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Ja Sun continuously meditated for three hours straight. He didn't leave after Ah Yin set her domain up. Though Ja Sun was aching to know about her domain, he was aching to get to know many things about Ah Yin either way so he didn't even push the matter instead set up his mental defenses in the tent and pumped his fist.
There was no blue silver grass within the tent. Ja Sun's rotten mental energy proved the most effective against any mental probes for the quality of his mental energy is similar to a poison to others.
The rewards of today's mission followed soon.
[Objective: Assist Bibi Dong, Hu Lana, Xie Xan, Liu Erlong, and Ah Yin in wiping out the beasttaken tribe and find an enclosed space privately to pump your fists.
Optional Objectives:
1) Accomplish objective without the said members remaining unscathed.
2) Accomplish objective without utilizing Astral Combatant.
3) Accomplish objective without using the first three spirit skills.
4) Accomplish objective without using Nightmare's Fantasy skull bone.
Mission Rank: A-S-S-S-S
Mission Rewards: 6000-year-old Cyan Wolf Left Arm Spirit Bone—A shard of Life Gold Crystal—Extreme Phantom Shadow Technique—2nd Grade Mystical Light Wisdom Orchid—Mask of Mischievous Deity.]
Using his fantasy skull bone didn't raise any waves in Ja Sun's heart now. He silently stared at the extremely familiar Cyan Wolf Bone forming in front of him and stored it quietly. Though lamentable, Ja Sun did understand that he wasn't the kind to give his treasures, and even if he wanted Liu Erlong to grow since she is a valued and talented teammate, it didn't push him to the limits of charity. If a spirit bone was discovered in a wilderness where everyone contributed and they received a spirit bone that could be helpful to Liu Erlong then naturally, Ja Sun had no issue simply giving it up. There is a fine line between being petty and not wanting to spread one's wealth without any regard.
The second and most important reward began to form and Ja Sun alongside the two owls instantly felt refreshed. Olivia's and Caihong's body wished to move towards the emerald crystal that exuded boundless and extremely warm life force, much similar to Ah Yin's own quality, and yet, for the first time, the mother-son pair felt the danger that every prey, Human-tongue Owls more so, feel when they enter the range of an absolute predator.
Their feathers stood up slightly but they couldn't hoot. They couldn't scream. They couldn't move and they didn't wish to move because this sense of majestic pressure came from the individual that the two were following.
The owls' hearts were forcefully calmed as Ja Sun silently held the thin and long shard of the Life Gold, almost as long as his index finger, and stored it in a storage space without anything else. Since he was planning to use this shard anyway, he didn't prepare any special case to contain it. Glancing at the two greedy owls for a moment, Ja Sun smiled and continued without any worries. He would truly be a fool if he didn't understand how to guard his treasures. A beast always acts on instincts once the item of its desire is placed in front of it. Caihong and Olivia did what their instincts demanded.
So did Ja Sun. They wanted the Shard of Life Gold and Ja Sun's presence surpassed the two owls' by far.
The Extreme Phantom Shadow Technique, as Ja Sun expected, was a technique left by Extreme Phantom Douluo. This fellow must truly be a talent of the generation to be able to create such magnificent techniques. Extreme Phantom Shadow Technique happened to be a movement technique of a quality higher than Storm Steps and Ja Sun definitely intended to learn it, too.
Finally, the last reward of the day appeared in front of him.
It appeared in a small pot filled with pitch-black dirt with thin stalk growing and tilting sideways and yellow-white orchid blooms blossoming over the shifted stalk at the upper and tilted end. A dense spirit energy filled the room but this time, instead of thirst, the trio within the tent was hit by a wave of lightness and satisfaction.
Any herb above the age of 10000-years of cultivation is classified as an immortal herb and from then on, they are divided into grades. Each grade meant that the immortal herb has cultivated enough to match the effects of another 10000 years.
The 2nd Grade Mystical Light Wisdom Orchid is an immortal herb with the cultivation equivalent of 20000 years with its effect particularly suitable for pure light-attributed spirit masters and spirit beasts. Ja Sun's own attributes matched this orchid deeply but a consumption of immortal herb needs to be carefully determined. In life, once an immortal herb is consumed, if the individual wishes to consume another one, they need to consider the first immortal herb itself because the effects of immortal herbs completely change one's body with their medicinal effects. Should Ja Sun consume this Immortal Herb now, his martial soul will be heavily shifted to the light attribute but that wasn't what he wanted.
