Yin Mountain Realm Anomaly

According to Liu Wenjun, the authorities divided the Scavenger rank into five levels, from one to five, based on the stage of accommodating five Mythic Traits.

Although low-ranked Scavengers possessed Mythic Traits, the methods at their disposal were scarce, and a single Mythic Trait could hardly display any offensive power.

Someone like the Yellow Wind Little Sage, born with Wind Arts and further enhanced by a False God Ember-level talent, could not be found even among a thousand Mythic Walkers.

Low-ranked Scavengers lacked methods, so when exploring the Celestial Circuit Realm, they needed external means to make up for it. Mythic Materials of Spiritual Dust quality were not only expensive, but not every Mythic Material could be used as a weapon.

Under such circumstances, Rune Equipment became the most suitable choice for low-ranked Scavengers.

After being modified by Mythic Walkers using alchemists', craftsmen's, and formation masters' blueprints, Rune Equipment could be loaded with inferior Mythic Materials, absorbing the Mythic Factors within to enhance a weapon's power and defense.

Since Rune Equipment was meant to be used as a consumable, the cost of a single piece was not too high—roughly one million Federation Coin.

At market prices, that was approximately equivalent to three or four Soul Shards.

The Yellow Wind Little Sage repeatedly examined the Rune Firearm, muttering to himself with some regret:

"That Mythic Walker squad leader's Gatling Gun was also a Rune Firearm, and it was worth far more than this ordinary stuff. Unfortunately, the captain reacted too quickly and burrowed underground at once, so I never had a chance to get it."

Recalling the information about Rune Firearms, the Yellow Wind Little Sage dismantled the gun's casing and found a glowing diamond-shaped crystal inside.

This was precisely the core rune of a Rune Firearm. Its greatest value lay here. On the magazine, the Yellow Wind Little Sage also found two somewhat dim Soul Shards, each of which likely still contained about half its Mythic Factors.

By a rough calculation, this unexpected windfall was equivalent to twelve Soul Shards. Refining and absorbing them would yield nearly two hundred Mythic Factors!

"Sure enough, a mouse never gets rich without a windfall!"

The Yellow Wind Little Sage sighed and stuffed the Rune Core and Soul Shards into his mouth.

His face puffed up into a hamster-like shape again, and the Yellow Wind Little Sage turned his attention to another matter.

"It's time to refine the Ghost Soldier's Steel Trident."

Turning to look at the enormous Ghost Soldier's Steel Trident, the Underworld Artifact bearing a Mythic Trait radiated waves of icy chill.

Following the method imprinted in his memories, the Yellow Wind Little Sage began circulating the Square-Inch Artifact Refinement Art.

Wind and sand gradually rose within the cave, while agile currents of air spiraled upward under the Yellow Wind Little Sage's command.

Those fine grains of sand formed visible patterns under the control of his magic power, like strands of golden thread slowly weaving themselves into a complex and exquisite formation. It suspended the Ghost Soldier's Steel Trident in midair as magic power gathered into seals that fell into the trident, continuously refining the artifact.

The weapon, originally two meters long, gradually shrank under the refinement. Its material also seemed to undergo subtle changes. Its formerly rough surface became increasingly smooth, while its dull black color began to gleam with a faint metallic luster.

A moment later, the Ghost Soldier's Steel Trident had shrunk to less than a fifth of its original size, yet its dimensions suited the Yellow Wind Little Sage perfectly.

The refinement complete, the Yellow Wind Little Sage reached out with a claw and grasped the steel trident.

He had originally sought the Square-Inch Artifact Refinement Art only so he could take this Ghost Soldier's Steel Trident away.

Yet for some reason, after completing the refinement, the Yellow Wind Little Sage suddenly felt incomparably compatible with this weapon, as though he had been born missing precisely such a steel trident.

"Is it because of the Square-Inch Artifact Refinement Art, or am I being influenced by the Yellow Wind Great Sage?"

The Yellow Wind Little Sage muttered in confusion, then shifted his attention to the newly refined artifact.

