113 The Tsundere Artifact Spirit

Luo Yu said, "If he can use it, then Dad can use it too. Let's bring it back for experiments!"

The three of them, like an autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves, quickly tidied up all the materials. With a pat on his pants, San left the Treasure Light Hall.

Luo Yu was dissatisfied with the haul, muttering as he walked, "Why aren't there any magic treasures? Where could they be hiding?" He recalled the information about the Heavenly Court and suddenly exclaimed, "Right! There's still a palace called the Treasure Pavilion we haven't visited!"

Qin Yue nodded, "Indeed. Let's detour and have a look."

The trio found the rumored Treasure Pavilion, and sure enough, it housed over twenty treasures. Checking against the roster, none had been plundered.

Luo Yu was delighted and eagerly began selecting. But as soon as he stepped into the exhibition room, all three sensed something amiss—there were many living presences inside.

Luo Yu hurriedly searched around and, after a while, realized these auras came from the magic treasures themselves. The treasures were diverse: swords, axes, hooks, whips, chains, hammers, and more, along with pagodas, combs, mirrors, hairpins, and other curiosities.

Following one aura, Luo Yu approached a small, exquisite flower basket. Observing it from all sides, he curiously asked, "Could it be that the magic treasure has an artifact spirit?"

Before his words finished, a young girl’s voice said, "Nonsense! Ignorant and ill-informed!"

The three were stunned by the sudden voice.

Luo Yu blinked, "There really is an artifact spirit?"

The flower basket remained silent.

Qin Yue and Luo Li gathered around, eyes fixed on the basket. Luo Li said, "Hey, artifact spirit of the treasure, show yourself!"

The girl’s voice spoke again, "Ignorant! Magic treasures that give birth to artifact spirits are called Immortal Treasures. We are Immortal Treasure spirits, do you understand?"

The three exchanged glances. Even Qin Yue was unaware of this. His books on artifact forging were basic, and with little experience traveling the cultivation world, and rare tales from Nascent Soul cultivators, he was indeed ignorant.

Luo Yu awkwardly said, "Sorry, we really didn’t know. But… what difference does having an artifact spirit make? Why call it an Immortal Treasure instead?"

As he finished speaking, the flower basket suddenly glowed brightly. A yellow spiritual light flew out, circled once in the air, and landed on Luo Yu’s hand, flashing as it began to lecture: "Truly ignorant to the extreme! When a magic treasure is damaged, it harms its master, but an Immortal Treasure is different. It has unwavering loyalty and protects its master, ensuring their safety. How can they be compared?"

The three were dumbfounded. Qin Yue’s expression showed disbelief: "Is this really true?"

Luo Li laughed happily, "Aha! This basket is ours now! Let’s take it!"

Luo Yu was ecstatic, thinking, With so many Immortal Treasures here, we must take them all!

Just as he was plotting, the girl’s voice returned, "Hmph, daydreaming! We already have masters and would never betray them!"

Luo Li was stunned, "Who is your master then? Why leave you here instead of taking you along?"

The artifact spirit was silent for a long moment, then said softly, "My master has passed away… Hmph, so what! When the artifact spirit becomes the master, life is reborn. Even if the master falls, loyalty remains forever unchanged."

Luo Li was shocked and murmured, "But… isn’t it boring to stay here?"

The spirit replied firmly, "Not at all! If bored, I can take a long sleep. If not for the noise, I’d be sound asleep right now."

Qin Yue suddenly asked, "If someone forcibly tries to take you away, how would you resist?"

The spirit sneered, "Even if destroyed, I would not surrender."

Luo Yu hurriedly said, "We won’t harm you. We’re just asking questions. Please don’t be angry."

The spirit snorted, "Why would I bother with petty children like you!" Then it flew back into the flower basket, ignoring them.

The siblings met a dead end and turned to other Immortal Treasures, asking a comb, a pair of long hooks, a jade bottle… All gave similar replies, firmly refusing interaction.

Through these conversations, they finally understood why the pavilion had not been looted: artifact spirits are extremely loyal to their masters. Even if the master dies, they do not change allegiance. Usually, artifact spirits share life and death with their masters; if the master cultivates into immortality, the spirit cannot survive. Only if the master’s mind is severely damaged before death and they sever ties with the spirit can the spirit survive independently. In that case, the spirit is free and can cultivate on its own, eventually building a physical body and becoming a cultivator, no longer needing a master.

Essentially, Immortal Treasures are like magic treasures, requiring their own spiritual energy to be refined. But if the spirit resists and uses its own energy to defend, it is nearly impossible to refine. Even forcibly refined by overwhelming power, the spirit could retaliate. Before becoming cultivators, artifact spirits and their treasures are one entity; as long as the treasure remains intact, their life is infinite. Some spirits seek cultivation methods themselves, but most prefer to sleep inside the treasures.

