Nine Astra Skies

There were only a few factions that had Transcendent Stage masters, including the Tribunal Council, the Thunder Beast Clan, the Temple of War, and so on.

Someone had planted two traces of Celestial Chi for tracking in the Purple Demon Armor. Their intention was clear – to locate whoever had traded for this Purple Demon Armor, then kill them to steal it back. Or did they have another plan?

Ye Chen channeled his Celestial Chi. Wisps of Celestial Chi enveloped the two traces of Celestial Chi that were planted on the Purple Demon Armor through some secret technique. Then, he made his Celestial Chi devour them gradually.

Ye Chen's Celestial Chi was unique and any Celestial Chi outside of their host body could not contend against him.

After a moment, the hidden Celestial Chi upon the two components of the Purple Demon Armor were fully dispelled.

Ye Chen had an idea. He placed a strand of Celestial Chi on the Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor leg greaves, then handed it to Zi Lin.

"Transaction complete." Ye Chen looked at Zi Lin.

"Nice doing business with you!" Zi Lin was overjoyed. This single transaction had profited the Spirit Artifact Council immensely. "The two Tier Nine spirit artifacts are almost ready. Soon, I'll get the blacksmiths of the Spirit Artifact Council to brand them with the Sword Array Runic Seal."

"I have another spirit artifact with me. Mark all three of these spirit artifacts with the same Sword Array Runic Seal," Ye Chen said.

"No problem." Zi Lin nodded. "I'll finish up my business."

"As you wish, Elder Zi Lin." Ye Chen nodded.

Zi Lin promptly picked up the leg greaves of the Purple Demon Armor and left.

After watching Zi Lin leave, Ye Chen cut open his right hand and dripped two drops of blood onto the two components of the Purple Demon Armor. These components finally fused into a full suit of Purple Demon Armor. Four of them were Tier Eight and three Tier Nine. With a flick of Ye Chen's thoughts, the Purple Demon Armor was summoned and he was wholly encased in the Purple Demon Armor's protection. The armor shimmered magnificently, arming Ye Chen to the teeth. The connecting joints between each component were seamless – not a drop of water could pass.

The size of the Purple Demon Armor could be adjusted according to one's build. Each area of the armor was carved with a mysterious runic seal.

"These runic seals are Spirit Runic Seals invented by the Purple Eye Clan. Other than them, no one else could replicate those." Master Lion clicked his tongue admiringly. "This is just a Tier Eight, Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor. If it's Earthly Tier or Heavenly Tier, even a single component would turn countless people insane."

Ye Chen took a few steps and felt no discomfort. The Purple Demon Armor was as light as air and would not obstruct his natural movements at all. As he looked forward, his vision was still clear even though there was protection before his eyes. It was not stifling at all either.

"It truly is the perfect defense!" Ye Chen exclaimed. It was not for nothing that the Purple Demon Armor was highly revered by countless martial artists. With armor like this, even a Tenth Level fighter would dare to provoke a Daemon King! Unless the Daemon King had some superweapon, they would have no way of breaking through the Purple Demon Armor's defenses!

It was not surprising that each component of the Purple Demon Armor was worth as much as a city.

Ye Chen finally had an additional life-saving trump card. With one thought from him, there was a "whoosh", and the Purple Demon Armor was withdrawn.

"Master Lion, where did Zi Lin go?" Ye Chen asked.

"He had flown to another camp, doing business with someone else," Master Lion said. His consciousness had been tracking Zi Lin as he went off.

In the largest tent at the center of the Temple of War's camp, a few armored individuals were chatting.

"I wonder how Sir Temple Lord is doing on the seventh level of the Soul Pagoda," one of them said. He was named Shi Long, a grade one Transcendent Stage powerhouse. He was the Grand Supreme Elder of the Temple of War. With the Temple Lord in the Soul Pagoda's seventh floor, he was the highest-ranked here.

"The Temple Lord must be reaping a harvest during this excursion to the Soul Pagoda's seventh floor. It's just whether he can obtain any Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor components," another elder said.

Shi Long frowned. He had an impulse and checked on the two secret traces of Celestial Chi he had left on the two components of the Tier Eight Purple Demon Armor. He could no longer sense them. What had happened? Could the other party have used some method to wipe away that concealed Celestial Chi?

"D*mn it." Shi Long was inwardly vexed.

Just then, Zi Lin came flying over, landing at the tent's entrance. With a disciple of the Temple of War guiding the way, he entered.

"Elder Shi, I've returned. Luck was on our side. Here are the leg greaves of the Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor. Please have a look." Zi Lin beamed and handed the Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor leg greaves to Shi Long. In this trade, Shi Long had used three components of the Tier Eight Purple Demon Armor to exchange for the leg greaves of the Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor. Once the deal was done, Zi Lin would gain a component of a Tier Eight Purple Demon Armor. Of course, he would be beaming.

"It's the leg greaves of a Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor indeed. Thanks for your hard work, Elder Zi Lin." Shi Long took the Purple Demon Armor leg greaves from Elder Zi Lin and nodded.

Suddenly, Shi Long frowned.

"Is the item wrong?" Zi Lin inquired, mystified.

"No, it's not wrong." Shi Long gave an embarrassed smile. His brows twitched slightly for he had detected that a strand of Celestial Chi was attached to this Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor leg greaves. This Celestial Chi was not some secret tracking technique, just an ordinary strand of Celestial Chi. Shi Long circulated his Celestial Chi and spent hours just to dispel this trace of Celestial Chi. The purity of this Celestial Chi caused a chill in his heart and a trickle of cold sweat on his forehead.

