Composite Sacred Artifact

Du Chen mused, "Any deity standing at the pinnacle of the Three Continents is far from simple! The Pontiff is one, and while the Dragon God Samuel may act with unmatched tyranny and fiery aggression, deep down, he likely conceals a hidden subtlety, a gentle undercurrent."

Hearing Mas' boisterous calls from outside, Du Chen beckoned Aliza, who was sitting on the bed snacking on dried beef. "Go drink with Mas," he instructed, "and get him drunk first. I have some matters I need to handle."

After Aliza left, Du Chen summoned Dus. With Beibei keeping watch, they began discussing the plan for Dus to impersonate "Du Chen" and face the Dragon God...

The discussion stretched on for over two hours! Inside the tent, hushed whispers filled the air, creating an incredibly tense atmosphere.

Finally, Dus, in his usual languid tone, offered a summary: "As long as you're not completely dead, then this ol' fella can be ravaged by anyone. I definitely won't die..."

Hearing this, Du Chen chuckled. When he relayed the sentiment, even Deboning, usually so stern-faced, couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.

The oppressive atmosphere within the tent completely dissipated!

But after a few jokes, Du Chen suddenly grew serious again. He flicked out a Precious Lotus Scripture, sat in a chair, and began fiddling with its contents. Frowning, he said, "Deboning, I've dealt with everything acquired from the Aqua Camp, but there's one item I'm unsure how to handle..."

Deboning's heart gave a violent 'thump'. He started to speak, then stopped, lowering his head, his expression shifting erratically.

"Margaret has a fondness for art," Du Chen continued. "Most of the things I 'acquired' were priceless sculptures, famous paintings, and calligraphy. In a couple of years, once things calm down, I can simply auction them off anonymously. But this one item, this Tenth-Tier Sacred Artifact—the Aqua Cloud Banner..."

From the Precious Lotus Scripture, Du Chen produced a metal sphere the size of a travel backpack, supporting it with his Water-element battle qi, letting it hover before him. "How should this be handled?"

Deboning's heart hammered even faster. Reluctantly, he said, "Young Master, the Aqua Cloud Banner has already recognized you as its master. You only need to give it a new appearance, and you can use it. What's so difficult about handling that?"

"Is that truly what you think!?" Du Chen challenged.

Du Chen rose and patted Deboning's shoulder. Deboning let out two dry chuckles, his eyes fixed on the metal sphere, betraying an intense yearning—a yearning born from the fact that Zigurd, whose strength was comparable to his own, could contend with a Tenth-Tier Aqua Cloud Banner simply by possessing a Ninth-rank Thorned Water Ring. If this Tenth-Tier Sacred Artifact were to fall into his hands...

The allure of a Tenth-Tier Sacred Artifact to a Battle God was no less potent than a king's scepter to a power-hungry politician, or billions of Gold Coin to a penniless beggar!

Yet, since the Aqua Cloud Banner had already recognized the Young Master as its owner, Deboning could only force a laugh. "Young Master is a Water-element Battle God," he said, "and this Tenth-Tier Aqua Cloud Banner is a top-tier Water-element Sacred Artifact. There's truly no other Sacred Artifact in the world more suitable for you!"

"But I already have enough Sacred Artifacts!" Du Chen said, his hand resting on the metal sphere, slowly admiring its faint, milky-white glow. "I possess the Precious Lotus Scripture; acquiring this Tenth-Tier Aqua Cloud Banner would merely be 'adding flowers to brocade' for me – an embellishment, but never as crucial as 'sending charcoal in snowy weather' [providing help in desperate times]... Flaying is fire-elemental and currently integrating Earth-element; a Water-element banner would be useless to him..." Deboning's palms grew faintly sweaty, and his heart pounded at a rate utterly unbefitting a Master of his caliber!

"Aliza, despite his Heavenly Gifted Golden Body, is still far from developing Water Element abilities! And Grand Matriarch Lucy is only Seventh-rank; a Tenth-Tier Sacred Artifact wouldn't be able to unleash its full power in her hands..." Du Chen glanced askance at Deboning. "So, who do you think this Aqua Cloud Banner should go to!?"

Deboning was ecstatic! He bowed deeply, but his slightly trembling lips couldn't form a single word!

Du Chen patted the metal sphere, a faint smile playing on his lips. "What kind of Tenth-Tier Sacred Artifact do you desire? A hook? A Blade? A sword, or something else?"

"Young Master's great kindness, Brook can never repay it!"

Deboning's blood surged. He finally managed to stammer out his true feelings, bowing profoundly, and eagerly asked, "Can Young Master really reforge it into any type?"

