My Artifacts Can Upgrade Infinitely

Half an hour later, Zhao Zuo enthusiastically saw Xue Liang out.

The moment the courtyard gate closed, the smile on his face vanished. He was now certain that Xue Liang knew he had gone to the small-scale trade meet last night, and that he had traded with that grave robber, even suspecting that the Wang Family’s inheritance was now in his possession.

’But the question is... last night I changed my inner clothes and Taoist Robe, altered my face, and used Cleaning Talismans several times to remove any scent. How on earth did he lock onto me?’

’I’ve already disposed of all the Pill Medicine I obtained, not even ash remains. Could there be some lingering scent?’

Zhao Zuo lowered his head and sniffed himself but couldn’t detect any unusual odor.

The Wang Family had built its foundation on Alchemy, so their core inheritance must be a precious Pill Refining Inheritance. As an Alchemist himself, Xue Liang naturally couldn’t resist the temptation of such a legacy.

Zhao Zuo guessed that today’s probing was just the beginning. No matter how many times he insisted the inheritance wasn’t on him, Xue Liang would never believe him. The man was undoubtedly clinging to some sliver of hope.

’In that case... I can listen to the information from Xue Liang, but I can’t fully trust it.’

’He might have laid a trap, just waiting for me to walk right into it.’

After a brief moment of thought, Zhao Zuo changed his face and headed to a teahouse in the Moyun Market. The place had heavy foot traffic, and the Wang Family’s affair was excellent gossip. If there was any truth to it, he would surely be able to overhear something there.

About a two-hour period later, Zhao Zuo returned from the Moyun Market with a belly full of tea. What Xue Liang had said was true. The Wang Family was indeed putting great effort into finding the remaining burial goods, and they had even issued a public bounty.

The item they sought was a jade slip. This allowed Zhao Zuo to breathe a sigh of relief. Since the thing they were after wasn’t the Soul-Shaking Bell, there was no way the investigation would lead back to him.

’Still... a family’s core inheritance is its very foundation. How could the Wang Family be so careless as to lose theirs?’

With his limited information, Zhao Zuo had no way of deducing the truth of the matter. All he could do was minimize his own presence as much as possible and upgrade the Soul-Shaking Bell quickly. After its damage was repaired, its appearance would change drastically.

At that point, no one would be able to connect it to the burial goods.

Returning to the Earth Fire Chamber, Zhao Zuo took out the Soul-Shaking Bell. As a piercing sound spread, the experience points began to rise slowly. He didn’t fully trust the information he’d gathered. ’Perhaps... the intel about the core inheritance is just a red herring. The real reason the Wang Family is mobilizing such a force might be for something else entirely.’

’Maybe they’re actually looking for the Soul-Shaking Bell,’ Zhao Zuo thought. At that, a hint of nervousness crept in, and he began to shake the Soul-Shaking Bell even more vigorously.

This was followed by another piercing sound, and the experience points increased by one again.

Zhao Zuo tore off a piece of cotton, stuffed it in his ears, and continued to grind for experience. Although gaining experience for the Soul-Shaking Bell was simple, listening to that piercing sound for too long made one feel extremely agitated, with an impulse to destroy everything.

About ten minutes later, an inexplicable agitation rose in Zhao Zuo’s heart. He had clearly plugged his ears with cotton, but he still couldn’t block the effects of the Soul-Shaking Bell.

Zhao Zuo had to stop what he was doing. He confirmed that the piercing sound wasn’t the root of his agitation. Instead, when the three gray metal balls collided, something else was being created—something that targeted one’s spirit, or perhaps, one’s soul.

’Truly worthy of the name... Soul-Shaking Bell.’

「The next day」, Xue Liang visited again. Their conversation was still full of meaningless small talk, as if they had forgotten the previous day’s unpleasantness. But Zhao Zuo could clearly feel the boundary between them; they were destined to never be friends.

Xue Liang thought his disguise was perfect, but he had underestimated the keenness of Zhao Zuo’s Spiritual Sense. He had no idea how obvious his hidden malice was to Zhao Zuo’s perception.

The relationship between hunter and prey had shifted.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month passed. Xue Liang would visit almost every other day, probing from the sidelines for clues about the inheritance. Each time, Zhao Zuo would carefully consider his answers, trying his best to be flawless.

But ironically, the more flawless his story, the more Xue Liang believed he was hiding something. Otherwise, why not just openly admit he had gone to the small-scale trade meet that night?

"Fellow Daoist, when are you going to hunt Demon Beasts? It’s been a while since I’ve had fresh Demon Beast meat, and I’m starting to crave it."

Xue Liang sat on his chair, took a swig of strong liquor from his gourd, and clicked his tongue as he spoke.

"Soon. I’ll be setting out in a few days," Zhao Zuo said calmly. In another two days, the Soul-Shaking Bell would be ready for its first upgrade. Then, he could repair and strengthen this Upper Grade Magical Artifact. With that, plus the soon-to-be-upgraded Sky-Breaking Saber... he was confident he could deal with Xue Liang.

"Then I’ll be waiting for your good news, Fellow Daoist," Xue Liang said with a smile. His eyes were hazy with drink, giving him an air of someone unconcerned with life and death.

"I’ll take you up on that good omen, Fellow Daoist," Zhao Zuo laughed heartily, his face a mask of sincerity. Although the two of them were bound to have a falling out sooner or later, until that day came... Zhao Zuo had to maintain his persona.

A rough, thick-skinned, and somewhat simple-minded man.

Before long, Xue Liang began to talk about his pride and joy: his grandson who had joined the Moyun Sect. In reality... that grandson was merely an Outer Sect disciple, and his Cultivation was only at the Qi Refining Third Layer.

Zhao Zuo could only offer some carefully chosen platitudes, expressing his envy. This greatly satisfied Xue Liang’s vanity, and the old man was all smiles when he left.

That night, Zhao Zuo sat on his bed and continued to shake the Soul-Shaking Bell.

After this period of torment, his spirit had actually started to adapt to the piercing sound. Zhao Zuo guessed that the Soul-Shaking Bell might also have the effect of tempering one’s Divine Thought.

This discovery was both a pleasant surprise and a shock. He was pleased that he had spent only eighty Spirit Stones to acquire such a Divine Artifact. He was shocked because... the reason the Wang Family was so fixated on the burial goods was very likely because of the Soul-Shaking Bell in his hands. This meant he had inadvertently provoked a powerful force.

Still, there was no way he was going to return something he had paid for with his own Spirit Stones.

Moreover, through his efforts during this period, Zhao Zuo had almost gathered enough experience points to upgrade the Soul-Shaking Bell. All this time... he had been enduring mental torment every day.

The Soul-Shaking Bell continued to sway, its chimes forming a twisted, evil symphony. Fortunately, it was contained by the Sound Insulation Array. This, however, caused the sound to constantly rebound and spread throughout the bedroom, making it even more bizarre.

Half an hour later, Zhao Zuo stopped, his gaze fixed feverishly on the Soul-Shaking Bell in his hand. He was finally about to possess a second Upper Grade Magical Artifact, and given its effects, it was definitely a Combat Magical Artifact with a unique power!

[Level: Upper Grade Magical Artifact · Soul-Shaking Bell]

[Experience: 20013/20000]

[Status: Upgradeable]

Zhao Zuo didn’t hesitate, directly tapping the upgrade option.

Then... he waited patiently, anticipating the change to come.

...

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