Chapter Forty-Five: The Test

From the moment Chen Yi laid eyes on the Blood Devouring Spear, he felt an undeniable sense that it belonged to him. The materials used to forge the spear were equally worthy of his possession. Although he already had the Rainbow Sword and was highly skilled in the Wind and Thunder Phantom Sword technique, obtaining the Blood Devouring Spear would add another trump card to his arsenal—a prospect that could only benefit him.

Ordinarily, cultivators choose to refine a single magical artifact, as their spiritual power allows them to control only one artifact equal to their current cultivation level—for example, refining a low-grade artifact during the Foundation Establishment stage, or a mid-grade artifact during the Golden Core stage, and so on.

It is possible to attempt refining an artifact above one’s level, but doing so means the spiritual power will be insufficient to fully control the higher-grade artifact, greatly diminishing mastery over it. It is akin to a four- or five-year-old child wielding a long blade: though the blade itself is sharp and formidable, placing it in a child’s hands does not enhance the child’s combat strength, but rather endangers them.

Cultivators who attempt to refine artifacts above their level find that the artifact does not increase their fighting prowess; instead, it undermines it. Thus, most cultivators avoid choosing artifacts beyond their cultivation stage.

Chen Yi, however, was different. He possessed memories from both his past and present lives, which had strengthened the origin of his soul, making his soul twice as powerful as that of cultivators at the same realm.

As his soul’s origin grew stronger, so too did his spiritual power. Although Chen Yi’s cultivation was only at the Qi Refining stage, he had already developed spiritual sense, something only Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed, and his spiritual sense was even stronger than theirs.

Spiritual power manifests as the ability to extend one’s spiritual sense outward—strong spiritual sense means strong spiritual power, weak sense means weak power. With his current spiritual power, Chen Yi could easily control the Blood Devouring Spear, a low-grade artifact. Thus, he resolved to use the Treasure Pavilion token to obtain the spear.

After reading the description of the Blood Devouring Spear, Chen Yi glanced at the price set by the Treasure Pavilion. Upon seeing it, he drew a deep breath: ten thousand contribution points—the price of the spear. He quickly turned to examine the prices of other artifacts nearby.

After reviewing several low-grade artifacts, Chen Yi slowly exhaled, calming his startled heart. The prices of other low-grade artifacts ranged from five to six thousand contribution points, none as exorbitant as the Blood Devouring Spear.

Ten thousand contribution points was indeed a staggering sum for a low-grade artifact. With that amount, one could almost exchange for a lower-tier mid-grade artifact in the Treasure Pavilion.

Though the materials used to forge the Blood Devouring Spear were rare and the spear itself was top-tier among low-grade artifacts, its high price was precisely why no Foundation Establishment disciple was willing to spend ten thousand contribution points on it. That sum represented nearly half the net worth of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Golden Core disciples, on the other hand, used mid-grade artifacts and looked down on low-grade ones, leaving the Blood Devouring Spear untouched since Elder Ouyang placed it in the Treasure Pavilion.

Fortunately, Chen Yi possessed a Treasure Pavilion token, which allowed him to select any low-grade artifact without spending any contribution points.

He took the token from his spatial ring and gently traced it across the defensive barrier surrounding the spear. Instantly, both the token and the barrier vanished. Chen Yi was not surprised by this marvel, for he knew it was the Pavilion’s unique ability.

He held the cold Blood Devouring Spear in his hand, gazing at its blood-red shaft and tassel. A murderous aura swept over him; he seemed to smell the scent of blood beneath his nose and found himself transported onto a battlefield, surrounded by carnage and the sounds of combat. Relying on his formidable soul, Chen Yi immediately recognized he had fallen into an illusion.

Luckily, his willpower had been honed to extraordinary strength through the nonhuman training of the Dragon Elephant Technique. Chen Yi gritted his teeth, unleashing his willpower, which surged outward and shattered the bloody illusion in an instant.

Clarity returned before his eyes; he was still in the Treasure Pavilion, holding the Blood Devouring Spear. The battle scene had vanished. As he pondered why he had fallen into the illusion, the spear in his hand suddenly emitted a red light that shot into his mind.

The red light moved so swiftly that Chen Yi had no time to react—it pierced through his forehead and entered his mind. Fortunately, the light bore no malice; had it been hostile, he would surely have met his end, though whether this world contained a King of the Underworld was a matter Chen Yi could not ascertain.

Though the red light was non-hostile, Chen Yi did not relax his vigilance. After all, one can never be too careful—his life was his own, and he had only one. For safety’s sake, he focused his mind entirely on the red light within his consciousness.

Once inside, the red light transformed into information. Chen Yi concentrated and began to examine the data in his mind. Soon, he had read it all and finally understood why he had succumbed to the illusion.

It turned out that the spear’s creator had left a strand of spiritual power within it. When someone touched the Blood Devouring Spear, this spiritual strand would conjure an illusion to test the potential owner. Failing the test would merely cause minor spiritual harm, not fatal injury.

But passing the test would bring immense rewards, for within that spiritual strand, the creator had also left an inheritance—the Blood Devouring Spear Technique, a spear method designed to complement the artifact.

Only the Blood Devouring Spear Technique could unlock the spear’s full power. Of course, even without it, Chen Yi could wield the spear to impressive effect, but if he possessed the technique, not only would he unleash its astonishing might, he could also advance his cultivation.

For within the Blood Devouring Spear Technique lay both a spear art and a cultivation method. The spear art, known as "Blood Devouring Spear Arts," was a powerful technique composed of three moves: Devour Immortal, Devour Demon, Devour Monster. When used in tandem with the Blood Devouring Spear, the spear arts could amplify its power.

The cultivation method, "Blood Refining Formula," when combined with the spear, could accelerate its blood-devouring ability. Furthermore, the blood absorbed from outside by the spear could be refined using the formula to enhance Chen Yi’s own cultivation.