Chapter 74: [holy Artifact Frostmourne]
“Young man, you’ve come. Come over and sit quickly.”
In the small church of Rain Courtyard, the old temple priest who had been waiting for a long time waved to Yuan Zhu, signaling him to come closer. Then he patted the booklet on the table and introduced:
“Come, take a look. This is the Holy Seal provided by our Holy Church. See if there’s a type you like. Without a Holy Seal, it’s hard to cultivate even with a Holy Mark. You can think of it as a cultivation technique from a novel story. However, the Holy Seal is stronger than a cultivation technique. You don’t need to learn it; you naturally comprehend it. By continuously casting seals, you get stronger, and it won’t be eliminated. It still works even after promotion.”
Yuan Zhu stepped forward, took the inch-thick booklet, and flipped through it.
As he expected, it contained various Holy Seals with different functions and uses, except for the introduction at the beginning. Each subsequent page introduced different Holy Seals.
There were many specific types, such as object-type Holy Seals like Sword, Bell, Staff, and iterations based on them like Fire Sword, Holy Shield, Thunder Staff, and other attribute variations.
Among them, East Coast-style ones like Holy Word, Two-Handed Sword, Armor, Purification… accounted for 2/3, belonging to traditional Holy Seals. The remaining 1/3 were Orientalized and Taoism-ized, having intricate connections with the already declined Yellow Heaven Dao Lineage, belonging to new-style Holy Seals, and priced higher.
Holy Seals are graded by ‘engravings’; the lowest is 4 engravings. Prices vary by effect; the cheapest starts at 40,000. 5-engraving Holy Seals start at 100,000. The highest is a 6-engraving Holy Seal, a intricately drawn talisman pattern called Tai Huang Talisman, with no price listed.
Seeing Yuan Zhu pause on that page, the temple priest introduced: “Usually, after casting three Holy Seals, a cultivator faces a choice: follow the great path opened by the Eight Holy Kings, or blaze a trail of unknown outcome yourself? This Tai Huang Talisman allows you to establish a connection with Tai Huang Dao Master from the start. Of course, casting it at the second or third seal is not too late. But the earlier you cast it, the greater the benefits—it’s considered the orthodox direct lineage of Tai Huang.”
The words carried a strong recruiting tone.
Yuan Zhu asked: “Why no price?”
“Because it’s priceless. Only those who join our Dao Lineage qualify to receive the talisman.”
Once receiving the talisman, aren’t you guys Taoism?! This is the Holy Light version of converting Laozi into Buddha, infiltrating the Holy Light internally? Waiting to subvert the Dao Lineage and seize high-ranking positions?
“What’s its effect?” Yuan Zhu pointed to the Tai Huang Talisman Holy Seal and asked.
“All-around blessing to Holy Light Intensity, transforms Holy Light Attribute, establishes initial connection to Tai Huang’s Holy Light Dimension, and provides multiple Divine Words, while enhancing their effects. Just one Holy Seal grants spellcasting ability and use of multiple spells. But its greatest value is paving the way for future Holy Seals, bringing the most foundational amplification.”
Under the old temple priest’s introduction, the quality of just one or two Holy Seals mattered far less than the ‘Holy Seal combination system’ formed after increasing the number of Holy Seals.
For example, basic seals like Armor, Sword, Fist, Holy Flame… even at the lowest 4 engravings, just three can combine into the basic skill tree of a Holy Knight. Adding a 7-engraving Iron Halo makes it even more awesome, with the halo underfoot providing a deflection force field—Holy Light Astartes debuts.
The value of Tai Huang Talisman, besides connecting to that fully Holy Light-ized Yellow Heaven World, lies in spellcasting enhancements. Holding this Holy Seal allows chanting Divine Words with the mouth to cast spells, with extra amplification. If the Holy Mark is opened at the throat (slit throat), Divine Words get further reinforcement.
After carefully flipping through the entire manual, Yuan Zhu recorded all the information into the Immortal Scripture. His biggest feeling was that low-level Holy Seals had too few engravings and limited potential, while high-level ones were scarce, maxing at 6 engravings, and extremely expensive.
So he puzzled: “With so many low-engraving Holy Seals, aside from hoping for special combinations in the future, they offer no early advantage. Does anyone really want to use them?”
