Chapter 157 - Flaming Sunset Saber
Chapter 157 – Flaming Sunset Saber
Chapter 157 Flaming Sunset Saber
Boom!
Zhou Shu stood in the stands, his clothes fluttering in the wind. He looked like an immortal.
Yin Chengshan and the others looked at each other with astonishment on their faces.
The marquis…
… had a breakthrough in cultivation?
“Captain, your cultivation is high. Can you tell what the marquis’s cultivation is now?” a Demon Executing soldier asked softly.
“Previously, the marquis should have been an eighth-rank martial artist…” Yin Chengshan said.
Zhou Shu had never concealed his spiritual essence cultivation. Yin Chengshan was a sixth-rank martial artist, so he could naturally tell that Zhou Shu’s spiritual essence cultivation had only been the eighth rank.
“If I remember correctly, the marquis has only been in contact with the Martial Dao for a few months…” a Demon Executing soldier who was more concerned about Zhou Shu’s information said weakly.
Zhou Shu’s spiritual essence cultivation had never been a secret. Anyone who had a slight interest in him would know.
Zhou Shu had never thought of hiding this.
After all, he cultivated the Emperor Xuan Jade Book, which he had received openly. He wasn’t afraid of letting others know.
“In a month, from entering the ranks to the seventh rank, is he a genius?”
Yin Chengshan and the others felt like covering their faces and crying. Comparisons were indeed odious.
Not only was this marquis’s forging ability unparalleled in the world, but his Martial Dao cultivation was also so heaven-defying. Seeing how he was able to gain an epiphany while they were killing demonic beasts, how could others compare to him?
“This is what it’s like to be a genius!” Yin Chengshan said, intentionally imitating Zhou Shu’s temperament.
“Everyone, don’t be discouraged. There are many geniuses in this world. Some people can become third-rank grandmasters in their teens. We might not be able to reach that level in our entire lives, but it doesn’t mean we don’t need to cultivate.
“No, the more this is the case, the more we have to work hard! The marquis lent us the Great Destroyer Sword, so this is our chance! As long as we shine during the military parade, the rewards from the Imperial Court will allow us to have ranked weapons. At that time, we can slay more demons, and our future will become brighter!”
With the Great Destroyer Sword in his hand, Yin Chengshan seemed to grasp the entire world!
Zhou Shu seemed to be lost in thought.
In front of him, the Legendary Armament Canon had already flipped to the page of the Great Destroyer Sword. The message was also floating in front of him.
[The Great Destroyer Sword you forged effectively completed a kill. Your spiritual essence cultivation has increased by 100%!)
This was the real reason why he had broken through in public!
He knew his own matters.
Zhou Shu knew very well that he might have some talent in forging, but his talent in the Martial Dao was truly inferior to that of ordinary people.
Even for a cultivation technique like the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique that anyone could cultivate, he had to achieve the maximum number of years of cultivation to level it up.
The King of the Golden Wheel could reach the tenth level after cultivating for a few decades, but he needed a thousand years of cultivation.
What did this mean?
This meant that one year of his cultivation was equivalent to others’ one month or even a few days of cultivation.
Such Martial Dao talent could only be said to be so bad that it made one’s hair stand on end.
If he relied on himself to cultivate, he might not even be able to cultivate to the seventh rank of the Martial Dao in this lifetime.
Previously, he had broken through from the ninth rank to the eighth rank because of the Golden Bell Shield Technique’s breakthrough. It had also affected his absorption of spiritual essence. But this time, the Legendary Armament Canon actually directly increased his spiritual essence cultivation!
The initial benefit from the Great Destroyer Sword was the Astounding Heavenly Eighteen Swords Technique. But when he used the Great Destroyer Sword to kill Xiao Shunzhi, the Astounding Heavenly Eighteen Swords Technique had reached the perfection stage.
At the time, Zhou Shu had thought that the Astounding Heavenly Eighteen Swords Technique had already been completed. If the Great Destroyer Sword successfully completed kills in the future, wouldn’t that mean that the Legendary Armament Canon wouldn’t have any more rewards to give?
He didn’t expect the Legendary Armament Canon to reward spiritual essence cultivation!
After completing the initial reward for each weapon, the subsequent rewards are all spiritual essence cultivation?
This isn’t bad.
As Zhou Shu thought about this, he gradually restrained his aura, and the corner of his floating clothes slowly fell.
Zhou Shu’s gaze shifted to Yin Chengshan and the others below the stage. With a light step, he leaped down from the spectator’s stand, his posture incomparably confident.
“All the generals are mighty!” Zhou Shu applauded and praised. Yin Chengshan and the others were slightly embarrassed. If Zhou Shu hadn’t broken through, they would have been very proud.
They had performed extremely well just now, killing a black bear demonic beast with a cultivation level of the seventh rank without any injuries.
