The voice, it was emanating from the Wood Cauldron Fragment of the Five Elements.

"Who are you?"

"I am the Artifact Spirit of the Wood Cauldron Fragment. To think that you, a little alchemist of the Fifth Rank, dare covet the Wood Cauldron Fragment. Soon, you will be drained of flesh and blood, becoming my next servant." The voice was filled with greed and viciousness.

Ever since the Taiyi Sect Leader's time, it had been a long while since it savored the taste of fresh flesh.

This little alchemist, although her cultivation couldn't compare to the Taiyi Sect Leader's, had the advantage of youth. Her flesh and blood would be the best nourishment for the Wood Cauldron Fragment.

"Artifact Spirit? There are still Artifact Spirits in this world? Could it be, the true reason for the demise of the Taiyi Sect was you? Shouldn't you be the sect's divine artifact of the Taiyi Sect?" Ye Lingyue's flesh and blood were rapidly draining away. If this continued, she would soon become a dried-up corpse like the last Taiyi Sect Leader.

"Ignorant child, of course there are Artifact Spirits in this world, and there are Elixir Spirits and Sword Spirits as well. Only when an elixir or a spiritual artifact reaches the Heavenly Level does it have a certain chance to form an Artifact Spirit. That fool of a Taiyi Sect Leader was nothing but a scaredy-cat because of a mere Taiyi Devouring Beast Technique. He came to beg me to help him kill the traitors and even offered his own life as the price." The Wood Cauldron Fragment's Artifact Spirit sneered.

In Ancient Times, many Artifact Spirits and Elixir Spirits could even take human form to protect the Great Sects and Sects.

But on the mainland today, Heavenly-level Spiritual Artifacts are few and far between, and only a very small number of people know about Artifact Spirits, Elixir Spirits, and even Sword Spirits.

The Wood Cauldron Fragment itself was once a Heavenly-level Spiritual Artifact. It took thousands of years of cultivation to gradually form a Spiritual Sense, becoming an Artifact Spirit.

Artifact Spirits, like humans, can be good or evil.

By chance, the Ancestor of the Taiyi Sect obtained the Wood Cauldron Fragment, refined it into the Nirvana Cauldron, and has always worshiped it as the sect's divine treasure.

Who would have known that after absorbing the greed and evil thoughts of humans, day by day, it eventually became an Evil Spirit?

It even took advantage of the Taiyi Sect's crisis with the Green-eyed Stone Beasts to enchant the last Taiyi Sect Leader, offering up his own flesh and blood as the price, becoming a living dead to quell the crisis of the Green-eyed Stone Beasts.

The Taiyi Sect Leader realized his great mistake as he was dying. Using his last spiritual power, he refined a seal with the Heavenly Que Eight Swords and the Nirvana Cauldron to suppress the Evil Spirit inside the Wood Cauldron Fragment.

However, the world is ignorant, foolishly mistaking the Taiyi Sect's evil Artifact Spirit for the sect's divine artifact, and thus came to be the incident where the Six Great Forces gathered in the Taiyi Secret Realm.

Ye Lingyue didn't know that she and Wu Zhong, through a series of accidents, had broken the seal made by the former Taiyi Sect Leader, awakening the evil Artifact Spirit of the Wood Cauldron Fragment.

After the Wood Cauldron Fragment's Artifact Spirit awoke, it drew Ye Lingyue and Wu Zhong into the Nirvana Cauldron, originally intending to use both their flesh and blood to restore its strength. Little did it know, it would be accidentally discovered by Ye Lingyue and nearly captured by her.

The Wood Cauldron Fragment had lost most of its power when it was sealed by the Taiyi Sect Leader.

It had been in a deep slumber for thousands of years and was still very weak upon awakening.

However, as long as it absorbed the flesh and blood of Ye Lingyue, it would be able to restore more than half its strength. By then, the small Taiyi Secret Realm would not be able to confine it.

The Wood Cauldron Fragment paused as it said this.

From behind Ye Lingyue, among the countless tendrils, came a series of pounding noises.

"Tch, your accomplice is really tenacious. Despite being so heavily wounded, he still has the strength left to fight." The Wood Cauldron Fragment cursed.

