My Artifacts Can Upgrade Infinitely

The two objects collided with a violent, ringing boom. The Golden Light Mirror, floating before him, trembled slightly but successfully blocked the dagger’s attack, releasing an even more dazzling glare upon impact.

Zhao Zuo’s eyes flew wide. His Mana surged, pouring into his arms. Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed his enemy’s wrist with both hands and abruptly unleashed his strength. Nearly ten thousand jin of force erupted in that small space.

CRACK.

The enemy’s wrist drooped limply, and the dagger slipped from his grasp.

"AGH...!!!"

The man in black shrieked, the sharp pain of his shattered bones flaring through him. But he didn’t panic. Instead, the pain ignited a burning rage. With a savage glint in his eyes, he viciously kicked at Zhao Zuo’s chest while his remaining left hand clawed at Zhao Zuo’s eyes like an eagle’s talon.

Zhao Zuo didn’t retreat a single step. He directed the Golden Light Mirror to block the man’s clawing hand, foiling the vicious ploy. Releasing his enemy’s wrist, he drove power from his legs, through his waist, and into his right arm. Every muscle in his body tensed, channeling the force.

His body was like a taut bow. His right fist hammered into the enemy’s chest again and again. His knuckles struck like steel, each impact producing a dull thud. The shockwaves sent the surrounding snowflakes scattering into the air.

One punch, then a second, then a third.

Holding nothing back, Zhao Zuo unleashed a demonic frenzy of punches against his enemy’s chest. Under the brutal assault, the man’s sternum began to cave in, deforming with the sickeningly crisp sound of breaking bone. Blood streamed from the man in black, flowing down the folds of his clothes. His eyes bulged as he coughed up a mouthful of blood and let out a pained groan.

But Zhao Zuo had no intention of stopping. His right fist continued its relentless barrage until the man’s chest was deeply caved in. Only then, when his enemy’s breathing had become terrifyingly faint, did he pause.

He finally released his left-hand grip, letting the man’s body slump. Then... his hands shot out like lightning, grabbed the man’s head, and twisted with sudden, brutal force, snapping his neck and finishing him for good.

CRACK!

The sharp sound of bone shattering echoed through the wind and snow.

Zhao Zuo bent down and picked up the two dagger-type Magical Artifacts. The hilts were carved with a serpentine pattern, and the sharp, slightly curved blades resembled a snake’s fangs. They radiated a faint, bloody aura, a clear sign that many people had died by these weapons for such an energy to coalesce.

He also collected the enemy’s two sword-type Magical Artifacts forged from Spirit Iron, securing them to a hidden clasp at his waist. He then walked a few steps forward to retrieve his Sky-Breaking Saber, casually wiping the blood from his right hand with a handful of snow.

During his flurry of punches, the skin on the back of Zhao Zuo’s hand had been gashed open by his enemy’s shattered bones. Blood trickled from the wound and dripped onto the snow, blooming like crimson plum blossoms.

This was no time to treat a wound. Zhao Zuo immediately rushed toward the second battlefield, subconsciously skipping the step of looting the corpse.

The Spirit Revitalizing Pill in his system was still active, and his Mana was gradually being replenished.

The battle between Shen Yunjiao and Second Lei far surpassed the fight Zhao Zuo had just been in, both in intensity and scale. The snowflakes in the air had ceased to fall, and the surface of the snow showed traces of having been melted by high heat before freezing over into a sheet of ice.

Clearly, in the last several dozen seconds, Shen Yunjiao and Second Lei had been locked in a ferocious struggle. Both were fighting with all their might, holding nothing back in a battle where their lives were the stakes.

Shen Yunjiao wielded blazing flames with her longsword. Second Lei had clearly been struck several times; though he looked utterly wretched, covered in scorch marks and panting heavily, his injuries were not fatal. As a pure Body Cultivator, his Defense Power was a shield he took great pride in.

Shen Yunjiao appeared to have no external injuries, but her aura had weakened slightly.

When Zhao Zuo arrived, the two were still entangled in combat, seemingly unaware of his presence.

To end the fight quickly, Zhao Zuo decided to risk a surprise attack, ready at any moment to use his Golden Light Mirror to deal with any potential counter from Second Lei.

