Aksai charged forward, casting a swift series of wood-elent Spirit spells.
Thick vines, imbued with druidic power, shot forward, wrapping around one of the corrupted druids and squeezing tightly until it began to fracture.
The power behind Aksai's wood-elent spells was on a completely different level than before. If the demonic cultivators from the three major demonic factions saw Aksai's spell-casting abilities at this point, they might mistake him for an original resident of the holy land.
Lini, quick on her feet, wasted no ti joining him. Her Spirit energy flared around her in a shimring aura as she called forth a storm of water thorns.
With one last corrupted druid remaining, Aksai and Lini turned their focus to their final target. The apparition attempted to reform itself, summoning a dark fla in one last effort to retaliate, but Aksai was faster.
Charging his sword with Qi, he darted forward, slicing through the apparition in a flurry of precise, lethal cuts. Lini finished it off with a blast of Spirit energy, watching as it faded away, unable to maintain its form.
Aksai took a deep breath after the battle, surveying the now-silent platform. This wasn't just a re victory—this ti, he had cleared the third stage by completely eliminating the corrupted druids, leaving no threat behind.
As the battle ended, the raised platform's array formation dulled, its faint light finally dimming out of existence. The spacious cavern fell silent, but five portions of mysterious essence erged, swirling in the air around Aksai.
Unlike before, these essences were absorbed by Aksai alone. The cave's chanism seed able to distinguish between human fighters and Aksai's sentient puppets, ensuring he alone benefited from the battle's rewards.
Swoosh. Zoom. Swaa.
Then, as if from thin air, a flute-shaped artifact materialized before him, hovering in a faint violet glow. Aksai inspected the artifact, noting its unusual design.
The flute seed to be made from a rare, purplish bamboo wood, with druidic runes etched along its length and perfectly spaced finger holes. Near the mouthpiece, a ring of tal encircled it.
It looked like a standard 2nd-order artifact, but the mont he touched it, Aksai felt an imnse power thrumming just beneath the surface.
'My lord, it's a Soul Artifact! You struck gold this ti! Hehe,' Yelia's excited voice rang in Aksai's mind, her enthusiasm palpable.
"Hm? What's a Soul Weapon?" he asked, settling himself into a lotus position on the platform to recover his strength. He could tell that the term "Soul Weapon" was pretty self-explanatory. However, it was better to ask instead of assuming things on his own.
Lini Lowanfield stood nearby, keeping watch and ensuring nothing disturbed Aksai as he absorbed his prize.
As he steadied his breath, Yelia continued.
'My lord, a Soul Weapon is sothing like the Heretic Talisman Brush you have. When you captured Mao Yuhai's remnant soul and bound it to the brush using the Consciousness Creation Art, you essentially gave that artifact a soul, imbuing it with sentience and power.
But this flute doesn't need your Consciousness Creation Art. It has already developed an embryonic form of soul on its own.'
Aksai ran his fingers along the flute, feeling the faint pulse of energy within. "So, it's naturally developed a soul. That makes it... unique?"
'Exactly,' Yelia affird.
'Artifacts like this one, which have slowly absorbed Spirit essence over centuries until they form a soul, are leagues above what we can create artificially. They grow in power with you, often developing new abilities over ti and responding to your will almost as an extension of yourself.
Unlike fabricated Soul Weapons, naturally-ford ones like this can even surpass their owners under the right conditions.'
Aksai raised an eyebrow, studying the flute with renewed appreciation. An artifact that could grow with him, adapt, and even exceed his power—it was a rare find indeed.
He turned the flute over in his hands. Holding it close, he closed his eyes, channeling a bit of his Spirit essence through it to test its resonance.
But strangely, he felt nothing. It was as if the weapon were slumbering.
Aksai raised his eyebrows and examined the flute, it's simple yet elegant shape holding a new kind of mystery. He didn't have much experience with Soul Weapons beyond the Heretic Talisman Brush: Model Mao, which he hadn't fully explored yet, either.
Journeying from place to place for the Aether Beast, he'd had little chance to sit down and craft talismans. But there were few artifacts Yelia took a genuine interest in, and she seed to think this flute had so unique potential.
"What should I even do with this thing?" he muttered, wondering if this flute had any value beyond making music.
Yelia's voice spoke up in his mind. "My lord, Soul Weapons choose their masters. If they reject soone, they won't form a blood bond. But if they choose you, the bond will help you understand its powers and how to wield it."
"Oh? And how exactly does one form a blood bond with it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's quite simple," Yelia replied smoothly. "Just let it absorb a few drops of your blood."
Nodding, Aksai took out his Celestial Stringer dagger and pricked the tip of his right index finger, allowing a few drops of blood to fall onto the flute.
As soon as the blood touched it, the flute began to levitate, bathing the platform in a soft, radiant white light. The drops of blood disappeared almost imdiately, and he felt an odd pressure building in his soul, as if sothing were being drawn into alignnt with him.
It would have been difficult to form a blood bond with the flute—Aksai could feel the ntal and physical strain—but he had a solid grasp of soul-related techniques thanks to his basic studies in the Aether Cultivation Path.
Directing the pressure into his Soul Space, he watched as a mysterious seal appeared within. The seal stabilized, locking the flute's essence to his soul.
As soon as the process completed, he could feel a new kind of awareness within him. The flute's presence was subtle but powerful, a quiet companion resting at the edges of his consciousness.
He didn't need words to communicate; just his thoughts were enough to reach it. The flute, much like Model Mao, was now an extension of him.
'Although it's my first genuine Soul Weapon, it can't be that powerful, considering it's just a flute, right?'
Aksai thought, eyeing the flute with a hint of dissatisfaction.
The next mont, he felt a sharp, needle-like pain piercing his mind. It was the flute's retaliation, clearly displeased that Aksai was underestimating its power.
===
AN: Consciousness Creation Art was explained in chapter 281. Heretic Talisman Brush was introduced in chapter 283.
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