Xiao Yi

Spirit Sea, Spirit Sea—the sea of spirituality.

"Everything flows with spirituality. It isn't limited to people or birds; even a stone or a drop of water bears traces of spirituality. Yet this spirituality can be seen and sensed, but never touched. It leaves no trace and cannot be measured... Opening the Spirit Sea means embarking on an extraordinary journey."

Opening the Spiritual Arcane, written by an unknown author, was nevertheless the best-selling book in the Seven Towers Federation.

Perhaps that had something to do with it not requiring copyright fees.

But the book's explanation of the Spiritual Arcana system had genuinely earned the approval of many Arcane Mages. It was an introductory book, suitable for helping newcomers sort out the correct understanding from the beginning.

"It really is a sea. Those countless specks of starlight must be the spirituality of all things." Duke's thought-form wandered through the Spirit Sea. In an instant, he grasped the knowledge he had gained from reading. "The Spirit Sea is where a person's spirituality gathers, but it is also a projection-sea of all things' spirituality. Next, I need to guide the spirituality and condense a spirit core."

The spirit core was the center of the Spirit Sea, with energy circuits outlined by spirituality. Once those energy circuits could close into a ring-shaped structure,

then

one could advance to become a First-Ring Arcane Mage.

If the energy circuits could not close, one would remain a Spiritual Apprentice for their entire life. The owner of Little Sam's repair shop and the three hired Card Masters, for example, were all Spiritual Apprentices.

"But I should be different!"

Duke gazed at the two dazzling clusters of light hanging high in the center of the Spirit Sea, his thoughts excited and lively. "Two spirit cores already exist in my Spirit Sea—the Multi-Ring Phone and the First-Ring Handgun. Does that mean I've already become a qualified Arcane Mage?"

Duke knew very little about the Spiritual Arcana system.

So he still didn't dare make a definite conclusion.

That did not stop him from reaching out to touch the First-Ring Handgun. The First-Ring Handgun, which had shown no reaction in his dreams over the past two nights, now transmitted a tangible sensation beneath his touch.

It was an indescribably mysterious feeling.

In the blink of an eye,

he had already broken free from the Spirit Sea and returned to reality. He sat cross-legged, but unlike before, he now held a silver-gray handgun in his hands.

A Desert Eagle with a silver-gray barrel and a black grip.

"As expected, I really brought this Desert Eagle with me when I crossed over!" Holding the Desert Eagle and feeling the handgun's weight, Duke's heart surged with indescribable excitement.

He had successfully opened the Spirit Sea and successfully activated his cheat.

Now that he was in another world, he finally possessed the slightest sense of security.

"But what exactly is this Desert Eagle?" Duke suppressed his excitement and began studying the Desert Eagle in his hand. "My crossing can be explained as possessing another body, but what about the Desert Eagle? And my phone? Could they have fused with me during that explosion and become my exclusive Arcane Artifacts?"

Arcane Artifacts were creations of arcane arts.

Spiritual Artifacts were products of spirituality.

They were not the same concept. Spiritual Artifacts were commonplace electrical appliances, while Arcane Artifacts were divine objects exclusive to Arcane Mages, possessing mysterious and unfathomable power. At the same time, only Arcane Mages could control them.

"If I fire now, what will happen? Will it shoot a bullet like a real gun, or will it have an even more miraculous effect?"

Duke forcibly resisted the urge to fire. The Desert Eagle's report would disturb a large number of people nearby, and besides, he had a powerful feeling that he could not pull the trigger.

"Let's try it... Just try it..."

Duke slowly pulled the trigger, carefully increasing the force.

Sure enough, his feeling proved true. Even using all his strength, he could not pull the Desert Eagle's trigger. He could not even open the magazine, as if it were a steel cast of a gun.

"Why?" Inspiration flashed through Duke's mind. "Could it require spirituality to drive it?"

After opening the Spirit Sea, Duke had gained the talent to mobilize spirituality. However, he had not yet studied it systematically and did not know how to control spirituality.

