Emperor of the Source

Adrian arrived at one of the storage buildings within the Azure Garden's inner-zone base, a structure designated specifically for housing damaged artifacts gathered after the previous war.

Varcain was already there, leading him through the facility. As they neared the reinforced door, Varcain stepped forward and pushed it open, its heavy structure groaning slightly as it gave way.

Inside, Adrian was met with a vast expanse filled with towering piles of weapon artifacts. Swords, spears, sabers, and various other forms of armaments were stacked in massive quantities, many of them visibly damaged. Cracks ran through blades, shafts bent at unnatural angles, and entire sections of some weapons had been sheared away entirely.

Beyond these, even several colossal, battered starships rested in the far sections of the storage space, their hulls scarred and fractured from the previous assault carried out by the Everlasting Pill Sect.

Varcain gestured toward the interior as he spoke, his tone carrying both concern and resignation. "These are all the damaged artifacts we currently possess."

Adrian nodded as he walked further inside, his gaze sweeping across the countless broken weapons. From the discussions held during the previous strategic meetings, he already understood the extent of the problem. Before the war with the Everlasting Pill Sect, the Crimson Vital Sect had possessed more than half a million disciples, and in preparation for that war, they had invested heavily in acquiring weapon artifacts to strengthen their forces.

Within the universe, weapon artifacts were essential components in combat. During his earlier research through the UNI-Market, Adrian had learned that one of the primary purposes of weapon artifacts was to compensate for a cultivator's lack of specific divine concepts. In the universe where no individual could possess every concept, situations often arose where a cultivator faced an opponent or environment requiring abilities they simply did not have. In such cases, weapon artifacts allowed them to bridge that gap without the need to use their authority.

However, discussions with the elders had revealed even deeper layers to their importance.

The universe was vast, filled with countless races and species, each possessing fundamentally different physical properties. Some possessed bodies as resilient as Void Alloy, while others were inherently fragile. Beyond that, countless Body Arts existed, each altering the physical structure of the cultivator. One of the most commonly used techniques was the Ironflesh Body Art, which allowed a cultivator to transform their outer skin into a metallic state, significantly enhancing their resistance to damage.

In such scenarios, direct attacks could become ineffective, especially in Rule Stage battles where authority techniques often negated each other. When both sides negated each other's authority, the battle shifted into a contest of divine spells and physical weapons.

Adrian recalled the situation during the relic expedition when Lara and Kenric had fought under such conditions. Both negated each other and were not able to use their authority techniques. In such a situation, they just ended up fighting with their weapons. If Kenric had a stronger body, then Lara would have struggled to wound him with normal weapons. Without a proper weapon, a cultivator facing an opponent with superior physical durability would inevitably be at a disadvantage.

Adrian himself had never relied on even simple weapons till now. His Source Blade had always been sufficient, its nature as a manifestation of his concept allowing it to function beyond conventional limitations. The blade responded to his will, reformed instantly when shattered, and cut through any stronger physical body he had faced till now. But he understood that such an advantage was unique to him. Most cultivators lacked a concept that could manifest so effectively as a weapon, and thus depended heavily on artifacts.

The Crimson Vital Sect had once possessed over half a million weapon artifacts. Now, nearly ninety percent of them lay broken. Repairing such artifacts was far from simple. In many cases, the physical material itself had been shattered beyond recovery, leaving even master blacksmiths with no option but to recycle what remained. In other cases, the damage lay not in the material but in the runes etched within the weapon. During combat, repeated collisions could distort or completely erase these inscriptions, rendering the artifact useless.

During earlier meetings, Varcain had raised the topic of purchasing High-tier Arcane weapon artifacts, and Hestia had already allocated a significant budget toward it. It was also during those discussions that Adrian learned about the classification of artifacts. Arcane artifacts were inscribed purely with arcane concepts, while Divine artifacts inscribed divine concepts within them.

