The Glory of the Sun and Moon in the Peerless Tang Sect

While traveling to Moon Pivot Island on a merchant ship from the Star Luo Empire, Xu Zihuang gained a general understanding of the island through a map.

There are seven cities on Moon Pivot Island, but apart from the main city Moon Pivot City, the other six cities are much smaller. Their permanent population is only around 100,000.

The distant sky was cloudless, and sunlight poured down directly, illuminating the coastal city of Moon Pivot, which stood like a paradise on earth. The towering, massive city walls were completely exposed, giving it an aura of grandeur.

The port on the north side of Moon Pivot Island leads directly to the city gate of Moon Pivot City. The road is bustling with traffic and full of vitality.

Xu Zihuang stretched out his right hand to shield his eyes from the scorching sun. Having grown up in Mingdu, the northern capital of the Sun Moon Empire, he was somewhat unaccustomed to the climate of this southern country.

But it wouldn't be accurate to say it had any significant impact on him.

With his current physical condition, he was completely immune to heat and cold. He quickly adapted to the glaring sunlight with few clouds blocking it and walked steadily toward the gate of Moon Pivot City.

Amidst the commotion of the crowd around him, he could even hear accents from the Star Luo Empire, and even the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Fighting Spirit Empire.

Moreover, the number is not small.

Stopping casually at a shop selling local fruits from Moon Pivot Island, Xu Zihuang ordered a chilled juice and casually asked the busy middle-aged shop owner, "Uncle, isn't Moon Pivot Island part of the Sun Moon Empire? Why do I hear so many accents from the three great empires of the Douluo Continent?"

The middle-aged shopkeeper, observing Xu Zihuang's air of nobility and the five men, including Meng Lang, standing respectfully behind him, knew that Xu Zihuang was no ordinary person. He replied respectfully, "This young master is probably not a native of Moon Pivot Island, is he?"

"More than four thousand years ago, wars frequently broke out between the Sun Moon Empire and the three great empires that originally belonged to the Douluo Continent. Many people fled here at that time, including many from the Star Luo, Heavenly Soul, and Dou Ling Empires. Although the Moon South Islands are not large, they have never been affected by war. More than four thousand years have passed, and intermarriage between them has led to the current situation."

As he spoke, his hands moved swiftly. He peeled open the hard outer skin of a grayish-brown fruit, inserted a bright green bamboo stick about the length of a finger, and handed it to Xu Zihuang with both hands, grinning.

"Thank you, five copper soul coins."

Without Xu Zihuang's instruction, Meng Lang, who was behind him, had already taken out a glittering silver soul coin from his soul tool and placed it on the table. He then continued to follow behind Xu Zihuang.

Xu Zihuang sucked on the fragrant, cool juice, his interest undiminished.

With Moon Pivot Island as his starting point, he wouldn't mind wasting some time to thoroughly understand the situation there.

The northern port was only a few kilometers away from Moon Pivot City. Soon, Xu Zihuang led the group into the city after paying an entrance fee of one silver soul coin.

The wide and clean main road could easily accommodate more than ten carriages passing side by side, and tall buildings rose from the ground. The overall color scheme was white and gold, which was very different from the cities in the Sun and Moon Empire's homeland.

As the middle-aged shopkeeper had said, after more than four thousand years of intermarriage, the people living in Moon Pivot City were no longer simply of the Sun and Moon Empire race. Skin color was the most obvious characteristic. While the people of the Sun and Moon Empire generally had darker skin, there were quite a few people in Moon Pivot City with fair skin like Xu Zihuang.

Moreover, their clothing was quite daring. Every now and then, a few smiling young girls would pass by, exposing large expanses of fair skin, and one could clearly feel the wafting fragrance in the air.

Although Xu Zihuang was dressed casually in a tight-fitting black outfit, her exquisitely flawless features and striking deep purple eyes still drew attention. Coupled with the composed and confident Meng Lang and his group of five following behind, they caused quite a stir before they had gone far.

Most people gave him a friendly smile.

Regardless of who Xu Zihuang is, it's best to be on good terms with him, but if that's not possible, it's best not to offend him or incur his displeasure. After all, they'll just laugh it off, so they won't lose anything.

Xu Zihuang looked helpless, losing all interest in continuing his stroll. He had underestimated his own good looks.

As he passed a shop by the roadside, his pupils suddenly contracted sharply. He stopped and looked through the transparent glass window beside him. There was a tray wrapped in red cloth. As a spirit-attribute soul master, he keenly sensed an indescribable sharpness.

Noticing Xu Zihuang's unusual behavior, Meng Lang quickly asked, "What's wrong, young master?"

"Let's go into this shop and take a look." After saying this, Xu Zihuang pushed open the door and entered.

Sitting in front of the shop counter was a slightly overweight middle-aged man with squinting small eyes and exceptionally thick eyebrows, making him quite distinctive in appearance.

The moment Xu Zihuang entered, his eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together lightly.

"Young master, what would you like to buy? Our shop has all kinds of rare metals, as well as many exquisite soul tools..."

Xu Zihuang looked him over with a smile, without saying a word. The middle-aged, plump boss, who had been talking non-stop, began to look somewhat uneasy.

