Mystic Artifact

Upon hearing Adams's boastful declarations, Du Chen's first reaction was an internal scoff—*talk is cheap!* Yet, a glance at the colossal egg, then back at Adams, sent a tremor through Du Chen's heart. Could Adams have truly won the allegiance of this fire-elemental Aberrant Beast!? That was a force powerful enough to incapacitate Dus for ten days! How did *this kid* manage to get such a boon!?

Andy's wide eyes drifted across the colossal egg. He mused, *If this giant red-skinned egg belongs to Adams, can I claim it and ask Young Master Anya to boil it for me? No, fried eggs would be better!* Still quite weak, Adams gritted his teeth, staggered to the colossal egg, and with a surge of effort, lifted it. He anxiously exclaimed, 'My body can still withstand the backlash of one shot! Benefactor, just say the word—where is Margaret!?'

A cannon!?

Du Chen suppressed the myriad questions swirling in his mind. Pressing his hands down, he sternly commanded, 'Adams, if you still consider me your benefactor and Andy your Young Master, put it down!' As he spoke, Lotus Holy Light irradiated Adams, and his tone softened. 'Your body truly cannot withstand any strenuous activity now… Put it down. We should be far from Margaret by now, quite safe. What… what exactly is that in your hands?'

Adams's heart swelled with gratitude. From childhood to adulthood, not even Third Master Constantine had ever shown him such concern. Though indignation still clouded his face, he carefully lowered the colossal egg, then spoke with a hint of pride, 'This… this is the Fallen Gods' ultimate sacred artifact of war, powerful enough to obliterate Divine Emperor Prince… the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon!'

Du Chen shot to his feet, fixing his gaze intensely on the colossal egg! During the Battle of Auerbach Grand Canyon, the Pontiff had hidden this giant cannon within Dud's camp, operated entirely by the Papal Curia's trusted experts. Neither Du Chen nor Dud had ever seen this unparalleled giant cannon with their own eyes! Only today, for the first time in his life, did Du Chen get a close look at this ultimate overlord among sacred artifacts!

The Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon was the Fallen Gods' ultimate war-power—thirteen units, supreme divine weapons capable of annihilating an entire race. If wielded properly, a single one could defeat Bonis… 'Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon'—its name was truly legendary! Du Chen still recalled Mars, the Battle God's assessment of the weapon: 'Without top-tier battle formations, superior strength, or a sufficient number of sacred artifacts of war to counter the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon, there is only one outcome… await death!' In the Auerbach Grand Canyon, Bonis himself had personally validated the truth of this assessment!

But why was it in the form of a colossal egg? Dus had clearly stated that this colossal egg was supposed to be a living entity!

Under Du Chen's probing, Adams stomped his foot in indignation. 'Benefactor,' he said, 'I suffered a grave injustice back then! The eight First Bosses of Thornwood Valley jointly issued a bounty for my assassination, leaving me with virtually no place to hide across the Three Continents!' He glanced remorsefully at Young Master Andy. 'At the time, Third Master had already gone missing. I… I feared Young Master and you wouldn't believe me either, so I dared not seek you out. Later, I fled everywhere… Let's not speak of those days on the run! But one day, a thought struck me: Third Master's lifelong cherished wish was to find his long-lost wife, Lady Sophia. If I could find Lady Sophia, it would surely prove my unwavering loyalty to Third Master, that I never meant to betray him! So, I followed the only clue—Batum's Lifeline—and entered the Labyrinth of Life!'

He spread his hands helplessly. 'But I hadn't gone far into the Labyrinth of Life before I got lost. Fortunately, I had prepared enough battle qi compressed rations. After wandering aimlessly through the labyrinth for an unknown duration, I suddenly felt something ahead drawing me in. I followed that sensation all the way…' He patted the colossal egg. 'And found *him* right nearby!'

