The figure did not respond, only staring at him with a face that was a dead ringer for Qu Thunderbolt-Free's, yet it displayed a gloomy expression that did not belong to that peerless Sword Immortal. Undoubtedly, this was Qu Thunderbolt-Free's shadow, referred to by Qu Thunderbolt-Free as the "Shadow Ghost" and self-proclaimed Master of the Sunken Sword Cave.

Recalling the recent strange occurrence with the Divine Bronze Mirror, Yu Ci had an epiphany: "Was it you just now?"

He remembered back at the source of the Boundary River, where Qu Thunderbolt-Free had used the Divine Bronze Mirror, employing the Vacuum God's Divine Power to absorb the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave into it. At that time, everyone thought it had perished, but considering the series of upheavals that followed, and Qu Thunderbolt-Free's own inability to maintain his state for long, perhaps that had given the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave a sliver of a chance at survival.

At this moment, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave finally spoke, its voice heavy, "We can talk about... What are you doing!"

The cry of alarm and fury was to no avail as the descending Talisman Divine Light firmly locked it in place. During this, it had no power to resist, and now, with just a thought, Yu Ci could end its existence. Yu Ci began to smile, "Are you certain you are in a position to negotiate terms with me now?"

The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave fell silent again, and Yu Ci paid it no mind. In truth, he had been startled just a moment ago, but he quickly discerned the true state of the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave. The panic, helplessness, gloom, and even despair were all laid bare, without any pretense.

Everyone has their limits, and those limits are often not beyond their capabilities. The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave might once have been a formidable force, but in this respect, there was nothing extraordinary about it.

Now, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave was merely a shadow of its former self. The power it once had to stand against Qu Thunderbolt-Free at the source of the Boundary River had vanished without a trace. Yu Ci suspected that its strength had been divided between the suspended bright moon that represented the Limitless Vacuum God and the Divine Bronze Mirror. It was in the weakest state it had ever been, with only this wisp of a lingering soul struggling for survival in the Divine Bronze Mirror, sneaking in through the opportunity presented by the connection between the Treasure Mirror and the Inner Void of the Heart Aura.

The resonance of the Inner Void of the Heart was very much in line with his deductions, further solidifying his conviction.

A decade in the east of the river, a decade in the west, yet this was merely a matter of more than half a year.

For the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave, a stalemate at this time was a heavy burden, and soon, it could not help but initiate conversation: "We have no insurmountable enmity. Should you grant me an opportunity, I am willing to bestow upon you the sword garden's collection amassed over tens of thousands of years."

Yu Ci dismissed the offer without a second thought: "The sword garden is already within the grasp of my Lichen Sect. Whether your Hidden Treasures can be preserved is still uncertain. What significance do they hold?"

Master of the Sunken Sword Cave paused for a moment before speaking again, "What about the Pan Emperor Sect? The sect I established may not compare to the Lichen Sect, but it is still renowned in the northwest. If you join forces with me, thousands of disciples, including two True Immortals, will heed your command, life and death at your fingertips. Wouldn't that be a thousand times more delightful than staying at the Lichen Sect?"

Yu Ci was taken aback, then let out a wry chuckle, "You really have some imagination."

He said no more, leading the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave to believe he was tempted. With a sudden struggle, the master exclaimed, "The techniques learned by the disciples of the Pan Emperor Sect are all evolved from the swordsmanship of the Sword Competing Pavilion. Though they verge on the Demonic Tao, their combat prowess is formidable, and their loyalty to me is unswerving. With our concerted efforts..."

Yu Ci did not wish to regard the Shadow Ghost as a "person," but "human nature" could not be more aptly demonstrated. All it took was one compromise, one concession, and the whole would collapse at breakneck speed. Yu Ci felt embarrassed by its behavior, yet the Shadow Ghost remained oblivious until Yu Ci could no longer tolerate it.

Before the master could finish speaking, an irresistible force sealed all his powers, rendering even the faintest attempt at mental communication a fool's dream.

Yu Ci, now in temporary peace, walked over calmly, facing the bewildered expression of the master with a faint smile, "Let me correct one mistake: there is still a score to settle between us."

The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave showed an intense desire to communicate, and Yu Ci gave him a chance. As soon as he could muster the strength to speak, the master hurriedly said, "I am willing to apologize for the coercion that day, and it hasn't gotten out of hand..."

Yu Ci placed a hand on his shoulder and interrupted, "Please, you are supposed to be the shadow of the Thunderbolt-Free Sword Immortal. If you lack his abilities, at least emulate his spirit!"

This remark was even more effective than silencing him, and the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave quieted down immediately, his face, strikingly similar to Qu Thunderbolt-Free's, turning ashen. To him, this was the cruelest tactic imaginable.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Yu Ci, however, was indifferent. He intended to make the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave understand the depth of his hatred, "Your current state reminds me of someone—Xuan Huang, remember him?"

Thinking of the straightforward and simple Sword Spirit, whose spirit intelligence had been obliterated, who had fallen into darkness and strayed far, Yu Ci realized his mood was far worse than he had anticipated. He would not forget that it was this very shadow who had plotted against Xuan Huang, wearing down his Yang Spirit and ultimately leading him into that deadly trap.

To call this shadow the chief culprit was no injustice at all!

Yu Ci stared at the face, the urge to erase it overwhelming. But on further thought, he was reluctant to let it off so easily. It was undeniable that with this individual present, he might glean some deeper insights into the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion and the Demonic Sect. At the very least, it could be beneficial for avoiding danger and seeking advantage.

Unable to think of a perfect solution, Yu Ci decided out of sight, out of mind was best for now. He left the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave behind; in his current state, he was no threat anyway.