"This young master..."

"Let me see what's on that tray." Xu Zihuang made no attempt to hide his intentions.

The fat boss followed Xu Zihuang's gaze, his eyebrows twitching slightly. After a moment of contemplation, a fawning smile returned to his face.

"This young master has excellent taste; he recognized our store's prized possession at a glance."

Holding the tray in both hands, the fat boss returned to Xu Zihuang and ripped off the red cloth covering it.

There was no dazzling brilliance or extraordinary splendor. What appeared was simply an ordinary-looking object. The item on the tray was small, about half a foot long and only as thick as a finger. From bottom to top, it narrowed, culminating in a sharp, pointed tip. Below that was a blade about half an inch wide. The entire object was rustic and dark, with faint patterns engraved on it, exuding a simple, ancient aura. Yet, it also possessed a somber quality.

This item was familiar to both Xu Zihuang and Meng Lang and the others behind him.

An engraving knife. This is the knife a Soul Master uses to inscribe core magic arrays. Both ends of the knife have a purpose, and its purpose differs depending on the magic array being inscribed. Every Soul Master needs an engraving knife; it's an essential tool for crafting Soul Tools.

Chapter 29 The Gold of Life

Observing the facial expressions of Xu Zihuang and the others, the fat boss also felt a little uneasy. But when it came to profits, he could still bear to take some risks.

"A carving knife is an essential tool for all Soul Masters. A good carving knife is the most important tool for becoming a high-level Soul Master. This young master should have heard of the 'ranked carving knives,' which means being able to make it onto the carving knife ranking list."

"On the carving knife ranking list in Douluo Continent, only the top one hundred carving knives are recorded. The one on the tray is one of those top one hundred, which is the carving knife I just mentioned. I acquired this carving knife by chance not long ago. I originally planned to send it to the Moon Pivot Auction House for auction later, but I didn't expect that you would take a fancy to it, young master."

"If you really want it, young master, just give me 200,000 gold soul coins. Consider it a gift to a friend."

Meng Lang and the others standing behind Xu Zihuang exchanged glances and simultaneously cast scrutinizing looks at the carving knife on the tray.

If it really is a list-engraving knife, then the price of 200,000 gold soul coins is definitely not expensive, and can even be said to be pitifully cheap.

"Two hundred thousand gold soul coins?" Xu Zihuang's lips curled into a mocking smile, but his next words made the middle-aged fat boss's heart skip a beat.

"Ranked ninety-ninth among the engraving knives is the Soul Devouring Engraving Knife. It appeared in the Sun Moon Empire three thousand years ago. Its creator was an exceptionally talented Soul Master. This Soul Master is said to have eventually become a Level Nine Soul Master. Moreover, this Level Nine Soul Master was also a Soul Master, and a terrifying evil Soul Master at that. As early as three thousand years ago, he brought a bloodbath to the continent."

Upon hearing this, Meng Lang and the others' gazes suddenly turned icy.

Its heart is awkward!

Xu Zihuang's smile remained unchanged as he shifted his gaze to the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife on the tray and continued, "The Soul-Devouring Carving Knife was made by that evil soul master in his later years. Shortly after crafting this knife, he encountered his greatest enemy. This genius, but also a ruthless villain, perished. At the time of his death, he did not keep the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife with him; instead, it ended up in the hands of ordinary people over time. As far as I know, all the subsequent owners of this deadly knife seem to have met tragic ends, with none of them dying a peaceful death."

"Am I wrong?"

When Xu Zihuang was young, he had seen illustrations and descriptions of the List of Carving Blades, and even handled quite a few himself. The deep purple dragon-patterned carving blade he used before was one of them, the Purple-Patterned Radiant Dragon that his father had used, ranking third among the List of Carving Blades. It had been passed down through generations in the royal family of the Sun Moon Empire, and only the possessor of the Purple-Patterned Heaven-Slaying Dragon Martial Soul could use it. Wang Xiao had deliberately taken this carving blade with him when he was hiding from Xu Tianran and his son. He had recently given it to Xu Zihuang.

The middle-aged, overweight boss was sweating profusely, unable to meet Xu Zihuang's gaze. At the same time, a burst of applause suddenly rang out behind Xu Zihuang.

"As expected, heroes emerge from among the young. This young man is not old, but he has a lot of knowledge."

A blond youth dressed in a magnificent white-gold robe walked over with a gentle, approachable air, his hands clasped in his palms. The gold-threaded star pattern on his chest shone brightly under the light of the glass chandelier on the ceiling.

"I am Xi Gu, a steward from the Starlight Auction House of the Star Luo Empire. We arrived at Moon Pivot Island on the same merchant ship. Do you recall me, young man?"

Xu Zihuang nodded slightly, but he wasn't buying Xi Gu's act. He calmly asked, "What advice does Steward Xi have?"

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance." Xi Gu narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of surprise flashing deep within them. However, he also had considerable interest in this Soul-Devouring Carving Blade, and naturally wouldn't give up so easily.