Du Chen suddenly narrowed his eyes and stared at the colossal egg. According to Adams, the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon had actively sought *him* out! The Goddess of Fate truly favored Adams, but…

One point had to be clear: Du Chen's research into sacred artifacts had long yielded a conclusion. There were two most intuitive differences between Battle God's Sacred Artifacts and sacred artifacts of war. First, Battle God's Sacred Artifacts were wielded *by* people, whereas in the use of sacred artifacts of war, people were merely auxiliary—to put it plainly, the sacred artifact uses the person! Second, Battle God's Sacred Artifacts possessed artifact spirits, so it wasn't surprising for them to perform actions to attract their masters. Yet, Du Chen had thoroughly researched nearly a hundred sacred artifacts of war within his domain, and the facts proved that sacred artifacts of war had no artifact spirits!

So then, as the most powerful sacred artifact of war, why could the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon perform actions to attract Adams!? Why did Dus's thermal imaging observation method determine it to be a living entity!?

Du Chen mused for a moment, then asked, 'So, the multiple instances of fiery killings around Emerald City recently—were those all you using the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon…'

Adams shook his head. 'No, the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon used *me*! Benefactor, you don't know, even though this Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon can't speak, and can't move without human assistance, I can feel it… it's not an inanimate object!'

'Oh? Can you describe your sensations in detail?'

'Since Benefactor asked, how dare I not tell you! I lost all sense of time in the Labyrinth of Life, but anyway, not long ago, I acquired the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon. At first, I didn't know what it was, but when my hand touched it…' Adams reached out and pressed his hand onto the colossal egg. 'Just like this, a feeling immediately rose in my heart—it was cheering, celebrating that it had finally met someone! Somehow, I understood that it was the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon, and that this place was the Labyrinth of Life! Then, another feeling came over me—it had been suppressed for too long and needed to vent!' He wiped a smear of blood from his body with a wry smile. 'I had no room to resist at all. The Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon immediately used me to fire a shot. That feeling… it was like…'

Adams, tongue-tied, thought for a long time but couldn't accurately describe the sensation. Du Chen touched his nose, recalling his research into sacred artifacts of war as he spoke, 'Did the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon control you, using your body to gather elemental energy, and then transform all those elements into flames, releasing them!?'

'Yes! Yes! That's exactly it! Damn it, Benefactor, you don't know how much elemental energy it takes for the Cannon to activate just once! When it gathered elements through my body, it almost blew me to pieces! It's a good thing my strength had greatly improved through tempering during my escape. I'm now Ninth-rank High-tier, otherwise…' Adams clenched his fists fearfully. 'I saw it then—the frantic suction generated when the Cannon gathered elements drew in a corpse. That corpse was clad in the royal robes of the Sea Clan, and appeared to have been extremely powerful in life, but in the blink of an eye, it was sucked into dust…'

Du Chen thought to himself, *Poor Seins! So his corpse was sucked dry by the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon!* Adams continued, 'After firing one shot, the Cannon still wasn't satisfied. Coincidentally, it seemed someone came down to search for that corpse… it fired two more shots consecutively. By the time it was about to fire the fourth… my body simply couldn't bear it anymore, and I collapsed unconscious on the spot. Without my assistance, the Cannon settled down!'

Du Chen finally understood. That day, when Arthur killed Seins, the Cannon first sucked Seins dry, then consecutively sucked dry the next two search parties. However, one person from the second search party was rather lucky; their corpse wasn't absorbed but floated in the sea, leaving a clue for the Batuk Family. And when it fired its fourth shot… unlucky Dus happened to run into it…

Adams said, 'I just woke up, but as soon as I did, the Cannon forced me to keep firing, to vent its pent-up frustration. So I fired a fifth shot… but my body couldn't take it anymore. Thankfully, after that shot, the Cannon sensed someone coming to capture it, so it decided to make me take it and quickly relocate. It concealed its aura, while I collapsed after carrying it and running for a while… until I was rescued by you, Benefactor. Now, the Cannon probably sees that my body is indeed in a bad state and hasn't demanded another shot!' He slapped the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon fiercely. 'Benefactor, just say the word—where is Margaret? I'll risk my body and kill her for you!'