Du Chen waggled a finger. "As long as it concerns Sacred Artifacts, never doubt your Young Master's capabilities!"

Deboning blurted out, "A scimitar! A Shark-Saw Scimitar!" After a slight pause, he hesitated. "Young Master, the Tenth-Tier Aqua Cloud Banner is powerful, but it's ultimately a single-attribute Sacred Artifact... I wonder if Young Master could merge it with my previous Eighth-rank Golden Soul Deboning Hook..."

"You mean, combine two Sacred Artifacts into one, turning it into a dual-attribute Composite Sacred Artifact?"

Du Chen ran his right thumb across the tip of his nose, then abruptly commanded, "Give me your Sacred Artifact!"

Taking Deboning's iron hook, Du Chen leaped into the Precious Lotus Scripture, hiding inside a cabinet to begin his research!

Deboning waited anxiously, occasionally chiding himself. With his strength and age, he should have long ago achieved unwavering resolve, unswayed by external matters! Yet, why was he still as restless and apprehensive as a callow youth, constantly worrying about gains and losses? How many years had it been since he'd experienced such an urgent, expectant feeling?

But today was truly different; this was no ordinary external object. This was a genuine Tenth-Tier Sacred Artifact! A Tenth-Tier Sacred Artifact that could help him open the gates to the Divine Realm!

The single word: Battle God!

This, the highest honor in the mortal world, might soon descend upon him!

Given that, what was a little anxiety?

Du Chen's Sacred Artifact Theory of Composite Sacred Artifacts—The core of a Sacred Artifact lies in its artifact spirit! To merge two Sacred Artifacts into one, the artifact spirits must first be fused!

This was Du Chen's theoretical concept, but when it came to practical application, the two artifact spirits—one black, one white—left Du Chen bewildered! These weren't mere locks but two completely solid energy spheres! How to fuse these two energy spheres together was certainly not Du Chen's forte!

"Damn it, I'm probably going to make a fool of myself this time!" Du Chen rarely blushed, but thankfully, he was inside the Precious Lotus Scripture, so no one saw. His thoughts shifted. "Since I can't merge them, why not create a 'concentric twin-lock' Sacred Artifact structure, with one artifact spirit inside each lock!? Yes, that's it!"

Action followed thought. Du Chen polished the Aqua Cloud Banner's white jade casing and Deboning's iron hook, using only a small portion of the materials to create a 'concentric twin-lock'—two Sacred Artifact locks, linked together to form a single Sacred Artifact!

Outside, Deboning anxiously waited until sunset, pacing restlessly around the tent. The moment he heard Du Chen emerge from the cabinet, he quickly looked up.

He saw Du Chen holding a scimitar—a white jade hilt, a silver blade. The blade's curve was extreme, like a crescent moon hanging in the sky. The back of the blade was a sharp, curved line, while its concave inner edge was serrated like shark fangs. Upon seeing these serrations, Deboning's heart swelled with joy; using this to sever enemies' necks and strip flesh from their bones would be perfectly satisfying...

Casually, Du Chen tossed the scimitar into Deboning's hand, smiling. "I've severed my connection with the Aqua Cloud Banner. Now, it belongs to you!"

Deboning received it; it felt heavy in his hand. The artifact spirit of the metal hook still connected with him, but now there was also an unowned Tenth-Tier Water Element artifact spirit! "Thank you, Young Master!" He was ecstatic!

"Give it a good name," Du Chen said. "This is my first Composite Sacred Artifact!"

Seeing Deboning's ecstatic expression, Du Chen smiled silently. However, Deboning's next words froze his smile...

Gripping the scimitar tightly, Deboning murmured, "I can feel the call of this Water Element power, yes, water... Give me ten years, and I will definitely break through to the Eleventh-Tier! Then, the Pontiff, the Dragon God... Humph!"

A Sacred Artifact could actually give Deboning the confidence to reach the Eleventh-Tier realm within ten years!?

Du Chen urgently asked.

Deboning seemed somewhat lost. "Young Master, do you remember my sudden advancement half a year ago? At that time, I had reached the pinnacle of the metal-elemental system. To advance further, I had to derive and fuse a second element—Water!"

"Of course I remember!"

"Fusing a second element allows one to become a Tenth-Tier Titled Battle God—this is something even first-year students of Battle God Academy know. But how does one fuse it!?" Deboning was extremely agitated, almost losing his composure.