Spirit Attribute is the Three-eyed Silver Lion's major attribute and Ja Sun wished to continue to grow strong and possibly evolve like Ah Yin based on this attribute itself. If Light and Spatial Attributes were so amazing, they would have long affected his martial soul's development but they didn't and most likely couldn't.
Presently, this orchid was the most amazing present for only one fellow— Bright Goddess Butterfly.
Light flashed between Ja Sun's eyebrows and the skull-sized Bright Goddess Butterfly flew out obediently. Landing on the orchid, the large butterfly with a beautiful golden-white carapace for its body began absorbing the effects of the immortal herb. Her cultivation now surpassed 16000 years so this 2nd Grade Light-attributed immortal herb happened to be an amazing cultivation resource for her.
Seeing the treasure being put to good use, Ja Sun finally started planning his own advancement.
With everything he had, the first and foremost upgrade was definitely booked by his physique and he had just the right items to finally push his physique over the edge.
With a wave of his hand, Ja Sun brought a chunk of a dark ore that gave a dark golden hue while stubbornly encased in a dark-crystal-like shell.
This is the S-ranked reward Ja Sun earned from beating Tang Hao in his bet: Titanium Crystal.
Ja Sun's body had changed for the better once he refined the Vajra Gauntlets as his blood artifact using the Crystal of War God's Essence. He still recalled the so-called God of War. That situation is still quite strange for him. That island and the golden light beneath it. The fight itself was strange. What mattered, however, is that Ja Sun knew he somehow, fortunately, robbed the person who called himself God of War. His body acquired an innate quality that would share the benefits of one part to every corner. Meaning, if he only refines his blood, the boost to his blood would be equally reduced to match the tempering of his body and Vajra Gauntlets.
This also meant that if Ja Sun improved Vajra Gauntlets, it would affect his body as a whole.
But how is this possible?
The answer lied in one thing Ja Sun had been striving for a long time— Digestion of his gains.
In Star Luo Palace, Ja Sun defeated Tang Hao in a refining bet. This earned him multiple ores out of which, two ores filled with yang essence were absorbed by Fiery Golden Pupils to reach the second level of the technique: Golden. Alongside this, he also obtained stumps of Purple Cloud Wood which helped strengthen his entire physique as a whole.
Next, he defeated Taiyin after making a fatal wager. In this wager, he obtained four spirit bones from the Imperial Clan and two spirit bones from his trait. He also obtained the dagger made from the Bite of Jinx Serpent and absorbed all the poison to refine his blood, the effects of which were forcibly transferred to his entire body once again, and his physique was strengthened relatively.
Then, Qian Daoliu gifted him an inheritance for a job well done. This booklet was truly important as it described the Blood Artifacts and their potential. This was something not described within Dragon's Observation since that particular tome only detailed every path of human cultivation and the possible deviations and enhancements. It was simply filled with the experience of multiple cultivation paths and not blood artifacts like Vajra Gauntlet.
It could be said that Ja Sun had barely digested all of his gains yet. Just the two 80000-year-old arm spirit bones constituted half the benefits.
But Ja Sun did plan to digest the other half.
Titanium Crystal, a rare ore that is heavily condensed to the point that hair-like thin strands of crystal condense within its structure and stick together to look like the various direction of smaller plates, represented this other half of benefits.
A blood artifact can be continuously refined. It can be added with materials. But since Blood Artifact comes in various sizes based on the user's choice, the refinement of every blood artifact is different.
Ja Sun's blood artifact is a pair of gauntlets that cannot appear outside of his body like a sword. It cannot be let go of since it covers his palms. So, the refinement of such an item would have been to strike one's palm with a hammer, push it in a furnace and quench it within oil.
But not for Ja Sun.
He didn't pursue the profession of Blacksmithing but Array Refining.
Compared to him, beings like Tang Hao or Lou Gao were definitely better in blacksmithing but Ja Sun was simply too good of an array refiner. Since Ja Sun's arrays are based on smithing for the moment, the best way to gain more blueprints of arrays and expand his knowledge was by sticking to his strength and create multiple low-ranked additional objectives based on array refining.
This is what he did.
Setting up a mission on refining the Titanium Crystal, Ja Sun pulled out his Sigh of Immortal to keep him full of spirit energy and instantly created an array.
