Evolution Begins With A Big Tree

Chapter 1219, Forging Artifact

Translator:  Ashish

Translation Checker: Silvain

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

And in those three months, Shea underwent yet another transformation in her life.

Now, looking at her, her entire body gleamed with a jade-like luster, shimmering with a unique radiance.

Even her long black hair, dancing in the air, held a brilliance that words could scarcely describe.

This was the mark of an overwhelming Vitality so strong that it had yet to fully be digested.

And now, after three months of cultivation, Shea’s physical body had strengthened more than twofold.

Not only that, she had also managed to cultivate the Minor Divine Ability that Yu Zi Yu had bestowed upon her the Indestructible Vajrapani Physique.

Though she had only just reached Elementary-Level, it was still a promising beginning.

The weakness of the Humans lay in their innate physical frailty.

However, now, with the Vitality bestowed to her by countless denizens of the Realm of Life, and the Divine Ability granted by Yu Zi Yu, Shea’s body no longer fell short of the average alien race.

And if she could eventually fully digest that massive reserve of Vitality, and pushed her Indestructible Vajra Physique to the Advance Level, reaching the stage of returning to simplicity, then her physique might even rival that of the Titan Clan, renowned across the stars for their sheer physical strength.

And this was the terrifying foundation of the Demon Court.

To a certain degree, it could compensate for the innate weaknesses of its chosen prodigies, because the aspirations of the Demon Court’s elites were never limited to the Demon Court itself, but stretched across the entire starry sky, among the countless races.

Thus, in every respect, they could afford to fall behind no one.

Even if they couldn’t match others in one area, they had to surpass them in another.

And Shea was not lacking in offense, but she fell a lot behind when it came to defense.

That was why, when bestowing blessings and Divine Abilities upon her, Yu Zi Yu leaned toward enhancing her physical resilience.

“Master…”

With a faint smile tugging at her lips, Shea gazed at the towering figure not far ahead who seemed to be one with the world itself, and a trace of awe slipped into her eyes.

[This… this is my Master. The strongest being in the entire cosmos, right here. It’s not just about the unmatched power you feel radiating off him… up close… you can also sense it. That hidden, careful gentleness that’s always there.]

[No wonder Nine Tails Eldest Sister and Sarcosuchus Fourth Brother always speak of him with such deep reverence. It makes sense now… he is the one they worship above all others. An absolute being.]

Smiling quietly to herself, Shea slowly stood up, because their time leave had come.

“Master, where are we headed next?”

“To the Realm of Fire.”

As Yu Zi Yu took a step, space and time twisted once again, and in the blink of an eye, Yu Zi Yu had already brought Shea to the heart of the Realm of Fire.

A world of blazing crimson stretched before them, even the earth itself glowed red-hot.

Perhaps due to the absence of moisture, this place lacked soil.

Instead, it was made almost entirely of rock.

And now, the place they stood in was none other than the Divine Armament Valley, where Old Ninth forged weapons.

Within this valley was a Top-Grade Tier-6 Artifact, the Smelting Furnace.

As for why Yu Zi Yu had brought Shea here…it was soon bound to become apparent.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips as Yu Zi Yu’s gaze landed on a familiar figure in the distance, Old Ninth.

Only, something unexpected occurred. Approaching them wasn’t just one Old Ninth, but four.

One blazed red as fire, his entire body wreathed in fierce flames.

One shone yellow as earth, his skin like granite, giving him the appearance of living steel.

…

This was Old Ninth’s Innate Talent: Three Forms One Body. A technique that allowed him to split into three avatars, each embodying a different Element.

They shared his life and death. As long as even one survived, he could not die. It was much like the Grand Divine Ability, One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones.

Unfortunately, Old Ninth’s avatars couldn’t cultivate independently.

And that was the terrifying difference between his talent and the true One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones.

Not only could the three forms of Yu Zi Yu cultivate independently, they could even mutually enhance each other’s strength.

They were clearly three separate bodies, and yet they moved as one.

This was the true meaning of One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones.

“Master…” In perfect unison, the four Brewmasters greeted him with honest, hearty smiles.

“Mhmm.” Giving a slight nod, Yu Zi Yu didn’t mince words and went straight to the topic, “Get ready. We’re going to temper this girl, Shea.”

“Got it, Master!”

Old Ninth grinned sheepishly, but as he turned his gaze toward Shea, an indescribable glint flashed in his eyes.

“Uh…”

Instinctively, Shea took half a step back, as a faint sense of unease well up within her.

For some reason, a primal urge to flee welled up inside her.

“M-Master…” She murmured timidly, retreating beside Yu Zi Yu and clutching the hem of his sleeve with one small hand.

“It’s alright.” Lifting a hand to gently ruffle her soft hair, Yu Zi Yu spoke in an unusually gentle voice, “In a moment, I’ll have you sit inside the Smelting Furnace for a bit…”

As he spoke, Yu Zi Yu paid no mind to the way Shea’s delicate face paled slightly. He calmly explained, “Lately, Old Ninth and I have developed a rather effective method for tempering the body by refining the cultivator just like a weapon. Of course, this method is only suitable for those who have cultivated the Minor Divine Ability, Indestructible Vajrapani Physique. And you, having just achieved Elementary Level in it, happen to be the perfect candidate.”

His explanation flowed steadily, and the corners of his lips lifted in a subtle, teasing smile.

Though there was one thing he didn’t say out loud: ‘If Shea were truly to be placed in the furnace, he would personally protect her with his full focus. He would even enrich the process with the finest Spirit Herbs and Divine Fruits, nurturing her body to perfection.’

So, while it may sound cruel, this was actually an extremely luxurious method of tempering.

Not something just anyone could experience. Only Shea, as Yu Zi Yu’s Third Disciple, alone was worthy of such treatment.

Anyone else, no matter how great their talent was, could hardly hope to receive the same.

“Uhhh…” Tongue-tied, Shea glanced toward the blazing furnace not far away—suspended in midair, its surface engulfed in raging flames.

The searing heat twisted the very air itself.

The four versions of Old Ninth each took position at the cardinal directions: East, West, South, and North.

One Old Ninth spewed roaring fire.

Another blew forth fierce gales…

…

Fanning the flames only made them burn even fiercer.

The heat grew so intense it shattered some invisible threshold, even creating mirage-like distortions in the cold air.

And then—

“Go on.”

With a soft chuckle, Yu Zi Yu gently lifted Shea’s entire body, and cast her into the heart of the Smelting Furnace.

Thus began the final gift Yu Zi Yu had prepared for her.

As for what she would become from here, that would depend on her own fortune and fate.