My Artifacts Can Upgrade Infinitely

Time flowed on, rushing forward like an endless river.

A few days later, Liu Heng visited again. He had been coming rather frequently lately, each time bringing food worth over ten Spirit Stones. Zhao Zuo naturally knew what he was after: to become his servant and gain the right to live next to his Cave Mansion.

Once he had permission, he could carve out a simple cave for himself in the rock face to live in. That way, he could enjoy the concentration of the Inner Sect’s Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and advance his Cultivation more quickly.

After entering the Cave Mansion, Liu Heng saw the Fire Spirit Snake lying beside Zhao Zuo. He reached out, wanting to stroke its smooth, triangular head, but Xiaohei immediately turned and dodged him. Its eyes were cold, as if to say... ’Touch me again and I’ll kill you.’

"Haven’t seen you in a few days. Why so distant all of a sudden?" Liu Heng pursed his lips and took a hind leg from a Spirit Chicken out of his food box. The Fire Spirit Snake immediately slithered over, rubbing its body against Liu Heng’s pant leg. Its change in attitude was so drastic it was as if it were a completely different snake.

"..." Zhao Zuo shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Once the Fire Spirit Snake realized its master was a pauper, it had set its sights on Liu Heng. And Liu Heng, out of respect for Zhao Zuo, would offer it some Spiritual Food.

"Younger Brother Zhao, this is a spiritual map showing the location of Chen Xiaorong’s duel with the Demon Path Foundation Establishment cultivator." Liu Heng first took a piece of Beast Hide from his robes and handed it to Zhao Zuo, only then beginning to open the food box and take out the Spiritual Food inside.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

After swallowing the chicken leg, Xiaohei immediately brought its head closer, its golden eyes seeming to burn with fire, full of desire.

"Only one piece a day." Zhao Zuo reached out and pushed Xiaohei’s head away. The Fire Spirit Snake slithered dejectedly to a corner of the bedroom and coiled up.

Only Fire Series Spiritual Objects could help the Fire Spirit Snake advance, so this Spiritual Food served no purpose other than tasting good. Moreover, it would interfere with its absorption of the Fire Element Seed.

For this very reason, Zhao Zuo strictly limited the Fire Spirit Snake to one piece per day.

Zhao Zuo took the Beast Hide Scroll and slowly unrolled it. A spiritual map was a special kind of map made by Cultivators, but it could only point to a single destination: the location set by the map’s creator.

On the Beast Hide, black ink lines formed a spiderweb-like pattern. Zhao Zuo infused it with Mana, and two points of light—one yellow, one green—appeared on the map. The green dot represented his current location, while the yellow dot pointed to the final destination: a small city near the Yunlan Mountain Range.

The map also showed several red circles. These represented the spheres of influence of Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts within the Yunlan Mountain Range—areas Zhao Zuo would need to avoid. As for the completely blackened area in the distance, that was the territory controlled by a Golden Core Demon King.

Anyone below the Foundation Establishment realm who entered rashly would have virtually no chance of survival.

Zhao Zuo examined it carefully. The path passed by the lairs of two Foundation Establishment Demon Beasts, which he would have to circumvent. Otherwise... he and Shen Yunjiao working together were strong enough to kill any One Tier Demon Beast.

It was feasible.

"Younger Brother Zhao, are you really planning to get involved in a battle between Foundation Establishment cultivators?" Liu Heng asked, taking a sip of Spirit Wine. He had tried to subtly dissuade him over the past few days, but ultimately failed to change Zhao Zuo’s mind.

"Some things just have to be done," Zhao Zuo said in a resolute tone.

"Is it more important than your own life?" Liu Heng asked, perplexed. He couldn’t understand Zhao Zuo’s reasoning. ’To risk one’s life for something with absolutely no benefit... such a person is a fool.’

"Of course," Zhao Zuo said with a nod.

"Hard to understand, isn’t it?" Seeing the look on Liu Heng’s face, Zhao Zuo knew he couldn’t possibly comprehend it. In fact, not long ago, Zhao Zuo himself wouldn’t have understood such a seemingly foolish sacrifice either.

But... the Sutra of Calming the Mind had allowed him to find his true heart in the tranquility.

From that night on, it was as if Zhao Zuo had been reborn.

"I really can’t understand," Liu Heng admitted frankly, not trying to hide his thoughts.

"Everyone’s Tao Heart is different, so the calling of one’s true heart will naturally differ as well. One day, you too will find what your true heart yearns for," Zhao Zuo said, his tone perfectly placid as he ate the chewy Demon Beast meat.

He had recently grown more accustomed to the state of Constant Calm. One of its characteristics was powerful control over one’s emotions. This immense self-control offered many advantages in battle, so he had made it a habit to maintain this state in his daily life.

"Alright," Liu Heng said, a little deflated. As for this so-called "calling of the true heart," he simply had no time to think. ’In my view, survival and getting stronger already take up all my time. Where would I find the time to contemplate where my true heart is pointing?’

"If I make it back alive, you can move into the cave next door."

Originally, Zhao Zuo had planned to give the servant’s position to Shen Yunjiao. But she practiced the Taotie Secret Technique, which required her to frequently hunt Demon Beasts to replenish the Energy it consumed, making her completely unsuited for quiet cultivation.

So... since Liu Heng wanted the servant’s position, he may as well have it.

"Thank you." Liu Heng stood up and bowed respectfully, clasping his hands in a salute.

"It’s nothing."

After they finished all the Spiritual Food, Liu Heng left the Cave Mansion. He had to get back to his Cultivation.

After he left, Zhao Zuo took out his Identity Token and fully activated the Cave Mansion’s inherent Defense Arrays. A thick fog enveloped the entrance, and within the mist, two Killing Arrays worked in tandem, revealing a frigid, murderous intent.

He stood up and circulated his Mana, quickly burning away all the residual alcohol in his system. His slightly hazy eyes immediately cleared. The pleasant buzz wasn’t bad... but he no longer had time to relax.