heavenly Jewel Island was famously known as a "floating island," but it didn't just hover in the air by magic alone. In truth, it was more like a mountain—a very peculiar one.
Before they even reached Zhongtian City, Su Wen could see from a distance massive stone pillars rising from the earth, piercing straight into the clouds.
"That is Zhongtian Mountain. Atop those sixteen Heavenly Jewel Pillars sits the Heavenly Jewel Island."
Sixteen titanic pillars, like needles connecting heaven and earth, supported a small island in the sky. Such a spectacle was unique in the entire world. The island's abundance of treasures was likely linked to its extraordinary elevation and location.
As Su Wen gazed at the pillars from afar, even a cursory observation revealed their abnormality. They were conduits for endless "Providence." The pillars gathered the natural energy from all directions and funneled it upward to the island.
"The arrangement of the pillars is a massive formation in itself, and each pillar is linked to the geography of its respective direction for thousands of miles. These sixteen pillars effectively harvest the natural energy of the entire Zhongtian Empire to sustain a single island," Su Wen marveled at the sheer scale of the undertaking.
(End of Chapter)