Chapter 312: Chapter 285: Advancement to a Spiritual Artifact

An unknown amount of time passed.

Saphiras’s struggles finally weakened.

The azure halo around his body had long since vanished, revealing the heavily scarred Scale Armor beneath.

Charred burns and bone-deep gashes crisscrossed his body, making him look like a piece of shattered porcelain that had been crudely pieced back together.

Anton stood outside the formation, hands clasped behind his back. His expression was as calm as still water, but his gaze never left the scene unfolding within.

Now, seeing that Saphiras was at the end of his rope, a sharp glint flashed in Anton’s eyes as he finally made his move.

The two hundred fifty-six beams of sword light in the void instantly converged. Like a hundred rivers flowing to the sea, they merged into a single, meter-long beam of Profound Gold Sword Light.

The sword light was perfectly clear, as if freshly washed and untainted by a single speck of dust.

It simply hung there silently, yet it possessed a sharpness that seemed to outshine the very heavens and earth.

In the next instant, the sword light silently slipped into the Six Ding and Six Jia Formation, moving so fast it seemed to defy the limits of space.

Saphiras instinctively sensed the mortal danger and tried to dodge, but his grievously wounded body no longer obeyed him. Ultimately, he was a step too slow.

SHHCK!

The sword light pierced Saphiras’s skull, exiting through the back of his head and carrying a shower of searing Dragon Blood with it.

Saphiras’s body suddenly stiffened.

The light in his vertical pupils faded rapidly, like a candle flame snuffed out by the wind.

He opened his mouth wide, trying to make one last sound, but all that came out was a choked gasp of air and bloody foam.

His massive draconic form swayed a few times in mid-air, then plummeted like a collapsing mountain.

The sword light pulsed, transforming once more into over two hundred beams of Profound Gold light that wrapped layer upon layer around Saphiras’s falling corpse.

At that moment, the Secret Technique of the Devouring Spirit Dao activated at full power.

Scales, flesh, bones... everything disintegrated under the grinding power of the sword light, stripped away and reduced to its most primordial form: pure essence.

A dense, scarlet mist of blood erupted from the dragon’s corpse, roiling in the air like a volcanic plume.

Within the mist of blood, the spectral form of a Gale Wing Dragon struggled and writhed.

It was the remnant of Saphiras’s soul and will, mounting its final resistance.

However, the beams of light clung to the spectral form like maggots to a bone, coiling around it and devouring it, bit by agonizing bit.

The phantom’s struggles grew ever fainter and its form became increasingly blurry. Finally, with a silent scream of anguish, it completely disintegrated into countless motes of light. The surrounding blood mist was swept away along with it, devoured entirely by the sword light.

When the last wisp of the blood mist vanished, Saphiras’s body was gone without a trace.

All that remained was a single ring, left floating in the air, bobbing gently in the night wind.

Anton raised his hand and beckoned, and the ring fell into his palm.

The ring was forged from dark gold, its surface intricately engraved with draconic patterns. A faint light seemed to flow within the etchings, a clear sign that this was no ordinary item.

’At the very least, it must be an Ancient Level magical item.’

Right now, however, Anton couldn’t be bothered to inspect the ring. He tucked it away and fixed his gaze on the Sword Pill hovering in mid-air.

Having devoured the essence of an entire Saint-level Gale Wing Dragon, the Sword Pill now blazed with intense Profound Light, pulsing erratically like a living flame.

With each throb, its luster grew brighter.

The once-dull gold grew incandescent, as if molten lava churned within the Pill. A blinding light and intense heat radiated through its thin outer shell.

Anton could clearly sense a vast Spiritual nature gestating and surging within the Sword Pill.

Like a slumbering embryo, its time to hatch had finally come.

The Sword Pill trembled violently and let out a clear, sonorous ring.

It sounded like a bell tolling from a great distance—deep and resonant, with an ethereal quality that seemed to cleanse the soul.

At that moment, the Profound Light reached its peak intensity, illuminating the entire night sky as if it were daytime.

Even Anton had to narrow his eyes slightly.

As the light gradually receded, it revealed that the Sword Pill’s form had changed considerably.

The Profound Light that had once flickered like flames was gone. In its place, intricate patterns were now branded onto the Pill’s surface.

The patterns were complex and profound, like some ancient script, each stroke suffused with an impossibly abstruse meaning.

Staring at the Sword Pill, Anton could clearly sense an aura completely different from before.

It was no longer a vague, instinctual response, but a clearer ’presence’—one with a consciousness of its own.

He could feel the Sword Pill ’looking’ at him.

At a flicker of thought from Anton, the Sword Pill quivered gently, then transformed into a streak of light and began to dance and spiral through the air.

It no longer required his control; the sword light traced graceful arcs across the night sky all on its own.

One moment, it was like a fish darting through water, fluid and graceful.

The next, it was a meteor chasing the moon, faster than a flash of lightning.

Every acceleration and change in direction was imbued with an unprecedented agility.

It was as if it were no longer a weapon, but a fledgling bird set free, joyfully stretching its wings in the night sky to savor its freedom.

Anton could even clearly feel the joy radiating from the Sword Pill.

The corners of his lips curved upward slightly as he beckoned with his hand.

Like a bird returning to its nest, the Sword Pill landed steadily in his palm. It quivered a few times, then grew still, like a child waiting for praise.

A satisfied smile appeared on Anton’s face.

’This is a Spiritual Artifact.’

’The critical stage in a Magical Treasure’s evolution from an ’object’ to a ’living being’.’

’If the ’vague consciousness’ of a Profound Artifact is pure instinct—like a plant growing toward the light or a sensitive plant recoiling from touch—then a Spiritual Artifact possesses true self-awareness.’

