Intermediate God Artifact

Time flows like water, years passing like a shuttle.

Immersed in cultivation and progress, Linley felt that time passed far too quickly. In the blink of an eye, four hundred years had slipped by unnoticed.

On this day, Linley was taking a rare moment to relax and enjoy the gentle attentions of the serving maids, when a familiar voice came from outside.

"Linley, I hope I'm not disturbing your cultivation!"

It was Thomas's voice, tinged with joy.

Linley subconsciously released his Spiritual Sense to investigate, and sure enough, he saw Thomas and Donald standing outside.

"Not at all."

Linley replied with a smile, waving his hand to open the door. Soon, the two walked in, their faces full of delight.

The maids instinctively served tea and water as the three sat around the table. Linley mused thoughtfully, "If I calculate the time, the two of you should have nearly finished nurturing your Intermediate God Artifacts."

"That's right."

Thomas produced a sea-blue set of armor without shoulder guards, its surface etched with silver wave patterns.

Donald's Intermediate God Artifact was a dark red longsword, with a ruby embedded in the hilt. The cold blade could reflect a person's face.

Linley took them, each dripping blood to establish ownership. The armor merged into his body surface, and he swung the longsword a few times to get a feel for it. He nodded with considerable satisfaction and smiled, "Thanks. I'll owe you one for now and repay it later."

Thomas laughed heartily and said generously, "It's only right. You're the strongest in our Tianlan Tribe. With these two Intermediate God Artifacts to assist you, our chances of subduing the Red Demon Tribe this time are much greater."

Donald said with some regret, "Linley, you're a Lightning Element Low-level God, while I'm a Fire Element Low-level God. Our attributes don't match perfectly."

Artifacts also have their own attributes, but this mainly affects offensive artifacts. Matching attributes provide a greater amplification, allowing full power to be unleashed perfectly. Conversely, defensive artifacts have little requirement for attribute matching and basically show no major difference.

The Tianlan Tribe had four Low-level Gods: Linley cultivated the Lightning Element Law, Thomas cultivated the Water Element Law, Donald cultivated the Fire Element Law, and Dennis cultivated the Destruction Rule. None of their paths overlapped.

Among the four Demigods, Karl cultivated the Earth Law, Jess cultivated the Fire Law, George cultivated the Destruction Rule, and David cultivated the Lightning Element Law.

David's attribute matched Linley's, but he was a Demigod. Using his artifact would provide less amplification to attack power than even Donald's Fire Element Low-level God artifact.

Dennis had also nurtured an Intermediate God Artifact intended for sale. It was also an armor type. Usually, defensive artifacts are priced higher than offensive ones, so naturally, most of what is sold is defensive.

Donald's blade was originally a spare for himself. His previous artifact was of lower quality and he planned to replace it, but since Linley needed it now, he gave it to him.

Both were defensive artifacts. Although the attribute difference was minor, Linley still chose Thomas's piece.

Linley said nonchalantly, "It's fine. It's just a difference in attributes. It won't affect attack power by much."

Despite his words, he knew in his heart that when he had time later, he would definitely need to find suitable materials to forge one or two offensive artifacts that perfectly suited him. For now, he would make do. These things could only be accumulated bit by bit over time, and there was no rush.

Donald rubbed his nose and said with a wry smile, "Only a genius like you, Linley, can say that. It's true, though. Having fused Profound Mysteries, you naturally don't lack that bit of attack power."

Thomas nodded enviously, "You're already fusing your third Profound Mystery. The three of us have lived for over a hundred thousand years and still can't even cross the threshold of fusing two Profound Mysteries."

Donald sighed helplessly and lamented, "Yeah, the gap between people is often bigger than the gap between a person and a dog. Without talent, it's hopeless. Even hard work is a waste of time. I just pray to the Supreme God that I can become a High-God on my own."

"Haha!"

Linley couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Don't play the victim in front of me. Being a Low-level God at over a hundred thousand years old is already decent. As long as you don't die, you'll always have a chance. You're both still young."

Thomas and Donald nodded in agreement, showing embarrassed smiles.

Although Linley was putting a positive spin on it, it wasn't untrue. In Hell, a Low-level God over a hundred thousand years old was quite young. There were plenty of Demigods with far worse talent who had lived for millions of years.

