Chapter 593 - 602: The Second Primordial Spirit

Once an ordinary Magical Artifact reaches a certain level, it will transform into an Immortal Artifact. But this transformation isn’t so simple. The Artifact Spirit within must also undergo a tribulation, and the Three-Colored Thunder Tribulation is precisely the kind of trial an Artifact Spirit faces.

Qing Ruo’ai nodded and said, "That’s right. Later, it seems that Great Power was struck dead directly by that Thunder Tribulation. The coffin was then found by the Great Power’s servants, who guarded it, and that’s how the modern Immortal Coffin Sect came to be."

Wen Qingye nodded. ’If that person was killed by the Thunder Tribulation, then that means the Immortal Coffin’s Artifact Spirit likely survived. It must have successfully become an Immortal Artifact. After all these years, its cultivation level must have stabilized.’

’An Immortal Artifact?’ Wen Qingye couldn’t help but feel a stir of interest. ’Having an Immortal Artifact would be an incredible trump card.’

’I can’t use the Qilin Fire unless it’s a last resort, and the Spirit Blood Sacrifice puts a huge strain on my body. If I could use that Immortal Artifact properly, the benefits would be immense.’

Qing Ruo’ai looked at Wen Qingye doubtfully and asked, "Are you interested in this coffin too?"

"I am." Wen Qingye nodded. "Perhaps it’s no ordinary Magical Artifact. It might even have an Artifact Spirit inside, just like you."

Qing Ruo’ai looked herself over, spun in a circle, and said, "How could that be? Even if it has an Artifact Spirit, could it possibly be as lively, cute, beautiful, kind, gorgeous, and talented as yours truly? Impossible!"

Wen Qingye couldn’t help but laugh. "Isn’t it a bit much to praise yourself like that?"

Qing Ruo’ai wrinkled her nose and huffed, "This lady is just speaking the truth. What’s wrong with that?"

Wen Qingye: "..."

CHH CHH!

Suddenly, a series of strange sounds came from ahead. It wasn’t the sound of wind sweeping over the sand, but rather something squirming.

Wen Qingye’s eyes narrowed. With a single leap, he appeared right at the source of the sound.

An incredibly grotesque scene greeted him. Four bodies lay on a sand dune, surrounded by a dense swarm of hundreds of yellow scorpions. In a spine-chilling display, the scorpions had completely encircled the corpses and were relentlessly tearing at the blood-soaked flesh.

Most people, upon seeing such a nauseating scene, would likely have been so frightened their souls scattered.

These were Sand Scorpions, the most common Demon Beast in the Desert North, and they were all at the Refining Spirit Realm.

The moment Wen Qingye landed, the Sand Scorpions immediately swarmed him, forming up as if in a Battle Array before charging.

SHING!

Before he even moved, the One Thought Sword on his back flashed with a strange light and flew out on its own. With a single horizontal slash, it unleashed an overwhelmingly powerful Sword Aura that swept toward the countless Sand Scorpions.

BOOM!

Yellow ichor flew through the air as countless grains of sand were kicked up, dancing in the chaos.

In an instant, countless Sand Scorpions were slaughtered by that single wave of Sword Aura from the One Thought Sword.

Qing Ruo’ai clapped her hands and laughed. "Those Sand Scorpions must have had a death wish."

Wen Qingye’s brow, however, remained heavy. He waited for the clouds of sand to settle before slowly approaching the four bodies.

The four bodies had been chewed into a pockmarked mess by the Sand Scorpions. Chunks of flesh lay scattered on the yellow sand, a truly terrifying and ghastly sight.

"There’s a trace of black in these four people’s blood. They were clearly poisoned to death," Wen Qingye said as he slowly walked closer to the bodies. "The only question is whether it was by a person or a Demon Beast."

He stared intently at the red blood. A thin, black line within it caught his attention. "This was man-made. It seems we need to be careful."

Wen Qingye slowly stood up and looked ahead.

A fierce gust of wind kicked up, sending countless grains of sand dancing. As far as the eye could see, the ridges of the dunes flowed smoothly. The windward slopes rippled like water, and sand cascaded down the leeward faces.

The sun hung high, its rays viciously hot. Heat waves shimmered across the desert, making it seem as if the land itself was burning. An ordinary person would feel their very skin being baked in the heat of the Desert North.

From time to time, powerful whirlwinds would form, sweeping columns of yellow sand high into the air. They looked like great plumes of smoke rising from the ground, spinning and racing across the desert.

Wen Qingye’s feet crunched on the gravelly sand. Ahead of him, a dense, black, eerie light flickered.

This was an Evil Land.

As for how an Evil Land came to be, forget the rest of the Eastern Profound Domain; even the people of the Desert North themselves had no idea.

So how exactly is an Evil Land formed?

Some said this place was once an ancient battlefield. The Evil Qi was said to have been generated by the bizarre transformation of corpses on the field, condensing from an immense amount of deathly aura.

Others claimed it was a natural formation within the great desert. After all, the endless desert was a creation of nature, so it was bound to contain strange phenomena that ordinary people could not comprehend.

Others might not know, but how could Wen Qingye be unaware of how an Evil Land was formed?

An Evil Land was formed by the condensation of a special type of air current in the desert. It would then lie dormant on the ground for years, hidden from the world, and would only emerge under special circumstances. This time, the sandstorm had caused it to appear.

The only thing truly unique to an Evil Land was the Nascent Vein Flower. As for the corpses, they were merely drawn there by the area’s air currents.

’What’s the deal with those bodies, then?’ Wen Qingye guessed that a world-shaking battle had indeed occurred here long ago. The combatants had been powerful experts, so it was perfectly normal for their physical bodies to remain preserved for so many years.

A furious gust of wind and sand swept in, making it difficult for Wen Qingye to even open his eyes. He instinctively drew his One Thought Sword.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Sparks flew in front of Wen Qingye, yet he did not retreat a single step. As the last clang faded, a black figure appeared before him like a fleeting phantom.

It was the figure of a woman dressed in black gauze. Her curvaceous body was faintly visible beneath the sheer fabric, and the glimpses of her snow-white skin were all the more captivating, stirring one’s deepest desires.

However, the woman’s face was also covered by a black veil, obscuring her features.

"A Second Primordial Spirit?" Wen Qingye’s heart leaped in shock as he looked at the woman.

Most people have only one Primordial Spirit, and therefore only one body. Once they enter secluded cultivation, they cannot do anything else. But the world is vast, and there are some who possess powerful Secret Techniques or mighty treasures that allow them to condense a Second Primordial Spirit.

Once a Second Primordial Spirit is condensed, it’s as if one mind possesses two bodies. The death of one body would not affect the other.

Furthermore, the two Primordial Spirits would be connected. Cultivation insights could be shared between them. This would allow one to cultivate in seclusion while the other roams the outside world.