I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 383: Chapter 366: Life Artifact: Demon Suppression Tower

Mingren nodded to Number Five, Number Seven, and Number Nine, then smiled and returned to his own cave-dwelling.

But Number Five, Number Seven, and Number Nine didn’t leave. It seemed they knew each other.

"Did you hear anything before you came?"

"No, not a thing. This person must have been an unexpected discovery. It’s possible even the Sect doesn’t know about him."

"Heh, I wonder what kind of constitution he has. It’s really piqued my curiosity."

"His constitution doesn’t matter. Let’s see if he can succeed first."

"Number Five, how is your Artifact Soul progressing?"

Number Five watched the retreating figures of Number Two and Number Three, then shook his head slightly. "I’m not cultivating an Artifact Soul."

Number Seven and Number Nine were both stunned. "You’re going all in?"

Number Five smiled faintly. "It’s do or die."

After speaking, he nodded and returned to his own cave-dwelling.

Those with a Holy Statue Body have a high success rate if they focus on cultivating an Artifact Soul. However, doing so would obviously require them to split their focus. This was the trade-off.

Ma Tian’Er was cultivating with great diligence. An opportunity like this was rare for her. In Dragon Transformation Pool number thirty-six, Tian’Er wasn’t thinking about a Holy Statue. Instead, she was focused on cultivating her Artifact Soul. She had a feeling she wanted to cultivate a Healing Element Life Artifact that could help everyone.

This had long been Ma Tian’Er’s desire, and it suited her Wood Element constitution. Although it wasn’t a perfect match, Tian’Er had never slacked off, whether at the Holy Hall or the Cultivation Academy. Whenever she faced a cultivation sprint, her mentality was always the best.

Within Ma Tian’Er’s Sea of Fate, a faint image was gradually taking shape. She wasn’t thinking of herself—an almost inconceivable notion in the world of Cultivators. But Ma Tian’Er did it anyway. She was likely the polar opposite of the absolutely selfish type. In a world this vast, oddballs are bound to appear.

The Artifact Soul seemed to be taking the form of a lotus flower. The shape of an Artifact Soul depends on both the user’s own body and the Laws of Heaven and Earth.

If this trend continued, Ma Tian’Er had a very high chance of obtaining an Artifact Soul. Here, the speed at which her Life Mark was rising was also very fast.

Back at the Cultivation Academy, she had controlled her Life Mark Level while she cultivated in order to temper her Magic. Now that she had let go and was beginning to sprint, the initial stages would be smooth. For her, problems would only arise after the fortieth level.

Of course, the woeful Master Wang was another matter entirely. He had been in seclusion for over a month, and the effects of the Dragon Transformation Pool were becoming less and less potent. This was likely the sorrow of possessing a Five Elements Body; when you truly tried to sprint through the Life Mark Levels, the obstacles came one after another.

This was an opportunity that clearly wouldn’t come again. The Five Elements Body was originally considered a useless, discarded constitution—the most regrettable kind. It was only due to some special circumstances that he had gotten this chance, though Wang Meng and the others were unaware of the inside story.

Wang Meng, of course, refused to admit defeat. Ever since he began his Cultivation, not a single thing had gone his way. This was just a minor torment. What needed to be accumulated must be accumulated. First, he had to form an Artifact Soul, which was far more reliable than cultivating a Holy Statue.

「Meanwhile, at the Starlight Cultivation Academy.」

Standing before Lv Yuantian were the three strongest Cultivators in the Cultivation Academy.

Empress Ling Fei, Dragon King Hua Jianyu, and Celestial King Ji Rushan.

Ling Fei was the only Cultivator trained by the Cultivation Academy to have successfully cultivated a Holy Statue, so her status was naturally transcendent.

Hua Jianyu and Ji Rushan had both formed their Life Artifacts during the Minor Perfection stage, which placed them a notch below Ling Fei.

