Looking at the formal matters concluded, the Black Dragon Emperor took out a set of women's battle armor that looked extraordinary.
The armor was pieced together from gold and black scales, with a majestic dragon head carved on each shoulder guard.
Accompanying the armor was a long spear, with a black shaft and a golden spearhead nearly a meter long.
Lightning crackled and flashed ceaselessly on the spear, clearly marking it as a formidable weapon.
Zhang Lingxiu had adopted a gentle and dignified demeanor, fitting for someone who would rule an empire, for the sake of the Lin family and Lin Zhan's imperial status.
However, in her heart, this girl was a Valkyrie. Her true desire was to conquer battlefields wielding a spear.
Upon seeing the spear and armor set, she was overjoyed, her face beaming as she thanked the Black Dragon Emperor, "Thank you, Master."
Then, after receiving the armor and spear, Zhang Lingxiu frowned and asked, "Master, the armor is forged from dragon scales, and it seems to be from you and Second Master. But these golden scales are...?"
The Black Dragon Emperor chuckled and interrupted Zhang Lingxiu's words, saying,
"Your Second Master and I have both advanced to the Imperial rank. During our advancement, we chose Thunderbolt Body Refinement. These are the scales shed after the baptism of thunder. Not only are they strong in defense, but they also carry thunder elements, perfect for you to use."
"As for the golden scales, including the spearhead of this long spear, they belong to that old rascal Jin Ao. That old boy has also advanced to the Imperial rank and came to show off to your Second Master and me. Coincidentally, we were forging battle armor for you and felt we were short on materials."
"Your Second Master and I beat up that old boy and coincidentally pulled out one of his teeth to use as the spearhead. Jin Ao is from the Golden Dragon clan and naturally possesses thunder talent. We originally thought it would be perfect for you, but then we discovered your water element talent."
"When your Second Master and I have time, we'll visit the Black Tortoise clan and beat up that old boy Xuan Ming. We'll pry off some more materials from him, and then forge you a helmet to complete the set. As for boots, let Chang Ru help you get them. The Phoenix Wing Black Bird Boots from Great Shang are famous throughout the heavens."
Zhang Lingxiu could only offer a wry smile. Her masters were content to use materials shed from themselves, why did they have to go around fighting and prying things off others?
Lin Zhan, with a fawning expression, looked at the Black Dragon Emperor and said, "Ancestor, what about me?"
The Black Dragon Emperor cast a glance at Lin Zhan and said irritably, "Scram."
"Alright."
Young Master Lin obediently shuffled to the side and squatted down. He then took out his Xuan Bird Wenpei and shouted into it,
"Ancestor, your great-granddaughter-in-law has advanced to Diamond! The Black Dragon Emperor brothers are giving her battle armor and a spear. If you ancestors don't show some generosity, our Great Shang will be outshone."
Elder Jianmu looked at the spear in Zhang Lingxiu's hand and said, "Girl, let this old man have a look at the spear."
With a wave of his hand, the spear flew to Elder Jianmu's hand.
Elder Jianmu shook the spear and then shook his head, saying, "Little Blacky's artifact forging techniques are passable, but the spear shaft is a bit lacking."
Then, the elder shook the spear again, directly removing the spearhead, and beckoned to his main body not far away.
A straight and symmetrical tree branch, about two meters long, fell into the elder's hand.
A flash of lightning, and the branch merged with the spearhead, elevating the entire spear to another level.
The Black Dragon Emperor looked at the spear and gave Elder Jianmu a thumbs-up, saying, "Ancestor, you're still the boss! Your technique is incredible."
Elder Jianmu chuckled, "Alright, stop with the flattery. This old man isn't taken in by that."
However, the smile on the elder's face clearly indicated that he did enjoy the flattery and welcomed more kind words.
Elder Jianmu turned to Zhang Lingxiu and said, "Girl, you are a good child. But in your position, you will inevitably cause bloodshed in the future, just like that scoundrel. This ancestor has used my main body to forge the spear shaft for you."
"From now on, when you use this spear to kill enemies, you will not be tainted by karma. All the bloodshed you cause will be dissolved by the power of destiny, and it will not affect you in any way. You have the demeanor of an empress, and I hope you will consider the interests of Huaxia in the future."
Zhang Lingxiu quickly bowed deeply to Elder Jianmu, thanking him,
"Thank you for your love, Ancestor. But girl would like to say one thing. I hope Ancestor can bestow this grace upon my husband. He fights on the battlefield for the human race, and he needs this to resolve his sins."
Lin Zhan looked at Zhang Lingxiu's actions and was deeply moved: "My own wife is still the best. Everything else is secondary."
He then quickly took out the Cheng Ying saber, the Fierce Sun saber, the Flying Shark twin blades, Dragon Scales, and over a hundred flying spears from his two armguards, along with eighty flying daggers, two axes, and a series of other weapons fit for hooligans and bandits.
Several people looked at Lin Zhan's actions and couldn't help but twitch their eyebrows.
Ancestor Yan Di said irritably, "This scoundrel truly never has enough when it comes to taking advantage. He's insatiable."
Elder Jianmu said to Zhang Lingxiu, "Girl, don't force it. This kid is beyond saving. If all else fails, you should remarry."
Lin Zhan was stunned upon hearing this, "Ancestor, don't joke like that."
Elder Jianmu stared with wide eyes and roared, "You scoundrel were the one joking with this ancestor first, weren't you? You keep pulling things out. What, do you want to chop off this ancestor's main body?"
Lin Zhan looked back at the pile of sharp, edged, angular, and thorny items he had taken out. There were over a thousand of them, and he started to feel a bit embarrassed himself.
He quickly said to Elder Jianmu, "Ancestor, you misunderstand. I took out all my weapons because I wanted you to help me appraise them and see which ones are worth upgrading."
The Black Dragon Emperor stared dumbfounded at Young Master Lin's masterful move, "Holy crap, you can talk like that? You're truly shameless, kid."
Ancestor Yan Di patted Elder Jianmu's shoulder and said, "Old friend, hurry up and finish with this kid, then make him scram. He's confusing me."
Elder Jianmu nodded, "I find this scoundrel rather infuriating too."
With that, he flicked a saber, identical to the Cheng Ying, towards Lin Zhan.
Lin Zhan caught the saber and immediately struck a stance from the 'Eight Directions of Wilderness' move, then practiced a set of saber techniques.
Afterward, he carefully examined the saber in his hand.
He found that this saber was much heavier than the Cheng Ying, and its length was nearly half a meter longer.
The saber not only carried wind elements but also a strong thunderous power.
The two combined to form a powerful wind and thunder momentum, thus its power was several times greater than the wind-element-only Cheng Ying.
Young Master Lin was enamored with this precious saber, unable to put it down, and let out a pure... well, a silly grin.
"Heh heh, a good treasure, I've gotten a great deal."