He bellowed, "Apart from those peerless geniuses born with multiple attributes, for Battle Gods like us with a single attribute, trying to fuse a second element means altering our very physical constitution! It's defying the laws of nature, attempting to 'change our fate against the heavens'!! This, it's too difficult... But half a year ago, my metal-elemental Battle Soul, which had stagnated for years, suddenly sensed a powerful summons from the Water Element between heaven and earth! Following that, Water Element energy generated within my body, and I became a Tenth-Tier Battle God... I originally thought that at my current speed, it would take at least a century to completely fuse with the Water Element, but now, with *this*..."

*Swish!*

Deboning raised the silver scimitar high, its cold gleam momentarily dazzling.

"The Tenth-Tier Water Element Aqua Cloud Banner will allow me to absorb and fuse with the Water Element at more than ten times my previous speed! Ten years, just ten years, and I can... become a Battle God!"

Heavens!

For the first time in his life, Du Chen realized that the Sacred Artifacts he casually discarded or never truly valued could offer such immense aid, or temptation, to a Battle God... "Wait!" Du Chen urgently interjected. "What about Flaying? How long would it take Flaying to become a Battle God at his current pace!?"

Still immersed in his abnormal state, Deboning woodenly replied, "Him? Probably around ten years too!"

"What if I could get him the Golden Circlet of the Divine from the Pontiff's head!?"

Deboning snapped awake. "What? Steal from a deity!? Young Master, Sama IX's Golden Circlet of the Divine never leaves him; you absolutely mustn't take such a risk!"

Du Chen shrugged, snapped his fingers, and curled his lip. "You're right, sigh. Old Sama, may the gods protect you, and whatever you do, don't take that Golden Circlet of the Divine off your head..."

It's not the thief one fears, but the thief's covetous gaze!

Meanwhile, Sama IX, now targeted by a thief's covetous gaze, was gently stroking the Golden Circlet on his head with two fingers. He asked the golden-armored Battle God of War, whom Du Chen had just met that day, "Has the thief who stole from the Aqua Camp still not been caught?"

"Your Majesty, not only have we failed to capture the thief, but even our spies embedded within the Dragon Clan have reported that despite their full efforts, the Dragon Clan also couldn't apprehend the culprit!"

As the Battle God of War shook his head in puzzlement, the golden armor on his head clinked against his shoulder guards.

"The situation is quite peculiar! The thief's displayed strength when escaping was less than Ninth-rank. He must have relied on some strange Secret Technique or sheer luck to slip past the Holy Church's first layer of guards and avoid immediate capture. However, he was severely wounded; he couldn't have gone far! How is it that even with our combined efforts and the Dragon Clan's full support, conducting a carpet search of Silvermoon Island, we still can't find a trace of him?"

The Pontiff calmly stated, "There are only two possibilities: first, he possesses a mysterious escape Secret Technique, or second, a Master at least as formidable as Zigurd rescued him..."

"Papa, you're finally awake! That person in front saved you, he's so strong, even stronger than the aura of the Aqua Cloud Banner!"

In a dark cellar, Brockman, who had been severely wounded while escaping the previous day, his face pale and lying prostrate on the ground, slowly opened his eyes. Hearing the prompt from little Tyran Beast Homan, he tried to push himself up with his hands but his shoulders ached, and he collapsed weakly. Unable to rise, he simply lifted his gaze to examine the dark figure before him!

There was not a glimmer of light in the cellar. Brockman strained his eyes, barely making out the silhouette of a person sitting with their back to him. Then, he noticed his own upper body was naked and crudely bandaged. His heart gave a sudden jolt, and he asked through his Battle Soul, "Homan, where are those map fragments Uncle Philip needed?"

"They're all gone!" Homan said, aggrieved. "That person took all the map fragments! Only Homan hid inside Papa's ear and wasn't found! That person was really powerful!"

Brockman was frantic. Ignoring his extreme weakness, he forced out a breath and managed, "Your Excellency..."

Hearing the movement, the dark figure coldly asked, "Awake? You're quite capable!"

Brockman replied, "Your Excellency's life-saving grace, I shall remember it forever! I will certainly repay you someday..." He gasped for a few breaths. "But that night, to humiliate the Aqua Cloud Divine Envoy, I shredded their clothes. By the rules of my Clandestine Circles, those clothing fragments are extremely important mementos to me. Could Your Excellency return them to me?"

"Ha, haha!"

The figure suddenly threw its head back and roared with laughter! Its shoulders convulsed erratically, like a madman's!

"Still trying to deceive me? You stripped those alluring women bare for the Water's Embrace Lake Lifeline Map they carried!" The eccentric's words shocked Brockman!