Ling inspected the artifacts and informed, 'They are all just rank 1 Spirit Artifacts. Although they are rare, you don't need to bother with them.'
As the lights hovered in front of him, their shapes became clear. There were four in total: a sword, a spear, a strange-looking plate, and a ring.
'What is this plate?' Xuefeng asked, intrigued. It was his first time seeing a Spirit Artifact that wasn't a weapon.
'It's a formation plate. Not every Spirit Artifact comes from killing a Spirit Beast. Some skilled masters specialize in creating Spirit Artifacts. This formation plate looks like a normal rank 1 barrier. If you throw it on the ground, it will emit a barrier to protect you from danger,' Ling explained.
'This one is rare because it can also attack opponents,' she added after another glance.
'Isn't it cool, then?' Xuefeng asked, surprised by the new information.
'There will be much better formation plates deeper in the space. This one can only protect you from a Rank 1 beast, but if you encounter Rank 2 or Rank 3, it would be useless,' Ling clarified. 'This ring was also made by a formation master. If you wear it and pour your Spirit Qi inside, it will create a Rank 1 spell. You can test it out to get familiar with them.'
Intrigued, Xuefeng put the ring on his middle finger and directed his Spirit Qi into it. The ring lit up instantly.
'Now, make a fist and straighten your arm in the direction you want the spell to go,' Ling instructed.
Xuefeng did as commanded, and a small red fireball shot from his fist, flying a few meters before disappearing as the space absorbed the attack.
"Wow..." Xuefeng exclaimed excitedly, feeling like a wizard.
Seeing his excitement, Ling poured cold water on his enthusiasm by saying, 'Don't get too excited. It's just a Rank 1 Fireball. A Spirit Grandmaster can cut it in half with a single swing. It might only be effective against beasts.'
'Go further, and we'll find better artifacts,' she advised.
Xuefeng took off the ring and continued onward.
As he left, the four artifacts turned back into white stars and returned to their original spots.
Xuefeng walked along the illuminated path, attracting various stars with each step. He was amazed by the number of artifacts the Liu Clan possessed, which was understandable given their status as one of the biggest forces in the country.
After about a hundred steps, he arrived in a space where mostly Rank 4 and Rank 5 artifacts were placed. To ensure he attracted the best ones, he asked for Ling's help.
Ling used some of her Fate Qi and mixed it into his Black Spirit Qi shield. Instantly, many new Spirit Artifacts arrived near him.
Around thirty artifacts hovered around him, with more coming each second. Rank 5 artifacts were rare, so there were only a few of each kind.
After scanning each artifact, Ling selected a few for him to choose from.
'There are two Rank 5 swords of great quality; you can choose one of them. There is a Rank 4 Storage Ring, a Rank 5 Spirit Armour, and a Rank 5 Defence Spirit Aura.'
Xuefeng chose a striking red sword with black flames surrounding it and grabbed the other three artifacts.
'Okay, so that's the four I was supposed to get. I forgot to ask Elder Ming how to move them into my dantian. Am I supposed to carry them by hand?' Xuefeng wondered.
'It's easy. The Spirit Artifacts you attracted have already acknowledged you as their master. You just need to will them into your dantian,' Ling instructed.
Xuefeng closed his eyes and imagined the artifacts in his hands entering his dantian. As he did, the items disappeared, and he felt his Spirit Qi being drained by the three artifacts, except for the Storage Ring.
'I can move them into my space later, but for now, you have to feed them your Spirit Qi,' Ling informed.
'Is this normal? At this rate, they will drain me dry in a day,' Xuefeng panicked a little.
'Did you think Rank 5 artifacts are easy to handle? They are just one rank away from becoming conscious. Normally, cultivators get one Rank 5 artifact when they are Spirit Kings. You already have three before you've even started cultivating seriously. Unless you have a Rank 5 Spatial Artifact, it's hard to feed them. You should be happy you have me. If I were strong enough, I could even take the whole Spirit Treasury with me,' Ling said proudly.
'You're great. Do we need any other Spirit Artifacts or should we leave?" he asked after praising her.
'You were already permitted by the Clan Leader so you shouldn't worry too much. Let's just take whatever we would need in the future,' Ling suggested, scanning the surroundings and choosing a few more artifacts.
In the end, Xuefeng took a Rank 3 sword for practice, a Rank 4 Movement Spirit Aura, an Endurance Spirit Aura, a Rank 4 Formation Plate, a Rank 3 Formation Plate, and two pretty necklaces.
He planned to give the necklaces to Wuying and Princess Shan, hoping to raise his chances of getting the Fate Fragment and appease Wuying. The necklaces would also increase the wearers' cultivation speed.
As he walked back to the spot where he arrived, he picked up several rings of different ranks with spell formations on them.
Each token allowed him to stay in the Spirit Treasury space for ten minutes, yet he had already spent thirty minutes when he reached the exit.
'I feel bad for taking so many Spirit Artifacts. It's like I'm stealing,' Xuefeng confessed, knowing many other youngsters were waiting for their turn.
'I disagree. You are the Young Master of the Liu Clan, the son of the Clan Leader. Of course, you're bound to get more benefits than others,' Ling reassured him.
'Sigh, it's not like we can give them back now. We're too late," Xuefeng sighed, looking at his hand where the tokens lay.
The tokens started to light up, surrounding him with a white glow that made him unable to move. He felt a strange energy scanning his dantian, but finding nothing against the rules, he was transported back to the real world.
Unbeknownst to him, his every action was being monitored by one person. The Spirit Treasury was actually the Spirit Artifact of Clan Leader Liu Xiaobei, who could see everything happening inside it, even from afar.
When Xuefeng reappeared before everyone, Liu Xiaobei opened his eyes, puzzled.
"To think your master would be this powerful... Is this finally the time for Liu Clan to take over the world?"