"Now that you've figured out the origin of this carving knife, young man, you probably won't be a sucker." He turned to the middle-aged, portly shopkeeper, confidently stating, "Ten thousand gold soul coins, I'll take it. What do you say?"

Before the middle-aged, portly boss could even speak, Xu Zihuang abruptly interrupted him.

"Sorry, but I really enjoy being the sucker."

"Young brother, could you do my Starlight Auction House a favor?" Xi Gu's expression changed. He glanced at the imposing Meng Lang and his group of five behind Xu Zihuang and forcibly suppressed his displeasure.

Xu Zihuang calmly withdrew his gaze, then casually put the Soul-Devouring Carving Knife into the storage ring on his left index finger.

"Why should we give face to your Star Luo Empire's auction house on our Sun Moon Empire's territory?"

Putting aside his own lack of goodwill towards the Star Luo Empire, the mere fact that he knew the value of the Soul-Devouring Carving Blade was enough to justify his actions.

This is a whole piece of living gold.

"you……"

Xi Gu calmed himself down, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. Suppressing his anger, he turned and left.

He could sense that at least four of Xu Zihuang's guards possessed soul power cultivation no less than his own. A rash attack would only result in him suffering losses. Moreover, the fact that Xu Zihuang could have such powerful individuals as guards spoke volumes about his status.

Simply put, he chickened out. After all, this isn't the Star Luo Empire. No matter how powerful their Starlight Auction House is, they can't possibly extend their reach into the Moon South Islands of the Sun Moon Empire.

"Young master..." The fat shopkeeper looked at Xu Zihuang pitifully, inwardly cursing himself for being blinded by greed.

Xu Zihuang didn't even glance at him. A flash of light appeared on his left index finger, and a smooth, warm crescent-shaped white jade token appeared in his hand.

"Go to the city lord's mansion later to ask for the money."

After saying that, Xu Zihuang turned around and led everyone away from the shop, leaving only the middle-aged, fat boss with a bitter expression.

Money? What a load of rubbish!

The city lord of Moon Pivot City is the ruler of their Moon Pivot Island, and his reputation is usually quite reliable. But he clearly intended to swindle Xu Zihuang before, so now he wouldn't dare to go to the city lord's mansion to ask for money even if he had ten times the courage.

Since they both possessed the city lord's token, it was obvious that Xu Zihuang's relationship with their city lord was extraordinary.

Meanwhile, Xu Zihuang continued walking towards the center of Moon Pivot City. Even with his composed nature, he felt a surge of excitement. He hadn't expected to encounter the Soul-Devouring Carving Blade, which appeared at the Star Luo Empire's Starlight Auction House in the original story, in Moon Pivot City.

The soul and curse of the evil soul master contained within the Soul Devouring Carving Blade would have no effect on him. It should be noted that his second martial soul, the Purple Radiance Thunder Prison Dragon, possesses both the ultimate lightning and destructive attributes, which naturally counter the methods of evil soul masters.

With this piece of Life Gold, perhaps he can begin to attempt the second awakening of his original martial soul.

It is said that the Body Sect possesses a secret method for the second awakening of the Body Martial Soul, but he is very clear about the opportunity for the second awakening of the Body Martial Soul. That is to fully unleash one's potential by facing life-and-death crises time and time again.

"Young Master, should I go and kill that fat man and Xigu?" A young man with short blue hair who had been silently following behind Xu Zihuang suddenly spoke up.

Xu Zihuang glanced at him sideways and earnestly advised, "Qingmu, young people shouldn't be too impetuous. You have too much killing intent; you need to change."

Upon hearing this, everyone wore strange expressions. Meng Lang, in particular, couldn't help but secretly complain.

Is it a little inappropriate for you, young master, to say that...?

Chapter 30 Moon Pivot Auction House

During Xu Zihuang and Qingmu's conversation, the group unknowingly entered the inner city of Yue Shu City, which is the most central and prosperous area of ​​Yue Shu City.

Various tall buildings stand side by side, but compared to the Ming capital where Xu Zihuang had lived for a long time, they lacked some of the cold, metallic feel. The various retro and intricate buildings give people a rather antique feeling.

Especially the huge clock tower not far away, which is nearly 100 meters tall, judging from the marks left on its surface, is at least several hundred years old.

The bell tolled, startling a flock of white doves atop the clock tower.

Xu Zihuang also stopped in front of a strange circular building.

This circular building occupies a vast area, with a diameter of at least 500 meters and a height of over 80 meters. Even within the inner city, few buildings can compare to it.

Moreover, this is in the inner city of Moon Pivot City, where land is extremely valuable, which shows how powerful his background is.

Indeed, this is the Moon Pivot Auction House, and the owner behind it is none other than Viscount Yao Yang, the nominal owner of the Moon South Islands. This is also the meeting place that Xu Zihuang and Wang Xiao had previously agreed upon.

The main entrance to the Moon Pivot Auction House is also semi-circular, and like the overall architecture of the auction house, it is white and gold in color.

Several tall, slender young women stood at the entrance to greet guests. These girls had clearly been carefully selected; they were all around 1.75 meters tall and had extremely well-proportioned figures. While not stunning beauties, their pretty faces and vibrant youthful energy were still very attractive.