Only after Zhou Changqing's figure had completely vanished did the crowd finally erupt.
"What the hell just happened? Why did he suddenly explode like that? Judging by their clothes, those three who were killed weren't simple folk."
"Not simple? That's an understatement! I recognize them. They were Jia Lie Ao of the Jia Lie Clan, Aoba Le of the Aoba Clan, and Qie Er Xu of the Qie Er Clan. Their fathers are the heads of their respective clans!"
"What?!"
"Hiss… How did that young man dare?! He's caused a catastrophe!"
"Tsk, it seems that young man has a grudge against the three clans. To kill all three heirs in one fell swoop… how ruthless!"
"Heh, I happen to know a bit of the inside story. All I can say is, they deserved it."
"It looks like the skies above Wu Tan City are about to change…"
Although the murders happened in broad daylight, none of the onlookers wanted to get involved, so the news did not immediately reach the three clans. It was the guard whose legs had been severed who finally managed to drag himself to one of the Jia Lie Clan's shops and inform them of what had happened.
Upon receiving the news, the Jia Lie, Aoba, and Qie Er Clans were instantly thrown into turmoil! When Jia Lie Bi and the other two clan heads saw the headless corpses of their sons, they were overcome with grief and rage!
"Aaaargh! You little beast! I will slice you into a thousand pieces!"
"My son! My Le'er!"
"You little bastard! How dare he! How could he dare!"
With murderous fury in their eyes, the three clan heads mobilized their entire clans. They issued a warrant for Zhou Changqing's arrest, initiating a city-wide manhunt. Anyone who killed or captured Zhou Changqing would be rewarded with a Xuan-rank, Low-level Dou Skill!
Jia Lie Bi and the other two clan heads even took to the streets themselves, vowing to avenge their sons and grind Zhou Changqing's bones to dust!
In an instant, Wu Tan City was shaken to its core. The various other powers in the city quickly recalled their members, not daring to get on the wrong side of the three clans at a time like this. The three clans were acting like mad dogs. Anyone who provoked them now would surely suffer their misplaced wrath. Even the main streets of the city became deserted, with hardly a pedestrian in sight as numerous shops closed their doors.
But in stark contrast to the three clans' fury and the avoidance of the general populace, the Xiao Clan remained calm, even seeming to take some pleasure in the others' misfortune.
"Hehe, Worthy Nephew has such ruthless methods. I imagine the looks on the faces of those three old fools, Jia Lie Bi and the others, must be quite a sight right now. I truly wish I could see it."
"However, facing three enraged old men, it won't be so easy for him to escape. It is time for my Xiao Clan to do something."
In the Xiao Clan's main hall, Xiao Zhan sat in the master's seat, stroking his beard with a faint smile. He then sent someone to summon the three elders.
At the same time, the Mittel Auction House also made its move. As if by prior arrangement, the top experts from both factions made their way to the four city gates.
"Xiao Zhan! You dare to obstruct me! Are you really going to declare war on our three clans for that little beast?!"
"And who do you think you are, Jia Lie Bi? Why wouldn't I dare to obstruct you? Hah! What a joke! You dare threaten me? You want war? Then let's have a war! The Xiao Clan will see it through to the end!"
"Master Gu Ni! The Mittel Auction House has always remained neutral! This is a personal grudge between us and that little bastard Zhou Changqing. I ask that you not interfere!"
"Scram!"
When you ignored the Mittel Auction House's warning, you didn't seem to care about their neutrality then, did you? And now you bring it up? The Mittel Auction House does as it pleases. Who are you to tell us what to do?
Facing the combined obstruction of the Mittel Auction House and the Xiao Clan, the three clans were completely unable to leave the city. Jia Lie Bi and the other two were utterly furious, but there was nothing they could do.
If it were only the Xiao Clan, they could have managed. At worst, they would suffer some losses and combine their strength to annihilate them. But the Mittel Auction House was different. They had already ignored one of their warnings. If they were to attack Mittel personnel now, the nature of the conflict would change entirely. After all, Zhou Changqing was not a member of the Mittel Auction House. Their relationship was purely transactional.
While Wu Tan City was in chaos, Zhou Changqing had long since departed from the eastern gate, heading towards the Magic Beast Mountain Range and vanishing among its peaks.