Even within these categories, tiers existed. Low-tier Arcane artifacts were constructed from cheaper materials, and in most cases, the Arcane spell etched into them would not be using the full potential of the respective Arcane concept, mostly at the Basic Galactic Level.

High-tier Arcane artifacts, on the other hand, utilized superior materials and supported Arcane spells at the Advanced Galactic Level.

Learning about these things were interesting to Adrian. Back in the Milky Way galaxy, even if such Arcane artifacts had existed, the war against the demons would have been far easier. Back then, warriors had relied almost entirely on the brute strength of weapons or spells. Even when weapons were used, they lacked the runes within them. The materials available in his home galaxy simply could not support such inscriptions.

But, out in the universe, with these many vast different materials, the possibilities were endless. Learning all this, Adrian had also been ready to invest some of his own money. With the current money he had, Adrian could even afford the entire cost to buy new artifacts for the sect.

But then, when Varcain mentioned about the damaged artifacts, his interest switched towards them. He was not a blacksmith and could not repair shattered materials. However, for weapons that had only lost their runic inscriptions, there was another possibility. Couldn't he just erase the old runes and inscribe powerful arcane spells within them?

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With his mastery of multiple arcane concepts at the Advanced Galactic Level, he held a significant advantage in this area. Not only could this approach eliminate the need to purchase a large number of high-tier weapons, but it would also allow him to customize each weapon according to the specific needs of individual disciples.

During the meeting, Adrian had asked, "Are the damaged artifacts still stored safely?"

"Yes," Varcain had replied. "However, ninety percent of the damaged artifacts are beyond our capabilities to repair. Artifact repair is the domain of master blacksmiths. It requires massive forges, extreme heat, and rare materials to re-smelt and rebind damaged metal. Our sect doesn't have any blacksmiths or any facilities related to it."

"The remaining ten percent have their runes completely erased. Physically, they are still intact, but they are essentially just ordinary metal now. At this point, if anyone wanted to repair it, then it is no longer repair; it is re-inscription from scratch."

"And what we have with us are merely low-tier Arcane weapons. The materials it has are poor in quality."

Adrian had asked, "Is the material quality truly that limiting? Can it support arcane spells at the Advanced Galactic Level?"

Varcain had replied, "I'm not sure of that. We have to test it to see the possibility of it."

And that was the reason for today's visit, to determine whether Adrian could use these 'scarps' in any meaningful way.

Adrian's gaze swept across the countless artifacts in front of him. The sheer quantity was staggering. Mountains of metal stretched in every direction, each piece representing not just resources, but the disciples who had once wielded them. Many of those disciples were now dead, their weapons the only evidence they had ever fought at all.

He walked deeper into the storage facility. Row after row of damaged artifacts stretched before him, organized by type but otherwise chaotic. Swords dominated one section, Spears occupied another area, many with broken shafts or missing heads. Sabers, axes, hammers, and countless other weapon types filled the remaining spaces.

Adrian could clearly identify traces of fire, poison, ice, and other arcane runes embedded within them. These Arcane weapons were more affordable and easier for minor sects to purchase and maintain, as even the arcane conceptual crystals could be purchased for less prices than the expensive divine concept crystals.

Adrian picked up a sword that appeared intact externally but had its runic inscription almost entirely erased. The blade's surface was smooth, unmarred by visible damage, yet when he channeled a trace of mana through it, nothing responded. Only faint remnants of its original inscriptions remained, ghostly impressions in the metal itself, barely perceptible even to his Source Eyes. From these fragments, he could determine that it had been based on the Arcane Concept of Fire.

Adrian summoned a barrel of pure mana ink from his spatial ring. The container materialized in the air before him, suspended by his will. With a gesture, droplets of ink rose from the barrel's surface, hovering like liquid stars.

He began by completely erasing the remaining fragments of the old runes. The old runes faded entirely, leaving the blade blank.

