Quest Maker of Soul Land

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Inside the Tang Siblings' courtyard, everyone sat down around the table within the living room as Tang Yuehua served tea.

"This is not necessary, thank you. I don't plan on removing my mask," Ja Sun declined politely while Tang Hao drank in big gulps.

Dai Mu sat next to Tang Hao, 'unintentionally' brushing the back of her hand against Tang Hao's as Ja Sun observed before a thought emerged in his heart. Previously, he had unconsciously entered into a passive state because of the status of those around him but Tang Hao's bet allowed him to realize if he really wanted to create the best missions and reap the greatest reward from the trip, he still needed to take initiative and lay a foundation.

With a small hum, Ja Sun looked at Dai Mu and inquired calmly, "Princess Dai, can you not display such a method of affection? I don't want Tang Hao to feel distracted during the bet."

As if caught committing a crime, Dai Mu yelped and pulled some distance between herself and Tang Hao. For a moment, a satisfactory look passed through Tang Yuehua's eyes and Ja Sun caught the look, too. While Dai Mu glared, Ja Sun looked at Tang Hao.

"Since you proposed the bet, lay the terms."

"Simple. We both will refine a kilogram of gold into a Diamond Essence Gold. The better material wins the bet. What are you going to bet aside from the experience of Man-Weapon Body Forging?"

Ja Sun closed his eyes for a moment, recalling every bit of treasure he has that can entice Tang Hao.

But then, his expression turned peaceful.

He did have the greatest treasure of all.

Liquid cash.

Taking out the fist-sized rock covered with specks of Deep Silver Tungsten, Ja Sun added with a soft voice, "Besides these two, I will bet 60,000 gold coins."

This was his entire liquid wealth. Much of it was annexed from Bibi Dong.

"60,000?" Tang Hao gulped. Unlike the Imperial clans and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, other sects and clans have a strict organization of coins. No youngster would be given so much wealth at once. Instead, earning a Spirit Bone is easier in the sect than coins. But with coins came the independence to spend it.

"Uh... alright. You said you're interested in many things even if they are not a metal, right? Does this count?"

Tang Hao controlled his spirit energy to make a piece of black object float midair. The black object gave a metallic sheen with three rings of purple glow barely flickering from its surface.

"I don't know what this is but it poisoned many of our men back in the sect. I just kept it for memories."

"Memories of your members getting sick?" Ja Sun confirmed and Tang Hao chuckled brightly.

"That's a pitiful stump of Purple Cloud Wood. Usually grown in the highest of peaks and lying wait for someone to step on it. Though poisonous, it only has three rings while its greatest variant will have nine rings indicating its high toxicity. This isn't worth 60,000 at all."

Ja Sun calmly spoke up.

'Because it is worth 80,000!' Ja Sun screamed internally.

"Translate it in terms of metal for me," Tang Hao demanded, and thinking for a moment, Ja Sun nodded, "3 kilograms worth of Blue Coppertite. Around 23,000 gold coins," Ja Sun played it cool, not cutting off too much. Just around 60,000 coins of cut were enough for his shallow greed.

"This and the plate crystal gold should cover for the coins."

Tang Hao mumbled as Ja Sun nodded.

"If you want, I can take away the small chunk of Deep Silver Tungsten. You can just find a good bet for my experience. I will be describing everything."

Tang Yuehua glanced at her brother and found his troubled expression a little more severe than usual.

'Could it be that brother really has nothing to offer?' She thought for a moment before sighing, "Will this work?"

Her interjection made Tang Hao blink while Yuehua flipped her palm and held a small crystal tube in her hand. Within the crystal vial was a dark green mist that roiled within. The crystal tube was slightly smaller in size than a pinky finger and the content within attracted Ja Sun's attention.

"What is it?" He inquired. He wasn't aware of this particular item.

"Nightmare poison from an 8000-year-old Nightmare."

"No," Ja Sun rejected instantly. This wasn't just a poison but powerful narcotics that even he couldn't control. He used poison to make his blood resistant enough, not to get high.

Tang Yuehua sighed. She really felt that this item would attract him and she couldn't help but question, "Why, Brother?"

"It's useless to me."

Ja Sun looked at Tang Hao.

"This should cover your experience and the ore," Tang Hao gritted his teeth and revealed a piece of crystal spectacle.

"This is an essence tool that can help find even the tiniest detail on the piece of metal while forging."

Ja Sun glanced at the item and shook his head.

"I'm afraid it is useless to me. My eyes can do the same."

Tang Hao's lips quivered.

