"A Zhuge Crossbow?!"
Looking at the item on the stage, Xu Tianyang thought of Tang San and Xiao Wu behind him.
He wondered how much of a market Tang San's hidden weapons still had with the impact of spirit tools, and what price this Zhuge Crossbow could fetch.
It wouldn't completely lack a market, as it could arm ordinary people, and ordinary people were still the majority in this world. In the low-end market, it still had some competitiveness.
Ultimately, as he expected, the Zhuge Crossbow only sold for two thousand gold Soul Coins, bought by an unknown white-robed VIP.
Nothing else that interested the two appeared after that, so Xu Tianyang, somewhat unenthusiastically, led Snow Empress out of the Heaven Dou Auction House.
As they passed Tang San and Xiao Wu, he gave them a meaningful smile in response to their astonished gazes.
He noticed that as he and Snow Empress passed, Xiao Wu's body trembled violently, and her eyes were filled with fear.
"Xiao Wu, what's wrong?" Noticing Xiao Wu's abnormality, Tang San looked at her with concern.
"Brother, I'm fine..."
..."It seems you scared her." Having left the Heaven Dou Auction House, Xu Tianyang said with a smile, looking at Snow Empress beside him.
"Rabbits are naturally timid," Snow Empress said coldly.
"But I don't think she's timid at all; she's been staying right under the nose of a Titled Douluo," Xu Tianyang chuckled, saying meaningfully.
"That's because she's foolish!" Snow Empress replied with a look of disdain. The spiritual realms of the two of them were terrifyingly strong; after entering Heaven Dou City, they had already sensed the powerful Spirit Masters within the city.
Among them, there were as many as four who had reached the Titled Douluo level.
Three of them were gathered together in the center of Heaven Dou City, at a well-known place called Moon Pavilion.
The identities of these three were not hard to guess: they were the remnants of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Hao, Tang Xiao, and Tang Lie.
Just then, several familiar figures approached. The ones at the forefront were Ning Fengzhi, Bone Douluo, and Xue Qinghe.
Xu Tianyang's appearance was no longer a secret. He hadn't deliberately hidden his whereabouts when he came to Heaven Dou City this time, so he was naturally detected by the Heaven Dou high-ups immediately.
It was reasonable for them to find him now.
He was the Crown Prince of the continent's strongest nation, the future monarch of the Sun Moon Empire. If such a person suddenly appeared in your capital, wouldn't you be nervous?
"Hahaha, I wondered why magpies were chirping on the branches today; it turns out Crown Prince has graced my Heaven Dou City with his presence." The impostor Xue Qinghe, whom Spirit Hall had found to replace Qian Renxue, still had some skill; at least on the surface, there was no discernible difference between him and the real one.
"I was merely taking a stroll; I didn't expect to disturb School Master Ning and everyone," Xu Tianyang said with a gentle smile, looking at the group.
"..." Ning Fengzhi and the others inwardly scoffed. Just taking a stroll?
They wouldn't believe that. As the Crown Prince of a nation, he had actually brought a stunning beauty deep into another country's territory. Was he afraid he wouldn't get into trouble?
"That means Crown Prince has a fated connection with my Heaven Dou. Seven years have passed since our last parting. Today, it's a rare opportunity for Qinghe to fulfill his duties as host."
Xue Qinghe was referring to Xu Tianyang's first visit to Heaven Dou City. Indeed, that was the first time he had met the people of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Xu Tianyang did not refuse Xue Qinghe's invitation, and the two slowly departed, surrounded by the crowd.
"Who are they? They can actually make the Heaven Dou Crown Prince and School Master Ning treat them with such deference."
After Xu Tianyang left, Tang San and Xiao Wu happened to walk out of the Heaven Dou Auction House. Seeing this scene, a trace of doubt arose in their hearts.
"Brother, let's hurry and go." Xiao Wu looked at Snow Empress's retreating figure from afar, still feeling an unavoidable fear in her heart. She didn't know who the other person was, but she knew that it was an existence she couldn't even imagine, far surpassing even Da Ming and Er Ming.
"Then let's go back. Later, we can ask Ning Rongrong to see if she knows the identities of those two people."
...Upon returning to the academy, after settling Xiao Wu, Tang San went to Yu Xiaogang's room and recounted the day's events.
"Little San, you're saying they were taken away by Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe, and their attitude seemed very respectful?" A strange glint flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, deep in thought.
"On the Douluo Continent, those with an identity that would make School Master Ning and the Heaven Dou Crown Prince treat them with such solemnity are either individuals with extremely strong personal power, or those whose identity and status are pivotal across the entire continent."
"And according to Little San's description, they don't seem like individuals with high cultivation. It seems they can only be the latter." Flender stroked his chin, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes behind his spectacles.
"On the Douluo Continent, the only ones who would require such solemn treatment from both the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Heaven Dou Empire are Spirit Hall and... the Sun Moon Empire."
After these two names were spoken, both Yu Xiaogang and Tang San's expressions darkened.
The former's love-hate entanglement with Spirit Hall goes without saying. The latter was also the reason why the sales of his hidden weapons were far below his expectations due to spirit tools.
The resources on the continent were all controlled by Spirit Masters, and when comparing hidden weapons, Spirit Masters would definitely lean towards spirit tools, unless he produced the most top-tier hidden weapons to compete with spirit tools.
However, those few top-tier hidden weapons could not be mass-produced, and without mass production, they could not compete with spirit tools.
The more he understood the profoundness of spirit tools, the more Tang San felt that the Tang Sect's hidden weapons would only lead to a dead end in the future.
"We know very little about the important figures of Spirit Hall and the Sun Moon Empire. We'll have to ask Rongrong about this." Flender thought for a long time but couldn't come up with anyone, so he rubbed his temples and said helplessly.
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Tianyang, who has arrived." After Ning Rongrong was called over, she initially looked displeased, but after hearing Tang San's words, she immediately replied with excitement.
"Xu Tianyang!"
"The Sun Moon Crown Prince!"
"The legendary number one genius of the continent!"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately felt a wave of pressure wash over them. This was a person whose talent and power stood at the peak of the continent, as if they belonged to two different worlds.
"Rongrong, where are you going?"
At this moment, Liu Erlong saw Ning Rongrong anxiously running outside and couldn't help but call out.
"I miss my father. He hasn't come to see me since I arrived in Heaven Dou City. I'm going to find him and settle accounts."
Ning Rongrong's words came from afar, and everyone exchanged glances upon hearing them.
You'd better actually be going to see your father.
"Xiao Gang, Little San, don't overthink it. Xu Tianyang and we are not from the same world. We just need to do our best. Let's prepare well for this year's Soul Master Competition; there's still a year left."
Flender adjusted his spectacles, looking at Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, who were deep in thought, and said.