Chapter 171 - Battle Armor!
“As I’m sure everyone knows, Dragonscale Fruits are usually light blue in color, but this one is actually azure. This is why we have such a high evaluation of this fruit. Unfortunately, it was plucked too early and no longer has a chance of turning into a priceless purple ten-thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit. Let us begin the auction with a starting price of one million.”
The starting price is one million? Aside from the Frozen Grass, the previous items only had a starting price of a few hundred thousand! Why did it suddenly jump to one million?
Tang Wulin’s originally tranquil heart began to jump with anxiety again. Can I even win this bid?
“One million one hundred thousand!” A bidder made a bid. Tang Wulin clenched his fists. The auctioneer had said that this particular Dragonscale Fruit was special, stirring Tang Wulin’s excitement.
The stage’s screen showed the fruit that was presented with an oval shape and that still had branches attached to ensure the preservation of its energy. It shone with a breathtakingly azure color that was as crystalline as a gemstone. Yet, what was most remarkable was the faint pattern of jagged golden veins that ran along its surface, its reputed scaly appearance. Those scales bore a striking resemblance to the golden scales on Tang Wulin’s right hand when he transforms.
Tang Wulin was filled with longing just by taking a single look. It’ll definitely help me break the second seal if I can get it!
“Your luck is pretty good. This Dragonscale Fruit isn’t an ordinary one; the auctioneer hadn’t exaggerated at all.” Wu Zhangkong whispered into his ear, but all this did was leave him even more anxious. Wu Zhangkong wasn’t the only one with a discerning eye, after all.
“Two million!” Wu Zhangkong calmly raised his sign, taking advantage of the current bid of 1,100,000 by raising it straight to 2,000,000.
The hall quieted for a moment, but soon, another voice called out a bid.
A few more bids later and the price already approached three million! With each bid, Tang Wulin grew more and more irritable.
What are we going to do?
“Five million!” A voice boomed thunderously, so loud that Tang Wulin saw stars dance around him. Five million? It’s already at five million?
The bidder had not only subdued Tang Wulin, but dominated the entire hall. It was the same bidder from the sixth box who had previously won the thousand-year Frozen Grass!
The beautiful auctioneer’s brows jumped, not with excitement, but a frown. She had a bad feeling.
This Dragonscale Fruit was valued at the same price as the Frozen Grass, roughly six million. The high sale price of the Frozen Grass was a pleasant surprise, but if the bidder from the sixth box threw out such a high bid once again, she feared no one would dare contend!
“Teacher Wu, what are we going to do?” Tang Wulin anxiously asked.
Wu Zhangkong looked him in the eye. “Let’s give up.”
“Huh? But…” Tang Wulin was worried. He felt that this Dragonscale Fruit was particularly suitable for him and he just couldn’t resign himself to give up on it!
“Teacher Wu, I want it. I need it. Can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back when we get back.” Tang Wulin said in distress.
Wu Zhangkong shook his head and before Tang Wulin could say anything else, Wu Zhangkong released a chilly air. A cold shiver ran down his spine, banishing Tang Wulin’s panicked state.
He didn’t know how much a thousand-year spirit fruit was worth, but since Wu Zhangkong decided to give it up, it was surely because the price had far exceeded its true value now.
Tang Wulin possessed a far steadier temperament than his peers and it only took him several moments to accept his frustration and loss. He sat in silence, restraining himself.
“Five million going once! Five million going twice! Three times! Sold!”
Tang Wulin quietly watched as an opportunity slipped away and as the auctioneer could only helplessly announce the sale. The auction house didn’t harbor any resentment to the bidder; this was simply the nature of auctions. Not every item could be sold at the ideal price and when they averaged the Frozen Grass and the Dragonscale Fruit, the auction house still reaped a hefty profit from the sixth box.
Disheartened, Tang Wulin had lost his interest in the auction. His head was filled with images of that thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit.
Each item was sold as quickly as it was put up, facilitating an unusually smooth auction,
Wu Zhangkong had no problem winning the bids for two intermediate entry cards at a total price of 2,600,000 coins.
Even then, Tang Wulin was numb to their success. The Dragonscale Fruit! My Dragonscale Fruit! Incessant laments echoed in his heart.
“We only have three items left for today, and they’re actually three battle armor parts! It was only after much difficulty that we were able to acquire them. I believe our honored guests should all be familiar battle armor, which is usually only sold at the great seasonal auctions. Everyone should grab hold of this opportunity today!”
Battle armor?
Tang Wulin’s boyish spirit ignited at these words, his eyes shooting straight toward the stage.
What does battle armor look like? I’ve never seen one before.
“Our first battle armor piece is a battle armor belt! I’m sure you’re all aware that the belt acts as the energy core for a battle armor since it is the closest to the dantian, where Soul Masters condense their soul power. Powerful Soul Masters will guide their soul power into the belt then disperse it throughout the battle armor, which will give them the best results.”
This is a purple battle armor leveled belt and it’s entirely possible to build an entire set of battle armor centered around it. Please look at the screen.”
A metal belt appeared on the screen, its exquisitely crafted body shrouded by a shimmering purple light. Tang Wulin could tell with his experience in blacksmithing that it was made from no less than three metals, but its composition wasn’t particularly complicated. It only took him a single glance to know it was made from Thousand Refined metal.
However, it was different from ordinary Thousand Refined metals. Bizarre grain lines that shone with the purple light ran around the entire belt.
This is battle armor? It’s only a bit bigger than a normal belt. At the center of the belt was a circular, unusual metal. The purple light shined the brightest there, preventing Tang Wulin from evaluating the material properly.
“Metal is shaped according to a mecha or soul circuit design after it is forged, before being assembled and engraved. These are all part of a mecha craftsman’s job. An excellent battle armor requires the designer and the craftsman to be of the same mind and level, another reason why having a secondary occupation is so helpful to growing one’s strength. The most important reason, of course, is to increase the familiarity between one and their battle armor and so that it’s easier to find a suitable partner.”
Wu Zhangkong outlined the basic characteristics of battle armor for Tang Wulin. The most effective method of learning was to use situations such as this to teach.
Battle armor, this is a battle armor! Excitement swept away the gloom in Tang Wulin’s heart, his face shining with yearning now. I’ll definitely be able to forge battle armor in the future! I may not know how to design mecha and soul circuits or engrave, but I still know how to forge metal!
I can already Thousand Refine metals right now. That should be the foundation of making a battle armor.
Wu Zhangkong lectured, “Battle armor is the second life of a Soul Master. A single excellent piece of battle armor can increase a Soul Master’s strength by thirty percent. The biggest difference between battle armor and mecha lay in their compatibility; battle armor is made according to the user and their martial soul.”