"The birth of an Artifact Spirit is guided by the fortune of heaven and earth — it is mostly a matter of chance and coincidence, and has relatively little to do with the grade of the Artifact itself. Of course, some say that the higher the grade of the Artifact, the greater the chance of an Artifact Spirit being born. That may well be true, since the birth of an Artifact Spirit requires an immense amount of time — perhaps a thousand years, perhaps ten thousand. If the Artifact's grade is too low, it simply cannot endure long enough…" Granny You continued speaking while Yang Kai listened in silence.
"And this Divine Wanderer Mirror… possesses its own Artifact Spirit!" At this, Granny You fixed Yang Kai with a deep, searching gaze.
"You mean the Mirror Soul you spoke of?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Precisely!" Granny You gave a slight nod. "Since discovering this Divine Wanderer Mirror, I have spent several thousand years studying it, yet I have never been able to refine it and make it my own. It wasn't until, by a stroke of fortune, I sensed the will of this world — the Mirror Soul. Without subduing the Mirror Soul, it is utterly impossible to refine this world. But subduing that Mirror Soul is no simple matter. It is the combined might of heaven and earth of an entire world. Even a spiritual soul of my caliber cannot bear to contain its will. To attempt it by force would only result in the complete annihilation of one's soul. That will is so powerful… even a Great Emperor may not be able to contain it."
Yang Kai's expression shifted in alarm. "So you thought of using something else as a vessel to bear the will of this world?"
Granny You gave a cold snort. "Do you see any other method? But the requirements for this approach are far too demanding. Under all heaven, how many divine treasures could meet such criteria?" Her eyes suddenly blazed with fervor as she looked at Yang Kai. "And the Divine Warm Lotus you possess is one of them."
"So that's how it is!" Yang Kai nodded, suddenly seeing the full picture.
"As long as I can obtain the Divine Warm Lotus, I can use this supreme treasure of heaven and earth as a vessel, merge with the Mirror Soul of the Divine Wanderer Mirror, and fully refine this world. When that time comes, the power of my spiritual soul will surge directly to the realm of Great Emperor. That mere Wen Zishan…" She grinned savagely and shrieked, "won't amount to a thing!"
"You hold quite the grudge against Hall Master Wen, Granny," Yang Kai remarked with a look of sympathy.
"Don't you mention that bastard to me!" Granny You suddenly flew into a rage. "If not for him, I could have studied the Divine Wanderer Mirror in peace. This innate divine treasure should have been mine. But eight hundred years ago, he appeared out of nowhere in the Azure Sun Mountain Range, defeated me, and then tried to lay claim to this treasure. I refuse to accept that!"
"Is that so…" Yang Kai responded casually.
Granny You glanced at him, and the fury on her face gradually subsided. Her tone softened as well. "Boy, I've told you everything you need to know. It's time to hand over the Divine Warm Lotus. Rest assured, my quarrel is with Wen Zishan alone. Once I've settled that score, you can do whatever you please."
"Well, thank you very much, Granny." Yang Kai flashed a grin, then pivoted. "Though… this is going to be difficult."
Granny You's face turned ice-cold as she stared at Yang Kai with a sinister glare. "Boy, you're going back on your word?"
"No, no, no…" Yang Kai denied it vehemently. "It's just that even if I wanted to agree… Hall Master Wen wouldn't allow it. Isn't that right, Hall Master Wen?!"
That last line, he suddenly shouted toward the empty void beside them.
"What?!" Granny You's face changed drastically. She cried out sharply, looking around in alarm. "Wen Zishan is here?!"
She looked like a mouse that had spotted a cat, terrified of Wen Zishan.
But in the next instant, she realized she'd been tricked. There was no sign of Wen Zishan in the void. Instead, in that split second of her panic, Yang Kai had bolted.
"You little brat, you're dead!" Granny You raged, her once-beautiful face twisted into a grotesque scowl. Her slender figure blurred as she shot after Yang Kai.
Even with his Space Arts, Yang Kai couldn't shake her off. The moment he cleared the palace, Granny You was already upon him — and then directly in front of him, blocking his path.
Granny You thrust a finger toward Yang Kai. An energy vortex swirled at her fingertip, crackling with tremendous power.
Yang Kai's face twisted in shock.
But without a moment's hesitation, he roared, "Living Lotus!"
The words had barely left his lips when a pure white lotus bud bloomed into existence around his body.
Slightly different from how he'd employed the Living Lotus technique in the outside world, when he now used this supreme soul treasure with his spiritual soul form, the lotus bud manifested fully, visible even to Granny You.
"The Divine Warm Lotus!" Granny You's face lit up with delight, and her attack faltered for just an instant.
But in that very instant, the lotus bud trembled slightly, then vanished — transforming into a streak of light that shot straight into Granny You's body.
"Ngh!" Even someone as powerful as Granny You let out a muffled groan, her body swaying slightly.
The next moment, the color drained from her face.
She had sensed that the spiritual soul power within her body was rapidly draining away, as though something inside her was devouring her soul. And as the soul power flowed out, the lotus bud bloomed rapidly, releasing an enchanting fragrance.
Having landed his strike, Yang Kai didn't hesitate for a second. Gripping the Soul-Severing Blade, he brought it down savagely toward Granny You.
Though slightly affected by the Living Lotus technique, she was far from powerless. A single sweep of her hand unleashed a violent gale that sent Yang Kai tumbling through the air.
The gap in their strength was simply too vast. Even with every trick Yang Kai could muster, he was still no match for her.
He cursed under his breath, not daring to linger a moment longer. Channeling his Space Arts, his figure flickered, and in the blink of an eye he had darted several thousand zhang toward the outskirts of the palace, fleeing for the outside.
From far behind him came the furious roar of Granny You.
Within the palace, no one dared make a sound. Zhou Dian, Yu Man, and Yuan Qing all turned toward the source of the commotion, their faces filled with shock.
Moments later, beyond the palace walls, Yang Kai's figure streaked across the sky like a falling star.