Du Chen didn't rush to answer. He thought to himself, *After the Fallen Gods' War, the thirteen Raging Fire Scorcher Cannons had each gone to different places. One became the sacred artifact guarding Battle God Isle, three were in the Pontiff's hands, and the Pontiff should know—or at least have clues about—where the remaining nine units went. But that's the Papal Curia's ultimate secret, and they would never tell Du Chen. So how did one appear in Adams's hands now!?*

Du Chen asked, 'You said the Cannon has been suppressed for a long time. Has it been lost in the Labyrinth of Life for many years?'

'Yes! The Cannon's sense of loneliness tells me it's been lost for at least a thousand years!'

'A thousand years!? Damn it, could it be the Fourteenth Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon lost by Miki Goddess!? Recalling Miki Goddess's diary, calculating the time and location… yes, it had to be it!' Then the soldiers Miki Goddess sent to guard the Cannon must have also been killed by it—just like Adams, they perished from exhaustion, and the Cannon remained in the Labyrinth of Life ever since!

Du Chen then mused, *If the Cannon is sentient, then it cannot be considered a sacred artifact of war. But judging by how it almost killed Adams, it can't be a Battle God's Sacred Artifact either…* Du Chen, arguably the person who understood sacred artifacts best, chuckled. This category of sacred artifacts, possessing both sentience and the ability to control humans, would be more appropriately called *Mystic Artifacts*! Wait, Du Chen's heart stirred. If the Cannon counts as a Mystic Artifact, then should the Life Tree also be considered a Mystic Artifact? And Little Duding, after fully maturing, should *it* also be classified as a Mystic Artifact!?

At this moment, Adams once again volunteered for battle. 'Benefactor, you saved my life! It is only natural for me to fight Margaret to the death for you. Just say the word!'

Du Chen still didn't respond, instead asking Andy in his Battle Soul, 'What do you think?'

'Huh? Me? Master, are you soliciting Andy's opinion? Oh dear, Andy was just thinking about boiling and eating the Cannon! If you ask me…' Although the Snow Wolf was Thirteenth-rank, he utterly lacked the awareness of a Thirteenth-rank powerhouse!

'I mean, how to handle Adams! Now that he's integrated with the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon, if I kill him, I might not be able to control the Cannon. Even if I could, who would I find to risk their lives to wield it? You heard him—Adams, Ninth-rank High-tier and soon to be Tenth-rank, can only fire three shots consecutively, after which he needs to recuperate for a long time! If I kill Adams to seize the Cannon, who would I send to their death to operate it!?'

'Oh, Master, you mean… *Heh heh*, make your enemy work himself to death for you!'

'Precisely! Constantine is currently trapped in the City of Penance, and even if he escaped, he'd be Scarlet Army's Eighteenth—he couldn't possibly appear as the Rebellious Dragon. Right now, we are Adams's only reliance! Having Adams use the Cannon to defend Durkes City would be a way for him to atone for his sins… *Heh heh*, but to control Adams, you'll have to continue playing the role of Young Master. Any problem with that?'

This was the true reason Du Chen sought Andy's opinion; after all, he was Thirteenth-rank now, and Du Chen couldn't just casually order him to impersonate someone else's son! Andy pondered for a moment. 'Hmph! I, Chris Andy, favored one of the Moon Goddess, declare that your dreams, Master, are the vast majority of my dreams! The other small part… is two ranches teeming with plump lambs!'

Du Chen burst into laughter. 'I'll buy you twenty ranches on McAllen Prairie, dedicated to producing lamb meat just for you!' Andy smiled blissfully. Du Chen also smiled elegantly. Since Andy had no objections, taking Adams under his wing would be incredibly simple!

He gently persuaded Adams, 'Margaret's vendetta must certainly be avenged! However, Adams, your body truly cannot bear it anymore. Andy and I cannot exploit your loyalty for revenge and let you sacrifice your life. Listen to me: first, sit on my shield and recuperate!' These heartfelt words moved Adams beyond measure, especially that single phrase, 'loyalty'! Misunderstood for years, bearing the title of traitor for years, he had dreamed of hearing such an assessment of 'loyalty'!

