Inside the box lies a nearly transparent jade bottle, so clear that the two drops of crimson liquid inside are visible—this is the blood essence of a Heavenly Realm.

The carvings on the box are part of an intricate sealing formation, and both the box and the jade bottle are rare treasures of heaven and earth, capable of sealing the essence and preserving its divine nature through countless eons.

Fusheng’s gaze falls on the jade bottle, and for the first time, his expression shows a hint of emotion.

These two drops of Heavenly Realm blood came from his master, Yuansheng Dao Ancestor. His master entrusted him with this task—to find the successor of Azure Lutos Dao Physique.

At that time, Fusheng was the first disciple under Yuansheng, brimming with confidence and vigor.

But when the tides of history surged, not even a Dao Ancestor could resist.

His thoughts wandered briefly before he quickly reined them in.

Fusheng picked up the jade bottle, and with steady and swift movements, guided the two drops of blood essence toward Qin Ruqing’s heart.

As the blood essence slowly merged into her, Fusheng withdrew his hand, thinking calmly:

“I just hope that all the chaos ends with this generation.”

When the blood essence entered her body, Qin Ruqing seemed to sense something and, to her surprise, managed to speak: “Dao Sovereign?”

Wait, could she speak again?

Fusheng responded calmly, “The Small Chaos Body has formed. Now, you need to use two types of heavenly fire to simultaneously burn the blood essence at your heart to activate its divine nature.”

Qin Ruqing indeed felt a mysterious presence at her heart.

It wasn’t violent, but neither was it gentle. It seemed like a unique life force, nestled in her chest like a second heart.

Qin Ruqing acknowledged his words and immediately began to summon the two types of heavenly fire.

She unknowingly closed her eyes again as her entire body was surrounded by golden and purple flames.

Though they appeared peaceful and harmless, they emitted an energy so terrifying that no ordinary person could approach.

Even Fusheng’s powerful soul was slightly affected.

The heavenly fire was the purest substance in the world, capable of driving away all evil, let alone the fact that Qin Ruqing was using two types simultaneously.

Fusheng watched Qin Ruqing in silence for a while before his form gradually faded away, leaving the space quiet.

Qin Ruqing lay on the boundless ice crystal, unknowingly undergoing a miraculous evolution.

…

Meanwhile, in a different place, a loud voice interrupted the stillness:

“Kid, how can you be distracted during a lesson? Where did I leave off?”

The speaker was a rotund, open-robed elder, sitting cross-legged with a casual air.

Tang Zifeng blinked quickly, snapping back to attention, and responded calmly:

“You were talking about the Dao of Artifacts, saying one must treat their body as the furnace.”

His expression remained perfectly composed, with no sign of guilt for having been caught distracted.

The elder, known as Immortal Lord Mingluo Xianzun, the master of the Dao of Artifacts, chuckled and teased Tang Zifeng:

“You’ve got it down, answering even when your mind’s wandering.”

Seeing that Tang Zifeng remained steady and unmoved, Mingluo Xianzun shook his head in exasperation.

This temperament was indeed well-suited for an artifact cultivator.

Returning to the lesson, he continued:

“Yes, the Dao of Artifacts, at its pinnacle, means using your body as the artifact—cultivating artifacts is cultivating oneself!”

He then added, with evident frustration, “You said today’s artifact cultivators often lack in martial prowess, and that the Dao of Artifacts is relegated to a supporting role… utterly mistaken!”

Mingluo Xianzun’s voice grew indignant, clearly upset about the decline of artifact cultivation.

With a dramatic wave of his sleeve, he declared, “In ancient times, artifact cultivators were the main force in battles. When fighting, they could summon the true form of their artifact, a power capable of shaking mountains and rivers. How glorious it was!”

Hearing this, Tang Zifeng’s heart stirred slightly, his handsome, composed face recalling the advice Qin Ruqing had once given him.

Qin Ruqing’s voice rose lightly, “You see, when others get emotional and start reminiscing about their glorious past, that’s our opportunity… Just bow to them and play along with their words. Who knows? This could be the perfect chance to gain their legacy or become their disciple.”

Not content with just saying that, Qin Ruqing smacked her lips twice and dramatically sighed, “Luck and opportunity, you can’t just wait for them. You have to chase them like you’re pursuing a Dao companion — shamelessly going after it~”

Tang Zifeng had been watching Qin Ruqing’s radiant face, memorizing every word and subtle expression.