Zhao Zuo approached slowly, his gaze narrowing. He tightly gripped the dagger-type Magical Artifact known as the Shadow Iron Dagger. On his way over, he had already bound it to himself with his Mana.

He had discovered then that these two Magical Artifacts lacked the basic Spirit Pattern Path for Controlling Objects, which meant they couldn’t be driven by Mana to fight from a distance. Instead, they possessed a different, unfamiliar type of Spirit Pattern Path.

However, Zhao Zuo had already figured out the purpose of these Spirit Patterns. They increased the Magical Artifact’s sharpness, which was why the assassin had been able to shatter his Golden Light Barrier in a single strike. Of course, this enhanced power came at the cost of terrifyingly high Mana consumption.

Making no attempt to hide his presence, Zhao Zuo charged directly at Second Lei. His body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. The Shadow Iron Dagger in his hand aimed for the enemy’s lower back, swift and predatory like a pouncing beast.

This Magical Artifact had sacrificed its long-range capabilities for immense power. Zhao Zuo believed that not even Second Lei’s vaunted physique could withstand its edge.

Three meters. Two. One.

Suddenly, a cold smirk touched Second Lei’s lips. Coordinating his legs and waist with his Mana, he spun around instantly. His right fist, clad in the Middle Grade Magical Artifact, the Fierce Tiger Boxing Gloves, smashed violently toward Zhao Zuo’s head. At the same time, his left hand shot out and locked its five fingers around the Shadow Iron Dagger, halting its advance.

Empowered by the spin, Second Lei’s punch possessed earth-shattering power, containing at least thirty thousand jin of force. Furthermore, its angle was so viciously precise that there was no room to dodge. If it landed, Zhao Zuo would be dead or crippled.

Shen Yunjiao grew anxious and immediately moved to help, but she was a step too slow.

The iron fist descended, a tragedy about to unfold. Shen Yunjiao’s steps faltered, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes. She could already picture Zhao Zuo’s head bursting like a watermelon.

WHOOSH.

The Golden Light Mirror flew out from his robes and blocked the iron fist. The collision between the Fierce Tiger Boxing Gloves and the Golden Light Mirror produced an ear-piercing shriek. Invisible sound waves seemed to twist the very air, and an incomparably dazzling golden light erupted, illuminating the surroundings as if it were day.

"An ant’s struggles are useless!" Second Lei roared, continuously channeling his Mana. The veins on his right arm bulged like gnarled tree roots as he poured wave after wave of even more terrifying power into his fist, trying to smash the Magical Artifact away.

But the ’mere’ Lower Grade Defensive Magical Artifact displayed unimaginable resilience. Though it trembled in midair, it wasn’t pierced by the Fierce Tiger Boxing Gloves. As the fist pressed down, the golden light grew even more blinding, drawing nearly all of Second Lei’s attention.

With a BANG, the Golden Light Mirror was sent flying. There wasn’t a huge difference between the two Magical Artifacts, but the gap in Cultivation between Zhao Zuo and Second Lei was enormous. Facing his enemy’s full-powered attack, Zhao Zuo’s defense finally gave way.

At the same instant, Zhao Zuo activated the Sky-Breaking Saber at his waist, which he had already filled with Mana.

In a flash, the Sky-Breaking Saber was upon him. Sensing the danger, Second Lei immediately released his left hand, allowing the Shadow Iron Dagger to stab into his abdomen. Just as the blade sank about three centimeters deep, he suddenly perceived the arrival of a fatal threat.

Zhao Zuo instantly let go of the dagger and retreated, dodging Second Lei’s downward-smashing right fist.

Second Lei’s left hand tried to snatch the sudden streak of silver light, but he had clearly underestimated the Sky-Breaking Saber’s power. The silver blade slipped from his grasp like a nimble fish, its speed completely unaffected. Not even the Fierce Tiger Boxing Gloves could block the Sky-Breaking Saber’s edge as it shot straight for his face.

PFFT.

At the critical moment, Second Lei twisted his head aside to dodge, but the blade still sliced a gash across his neck. Blood poured from the wound, staining the clothes around his shoulder red.

"Damn it." Without another word, Second Lei charged straight at Zhao Zuo.

...