Chapter 1834: 幻灵沙

This golden essence resembled a small golden figure, but it lacked distinct body parts, appearing more like a puddle of golden silt imbued with life. However, there was no doubt that this entity possessed a terrifying level of intelligence, certainly no less than that of any shrewd human.

"Your Excellency, quickly look at that thing! It must have been attached to the True Steel Martial God's body, causing his sealed physical form to awaken prematurely. It was the true culprit behind the recent battle." At this moment, Xu Yang, with a smile, approached the golden light. The entity, however, like a trembling dwarf, began to retreat. Its reaction was remarkably vivid; even without a complete humanoid shape, its timid withdrawal was clearly perceived by Xu Yang.

"You must be very curious about the power that blocked your escape route. Now, I can give you a clear answer. I had already discerned your presence and established this domain of rules specifically to trap you like a turtle in a jar. I'm eager to see where else you can hide."

Hearing Xu Yang's words, the pile of golden figures before him finally became agitated, beginning to tremble and attempting to curl their indistinct bodies together. They seemed to be begging Xu Yang for mercy. But this time, how could Xu Yang possibly forgive it? Yet, Xu Yang's expression, as he looked at the small entity, seemed to grow exceptionally excited.

At the same moment, a cauldron-shaped soul totem suddenly materialized beside Xu Yang. It was undoubtedly the Emperor Cauldron, his exclusive artifact-refining sacred object. "Master, this is Illusory Spirit Sand, a rare find in ten thousand years! Haven't you wanted to forge a master artifact that can change its shape at will? I think if the Void Sword Soul uses this Illusory Spirit Sand as a refining material, there's a chance to achieve that. This Illusory Spirit Sand can change its form freely and possesses extremely powerful soul resonance abilities. To put it simply, it was originally a type of creature, but without a defined life form. Its life force is embodied within every single particle of the sand itself. Therefore, as long as I use my power to bind it with the Void Sword Soul and refine them for forty-nine days, success is guaranteed. I even have the confidence to directly forge the Void Sword into a divinely crafted master artifact, and its strength should not be inferior to that of the Cold Spring and Fading Affection master artifacts."

Upon hearing the Emperor Cauldron's words, Xu Yang immediately nodded, very pleased with the suggestion.

When the Void Sword Soul was forged, Xu Yang lacked sufficient experience, and thus didn't help the Void Sword develop its own innate talent. For example, the Cold Spring master artifact's innate talent allowed it to release icy auras to seal opponents. The Fading Affection master artifact, besides its ability to split in two, possessed the powerful dual instincts of devouring souls and flesh. These were innate talents of master artifacts, but the Void Sword Soul was still blank in this regard. That's why Xu Yang had the idea of forging it into a completely different kind of master artifact, one that could maximize its combat value.

Now, with this extremely rare Illusory Spirit Sand as its fundamental forging material, the sword was imbued with infinite possibilities. In fact, Xu Yang's inspiration came from his previous encounters with Dawn. As the former Heaven Sect Female Assassin God and a feared Reaper of Lives throughout the empire, Dawn's innate magical treasures—two daggers radiating purple light—were precisely the source of Xu Yang's idea. Xu Yang wanted the Void Sword to possess the innate ability to change its form. This way, it wouldn't just be a sword; if Xu Yang wished, it could transform into any shape best suited for battlefield conditions, such as a hammer, two daggers, and so on.

Considering all these factors, the Illusory Spirit Sand before him was undoubtedly the most perfect fundamental material for Xu Yang to forge a brand-new version of the Void Sword.

With this idea born, Xu Yang unhesitatingly extended a hand and, with his grand cultivation realm, immediately suppressed the golden sand's true form. Even though the little entity struggled wildly and racked its brain, attempting a desperate counter-attack against Xu Yang, the disparity in their raw power was immense. Even if Xu Yang were to throw the Illusory Spirit Sand a hundred meters away, he could instantly track its whereabouts with his powerful spiritual energy. For this small entity to encounter Xu Yang and foolishly attempt to become his adversary was the biggest mistake of its life. Now, it had no choice but to surrender.

After forcibly suppressing it, Xu Yang sealed the little entity directly within the Emperor Cauldron and immediately began the artifact-refining process. The forty-nine days—neither short nor long—passed as Xu Yang, after initiating the refining process, led Dawn, Dragon Kun, Qing Ya, other team members, and the female captives towards the exit of the endless desert forbidden zone. The so-called end of the desert was, in fact, the path leading to Absolute Star Peak. It's worth noting that just before Xu Yang and his group planned to leave the city-state ruins, another, even greater surprise appeared before Xu Yang: the Purple Jade Crystal, which had been lost.

It was unexpectedly found by Dawn, who stumbled upon it. Xu Yang had already given up searching for it, as even the Great Toad knew nothing of its whereabouts. Just as everyone was preparing to leave, Dawn discovered the Purple Jade Crystal behind a statue at the very bottom of the ruined palace.

After obtaining the crystal, Xu Yang, as before, tried to communicate with the powerful Purple Jade Crystal using his spiritual energy. He could clearly perceive faint fluctuations of a powerful aura sealed within the crystal. Unfortunately, that aura never resonated or responded to him, remaining in a state of slumber. Xu Yang shook his head helplessly, but for him, this was already an immense gain.

"Hahaha, Boss, this time we really got it without much effort! Didn't realize Dawn was so meticulous." Hearing Dragon Kun's words, Dawn gently shook her head.