My Artifacts Can Upgrade Infinitely

That night, Zhao Zuo changed his clothes and set out with Shen Yunjiao.

The Moyun Sect was said to have a thousand-year-old legacy. It had relocated to the Yunlan Mountain Range over two hundred years ago but still maintained a layout that was centuries old. Its four major districts were like the roots of a great tree, nourishing the Moyun Sect above them while also serving as the first line of defense against invasion.

Shen Yunjiao led Zhao Zuo to a forest near a valley. Under the moonlight, the dense branches looked like twisted, grotesque demons. From the valley not far away, the howls of wolves and roars of tigers echoed.

Without the shelter of buildings, the frigid wind grew more intense. However, because Zhao Zuo also practiced a Body Refining Technique, the temperature had little effect on him. He wore a night-crawling suit over just two thin layers of undergarments.

"We’re here."

Shen Yunjiao bent down and began to shovel snow, gesturing for Zhao Zuo to dig a hole beside her.

It took them about ten minutes to dig a shallow, half-meter-deep pit. Shen Yunjiao wrapped herself in a thick Beast Hide and lay down inside. As her Mana circulated, the surrounding snow quickly covered her body.

Zhao Zuo copied her, wrapping himself in a layer of Demon Beast hide and lying down in his own pit. He then saw Shen Yunjiao take out a piece of Demon Beast meat weighing around ten jin. She smeared a red liquid on it, and a strange, fragrant scent faintly wafted out. With a flick of her right hand, she threw the meat about ten meters away.

"Most Demon Beasts have a keen sense of smell. Remember to use a Cleaning Talisman after you lie down," Shen Yunjiao instructed.

"Okay."

The two of them lay there in the snow, waiting patiently. The fierce wind swept up fine, sand-like snow, gradually covering their tracks. It also erased what little scent they had left. Zhao Zuo did his best to control his Qi Blood, slowing his heart rate and breathing.

Every night, Demon Beasts would charge into the four districts to hunt. But most Demon Beasts possessed some level of intelligence and a natural instinct for self-preservation. Therefore, those that considered themselves weak wouldn’t charge into the districts, instead searching for prey in the forests at the edge.

Shen Yunjiao had deliberately used a claw-like weapon to create the wounds on the meat she’d thrown, making it look more like leftovers from another Demon Beast’s kill. Although the deception wasn’t perfect, for a One Tier Demon Beast with the intelligence of a three or four-year-old child... it was just right.

Suddenly, Zhao Zuo heard the CRUNCHING sound of something heavy pressing down on the snow. At the same time, he felt a faint tremor in the ground. He kept Shen Yunjiao’s instructions firmly in mind: he would only spring into action when he received the signal.

The Demon Beast drew closer. Zhao Zuo could even hear the clash of sharp teeth. The beast was only five meters away from him, but he still hadn’t received the signal.

Time ticked by, second by second. The Demon Beast finally finished eating the meat. The sound of trampling snow moved away, and the vibrations in the ground receded, soon fading into silence.

A few minutes later, Zhao Zuo heard a THUD, as if something heavy had hit the ground.

Shen Yunjiao had thrown out another piece of bait.

Time passed. Zhao Zuo remained completely still, waiting patiently.

He didn’t know how much longer he waited before the CRUNCHING sound of footsteps on snow returned. Clearly, another Demon Beast was approaching. Perhaps because it wasn’t hungry, this one didn’t even pause at the bait, and its footsteps gradually faded away.

Zhao Zuo’s racing heart slowly calmed, and he continued to suppress its beat.

"Now!"

Shen Yunjiao’s voice rang in his ear, impossibly sudden.

He had to admit his focus had slipped, causing him to be half a second slow in leaping from the snow pit. His right hand immediately reached for the Sky-Breaking Saber at his waist.

On the surface of the snow, Shen Yunjiao was facing off against a giant wolf about four meters long.

Its fur blended almost perfectly with the night, as smooth as black satin yet with an incredibly thick and sturdy texture. Its snout was long and sharp, revealing four protruding fangs. Its eyes were a beautiful, sky-like blue, like perfect gems, and they glinted with cunning and coldness.

The Dark Night Wolf, also known as the Dark Night Giant Wolf, was reputed to be the most cunning of the One Tier Demon Beasts.