Du Chen continued, 'We are quite safe now, so let's set Margaret aside for a moment! Adams, Thistle Valley must be incredibly powerful, right? How did you evade their pursuit and successfully enter the Labyrinth of Life?' This was to ascertain what troubles he would encounter by taking Adams under his wing!

Adams nodded. 'Thistle Valley is a paradise for evildoers. On the surface, the eight First Bosses, excluding Third Master, are all extraordinary. Among them, the Second Boss is a remnant of the Fiendkind who remained on the Three Continents from ancient times, rumored to possess power not inferior to that of the Pontiff…' 'Fiendkind?' 'Precisely, Fiendkind! Thistle Valley's rule is to not inquire about the past; as long as one enters the valley and abides by its rules, then even the Fiendkind are members of Thistle Valley!' In that regard, it was quite similar to the City of Penance!

Adams recalled with lingering trepidation, 'However, Thistle Valley has another rule—as long as a sinner remains within the valley, the entire valley is responsible for their safety. But once a member leaves Thornwood Valley, their life and death are no longer the responsibility of the First Bosses—they brought it upon themselves! This time, the First Bosses suspected me of betraying Third Master, of being a traitor to Thornwood Valley. But Third Master had, after all, left the valley voluntarily, so the First Bosses didn't personally pursue and kill me; they only issued a high bounty… If the First Bosses had acted themselves, I probably wouldn't have had the chance to enter the Labyrinth of Life!'

Du Chen smiled faintly. In other words, after taking Adams under his wing, he only needed to fend off desperate individuals coveting the high bounty; there was no need to worry about directly confronting Thistle Valley! 'So that's how it is. What about the First Boss of Thistle Valley? What's *his* strength?'

Adams shook his head. 'Not even Third Master knows the First Boss's former identity. All he knows is that the First Boss is an Old Hag!' Du Chen nodded. Having a basic understanding of the situation, he sighed despondently and patted Adams's shoulder. 'Do you have any plans for your future?'

Adams gave a bitter laugh. 'What future do I have? *Sigh.* I originally intended to find Lady Sophia, but only after truly understanding the Labyrinth of Life did I realize that's utterly impossible! And Third Master's whereabouts are now unknown… *Sigh*. That you and Young Master can believe in me makes it all worthwhile! Now I have but one wish left—to kill Brockman with the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon, and then… who knows?' With three sighs in one breath, he had truly fallen to his most helpless state. Du Chen sighed along with him a few times. 'Though Third Master's whereabouts are unknown, Andy is still here. Why not come to my Durkes City and follow Andy?'

Adams was startled. 'Bene… Benefactor, I am a sinner now! If I go to Durkes City, I'll cause you, I'll cause you great trouble!'

'Rest assured!' Du Chen thumped his chest, speaking sternly. 'If I, Francis, can't even protect my own people, if I were to watch helplessly as you wander lost in the Labyrinth of Life, going alone to seek revenge against Brockman, what kind of man would that make me!?' Adams's heart swayed, and he was almost speechless!

'Furthermore, you're not clear on the situation outside, are you? Do you know Brockman's true identity?' Du Chen said with a hint of disdain. 'He is one of the Thirteen Councilors of the Fiendkind's Supreme Council, holding immense power and authority, protected by hundreds of thousands of Undead legions! To kill him? Easier said than done!'

Adams's expression changed. Du Chen continued, 'But rest assured, humans and Fiendkind are at war again. His Holiness the Pontiff has reorganized the Holy Alliance, and I…' He took out the Golden Token of Slaughter granted by the Pontiff and solemnly placed it before Adams. 'I am already the officer of the Second Holy Alliance's Einz Southern War Zone, and the Cabinet Godfather!'

Adams was once again startled; too much had happened outside since he entered the Labyrinth of Life! Du Chen spoke with heartfelt sincerity and stirring passion, 'Come to Durkes City! Privately, you can confront Brockman, settling old scores, and pledging allegiance to Young Master Andy, upholding Third Master's past kindness. Publicly, your brother betrayed humanity, and by joining the Holy Alliance's Einz Southern War Zone, you will fight for humanity, upholding righteousness even against kin! On the day of victory, you will follow the example of the Fallen Gods' martyrs, residing in the Holy Mountain's Divine Temple, receiving boundless reverence from future generations… This is surely better than wandering lost in the labyrinth, living as a stray dog in constant fear!'

