However, once an Artifact possessed a Spirit, its power would skyrocket by several orders of magnitude.
It was precisely because of this that some exceptionally talented warriors had developed a shocking method of creating Spirits using demon beast souls. After hunting a demon beast, they would extract its soul from its body using a secret technique, seal it within an Artifact, and then spend a period of time refining it — potentially forcing the Artifact to birth a Spirit artificially.
This method was unspeakably cruel and bloody, and the refinement process was equally inhumane. The sealed demon beast soul would endure unimaginable torment during the refinement, so once successful, the Artifact would become utterly wicked. However, such a Spirit still paled considerably compared to a genuine one — while it could enhance an Artifact's power, it was nowhere near as terrifying.
The success rate was also exceedingly low, and the time required was not insignificant. So apart from those who cultivated sinister techniques and possessed extraordinary patience, no one used this method to create Spirits, and these secret arts were rarely known to others.
The Spirit Yang Kai had encountered this time, however, was the genuine article — not one of those artificially created evil Spirits. It bore no trace of malice whatsoever; it had clearly been born from the artifact furnace itself through some fortuitous coincidence.
Although an artifact furnace was not a combat-oriented Artifact, its grade was anything but low. The menacing pressure radiating from that bizarre bird Spirit made Yang Kai's heart pound in alarm.
Seeing it swooping toward him, all Yang Kai could see was a blaze of crimson, as if the entire stone chamber had been filled with that impossibly pure fire-type spiritual energy, leaving nothing else visible.
He could only hope that this thing had only recently been born and had not yet developed any intelligence, Yang Kai silently prayed.
As his figure retreated rapidly, he simultaneously brought out the purple shield, pouring his Holy Yuan into it in a frenzy. A violent sandstorm suddenly materialized, swirling around Yang Kai's body as a protective barrier.
But the moment the sandstorm took shape, the crimson firebird spread its wings and conjured an even more ferocious gale. Blades of fire, like slashing knives, were woven into the gusts, and in the span of a single breath they had torn through the sandstorm's defense.
Wind fed the flames, and fire borrowed the wind's might — the firebird's dominance was overwhelming. Yang Kai's breathing hitched, and he knew things had gone south. A sword wreathed in Demonic Flame appeared in his hand in an instant, and wave after wave of pitch-black sword qi lashed outward, its momentum awe-inspiring.
Boom, boom, boom…
Thunderous impacts rang out. Each clash of crimson fire blade against black sword qi resulted in mutual annihilation, yet the fire blades surged forth without end, numbering beyond count. Even though Yang Kai unleashed a considerable volume of sword qi, it was still not enough to neutralize all of them.
The casual strike of this crimson firebird carried a power that was simply absurd!
Yang Kai waved his hand, and the Hundred Peaks Picture materialized languidly. Peak after peak flickered forth from the painting, hurtling toward the incoming fire blades.
A flash of contempt and mockery flickered through the firebird's eyes. With another elegant beat of its wings, the remaining fire blades — as if possessed of their own will — transformed into writhing fire serpents that slithered around the illusory peaks of the Hundred Peaks Picture, charging straight for Yang Kai himself.
When Yang Kai saw that distinctly human-like expression, his heart clenched and he cursed inwardly.
This Spirit not only possessed intelligence — it possessed no small amount of it! Otherwise, how could it display such a look?
Moreover, since this thing had been born from an artifact furnace, it was naturally born with mastery over all manner of fire-type laws and divine abilities. Fighting it inside this cramped stone chamber was anything but a wise decision.
Yang Kai's desire to retreat ignited in an instant.
As he sent clusters of black fireballs hurtling outward, Yang Kai's mind stirred and he activated his Yuan Control technique. These too transformed into fire-serpent-like projectiles, rushing to meet the firebird's own.
The two sets of serpents collided almost immediately — one red, one black — gnawing and devouring each other in a deadlocked struggle.
Seizing this opportunity, Yang Kai prepared to withdraw. He had no desire to do battle with a Spirit like this in this place.
Yet the firebird's mind proved astonishingly sharp. The instant it read Yang Kai's movements, it understood what he intended. Its head tilted, and it spat out a fireball the size of a washbasin from its beak. The fire-type spiritual energy contained within that single fireball was wild and savage, and Yang Kai's face drained of color the moment he saw it.
If that thing hit him, he would either be killed or left gravely wounded. He flung himself aside in a desperate dodge.
The bizarre bird seemed to have anticipated Yang Kai's reaction all along; the mockery in its eyes deepened. The fireball soared past him into the passageway behind him and detonated with a deafening boom. Yet rather than dissipating, the fire-type spiritual energy coalesced into a brilliant crimson barrier of light, sealing the tunnel entrance shut.
Yang Kai's expression darkened.
This crimson firebird intended to trap him here — it had no intention of letting him leave.
Under normal circumstances, such a hastily erected obstruction would pose no obstacle to Yang Kai at all; a small effort would have been enough to break through. But with a hostile Spirit watching his every move, how could he possibly spare the concentration to break through that red barrier of light?
The moment he tried, he would be handing the Spirit an opening it would eagerly exploit.