Chapter 728: Blood Tree Yin Branch

"Xu Shao, your scroll."

After successfully bidding for the small space teleportation array disk manufacturing scroll, the attendant delivered it to the private box.

Once the transaction was complete, Liu Lu respectfully handed over the scroll.

Xu Xiaoshou took the scroll.

It was made of jade.

Its contents weren't meant to be read by unfolding it, but by placing it against the forehead and using spiritual sense to explore.

A cool sensation touched his brow.

In an instant, a vast amount of knowledge flooded into his mind, forming a complex, multi-layered nested ling zhen in his brain.

Finally, the ling zhen returned to its origin, transforming from a three-dimensional holographic image into a two-dimensional ling wen that settled onto the array disk.

With that, Xu Xiaoshou had a general understanding of the entire manufacturing process.

"Did you understand it?" Mu Zixi asked curiously from beside him.

This question was on everyone's mind, especially Liu Lu's.

He already knew that Xu Shao was a dan master with massive dealings with the Duojin Trading House.

He had assumed the scroll was for a space-type ling zhen master in Xu Shao's family, but he never imagined Xu Shao was getting it for himself.

Could he really understand it...? Liu Lu had his doubts.

Xu Xiaoshou just smiled faintly, flipped his hand, and stowed the jade slip back into his space ring. "Of course I understood it."

He wasn't exaggerating.

With "Textile Mastery," cracking ling zhen was as easy as child's play for him.

Last time at the Tian Sang City city lord's mansion, when Shou Ye brought out a replica of the Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array, Xu Xiaoshou deciphered it at a glance.

Now, this small teleportation ling zhen was even less complex than the Thirty-Six Heavens Sealing Array, so Xu Xiaoshou had no trouble at all.

"Sword arts," "cooking," and "textile"—these three skills were ones Xu Xiaoshou admitted he wasn't naturally gifted in, yet he was confident no one in the world could match him in them.

These three mastery-type passive skills had built his foundation to an unshakeable level.

Any knowledge available on the market up to the innate level was already imprinted in Xu Xiaoshou's mind through these mastery-type passive skills.

In fact, it went beyond that.

"So you understood it—can you make it?" Mu Zixi asked curiously from the side.

This time, Xu Xiaoshou shook his head slightly.

"Not necessarily."

Truthfully, if it were any other array disk, his grandmaster-level "Textile Mastery" would have allowed him to craft it right then and there.

But this scroll involved the dao of space.

The Tianji Technique part was specifically for addressing that.

So, even though "Textile Mastery" could mimic and weave the dao of space onto the array disk, Xu Xiaoshou had never actually tried it before.

Tianji Technique...

He had only seen Yu Zhiwen use it.

Beyond that, he hadn't even seen anyone else study it.

Back then, Xu Xiaoshou could see the Tianji dao patterns, but he had no idea what the Tianji Technique was.

Now, with some understanding of it and his own extensive experience from "One Step to Heaven" teleportations, combining the two, he still wasn't sure if he could create a wangzuo-level array disk under the effects of grandmaster-tier Lv.1 "Textile Mastery."

But the knowledge in the scroll, if broken down into basic textile structures, was all covered by his grandmaster-level "Textile Mastery."

So...

Theoretically, he could make it right now—it would just be extremely challenging.

Still, challenges were worth trying, right?

"Which box is the Duojin Trading House in?"

Thinking this, Xu Xiaoshou turned and asked.

Waiting in the box for good items to appear was a waste of time.

Xu Xiaoshou planned to get a blank array disk immediately and study it here, testing the vast knowledge from "Textile Mastery."

Ever since he acquired this passive skill, he hadn't used it much in practice, but that didn't mean he couldn't.

"Knowing how and not using it," versus "not knowing and unable to use it"... those were two different things.

Liu Lu was stunned for a moment, then replied, "The Duojin Trading House is in Box 26, Xu Shao. Why are you asking ab—"

Before he finished, his ears twitched, and shock filled his eyes. "Xu Shao, are you planning to buy a blank array disk from them?"

"Mm." Xu Xiaoshou nodded.

He knew Liu Lu couldn't have figured that out on his own—it must be Yuan Haisheng keeping an eye on him.

But at that moment, Xu Xiaoshou didn't mind revealing another of his talents to the Night Cat organization.

Doing so would only elevate his status in their eyes.

Liu Lu's ears twitched again, and this time, even more surprise showed in his eyes. He hurriedly said, "Xu Shao, there's no need for that trouble. We at Night Cat have blank array disks too—we can trade them directly with you... no, give them to you for free... Ha? For free?!"

Liu Lu sounded like a real-time translator.