Then, by controlling the pure mana ink with his own mana and will, he started inscribing a new spell structure onto the blade. He constructed a refined spell pattern that would amplify heat generation along the weapon's edge. His Source Eyes allowed him to perceive the underlying rules of the Fire concept with perfect clarity, and he wove those rules into the inscription with precision.

The ink flowed across the blade's surface, forming intricate patterns that spiraled from hilt to tip.

The process took a few minutes.

Once the inscription was complete, Adrian activated the weapon using his own Fire Essence. The embedded fire concept crystal was absent, so he had to manually supply the energy. Instantly, the blade glowed a deep crimson, its edge radiating intense heat that distorted the air around it. When he swung it through the air, a visible wave of thermal energy extended outward, slicing through the space ahead with a sharp hiss.

The temperature in the immediate area rose noticeably.

Varcain, who was observing the entire scene, spoke, "This is as powerful as High-tier Arcane Weapons!"

Adrian nodded. If this weapon were powered by an appropriate essence crystal, a cultivator could use such attacks without consuming their own mana. Even if this is merely an Arcane spell, in prolonged battles, this would provide a decisive advantage. The utility of such a weapon was undeniable.

"I inscribed a spell utilizing the Arcane Fire concept at the Advanced Galactic Level," Adrian explained. "Despite the material being of lower quality, it is still capable of sustaining the structure without any noticeable loss in efficiency."

Varcain responded thoughtfully, "That may be true, but the degradation period will likely be significantly reduced."

Adrian nodded. "Naturally. We are forcing a lower-grade material to contain a higher-tier spell. However, even if the weapon only remains stable for a few hundred years, that duration is more than sufficient for the upcoming war."

Varcain inclined his head. "That is indeed the case, Elder Adrian. Apart from the ninety percent physically damaged weapons which we couldn't do anything about, the remaining ten percent still rounds to fifty thousand weapons. If you are able to assist with this process, it will save the sect an immense amount of resources."

Adrian gave a slight nod, recognizing the significance of the opportunity.

"Apart from these, how many additional weapons will we need to acquire?" he asked.

"At least one hundred thousand," Varcain replied. "With these fifty thousand added, we would reach approximately one hundred and fifty thousand weapons, which should be sufficient for our current number of disciples."

Adrian considered this briefly before speaking again, "In that case, do not purchase fully completed Arcane weapons. Instead, acquire high-quality base materials for weapons and bring them here."

Varcain frowned slightly, "Are you intending to inscribe all of them yourself? Handling such a task alone would be overwhelming."

"You need not concern yourself with that," Adrian replied calmly. "Don't forget we have more than one hundred years of time now."

Varcain hesitated before asking, "Wouldn't it be more beneficial for you to focus on other matters rather than dedicating so much time to this?"

Adrian's expression remained steady, "This is essential, Elder Varcain. I do not intend to simply mass-inscribe weapons. I plan to customize each one according to the specific needs of the disciples. That will significantly enhance their overall strength."

Varcain stood in silence for a moment, visibly taken aback. Customizing it for everyone would surely strengthen the disciples. But the sheer depth of knowledge required to customize weapons at such a level was beyond what he could easily comprehend.

After a brief exchange about the next steps, Varcain gave a respectful bow and departed, his footsteps gradually fading as he left Adrian alone in the massive facility.

The door sealed shut with a heavy thud.

Adrian stood motionless for several heartbeats, his gaze moving slowly across the mountains of broken weapons surrounding him.

There had once been a time when the Crimson Vital Sect could not even afford high-tier Arcane artifacts. Now, the situation had changed entirely. They possessed the resources to acquire them, yet Adrian's approach had opened a far more efficient path forward.

If the sect no longer needed to invest heavily in purchasing finished artifacts, those resources could instead be redirected toward acquiring arcane conceptual essence crystals, needed for these weapon artifacts.

With that realization, Adrian began his work in earnest.