Chapter 36 Small Target: The Richest Man in Aurora City

Mo Tong's expression was a bit complicated and somewhat helpless. This didn't seem like Wang Feng at all. Money to be made and not taken?

Is there a side effect to this medicine?

Old Wang appeared calm on the surface but was pained inside. It wasn't that he didn't want to make money; damn it, he was handicapped now, and one order was too much to handle.

Besides, limiting purchases can stimulate consumption.

Honestly, he needed to find a way to improve his production efficiency. As a truly groundbreaking talent, time was money, and a success rate of only ten percent was frustrating.

It was all about the money. If he had enough capital and power, he could have Fantasia rent a magic pharmacy and hire ten or eight alchemists, not necessarily strong ones, just beginners. Then he could casually throw in a couple of formulas, and the money would start rolling in!

Damn, maybe before returning to Earth, he could become the richest man in Aurora City and enjoy it for a while. Though the scale was small, it was still being the richest man!

Every morning, a mermaid on the left would hold mouthwash, a catgirl on the right would kneel with a towel, and after getting out of bed, a Celestial girl would help him get dressed, calling him "Master" sweetly. That life, hmm...

Old Wang, chin in hand, was so engrossed in his thoughts that he started chuckling.

"The first-order runes you've already learned about, but theory and imitation are just the basics. Actual drawing is the most important part of learning."

Li Sitan was lecturing on the podium, having covered most of the theoretical aspects. For beginners, practice was even more crucial.

"Experts might be able to draw runes freehand, but for ordinary rune masters, a soul-engraving knife is essential for drawing runes."

On the podium lay a set of six soul-engraving knives, all nearly identical in shape, without sharp edges, both ends hollowed slightly inward, resembling long chopsticks with rune-like patterns carved into them.

The six soul-engraving knives differed in material—some were wooden, some metallic, some ceramic, and some crystal-clear, all neatly arranged in a large box.

"A basic set of soul-engraving knives usually consists of six, numbered 1 to 6 based on different materials, designed to match different elemental runes."

Li Sitan picked up one of them, a wooden soul-engraving knife with a dark green hue.

"Take the wooden No. 3 soul-engraving knife as an example. Besides its internal soul force conversion design, the tube is engraved with hollow tree blessing runes. Made from spirit wood, it's best suited for engraving wood, wind, and lightning runes, often achieving twice the result with half the effort."

"Now, who knows which soul-engraving knife we should use to engrave Liqibao's witchcraft?" Li Sitan looked at the three junior brothers and sisters below. Mo Tong was excited, his face flushed red, raising his hand high.

"Mo Tong."

"For Liqibao's witchcraft, which has a soul force amplification effect, we should use the No. 6 soul-engraving knife. Made from α-grade soul crystals, which are condensed from underground soul veins, it's perfect for engraving soul force amplification runes and is the largest among the six."

"Mo Tong, you're correct," Li Sitan nodded. "Today, let's try Liqibao's witchcraft."

Sitting down, Mo Tong felt elated. After a week of studying, today's knowledge finally came in handy, earning him praise.

Indeed, Mahoraga was Mahoraga, completely outclassing others. With a little effort, he could soon surpass Wang Feng in Li Sitan's eyes!

He couldn't help but glance at Wang Feng, expecting to see shock, but instead saw a pair of dead fish eyes. The guy was daydreaming again.

Truly hopeless!

After reading more books these days,

Mo Tong felt his awareness had improved. He was rising, and shouldn't waste time reporting on such a fallen person, lowering his own standards. Let him be. With his efforts, they would no longer be on the same level. Li Sitan and Yin Fu would soon realize who the true genius was!

"The use of soul-engraving knives is quite convenient. Infuse your soul force into the knife, and it will automatically convert into light through the internal rune channels, allowing you to engrave runes on any object."

Li Sitan skillfully wielded the crystalline soul-engraving pen, engraving on a Luluto, a spherical white beast with curly fur.

Lulutos have fluctuating soul force patterns and are rare beasts that react to runes. They are gentle and friendly towards humans, making them ideal for rune practice.

With a round belly and fleshy wings, Lulutos can grow as big as a puppy. The one Li Sitan held was about the size of a kitten, squeaking softly when pulled out.

