Version Update: Third-Generation Spiritual Artifacts!
Hearing Huo Yuhao's explanation, Lin Xiuya said thoughtfully, "Huo Yuhao, do you mean that there are limits to relying solely on Spirit Runes for attribute enhancement?"
"That's right," Huo Yuhao affirmed. "The enhancement effect of attribute-enhancing Spirit Runes has its limits."
He showed his empty hands, "You see, I rarely use Spirit Artifact."
Within the realm of consciousness, the Guardian Mirror covered its mouth, forcibly suppressing its laughter. "Pfft! Rarely used?! Kid Huo, have some shame! Didn't you always treat them like disposable throwing knives?"
The Ice Flame Phoenix beside him nodded in deep agreement. Having followed Huo Yuhao longer, it had witnessed more of Huo Yuhao's "wasteful" behavior.
Outside, Huo Yuhao seemed oblivious to the complaints in his mental world, continuing to speak to Yan Hao and the others, "I recently researched Fifth Grade- and Sixth Grade attribute-enhancing Spirit Runes. But regarding my own strength—"
Huo Yuhao shook his head slightly. "Even Sixth Grade enhanced Spirit Runes brings almost negligible improvement."
This is true. With Huo Yuhao's current ice attribute strength, he can easily suppress Heavenly Flames of the level of the Sea Heart Flame. Ordinary enhancement methods will not have much effect.
Huo Yuhao explained while quickly sifting through the materials in front of him. He was discussing how to handle these materials that lacked spiritual energy...
"Dead objects" that are difficult to communicate with directly can be forged into Spirit Artifact that can enhance the user's combat power.
The Guardian Mirror had no idea; it had never seen how the weapon refiners of the Great Thousand World handled such materials.
Therefore, Huo Yuhao needs to explore these things on his own.
As time went by, while explaining to Lin Xiuya and the others, countless thoughts collided and deduced in Huo Yuhao's mind, and a bold idea gradually took shape.
Within his mental world, Huo Yuhao suddenly spoke, his gaze profound. "Special trait—my teacher once explained this term."
He recalled the knowledge that Yao Chen emphasized when he was teaching him and Xiao Yan and analyzing the mysteries of the cultivation techniques.
Huo Yuhao picked up a Simulation, lifeless, dark golden ore next to the mental model. "Special characteristics—combined with the way Dou Qi circulates—it's as if Spirit Artifact can also cultivate techniques!"
Huo Yuhao made a joke, but a brilliant light shone in his eyes, as if he had seen through something. "Perhaps—a Spirit Artifact, like a cultivator circulating their cultivation technique, can integrate its unique characteristics into the user's Dou Qi?"
With the method decided, Huo Yuhao said no more. For his first attempt, he chose "Sinking Stone".
He picked up a dull, unremarkable piece of ore. Sinking Stone was a relatively common mineral on the Battle Qi Continent. It possessed an incredible weight and was extremely tough, often used in construction.
Next, Huo Yuhao took out a piece of Earth Crystal that emitted an earthy yellow luster. This was a material that had been used when he was refining Spirit Artifact for Yan Hao.
Nine Li Ice Flame rose in his palm, and Huo Yuhao's movements became extremely focused. He did not directly melt the Sinking Stone, but first used the Earth Crystal as the core and inscribed Spirit Runes on it.
He then activated the flames, slightly melting the Sinking Stone and fusing it with the Earth Crystal to form a Spirit Artifact embryo.
Before the two materials had fully fused, Huo Yuhao seized the opportunity, concentrated his mental energy, and unleashed a torrent of Dou Qi at his fingertips, constructing fine yet resilient "Battle Crystal veins" within the Sinking Stone!
These veins extend deep into the Sinking Stone itself, forming a cyclical pattern, while at the other end they merge into the Spirit Runes of the Earth Crystal.
As the gray light shifted, a giant gray ruler, with an ancient and simple design resembling the Profound Heavy Ruler, slowly took shape in the flames! The ruler did not have a flashy luster, but only an extremely restrained sense of weight.
Huo Yuhao's eyes shone with barely suppressed joy. "Just as I expected! By utilizing the energy injected into the Battle Crystal integrated into the Sinking Stone, the energy perfectly acquired its weighty properties!"
He flicked his finger, and a wisp of pure Dou Qi flowed into the handle!
Buzz-!
The giant gray ruler trembled violently! A visible, hazy gray wave instantly spread outwards! The ground groaned under the weight, and the ground within a radius of several feet centered on the ruler began to sink slightly!
The Spirit Runes also lit up at the same time! Accompanied by the activation of three Fifth Grade Spirit Runes: solid, energy gathering, and earth attribute enhancement.
An astonishing scene unfolded!
The giant gray ruler had broken free from Huo Yuhao's control and was now floating in mid-air on its own! The ruler trembled slightly, breathing in and out of the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi as if it were a living thing!
With each inhale, a vast amount of earth-elemental energy surges into the body like rivers flowing into the sea; with each exhale, a heavy will spreads out, like an invisible gravitational field, making the surrounding air thicker!
This will, with the influx and expulsion of energy, was slowly but steadily growing stronger!
The sphere of light from the Guardian Mirror seemed frozen, even its shimmering stopped.
It "saw" the gigantic gray ruler outside, autonomously levitating, absorbing heaven and earth, its aura constantly growing stronger. Its core consciousness seemed to be struck by an unprecedented shock, and it muttered blankly, "A treasure of the Great Thousand World, absolutely—"
This is absolutely not the method you use!
Huo Yuhao's gaze was equally filled with amazement. He stared at the ruler, which seemed to have come to life, and murmured in admiration, "Spirit Artifact Spirit Artifact! It has a spirit!" This is what a true Spirit Artifact is!
"This is absolutely beyond the category of Spirit Artifact!" The Guardian Mirror's voice suddenly rose, filled with a frantic rage of a worldview collapsing. "In fact, you could say that none of the treasures in the Great Thousand World, whether divine artifacts or sacred objects, are like this!"
Huo Yuhao slowly said, "I once had a master who said that all the skills created by cultivators, in essence, are imitations and interpretations of 'cultivation' itself."
He pointed to the giant ruler outside that seemed to be absorbing energy. "So, since Spirit Artifact can absorb the energy of heaven and earth, why can't they cultivate like cultivators? With Battle Crystal veins as meridians, the materials themselves provide special qualities, and the core spirituality can condense the spirit—isn't that a kind of cultivator?"
Huo Yuhao's thoughts wandered: If Spirit Artifact can do this, what about elixirs? I'll ask my teacher when I get back!
Coming to his senses, Huo Yuhao saw that the Guardian Mirror was still flickering violently, looking like it was overloaded, and asked with amusement, "Can't you also manipulate the energy of heaven and earth? What's so surprising?"
"Me?!" The Guardian Mirror seemed to have been stepped on, the light sphere leaping up violently and letting out a furious shriek. "What level am I? I'm a sacred artifact! A sacred artifact that even Earthly Sovereigns can only dream of! What is this broken ruler of yours?! Even if it cultivates autonomously for another hundred or a thousand years! It still won't even touch the threshold of a quasi-divine artifact!"
Seeing the Guardian Mirror in this rare, almost vulnerable state, a mischievous glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes as he tentatively asked, "Mirror, why are you reacting so strongly—could it be that you can't improve through cultivation like this ruler?"
"You're talking nonsense!!!" The Guardian Mirror roared as if it had been hit where it hurt, and rolled to a corner of the mental world, looking like it was "refusing to communicate".