The three chatted and laughed for a while, then Linley turned serious. "Do you have any plans for this Red Demon Tribe?"

Donald shook his head and said indifferently, "What plans could there be? Just charge over and finish it. But we need to wait until Dennis comes out of seclusion."

"Of course. A Low-level God is a high-end combat power. We can't be missing one person!"

Linley nodded, his expression calm.

Dennis had gained some inspiration and had been in secluded cultivation for nearly a hundred years. Linley had known about this for a long time.

The Four Major Rules are special. In theory, they are a whole, with no division into Profound Mysteries. But in the actual process of mastering them, one can adapt according to the individual, imitating the Law's division of Profound Mysteries to refine perception and cultivation. Although all paths lead to the same destination, the intermediate routes each have their own characteristics.

Take the Death Rule, for example. Most people focus on soul attacks, but some focus on soul control, or even fuse the two.

The three chatted a bit more, then went outside. They flew straight into the sky, hovering about a hundred meters above the ground. They took out their artifacts and sparred with each other, exchanging combat experience and techniques.

Linley deliberately suppressed his strength and speed, keeping them on par with the other two. As soon as the fight began, he immediately felt it was quite strenuous. Gradually, he was forced onto the defensive, only occasionally finding an opportunity to counterattack.

Day after day...

Ten years passed.

"Shua!"

A single slash of the blade, cold light gleaming.

"Peng!"

Donald and Thomas were forced back dozens of meters.

"Linley, your learning speed is too fast."

Donald said with a face full of envy.

Thomas also smiled bitterly and sighed, "You've learned all our combat experience, and you're even better at it."

Linley smiled and said, "I've put you both through a lot."

Facts proved that someone who could even fuse profundities could absorb and digest combat experience and form their own style with remarkable efficiency—it could even be called effortless.

As it turned out, someone capable of fusing even Mysteries could absorb and digest combat experience and form their own style with remarkable speed—so much so that it came effortlessly.

After all, this was a high-level power system world where realm suppression reigned supreme. So-called experience and techniques were at best icing on the cake, and the strong learned them very quickly.

At the end of the day, this was still a high-level power system world where realm suppression reigned supreme. So-called experience and technique were nothing more than icing on the cake—the strong learned them in no time.

Like the power systems of some low-level martial arts worlds, something like the Nine Swords of Solitude could never exist. All that talk about having no energy, relying solely on technique and skill to be so powerful—blown up to the heavens—is nothing but a serious load of nonsense.

Unlike certain low-level martial arts world power systems, something like the Dugu Nine Swords could never exist here. All that nonsense about being formidable without energy, relying solely on technique and skill—blown out of proportion—was nothing but a serious pack of lies.

Lin En's insights over the years, when it came to divine blade-type artifacts, had no fancy routines—only one move: chop!

Linley's insights over the years, when it came to blade-type Divine Artifacts, boiled down to this: no flashy routines, only one move forever—chop!

Chop from every possible angle! Returning to simplicity!

Chops from every possible angle! Returning to simplicity!

Donald said admiringly, "Your rate of progress is too fast. I originally thought it would take at least a hundred years."

Donald said in admiration, "Your rate of progress is too fast. I originally thought it would take at least a hundred years."

He was also a divine-level blade user, so his perception was even sharper than Thomas's. The experience he had painstakingly accumulated bit by bit over a hundred thousand years had been effortlessly mastered by someone else in just ten years—the psychological gap was immense.

He was also a God-level blade user, so he felt it even more keenly than Thomas. The experience he had painstakingly accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years, bit by bit, was effortlessly learned by someone else in just ten years—the psychological gap was immense.

"Haha, it's because you taught well."

"Haha, it's because you taught well."

Lynn chuckled. Only he himself knew that during the learning process, the magnetic field's assistance accounted for half the effect. He had a thorough grasp of every detail of the opponent's techniques, absorbing them as quickly as a sponge soaking up water.

Linley smiled. Only he himself knew best that the auxiliary effect of Magnetic Field Power accounted for half of the learning process. He had a thorough grasp of every detail of the other's techniques, absorbing them as quickly as a sponge soaking up water.

Just as the three were talking, a familiar divine sense swept over them.

Just as the three were speaking, a familiar Spiritual Sense swept over them.