Chapter 83: The Soul Pact

Returning to the energy rift, Jing Hao had not come back yet. Tang Tian found himself a secluded corner to cultivate. Ya Ya wriggled out of Tang Tian’s pocket, its tiny head darting around in curiosity at the energy clusters scattered about. Before long, it grew fond of these energy spheres.

Tang Tian sat down and began to sort through the box Bing had given him. It was full of odds and ends, yet there was little of real value inside. There were a few usable fourth-tier silver cards, enough to round out his set of martial skills. What delighted Tang Tian most, however, was a bronze-grade water-bottle armory! Compared to the black iron one he had, the bronze armory was much larger—big enough to hold five saber-toothed tigers. Tang Tian regretted not having discovered it earlier; he was beside himself with grief, nearly in tears.

Although the bronze mechanical ostrich looked enormous, it was made using folding mechanisms and could collapse into a small ostrich. This was possible only because its structure was so simple. The very name made it obvious: to the mechanists of the Southern Cross Corps, such simple constructs were merely called ‘machines’—they weren’t even worthy of being called ‘mechanisms.’

For the mechanists of the Southern Cross Corps, these basic mechanisms had long since been researched thoroughly, to the point of complete disinterest. Such low-level machines offered only minimal enhancement to strength.

In contrast, mechanical armor was far more advanced. Its inner workings were intricate, capable of amplifying true power and boosting the might of martial skills—this was an entirely different realm.

Three days later, Jing Hao returned. The two exchanged a few casual words before each settled into their own cultivation. To avoid any chaotic interference between their energies, they trained far apart. The cliffs were vast, more than enough for both to practice undisturbed.

On the fifth day, Tang Tian entered Trisoul City as planned.

At the Sairei Workshop.

As soon as Sairei saw Tang Tian, her eyes sparkled. “You finally showed up! If you’d stood me up, you’d be dead meat!”

Today, Sairei looked completely different from last time. She wore ultra-short, faded denim shorts that made her long, pale legs all the more captivating, a simple white T-shirt, and her hair was tied up in a ponytail, giving her a fresh, lively look brimming with youthful energy.

The Three Pandas sat obediently by the door, like beaming professional doormen.

What on earth had this woman done to these three vicious brutes?

Tang Tian muttered to himself, but out loud he asked, “Is the Soul Refiner ready?”

“Heh, when a genius girl takes charge, what’s the problem?” Sairei said, lifting her chin proudly. “Just a mere Soul Refiner—if you handed me the blueprints for the Southern Cross Corps’ mechanical armor, I could make one too!”

Tang Tian’s heart skipped a beat. “Could you improve the mechanical armor?”

Sairei paused, surprised by his question. After some thought, she replied, “I’d have to see it first. The mechanical armor was a creation of the Southern Cross Corps—oh, back then they called it mechanism arts, which I much prefer as a term. The mechanical armor was the pinnacle of mechanism arts—a vast and complex system. To be honest, purely on the level of mechanism arts, today’s standards fall far short. I’ve never seen a real mechanical armor, so I don’t know just how advanced it truly was.”

“If you had one, could you improve it?” Tang Tian pressed.

Sairei looked him up and down, teasing, “Oh? Don’t tell me you actually have one?” But she quickly brushed that off as a joke—after all, how could a mechanical armor possibly have survived to the present day? Impossible! She shook her head, but seeing Tang Tian’s seriousness, she continued, “Even though I haven’t seen one, I know some people have begun to tinker in that direction.”

Bing, who had seemed indifferent, now listened intently.

Tang Tian was even more absorbed.

A trace of pride flickered in Sairei’s eyes as she lifted her chin even higher, her beauty almost otherworldly. “The Southern Cross Corps’ mechanical armor once achieved legendary feats. Some pieces have been unearthed—though they can’t be restored, it’s clear that mechanical armor reached a peak. Many mechanists study this field. The prevailing view now is that mechanical armor achieved the utmost in physical design, which was both its strength and its downfall: it lacked a martial soul.”

Bing shuddered, murmuring, “No martial soul...”

“Exactly!” Sairei’s demeanor grew serious as she delved into her expertise. “No matter how powerful, it’s still just a dead thing. That was its fatal flaw. That’s why it was surpassed by soul treasures. Soul treasures have martial souls—they can grow, they can be enhanced, they are smarter, and they resonate with their wielders. Every advanced martial artist knows: martial soul is more important than raw power. Mechanical armor could amplify true power, but lacked a soul. A soul treasure might not be strong at first, but with patient cultivation, it grows ever stronger.”

“Martial soul... Yes... Why didn’t I think of that...” Bing whispered, lost in thought.

Tang Tian wasn’t as moved as Bing; he was more concerned with another question. “Then how do you fix it?”

“Just add a martial soul to it!” Sairei replied, looking at him as if he were an idiot.

“Add a martial soul...” Tang Tian was stunned.

