However, the moment this thought arose, Yu Xian snuffed it out.
As the saying went: never harbor intent to harm others, yet never lower your guard against them; and if you do not want others to know, do not do it in the first place.
No matter how covert a conspiracy or scheme was, the truth would come to light eventually. There was no need to make enemies without cause; doing so would not only dirty his hands, but stain his character as well.
The Forbidden Fruit was precious, but Yu Xian felt his moral character was worth far more.
He exhaled a long breath of stale air and looked up at the sky. Watching the clouds drift and unfurl, he felt as though he had just completed a multiple-choice test.
Had he chosen to lure the Spartan Warriors into testing the Ancient Cosmos Dragon, his alignment would have shifted toward Lawful Evil. By abandoning the idea, his alignment remained Lawful Good.
Life was composed of countless tests like this, guiding every living being step by step in different directions.
Yu Xian looked down and stroked the heads of Little Nora and Little Huangquan, a serene smile appearing on his face. Letting go of the dark thought left him feeling wonderfully at ease.
Like a bright moon shining over green mountains or a crisp breeze combing through bamboo groves, only candor and serenity remained.
A spark of inspiration flashed through Yu Xian's mind, and he intuitively understood how to reforge the ghost mask.
Looking down at the ghost mask in his hand, he allowed the Six Ding Divine Fire to gradually envelop his palm. Holding the mask within the flames to temper it, he slowly channeled the righteous intent within him, fusing it into the mask.
His other hand was not idle either. He produced the Dragon Blood Iron he had found earlier and used the Six Ding Divine Fire to burn away its impurities, causing droplets of pure crimson molten iron to condense above his palm.
As the ghost mask was tempered, numerous dark impurities were utterly destroyed by the Six Ding Divine Fire, leaving its surface pitted and uneven. Yu Xian controlled the molten Dragon Blood Iron to fill in the craters while reshaping the mask bit by bit.
Originally, the ghost mask had carried an intensely sinister aura: triangular teeth, fangs jutting from the mouth, and sunken grooves on both cheeks, all projecting a vicious, menacing presence.
Under Yu Xian's reshaping, however, the mask gradually grew dignified and grand. Its eyes curved into upward phoenix eyes, its mouth closed smoothly, and the facial striations softened into gentle contours.
The mask had originally brimmed with resentment, murderous aura, and wicked intent—yet ironically fused with various positive attributes. Aside from the water ghosts of the Yellow Springs, almost any living being who donned it would have fallen into madness.
Yet washed over by a vast tide of righteous intent, the resentment, murderous aura, and wicked thoughts clinging to the mask were swept away entirely.
Once this step was done, a crimson glow emanated from Yu Xian's body. An instant later, Little Huangquan, who was still asleep, glowed red as well, and the two merged seamlessly together.
Yu Xian's already delicate, androgynous features became somewhat more feminine upon merging, though his gender did not change; he simply looked even more breathtaking.
Paying no mind to the change in his appearance, he mobilized Little Huangquan's power to infuse the mask with new traits alongside his own.
Originally, the ghost mask possessed 100 combat power. Under his transformation, that value had not increased but actually decreased, as purging the filth of resentment, murderous aura, and evil thoughts inevitably dispersed a portion of its energy.
As a result, only 80% of its normal energy remained. Now, with the infusion of fresh power, the mask's energy climbed steadily back up to its normal baseline.
Finally, Yu Xian poured his spirit into it, gradually inscribing a unique imprint of his own within the mask. Such imprints were guided entirely by one's intent; his imprint took the form of the character "Xian."
With the final step complete, he took a close look at the reforged ghost mask.
Of course, it could no longer be called a ghost mask. It was now better termed the hero mask, as its greatest function was amplifying Yu Xian's abilities across the board.
Supposing Yu Xian's combat power was 100 and the hero mask's combat power was also 100, combined they yielded a combat power of 300.
Naturally, the total energy value remained 200.
Yet much like using the power of True Intent in concert with True Crimson Power, the actual efficacy was massively magnified.
"Star Divine Artifacts don't seem all that complicated after all."
Yu Xian fitted the mask over his face. Instantly, it sealed flush against his skin without a seam. White flames washed over his entire body, and countless starlights twinkled within the fire.
He could distinctly perceive the internal structure of the mask.
Every layer of material used, every energy circuit it contained—all of it was crystal clear.
Thanks to this, he now had a clear blueprint for how to reforge the Reverse Scale Dragon Shield, as well as what materials he needed to collect.
...
Deep underground.
A gigantic dragon's gaze slowly turned solemn.
Every scale on its colossal body emitted a rhythmic hum as crimson light soaked into each one.
This was the Ancient Cosmos Dragon, the mightiest entity in this world. Through the pulses of the earth, it could monitor every movement on the surface; even the sky could not elude its senses.
Right now, every move made by everyone on the surface was under its surveillance, yet only three beings gave it cause for wariness.
The first was Yu Xian.
Even at the same rank, Yu Xian had made it extremely wary. After forming a blood pact with Little Nora, his strength had jumped considerably, cementing him as the number-one threat in the dragon's eyes.
The second was the bearded Spartan warrior.
Wielding the Star Divine Artifact—the Spear of Leonidas—the bearded man was like someone carrying an imperial decree sword.
The "sword" itself was not what frightened it, since the bearded man could never unleash a hundred percent of a Star Divine Artifact's power. Rather, it was the person behind the "sword" who was terrifying.
The Spartan King, Leonidas, was undeniably a dangerous figure in the Carapace Zone, and the Ancient Cosmos Dragon had no wish to clash with him.
The third was the Curious Artificer, the Ghost-Faced Man.
The Ghost-Faced Man's strength fluctuated unpredictably, and worst of all, his combat skills were virtually maxed out, making him extraordinarily troublesome to deal with.
What made the dragon fear him most, however, was his erratic, unhinged behavior. Once entangled with him, one could forget about having a single moment of peace for the rest of their life.
To eliminate these three troublesome prospective foes, the Ancient Cosmos Dragon had covertly manipulated the dragonkin on the surface to guide the Ghost-Faced Man toward Yu Xian.
Its intent had been plain: to drive the tiger to swallow the wolf, using the Ghost-Faced Man to eliminate Yu Xian first, and then luring him against the bearded man.
In fact, its plan had proven remarkably successful.
At the cost of merely a dozen or so dragons, the Ghost-Faced Man had unknowingly made his way near Yu Xian and ultimately fought him. The problem was that the outcome was not at all what the Ancient Cosmos Dragon had wanted.
Not only had the Ghost-Faced Man lost, but he had become Yu Xian's companion, making Yu Xian even stronger as a result.
The new form Yu Xian currently displayed filled the Ancient Cosmos Dragon with deep dread. The trouble was that the bearded man dared not lift a finger against Yu Xian, meaning that in this entire world, the only one left who could fight Yu Xian was itself.
Sensing the energy fluctuations radiating from Yu Xian, greed slowly crept into the Ancient Cosmos Dragon's gaze. It was on the verge of using the Forbidden Fruit to complete the enhancement of its Star Divine Artifact.
Once the enhancement was complete, it would take down Yu Xian and seize both his and the Ghost-Faced Man's Star Divine Artifacts...
Then it would become part of the upper echelon in Carapace Zone 5, never again forced to skulk in hiding like a pitiful, wretched rat.
*Thump. Thump. Thump.*
Deep within the Ancient Cosmos Dragon's eyes, a flame known as ambition slowly blazed to life.
Chapter 219