Starlight and moonlight intertwined in the night sky, filtering through the crystal floor-to-ceiling windows to form a cool, ethereal blue glow.
The surrounding crystal windows were specially treated, allowing only one-way visibility from the inside to the outside, with excellent soundproofing.
Shrek City was bustling with noise at night, but the reception hall on the top floor of the Nine Treasures Pavilion was serene and quiet.
Only the sounds of heartbeats and breathing could be heard.
Xu Zihuang leaned back on the soft, comfortable sofa, his heartbeat and breathing as steady as ever. Meanwhile, Ning Tian, who was somewhat boldly resting against him, had her full chest rising and falling, her lovely face flushed with two charming patches of red.
The ethereal blue light fell upon her fair, delicate shoulders and neck, giving them the lustrous quality of the finest jade. Her platinum blonde hair, previously tied up, had come loose at some point and now cascaded down. Amid its disarray, it retained an air of elegance.
Their gazes met in midair, and Ning Tian's water-blue eyes were filled with tender affection.
Reason did not mean her heart was free from reluctance. She simply didn't want to show it, lest it affect Yu Tianhuang.
Xu Zihuang's left hand rested on Ning Tian's waist, an action that only those with a certain level of intimacy would share. From Ning Tian's demeanor, it was clear she was long accustomed to this. Not only did her delicate frame show no discomfort or stiffness, but she was remarkably relaxed and at ease, even seeming to enjoy Xu Zihuang's touch.
Once Ning Tian's breathing had calmed somewhat, Xu Zihuang withdrew his left hand. Under her puzzled gaze, he took out the exquisite, delicate Ethereal Blue Mirror.
Ning Tian brushed the hair that had fallen over her shoulder behind her back and said in surprise, "Tianhuang, you succeeded in making it?"
Though she knew Yu Tianhuang had begun attempting to craft six-level soul tools over the past six months, she hadn't expected him to succeed so quickly.
This wasn't merely following the experience of predecessors to create a widely circulated six-level soul tool on the continent. It was an original design crafted independently.
To her knowledge, within their Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, a seven-level soul engineer had once independently designed and created a six-level soul tool. However, that seven-level soul engineer had spent nearly a year and a half to complete only a rough prototype.
"I finished it a few days ago," Xu Zihuang said with a slight smile, nodding.
Learning to craft soul tools and cultivating as a soul master shared some commonalities—both heavily depended on innate talent.
This was especially true for high-tier soul engineers above seven levels.
Breaking through was exceptionally difficult.
Many soul engineers spent their entire lives unable to step into the realm of high-tier soul engineers, not for lack of experience or soul power cultivation, but for lack of talent, unable to grasp the charm within.
In plain terms, their comprehension was insufficient.
If not for this, the Sun Moon Empire's foundation would be even more terrifying. After all, in the Sun Moon Empire, using drugs to aid cultivation was commonplace. For soul engineers with slightly better cultivation talent, forcibly overdrawing their potential to reach the Soul Sage level was entirely effortless.
Comprehension was most directly tied to the Sea of Spirit, the vessel for a soul master's mental strength, consciousness, and soul. However, in today's soul master and soul engineer communities, no one has yet unraveled its mysteries.
But it was almost universally acknowledged that soul masters with strong mental strength had an advantage in learning to craft soul tools and were more likely to gain insights. This became increasingly evident in the later stages.
And Xu Zihuang, whose mental strength had reached the tangible yet intangible realm, held every advantage.
As he spoke, Xu Zihuang personally helped Ning Tian put on the Ethereal Blue Mirror.
Though the Ethereal Blue Mirror was styled as a wristguard, it was only slightly larger than an ordinary bracelet. It fit perfectly and comfortably, without any redundancy.
It could even be used as a mirror by utilizing the silver-white scale embedded in its center.
Ning Tian quietly observed as the Ethereal Blue Mirror snugly fit against her right wrist, a faint smile spreading across her face. Given their relationship, there was no need for polite formalities.
Xu Zihuang continued, "This six-level defensive soul tool is called the Ethereal Blue Mirror. The shield it releases when infused with soul power can simultaneously block physical and energy attacks. Moreover, it has a special ability to reflect energy attacks within the range the Ethereal Blue Mirror can withstand, according to the user's intent. Its versatility surpasses that of same-level Invincible Shields."
Ning Tian, who had a deep understanding of soul tools, naturally understood the significance of Yu Tianhuang's words.
Just as the Invincible Shield soul tool originated from the Invincible Golden Body soul skill, the Ethereal Blue Mirror's ability to reflect energy attacks similarly stemmed from the innate soul skill of the Mirror Shadow Beast, Mirror Shadow Reflection.