"Then what do you want?!" Dai Mu scowled, revealing a cold expression that suddenly made her temperament change. Glancing at her, Ja Sun whispered, "Princess, would you also like to make a bet? If not, then I would have to be the rude one and ask you to stay silent."

Before she could explode with anger, Tang Hao's pressure exploded out momentarily, suppressing everyone for a moment before he calmed his breathing.

"Then do you have anything in mind?" Tang Hao glanced at Ja Sun.

"Yes. According to our collected information, it is determined that you are the successor of your father, correct?" Ja Sun's inquiry raised a barrier of caution in Tang Hao's heart.

"What of it?"

"If you lose the bet. Aside from the incomplete stump of Purple Cloud Wood and the Plate Crystal Gold, I want you to accommodate our team for practice. Every clan holds an extreme environment. I can promise on the behalf of my team that we will not hunt a single spirit beast indigenous to the area and only will train by the terrain. We won't enter the territory of your clan and will also adhere to your customs regarding this matter."

"No, I apologize, but it is impossible," Tang Yuehua replied and cut Ja Sun off as he gave a nod and spoke with a tone of understanding.

"Then, thank you for entertaining me till now."

Ja Sun stood up when a cold shout echoed from Dai Mu's lips.

"Stay! Do you think Brother Hao has nothing else to bet? How about this?"

With a snort, the young woman pulled out a short dark green dagger and a baleful aura spread out instantly.

"Dagger made from the bite of a 20,000-year-old Jinx Serpent. It's completely poisonous inside out. This should fulfill your need for poison, right?"

Ja Sun nodded before he gazed at Dai Mu with a cold light, "If this item is specifically prepared for the Princess by his highness or the Crown Prince, I won't be able to take this bet."

"Huh?" A stupid expression touched her face as Ja Sun continued with a delighted heart, "For a bet, I'm not going to rob a princess off of her gifts prepared by her father and brother. All the items I have placed on the bet and the demands I have raised are based on my capacity. Similarly, Brother Tang did the same without going overboard or implicating his Clan. Princess, who gave you this weapon?"

Under the trio's gaze, Dai Mu lowered her head, "My mother..."

"If you can add something more to balance it out, I will also bet this."

Tang Hao sighed once he realized his urge to know more. Another chunk of metal appeared in his hands and Ja Sun's eyes twitched the moment he felt the entire courtyard turning warm. A crimson red metallic uneven surface with ridges appearing all over it. Even though it was a metal through and through, the soft golden light within the center of it gave a faint luster.

"That's a—"

"Fire Heart Iron," Ja Sun nodded. He was well aware of this beauty.

"If you know it, what will you add?" Tang Hao inquired with a grin.

Fire Heart Iron is filled with yang essence. Hard to refine due to its innate resistance to external heat but for Ja Sun and any other blacksmith, the item was certainly valuable enough to cover for everything because this chunk of Fire Heart Iron was extremely pure already. Its final product will undoubtedly be very promising.

"Let's see," Ja Sun hummed, sitting back once again and his eyes revealing a strange expression. He wasn't afraid of losing out to anyone in refining a metal, not after his recent rewards so without scruples, he stated lightly, "The information on the location of another living essence metal."

Tang Hao gaped momentarily but Tang Yuehua was more level-headed than her brother.

"How can we know it's the truth? And if it is the truth, why haven't you taken it for yourself."

Ja Sun was momentarily surprised. Her question may seem smart but it revealed her inexperience. Frowning, he gazed at Tang Hao instead, "I was under the impression that Sister Tang is a highly accomplished Spirit Master capable of hiding her spirit energy... am I wrong?"

Tang Hao gave a wry smile while Yuehua frowned.

"Yuehua, don't mind his words... but why else would he have information and not take it for himself? He isn't capable, most likely. The conditions may not suit him, too. And fused with one living essence, it is hard to fuse with another. After all, the quality of the body changes permanently."

"But..." Yuehua seemed a little unreconciled.

"It's simple if I'm telling the truth or not. If I lose, I will bring all of you to that particular location privately. You may bring as many members as you like and I will be alone. If it turns out to be a lie, you may kill me."

"Do we need your permission? If you're lying, of course, we will kill you."

Ja Sun's eyes turned sharp. While making a bet with Tang Hao, he was also laying a foundation for future collision by making Dai Mu excited.

Chuckling deeply as a cold aura swept around everyone, only Dai Mu's expression paled while Tang Hao and Tang Yuehua only felt momentarily cold. But it was within this coldness that even Tang Hao's expression changed.

