Watching the spirit of this boundless sword radiance grow cleverer had given me quite a sense of accomplishment. Under my influence, it seemed to have developed certain patterns of behavior, and I had consequently managed to figure out its temperament. It was a willful Fruit King, after all. As a mutant, it naturally looked down on most other abnormal beings. But toward its own kind, whom I had conjured into existence, it felt protective—though naturally, only on the condition that it remained the one in charge.
"Heh. A king's dignity?" I smiled faintly as I watched it interact with the various figures conjured by my Phantom Sword, Heavenly Illusion. I found it rather amusing.
It no longer intended to transform into the form of a sword-fruit. It seemed that beings who awakened beyond ordinary lifeforms were born with an affinity for human form. Perhaps that was because of the beauty inherent in the human shape, or because it better suited the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao.
This artifact spirit also possessed a king's pursuit of beauty. Though the human forms it conjured changed constantly, they were all ultimately variations of those few imposing figures. In the end, it even developed a form it considered perfect.
A human figure whose appearance was impossible to distinguish as male or female, yet exquisite to the extreme. That was its final form.
"You're quite beautiful, I'll give you that. But you're still vastly different from us, so I hope you won't forget that." I naturally gave it a timely warning.
The artifact spirit narrowed its eyes halfway, still regarding me with some distrust. I smiled faintly and said, "What? Have you forgotten the suffering I made you taste?"
A trace of anger appeared on the artifact spirit's face. I chuckled and said, "Although I'm