Crafting a Spiritual Artifact was something Red planned to do ever since the day he and Goulth forged his short sword. Back then, that was nothing but a distant dream for him, but after accumulating enough resources working for Leon, it became a matter of finding the right opportunity. Or rather, creating the right opportunity.

“What are you doing with that?”

Aurelia materialized in front of him, staring at the manual with a frown.

“What do you think?” Red asked, not lifting his gaze from the book.

“You’re going to craft a Spiritual Artifact.”

“Correct.”

There was a prolonged silence.

“Are you not going to ask for help?” Aurelia asked.

“Should I?”

“Of course you should! I was a disciple of the sect that created the book you’re reading, so you’d be an idiot to not ask for help.”

Red looked up at her. “I was under the impression you didn’t focus on forging while you were alive.”

He knew Aurelia was a disciple of the Amber Saber Sect, but the way she spoke about it, it didn’t seem she trained in anything but combat in her time.

The woman, however, seemed offended by his words. “When did I ever say that?!”

“Then did you train in forging?”

“Not at all! But I still picked up enough knowledge from other disciples to be better than most master blacksmiths out there.”

Although Aurelia sounded arrogant, Red knew she was probably right.

“Then how can you help me?” he asked.

She crossed her arms and looked at him with a smirk. “First, I assume you mean to craft a sword, correct?”

Red nodded. It wasn’t surprising she could guess it, since swords were the only weapon he ever used.

Aurelia’s smile only widened at this. “And I assume you want to craft a flying sword, correct?”

This time, Red was a bit surprised.

“How did you guess?”

“It was nothing difficult,” she said with a haughty expression. “The strongest treasure you ever saw was a flying sword, and it fits your style of combat, so it would be strange if you went for anything else.”

Indeed, Hector’s Deep Sea Sword had left a deep impression in his mind, not just because of its power, but also due to its combat style. Speed, flexibility, and range were core attributes of a flying sword, something that fit well with Red’s own fighting style.

“Then do you mean to imply that I shouldn’t make a flying sword?” he asked.

“Not at all. But I want you to consider this: with all the advantages a flying sword has, why do you not see every cultivator wielding one?”

Red considered the issue. He actually didn’t see many treasures at all in his life, but he suppose it was strange that he didn’t see more flying swords about when they provided such killing power while their wielders could remain safe from a distance. From what he read, it wasn’t because they were harder to craft than other artifacts, so that only left a single option in his mind.

“Is it because they are harder to wield?”

“That’s right!” Aurelia nodded. “I mean, just think about it: at your level, how confident are you that you can use your Spiritual Energy to control a flying object with precision in combat? It’s just not something Lesser Ring Realm cultivators are capable of!”

Red frowned. “Hector did it.”

“That’s because he had decades of training, and the sword he was using had spirituality. Really, it was more like he was giving the sword instructions and the sword was doing all the work.”

“So, should I or shouldn’t I craft a flying sword?” he asked, confused by her mixed messages.

“The decision is yours, but it’s better to consider a few things first. The first thing is: what Spiritual Sword Art will you use with it?”

“Sword Art? Won’t the innate power of the artifact suffice?”

Artifacts, in essence, used Spiritual Energy to create wondrous effects. A flying sword Red crafted would not only fly but also manifest destructive winds to tear his enemies apart.

“See? This is why you need my help!” Aurelia looked at him as if he was a novice. “Do you think a sword artifact in the hands of a common cultivator will have the same power as if they were in the hands of a swordsman? Of course not, and it’s not just because it’s a sword, but it’s because of the spirit!”

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“You mean to say a Spiritual Artifact at this level already has a spirit?”

Red was aware that artifacts could attain spirits, like Hector’s Deep Sea Sword. However, that was a sect’s supreme treasure, far stronger than the artifact he meant to forge.

“At the beginning, it doesn’t, but as you use it more and more, it will inevitably gain some spirituality, even at this level,” she said. “By then, a sword artifact will have its power amplified multiple times in the hand of a swordsman. The benefit will be even greater if you’re the one that developed this initial spirituality, as the artifact will be even more compatible to you. Many sects give newly crafted artifacts to their disciples because of that.”

Red was continuously surprised by Aurelia. Although he often denied her offers of assistance, he couldn’t deny that she knew about things that didn’t far beyond his knowledge, and oftentimes that could prove to be of invaluable help.

“So it’s more beneficial to improve your own artifact from scratch rather than seeking more powerful weapons to replace it?” he asked.

“It depends on the situation. At times, an upgrade in power far outweighs the potential of a familiar but weaker artifact. At the same time, nothing stops you from owning multiple artifacts, as many cultivators do. However, your artifacts will not gain spirituality as quickly if you often switch which one you use in combat or training.”

‘So it’s a matter of versatility versus single mastery.‘

Of course, that was a simplistic outlook on the matter. Nothing dictated an artifact could only do one thing, and an experienced cultivator could also make up for what the artifact lacked with their own powers. However, Red knew he couldn’t craft such a flexible weapon just yet.

