Your Heavenly Tribulation Is Way Too Fake!
"Huo Yuhao! This... this ruler is considered complete?" Lin Xiuya's voice trembled with disbelief as he pointed at the giant gray ruler floating in mid-air, its aura constantly rising.
Its "heavy" will grew stronger and stronger, making the surrounding air thick and stagnant, and even making it difficult for Lin Xiuya and the others to breathe.
Huo Yuhao's gaze was fixed on the ruler, sensing the rhythm of energy within it. "Probably... we'll have to wait a little longer."
Time ticked by. Suddenly, the "breathing" frequency of the giant gray ruler accelerated dramatically! Three Spirit Runes on the ruler's surface erupted with dazzling earthy light! An invisible barrier seemed to have been shattered!
Boom-!!!
The Heaven and Earth Origin Qi, several times more intense than before, seemed to be summoned, frantically converging from all directions to form a visible energy vortex, continuously pouring into the ruler's body!
As if the gravity of the entire weapon-forging site had suddenly increased, the ground groaned under the strain and sank deeper into the earth.
This frenzied devouring lasted only a moment before abruptly stopping.
Buzz!
The ruler emitted a deep, satisfied hum. The previously rising, heart-pounding "heavy" will suddenly subsided, as if it had completed some kind of transformation.
Although it was still slowly absorbing the Heaven and Earth Origin Qi, the obvious sense of improvement had disappeared.
It exuded a calm, profound, and earth-like aura. Its presence was a level above its initial state, like a cultivator breaking through a new realm!
A silver glint flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes as he slowly reached out and grasped the ruler's handle.
It felt cool to the touch, and at the core of the ruler, he clearly sensed a pure, infantile fluctuation of will.
This consciousness was very weak and vague, consisting only of an instinctive craving for energy.
At that moment, a sudden change occurred!
The once clear sky was suddenly shrouded in rolling dark clouds! The heavy clouds pressed down like lead, and a deep rumble of thunder brewed deep within them. A chilling pressure from heaven and earth descended suddenly, locking onto the giant ruler below!
"What... what is this?!" Lin Xiuya and the others' expressions changed drastically as they felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from heaven and earth, and instinctively activated their Dou Qi to protect themselves.
Huo Yuhao looked up at the sky, a knowing glint in his silver eyes. "It's a heavenly tribulation. Only after we overcome it will this Spirit Artifact be truly complete."
Then, Huo Yuhao released his grip. The gray behemoth naturally floated up into the air, as if it were preparing to confront the heavenly tribulation.
Within the spiritual world, the sphere of light from the Guardian Mirror finally rolled back from the corner. Looking at the oppressive scene of dark clouds overhead, its tone was filled with deep confusion. "Is this really necessary? Although a life force has been born, the ruler's power is at most a high-grade Spirit Artifact artifact; it's not even worth a ripple in the Great Thousand World— "
Just as it was wondering, a thick bolt of silver lightning tore through the dark clouds, carrying a destructive aura, and ruthlessly struck the suspended gray giant ruler!
Huo Yuhao stood still, showing no intention of making a move to defend himself!
"Huo boy! What are you doing?!" The Guardian Mirror shrieked, its light sphere deforming in fright, "Protect it! This lightning tribulation isn't particularly powerful, but if it strikes you squarely, your newly born spirit and Spirit Artifact will both be destroyed!"
Huo Yuhao, however, stated matter-of-factly, "Since it brought this tribulation upon itself, it naturally needs to overcome it on its own."
"What the heck?!" The Guardian Mirror was completely dumbfounded. "It'll undergo its own tribulation? Why don't you just say let the baby deliver itself?!"
The Ice Flame Phoenix flew indifferently to the side of the Guardian Mirror, flapping its wings to soothe the startled ball of light.
It kept chattering away. It meant. "Don't worry, I also went through my own tribulations when I was born."
However, what happened next left even the Guardian Mirror speechless.
Boom!
The incredibly powerful silver lightning bolt struck the gray giant ruler squarely!
There was no earth-shattering explosion as expected, no mournful sound of shattering Spirit Artifact, and not even a wisp of smoke rose!
The violent lightning power vanished instantly, like a mud ox sinking into the sea! The earthy yellow light flowing over the ruler's body brightened slightly before returning to normal, as if the heavenly lightning had only tickled it.
The Guardian Mirror remained silent. Although the ruler's properties gave it some advantage when facing lightning tribulations, was it really necessary to be like this?
Until it saw a few streaks of lightning, scattered and falling, land on the grass below the ruler.
There was no charring, no burning, not even a single blade of grass was scorched! Those few blades of grass swayed gently in the breeze, without a single scorch mark on their tips!
Guardian Mirror:
Huo Yuhao smiled knowingly and nodded slightly to the lingering dark clouds in the sky, "Thanks!"
As if in response to his gratitude, the gathering dark clouds arrived quickly and disappeared even faster. After only a symbolic bolt of lightning, the clouds vanished swiftly, and the sky returned to clear skies, as if the terrifying pressure had never existed.
The Guardian Mirror said speechlessly, "So, what's the use of this tribulation lightning? It's neither a test nor does it temper or energize Spirit Artifact."
Huo Yuhao explained, "It might be the first weapon on the Battle Qi Continent to develop a weapon spirit, which is why it needs to undergo the test of heavenly tribulation."
"However, for the Battle Qi Continent, its birth is a good thing, as it helps to improve the world's strength, so it won't be too harsh."
The giant gray ruler seemed to have completed some kind of ritual, its body trembling slightly and emitting a pleasant hum.
Like a curious child, it flew lightly around Huo Yuhao and the others present, and finally hovered steadily above Huo Yuhao's head.
The Guardian Mirror instantly bristled. "Hey! It stole my spot!"
In its mental world, whenever it failed to grab Huo Yuhao's shoulder, it would perch on top of Huo Yuhao's head to comfort itself.
The Ice Flame Phoenix glanced at it and let out a slightly mocking cry, its meaning clear: Isn't your true form mirror hanging in Huo Yuhao's hair as an ornament? That's where you belong.
The Guardian Mirror was furious. It wanted to rush out and uphold the dignity of its "predecessor," but its physical body and consciousness were not at the refining site, so it could only rage helplessly in its spiritual world.
Huo Yuhao ignored the farce in his mental world, looking at the giant ruler hovering above his head, feeling the intimacy and dependence it conveyed, and was in a great mood.
In the following period, while instructing Lin Xiuya and others on how to condense external Battle Crystal and how to construct Battle Crystal veins inside Spirit Artifact, Huo Yuhao also began to refine some Spirit Artifact with different attributes and experimented with materials of various different characteristics.
As Huo Yuhao expected, these subsequently crafted Spirit Artifact also successfully developed sentience.
Huo Yuhao even used Sixth Grade Spirit Runes on some of his Spirit Artifact, which made them as powerful as Sixth Grade Spirit Artifact, the same standard as the top-grade Spirit Artifact in the Guardian Mirror.
Yet, not a single Spirit Artifact attracted a heavenly tribulation.
"As expected, at the Fifth Grade and Sixth Grade levels, the refinement itself won't result in being struck by lightning," Huo Yuhao guessed. "It should be similar to pills; only at the Seventh Grade will one have to undergo a lightning tribulation."
"Consider these Spirit Artifact as a thank you gift for helping manage the Artifact Alliance." Huo Yuhao handed the four newly crafted Spirit Artifact to them.