The Immortal Treasures in the pavilion are relics left behind after masters passed away. Each has unique divine abilities that might prove crucial someday. The Heavenly Court carefully stores and manages them. Occasionally, when rogue cultivators appear who can be countered by these treasures, officials respectfully request their aid, returning them politely afterward. If an artifact spirit were to run away in anger, they would lose an important asset. The spirits are simple-minded and fearless of death, but if they wandered the mortal realm and were corrupted or deceived, they might become demonic artifacts—a historically frequent problem the Heavenly Court vigilantly avoids.

Seeing no gain here, the siblings dared not disturb them, thinking it better not to interrupt their rest in case they need their help someday.

With the fairy herb secured, Luo Yu’s major concern was resolved. The rest were just trivial matters.

At the hub hall in the innate Bagua position, a teleportation array was set up. They planned to thoroughly study the compass but first had to return home. With a flash, the array transported them back to the Inverse Heaven Palace.

Luo Yu flew to the center of the array and handed the fairy herb to the little San children to plant. He also planted several seeds of every type of spirit fruit he had obtained inside the Hundred Fresh Fruit Grove and scattered the rest across the vast Kunlun Mountains.

After finishing planting, the three siblings returned home. Descending the stairs, they saw their father sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, while the vampire clung to him like a boneless doll, acting coquettishly: “Darling, don’t read that anymore, look here! I’ve memorized the entire newspaper—want to know what’s in it? I guarantee it’s more entertaining than his explanations!”

Their father didn’t look up but reached out and pressed the vampire’s head into the sofa cushion: “Your subjective emotions are too strong. The news you process always turns into trashy novels. I’ve been fooled a hundred times!”

“Aha, Mommy!” Luo Li cheered, pouncing and pushing the vampire’s raised shoulders down: “Daddy, we’re back!”

Their grandfather, feeding a weasel in the courtyard, came inside upon hearing the noise: “Oh, good grandchildren are back. Come here so grandpa can see if you’re hurt.”

Luo Li changed direction and leapt into grandfather’s arms, planting a kiss on his cheek: “All battles were fought with soldiers. No one’s hurt at all!”

Their father blushed slightly upon seeing Luo Yu and Qin Yue and put down the newspaper: “Did everything go smoothly?”

Luo Yu said, “Very smoothly!” He pulled out an exquisitely crafted small box, opened it, and spread the contents on the table: “Grandpa, come see. Guess what this is?”

As the lid opened, a pure, mellow fragrance wafted out. Even though the family was accustomed to the scent of spirit flowers and celestial herbs, they felt a refreshing comfort throughout their bodies. The elders looked closely and saw five almond-sized round beads resembling golden amber, smooth and moist with a golden halo—clearly no ordinary items.

Grandfather hesitated, “Night pearls? Doesn’t quite seem like it.”

Luo Yu said, “Wrong guess! This will surprise you—it’s a Buddha relic!”

Grandfather said, “Buddha relic? Isn’t one enshrined at Qixia Temple in Nanjing? But this looks different.”

Luo Yu explained, “The one in Nanjing is the incarnation relic left by Buddha when he entered the world as Prince Siddhartha. This one is an immortal bone relic, so it looks different!”

Grandfather asked, “What’s its use?”

Luo Yu glanced at the vampire, “Does it… cause any discomfort?”

The vampire closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then said in surprise, “Oh, I feel it, but not discomfort… my body… feels very light. Oh, how long has it been since I felt my body?”

Luo Yu was shocked, “No feeling? Then with Dad’s… uh, never mind!”

The vampire lamented, “Oh, heavens! Watch your mouth! Fine, fine! Don’t laugh. Although my body has some flaws, I can find spiritual satisfaction! I know you all secretly think I’m sexually frustrated, and yes, this damned curse! It’s like running out of fresh water at sea and having to drink seawater to quench thirst. The result… we all know—just makes you thirstier…”

The vampire wept bitterly, leaving the room in stunned silence.

Grandfather shifted uneasily for a while, then finally couldn’t hold back. He dropped pretenses and pulled the vampire into an embrace, stroking his head comfortingly: “Alright, stop crying. Let Xiao Yu and the others figure out a solution.”

The vampire buried his head deeply in the embrace, his shoulders twitching: Bingo! They’re all subdued. Chu Chu will be even gentler to me from now on, obedient as ever—life couldn’t be better! Stay calm, stay calm! Don’t laugh too hard, or we’re doomed!

Luo Yu was silently speechless: So the vampire is really pitiful… If Dad ends up like this, their happy life is over. Turns out the blood clan is all about pure spiritual love! Who says they only understand carnal desire—slam! Better treat him well from now on~

Luo Yu felt guilty, “These relics can clear internal ailments and impurities, and repair the soul. I want to have Lampes try them, but worry that Buddhist relics might counter him… For now, we should research more. But Grandpa and Dad can definitely wear them!”