’It can perceive, comprehend, and communicate with its master’s thoughts.’

’It is like a newborn animal—ignorant, perhaps, but with a mind of its own.’

The Sword Pill had only just broken through; it was merely a Low Grade Spiritual Artifact, and its Artifact Spirit had the consciousness of a toddler.

Even so, it could already establish a rudimentary mental link with Anton and sense his basic emotions.

Such a profound connection was far beyond anything a Profound Artifact was capable of.

The most obvious manifestation of this was the significant improvement in the Sword Pill’s response time to Anton’s commands.

Previously, Anton had to use his Divine Sense to command the Sword Pill. While it had been responsive, there was always a sense of remove.

Now, however, it had merged with Anton’s will, the two becoming inseparable.

The sword moved with his very thought, arriving wherever his mind willed it.

Beyond that, a Spiritual Artifact possessed another significant advantage.

It could absorb energy autonomously.

The previous Profound Artifact version of the Sword Pill had also absorbed ambient energy from the world, but its absorption was mostly passive.

The Spiritual Artifact Sword Pill, however, could actively draw in energy to replenish itself, reducing the burden on its user’s Magical Power.

Its absorption efficiency was far superior to that of a Profound Artifact.

This combination of self-awareness and active energy absorption meant that even if Anton exhausted his Magical Power or lost consciousness, the Sword Pill could continue to fight and ensure its master’s safety.

This was something a Profound Artifact could never do.

But these were not what made a Spiritual Artifact truly powerful.

The most fundamental, qualitative change that set a Spiritual Artifact apart from a Profound Artifact was its ability to amplify the Power of Law.

The intricate patterns branded on the Pill’s surface were not mere decoration; they were the physical manifestation of the Artifact Spirit’s authority over the Law.

When Anton executed his Sword Dao Divine Techniques, these patterns would activate automatically, infusing the Power of Law into the sword light and massively increasing its might.

It was, in essence, a Law amplifier.

This meant that from now on, whenever Anton used his "One Sword, Ten Thousand Techniques," its power would be significantly greater than before.

This was the true power of a Spiritual Artifact.

’If a Profound Artifact was a tool, then a Spiritual Artifact was a combat partner.’

It was no longer a cold, inanimate object, but a living companion, one that could connect with its master’s very soul.

As the grade of the Spiritual Artifact increased, the consciousness of the Artifact Spirit would also grow stronger.

It would mature from a toddler to a child, and then to an adolescent.

Eventually, it could even manifest a corporeal phantom.

Once it ascended to the rank of True Artifact, the Artifact Spirit could take on a physical form and cultivate just like a Cultivator.

At that point, there would be little difference between an Artifact Spirit and any other intelligent life form.

Anton pulled back his wandering thoughts, and his will stirred.

The Sword Pill leaped from his palm and abruptly multiplied in mid-air.

Two hundred fifty-six beams of sword light spread across the night sky like a river of stars flowing in reverse.

Each beam of light was veiled in a faint, ocherous glow, possessing the weight of a mountain and the sharpness of a razor’s edge.

Anton raised his hand and pointed. The sword lights shot forward like falling stars, crashing into the distant surface of the sea with a thunderous roar.

The surface of the sea buckled as if slammed by an invisible giant’s hand, forming a massive crater hundreds of meters in diameter. Waves erupted, and a thick mist filled the air.

Deep within the crater, the seawater groaned under the immense pressure, unable to close back in for a long time.

Watching this, Anton nodded in satisfaction.

’The power of the sword light has increased by at least fifty percent.’

’The Spiritual Artifact’s boost to my power is even greater than I expected.’

’Now, if I were to face that Gale Wing Dragon again, I’m confident I could kill it even without relying on the Six Ding and Six Jia Divine Generals.’

"Once I condense my Magical Power True Seal, I might even have a chance of victory against a Saint at their peak."

The smile on Anton’s face deepened.

The Sword Pill’s breakthrough had elevated his combat strength to a whole new level.

’But this is just the beginning.’

’Above Spiritual Artifacts are True Artifacts and Dao Artifacts, and my cultivation of the Sword Dao is far from over.’

’Besides, for the Sword Pill to continue advancing, it needs to devour the essence of more dragons.’

’But the Dragon Race has already been annihilated.’

’Finding another Saint-level Giant Dragon like Saphiras will be no easy task.’

As this thought crossed his mind, Anton’s gaze shifted to the distance, falling upon the Giant Dragons who had remained frozen in place since the battle began.

These Giant Dragons were still reeling from the shock of Saphiras’s death.

’They had never imagined it possible. Lord Saphiras, a mighty Saint Tier Gale Wing Dragon, had actually died at the hands of a mere Legendary Tier Elf?’

Countless, chaotic thoughts exploded in the minds of the Giant Dragons, leaving them frozen in place, their vertical pupils filled with terror and confusion.

They remained that way until Anton’s gaze swept over them. It was like a basin of ice water had been dumped over their heads, and they all shuddered in unison.

Fear washed over them like a tidal wave, causing the scales all over their bodies to stand on end.

Just as despair took hold and they resigned themselves to the same fate as Saphiras, Anton did not strike as they had anticipated.

He simply raised his hand and made a beckoning gesture.

In an instant, the Space Rings the Giant Dragons had hidden beneath their scales flew out in unison. They traced a dense web of arcs through the air before vanishing into Anton’s sleeve.

"From now on, you will remain in the Netherworld Sea Trench."

Anton gazed indifferently at the assembled Giant Dragons.

"Dare to leave, and you will be killed without mercy."

The Giant Dragons froze for a moment, then realization dawned.

’This Elf... he plans to keep us like livestock!’

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