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*****
How many attributes did Su Wen actually master?
Shangguan Tianyue was intensely concerned with this question because he harbored a secret ambition: he wanted to attempt expanding his own attributes post-awakening.
Setting aside the rare Saint-tier attributes, even the two relatively common Higher-tier attributes—Light and Darkness—would suffice. Shangguan Tianyue felt that if he could add even one of them to his repertoire, he would have a genuine chance of breaking through to the Heavenly Emperor stage.
This was a pivot point for a breakthrough. After all, expanding one's innate talent was a qualitative leap. For a Heavenly Jewel Master who had already reached their physical and energetic limits, such an improvement was no less than a divine opportunity.
And it wasn't just him. Even his elder brother, Shangguan Tianyang, would surely be moved if he could acquire a new attribute. While jumping from the Heavenly Emperor stage to the Heavenly God stage likely required more than a simple attribute expansion—perhaps needing both Light and Darkness to be developed simultaneously for stability—it was a start.
All of this was speculation, of course, built on the assumption that Su Wen actually possessed these other attributes.
"Other attributes?" Su Wen looked at Shangguan Tianyue with a faint smile and asked, "Does the Second Palace Master intend to initiate further negotiations?"
Su Wen didn't answer directly, but the way he framed the question sent a jolt of excitement through Shangguan Tianyue's heart.
He has them! He actually has them!
Hope for a breakthrough flared. Shangguan Tianyue had reached a plateau in his mastery over Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind; further progress was agonizingly slow. At this stage, adding a Higher-tier attribute would be transformative. Even ignoring the potential for breakthrough, simply possessing eleven Higher-tier skill slots would exponentially increase his combat capabilities.
Furthermore, once his Heavenly Energy incorporated the elemental characteristics of a Higher-tier attribute, its potency would skyrocket. He truly had a chance to reach the Heavenly Emperor stage rapidly!
Shangguan Tianyue quickly reined in his excitement. After calming his breathing, he asked respectfully, "Senior Su, might I ask which specific attributes you have mastered?"
"I have some experience with both the Light and Darkness attributes, though perhaps my understanding isn't as 'profound' as it could be," Su Wen said after a moment of feigned "deliberation."
Shangguan Tianyue was overjoyed. Two Higher-tier attributes! And they were the perfectly balanced, opposing pair of Light and Darkness.
"Of course, relatively speaking, the Higher-tier attribute I am most proficient in is Space," Su Wen added casually.
What? Space attribute as well?
Shangguan Tianyue was beyond ecstatic. "Surprise" was no longer a strong enough word for his current state of mind. Hearing about the three great Higher-tier attributes, he smartened up and waited for Su Wen to mention the Life attribute.
Alas, a long silence followed.
Ah, what a pity, Shangguan Tianyue sighed inwardly. Although Life was "only" a Higher-tier attribute and technically below the three Saint attributes, its rarity was easily on par with Space. The existence of revival skills was something every power on the mainland lusted after. Mastering Life would have been a dream.
While Shangguan Tianyue felt regret, Tang Xian's brow furrowed. She knew Su Wen possessed a staggering array of attributes—nearly all of them. He even mastered two Saint attributes. Did he really lack the Life attribute?
He can abolish his own cultivation and undergo a complete re-cultivation; it's impossible for him to lack Life, Tang Xian guessed. Su Wen was likely just keeping a trump card hidden. It was one thing to create Heavenly Emperors with multiple elements, but he probably didn't want to create another "freak" like himself.
Moreover, she suspected that just for the assistance in expanding Light and Darkness, Su Wen was going to make Shangguan Tianyue pay a "blood price." After all, on the surface of the entire mainland, only the Six-Ultimate Emperor Long Shiya was known to master six elements, and his strength was legendary.
"Senior, this junior would like to trade for some book pages regarding the Light and Darkness attributes. I wonder... what other requirements do you have?" Shangguan Tianyue completely surrendered the initiative.
At this moment, the roles had flipped: he was the one pleading with Su Wen. Having already concluded one trade, the "initiative" wasn't as critical as the result. Shangguan Tianyue believed that since Su Wen had confirmed his mastery of Light and Darkness, he definitely had something he wanted from the Palace.
Having needs was a good thing. Shangguan Tianyue felt he had already gained enough from the first deal that even if Su Wen "opened his mouth like a lion" and this second trade failed, he wouldn't be losing anything. There would be plenty of chances to test Su Wen's boundaries later.
"The Consolidating Equipment Masters of the Hallowed Vast Palace are said to be the finest under heaven," Su Wen remarked.
The moment he spoke, Shangguan Tianyue's gaze sharpened. This was not something he could take lightly. Cultivation techniques were a matter of heritage, yes, but they were accumulated assets rather than the "fundamental root" of the Palace.
For the Hallowed Vast Palace, their true foundation was their Consolidating Equipment Set technology.
The Masters recruited by the Palace were the elite of the continent. God-tier Consolidating Equipment Masters were few and far between—only a handful existed in the entire world. Aside from the five Great Holy Lands, other organizations had zero access to this level of expertise. Even among the other four Holy Lands, most only had one Master who barely qualified, relying on trial and error and massive resource waste to produce the scrolls for their heritage sets.
The Hallowed Vast Palace, however, had several.
Furthermore, they possessed Divine-tier Masters capable of independently developing new sets. While they might not be able to spontaneously invent an eleven-piece set, they could logically deduce and craft ten-piece Legendary-tier sets. As for nine-piece sets, they had developed numerous variations, often custom-tailoring them for the Palace's top powerhouses.
It was no exaggeration to say the Palace stood on the shoulders of its Consolidating Equipment Masters. Both the experts themselves and the institutional knowledge for training them were the Palace's most guarded secrets.
And now, Su Wen was asking for information related to them.
"Senior, techniques related to Consolidating Equipment involve the very foundation of my Hallowed Vast Palace. I hope Senior will not make things difficult for this junior," Shangguan Tianyue said solemnly.
Regardless of whether he had the authority to decide, Shangguan Tianyue would never agree to trade their core technical secrets for the possibility of expanding Light and Darkness. He would rather remain a four-element user for the rest of his life!
"The Second Palace Master misunderstands," Su Wen said, shaking his head. "I am not asking to trade these Light and Darkness pages for your Consolidating Equipment data."
Shangguan Tianyue felt a wave of relief wash over him. That's better. Even if he had refused outright, the temptation of Light and Darkness would have haunted him. He truly feared that if Su Wen kept dangling it in front of him, he might one day lose his resolve.
Tang Xian also breathed a sigh of relief. While she enjoyed seeing her husband get "extorted," she couldn't disregard the interests of the Palace.
Sensing their shift in attitude, Su Wen adjusted his wording and began to describe his true requirement.
"I simply wish to have a series of discussions with the Divine-tier Consolidating Equipment Masters of the Hallowed Vast Palace."
He paused, then added a final clarification: "Discussions specifically regarding the development of my own Consolidating Equipment Set."
(End of Chapter)