The other party had used Celestial Chi to absorb Shi Long's secret Celestial Chi technique. Thereafter, they sent back the leg greaves of the Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor, attached with a strand of Celestial Chi. This was clearly a warning! This Celestial Chi was so pure and fine – it could be a fighter even more powerful than himself!

Among the preeminent combatants in the Spirit Artifact Council, no one had such refined Celestial Chi. In that case, the other person was likely the one who had traded with the Spirit Artifact Council. They might have already traced Shi Long to this very spot!

"If so, there's nothing left for me to do here. I'll take my leave!" Zi Lin withdrew from the tent with a bright smile.

The more Shi Long thought about it, the more alarmed he grew. He dared not move anymore. Initially, he wanted to use the secret technique to track down the other person, then kill them. To think that the other party would erase the secret Celestial Chi technique he had left on those two components of the Purple Demon Armor and even returned the favor. If Shi Long still did not know his place, he might incur a powerful enemy!

Shi Long felt extremely unsafe. He took the Tier Nine Purple Demon Armor leg greaves with him and hurriedly started out, looking for the Temple Lord of the Temple of War, Shi Kuang.

Ye Chen had sent that strand of Celestial Chi merely to let the other person know that he had traced their whereabouts so that they might be scared straight. Unexpectedly, Ye Chen's unique Celestial Chi had frightened Shi Long so much that he dared not stay on in the Temple of War's tent.

"The other guy is from the Temple of War. He seemed spooked by you and didn't do anything else," Master Lion said casually.

Ye Chen nodded. Currently, he was examining the Heaven Rumbling Cauldron. The flames within had died out. At its bottom, a black pill lay there quietly. It gleamed with a dark luster and gave off a strong fragrance. It was truly wondrous – the Ghost Bat Daemon King had been refined into a Spirit Pill by Ye Chen.

"Master Lion, how should this Quintessence Pill be used?" Ye Chen asked.

"This Quintessence Pill can only be stronger than a Cosmic Stone. It's able to greatly boost one's Psyche cultivation base. A peak Mystique Adept fighter might even level up to beginner Daemon King Rank after eating it. This item contains the essence of a Daemon King mystical beast!" Master Lion said excitedly, "since your cultivation base is already at beginner Daemon King Rank, it can't help you level up further. Still, its effects must be rather powerful."

Ye Chen would never let slip a chance to advance his strength. He opened his mouth and gulped down the pill, which dissolved in his dantian. Bursts of Psyche energy fused into Ye Chen's Astral Body, whose cultivation base underwent another significant increase.

Previously, Ye Chen had just attained beginner Daemon King Rank and his cultivation base was not that stable. However, after taking this Quintessence Pill, the cultivation base of his Astral Body had progressed immensely, nearly at mid-Daemon King Rank.

After becoming a Daemon King, it was difficult to improve one's Astral Body even by a bit. To think that this Quintessence Pill would be so effective. It far surpassed Ye Chen's estimation. If he had one or two more Quintessence Pills of the same level, the cultivation base of Ye Chen's Astral Body might reach mid-Daemon King Rank right away!

After refining the pill, Ye Chen rested for a while.

After a moment, Zi Lin brought an elder in a gray robe over. The elder was short and skinny but his eyes were full of a vigorous glint. Although his cultivation base was only at Mystique Venerable Rank, he exuded an unusual temperament. Not even Daemon Kings and Godly Venerable Ones would dare underestimate a bearing like this.

"This is one of the seven master blacksmiths in my Spirit Artifact Council, Master Ming Hua. He'll refine the Sword Array Runic Seal for you. These are the two Tier Nine spirit artifact swords. Both were produced by Master Ming Hua himself. These spirit artifacts are formidable and flawless. Your Excellency, please have a look," Zi Lin said. He took out two swords and placed them on the table.

A frosty chill and scorching energy instantly filled the entire tent. Both energies intertwined and contrasted each other, equally matched with the other. Anyone who stood beside would alternately feel waves of icy air and rolling gusts of heat.

Of the two swords, one was pure white, gleaming, translucent. Layers of frost had formed upon its blade. The other was fiery red throughout, reflecting beams of blazing light.

Both were Tier Nine, Spirit Artifact Rank swords. In terms of sharpness and the strength of the artifact spirits, they were on par with the Storm Sword. The only aspect in which they were slightly lacking was that they had not been boosted by any secret techniques! Thus, in terms of value, theirs would be slightly below the Storm Sword.

"Excellent swords." Ye Chen breathed out his praise.

Upon hearing this, Master Ming Hua could not help but look proud.

"This is called the Celestial Ice Sword while the other is the Storm Sword. Your Excellency, you said that you have another sword and want all three to be branded with the Sword Array Runic Seal. Please take out your sword so Master Ming Hua can begin the refining," Zi Lin explained.

Although Master Ming Hua was faced with Ye Chen, such an important customer of the Spirit Artifact Council, he was still solemn and taciturn, giving off unusual haughtiness. On the other hand, Zi Lin was very courteous and gracious. Ye Chen did not find this strange. A master blacksmith like Master Ming Hua, no matter where he went, would be received deferentially. It was not surprising that he would be somewhat arrogant.

Of this pair, Zi Lin and Master Ming Hua, one was a businessman while the other was a master of his craft. They were ultimately different.

Ye Chen's right hand moved and he drew the Storm Sword. The glimmering light of water clashed against the frosty chill and the scorching blaze – all were evenly matched.

"The Storm Sword!" Zi Lin's expression changed as he recognized it in a glance.