89: Test Treasure

In the earth fire chamber, time passed quietly.

After successfully condensing the embryonic forms of the artifacts, Gao De spent several more months tirelessly nurturing and refining the "purple scale earth-shaking armor" and the "thunder fang formation-breaking halberd" with his own natal Demonic Power day and night.

It was not until both artifact embryos were completely stabilized, their spiritual light contained within, and the connection between them and his mind was as fluid as moving his own limbs without the slightest hindrance, that he finally ended this long and monotonous seclusion.

However, nearly a year of highly focused Artifact Refining and nurturing had taken a massive toll on Gao De.

It was not just the depletion of his Demonic Power, but also mental exhaustion and the loss of Essence Blood.

He felt a weariness originating from the depths of his Soul, as if he had just recovered from a major illness, with waves of weakness emanating from within his body.

Although the newly refined natal demonic artifacts were in tune with his thoughts, the Essence, Qi, and Spirit required to drive them were currently stretched thin.

"Haste makes waste." Gao De suppressed the urge to immediately find an opponent to test his blades, knowing full well that he was not in his best state.

He forced himself to endure the eager "restlessness" that arose from the initial completion of the Magic Treasures, and first returned to the Deep Pool Water Mansion.

Upon returning to the familiar environment, he ordered that no one be allowed to see him and dived directly into the core of the Water Mansion's Spiritual Vein.

He transformed into his flood dragon form, coiled upon the throne, and exerted his full power to circulate the "Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art" while consuming the few remaining Medicinal Pills meant for nourishing the Divine Soul and replenishing Qi and blood.

Rich Spiritual Qi poured into his nearly dried-up Meridians and flood dragon pearl like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, nourishing his exhausted mind and compensating for the lost Essence Blood.

During this process, he also carefully contemplated his deeper connection with the two natal demonic artifacts.

Like newborn infants, though fragile, they were full of potential for growth, floating quietly beside the flood dragon pearl in his Dantian, absorbing Spiritual Qi with him and undergoing a slow and continuous nurturing process.

After recuperating for more than half a month, Gao De finally felt the sense of weakness gradually fade away. His Essence, Qi, and Spirit became full and abundant once again, and thanks to the recovery after this extreme consumption, his cultivation level had even faintly improved a little.

As he opened and closed his eyes, a flash of Purple Lightning passed through them; his state had returned to its Peak!

At this moment, that suppressed "restlessness" surged back into his heart, even more intensely than before.

The sharpness of his newly acquired treasures had just begun to reveal itself; the powerful energy contained within them surged through his body, longing to be released, longing to verify their might!

"It is time!" A cold and confident smile appeared on Gao De's scale-covered face.

The first thing that came to his mind was, naturally, his old nemesis—the Green Wave Sect.

If he could catch them off guard and launch a fierce sneak attack, he could both test the power of his Magic Treasures and further strike at his opponent; it would be killing two birds with one stone.

He quietly left the dragon palace's earth fire chamber and returned to the Water Mansion to check on things.

Turtle Three Thousand reported that during his seclusion, everything in the Water Mansion was fine, and the Green Wave Sect's mountain gate had remained tightly shut with no unusual movements.

Gao De nodded, then immediately circulated the "Water Origin Breath Concealment Technique", restraining his aura to the extreme. He once again transformed into his inconspicuous half-flood dragon, half-human form, prowling like a ghost straight toward the location of the Green Wave Sect's mountain gate.

However, when he arrived at the outskirts of the Green Wave Sect, the sight that greeted him left him somewhat disappointed.

He saw the Green Wave Sect's Sect-protecting Formation's light flowing, more solid and heavy than ever before, like a giant blue bowl of light, firmly covering the entire Sect.

The mountain gate was tightly shut, the Formation was fully activated, presenting a posture of strict defense, keeping enemies outside the gate.

Let alone a sneak attack, even getting close allowed one to feel the strong repulsion and warning emanated by the Formation.