"Lulu... Lulu..."

Its eyes closed, it seemed to enjoy Li Sitan's drawing on its body.

Yin Fu and Mo Tong watched intently, and the familiar squeaks brought Old Wang back from his daydreams.

A Luluto?

Old Wang chuckled. Back in the beginner village of Imperial Nine Heavens, this was a side quest reward for practicing runes. Many male players found the task too difficult and skipped it, but for female players, it was a must-have item, even hiring proxies to complete it. There was no other reason; they were cute and adorable, looks were everything.

In early Imperial Nine Heavens, if a female player didn't have a Luluto in a major city, she was likely a male player pretending. The streets were filled with "Lulu" calls, driving everyone mad.

Old Wang once found it annoying, wanting to turn off his headphones upon entering a city, but now hearing it again felt strangely comforting.

How does that saying go? If you're single long enough, even a sow looks pretty.

"The position of rune engraving matters. Speed-related runes are drawn on the legs, strength-related runes on the hands, and soul force-related runes on the soul sea. Lulutos, like humans, have a soul sea in their bellies."

"Soul force infusion should be slow, engraving swift. With a clear picture in mind, engraving becomes effortless."

Li Sitan's technique was meticulous, the design intricate. As he drew, he explained the details, finishing with a blue rune glowing on the Luluto, enveloped in a misty aura, making it appear slightly larger.

"Though Liqibao's witchcraft is a first-order rune, any rune involving soul force amplification is relatively difficult. A mistake could harm the subject."

"Senior brother, can I try?" Yin Fu, beside herself with excitement, felt inspired by Li Sitan's fluid technique, feeling she had integrated her foundational theories. She couldn't resist trying.

"Certainly." Li Sitan smiled, handing over the rune-engraving pen, putting the Luluto back in its cage to let the rune dissipate, and grabbing another one.

This Luluto on the table was quite docile. As a human-friendly beast, it had a keen sense of human souls, recognizing and choosing people.

The little creature seemed to like Yin Fu, sensing the purity in her soul. When she gently touched it, it hesitated briefly before lying on its back, belly exposed, paws curled, motionless, like a proud concubine awaiting favor.

Girls couldn't resist such cuteness. Yin Fu couldn't help petting it, feeling the warm, fine fur on its belly, smooth and soft.

A faint blue soul force emerged from the soul-engraving knife.

Engraving, inlaying, leveling, carving...

From his movements to the coordination of his soul power, it was clear that Yin Fu's techniques were quite orthodox. Although the Eight Families' rune level was not high, they could still teach beginners. However, when faced with a teacher of Li Sitan's caliber, the gap became evident.

Too rigid and mechanical, she had learned too strictly and lacked adaptability and spirit. Yet, she should have been highly gifted. These habits were formed by inflexible teachers who only taught the surface without delving into the essence of runes.

Sure enough, after Yin Fu completed the pattern and activated it with soul power, the crystalline rune array did not shine but quickly dissipated.

"Overall, it's quite good, but it lacks some spirit," Li Sitan said with a smile. "The pattern is overly rigid and textbook-like, lacking basic spirit. It's too deliberate. Runes are merely an external form; what truly brings them to life is the soul infused with effort. This cannot be achieved quickly."

"My suggestion is to reduce the use of engraving and inlaying techniques and only use leveling techniques. Using the simplest method, the result won't be perfect, but by abandoning rigid techniques, you can free up more energy to focus on the soulful essence of rune carving. For beginners, understanding the essence is far more important than mastering rigid techniques."

Yin Fu nodded in understanding and tried again.

Taking Li Sitan's advice, she abandoned the elaborate standard techniques and used only the simplest leveling method, focusing more on the rune itself.

This time, her speed was noticeably faster. The rune was less elaborate but had a smoother flow.

Slow and meticulous work does not apply to rune crafting. Truly excellent rune masters do not necessarily seek speed, but they certainly do not aim for slow, meticulous adjustments.

Li Sitan nodded approvingly. This girl indeed had potential; with just a bit of guidance, she had already grasped the essence, albeit at a basic level. This time, it should succeed.

A minute later, a light blue rune finally shone on Luluto's belly.