Wu Zhong, covered in blood as if he had taken a blood bath, was frantically cutting the ceaselessly surging tendrils. It was unclear whether his body was covered in sweat or blood. His eyes were bloodshot, and streaks of Sword Qi swept across, cutting the tendrils. Each time he severed a batch, the Wood Cauldron Fragment's Spiritual Power was depleted a bit more.

The Artifact Spirit of the Wood Cauldron Fragment was now somewhat regretful. Had it known that man was so powerful, it would not have drawn him inside.

If the struggle continued, those tendrils, condensed from Spiritual Power, wouldn't last much longer.

"Troublesome? The real trouble is yet to come." The artifact spirit's internal alarms blared when it realized something was off with Ye Lingyue's voice.

"What are you trying to do!"

Originally trying to pull out the blood-sucking Wood Cauldron Fragment from her hand, Ye Lingyue suddenly pressed her right hand onto the Wood Cauldron Fragment, the sharp edge piercing through her palm.

Blood sprayed out, staining Ye Lingyue's eyes and face crimson, looking exceptionally crazed.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle—

As the blood sprayed out, the Qian Cauldron on her right hand swiftly transformed into a Black Cauldron the size of an incense burner.

"That is!" The artifact spirit's voice trembled, it stared in horror at the little cauldron, which was an inconspicuous cauldron that looked as dark and bottomless as an ancient well.

From inside the cauldron, a stream of Cauldron Breath emerged, transforming into a white python that viciously bit onto the Wood Cauldron Fragment.

Just like prey caught by the throat, the Wood Cauldron Fragment begged and struggled continuously, but the more it struggled, the more terrified it was to discover that within this stream of Cauldron Breath, a powerful force was mixed in, strong enough to refine its spiritual sense as well.

This formidable refining power was something even Fang Venerate Level alchemists might not be able to achieve.

Or could it be, this little alchemist was pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger, with the backing of some dreadful Super Major Sect?

Solid Rank, impossible, how could this minor alchemist of a few ranks possess the Solid Rank that only a Fang Venerate could have?

If it was during the Wood Cauldron Fragment artifact spirit's heyday, it would have stood a chance against a Fang Venerate who owned a Solid Rank.

But now, it was left with just a fraction of its strength, and in front of Qian Cauldron's Breath, it had no choice but to be refined.

"Please, I beg you, spare me, I don't want to die." The Wood Cauldron Fragment artifact spirit, realizing it was no match for the Qian Cauldron, pitifully begged for mercy.

"Spare you? Wouldn't that be releasing the tiger back into the mountains, unless you can tell me the method to cultivate artifact spirits." After discovering the existence of the artifact spirit, Ye Lingyue also contemplated.

Perhaps, she could try making the Qian Cauldron cultivate its own artifact spirit.

With an artifact spirit, the power of the spiritual artifact would increase significantly.

The Wood Cauldron Fragment artifact spirit hesitated.

"Speak! Otherwise, I will refine you right now." Ye Lingyue scoffed coldly, and the Cauldron Breath was about to drag the Wood Cauldron Fragment artifact spirit into the Qian Cauldron.

"Wait! I'll tell you, I'll teach you the method to cultivate the artifact spirit right now, but you have to promise me, you must spare me." The Wood Cauldron Fragment artifact spirit said weakly.

"Agreed." After Ye Lingyue consented, the Wood Cauldron Fragment artifact spirit imparted the method it had comprehended for cultivating artifact spirits to Ye Lingyue.

After mulling it over and asking a few questions to ensure there were no problems.

"You should keep your promise and let me go... What are you doing!" The Wood Cauldron Fragment artifact spirit screamed miserably as it was swallowed by the Qian Cauldron's Breath into the cauldron.

Before the Wood Cauldron Fragment's consciousness was completely engulfed by the Qian Cauldron, it heard a cold voice.

"In this world, there are two kinds of people whose words you should never trust, women and villains. Sorry, but I happen to be both."

~The promised 1000 chapter addition for this month is here, thank you all for your monthly tickets~