Artifact Spirit

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Artifact Spirit (器灵)
Alias(es)	Artifact Spirit of the Nine-layered Palace; Kirin
Species/Race	Artifact Spirit
Affiliation	Nine-layered Palace; formerly bound to Xuantian
Occupation/Role	Guardian of the Nine-layered Palace and Xuantian’s Inheritance Land; claimant to Xuantian’s inheritance
Status	Alive
First Appearance	514

Background / History

The Artifact Spirit is an anomaly born within the Nine-layered Palace after developing independent consciousness. It regards this awakening as justification to claim the inheritance left behind by Xuantian for itself. 514

Long before Lin Xuan reached the Ninth Layer, it had prepared to eliminate any prodigy capable of passing the palace’s trials. Its principal safeguard was an ancient character from Xuantian’s inheritance—a trump card intended for successful trial-takers that the Artifact Spirit stole and made its own. 520 521

Despite its self-interest, the Artifact Spirit remains protected by a promise made by another, vastly stronger Artifact Spirit to Xuantian. That promise prevents the latter from simply killing it. 553

Appearance

The Artifact Spirit initially manifests as an enormous white face suspended in the sky of its white world. It is later associated with a Kirin form and can merge with the ancient character it stole. 514 519 521

• A cold, indifferent white face when addressing intruders. 514
• A Kirin manifestation capable of releasing white aura. 519
• When fused with the ancient character, it radiates a vastly heightened and oppressive aura. 521

Personality

The Artifact Spirit is possessive, proud, and intensely protective of Xuantian’s inheritance, not out of loyalty alone but because it believes obtaining the legacy is essential to its own ambitions and survival. It initially treats Lin Xuan with contempt, certain that its control of the Nine-layered Palace makes victory inevitable. 514 519 530

It is also cautious and calculating. Rather than blindly assaulting Lin Xuan after losing track of him, it forms a defensive shield, attempts to provoke him into revealing himself, and eventually offers a deal when its situation worsens. 523 525 534

Its confidence deteriorates into frustration and desperation as Lin Xuan exploits the limits of its mental power. The Artifact Spirit repeatedly regrets underestimating him, yet refuses surrender and is willing to damage its own foundation to prevent him from entering Xuantian’s Legacy ground. 522 531 535 539

Abilities & Skills

White World Domain

The Artifact Spirit controls the white world within the Nine-layered Palace, where it holds a substantial home-field advantage over intruders. 514 515

• Monitors challengers’ actions after they enter the Nine-layered Palace. 515
• Fills the domain with white aura capable of suppressing and attacking opponents. 514 521
• Can gather the white aura into an exceptionally durable defensive shield. 523
• Can shatter its own white world in a desperate attempt to expose Lin Xuan. 536
• Its reluctance to destroy the world becomes a tactical weakness when Lin Xuan hides within grey-white mist. 523

Spatial Power

Its white energy carries a power akin to Space Law, allowing it to counter and initially erase Lin Xuan’s grey-white mist. 514

• Prevents the mist from immediately spreading throughout the white world. 515
• Uses spatial authority to maintain control over its domain. 514 515
• Cannot permanently eliminate the mist after Lin Xuan has seeded it across the world. 519 520

Ancient Character Fusion

The Artifact Spirit stole an ancient character from Xuantian’s inheritance and can merge with it to amplify its white aura. 521

• The character enhances and transfers power to the Artifact Spirit. 521
• Its empowered aura can repeatedly destroy and suppress Lin Xuan’s grey-white mist. 521
• Activating the character can damage the Artifact Spirit itself and is not sustainable without cost. 526
• It uses the character at the cost of its foundation in a final attempt to bar Lin Xuan from Xuantian’s Legacy ground. 539

Mental Power and World Awareness

The Artifact Spirit can focus its mental power on guarding and scanning Xuantian’s inheritance. 530 531

• Attempts to become the Heavenly Dao of the white world to locate Lin Xuan. 526
• Can search individual wisps of grey-white mist with spiritual power. 533 534
• Its mental power is rapidly exhausted by prolonged defense and fruitless searches. 530 531
• Its mental power falls to 40% of its peak after searching Lin Xuan’s mist-filled inheritance area. 533

Partial Use of Xuantian’s Power

The Artifact Spirit can mobilize a fraction of the power Xuantian infused into the Nine-layered Palace. 538

• Uses this power to launch an overwhelming divine ability at Lin Xuan near Xuantian’s tombstone. 538
• Cannot fully control Xuantian’s power. 538
• Its fear of Lin Xuan obtaining the legacy stems from the belief that this would leave it vulnerable to death. 530 536

Relationships

• Lin Xuan — Enemy and intruder. The Artifact Spirit tries to prevent him from obtaining Xuantian’s inheritance, but Lin Xuan outlasts and outmaneuvers it through grey-white mist and spatial movement. 514 519 530 539
• Xuantian — Original master. The Artifact Spirit was Xuantian’s artifact spirit, but secretly plotted to seize the inheritance he left behind. 514 521 553
• Mysterious Artifact Spirit — A more powerful Artifact Spirit that approves of Lin Xuan but is bound by a promise to Xuantian not to kill the Artifact Spirit. 553
• Qing Ling — The Artifact Spirit pursues her after Lin Xuan’s mist sends her into the Eighth Layer Palace, but abandons the pursuit to guard Xuantian’s Great Tomb. 536

Story Role / Major Arcs

Battle for the White World

The Artifact Spirit reveals itself after Lin Xuan reaches the Ninth Layer of the Nine-layered Palace. It declares its intention to monopolize Xuantian’s inheritance and uses its domain, spatial white energy, and surveillance of Lin Xuan’s prior trials to suppress him. 514 515

Lin Xuan gradually fills the white world with hidden seeds of grey-white mist. Once the seeds bloom, the mist suppresses the Artifact Spirit’s white aura and deprives it of uncontested control over its own domain. 516 519 520

War of Attrition

After fusing with the stolen ancient character fails to decisively destroy Lin Xuan, the Artifact Spirit loses track of him inside the mist. It attempts provocation, widespread destruction, and even a merger with the white world’s Heavenly Dao, but cannot force Lin Xuan into a direct confrontation. 521 523 525 526

Lin Xuan instead turns the conflict into an endurance battle, forcing the Artifact Spirit to spend increasing amounts of mental power defending and searching for him. Its mental power steadily declines, leaving it anxious and unable to reliably detect Lin Xuan near the inheritance site. 530 531 533 534

Xuantian’s Inheritance Land

When Lin Xuan deliberately exposes himself near Xuantian’s tombstone, the Artifact Spirit launches a final attack using its strongest available power. Lin Xuan uses Space Law to enter the Legacy ground regardless, forcing the Artifact Spirit to follow. 538 539

Inside the inheritance land, the Artifact Spirit is unable to approach Lin Xuan safely because of the corrupting hidden gaze. It watches helplessly as Lin Xuan uses the gaze’s pressure to temper his soul and surpass Xuantian within the same realm. 544 547 548

Lin Xuan eventually finds the White Bead associated with Xuantian’s legacy, but the legacy does not recognize him. A second Artifact Spirit then confirms that Lin Xuan will not receive Xuantian’s inheritance, while revealing that he has obtained something more significant: Xuantian’s black power. 551 552 553 554

Trivia

• The Artifact Spirit calls its own independent consciousness an “accident” within the Nine-layered Palace. 514
• It considers the grey-white mist especially troublesome because it is immortal and indestructible unless Lin Xuan dies. 520
• Although it covets the hidden gaze’s opportunity, it lacks the willpower to endure its corrupting influence. 546 548