Dragon King Hua Jianyu was the classic case of a man with good looks and a fine figure; he was outstanding in all respects. Having formed a Life Artifact, he was already recorded in the Star Alliance’s files as a candidate, even though he wasn’t yet a member. Simply being noticed by the Star Alliance was an honor in itself.

The man himself stood there like a sharpened sword, radiating a powerful aura.

Ji Rushan, on the other hand, was incredibly brawny, a rare Body Cultivator who had also formed a Life Artifact. There had never been a true battle between the three of them. Since Ling Fei had a Holy Statue, the other two wouldn’t dare challenge her without absolute confidence.

The rank of a Holy Statue was higher than that of a Life Artifact, but that didn’t mean a Life Artifact had no chance. In a real battle, many factors could determine the outcome.

Ling Fei had a cold and detached personality. If Hua Jianyu or Ji Rushan were in her position, they would have likely unified the entire Cultivation Academy long ago.

"I’ve called the three of you here today for a very important matter."

Lv Yuantian habitually tapped his fingers on the desk. The relationship between the three was quite ordinary; to be precise, their paths never crossed. Ling Fei came and went without a trace, and the Empress Faction remained neutral, rarely interfering in affairs. Meanwhile, Hua Jianyu and Ji Rushan were vying for the position of the second-strongest Overlord, but unfortunately, they were too evenly matched to determine a winner.

"According to our calculations, the Dragon Cave in the Dragon Soul Small Thousand World will open within a year at the latest. This is a once-in-a-century opportunity. When the time comes, you can all go and try your luck."

"The Dragon Cave... one needs to be at least at the Minor Perfection realm to withstand the Dragon Power inside. Dean, I imagine masters from all over will be entering at that time."

"Heh, that’s right. I will also be going personally. Your main purpose is to seek out your own opportunities, so focus on advancing your cultivation in the near future. Be prepared, and don’t let unnecessary matters distract you."

The Dragon Cave was classified as a First-Level Secret Realm by the Star Alliance, enough to attract even Great Perfection masters. Strictly speaking, the Dragon Race could be considered a branch of the Demon Race, but dragons were truly the most powerful of all beings. Their tyrannical bodies and complete resistance to Magic made them seem immortal. A dragon’s body was a treasure trove, invaluable for both Cultivation and for refining powerful Magical Artifacts.

Unfortunately, even a Great Perfection master would shrink back from a living dragon. A dead dragon, or one on the verge of death, was another matter entirely.

Dragons existed in various planes, but strangely, whenever a Giant Dragon sensed its end was near, it would carry its treasures across space to the Dragon Soul Small Thousand World, enter the Dragon Cave, and quietly wait for death.

No one knew why. Some said there was a dragon vein near the Dragon Cave, while others claimed the Dragon Soul Small Thousand World was the ancestral home of the Dragon Race. The reason remained unknown, but every time the Dragon Cave opened, it caused a sensation throughout the entire Cultivation Realm. Any Sect that was qualified would try its luck.

It was said that all of the current top ten Sects in the Star Alliance had reaped benefits from the Dragon Cave.

But as the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse—let alone a Giant Dragon. The Dragon Cave had to be opened by a living Giant Dragon, and this was the Cultivators’ chance. After killing the dying beast, the Dragon Cave wouldn’t close immediately. The treasures brought by the dragons were one thing, but the Giant Dragon skeletons inside were enough to make one tremble just thinking about it.

It was rumored that if one could devour a Dragon Soul, they could even obtain a Dragon Race Holy Statue. Even Great Perfection masters found it hard to suppress this desire.

The deeper one went into the Dragon Cave, the more powerful the dead dragons became, and the higher their status had been. But a dragon’s might doesn’t fade with death. Inside, the Dragon Power mixed with an aura of death, creating a terrifyingly lethal environment. No one had ever reached the deepest part of the Dragon Cave. In the past, the Demon Race and humans had fought great wars over it. But in recent years, with humanity unified and under the constraints of the Star Alliance, only qualified Sects were allowed to enter.

Of course, the Cultivation Academy was certainly qualified, and even had some special privileges.