"Tsk, they've learned to be smart, hunkering down so tightly." Gao De hovered in the shadows in the distance, curling his lip.

He could feel that with this Formation fully activated, even if he used his newly acquired Magic Treasures to attack forcefully, he probably wouldn't be able to break through in a short time, and instead, he would immediately expose himself, attracting a siege and gaining more loss than gain.

Regretfully glancing at the impregnable mountain gate of the Green Wave Sect, Gao De had to suppress the impulse to "test his blades" and turned to leave.

"The Green Wave Sect won't come out, I can't just go loitering in front of the Profound Sword Sect or the Green God Sect..." Gao De thought while weaving through the water vapor in the clouds, considering a suitable target.

He needed an opponent who was powerful enough to let him go all out, but who wouldn't immediately bring him too much trouble.

His Divine Sense spread out like an invisible net, sweeping across the vast Dongting Lake and the edge areas of the Yunmeng Great Marsh.

Soon, several powerful demonic auras caught his attention.

One of them was located in a dangerous area called the "Black Mud Swamp" at the junction of Dongting Lake and the Yunmeng Great Marsh.

The demonic aura was cold and violent, carrying a rotting, fishy stench, with an intensity of around the Early Third-Rank. It seemed to be an old demon that had been entrenched here for many years, and Gao De seemed to have some impression of it.

"The 'Black Water Profound Serpent' of the Black Mud Swamp?" Gao De recalled the scattered information he had heard before in the Heavenly Secret Realm and the Yunze Water Assembly.

It was said that this demon was ferocious in nature, a loner, skilled in using poison and concealment; in the black mud swamp near its lair, ordinary Third-Rank Cultivators dared not easily step foot.

"You are the one!" A flash of Purple Lightning appeared in Gao De's eyes, and he turned his body, transforming into a stream of light that almost blended into the night, speeding toward the direction of the Black Mud Swamp.

This demon's strength was sufficient, and the complex environment was perfect for testing the defensive and adaptive capabilities of the "purple scale earth-shaking armor", while its sinister and poisonous attributes were perfectly countered by the supreme Yang thunder of the "thunder fang formation-breaking halberd"!

More importantly, killing such a notorious lone demon king would not only verify his Magic Treasures but also yield its Demonic Core and Materials, without worrying about any friends or family coming to seek revenge!

Before long, a vast swamp filled with foul odors, miasma, and bubbling black gas bubbles appeared before his eyes.

Gao De hovered in mid-air, looking down at the Black Mud Swamp, where murderous intent was hidden within the dead silence, and feeling the uncomfortable, cold demonic aura within it, he was not afraid but instead felt his Battle Intent rising.

With a thought, an inner armor covered in dark cyan scales, flowing with a faint earthy yellow halo and purple electric patterns, quietly appeared on his body—it was the purple scale earth-shaking armor!

Although it was only an embryonic form of the artifact, it was already perfectly fitted to his Physical Body, and a sense of stability, heaviness, and power welled up spontaneously.

At the same time, he gripped his right hand in the air, and a long halberd, twelve feet long, with a dark gold shaft, dragon-tooth head, and wrapped in threads of destructive Purple Lightning, appeared out of thin air—the thunder fang formation-breaking halberd!

The battle halberd felt slightly heavy in his hand, its unruly and sharp spirit seemingly cheering and leaping, eager to drink blood.

"Black water serpent, roll out!"

Gao De no longer hid his aura; the pressure of a Third-Rank flood dragon mixed with pure Purple Lightning Thunder Aura crashed toward the depths of the Black Mud Swamp like a storm!

The thunder fang formation-breaking halberd in his hand pointed directly downward, lightning swallowing and spitting at the tip of the halberd, full of provocation.

"Hiss——!"

From the depths of the swamp came a sharp, angry hiss, and the entire Black Mud Swamp began to churn violently as if it were boiling!

The battle to test his blades was about to erupt!