This time, the array was different than an ordinary smithing array shaped in a floating circle.
Ja Sun was surrounded by mystical lines of spirit energy shaped in the form of a cauldron. The white lines of spirit energy crisscrossed and covered Ja Sun within as if aiming to temper himself.
This was none other than the greatest array blueprint known to Ja Sun aside from Final Buddha Array and the Myriad Step Refining Array: The War God's Cauldron Array.
The War God is deviously known for his art of refining and smithing, too. This array, if the description of the blueprint is correct, was developed by the so-called God of Blacksmithing. A perfect refinement array capable of drawing an unending amount of spirit energy from the user to develop the best product hence making the energy storage tool such as Sigh of Immortal reveal its greatest use.
Closing his eyes, Ja Sun began refining the Titanium Crystal itself to raise its quality, and only then will he start refining the Vajra Gauntlets.
---
"Sigh... that bloke really doesn't have his memories, huh," Xie Xan looked at the middle-aged Spirit Emperor sleeping silently while Bibi Dong nodded.
"But it was because of his martial soul that we were trapped in the illusion. This means that the controller is most likely the corpse or else, this corpse was a distraction and the true mastermind has long left," Hu Lana added.
"Not really. If Hint of Evil is really a secretive organization, it must have ways to prevent the leak of information. Considering that the illusion of the red-haired man we saw happened to be related to the Hint of Evil then... it can be assumed that this man unintentionally let out critical information and was dealt by some mystical means placed within his body," Bibi Dong mumbled.
"Creepy," Liu Erlong clicked her tongue.
"Anyway, since Ka-ul has asked for seven days, we all will cultivate, too," Bibi Dong shook her head and then glanced at the sleeping middle-aged man, "I will take him to the Spirit Temple of the Dragon Rising City tomorrow. Maybe someone within the hall has the skill to recover lost memories. Now, take turns to look over him. Since his hands and feet are bound by Spirit Blocking ropes, he won't be able to mobilize spirit energy.
Erlong, follow me," she directed everyone and then left with Erlong.
A little distance away from the tent, she looked at Erlong and inquired with a smile, "Did you manage to trade with Ka-ul?"
Liu Erlong pursed her lips instantly. Her reaction indicated the failure on the matter and Bibi Dong sighed softly.
"In reality, that spirit bone really is amazing for you but I also agree with Ka-ul's greed. None of us should be expected to just hand out treasures like spirit bones and the fact that he is even willing to trade means that he won't be using those spirit bones on himself anytime soon. But you're almost a Spirit King. So, this spirit bone's value is higher for you."
"I know all of this!" Liu Erlong almost lashed out but faced with calmly smiling Bibi Dong, she felt her anger stifled.
"I will help you gain that spirit bone. You have two spirit bones right now, but there is a possibility that you may have to procure another one to compensate Ka-ul with later on."
Liu Erlong blinked before she became excited, "Teacher, you have another spirit bone?"
"At the start of our training, Ka-ul looted all my wealth... do you think I can still have a spirit bone?" Bibi Dong's lips twitched.
"I see..." Liu Erlong's gaze flickered. Whatever Bibi Dong's methods included, she must have a bit of confidence to proclaim as such so Erlong didn't pursue. But a bit of hesitation still remained in her heart and she finally voiced it.
"Given everything, you should be suppressing me, right? Though I have renounced my clan and cut off my ties with them..."
"Listen well," Bibi Dong's gaze turned strict and a sense of pressure instantly made Liu Erlong's head buzz, "Since I allowed you on this training with all of us, it already means I no longer care about your affiliations. After the competition, go back to your clan if you want and see if I care. The same is for Hu Lana, Xie Xan, Ah Yin, and Ka-ul. I'm your teacher first and a comrade later. Things like distrust for me don't matter anymore."
Don't get close to those you don't trust.
Never distrust those you have finally gotten close to.
Mixing these both concepts is a complicated matter that often blows upon one's face.
Liu Erlong's eyes widened momentarily before she tilted her head, "Then what about the other spirit bones?"
"When their use is greatest for the group, I will naturally talk with him once again. Although, he will definitely demand a pound of flesh," Bibi Dong gave a hollow chuckled and she felt Erlong's gaze roaming over her body.
"Well... you wouldn't lose your touch, teacher," Liu Erlong uncharacteristically praised as Bibi Dong's cheeks felt a little warmer.
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