The path to ascension required a great deal of luck. Without heavenly materials and earthly treasures, relying solely on dogged cultivation was an arduous and nigh-unachievable path.

Ling Fei and the other two were all qualified to go. Even though in the past they had just been going along for the ride, the experience would lay the groundwork for their futures. If they managed to pick up something valuable, that would be even better.

After leaving the dean’s office, Ji Rushan and Hua Jianyu exchanged a few teasing remarks, their words laced with hidden barbs. Normally, Ling Fei would have simply vanished.

"Hua Jianyu."

Hua Jianyu and Ji Rushan were both taken aback. The three of them had met several times, but Ling Fei almost never spoke.

"Miss Ling, what can I do for you?"

Ling Fei’s Flower Fairy Sect was ranked sixth in the Star Alliance. Having cultivated a Holy Statue, Ling Fei was also the future hope of the Flower Fairy Sword.

"Leave the Holy Hall Faction’s encampment."

Ling Fei said coolly. Hua Jianyu was stunned. Although the people from the Holy Hall Faction had fled, the territory was still there, and Hua Jianyu had already occupied it. But why would Ling Fei care about this?

A smile appeared on Hua Jianyu’s handsome face. "Miss Ling, this matter doesn’t have anything to do with you, does it?"

Ling Fei looked at Hua Jianyu. "You don’t need to know."

A murderous glint flashed in Hua Jianyu’s eyes. Having reached his level, the last thing he wanted to do was back down.

"Ling Fei, the Holy Hall Faction is nothing but a tiny ant, completely insignificant. But if I agree to your demand, it will look like I’m afraid of you. I’ve long wanted to experience your Peacock Ming King Statue for myself!"

Hua Jianyu’s body erupted with Sword Qi like a rainbow as he launched an attack at Ling Fei.

A smile crept onto Ji Rushan’s lips, and he immediately distanced himself. "I will serve as Protector for you two. Feel free to fight to your hearts’ content!"

Ling Fei, still expressionless, looked at Hua Jianyu. "Please."

"DIE~~~"

The Immortal Sword in Hua Jianyu’s hand suddenly pointed at Ling Fei. A sky full of sword light, enough to blot out the sun, shot towards her.

This was the strike of a Minor Perfection expert—effortless, able to borrow the power of heaven and earth.

Ling Fei waved her hand, and a blast of Elemental Power instantly swept the sky-full of Sword Qi away.

"Little Flower, bring out your Life Artifact! Don’t tell me you thought these little tricks would be enough to make our Miss Ling use her Holy Statue?"

"You, shut your mouth!" Hua Jianyu’s face fell. His Vast Sword Qi had been swept away like a fleeting cloud with a mere flick of her sleeve, and worse, Ji Rushan was standing right there watching.

"Then let me show you my Demon Suppression Tower!"

A light flashed from Hua Jianyu’s Sea of Fate, and an object flew out, glinting with golden light—it was an exquisitely detailed, miniature pagoda.

Hua Jianyu’s face filled with immense confidence. He abruptly threw the Demon Suppression Tower forward. The tower grew with the wind, instantly transforming into a giant, glittering gold Treasure Tower dozens of meters tall. A strange and sonorous sound rippled through the space. This was the Holy Sound, capable of dispelling evil demons.

The Demon Suppression Tower pressed down toward Ling Fei.

BOOM...

It suppressed Ling Fei directly.

To dare to get violent so close to the Dean’s Tower, probably only these three had the guts.

Ji Rushan watched from the side, his eyes fixed on the scene. ’Hua Jianyu’s Demon Suppression Tower... To be able to cultivate a pagoda-type Life Artifact, he’s definitely among the best. A renowned Life Artifact with Holy Sound and Soul Suppressing abilities is truly impressive. But to suppress Ling Fei so easily... this is just too... For so many years, Hua Jianyu and I never mustered the courage to challenge Ling Fei. Was it all just a joke?’

Suddenly, he felt a pang of regret for giving this opportunity to Hua Jianyu.