Wu Tong, however, failed to notice Mei's gaze.
After retracting his hand from Mei's shoulder, Wu Tong shifted his attention to the Herrscher Core in his palm. He stroked his chin and examined it carefully.
After a moment of contemplation, Wu Tong decided to forge the Core of the Herrscher of Corruption into a new Divine Key of Corruption—a masterpiece that would embody the pinnacle of his technical prowess.
Once the decision was made, Wu Tong wasted no time. He sat cross-legged on the ground and directed the AI to extract Honkai energy from the Imaginary Space.
With sufficient energy gathered, Wu Tong activated the Authority of the Herrscher of Reason. Instantly, the AI-optimized structure of the Divine Key of Corruption materialized before him.
Countless top-tier special metals, derived from the AI's calculations, emerged and flowed like liquid through the air, shaping themselves into individual components under Wu Tong's will.
As the pieces assembled mid-air, Wu Tong seized the perfect moment and tossed the Core of the Herrscher of Corruption into the swirling mass of metal.
In no time, the Herrscher Core fully integrated with the newly forming Divine Key, becoming one with it.
Observing the still-unfinished Divine Key of Corruption, Wu Tong pondered briefly before activating the Crimson Wheel Heart Sutra. His martial soul manifested, and nine soul rings materialized behind him.
Seeing the soul rings—now useless to him—Wu Tong didn't hesitate. He reached out and grabbed the first ring.
The energy-formed soul ring offered no resistance. Wu Tong effortlessly plucked it and tossed it into the unformed weapon mold.
Next, the Heaven's Craft Art of Forging, derived from Divine Machine Hundred Refinements, was activated, imbuing the ordinary metal with spiritual essence.
Simultaneously, countless Taoist talismans were sketched into the air by Wu Tong. Symbols representing the fundamental truths of heaven and earth flooded into the artifact as if they were free.
Before long, a metallic soul ring—born from the fusion of technology, talismans, forging techniques, the soul master system, Qi cultivation, the Herrscher Core, and more—took shape.
Wu Tong's divine sense surged into the soul ring, imprinting it with his mark. Once the imprint was set, he felt an immediate connection to the ring.
With a mere thought, the soul ring disintegrated into countless particles, only to reassemble mid-air into a long blade.
The weapon's appearance was identical to the original Jizo Mitama, so Wu Tong saw no need to rename it. He decided to call this new Divine Key of Corruption "Jizo Mitama."
As his consciousness permeated the weapon, all its details unfolded before him:
**[Soul Armament: Jizo Mitama
Type: Formless (Capable of transforming into blades, swords, staves, etc.)
Primary Ability: Corruption
Mimetic Form: Spirit Vessel·Faded Fairy·Little Elysia (Manifested based on Wu Tong's cognition.)
Core Technologies: Divine Key·Jizo Mitama Construction, Qi Cultivation Forging, Talisman Arts, Soul Ring Modification, Celestial Computer Technology, Soul Guidance Technology, Taoist Divine Incantations...
Growth Potential: Unknown (Can evolve by assimilating information through corruption.)
Evaluation: A fusion of Vibranium, Adamantium, Soul Guidance Metal, Honkai Steel, and other unique alloys. Indestructible, infinitely malleable, and capable of zero-loss energy conduction. Can corrupt all forms of life and mechanical constructs.
Functions both as a magical artifact and a close-combat weapon. Limitless potential, a promising future.]**
"Ha..."
Wu Tong couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the weapon's description.
For his first attempt at forging, successfully modifying a soul ring was beyond his expectations. It seemed he had a hidden talent for this.
...
"Bronya, did you see that?"
"Bronya saw. According to Rabbit's analysis, Wu Tong appears to be forging an artifact."
"Wow, old-timer! This is the artifact forging from the novels, right? So cool! I want one too!"
"Suddenly, Divine Keys don't seem as appealing anymore. What do we do?"
"So... this is the power of the mystical arts? Truly extraordinary."
The others—Kiana and the rest—watched in awe.
Little Xuan, perched atop the Book of Xuan, circled Jizo Mitama, eyeing the newly born Soul Armament with curiosity.
After a while, realizing she couldn't quite comprehend it, she reached out to take a closer look.
But before she could touch it, a voice interrupted her.
"Hey, kid! Where are your manners? Looking is fine, but keep your hands to yourself!"
"Who? Who's talking?"
Not just Little Xuan, but the others also looked around in confusion.
Wu Tong, amused by their bewildered expressions, burst into laughter.
Then, he pointed out the "speaker"—Jizo Mitama itself.
As Wu Tong explained, a bright light erupted from the weapon. When it faded, a small purple figure stood where Jizo Mitama had been.
With fairy-like features, adorable eyes, and a chibi form, she floated effortlessly in the air, wielding a miniature version of Jizo Mitama. Her cool demeanor made her look like a child pretending to be a swordsman.
"Eek! Elysia?!"
"No, not Elysia. More like... the Herrscher of Corruption."
At first glance, Raiden Mei recognized the figure's origin.
Indeed, it was Elysia—or rather, a version resembling the armed doll Elysia created in her own image: Little Elysia.
But this was a "Faded Fairy" variant, an Erosion-type Little Elysia.
Noticing something amiss, Fu Hua spoke up to clarify.
Once Fu Hua pointed it out, the girls realized the truth.
The sight of this figure reminded them of events from the story, and they all turned to glare at Wu Tong.
Even Little Xuan, who usually got along well with him, shot him an angry look.
"Don't look at me like that! Jizo Mitama was forged using the Herrscher of Corruption's Core!"
"Besides, the spirit's form is based on my subconscious impressions."
"When it comes to the Herrscher of Corruption, the image that stands out most is the Faded Fairy."
"It's not my fault!"
"I can't control how the spirit manifests!"
Seeing their accusatory stares, Wu Tong's survival instincts kicked in, and he hurriedly defended himself.
"Also, this spirit only borrows the appearance. It doesn't have the Herrscher of Corruption's consciousness. Strictly speaking, they're not the same person."
"Treating her as the Herrscher of Corruption would be unfair to her."
...
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(End of Chapter)