Chapter 219: Heart of the Dragon

However, Yu Xian immediately snuffed out the thought. As the saying went, a person should never harbor the intention to harm others, but at the same time, never drop their guard against them. If someone didn't want others to know what they did, then they should not do it in the first place.

No matter how carefully a scheme was concealed, the truth would eventually come to light. There was no reason for Yu Xian to make enemies without cause. Doing so would not only dirty his hands but also tarnish his character. The Forbidden Fruit was precious, but Yu Xian believed his integrity was worth even more.

He slowly exhaled and raised his head toward the sky. As the clouds drifted and changed, he felt as though he had just answered a question that would define his path.

Had he chosen to lure the Spartan warriors into testing the Ancient Cosmic Dragon's strength, his affiliation would have shifted toward lawful evil. By abandoning that idea, he remained lawful good. Life was made up of countless trials like this, each guiding living beings step by step toward a different path.

Yu Xian lowered his head and gently stroked Little Nora's and Little Huang Quan's heads. A peaceful smile appeared on his face. After casting aside that dark thought, he felt remarkably light and free. Like moonlight shining on green mountains and a gentle breeze passing through a bamboo forest, there was only openness and serenity within him.

A flash of inspiration struck him, and he realized how he should reforge the ghost mask. He looked down at the mask in his hand as the Six Dings' Divine Fire gradually enveloped his palm. Holding the mask within the flames, he tempered it while slowly drawing out the positive thoughts within him and infusing them into the mask.

His other hand did not remain idle. He took out the Dragonblood Iron he had found earlier and used the Six Dings' Divine Fire to remove its impurities as well. Drop after drop of pure red molten iron gradually gathered above his palm.

The Six Dings' Divine Fire destroyed many of the ghost mask's dark impurities, leaving its surface riddled with pits and holes. Yu Xian guided the molten Dragonblood Iron into those damaged areas, repairing them while gradually reshaping the mask.

Originally, the ghost mask gave off an extremely sinister impression. It had triangular teeth, fangs protruding from its mouth, and sunken grooves running down both cheeks, all of which gave it a vicious appearance.

Under Yu Xian's modifications, the mask gradually took on a more dignified appearance. Its eyes became long and slightly upturned, its mouth closed, and the grooves across its face softened.

The mask had originally been filled with resentment, killing intent, and malicious thoughts, which had somehow fused with various positive qualities. Aside from the Yellow Springs Water Ghost Collective, practically any living being who wore it would have been driven insane. However, the cleansing tide of immense positive thoughts completely swept away all of that.

When this step was complete, a red light erupted from Yu Xian's body. Little Huang Quan, who was still asleep, also began glowing red, and the two instantly fused.

Yu Xian's already delicate features became somewhat more feminine after the fusion. His sex had not changed; he had simply become even better-looking.

He paid no attention to the changes in his appearance. Instead, he drew upon Little Huang Quan's power and used it to imbue the mask with new qualities.

The ghost mask had originally possessed Power of 100. Under his modifications, its Power had fallen instead of increasing. While cleansing away impurities such as resentment, killing intent, and malicious thoughts, he had inevitably dispersed some of its energy too.

Now, only eighty percent of the mask's original energy remained. Nevertheless, as new energy flowed into it, its power slowly rose again, eventually returning to its original value.

Finally, Yu Xian infused his own mental energy into the mask, gradually forming a unique mark within it. Such a mark could take any form the creator desired, and Yu Xian's was the character for Xian.

After completing the final step, he carefully examined the reforged mask. It could no longer be called the ghost mask. It would be better known as the Hero Mask, for its greatest ability was to amplify every aspect of Yu Xian's power.

For example, if Yu Xian's Power was 100 and the Hero Mask's Power was also 100, when the two combined, their combat strength would become 300. Their total energy, of course, would still only be 200, but much like using True Will together with the True Crimson Energy, their actual might would increase dramatically.

Yu Xian muttered, "A Star Divine Artifact doesn't seem all that complicated."

He placed the mask over his face. It fit perfectly against his features without the slightest gap. White flames enveloped him, with countless motes of starlight flickering within them.

He could clearly perceive the mask's internal structure. Every layer of material and every energy circuit within it lay bare before him. Thanks to this, he now had a clear idea of how to reforge the Dragon Shield and knew exactly what materials he needed to gather.

***

Deep underground, a gigantic dragon's gaze gradually grew solemn. Every scale covering its enormous body emitted a rhythmic sound as red light seeped into each one.

It was the Ancient Cosmic Dragon, the most powerful being in this world fragment. Through the pulsations of the ground, it could monitor everything happening on the surface. Not even the sky lay beyond its perception.

At present, every movement someone made aboveground was under its surveillance. However, only three individuals were powerful enough to make it wary.

The first was Yu Xian. Yu Xian was the same rank as the Ancient Cosmic Dragon, yet he had made the dragon extremely wary even before forming a blood pact with Little Nora. And now that his strength had risen considerably, he had become the greatest threat in the dragon's eyes.

The second was the bearded Spartan warrior. The bearded man wielded the Star Divine Artifact, the Spear of Leonidas, as though he held an imperial sword granting him supreme authority. The "sword" itself was not particularly frightening, since the bearded man could not possibly unleash the Star Divine Artifact's full power. It was the person standing behind that "sword" who was terrifying.

Leonidas, King of Sparta, was unquestionably a dangerous figure in the Nail Zone. The Ancient Cosmic Dragon had no desire to come into conflict with him.

The third was the Master of Uncanny Arts, the Ghost-Masked Man. The Ghost-Masked Man's strength fluctuated unpredictably, but the most frightening thing about him was his nearly flawless combat technique, which made him exceptionally difficult to deal with.

What the Ancient Cosmic Dragon feared most, however, was his deranged and unpredictable way of doing things. Once he latched onto someone, that person could forget about enjoying even a moment of peace for the rest of their life.

To deal with these three troublesome potential enemies, the Ancient Cosmic Dragon had secretly manipulated the dragons on the surface, guiding the Ghost-Masked Man toward Yu Xian. Its objective was obvious: pit the tiger against the wolf. Using the Ghost-Masked Man, it would eliminate Yu Xian, then direct the former toward the bearded Spartan.

Initially, its plan had worked remarkably well. At the cost of little more than a dozen dragons, it had lured the Ghost-Masked Man into Yu Xian's vicinity. The two had indeed ended up fighting, but the outcome was nothing like what the Ancient Cosmic Dragon wanted. Not only had the Ghost-Masked Man lost, but he had also joined Yu Xian's side, making Yu Xian even stronger. The new form Yu Xian had just revealed filled the Ancient Cosmic Dragon with deep apprehension.

Moreover, the bearded Spartan did not dare attack Yu Xian. That meant the Ancient Cosmic Dragon was now the only being left in this world capable of fighting him.

As it sensed the energy fluctuations radiating from Yu Xian, greed gradually filled its eyes. It was on the verge of using the Forbidden Fruit to complete the enhancement of its Star Divine Artifact. Once the enhancement was complete, it would defeat Yu Xian and seize both his Star Divine Artifact and the Ghost-Masked Man's. Then it would become one of the upper-tier powers in Nail Zone Five. It would no longer need to hide in the shadows, living as pathetically and miserably as a rat.

Thump. Thump. Thump!

Deep within the Ancient Cosmic Dragon's eyes, a flame known as ambition began to burn.