By the end, he had startled himself.

"For free?" Xin Gugu was surprised on the side.

"Mm, for free!" Liu Lu had calmed down by then and nodded firmly.

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked too.

Night Cat was really going all out!

Giving them away for free?

Were they trying to tie themselves to him forever?

He wondered if, once they found out that the Heaven's First Tower was actually a pawn of the Holy Servant, Night Cat would burst into tears on the spot.

But since they wanted to build a good relationship, Xu Xiaoshou had no reason to refuse.

He smiled, glanced up at the ceiling, and said to Liu Lu, "The quality and quantity I need are both quite exaggerated. Are you sure Night Cat can give them away for free?"

Liu Lu hesitated.

He knew Xu Shao's demands were always big.

The Duojin Trading House had once scoured for over ten thousand dan ding and hundreds of millions in medicinal herbs...

That was no secret in the Wang City business circles.

But after some apparent confirmation, Liu Lu hesitated and then nodded. "No problem."

Xu Xiaoshou said, "A hundred blank array disks, wangzuo grade."

Liu Lu's eyes bulged. "You might as well rob—"

He cut himself off mid-sentence, his whole body breaking out in goosebumps, scalp tingling—that was Yuan Haisheng warning him.

"No problem."

Saying those three words again, Liu Lu's heart bled.

Blank array disks, wangzuo grade, a hundred of them!

That was valuable enough to be featured at the trading event itself. How could Yuan Si, the fourth head, agree to give them away? This was insane.

Xu Xiaoshou hadn't expected Night Cat to suddenly be so generous either.

He figured it had something to do with the Dan Master Association and the Hua Luo incident, so he just narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Alright, I get the message from Night Cat."

Not long after, someone knocked on the box door, and the attendant brought in a space ring.

Xu Xiaoshou took the ring and probed it.

Goodness!

Neatly arranged, a hundred blank array disks, all wangzuo grade, top quality.

In that moment, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly understood the perks of coming from a major power.

What was the point of struggling? Heirs of great forces didn't need to.

They could just sit at home, and people would flock to befriend them and deliver treasures.

Now, that was the ideal life.

"Unfortunately..."

Xu Xiaoshou sighed to himself. He knew his identity as a semi-saint heir was a deliberate fabrication.

He had no idea why people kept stepping up to support this facade, making outsiders believe it completely.

But deep down, Xu Xiaoshou knew himself well.

He was just an ordinary person.

If his true identity was exposed, the entire Wang City would become his enemy.

"Thank you, thank you..."

While cheerfully thanking Liu Lu, Xu Xiaoshou pulled out a blank array disk and let his fingers dance over it.

Spiritual threads turned into needles, weaving like dragons through flowers.

The blank array disk was quickly covered with ling wen.

The people around him watched, growing more and more astonished.

Liu Lu was one thing, but Xin Gugu, Mo Mo, and the others looked like they were seeing Xu Xiaoshou for the first time, realizing his ling zhen skills were at such an advanced level.

He could whip up a wangzuo array disk just like that?

"Under suspicion, passive points +4."

"Under amazement, passive points +4."

"Under scrutiny, passive points +142."

The trading event continued.

By now, people from other boxes had come out to trade treasures.

But behind the scenes, the attention of over a hundred ling zhen masters at the event, including Yuan Haisheng and Nangong Yin, was fixed on Box 209.

"This..."

Nangong Yin was stunned.

He stared at the holographic image of the box, watching Xu Shao's elegant, dancing hands, and hesitated before turning to Yuan Haisheng. "Explain this?"

"Don't ask me—I had no idea he was a ling zhen master. I was just taking a chance..."

Yuan Haisheng was shocked himself.

He had acted on instinct, sensing Xu Shao was extraordinary and worth befriending, which is why he sent the hundred blank array disks.

But he truly hadn't expected Xu Shao to use them himself.

Wasn't he supposed to hand the array disks and scroll over to his backers, have them make dozens of small space teleportation array disks, and then trade with Night Cat?

That was Yuan Haisheng's real thought.

But what Yuan Haisheng never dared to imagine was happening right before his eyes...

"What's his level in ling zhen dao?" Nangong Yin asked.

Yet, no one responded.

Yuan Haisheng knew Nangong Yin wasn't asking him.

Their ling zhen skills were about equal—they both barely knew how to write the characters for "ling zhen."

This question was clearly for the over a hundred ling zhen masters monitoring the grand array.

However...

At that moment, all those masters were completely focused on Xu Shao's box, not even blinking.

That divine technique, like knitting a sweater to produce ling wen—what school was this?

The ling zhen masters were baffled, utterly captivated.

