Artifact Alliance

The phoenix formed from Nine Li Ice Flame stared at the little man for a few seconds, seemingly recognizing that this talkative person who resembled his master was the annoying mirror.

Snap!

Without warning, the Ice Flame Phoenix flapped its wings and, like an arrow released from a bow, launched a claw that accurately kicked the face of the little figure conjured by the Guardian Mirror!

"Ouch!" Caught off guard, the Guardian Mirror stumbled and fell off Huo Yuhao's shoulder. Enraged, it cursed, "What a lousy phoenix! I think you're just a chicken!"

Upon hearing this, the Ice Flame Phoenix instantly bristled! Every feather on its body stood on end, and it let out an angry shriek. Like a raptor pouncing on its prey, it swooped down, its two wings like giant pincers, firmly pinning down the consciousness of the Guardian Mirror to the ground!

Immediately afterwards, its sharp phoenix beak, like a pile driver, began to peck fiercely at the "Huo Yuhao face" conjured by the Guardian Mirror!

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

"Aaaaah! What do you mean! Isn't it normal for a spirit to use its master's appearance?! Huo Yuhao! Control your chicken! Take it away!" The Guardian Mirror screamed in agony as it covered its head to defend itself.

Huo Yuhao watched as the Guardian Mirror projected his face onto the ground, relentlessly attacking the Ice Flame Phoenix. He felt a sudden, phantom pain on his face and couldn't help but shiver.

Ultimately, the Guardian Mirror could not withstand the disfigurement and, with a flash of light, quickly transformed back into its sphere of light form.

The Ice Flame Phoenix then showed mercy and did not continue its punishment.

It proudly raised its head, flew back to Huo Yuhao's shoulder, and affectionately nuzzled Huo Yuhao's cheek, making a comfortable purring sound, which sounded like singing.

"You just wait! Sooner or later, I'll pluck all your feathers and throw you into a pot to make soup!" The Guardian Mirror glared at the Ice Flame Phoenix with a vengeance that seemed to fill the heavens and the earth.

It tried to get up, but seemed to have suffered a concussion from being pecked. It bounced a few times on the ground before wobbling back to Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao suppressed a laugh, his face flushing slightly. "By the way, you said you knew the complete Spiritual Formation, but... what about a level nine Spiritual Formation? Have you ever seen one?"

The sphere of light from the Guardian Mirror flickered irritably. "No! What are you thinking! Even the most outstanding disciples from the Five Great Academies couldn't invite a Grandmaster of Saint Rank. That's the pinnacle of power in the Great Thousand World!"

The Outer Academy of the Jia Nan Academy, on the shore of Ice Lake.

"Good afternoon, fellow students of the Jia Nan Academy! I am Lu Mu, the top reporter of the Canaan Times!" A young man in a news agency uniform, with his hair neatly combed, held a microphone, his voice booming, and his whole being radiating enthusiasm for gossip.

Beside him, another student in the same uniform was carrying a recording Spirit Artifact that looked very much like a camera. Clearly, this Spirit Artifact had also come from Huo Yuhao.

"In this episode, we will continue our coverage of the ten students who surprisingly underperformed in the Inner Academy qualification competition! Today, we interviewed Liu Qing, who ranked fifth! Please stay tuned!"

With a nimble flick of his wrist, Lu Mu sent the microphone tracing a beautiful arc across his fingertips.

"Why did it take so long to interview the fifth person?" a student passing by asked curiously.

"Good question!" Lu Mu instantly perked up, pointing the microphone at the questioner with a diligent smile. "Well, naturally, this reporter is extremely busy—"

"It's because every time he goes to interview these senior students who 'underperformed,' he gets kicked into the icy lake for a bath!" Another student bluntly revealed the truth, causing a burst of laughter from those around.

"Cough cough cough!" Lu Mu coughed repeatedly, a blush of embarrassment flashing across his face. He quickly turned around and walked towards a young man by the lake who carried a black spear on his back, had a tall and straight figure, and exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

"Senior Liu Qing!" Lu Mu shoved the microphone in front of him, speaking rapidly, "As one of the favorites to win the championship, you unexpectedly lost to Senior Han Yue in the quarterfinals, unfortunately stopping at the end! How are you feeling right now?"

Before Liu Qing could answer, Lu Mu revealed a teasing smile, "Is it true, as rumored, that you've long admired Senior Han Yue and therefore deliberately threw the competition to express your feelings?"

Liu Qing: "----"

The air seemed to freeze. Liu Qing's sharply defined face was expressionless, but the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees suddenly.

Bang!

Without a word, a figure streaked through the air in an incredibly graceful arc. With a cry of "Ah!", it landed precisely in the nearby icy lake, splashing up a huge spray of water.

"Hahaha!" On the shore of the frozen lake, a muscular, shirtless man stood in front of a forging furnace engulfed in raging flames, laughing heartily.

Beside him stood an ice-blue flag with the words "Artifact Alliance" written on it.

Seeing Lu Mu and Liu Qing's interaction, Yan Hao laughed so hard he almost couldn't straighten up, "Hahaha! Old Liu, so you like Han Yue! You should have said so earlier! You didn't need me to deliver your love letter!"

Liu Qing remained unfazed, as if the rumor about him and Han Yue had no effect on him whatsoever.

He slowly walked to the forge, his gaze falling on the red-hot metal blank in the furnace, and asked in a low voice, "Yan Hao, what are you doing?"

"We're hiring!" Yan Hao stopped laughing, wiped the sweat and ash from his face, and said seriously, "Liu Qing, how about joining our Artifact Alliance?"

"You've also heard from the upperclassmen that the Inner Academy is mainly infiltrated by gangs. We freshmen will inevitably face trouble and protection money if we go in."

"Instead of being exploited and then joining another gang, let's band together and build our own force! We'll call it the Artifact Alliance!" Yan Hao swung his hammer forcefully, smashing it onto the forging furnace, sending sparks flying.

"The Artifact Alliance?" Liu Qing frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the flag and the burning furnace.

"That's right!" Yan Hao's eyes gleamed with excitement. He took out a uniquely shaped short blade that emitted a faint energy fluctuation and brandished it. "You've witnessed the power of Spirit Artifact, haven't you? Want one? Join our Artifact Alliance! The first ten brothers to join will receive a custom-made Spirit Artifact for free!"

Liu Qing's gaze shifted from the short blade back to Yan Hao's sweat-drenched face, then looked at the forging furnace, which was clearly no ordinary item, and asked, "Are you the leader of the Artifact Alliance?"

"No." Yan Hao grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth. "I'm the vice leader! The real leader is Elder Huo, Huo Yuhao!"

Liu Qing's eyes narrowed instantly. "So—during the Inner Academy assessment, those things your Profound Class One used—"

"The Spirit Artifact, were they all given to you by Elder Huo?"

"Tch!" Yan Hao curled his lip, his voice tinged with pride. "His work wasn't that bad! The ones we used in the assessment were all things we figured out ourselves!"