“You blockhead!” Sairei stroked her smooth chin, putting on an expert’s air. “There are so many more constellations in the Celestial Road now than before, and soul treasures are far more common. Combine the two, and you have perfection! Mechanical armor is a great body; a soul treasure is like a brilliant mind. Put them together, and you have something extraordinary!”

Tang Tian clapped his fist in realization, thrilled. “Yes! That’s brilliant! That’s brilliant!”

Sairei snorted, mocking, “Don’t act like an expert—there’s a better way! Think about it: if you add a Soul General Card, then it’s like equipping it with a weapon too. That’s the truly perfect combination. But right now, only a genius mechanist like me can fuse a Soul General Card with a soul treasure! That’s my exclusive trick!”

As she spoke, Sairei raised her nose high, striking a smug pose.

Tang Tian felt she made perfect sense.

Bing had recovered from his shock and said gravely, “The idea is good, but whether it’s possible remains to be seen.”

Sairei was surprised by Bing’s seriousness. She shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Just talk, really. I’ve never actually seen a mechanical armor.” Then, her eyes lit up, and she darted in front of Tang Tian, leaning close, her face alight with excitement. “Oh, young prodigy, are you really interested in this? Wonderful! Just sponsor me—give me enough funding and I’m confident I can bring my vision to life. How about it? I’m only interested in the mechanisms themselves; the results can be all yours. Hmm, I could even custom-make a mechanical armor just for you!”

She pressed her hands to her chest, her bust straining against her shirt, a rosy blush coloring her cheeks as she batted her eyes at Tang Tian, her voice coy. “A girl who can craft mechanisms and warm your bed—where else would you find such a treasure? You just need to provide two million star coins a year for funding, and... hugging me is very comfortable...”

Pressed by Sairei’s aggressive advance, Tang Tian instinctively leaned back, tension in every muscle, ready to flee at any moment.

“We’ve decided to sponsor you,” Bing suddenly interjected.

Sairei froze. Tang Tian did as well.

“Uncle, we don’t have that much money,” Tang Tian reminded him. They were no longer destitute as before, but two million star coins was still a fortune for them. Sairei had said star coins, not any other currency. Star coins were the hard currency of the Celestial Road, their value pegged to stardust stones, making them extremely strong.

All Tang Tian’s assets—silver cards, soul treasures, and the rest—added up to barely two hundred thousand star coins.

Sairei eyed Bing with growing suspicion; she was starting to realize there was something unusual about him.

“We could sell the mechanical armor,” Bing said calmly.

“That’s an idea,” Tang Tian nodded.

“What!” Sairei blurted, stunned. Suddenly, she stared at Tang Tian in disbelief. “You have mechanical armor?”

“Yep,” Tang Tian replied, nodding.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sairei lunged forward, reaching out to grab Tang Tian. He reacted instantly, his feet flashing as he retreated several steps, putting distance between them.

Is this woman up to no good?

Tang Tian eyed Sairei warily.

Her lunge missed, and she staggered slightly, but quickly exclaimed, “Don’t sell it! Don’t sell it! If you let me study the mechanical armor, I’ll consider that my sponsorship! I’ll find the money myself!”

The lure of mechanical armor was irresistible to Sairei.

Seeing her so desperate, completely losing her usual composure, Tang Tian couldn’t help but feel moved. For all her irritating qualities, her love for mechanism arts was genuine and heartfelt. Such true passion touched Tang Tian, and he was about to speak when Bing cut in.

“We’ll discuss the money later,” Bing said calmly. “You can study the mechanical armor, but we need to sign a Martial Soul Contract.”

“A Martial Soul Contract?” Sairei instantly sobered. Once such a contract was signed, it would bear the imprint of the martial soul; no one could ever break it. Just hearing the words told her these people were no ordinary folk—most had never even heard of such a thing.

Sairei’s face flickered with hesitation. She longed to study the mechanical armor, but once she signed this contract, it would be as good as selling herself.

Bing waited, impassive, for her decision.

“Who do I sign with?” Sairei suddenly asked.

Bing pointed at Tang Tian. “Him.”

The tension in Sairei’s eyes vanished, and she relaxed a little. The inscrutable Bing made her nervous, but the straightforward Tang Tian reassured her.

“Fine! I’ll sign!” When Sairei made up her mind, she was decisive, with no hesitation at all.

Tang Tian had never heard of a Martial Soul Contract—he simply did as Bing instructed. Sairei, for her part, was even more shocked inside: just who were these people, so familiar with such ancient contracts? Only truly old noble families would know of such things.

When everything was finally settled, Sairei couldn’t wait any longer. “Hurry up, take me to see the mechanical armor! Where did you find it?”

“This one?” Tang Tian shook his head. “We have more than one.”

“Two?” Sairei’s eyes lit up, and she jumped in excitement.

“Nope.” Tang Tian shook his head.

“Oh my god! You actually found three...” Sairei screamed, so excited she almost fainted.

Tang Tian grinned, flashing his white teeth. “It’s a whole armory!”

Sairei’s expression froze on her face.