“Is spirituality the only way to improve an artifact?” he asked.

“No, you can also reforge an artifact with better materials. But if you change the form or function of the artifact too much, then it will lose all its spirituality.”

Red nodded. He understood now why she advised him to consider his choice before deciding what artifact to forge, as choosing an option carelessly could mean giving up on a substantial advantage in the future. But as he sat there thinking about this, he still arrive at a decision quickly.

“I’ll still craft a flying sword.”

His considerations were simple. For one, swordsmanship was his main specialty, and he saw no reason to change his focus now. He was not as talented as Domeron, but he still had a natural affinity with the weapon, at least more than any other weapons. Then there was also the matter of the materials. Red would use his black iron short sword as a basis for his artifact, so he could only forge a metal treasure with it. He considered other options, but black iron was a rare and expensive material even here in the capital, and trying to exchange it for something of equal value would be difficult.

Aurelia smirked. “I thought as much. Let me guess, you’re also thinking of crafting a short sword, right?”

“Is there something wrong with that, too?” Red asked, detecting the hint of derision in her question.

“Of course there is! Let me guess, your train of thought. Something like: ‘since I specialized in wind magic and fight just like an assassin, then I should focus on the speed and agility of a short sword’. Am I right?”

Red frowned but didn’t respond.

Aurelia sneered at him. “Since you know that you’re crafting an artifact with future considerations, shouldn’t you also think about your future combat style when coming up with the kind of sword you will be using?”

“… You think I should change my combat style?”

“I hate assassins like you the most, but it’s not about what I want,” she pointed at him. “Isn’t the name of your technique the Storm’s Blessing? What kind of storm is silent and sneaky? It’s obvious you’re gonna have trouble adapting to the technique later on if all you focus on is on sneaking around and ambushing enemies.”

Red wasn’t sure he agreed with her words, but her reasoning was still there. While wind lent itself well to his style, would the same be true of water and lightning? If he wanted to cultivate the Storm’s Blessing, he needed to fuse all three types of energies, and it was hard to imagine that would come true if all he focused on was the strengths of the wind.

When Red first broke into the Lesser Ring Realm, his first focus was on gaining immediate strength. He didn’t think that was a mistake on his part, but now that he gained some security, it was indeed wise to consider his foundation for the future instead of immediate benefits.

“There’s also something else, of course,” Aurelia’s words brought him out of his reverie. “I mean, do you fight the way you fight because that’s the way you want to fight, or do you fight that way because you were forced to do it?”

This question caught Red by surprise. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that you were just a weak child once upon a time. You were forced to sneak around and rely on subterfuge to deal with your enemies. But now you’ve grown stronger,” her expression became serious. “You don’t need to hide and shy away from direct confrontation anymore. So ask yourself: do you want to avoid all your problems for the rest of your life or do you want to deal with them directly, like a real damn cultivator?”

Red fell silent in thought. To him, subterfuge just came naturally - he was good at it and in most situations it was the best option to deal with his problems, so he gravitated to this way of acting. But he never stopped to think if this was the way he wanted to grow as a cultivator.

He wanted to survive the most, but he couldn’t say that hiding this way brought him satisfaction.

‘My enemies and problems are powerful beyond imagination, such that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to defeat them. If I don’t grow strong enough to deal with them before I die, then will I have spent my entire life in hiding?’

This was a grim thought. This wasn’t what he seeks as a cultivator.

Red looked at Aurelia and nodded. “I understand your point. My mentality indeed has been mistaken.”

He didn’t shy away from admitting his faults. Of course, he wouldn’t go out in the streets and reveal his real identity to everyone, but he felt that perhaps it was wise to expand his horizons and consider new ways to deal with problems - if only to remain true to himself. This could put him in more danger, but it would benefit his cultivation in the long run.

Aurelia smirked and nodded in satisfaction. “It’s good that you recognize your faults. This is why you need me as a guide!”

While the woman began to praise her teaching skills, Red had already turned his attention back to the forging manual.

“What are you doing now?” Aurelia asked in irritation.

“I’m looking for the sword I want to use.”

Since Red didn’t feel confined to picking a light, assassin style weapon anymore, he let his mind wander as he study the multiple wondrous designs on the Amber Saber manual. He continued to leaf through the book until he saw a sword that caught his attention.

Red felt a sense of familiarity as he stared at the weapon’s drawing, remembering there was a time during his training with Domeron where he wished to use a similar sword, but was too young and small to wield it. He turned the book around and showed it to Aurelia.

“I will forge this one.”

It was a sword, straight and double-edged, with a thin blade that tapered off into a sharp point. It resembled a longsword, except it was longer in both blade and hilt, seemingly for use with two hands. The part that made it stand out, though, was its guard with forward sloping arms that ended in quatrefoils.

“A claymore?” Aurelia looked at him with a strange gaze. “Why that one?”

“I like how it looks.”

Her frown deepened.