Temple priest: “But they’re cheap. And during casting, adding high-level ash can slightly increase the engraving level. Finally, high-level Holy Seals are too complex and stable to change. But 4- or 5-engraving Holy Seals are different—they’re prone to mutation during casting. And at the seventh seal, there’s a chance for overlay printing. Many high-level Holy Seals are created this way. So no need to worry about low-engraving Holy Seals affecting your future foundation. On the contrary, lower engravings are easier to cast, helping you quickly pass the growth stage and gain self-protection power.”
Yuan Zhu looked troubled: “But they’re still so expensive!”
He closed the manual, some ideas forming. For the first Holy Seal, if not choosing the best and top-tier one, then pick the most basic and versatile, try overlay printing later. Anyway, Holy Light is just a side job; Shadow is the foundation—he could afford to waste it!
For example, this Holy Sword is good. When driven by Holy Light, it fully boosts power (temporary), slightly transforms physique (long-term reinforcement), improves swordsmanship learning and comprehension, and adds Holy Light Attribute to sword weapons with Holy Light affinity, enhancing enchanted damage.
Finally, when fully casting the Sword Seal, it can condense a briefly existing ‘conceptual weapon’ using pure Holy Light.
Holy Sword’s intensity continuously improves with more soul crystals, won’t fall behind or be eliminated. Or keep the conceptual weapon’s power the same but increase quantity with more soul crystals.
Similar to Holy Spear, which is about the same. When level increases later, can hold multiple Holy Spears simultaneously, dropping from the sky as ranged thrown weapons—quite flashy. Just a bit life-consuming.
Seeing Yuan Zhu deep in thought, the old man expectantly asked: “Decided?”
“Too expensive! Even if I want it, I can’t afford it.” Yuan Zhu spread his hands, brushing it off. He planned to check the Space; the Holy Seals here maxed at 6 engravings and required receiving the talisman, binding relations early. Not to his taste. “Old sir, what’s the highest engraving level for these Holy Seals?”
Old man: “A human cultivator usually condenses 6 seals. 7 seals form a domain, 8 seals enshrine as saint, 9 seals half-god. Thus Holy Seals max at 9 engravings, but usually unavailable. 6 engravings is already high-end. 6-engraving seals can further increase engravings by adding ‘ultimate ash’, but risk Fall Seal loss of control. For high-level cultivators, the ‘ash’ they burn may not be used for casting seals or condensing soul crystals; it can be preserved via special means for transaction. This ash carrying others’ soul info can elevate Holy Seal quality.”
Yuan Zhu: “Where do these Holy Seals come from? Any way to create one that suits me?”
“Holy Light is the manifestation of spirit, Holy Seal the condensation of will, soul crystal the crystallization of soul. Holy Seals are sliced from soul crystals. For special and powerful Holy Seals, pick special and powerful saints or even half-gods, kill them to strip soul crystals, slice them to get ‘high-engraving Holy Seals’. Best to hunt half-gods for high chance of unique 9-engraving functional Holy Seals.” The old man encouraged.
“Uh… no wonder they’re so expensive.”
These Holy Seals are just soul slices of Holy Light system powerhouses? Higher level means harder to kill. No wonder such great potential, won’t be eliminated. No wonder they can produce soul crystals.
This isn’t a cultivation technique anymore—it’s direct soul transmission. Slicing seniors’ souls as ‘Holy Light blueprints’ open to newcomers, using soul ash to cast one’s Holy Seals, compressing souls with Holy Seals to complete soul crystals, then hunted, souls stripped sliced and sold… Holy Light system grows stronger, cyclical development.
Old man: “Now, don’t think Holy Seals are overpriced, right?”
Yuan Zhu: “Not anymore, but still can’t afford it. Refund the final payment please. Now with Holy Light, it’s enough. As an ordinary employee of a cleaning company, I won’t provoke powerful demonic creatures—just exorcise evil, purify pollution. Perfect!”
“Wait, can’t afford Holy Seals, but you can afford holy artifacts. So-called holy artifacts are weapons forged with high-level dry corpse powder (additive)—souls and life squeezed dry by Holy Light and then sanctified—plus precious Holy Light-conducting metals. For example, Holy Sword needs a sword-type holy artifact to assist… Even without Holy Seal, you can adhere Holy Light to holy artifacts to boost attack power.”