Having emerged from the Inner Void of the Heart, Yu Ci prepared himself for a period of tranquil cultivation. Over the past three months, he had devoted most of his energy to comprehending the "Jade Divine Cave Spirit Seal" and to the ritual refinement of his Magical Instruments. Among the three Magical Instruments, he favored the "Tao Scripture Master Three Treasure Seal" and the "Ten Yin Transforming Radiance Veil." Now, the former had been refined to twenty-seven layers, reaching the standard of the Fourth Heavenly Layer, while the latter was close behind with twenty-three layers, just one step away from the same level.

As for the "Immortal Bind Rope," it lagged significantly behind in progress, almost untouched. This was because Yu Ci had yet to grasp its true nature accurately and had thus decided to tackle the easier tasks first, becoming more proficient before turning his full attention to this more challenging instrument.

Yu Ci had become adept at the process of refining Magical Instruments. Under normal circumstances, he would have quickly immersed himself in the task, but today his state of mind was clearly not conducive, unable to settle into his work. Eventually, he stood up and paced a few steps around the room, still feeling an ineffable restlessness within his heart.

He knew that this was a result of the Shadow Ghost's influence.

Keeping such a creature within the Inner Void of the Heart was not a long-term solution. Moreover, the recent display of the Shadow Ghost's ability to manipulate the Divine Bronze Mirror had left Yu Ci uneasy. He could sense the mirror's intense craving for the power of the Outer Realm Sky Demon under the Shadow Ghost's control. If the ghost were to seize this opportunity to siphon strength for its own benefit, in the end, Yu Ci might very well fall into its clutches.

Yet, the Divine Bronze Mirror's ability to suppress Divine Soul specters was also one of Yu Ci's trump cards, something he could not do without in the future. How could he discard it simply because of a temporary setback?

After pacing a bit more, Yu Ci subconsciously extended his Divine consciousness into his Storage Ring. Although Xing Tian had deemed all storage devices as obsolete in light of the Cloud Tower Tree seed, the seed had not yet germinated, and Yu Ci still needed to make use of this "future waste."

As Xing Tian had deposited the relics of Cultivators from the source of the Boundary River, Yu Ci's collection had grown considerably, dazzling at first glance. It wasn't just the sight of these objects that sparked a Divine Light in Yu Ci's mind; he had an epiphany.

Quickly, he found his target amidst the cluttered space.

It was an ugly, fist-sized head. The head was a ghastly greenish-gray, with fangs protruding from its lips, a bulging forehead, and sunken eye sockets that housed blood-red eyes. The skull was marked with several cracks, and when shaken, one could see flashes of lightning... Wait, that was a mistake.

Yu Ci hastily turned it over and gave it a shake, and a metal bead, no more than two fen in diameter, rolled into his palm. This was a Sword Ball. He almost forgot that sealed within the Sword Ball was the thunderous Sword aura of a sword cultivator from a past western expedition, quite formidable indeed. Unfortunately, it was incompatible with his own essence, and at that time, it was Xuan Huang who had taught him the method to seal the Sword aura. But now, having completed its cycle, the Sword Ball had undergone a significant transformation, and Xuan Huang was no longer within reach...

In contemplation, Yu Ci recalled that he had collected two sword auras. This was one, and the other was the temporarily sealed Eastern Marquis Sword Intent. After sustaining injuries that rendered him unconscious, he was unable to deal with it in time, and he feared it had already dissipated naturally.

With a silent note of regret, Yu Ci stowed away the Sword Ball, leaving only the demonic creature's skull. This object had been nearly destroyed back in the Sky Rift Valley, yet it still felt warm to the touch, hinting at its unusual nature.

As Yu Ci's experience grew, he realized that although the material of the skull was only average, it could still be used as a component for crafting a Magical Instrument. Of course, if it were to be made into a Magical Instrument, it would only be suitable for use in Witchcraft and Ghostly Dao, and its power would be pitifully weak.

However, Yu Ci was now aware of this limitation.

Given the material's quality, the prospects for improvement after crafting it into a Magical Instrument were almost nil. Even with the most painstaking Heart's Blood Refinement, the results would be poor. It would certainly be ineffective against enemies, but for special purposes, that was another matter entirely.

He laughed heartily, bringing his hands together and sealing the demonic creature's skull within his palms as Divine Intent Energy flowed through it.

The path of Artifact Refinement was both difficult and easy, with a threshold that wasn't too high. For someone like Yu Ci, with his level of cultivation and proficiency in Talismans, and having received instruction from Uncle Lu De, he understood the general process of Artifact Refinement. Without concerning himself with quality, he was fully capable of giving it a try.

Crafting a Magical Instrument involved four steps: Molding, Penetrating Meridians, Harmonizing Qi, and Transforming. The first two steps were essentially about designing a rational structure and forming a self-circulating energy channel. As for "Harmonizing Qi," it referred to establishing a mutual connection between the aura of the person and the instrument, with ritual refining being a popular method therein; "Transforming" was about nurturing Spirituality.

The latter two steps transcended mere "instrument" level and could be set aside. Molding and Penetrating Meridians were not stringent criteria before certain "naturally formed" materials.

The demonic creature's skull was such a material. That swindler Xuanqing hadn't been entirely wrong; indeed, this object was the skull of a certain Demon. As the saying goes, "Though the sparrow is small, all its vital organs are present." Within it lay a Brain Palace structure ripe for birthing Spirit, a natural material for Artifact Refinement, saving much trouble.

This was precisely why the Heretical Demons and Heterodox Paths of the world favored using living spirits and living people as materials for Artifact Refinement.