Recruiting Magical Beasts

"According to Old Huo's standards, it's at most First-Grade Spirit Artifact!" As he spoke, he carefully took out an earthen-yellow warhammer from his storage ring.

The moment the warhammer appeared, the surrounding air seemed to grow heavier.

"Look," Yan Hao handed the warhammer to Liu Qing, his tone filled with admiration, "This is the one Old Huo helped me forge, it's a fourth-grade Spirit Artifact!"

"He's already made the basic knowledge, blueprints, and standards for crafting Spirit Artifact publicly available on the first floor of the Library Pavilion. Anyone interested can go and learn! Our Artifact Alliance aims to bring together everyone interested in artifact crafting!"

Liu Qing took the Spirit Artifact warhammer. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, and a pure and powerful earth-attribute energy emanated from the handle.

He felt the power contained within the warhammer, and then looked at the undisguised burning light in Yan Hao's eyes. A barely perceptible ripple finally crossed his expressionless face.

"Come on, Liu Qing, let me show you our Artifact Alliance's temporary base!" After taking the warhammer back from Liu Qing, Yan Hao patted Liu Qing's shoulder with great interest and pointed to a temporary building in the distance, where the sound of hammering could be faintly heard.

Liu Qing's gaze fell back to the still-burning forge beside Yan Hao, somewhat puzzled. "Weren't you refining something?"

"Hey! This?" Yan Hao grinned, a sly glint in his otherwise honest face. "It's just a simple GG! Leaving it here is eye-catching, to attract talented students like you!"

With that, he extinguished the furnace fire, picked up the entire forging furnace with one hand, and with the other hand holding Liu Qing, headed towards the territory of the Artifact Alliance.

Upon entering the room, Liu Qing's usually expressionless face showed even greater surprise.

In a spacious hall, nearly a hundred forging furnaces of varying sizes were densely packed together! The flames from the furnaces illuminated half the sky, and waves of heat swept over you.

What surprised him even more was the people gathered here! Not to mention top students from the Outer Academy like Lin Xiuya and Han Yue, there were even some Inner Academy students he recognized!

Some stood, some sat, each tending a small furnace, their expressions focused. Some were hammering metal blanks, some were carefully inscribing runes, and some were trying to guide their Dou Qi into unfinished magical Spirit Artifact. The air was filled with the smell of burning metal mixed with sweat, giving people a feeling of boiling blood.

"Everyone... is interested in this?" Liu Qing looked at the group of students who were even more focused than during their cultivation, his voice filled with surprise.

Most cultivators on the Battle Qi Continent are not interested in weapons. For them, the quality of a weapon is enough to ensure that they can use their Dou Technique.

In Liu Qing's own view, the Spirit Artifact that had recently caused such a stir were nothing more than useless external objects. Cultivators should still focus on themselves. This view persisted until the Inner Academy assessment.

When he faced Han Yue, who was wielding Spirit Artifact, his proud spear skills were completely overwhelmed by her brute force, and he fell off the stage before he could even last five moves.

"It's not just out of interest!" Yan Hao's voice was full of admiration. "Old Huo left behind a very detailed record of the basics of weapon crafting in the Library Pavilion. It's so comprehensive that almost anyone, as long as they're not stupid, can get started."

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"And what's more!" he lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously, "Old Huo even allows everyone to take what they've learned back to the family! Who could resist that?"

"Bring him back to the family?!" Liu Qing was completely moved, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief clearly appeared on his usually expressionless face.

All factions keep their knowledge of cultivation and combat secret, fearing that others will learn it. Huo Yuhao's actions clearly indicate that he intends to spread this weapon-forging method throughout the entire Battle Qi Continent!

What was he after? Liu Qing's face showed an expression of incomprehension.

While Yan Hao was showing Liu Qing around the Artifact Alliance's headquarters, Han Yue was holding a metal plate engraved with intricate patterns and discussing something in hushed tones with Lin Xiuya.

Her brows furrowed slightly. Seeing Yan Hao and Liu Qing approach, she nodded slightly in greeting.

"Hey, Liu Qing? You're here too!" Beside her, Lin Xiuya's eyes lit up when he saw Liu Qing. He put down the tools he was holding and greeted him with a smile, "You've come at the right time! Come on, let me take you to pick out a suitable Spirit Artifact! Our Artifact Alliance warehouse has quite a few in stock!"

Remembering Yan Hao's previous promise of "free for the first ten," and looking at the far exceeding number of people in front of him, Liu Qing asked in confusion, "Wasn't it only for the first ten?"

"Haha!" Yan Hao scratched his head and laughed, "That's still a no-go! It's just to attract attention! Actually, the stuff we made while practicing is so plentiful the warehouse is almost bursting!"

"After all, the academy hasn't officially announced when to report to the Inner Academy. Since we're all just killing time anyway, why not come here and have some fun! We can also discuss any questions we have with each other."

Han Yue put down the metal plate in her hand and looked at Yan Hao and Lin Xiuya with a cool gaze. "I'm going to find Huo Yuhao. I've tried many methods to address the energy conflict issue when Spirit Runes are stacked, but it's still not very stable. Do you want to come with me?"

Liu Qing, eager to meet the mysterious Elder Huo, immediately chimed in, "I'd also like to pay him a visit. How about you take me with you?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Hao winked mischievously, his gaze sweeping between Liu Qing and Han Yue: "Hehe, Liu Qing, are you really looking for Old Huo?"

He was clearly still thinking about the rumor that Lu Mu had "let the water go".

Liu Qing's usually expressionless face faltered slightly, a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment flashing across his face. He quickly straightened his expression and changed the subject. "Do you know where Elder Huo is right now?"

Lin Xiuya shrugged and pointed to the vast forest in the direction of the Inner Academy: "I don't know. But if you just walk around in the Inner Academy direction now, you're very likely to bump into one of him. He's—well, pretty busy right now."

Deep in the dense forest.

A gigantic bear-like magical beast, its size comparable to a small hill and its entire body covered in thick rock armor, was lying obediently on the ground. On its enormous head stood a gentle-faced young man, who was none other than Huo Yuhao's Divine Sense Clone.

"Roar-Awoo----cough cough! Big brother! I----I can speak?!" The giant bear monster habitually let out a low roar, but its voice changed midway through, and finally it clearly uttered human words! Its huge bear eyes were filled with human-like surprise.

Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, his voice calm. "Yes, I used my divine sense to help you awaken and enhance your spiritual intelligence. Your cultivation will be much smoother from now on."

"Thank you, brother! From now on, my people and I will obey your commands!" the giant bear beast replied in a deep voice, its tone filled with gratitude and awe.

Since returning to the academy, Huo Yuhao has created a massive number of Divine Sense Clone for his plan to make the continent's number one academy and to renovate the Inner Academy. These clones are cast like a net, penetrating deep into the vast mountains between the Inner Academy and Outer Academy.

Their mission is singular: to recruit all magical beasts of rank four and above!