Perhaps it was because it had absorbed the golden blood, but the small stone figurine obeyed Yang Kai's every command without question, carrying out each instruction with meticulous precision.
However, Yang Kai couldn't hold any kind of conversation with it. He had originally hoped it would develop its own consciousness like the Divine Tree, but that seemed increasingly unlikely. It was a thoroughly simple-minded thing, more like a living puppet than anything else.
A few more days passed, and Yang Kai discovered that it had a rather peculiar ability — burrowing underground!
The speed at which it bored tunnels through the mountain was nothing short of incredible. Yang Kai had stumbled upon it by accident. Due to his orders, the little creature dared not approach Yang Yan's cave, but for some reason it kept trying to dig downward. In the span of a single breath, it would burrow dozens of zhang beneath the surface, and no amount of solid earth could slow its progress.
Yang Kai even tested it against hard ore, and found that no matter how tough the rock, the figurine could easily bore a large hole through it.
It was a useful ability, though Yang Kai couldn't quite understand why it possessed it. Its head was square and blunt, with nothing sharp about it. He truly had no idea how it managed.
He had initially thought there might be some rare ore underground attracting it, but after careful examination, he dismissed the idea. Dragon Den Mountain had no spirit herbs, no valuable minerals. Before Yang Kai had set up his formations, it was nothing but a barren peak with a decent view. Even now, the spiritual energy here was only slightly denser than the surrounding area — nothing particularly remarkable.
As long as the figurine didn't hollow out the entire mountain, Yang Kai couldn't be bothered to stop it. It had only been able to break free from its shell because he happened to possess a Blood Essence Stone. The other small stone figurine still encased in the pitch-black sphere hadn't been so lucky. To get it out as well, he would probably need to find another Blood Essence Stone.
But such things were exceedingly rare. Yang Kai had spent a considerable amount of time in the Star Domain and had never even heard of anyone possessing one. It seemed that Blood Essence Stones were precious commodities even here.
On this particular day, Yang Kai was meditating when he suddenly felt a tremendous wave of energy ripple out from the direction of the cave. The fluctuation flashed and vanished almost instantly, quickly suppressed. The next moment, Yang Yan's triumphant laughter reached his ears.
She succeeded? Yang Kai's face lit up with joy, and he rushed into the cave.
Inside the stone chamber, the furnace — taller than a man — still radiated tremendous heat. Yang Yan stood in the middle of the room, drenched in sweat. It was clear that refining this Artifact had taken an enormous toll on her mind and body. Her hair was a wild mess, and she looked like a madwoman. At some point she had shed her outer black robe and wore only a thin silk dress beneath.
The sweat had soaked through the fabric, causing it to cling tightly to her body. The first thing Yang Kai saw upon bursting in was not his Artifact, but a devastatingly alluring figure.
Those full, round hips curved upward with an almost absurd perkiness, as though a pair of great hands were lifting them from below, creating a mesmerizing silhouette. The exaggerated curve at her waist was enough to steal one's soul. Her flat, smooth belly was visible beneath the damp cloth — and through the soaked fabric, Yang Kai could even make out the shape and color of the undergarment she wore beneath.
Pink. A tiny pair of panties, no bigger than a palm, barely covering the most sensitive area. They invited all manner of idle fantasy. Above, she wore a matching light-red dudou, and the two prominent peaks on her chest were unmistakable.
Yang Kai froze, momentarily unsure whether he should look away.
Yang Yan, still buzzing with excitement, ran over without the slightest awareness of how scandalously exposed she was. Like a child showing off a prized treasure, she thrust an oval shield-shaped Artifact into his hands and chirped, "Look, look! Void grade, low-quality Artifact! I didn't lie to you — I really am a Void-grade Artificer!"
Yang Kai took it and found the shield remarkably light, seemingly weightless, but its surface radiated a purple luminescence. He knew this was the natural sheen of the Red-Tailed Purple Armor Scorpion's shell. The surface wasn't smooth — sharp barbs protruded across it, their purpose unclear.
However, Yang Kai keenly noticed that the interior of the shield was suffused with the dual powers of wind and earth.
Seeing his careful scrutiny, Yang Yan eagerly explained, "I incorporated the Red-Tailed Purple Armor Scorpion's inner core as well. The main material was that demon beast's shell, so by fusing in the core, the shield gains a portion of the abilities that creature possessed in life. Of course, you'll need to explore and develop them yourself, because I don't know exactly what abilities this particular Red-Tailed Purple Armor Scorpion had."
"Sandstorm?" Yang Kai murmured, instantly recalling the discovery of the scorpion's lair during his expedition with Gui Che and the others. Within a radius of several dozen li, the entire area had been engulfed in a raging sandstorm — that was where the Red-Tailed Purple Armor Scorpion had been hiding, nearly impossible to detect.
"A sandstorm?" Yang Yan nodded. "Not bad, right? This shield is my painstaking masterpiece. Take good care of it and use it well. It's not just for defense — the barbs on its surface can be used for counterattacks. If you use it properly, fighting above your weight class won't be a problem. No, no — fighting above your weight class is absolutely no problem! With an Artifact like this in hand, I guarantee that not even a Saint King Realm cultivator will be able to hurt you! Unless you just stand there and let them use you as a target!"
As she spoke, she patted her own chest vigorously, swearing earnestly — completely ignoring the fact that Yang Kai had recently killed several Saint King Realm cultivators on his own.
Her small hand struck her soft, full chest, only to be bounced away by the buoyant curve.
The elasticity was quite remarkable...
Yang Kai couldn't help but steal a glance at the deep white valley of her cleavage.
"If you hadn't rushed me so, I could have made it even better. But no matter — Void grade, low-quality is only its current tier. Hmm, later on, if you bring me better materials, I can refine it further and raise its grade..." She paused, then noticed his vacant expression. "Are you even listening to me? What are you staring at?"
Yang Yan couldn't figure out why Yang Kai looked so dazed. She followed his gaze downward and immediately understood.
Her face, already flushed red from the searing heat, turned crimson in an instant — as though it might actually drip blood. After three heartbeats, a piercing shriek erupted from the cave. Yang Yan crouched on the ground, arms crossed tightly over her chest, blocking her exposed skin. She glared at Yang Kai with a look of wounded grievance and scolded, "Pervert! Shameless! Have you no decency?! I work myself to the bone refining an Artifact for you, and you... you..."
She was utterly mortified.