"Princess... I have been sufficiently respectful. Losing the bet will only give Tang Hao the chance to end my life, not a pampered Imperial Princess."

"Well, let's start," Tang Hao barked as a white light, similar to Bibi Dong, swept put momentarily and controlled the situation. Ja Sun's eyelids twitched and he nodded.

"Y-you!" Dai Mu screamed when the surroundings turned warm and everyone felt calmness rise in their hearts.

"Please, everyone, calm down," Tang Yuehua whispered and a golden radiance shimmered in her light brown eyes. A palm-sized black-feathered swallow with a pair of beady golden eyes appeared around Tang Yuehua and everyone felt their excitement turning calm.

Ja Sun's eyelids twitched again.

If the fact that Tang Hao had the same domain as Bibi Dong astonished Ja Sun then the fact that Tang Yuehua had an enlightened martial soul with an innate domain was even more surprising.

Dai Mu glanced at Ja Sun fearfully. All her noble and pampered charm was reduced to a mess and Ja Sun already understood that he will be able to gain way more now than a simple bet with Tang Hao.

"Thank you," Ja Sun glanced at Tang Yuehua before stating softly, "And don't mind my earlier comment. Your potential seems higher than the Clear Sky Twin Stars."

Aggravating, Complimenting, Joking, everything in this palace came out of Ja Sun's mouth for a purpose. Whether he could achieve his goals or not, only time will tell.

"What did you say? Do you know something about this variant martial soul?!" Tang Hao grew pleasantly surprised while Yuehua removed her domain, too.

"I'm from Spirit Hall... it has the most extensive records of Martial Souls. It would be weird that I would know nothing about certain variants."

"Will you—"

"No. Complete this bet, first."

Ja Sun chuckled but while the Tang Siblings grew excited, Dai Mu stood up, "Brother Hao, I'm not feeling well anymore. I'm going to my residence," Dai Mu stated anxiously and left before anybody could stop her. While she left, Dai Mu felt a cold stare on her back and her speed increased.

Why Ja Sun would screw with the Imperial Princess? To create as much chaos as he can and thrive. Palace symbolizes political power and if Ja Sun doesn't take initiative to thrive within this mess, he would regret it for the next entire week.

"Sister Mu..."

Tang Hao grew wry. It really had nothing to do with him so he didn't care in the end and looked at Ja Sun, "Do you want to forge first?"

"No," Ja Sun shook his head, "I want to see the clear sky hammer in forging. I've only heard of its reputation."

Soon, Tang Yuehua found herself being impatient. She wanted to know more about her situation. If she could cultivate or not. But once Tang Hao brought his forging table and furnace from his storage tool and set it in the courtyard's garden, Tang Yuehua had to keep herself calm for Ja Sun didn't glance in her direction at all and seemed utterly focused on Tang Hao's action as he prepared to start forging after heating up a slab of gold almost as heavy as a single kilogram.

Once he placed the entirely red and almost melting metal on the forging table, he smiled at Ja Sun.

"Ka-ul, since we're here for the bet, I will use my greatest capabilities. Before I begin, let me explain that this Smithing technique is also our clan's battle technique called Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer."

"I don't care," Ja Sun shook his head, "Just start."

Nodding, Tang Hao suddenly exhaled and his aura converged while a tremendous spirit energy leaked out of his body. From his right hand, thin currents of electricity crackled, and a pitch-black hammer with a meter-long handle and the hammerhead as large as a small bucket suddenly struck the ground. A small cloud of dust rose up and the grass around Tang Hao was uprooted. Though the pressure wasn't directed at Ja Sun and Tang Yuehua, both of them felt slightly stifled the moment they saw the glimmering black hammer. On the surface of the hammerhead, Ja Sun observed thin white-colored veins that gave a feeling of absolute coldness.

Tang Yuehua's brows were already layered with cold sweat when she felt her pressure being lifted. Unknowingly, she found Ja Sun standing a little closer to her while shimmering spirit energy from his hands supported her being. Sighing in relief, she gave Ja Sun a grateful nod but once again found his gaze pair of green-gold eyes completely focused on Tang Hao as if helping her was a matter to reduce distraction on Tang Hao's side.

A feeling of helplessness filled her heart but she gazed at her brother the moment he grasped the long handle of the hammer and raised it high with a serious expression. Without losing his focus, Tang Hao's body lit up. Halos like spirit rings rose from his body, traveling up one by one before settling around each other in a wide, multi-colored concentric circle slowly rotating with Tang Hao as the center.

Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, and Black.

Seven spirit rings gave a faint sense of majesty and the seventh most outward spirit ring gave a glimmer.

"Brother is..." Tang Yuehua was struck speechless. Wasn't he afraid of going all out and destroying the poor slab of gold?

However, Ja Sun's fascinated gaze continued to trail the seventh ring.

This would be the first time he gets to see the amazing Tool Spirit Avatar and of the strongest tool spirit— Clear Sky Hammer, no less!

"Hoooo--"

Tang Hao's breathing struck his surroundings like a rumble. His body and his Clear Sky Hammer gave a resplendent golden glow. Golden veins grew on the surface of the hammer and Tang Hao's entire body glowed the same. As if both the hammer and the man were one at this moment. Behind Tang Hao appeared a phantom of a five-meters tall golden giant holding a golden hammer in his hand and the outline of the giant looked eerily similar to Tang Hao.

Tang Yuehua's and Ja Sun's breathing was slightly rough but not because of the pressure. At this moment, all the pressure converged within the giant's shadow behind Tang Hao.

Ja Sun felt multiple gazes from the shadows landing in the courtyard but they disappeared instantly as Tang Hao gave a roar, "Don't disturb me!"

His voice shook his surroundings and he instantly struck.

Hammer smashed into the forging table but instead of destroying it into ashes, his attack merely made the slab of gold bounce a little from the forge.

*Tink*

A sonorous sound spread out.

Sucking in a breath of cold air, Ja Sun realized that even Tang Hao seemed to have the so-called Realm of Self whether he was aware or not. After all, these realms came with experience. A genius would always keep his or her spirit energy in control so for a Spirit Sage as Tang Hao, it wasn't a surprise that he had his own realm of Self. If it wasn't for Ja Sun, then even Bibi Dong would only be taught and directed about this once she reached the level of Spirit Sage.

Meanwhile, before the slab of gold touched the forging table, the hammer came down with even more force but the result was a controlled dispersion of shock and force as the internal structure of the gold was purified once again while a few chips of gold flew out, embedding into the ground.

"Step back," Ja Sun stated calmly. Standing this close was dangerous, he realized now and he brought Tang Yuehua a little further away and Tang Hao began smashing the forging table like a madman. His body was rooted with his calves bulging as an excited grin was plastered on his face.

"Brother Ka-ul," Tang Yuehua spoke up but a wave from his hand shut her up. Whatever she had to say, Ja Sun wasn't interested. His gaze observed Tang Hao completely and learned every single movement of his.

Since he had stepped into the profession of refining, Ja Sun was more than willing to compete with the best and Tang Hao represented that realm in their generation, it was clear from just one look. Even Lou Gao wouldn't dare wave his hammer as such with unbridled confidence. It wasn't only because of his old age but he had also met with many failures that made him cautious.

Tang Hao had failed multiple times, too, but his manner never changed. In society, being unbridled can often lead to disasters but in a profession as direct as Smithing, it can also lead to miracles.

*Ting*

*Ting*

*Ting*

Sound after sound echoed. A golden, almost white, brilliance touched the center of the slab of gold as its surface was shed by each strike of the hammer.

The shock of each strike increased more and more while the stable seven rings around Tang Hao pulsed in accordance with his heartbeat.

After 63 strikes, the pressure was almost solid.

After 72 strikes, Ja Sun and Tang Yuehua were almost at the exit of the courtyard and while Tang Yuehua saw nothing because of the clouds of dust and grass raised by each strike, Ja Sun was fully aware of what was going on.

After the 81st strike, Tang Hao issued a long roar. The phantom behind him changed momentarily and from within rose the image of a pitch-black dragon as all the solidified pressure was instantly sucked into the pitch-black hammer giving the golden light and—

*Bang*

This strike destroyed the forging table completely but Tang Hao had finally came out of his tool spirit avatar and his rings dispersed alongside his hammer.

A wave of exhaustion hit him but as Tang Hao looked at his surroundings, a sheepish expression touched his face.

"Ah, Yuehua—"

"I'm fine," Tang Yuehua heard the surprise in his voice and sighed deeply.

"Thank you, Brother Ka-ul. If possible, I apologize on Sister Mu's behalf."

"No need," Ja Sun walked forward in large strides and looked towards the source of light.

"Here it is," Tang Hao waved his hand and the small sphere of glowing metal flew up from the small crater.

Giving the crystalline purity of a diamond with golden veins all around its surface, Ja Sun gazed at the refined piece of Diamond Essence Gold.

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