Yuan Zhu agreed; his hand-condensed Holy Light was too loose, only good for tormenting small animals that could be one-handed beaten without Holy Light. What’s the use then?
“Prices?”
“Fair prices guaranteed, follow me.”
Then, the old temple priest led Yuan Zhu and the senior student into his private collection small warehouse, walls hung with dazzling holy artifact equipment:
Scepters, shields, armor, spears, short spears, two-handed swords… Oriental-style master knives, bells, peach wood swords, golden melon buds… everyday items like safety helmets, bats, hammers… and skulls and complete left arms.
Yuan Zhu was startled by the last two, pointing at heads and left arms of different species: “Why hang these too? Trophies from your youth hunting?”
Temple priest shook his head: “Not quite. Heads and left arms have special mysticism symbolism in Du Ling, always popular spellcasting materials, also used as holy artifacts by some special-taste Holy Light Cultivators.”
Then, the senior student spoke: “The Buddha Head floating above Mercury State in Geng Continent has existed independently for thousands or tens of thousands of years. The Knowledge School’s supernatural system is built on heavy use of Skull Servers. Other systems also involve ‘head’ and ‘left arm’ as independent mysticism concepts.”
She explained to Yuan Zhu: “In mysticism, Human is a complete concept; missing head or arm makes one incomplete, defective. But Head and Left Arm in mysticism are complete concepts like Human, not defective. Only left arms missing fingers, or heads losing eyes, tongues, brains are defective. Plain Human, Head, Left Arm have equal status.”
Yuan Zhu had little insight on Head, but Left Arm… reminded him of those ‘corpse ghost Buddha Hand Melons’ using arms as heads in Bubble World. Seems Vajra Temple’s ‘Dharma Palm’ cultivation has its reasons.
“See any you like? You do environmental cleaning, need a holy artifact for self-defense. If ambushed by goblins someday, thunder means to demon extermination. Young people dislike traditional culture; I think this ‘crowbar’ suits you.” The old temple priest took down a scripture-engraved physical sword and handed it to Yuan Zhu.
Seeing the crowbar, he thought of a certain Pipe Wrench Sword Immortal. Was he advancing to ‘Physics Holy Knight’, combining with the head-carrying university student into Weird Weapons Three Kings?
“What? Don’t like?”
Yuan Zhu shook his head: “Too long, inconvenient to carry.”
“How about this? Golden melon bud, physical blunt strike, god weapon for armor break and headshot. One hammer grants high-quality holy sleep.” The old man took down a ‘metal little pumpkin’ with baby-fist-sized top.
This was an ancient hammer weapon. Li Yuanba dual-wielded these ‘small and cute’ little pumpkins, slaughtering on battlefields.
Yuan Zhu: “No, too girly! Hammer has more functions.”
“Hey, speaking of hammers, I have a Frostmourne!” The old man raised a finger excitedly, smiling, and took out a ram horn hammer carved into a sheep head outline.
Actually just a standard hammer: one side for violent nail strikes, the other sharpened (ram horn) for pulling nails or prying skulls open. One-piece forged, refined and stylish, but shaped like a skeleton sheep head with red gems in eye sockets, looking somewhat evil.
“This is a holy artifact too?” Yuan Zhu was stunned. What thinking, whole skeleton sheep head—fallen holy artifact?
Senior student shrugged: “Heads can be holy artifacts, let alone a hammer?”
“Customer ordered it that way, added plenty Holy Light metal. Pity client died after forging… Style issue, no buyers. If you want it, free.”
Implication: use Frostmourne to offset remaining final payment.
Yuan Zhu was somewhat moved by its name—no filial son could resist Frostmourne’s temptation. Anyway, no dad left in Du Ling, no guilt using it.
“Hand it over, let me test the feel.”
Taking the ram horn hammer, surprisingly weighty but not too heavy when swung, no form loss. Length near 30cm, hammer head to horn tip 13cm. Balanced center of gravity, handy, but swinging less smooth than golden melon bud.
Then, he burned life, injecting Holy Light from palm into the ram horn hammer.
No need to condense deliberately; the holy artifact actively absorbed Holy Light, smoothly gathering it on the sheep (hammer) head. Blazing Holy Light enveloped the metal skeleton head, eyes bursting with eerie ‘blood light’.
A Holy Light skeleton sheep head phantom wrapped the hammer head, eyes emitting blood light, invisible pressure force field sweeping several meters around. Yuan Zhu felt his Holy Light compressed and solidified by the weapon, power greatly boosted.
