At this thought, a faint smile tugged at Dai Chengfeng's lips as he closed his eyes, instantly activating his spiritual power.
When he opened his eyes again, golden light flickered within them—he had entered the micro-perception state.
Everything around him seemed to slow down, and his observational abilities became incredibly acute.
Even the gentle swaying of leaves in the wind or the fluttering of insect wings—every detail was crystal clear to Dai Chengfeng.
"Let me see what special treasure lies hidden here, worthy of attracting someone from one of the top three sects, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect."
Compared to the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda's reliance on intuition—
Dai Chengfeng, who had already locked onto his target, perfectly utilized the advantage of micro-perception.
With just one glance,
Dai Chengfeng noticed something unusual about a broken weapon buried beneath a pile of scrap metal and miscellaneous items.
The weapon was mostly concealed, with only a small section of its handle visible. It was pitch black and seemingly ordinary.
However.
Upon closer inspection, Dai Chengfeng couldn't detect any cracks or impurities on this section of the handle, setting it apart entirely from the surrounding scrap.
Instantly, his heart began to race, and he hurried forward.
He realized he might have stumbled upon something extraordinary!
After all, such a weapon could either be made of a rare material like natural meteoric iron or crafted by a master smith to achieve such perfection.
In either case, it meant this weapon was far from ordinary.
Just as Dai Chengfeng approached, the middle-aged man from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect's eyes lit up with joy.
His body instinctively leaned forward, and he quickly bent down, his hand darting toward the pile of junk like lightning.
And his target? The unassuming spear handle.
However, Dai Chengfeng was faster…
Before the man's hand could reach the handle, Dai Chengfeng had already firmly grasped it.
"It's not a spear?"
As the item came into his hands, Dai Chengfeng pulled it out completely from beneath the pile, only to discover that the weapon wasn't a spear but a halberd—a Heaven-Splitting Halberd.
"Hmm, more accurately, a broken Heaven-Splitting Halberd…"
Dai Chengfeng felt a twinge of regret.
Looking closely, the halberd's crescent blade was riddled with countless nicks, as if it had endured countless brutal battles.
However, aside from the crescent blade, the rest of the weapon was surprisingly intact. The halberd shaft, in particular, felt solid and comfortable in his grip.
The only downside was that it was still quite light.
But Dai Chengfeng didn't mind. After all, this Heaven-Splitting Halberd would need to be reforged; otherwise, the damaged crescent blade rendered it unusable.
"When it's recast, adding some special dense iron should meet my requirements."
With that thought, Dai Chengfeng nodded in satisfaction.
Meanwhile,
The middle-aged man from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect stared in disbelief at his empty hand. His expression shifted from excitement to astonishment.
Slowly raising his head, he looked at Dai Chengfeng, who had beaten him to the weapon, and muttered inwardly.
"This kid… how did he pinpoint the target so accurately and move so fast?"
"Could it be… that he also discovered the secret of this halberd?"
But soon, the man shook his head slightly, refusing to believe it.
After all, how could that be?
This halberd appeared utterly broken and ordinary. Even with the unique ability of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, he had only just discovered its uniqueness.
How could this young boy, who didn't look particularly remarkable, have found it first?
"Impossible, absolutely impossible. It must have been a coincidence…"
With that thought, he forced a smile and took a few steps toward Dai Chengfeng. "Young friend, I quite fancy this halberd."
"Though it's battered and useless as a weapon, I think it'd make a fine collector's item."
"But since you got your hands on it first, I won't forcibly take it from you."
"How about this—I'll give you one gold soul coin for it."
Hearing this, Dai Chengfeng chuckled. "One gold soul coin?"
"That's right! A full gold soul coin!"
The man assumed Dai Chengfeng's laughter indicated interest, but a moment later, he was stunned.
Without hesitation, Dai Chengfeng flatly refused. "Not for sale!"
The middle-aged man immediately grew anxious.
"Something that elicited such a strong reaction from the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda must be extraordinary…"
Suppressing his anticipation, he calmly spoke again. "We can negotiate the price. If you're not satisfied, I can offer more. I won't let you lose out."
"After all, this is just a broken weapon—it's completely unusable."
"And you should know about the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, right?"
"I hold some status within the sect. As long as you're willing to sell, we can discuss favorable terms…"
At this moment, Zhu Fan strode forward, standing protectively in front of Dai Chengfeng, his expression stern.
"What about the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect?"
"Are you trying to intimidate us with your status?"
"If Chengfeng says it's not for sale, then it's not for sale. Stop pestering him, or don't blame me for being rude!"
As he spoke, Zhu Fan's soul power surged outward like a flood, instantly enveloping the entire blacksmith shop with an overwhelming pressure.
Feeling Zhu Fan's immense soul power, the middle-aged man maintained his smile, though a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"A protector of strength?"
"It seems this youth isn't an ordinary soul master…"
Thinking this, the man sighed. "Very well."
"Since you refuse to sell, so be it. I suppose this item wasn't meant for me."
After speaking, he curiously turned to Dai Chengfeng. "I'm curious, young man—how did you discover this item's uniqueness so quickly?"
"You know, I possess the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda martial soul, yet even I almost missed it and had to search for a while."
Dai Chengfeng's lips curved slightly, his tone calm and unhurried. "This Heaven-Splitting Halberd may appear broken on the surface…"
"But upon careful observation, you'll notice it has almost no impurities."
"The absence of impurities means that this halberd surpasses other weapons in hardness, sharpness, and efficiency in conducting soul power."
The middle-aged man nodded in understanding, admiration gleaming in his eyes. "Impressive observational skills! I didn't expect you to be such an expert, young man."
As he spoke, he pulled out a token engraved with the image of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda and handed it to Dai Chengfeng. "I am Ning Fengyuan, one of the inner sect elders of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect…"
"Though we competed for this item today, it's also a kind of fate."
"Since that's the case, let's form a friendly connection. If you ever visit the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect in the future, show this token, and you'll find me."
"With your keen eye, who knows? We might even have opportunities to collaborate in the future."
Dai Chengfeng nodded. After all, he had effectively intercepted the man's discovery. Without him, Dai Chengfeng wouldn't have bothered inspecting the pile of junk.
Thus, he accepted the token. "Elder Ning, if I get the chance, I'll visit the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect."
"That's good."
Ning Fengyuan smiled and nodded, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then took his leave.
As soon as Ning Fengyuan departed, Zhu Fan eagerly stepped forward.
Curiosity filled his face as he asked Dai Chengfeng, "Chengfeng, is this halberd really a treasure?"
"But…"
He carefully examined the Heaven-Splitting Halberd in Dai Chengfeng's hands. "No matter how I look at it, it just seems like a piece of junk. I don't see anything special about it."
Dai Chengfeng chuckled. "This is a rare treasure!"
As he spoke,
Dai Chengfeng held the halberd with both hands and tentatively infused his soul power into it, wanting to test how well this unique metal conducted soul energy.
However, the next second—
Dai Chengfeng's pupils contracted, and his face filled with astonishment. "My soul power… it's being absorbed?"
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