Without question, the Ethereal Blue Mirror was undoubtedly a top-tier six-level defensive soul tool, and one with pioneering significance.
She could foresee that if Yu Tianhuang intended to sell the blueprints for the Ethereal Blue Mirror, it would attract frenzied competition from countless high-tier soul engineers and major forces.
The value contained within was immense.
High-tier soul engineers sought inspiration from its concepts, while major forces aimed to monopolize the Ethereal Blue Mirror's production methods for greater profit.
While the forehead scale of a ten-thousand-year Mirror Shadow Beast was rare, the scales from other parts of its body were relatively less scarce. Scales from other parts of the Mirror Shadow Beast shared similar properties to the forehead scale, though the Ethereal Blue Mirror crafted from them would be slightly less effective. At the very least, scales from a thousand-year or a hundred-year Mirror Shadow Beasts could also be used.
As if reading Ning Tian's thoughts, a flash of white light appeared, and a rolled-up blueprint shaped like a cylinder materialized in Xu Zihuang's hand. He handed it to Ning Tian with a gentle tone.
"Don't the direct disciples of your Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect always lack means of self-protection? This Ethereal Blue Mirror should be of some use to you."
Giving the Ethereal Blue Mirror's blueprint to Ning Tian was something he had decided from the start. A mere six-level defensive soul tool blueprint wasn't worth hiding. The Ethereal Blue Mirror was just a beginning. With his talent in soul tools, how could he fail to design and create even higher-quality soul tools in the future?
Moreover, it was time to give Ning Tian and the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect behind her some repayment.
"Tianhuang, do you know the value of this blueprint out there?" Ning Tian took the blueprint in a daze, her gaze growing even softer.
She didn't care about the blueprint's value itself. What touched her was that Yu Tianhuang had considered her and the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect behind her, which stirred her heart.
Xu Zihuang gently caressed Ning Tian's cheek, shaking his head with a smile in his eyes.
"You know I don't care about such things."
Since Xu Zihuang had said this, Ning Tian naturally wouldn't refuse further. Biting her red lips lightly, she stored the blueprint in her storage soul tool.
Though the sect leader's lineage held power within the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, there were still internal factions. Last time, providing over fifty million gold soul coins for Xu Zihuang had put some pressure on her.
With the Ethereal Blue Mirror's blueprint, she could quell some of the doubts within the sect.
However, as Ning Tian stored the blueprint, she took out another soul tool.
This soul tool was somewhat similar to the Ethereal Blue Mirror on her wrist—a golden bracelet. It emitted a soft golden glow, with intricate, orderly patterns engraved on it. No soul power fluctuations leaked out, but it exuded a special quality, as solid and heavy as a mountain.
Looking at the highly creative and complex core array inscribed on it, Xu Zihuang's gaze sharpened slightly.
"An eight-level soul tool?"
"Yes," Ning Tian responded softly.
"An eight-level defensive soul tool, the Wall of Resilience."
The Wall of Resilience's defensive power was slightly lower than that of the same-level Invincible Shields, but it had two advantages that the Invincible Shield lacked. One was its ability to be used multiple times, and the other was its trigger-based nature. In other words, if Xu Zihuang wore this eight-level Wall of Resilience, even if he was attacked without any reaction, the Wall of Resilience would automatically protect him. It would adjust its defensive strength based on the intensity of the attack received. This made it far more practical than the Invincible Shield.
Its drawback was its relatively high soul power consumption.
The eight-level Wall of Resilience, at its limit, could briefly grant the user defensive power comparable to a Titled Douluo. However, with Xu Zihuang's current soul power, which was close to the Soul Sage level, he could probably sustain it for only one to two seconds at most. The Soul Sage level here didn't refer to the elite Soul Sages of Shrek Academy's Inner Court, but rather ordinary Soul Sages with average foundations and martial soul quality.
Ning Tian smiled warmly as she met Xu Zihuang's gaze, then placed the invaluable eight-level Wall of Resilience onto his right wrist.
Everything was conveyed without words.
Xu Zihuang sat up and pulled Ning Tian into his embrace. Ning Tian responded by wrapping her arms around his waist and back, her face flushed as she softly murmured a few words.
Hearing Ning Tian's request, Xu Zihuang nodded slightly. Holding her, he lay down on the sofa, which was even more spacious than a bed. He then took out a fluffy blanket from his soul tool and draped it over them.
Starlight, moonlight, lamplight, heartbeats, and the warmth and scent of each other wove together the mood and scene of this night.
Ning Tian nestled entirely in Xu Zihuang's arms, her misty gaze meeting his.
"Tianhuang."
"What is it?"
"I'm so lucky to have met you."
"So am I…"
Too sleepy, going to bed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are 40 early chapters available on Patreon
[email protected]/facficmax10--------(@→a)