It had to be known that this kind of demonic beast with coarse skin and thick flesh was exceptionally difficult to kill. In the past, at least a few of them would have suffered minor injuries.
To be able to kill this black bear demonic beast unscathed, it was definitely an achievement for their entire team.
But after seeing Zhou Shu’s cultivation breakthrough, they could no longer be proud. He had only watched from the sidelines and directly advanced one rank. What was there to be proud of?
“Marquis, this Great Destroyer Sword is too powerful. I don’t know how to thank you,” Yin Chengshan said seriously.
“If you want to thank me, use the Great Destroyer Sword to kill a few more beasts,” Zhou Shu said with a smile.
The marquis is great! Yin Chengshan thought Zhou Shu meant that he was repaying him for protecting Great Xia. The marquis is a nationalist truly worried about the country! How lucky am I, Yin Chengshan, to be able to borrow the marquis’s sword!
“General Yin, I want to see the glory of the Demon Executing Army again. Is it convenient?” Zhou Shu laughed.
“Of course! I’ll show you around, Marquis. You can go anywhere except a few places.”
Within the imperial study of the imperial palace of Great Xia…
Emperor Yuan Feng was startled. “You’re saying that brat Zhou Shu broke through to the eighth rank of the Martial Dao after watching the Demon Executing Army slay a demon?”
“It’s the seventh rank, Your Majesty,” Eunuch Zhao corrected.
Emperor Yuan Feng felt his teeth ache slightly. “Has it even been a month since he entered the ranks?”
“Actually, it has been more than a month. It has been almost forty days,” Eunuch Zhao whispered.
Emperor Yuan Feng’s teeth ache. Forty days, is it any different from a month?
In such a short period of time, his cultivation rose three ranks consecutively. Is this boy a monster?
“Actually, his speed of improvement is not considered fast. Young Marquis Weiyuan entered the ranks about the same age as him, and he’s already a sixth-rank martial artist,” Eunuch Zhao said.
Emperor Yuan Feng rolled his eyes. How can it be the same?
How many heavenly treasures has that kid Sun Gongping consumed since he was young?
He broke through quickly because of his solid foundation.
What about Zhou Shu?
He grew up in the Forging Division’s workshops, so how could there be any heavenly treasures for him to consume?
He is purely relying on his talent!
Luckily, he’s one of us. If he was an enemy, he would definitely become a big problem.
“Your Majesty, according to the rules, the Imperial Court has to reward him for increasing his Martial Dao cultivation. How should we reward Marquis Zhou?” Eunuch Zhao whispered.
When the martial artists of the Imperial Court increased their cultivation levels, the Imperial Court would usually give them a reward. This was similar to Zhou Shu’s previous life. The company would give employees a reward for obtaining certifications.
It might not be much money, but the emphasis was on encouragement. Originally, the emperor didn’t have to worry about such a small matter.
However, Zhou Shu was not an ordinary person. He was the You Marquis.
This was a little problematic. If he gave rewards according to the usual rules, would he be looking down on him?
A second-rank marquis, if the reward was too little, would it seem petty? Therefore, the minister in charge of this matter came to Eunuch Zhao to ask for his help in finding out the emperor’s views.
After all, the You Marquis was the emperor’s favorite.
“No! I’m not giving him anything!?” Emperor Yuan Feng snorted coldly. “Haven’t I given him enough?”
My precious daughter is already almost his!
Eunuch Zhao didn’t know why Emperor Yuan Feng flew into a rage, but he didn’t dare to speak.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I will relay your orders,” Eunuch Zhao whispered.
“Wait!” Emperor Yuan Feng called out to Eunuch Zhao just as he was about to leave. “That Zhou brat, why should I treat him specially?”
Emperor Yuan Feng’s expression was a little conflicted as he said, “Didn’t he break through in his Martial Dao cultivation? Go and give him the forging formula of the Flaming Sunset Saber as a reward!”
“The secret forging formula of the Flaming Sunset Saber?” Eunuch Zhao bitterly smiled in his heart. Your Majesty, the usual reward for an eighth-rank martial artist advancing to the seventh rank is one hundred taels of gold. A yellow-grade weapon forging formula is worth much more than one hundred taels of gold.
Isn’t this considered special treatment?
Your Majesty, even though you said you wouldn’t reward him, your body is still very honest.
Eunuch Zhao complained in his heart. But on the surface, he acknowledged respectfully and personally went to make arrangements.
Originally, he didn’t need to personally handle such a small matter, but it was obvious that the emperor viewed Marquis Zhou in a different light. He should take advantage of this moment to build a good relationship with him…
non
…
Zhou Shu returned to the marquis’s mansion from the Demon Executing Army’s headquarters still unsatisfied. He felt extremely emotional.
Although the demonic beasts in this world were not as terrifying as the legends in his previous life, they were not to be underestimated.