Grandfather was very pleased: “Then we need to block the scent. If Old Li and the others smell it, they’ll mock me for wearing perfume at my age.”

Three relics had places to go, but two remained unassigned. Luo Yu, feeling he had an immortal body, decided to leave the two relics for Qin Yue and the cat.

They also displayed other treasures. When they took out two pieces of "Qi Yin Tai Xuan Crystals," the vampire’s eyes suddenly lit up, just like Qin Yue’s when she saw the solar metal. The vampire said, “These two crystals are extremely destructive and unsafe. Let Mommy keep them for you!”

Luo Yu and Qin Yue exchanged glances. These two ice crystals were cold and Yin in nature, fitting the vampire perfectly. Plus, there were two more—just enough for Dad and him each. So they generously handed all four crystals to the vampire.

After reviewing everything, the siblings went to the Inverse Heaven Palace to thoroughly study the detailed properties of these items and to craft a magic treasure for Qin Yue.

Their first subject was the “Tai Long Gel.” San used the “Metal Terminator” on it for three days. It felt lighter but regained weight as the heat cooled—its fire resistance was excellent. Then they soaked it in pure water for three days; it softened slightly but reverted once dry. Next, the cat swept it with five-colored spiritual light hundreds of times, but it remained undamaged. They tried cutting it with a blade, only to find it could repel attacks and shattered a fine-grade magic tool.

Qin Yue grew interested: “Reflecting attacks is a rare trait. If added to my treasure, wouldn’t it be overpowered?”

They tried every attack they could think of, but none worked. Luo Yu was frustrated: “Should we hand it over to those scientists to deal with?”

Qin Yue frowned, “What modern scientific attack surpasses magical power? Atomic bombs? Might not even damage it.”

Luo Yu suggested, “If external damage fails, what about internal?”

Qin Yue asked, “How to get inside?”

Luo Yu thought, “Ultrasound?”

Qin Yue’s eyes brightened. She took the Tai Long Gel and carefully observed it with her divine sense for a long time. “Might be worth trying.”

Thus, they resumed their research, combining ultrasound devices and magical magnetic waves, adjusting countless frequencies. After seven days, the Tai Long Gel finally disintegrated into dust in a historic moment, covering them head to toe. Luo Yu and Qin Yue spent another three days collecting it all into jade bottles.

Next, they studied “Reincarnation Magnetic Silver” and “Nirvana Golden Essence.” The latter was straightforward; mixed with other materials, it triggered a kind of "chemical" reaction essential for their new magic treasure. The magnetic silver could trap enemies and had a strong reflective effect to enhance light-based attacks. They decided to use it as the main material to forge an auxiliary magic treasure for the cat.

Regarding the “Bodhi Clear Relics,” Luo Yu originally thought they would counter Yin ghosts, but these relics were neutral, neither Yin nor Yang, with balanced properties. Suitable for forging with both Yin and Yang materials, they also benefited the vampire greatly. So, they gave them to the vampire, who wore the relics around his neck for two days before swallowing them whole. Grandfather was shocked but the vampire reassured them he could retrieve them if needed. Seeing the relics settled inside him, no one objected.

Finally, there was the “Pure Yang Extreme Flame Metal.” It was a magical metal refined by the sun’s fire since its ignition until tens of thousands of years ago, burning away all impurities. The power of solar fire was embedded within, gleaming brilliantly like a luminous object. Its specific abilities were unknown.

Qin Yue’s heart burned upon seeing this material. He decided to forge a “Tang Dao” sword identical to the one wielded by Chi Yuan. A weapon fanatic, Qin Yue even intended to use his Bodhi Clear Relic to elevate the sword to the “Sword Heart Clarity” realm, making it absolutely pure and free of impurities.

“Sword Heart Clarity” means the treasure is purified to an absolute degree. Usually, purification is relative. After forging, treasures retain some impurities, which are cleansed slowly inside the dantian over thousands or even tens of thousands of years. For most cultivators, their magic treasures never reach this level. “Sword Heart Clarity” is a prerequisite for generating artifact spirits. Such treasures are extremely rare; in today’s cultivation world, artifact spirits have become legend.

To create a fitting hilt and enhance the blade, Qin Yue planned to add Tai Long Gel and Nirvana Golden Essence, spending days in the forging room to perfect the formula and balance all materials. Luo Yu didn’t want to disturb him and instead studied the Heavenly Court’s compass.

Three months later, Luo Yu had explored the entire Heavenly Court. The compass was called the “Innate Yin-Yang Supreme Dao Plate.” It could control puppets, barriers, various mechanisms, and even swap palace locations. Finally, he discovered the Heavenly Court itself was a massive magic tool, only capable of hovering autonomously without flight.

Luo Yu was ecstatic at this secret: since it was a magic tool, couldn’t he absorb it? He just happened to have a Chaos Core perfect for it… But his current magical power was too low to handle it. He could only hope that one day, when his power was limitless, he could bring it into his realm.