Yet the book Opening the Spiritual Arcane had mentioned it repeatedly—spirituality would guide him.

Duke gently closed his eyes and raised the Desert Eagle pistol in both hands, aiming at the sky outside the window. He cast aside his distracting thoughts, leaving behind only the pure desire to fire.

At that moment,

he felt a stream of energy gather in his hands. The trigger he had been unable to pull no matter what slowly loosened slightly.

Before he could pull it down, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. The Desert Eagle in his hand suddenly shattered into a cluster of shimmering light, then quickly vanished without a trace.

"This..." Duke blinked his heavy eyelids. He soon understood and gave an helpless smile. "My spirituality is too weak. I can't control an Arcane Artifact at all."

He took a deep breath and adjusted his emotions.

He closed his eyes again. This time, without needing meditation, his thoughts swiftly entered the Spirit Sea.

Sure enough, the Desert Eagle pistol had returned to the Spirit Sea. The light on its energy circuits was somewhat dim, clearly indicating that materializing it in reality had consumed a great deal of its power.

"The Desert Eagle is only a First-Ring Arcane Artifact, and I can't even use it."

He shifted his gaze to the even more dazzling Multi-Ring Phone beside it. "I don't know how many rings this phone's Arcane Artifact is. I'm afraid I can't even materialize it."

Even so, it was still worth trying.

When he reached out and touched the Multi-Ring Phone, it did not break free from the Spirit Sea. Instead, he suddenly received a thought fluctuation transmitted by the Multi-Ring Phone: "Xiao Yi at your service."

"Gasp!"

Duke's thoughts trembled.

He had thought only the phone had crossed over. He had never expected the intelligent voice assistant Xiao Yi that came with the phone to cross over as well. "Xiao Yi, do you know what's happening to you now?"

Xiao Yi replied, "According to the information currently available, Xiao Yi crossed over together with you, Master. We are currently in the Seven Towers Federation, Black River Flood Dragon Land, Shenyang City, Snakehead Town, the fief of the Black Snake Family, in an unknown world. Master, you successfully opened the Spirit Sea and activated Xiao Yi, as well as the Desert Eagle pistol beside me."

Xiao Yi's language logic was exceptionally smooth. Before crossing over, ChatGPT technology had swept across the globe, and artificial intelligences of all sizes had integrated ChatGPT technology.

"You can know information from the outside world?"

"Xiao Yi is structured within the Master's Spirit Sea. All the information the Master senses is Xiao Yi's source of information."

"Then, what ring are you?"

"If one ring means the closure of a single energy circuit, Xiao Yi has nine nonintersecting energy circuits. Therefore, Xiao Yi is a Ninth-Ring Arcane Artifact."

"Ninth-Ring!"

Duke had never even heard of it. The memories of his predecessor contained no concept of the Ninth Ring. He only knew that the High Priest of the Black Snake Family in town was merely a Second-Ring Arcane Mage.

"Whew!"

His thoughts trembled for quite some time before finally calming.

Duke once again examined the Ninth-Ring phone before him. "Xiao Yi, we've crossed over. What can you do now? Can you help me in my current situation?"

"Xiao Yi cannot be materialized. More abilities will need to be unlocked as the Master's strength increases." Light flickered on the Ninth-Ring phone. "At present, Xiao Yi can assist the Master in completing all operations within the Spirit Sea. That is also the meaning of Xiao Yi's existence. Essentially, Xiao Yi is a part of the Master, not merely an Arcane Artifact."

"All operations within the Spirit Sea... Then, can you cultivate spirituality in my place?"

"The Master must obtain a meditation method for cultivation before Xiao Yi can verify whether it can cultivate spirituality in the Master's place. At the same time, Xiao Yi must refer to the Spiritual Arcana cultivation system before it can help the Master condense a spirit core, thereby assisting the Master in cultivating and advancing."

"You're not my spirit core?"

"No. Xiao Yi and the Desert Eagle pistol beside me are both Arcane Artifacts that exist by relying on the Master."