[Ghost Soldier's Steel Trident (Refined, Can Be Renamed)

Type: Underworld Artifact

Quality: Spiritual Dust

Mythic Trait: Baleful Chill

Description: Forged from Yinshan Cold Iron and tempered by a century of ghostly qi, then refined through an immortal family's secret art. It can grow or shrink at will, and at a thought, become baleful.]

"Grow or shrink at will, become baleful at a thought?"

The Yellow Wind Little Sage looked at the altered description and instinctively circulated his magic power.

A fierce wind rose within the cave in an instant. Yet amid that gale driven by Wind Arts, the Yellow Wind Little Sage sensed a thread of chill he had never felt before.

Frost spread across the ground alongside the wind and sand, blanketing the entire cave in the blink of an eye.

At the sight, the Yellow Wind Little Sage's eyes flashed brilliantly.

"A fine artifact!"

"The original Flying Sand and Rolling Stones Spell was quite effective at concealment and leading enemies astray, but its true lethality relied entirely on the Inner Threefold Meditation Talent.

"Now that I have this artifact, I can add Baleful Chill to Flying Sand and Rolling Stones. Not only will its killing power increase enormously, but if I encounter a powerful enemy, I can slow them down as well, greatly increasing my chances of escape!"

The Yellow Wind Little Sage did not care overly much about killing power. After all, this incarnation had never been born for magical combat. But he valued the slowing effect of Wind Arts greatly.

"Enhancing crowd control is just too useful. And according to game relativity, if they're slowed down, doesn't that mean I'm speeding up?"

Looking at the steel trident gleaming with cold light in his hand, the Yellow Wind Little Sage pondered:

"Since I've already refined it, I definitely can't keep its old name.

"Call it the Three-Pronged Trident? No. The Yellow Wind Great Sage is dead, but his weapon may have been left behind. Calling it that feels rather unlucky."

"Since its Mythic Trait is Baleful Chill, I'll call it the Baleful Chill Fork!"

With the Baleful Chill Fork slung across his back, the Yellow Wind Little Sage walked out of the cave that was on the verge of collapse.

When he had first entered the Yin Mountain Realm last night, he had been frightened by the Yaksha Demon and fled wildly for dozens of kilometers.

Yet in just one day, he had not only used the confrontation between Yin Ghosts and Mythic Walkers to successfully sweep up a haul, but had also refined an Underworld Artifact, greatly increasing his strength.

For a moment, the Yellow Wind Little Sage felt that although the Yin Mountain Realm was vast, he could still roam it freely.

"The Mythic Walkers and the Ghost Soldiers native to the Yin Mountain Realm don't seem all that strong. Should I take this opportunity to explore farther outward?"

Such a thought flashed through the Yellow Wind Little Sage's mind.

The Blackstone Mountain region where he was located was only a tiny part of the Yin Mountain Realm. Not only were resources scarce, but Mythic Walkers, Ghost Soldiers, and Yin Ghosts were rarely seen as well.

For now, he could still fleece a few Soul Shards from Yin Ghosts, but as time went on, exploring farther outward was only a matter of sooner or later.

Just as the Yellow Wind Little Sage was pondering this, a dazzling red light suddenly flashed above Blackstone Mountain.

That ray tore through the gray sky, and a massive crimson sun rose in the previously silent heavens.

The sun radiated scorching light, dyeing the scenery of the entire realm blood-red. Heaven and earth brightened at once, and the sudden brilliance made the Yellow Wind Little Sage squint instinctively.

Before the Yellow Wind Little Sage could figure out what was happening, dozens of streaks of light shot across the sky like a meteor shower, flying in every direction.

Those streaks were incomparably fast, dragging blazing trails behind them and leaving dazzling yet heart-palpitating paths through the air.

Immediately afterward, a deafening voice rang throughout the entire realm. It was like a low rumble from heaven and earth itself, piercing every inch of air and shaking every corner. The voice came from no living creature; it was as though the realm itself had opened its mouth to speak.

"The Yin Mountain Realm is restarting. All Mythic Walkers must leave the Celestial Circuit Realm within half an hour!"