Chapter 908 - 398: Arrogant Artifact Spirit, Breaking the Record

"Senior, we are disciples of the Purple Mist Sect." Liu Xuanfeng stepped forward and offered a respectful bow with cupped hands.

Hearing this, the coldness on the Artifact Spirit’s face faded slightly, replaced by a hint of arrogance. "You trash from the Purple Mist Sect again?"

The Purple Mist Sect cultivators behind Liu Xuanfeng grew indignant. Although they had been warned about the Artifact Spirit’s attitude beforehand, they couldn’t help but speak up.

"Senior, our talent is outstanding, and we cultivate diligently without ever slacking off. Few among our peers can compare to us. Why are we merely ’trash’ in your eyes?

"If even we are considered trash, then what are ordinary cultivators?"

Filled with innate pride, they voiced their questions one after another. However, the Artifact Spirit merely replied indifferently, "Trash has no right to demand answers from me."

The disciples immediately flared with anger at his words, yet they were forced to restrain themselves. They knew very well that if a fight broke out, the Artifact Spirit would easily crush them all.

At this moment, the Artifact Spirit glanced at Li Chang’an. "Even someone with a Low Grade Spirit Root can come here. Is there truly no one left in the Purple Mist Sect?"

"Senior, this person is not a member of our Purple Mist Sect, but an outsider."

"Oh, so he doesn’t even qualify as trash..." As he spoke, he waved his hand casually. Several doors shimmering with a faint, ghostly light materialized before the group. "You all came here for nothing more than to take the test. Go in."

"Yes." Liu Xuanfeng entered first, with the others following closely behind. Li Chang’an, his expression calm and steady, was the last to walk in.

In the blink of an eye, the doors closed, completely isolating them from the outside world. Li Chang’an found himself entirely alone in a dark, narrow space.

The Artifact Spirit’s indifferent voice echoed beside his ear. "You possess Late Stage Golden Core cultivation, so the demon beasts here will be at the Tier Three Late Stage. If you cannot defeat them, you need only concede verbally, and I will naturally send you out."

With that said, he gave Li Chang’an no time to prepare. A demon beast instantly appeared. It was a Fire Element Wolf Demon, its entire body blazing with blinding firelight as it roared and charged at Li Chang’an.

"Sever!"

Li Chang’an casually unleashed a streak of Sword Qi, piercing right through the wolf demon’s body.

The Artifact Spirit’s slightly surprised voice resounded. "I underestimated you. For someone with a mere Low Grade Spirit Root, your magical power is remarkably vigorous. You must have formed an Immortal Golden Core. To think I failed to see through it at first glance... I retract my previous assessment of you."

"Senior, what kind of evaluation do I receive now?" Li Chang’an asked.

A moment later, the Artifact Spirit spat out two familiar words: "Mediocre talent!"

Zi Xi had once received this exact same evaluation. Li Chang’an didn’t ask further; he simply calmed his mind and continued to slay the demon beasts.

It wasn’t long before the number of Tier Three Late Stage demon beasts that had died by his hand exceeded fifty. As time passed, the demon beasts began appearing in greater numbers and at a higher frequency. It felt as though a new demon beast spawned with every passing second. Li Chang’an’s internal magical power was being consumed at a frantic pace, and his Golden Core was no longer as radiant as before.

After a while, his kill count surpassed ninety and steadily approached a hundred. At this moment, the Artifact Spirit’s voice echoed once more.

"Your Immortal Golden Core magical power is stronger than a typical Immortal Golden Core. You must have formed it through a Perfect Technique.

"Your attainments in the Sword Dao are quite impressive; you can infuse almost every wisp of magical power with Killing Sword Intent.

"The number of demon beasts you can slay this time might just surpass all past cultivators of the Purple Mist Sect."

Hearing this, Li Chang’an’s heart stirred slightly. According to Zi Xi’s description, this Artifact Spirit almost never spoke midway through a trial, usually opting to watch coldly until it ended. Evidently, Li Chang’an’s uniqueness had prompted a change in the Artifact Spirit, compelling it to offer a few extra words of evaluation.

Li Chang’an said nothing and continued slaughtering the demon beasts. The number of slain demon beasts broke past the one hundred mark in the blink of an eye and kept climbing.

One hundred and ten, one hundred and twenty, one hundred and thirty...

Soon, Li Chang’an breached the threshold of one hundred and fifty. Just as the Artifact Spirit had predicted, he had surpassed all past cultivators of the Purple Mist Sect. Even that genius from back then, who possessed both a Celestial Spirit Root and a Spirit Body, fell short compared to him!

Fundamentally, this was because Li Chang’an’s attainments in the Sword Dao were simply too astonishing. Over the years, he had reaped numerous benefits from that symbol within Ye Mengxian’s body. The lethal power of a casual wisp of his Sword Qi exceeded that of Celestial Grade Magic cast at full strength by many cultivators.

However, after surpassing one hundred and fifty, his killing speed slowed down considerably compared to before. Within his dantian, the Immortal Golden Core grew increasingly dim.

Just then, the Artifact Spirit’s voice sounded for the third time. "Your limit should be one hundred and eighty. If you can no longer hold on, do not force yourself."

Hearing this, Li Chang’an asked, "Senior, what kind of evaluation will a record of one hundred and eighty earn?"

"Acceptable talent."

"Acceptable? With such an evaluation, can I enter the core of these ruins?"

"No!" the Artifact Spirit rejected Li Chang’an flatly.

Li Chang’an asked again, "Senior, could you give me a specific number? Exactly how many demon beasts of the same tier must I slay to enter the core of these ruins?"

"Three hundred. That is my minimum requirement, but you will not be able to reach it."

During their conversation, Li Chang’an’s pace of slaughtering demon beasts grew slower and slower. The magical power within his body was nearing complete depletion. Just as the Artifact Spirit had judged, his total kill count was gradually approaching one hundred and eighty.

"Enough, do not push yourself!" The Artifact Spirit was just preparing to intervene and teleport him out.

But at that very moment, the magical power fluctuations surrounding Li Chang’an suddenly retracted. He stopped using any magic altogether. Facing the numerous vicious demon beasts lunging at him, he made no defensive moves. Instead, he effortlessly grabbed one and casually ripped it apart.

RIP!

The demon beast was instantly torn into two bloody halves!

Witnessing this scene, the Artifact Spirit’s voice carried a renewed hint of astonishment. "Tier Three body cultivator?"

"Yes, Senior. Does Tier Three Body Refinement count as my own strength?"

"Naturally, it does. However, your enemies will no longer be demon beasts skilled in Demon Techniques, but demon beasts with formidable physiques," the Artifact Spirit warned him.

The Path of Body Refining was entirely different from the path of magical power. Between body refining cultivators or demon beasts of the same tier, it was almost impossible for one to overwhelmingly crush the other.

"There have been many Tier Three body refining cultivators who undertook this trial, but they could only rely on their physiques to slay a sparse few demon beasts. It made no significant difference to their final results. Have you thought this through?"

"Senior, I have thought it through."

"Very well, let me see..."

The Artifact Spirit’s form materialized before Li Chang’an. He sized Li Chang’an up, attempting to discern the specific level of his Body Refining cultivation, but the more he looked, the more astounded he became.

"How truly bizarre."

"Senior, what is it?" Li Chang’an asked in a puzzled tone.

The Artifact Spirit pondered for a long time before slowly uttering a single sentence. "I suspect you are not human."