Adams stared blankly at Du Chen, then suddenly knelt with a thud, choking out, 'Benefactor, today you have given Adams a life, and a future! My life is yours to command!' Du Chen quickly helped him up. 'Get up, I cannot accept such a grand gesture! From now on, we are all fellow brethren of Du Chen's Divine Cult, so there's no need to be polite!' Yet, he chuckled smugly to himself. *Heh, individuals like Adams and Brockman—as enemies, they make your teeth itch with hatred. But as subordinates… they're die-hard loyalists.* He glanced at the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon and added mentally, *Competent die-hard loyalists!* Du Chen then explained his current situation to an overwhelmed Adams. Naturally, he knew exactly how to navigate the conversation, what to say and what not to say. For instance, regarding Andy's strength, Du Chen mentioned the Thirteenth-rank Composite Aberrant Beasts. When Adams was utterly dumbfounded, Du Chen added, 'You must keep this secret, otherwise Andy would be in danger. I'm telling you this because I trust you…'

Finally, Du Chen smiled. 'Once we're out of the Labyrinth of Life, I'll immediately arrange everything for you. For now, we can rest easy here for a few days and then leave. You should use my Holy Light to recuperate first!' He paused. 'Can I examine your Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon? Will it be dangerous?'

Adams was taken aback. 'I can't say for sure, but the Cannon is behaving itself now. I told it that you are my Benefactor, and it should behave!' As he spoke, Adams stroked the colossal egg, much like Du Chen communicated with the Vanishing Snow Sword on a daily basis. Soon, a red light flashed on the colossal egg, then quickly dimmed.

Du Chen's fingertips trembled slightly. This was the overlord among sacred artifacts, and among the five great primordial forces of the world, only the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon was truly the most powerful. He lightly touched the 'colossal egg,' and when there was no reaction, Du Chen finally eased his mind and seriously observed the legendary ultimate sacred artifact—or rather, Mystic Artifact! In Andy's words, it looked like a giant red-skinned egg. And since it was an egg, not a rotten one, the Cannon naturally had no seams… meaning it had no keyholes! Aside from the five great primordial forces of the world, this was the first time Du Chen had encountered a sacred artifact without a keyhole! Without a keyhole, he couldn't pick it open or communicate with its artifact spirit… It seemed only after personally witnessing the Cannon fire a shot could he determine its structural principles.

Du Chen was frowning in deep thought when, suddenly, a red light flared on the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon. Adams, who was recuperating on the Water Veil Shield, let out a muffled groan as he was suddenly pulled onto the Cannon. Du Chen urgently asked, 'Adams, what's wrong!?' Had the Cannon seen that Adams's body had improved enough to fire another shot, and was it stirred up again, ready to vent? Thinking this, Du Chen didn't dare to hesitate, immediately placing the Water Veil Shield onto Adams to replenish his stamina! Initially, Adams thought so too and shouted, 'Benefactor, Young Master, come to me quickly, grab my hand! Only those with me when it fires won't be absorbed!' Du Chen hurriedly grabbed Andy and stepped forward, but Adams sensed for a moment longer, then urgently said, 'No, it's issuing a pre-warning! The Cannon senses that the one who has been chasing it has arrived!'

'Could it be Margaret?' Du Chen was startled. *That Old Hag is here so fast!* 'Benefactor, your sacred artifact is truly wondrous; I'm much better now! I can at least withstand one shot!' Adams roared. 'Should we fire and kill her!?'

'Are you truly without issue?'

'Rest assured, Benefactor!'

'Good!' Du Chen waved his hand decisively. 'Andy, you guard the entrance. We'll lure that Old Hag in and create an opportunity for Adams to fire!' Adams grinned ferociously. 'Benefactor, do you not understand the Cannon, nor sacred artifacts of war? The Cannon possesses three major auxiliary functions: pre-warning, tracking, and instant kill. Margaret is completely unprepared now; it has already locked onto her…'