As for the question? They hadn't heard a word.

Seeing this, Nangong Yin and Yuan Haisheng exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.

From this, they could tell Xu Shao's ling zhen level.

Most of those present were ling zhen grandmasters, with over a dozen ling zhen great grandmasters.

And all of them were hooked on Xu Shao.

That could only mean Xu Shao's abilities were truly exceptional.

"Is it really that impressive..."

Nangong Yin watched, feeling his scalp tingle. "I've seen semi-saint heirs before, but this Xu Xiaoshou... honestly, he's a bit too shocking."

Yuan Haisheng nodded in agreement.

"Sword sect, dan master, ling zhen master, impressive physical body, hidden cultivation, good relations with the Dan Master Association, and bold enough to get involved in the Void Island matter..."

"I can't believe he's just a young man."

"Among all the young people I've met, none are like him."

"Some have strength and knowledge but nothing more; some have vision but weak cultivation; others master a side path at most and know nothing about social dynamics."

"This guy..."

Yuan Haisheng paused, at a loss for the right word to describe Xu Shao, or Xu Xiaoshou.

"This guy's a total all-rounder!"

Nangong Yin suddenly spoke up.

He took a deep breath and said seriously, "Yuan Haisheng, keep a close eye on this connection. The Heaven's First Tower will undoubtedly become a major power in Wang City. Getting to know them now is Night Cat's good fortune."

Unlike the silent scene in Box 209, where everyone was immersed in Xu Shao's performance, the trading event site was buzzing with excitement as big shots emerged from their boxes.

One treasure after another, worth twenty or thirty billion, fifty or sixty billion, was brought out, pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

Then, after another treasure was traded, the door of Box 4 opened, and a white-haired beast-faced person stepped out.

"Box 4!" someone exclaimed.

"Damn, that's got to be a big shot—getting such a low number means they're from some major force."

"No idea, but they're definitely a heavyweight. That last item was valued at over fifty billion, and it didn't even need bidding."

"Too bad for us in the regular seats—we can only watch enviously."

"What regular seats... the name might say 'elegant,' but from here, we look like jealous beggars."

Amid the murmurs, the white-haired beast-faced person mounted the stage.

He pulled a jade box from his ring, placed it on the stage, scanned the crowd, and instantly silenced the room.

"The nine great ancestral trees, Blood Tree Yin Branch, fully mature, no hidden flaws—straight from the source."

With a flat statement, the white-haired beast-faced person placed his hands on the jade box and gently lifted the lid.

"Buzz—"

A terrifying wave of blood mist surged through the void.

In an instant, everyone in the hall, including the big shots in the boxes, felt their souls stirring.

It was a violent, primal desire.

Like a divine gift igniting the inner flames, stirring the soul to seize, release, and destroy...

"Roar!"

In the box, Xu Xiaoshou was in the middle of crafting an array disk when his eyes suddenly rolled back, and a low beastly growl escaped his throat—he nearly transformed into a giant on the spot.

Liu Lu jumped back in fright, stumbling.

"Crack—"

The array disk in Xu Xiaoshou's hand shattered.

That was his seventh failure.

But this time, instead of pondering the details as before, Xu Xiaoshou stared in shock at the stage.

"Blood Tree, Yin Branch?"

Earlier, when the "Bodhi Tree Root" appeared, images of Cen Qiaofu holding off thousands had just flashed in his mind.

Now, the "Blood Tree Yin Branch" was here too?

The shock was immense.

After all, the "Bodhi Tree Root" was just an auxiliary treasure.

Even with its divinity, factors like power loss and sealing meant it wouldn't have a big immediate effect on its holder.

But the Blood Tree Yin Branch was different.

Planted on your back, it was like becoming another Cen Qiaofu.

"Where did they get this?" Xu Xiaoshou was baffled.

Could this beast-faced person be Cen Qiaofu?

In that moment, he felt it was absurd. If the Blood Tree Yin Branch could be traded...

What could this person possibly lack?

In the elegant seats and boxes, many shared Xu Xiaoshou's shock.

After a brief silence, the site erupted in uproar, with people even pushing out of their boxes to get a closer look.

"Is that really a Blood Tree Yin Branch? You're serious?"

"I don't believe it!"

"Can we get a closer inspection?"

"Yeah, we really don't believe you have a Blood Tree Yin Branch, and even if you do, we don't think you'd trade a perfect one."

"Closer look! We demand it!"

"That's right! I heard the Blood Tree Yin Branch grows on the nine ancestral trees in the Holy Secret Realm—how could you possibly get it?"

"Unless... you're the one who fought off a hundred at the White Grotto, the Holy Servant Cen Qiaofu?"