Now, as he listened to Immortal Lord Minglu, he realized that everything matched exactly what Qingqing had described.

So, Tang Zifeng immediately bowed. Naturally, he did so with great dignity; his bow was like a sturdy bamboo or pine tree — upright and full of poise.

“The elegance of ancient artifact cultivation as spoken by the Immortal Lord truly makes Zifeng yearn for it. I hope the Immortal Lord can teach me the method of refining the body as an artifact!”

After speaking, he pressed his forehead to the ground, waiting silently.

Immortal Lord Minglu was stunned for a moment and then stared at Tang Zifeng with curiosity, saying, “The first half of that sentence doesn’t quite sound like your style.”

However, he quickly became satisfied and stroked his beard, saying, “You have always been a promising candidate for artifact cultivation in my eyes, so I will naturally teach you.”

With a cough, he continued seriously, “On various paths of cultivation, there is often talk of Dao Artifacts, also known as Dao Bodies, which are usually possessed only by those destined for such a path — rare and unattainable.”

But then his tone changed, carrying a hint of pride:
“But if you inherit my lineage, you don’t need to seek any Dao Artifact. You will merge your life-bound artifact into your body, using yourself to repair any defects in the artifact. Once your life-bound artifact reaches perfection, the Dao Artifact will naturally be complete.”

He was boasting that his lineage didn’t require any Dao Artifacts — that they could be refined naturally.

Though there was some exaggeration, it was still largely true.

Hearing this, Tang Zifeng silently summoned his great bell, demonstrating through action that he was a steadfast artifact cultivator who had chosen a bell as his life-bound artifact.

Immortal Lord Minglu was stunned again.

He stared at the great bell for a few moments with a look of surprise and uncertainty, then turned his gaze back to Tang Zifeng, his rounded face shifting expressions.

Tang Zifeng assumed the Immortal Lord was about to point out the flaws in his bell, but after his initial shock, Immortal Lord Minglu’s eyes brightened, and he clapped his hands in praise:
“Marvelous!”

“The shape of your life-bound artifact is truly unique. It shows you have the mind of a creative artifact cultivator — very good, reminiscent of my own elegance back in the day!”

“Back then, when I chose my life-bound artifact, I also considered the bell… Ha, such a deeply meaningful item, though due to some reasons, I eventually chose another. But now, with you here, it seems that regret has been remedied.”

The more Immortal Lord Minglu spoke, the more excited he became, and he declared, “I can teach you the method of merging your body with your artifact right now. But first, you must determine the primary direction of your bell-shaped life-bound artifact.”

“Will it focus on offense, speed, or…?”

“Defense!”

Before Immortal Lord Minglu could finish listing the options, Tang Zifeng immediately interjected with his answer.

Immortal Lord Minglu was taken aback, surprised: “Defense? Didn’t you say that artifact cultivators in your era lack strong offensive means? If so, why not focus on attack? You should know that once you merge with your artifact, if you choose offense, your combat power will have a qualitative leap.”

Would any normal cultivator give up the pursuit of greater combat power?

Tang Zifeng’s gaze remained calm, and he insisted, “Zifeng has already decided on defense.”

“May I ask why?” Immortal Lord Minglu curiously stroked his chin.

Tang Zifeng clasped his hands, maintaining a respectful posture, but his eyes lowered slightly, and his determined face softened for a brief moment.
“Because, this junior believes: in this world, there already exists the sharpest spear, so I am content to be the strongest shield.”

“The sharpest spear, the strongest shield…” Immortal Lord Minglu repeated these words, slowly savoring them, and began to sense a thread of delicate emotion.

When he was younger, Immortal Lord Minglu also had moments of youthful passion, battling many for the sake of a peerless fairy maiden.

He seemed to realize something:
“Do you, perhaps, have someone you admire in your heart? From your words, it seems the one you love is a supreme prodigy. In that case, shouldn’t you focus on offense, so you can stand side by side with her?”

Tang Zifeng earnestly shook his head.
“Not side by side. In my heart, no one can stand side by side with her.”

She is the most brilliant gem in this world, deserving to be admired by all, to be bathed in reverence and praise, with no one overshadowing her radiance.

So, not side by side.

What he desired was to become the most exquisite jewelry box for that gem,
To raise her high above all!