“Not bad, right? Besides basic Holy Light blessing and power boost, successful headshots cause mental shock to victim, forming an extremely shrill sheep bleat in their mind, harming soul. The craftsman sacrificed a deeply polluted Black Goat when forging; it’s a holy artifact and fallen weapon. Style fits young people’s taste.”
Senior student pursed lips upon hearing. What, so gloomy, not cute at all.
Yuan Zhu disagreed; rest aside, but Holy Light-blessed, the flashing metallic cold gleam, blood-glowing eyes, extra holy special effect—cool to him. Felt like Terminator T-800 with red electronic eyes, illusion of incarnation of light.
He’d buy it home, show off at Happy Home! Money minor; if not useful, swap, but must flaunt once to buddies.
“Buying it!”
“Great! Take it to enforce heaven’s justice! More evil blood stained, more Holy Light tempering to get stronger. Someday you’ll forge your own holy artifact! This Holy Light Initiation manual gifted too. Unsure spots, come for lessons. 100 yuan per basic lesson, 20 sessions. Advanced 10 sessions, 500 yuan each.”
Yuan Zhu pocketed the holy artifact, grabbed senior student, and fled. Afraid staying longer meant signing loan agreement.
…
Walking the academy path, Yuan Zhu thanked: “Thanks for the help this time, sister.”
Senior student adjusted hair casually: “No problem, happy to help little brother Yuan. Plus I earned your commission.”
“But I gained more; need anything, just say.”
In Running, other Holy Churches’ Holy Mark Rituals meant troublesome review and full training, fees starting at 20,000. Rain Courtyard without connections started at 30,000. Ritual identical, but Rain Courtyard’s sign made it 10,000+ more expensive.
Without Chen Yi, he’d be fleeced 30,000. Fire Fang’s letter of introduction just cleared checks, no review block. Bargaining relied on senior student’s relations; she’d helped friends haggle old temple priest before, smooth this time.
Having connections is great. Chance to expand network at Rain Courtyard, consolidate ties—Yuan Zhu wouldn’t miss. Future needs, find miss again.
“Actually need help!” Senior student smiled ambiguously at him. “Working at Fire Fang, you encounter weird pollution sources. If odd rare pollutants, collect some for me, suppress and seal with Holy Light—not much needed, I’ll pay remuneration.”
Yuan Zhu curiously: “Small matter, on me. But what use for these ‘pollutants’?”
Senior student sighed: “Still developing nurturing special plants? For brand new seeds usable by Rogue Immortals, only brute way: erode seeds with different pollution sources, germinate, check for new mutation varieties. Need weird pollutants for luck, more the better.”
“Got it! I’ll watch for you. Oh, small gift for senior sister, hope it helps.” Yuan Zhu recalled Bubble World harvest; mad tomato shape matched her specialty.
He pulled out a nosed ‘Blood Tomato’ and handed it. Wouldn’t give Blood Bodhi from Buddha Tomato blood, but lesser Blood Tomato fine. Happy Home redeemable, 3 points each, pure favor.
Seeing the nosed fruit emitting eerie aura, Chen Yi’s hairs stood, stepped back half, didn’t take, vigilantly: “What’s this? Feels dangerous?”
“Contains some Filthy Blood pollution, but little, latent. Mutant product of outer universe plant race; Rogue Immortals’ three flowers link to them? Should help you.”
“Go buy special seal bags at Holy Church, bag it, disinfect bag with your Holy Light, melt seal, then give me. Don’t pocket such dangerous stuff casually; seal pollutants in bags, Holy Light sterilize.” Senior student earnestly warned.
“Got it got it.” Even Taixi university students aren’t this picky.
Yuan Zhu returned, got free stack of garbage encapsulation bags from old temple priest. Not just for pollution sources, also collect Holy Light-squeezed dry corpses.
Those sacrificed souls and life dry batteries had value; powdered as excellent neutral inert material. Like ceramic balls for plants/fish, clean and sanitary.
Holy Light though strong pollution source, Holy Light-tortured corpses had value squeezed dry, remnants low polluting nature, erased other pollutions. Many laboratories buy in bulk.
“Great, another junk collecting business.” He’d save squeezed batteries, sell to Holy Church by weight for pocket money.