It had realized the meat was bait. The sound of its fading footsteps had been a deliberate trick. Like an expert hunter, it had cautiously circled back to its prey, aiming for an instantaneous kill.

Fortunately, Shen Yunjiao had sensed the Dark Night Wolf’s approach and given a timely warning. Zhao Zuo remembered her description of the creature: be careful of its fangs, for they carry a potent venom, and... treat it as you would a human opponent.

"I’ll take the lead. You look for an opening," Shen Yunjiao said, then lunged forward and unleashed Sword Like Flowing Fire.

Zhao Zuo watched the two fight. Despite its enormous size, the Dark Night Wolf’s burst of speed was comparable to that of a Late Period Qi Cultivation practitioner. Faced with its all-out assault, Shen Yunjiao could only temporarily fall back on defense.

To attack would be to expose an opening, which meant getting injured.

It was like a ghost. All it would take was for its fangs, just over ten centimeters long, to break the skin. The poison would do the rest, leading to an inevitable defeat.

Shen Yunjiao’s defensive stance was a reluctant necessity. If things went south, their only option would be to cover each other’s escape.

Zhao Zuo quickly took out a Light Body Talisman and activated it.

The talisman paper ignited without a breeze. The next moment, Zhao Zuo again felt himself enveloped by a gust of wind. He took a step, and his body shot forward like a gale, skimming low over the ground with his arms spread like the wings of a great bird.

The fresh snow underfoot was still somewhat soft but not enough to hinder combat. He kicked off hard with his right leg, his dormant body reawakening. His heartbeat grew strong and powerful, pumping Qi Blood to every corner of his being. The Golden Light Mirror flew around him, ready to defend at a moment’s notice.

The surrounding snow, like yellow sand, was whipped up by the fierce wind and scattered in all directions. At the same time... Zhao Zuo was already charging the Dark Night Wolf from the side, a long black saber in his hand.

It was a Middle Grade Magical Artifact named Black Flame that Shen Yunjiao had temporarily lent him. It was engraved with Sharpness Spirit Patterns and could also convert Mana into fiery attacks.

As Zhao Zuo closed in, he immediately felt an immense pressure, as if he were suddenly facing a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. The endless pressure bore down on his spirit, and his heart began to pound so violently it felt like it would leap from his chest.

In that instant, he felt fear, but an even greater rage erupted within him like a volcano.

Zhao Zuo stopped in his tracks, the muscles in his arms suddenly swelling. He pushed off hard with both legs, and in a tiger-like leap, he brought his saber crashing down from above. It was an incredibly ferocious strike, as if he intended to cleave the Shadow Wolf in two.

Aided by the momentum of his descent, Zhao Zuo unleashed a strike that surpassed his limits.

The Shadow Wolf sensed the danger. Its sapphire-like eyes instantly locked onto Zhao Zuo. It opened its massive maw and let out a low, angry roar, its right paw striking upward like a warhammer.

Shen Yunjiao seized the opportunity. With a twist of her right wrist, she changed her slash into a thrust, aiming straight for the Shadow Wolf’s chest. The roaring flames on her sword’s edge were like a furious dragon. As if drawn to it... the flames enveloping Zhao Zuo’s Black Flame saber suddenly flared even more intensely, like two crimson dragons opening their eyes.

BAM.

The hard claw collided with the saber’s edge. A Fire Dragon of flame spread across its fur, and the Shadow Wolf let out a pained howl. Its gem-like eyes were filled with cold fury. At the critical moment, the Shadow Wolf actually abandoned its attack on Zhao Zuo and shot back two meters, narrowly dodging the downward slash.

Shen Yunjiao’s blade pierced its chest, the intense flames igniting its outer fur. The Shadow Wolf was secretly pleased with itself for dodging its enemy’s killing blow and was just about to regroup and attack again.

In that moment of distraction, a streak of black light shot out from a hidden clasp on Zhao Zuo’s belt, heading straight for the Shadow Wolf, which was off-balance from its sudden change in direction. It thought that by dodging the killing slash, it had seized the initiative. Little did it know, the enemy’s attack had been just a feint.

The truly fatal attack was that barely perceptible streak of black light.

Now, the Shadow Wolf had nowhere to run and no way to dodge. The Sky-Breaking Saber entered through its eye socket and exited the back of its head!

The Shadow Wolf was dead!

......