Yin Chengshan and the others were dealing with demonic beasts of the lower three ranks. Other than having greater strength and knowing some superficial spells, they didn’t have anything else.
But when it came to the middle three ranks, the demonic beasts’ intelligence level was already very high, making them much harder to deal with.
As for demonic beasts of the upper three ranks, other than not being able to take human form and not being able to speak human language, they were already similar to humans.
Their intelligence was not inferior to humans. They could even learn the art of war.
According to what Yin Chengshan and the others had said, the demonic beasts had even established a country near Great Qin, and they would launch beast tides to attack Great Qin from time to time, causing disturbances there.
But due to the geographical environment of Great Xia, there were very few demonic beasts of the upper three ranks. Even demonic beasts of the middle three ranks were rare.
This was also one of the reasons Great Xia’s power was declining day by day. They were born in trouble and died in peace.
Peace might not be a good thing for a country.
Although there aren’t many demonic beasts of the upper three ranks, killing demonic beasts of the lower three ranks is the same, Zhou Shu thought.
My weapons in the hands of the Demon Executing Army are much better than in the hands of the Divine Constable Bureau. The Divine Constable Bureau may not even kill a single person for months, but the Demon Executing Army slays demons almost every day.
Yin Chengshan said that their team has a mission once every ten to fifteen days, and they kill three to five demonic beasts each mission. They are good workers.
As long as he gave them the weapons he forged, they would help him get benefits from the Legendary Armament Canon for free. He couldn’t let go of such good workers! But I don’t have many forging formulas right now. It seems like I have to work harder and forge more ranked weapons. After forging ranked weapons, the Legendary Armament Canon underwent a huge change. One of the changes was that the number of ranked weapons was no longer displayed.
In other words, only the first ranked weapon would generate benefits. No matter how many of the same weapons Zhou Shu forged, only the first weapon was valuable to him.
Under these circumstances, Zhou Shu didn’t have any intention of forging more of the same ranked weapon. Forging one unique ranked weapon was enough!
He now possessed the Seven Star Dragon Abyss Sword, the Great Destroyer Sword, and the Three Swords of Yin Tianzi.
The first two already had owners. Three Swords of Yin Tianzi could only be used after the military parade. I should take this time to develop and forge a saber for Yin Chengshan.
Zhou Shu pondered. He could only lend the Great Destroyer Sword to Yin Chengshan temporarily. If he really gave it to Yin Chengshan, he wouldn’t be able to explain it to Emperor Yuan Feng.
The blueprints of the Huaxia Pavilion weren’t completed yet, and he had nothing else to do. He could totally develop another weapon. But there were only a few days left before the military parade. He was not confident in developing a weapon in just a few days.
Just as he was thinking, the steward came to report. “Marquis, Eunuch Zhao is here.”
“Eunuch Zhao, welcome.” Zhou Shu smiled and went forward to welcome him. The scene of him standing guard outside his door that night flashed through his mind, and he smiled even more happily.
“Did you run into something good, Marquis?” Eunuch Zhao asked curiously when he saw Zhou Shu smiling so happily.
“Eunuch Zhao, your presence brings light to my humble dwelling,” Zhou Shu said with a smile.
Eunuch Zhao was indeed a good person. Every time he came, he would bring him many benefits.
But speaking of which, he didn’t seem to have done any meritorious deeds recently.
“Eunuch Zhao, what brings you here?” Zhou Shu asked curiously.
“I’m here to congratulate you, Marquis.” Eunuch Zhao smiled. “Your cultivation has risen from the eighth rank to the seventh rank of the Martial Dao. Congratulations!”
“Oh, you know about it too?” He was not surprised. After all, he had made a breakthrough in public in the Demon Executing Army’s headquarters. It would be strange if Eunuch Zhao didn’t know about it.
Eunuch Zhao didn’t answer this question. Instead, he smiled and said, “Marquis, according to our Great Xia’s rules, when martial artists break through, the Imperial Court will reward them. Originally, the rewards would only be given if they registered it. But your status is different, so I directly sent the rewards to you.” “Is that so?” Zhou Shu laughed sincerely. As expected, aside from Eunuch Zhao’s ugly appearance, he was no different from the Child of Wealth. Every time he came, he would give him benefits. He was a good person. “What rewards are there? It’s not a big deal to advance from the eighth rank to the seventh rank. The Imperial Court is too generous.” He rubbed his hands together. He liked things that were beneficial.
“His Majesty was especially generous to you and specially chose a secret forging formula from the imperial library,” Eunuch Zhao said.
“Although it’s only a forging formula for a yellow-grade weapon, this weapon is very powerful. It used to be in the top ten of the Yellow-grade Armament Manual, but in recent years, no one has been able to forge it. That’s why its reputation isn’t very prominent. I hope that when it’s in your hands, Marquis, it can once again emit its brilliance.”