On the mountain behind the Xiao Clan estate.
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on a clifftop, tinkering with a pile of items before him, the sound of clanking metal echoing in the air. There were only two or three items, but they took up all the space in front of him. There was a two-meter-long great halberd engraved with dragons, a suit of fiery-red metal inner armor, and a metal hand-crossbow.
"How do you even begin to study something like this? How can it be so incredible?"
Xiao Yan marveled, curiously handling the soft and comfortable inner armor and the crossbow before stroking the dragon-carved shaft of the halberd. He then spoke to the empty air beside him.
"Teacher, you are wise and experienced. Have you figured out the secret behind these Monster Core Armaments?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a wisp of white smoke slowly appeared and coalesced into the ethereal form of a middle-aged man in blue robes. His hair and beard were white, yet he did not look old.
"Hehe, although I have never seen such weapons and armor before, my spiritual perception allows me to grasp a thing or two about them."
"That friend of yours, Zhou Changqing, is quite the genius. To be able to combine monster cores, array patterns, and metal to forge armaments that can unleash considerable power without relying on the wielder's own strength is remarkable."
"Speaking of which, these armaments are rather similar to a weapon in my collection, though the materials are worlds apart." As Yao Lao looked at the armaments, a strange light flashed in his ancient eyes, and his words were filled with genuine praise.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's interest was piqued. He looked at Yao Lao and asked, "Teacher, you have a weapon like this too? What's it like? Can I see it?"
"It's similar, but not exactly the same," Yao Lao said, shaking his head. "My weapon is made of a special material, a fire-attribute meteorite known as Flame Meteorite Iron. Although this weapon is extremely hard and possesses some unique effects, its power amplification cannot compare to these Monster Core Armaments before you."
"However, if you want it, I can give it to you after you break through to the Dou Zhe stage."
At this, Xiao Yan's interest waned considerably. According to Old Zhou, the weapons in front of him were peak Tier-2. A Dou Zhe equipped with them could fight a Dou Shi to a standstill, and even had a decent chance of killing one. In comparison, the weapon Yao Lao spoke of seemed far inferior.
Yao Lao naturally noticed Xiao Yan's disdain and tapped him on the head irritably. "You brat, don't fail to recognize a true treasure."
"Young friend Zhou's weapons are indeed impressive, but their materials are merely metals that are a cut above ordinary iron. Although I don't know what method he used to greatly improve their quality, they are nothing compared to Flame Meteorite Iron. These armaments are useful for the Dou Zhe and Dou Shi stages, but they will have little effect once you reach the Da Dou Shi stage."
As if used to being hit, Xiao Yan didn't feel much pain. He pursed his lips and muttered, "That's good enough. If you sold these, they'd probably be worth hundreds of thousands. Besides, I suspect Old Zhou has even better stuff. That guy always likes to hide his best cards."
"Teacher, have you ever heard of a profession called 'Artificer' before?" As he spoke, a hint of reminiscence flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes before he asked his question.
In his previous life, he had read many novels where alchemy and artifact refinement were common professions. He had originally thought that the Dou Qi Continent only had Alchemists, but Old Zhou's treasured weapons and Monster Core Armaments, coupled with the special weapon Yao Lao mentioned, made him suspect that the path of artifact refinement might also exist in this world.
Yao Lao shook his head. "No, I've only ever heard of blacksmiths. An Artificer? That's an interesting name. Is it supposed to be the weapon-crafting equivalent of an Alchemist? You have quite an imagination, little one."
"There isn't one?"
Xiao Yan fell silent. He had a feeling that Old Zhou's path of weapon forging might not end with just Monster Core Armaments.
"That guy, Old Zhou… he couldn't be about to become the forefather of artifact refinement on the Dou Qi Continent, could he? If he's really that amazing, that would be incredible."
"What are you thinking? If one could truly refine magical artifacts and treasures like those in cultivation novels, the Dou Qi Continent wouldn't only have Alchemists."
Shaking his head to dispel the shocking thought, Xiao Yan stood up and gazed at the distant, mist-shrouded mountains. He murmured softly, "Old Zhou, stay safe out there. I'm still waiting for you to come see me be awesome at the three-year agreement…"