My Artifacts Can Upgrade Infinitely

In the bedroom.

Zhao Zuo placed the jade tablet inscribed with the Soul-Forging Technique on his lap and began to read. The first few sentences were fine, but as the fourth one came into view, everything changed. A deep Melting Furnace seemed to materialize before him, its flames raging and dancing, emitting a dazzling light.

The intense flames seemed to burn Zhao Zuo’s soul. Each character on the jade tablet shone like a brilliant sun, surging like a river of boiling alchemy.

And what was being forged in this extreme heat... was Zhao Zuo’s soul.

Occasionally, the music of zithers and strings would flood into Zhao Zuo’s mind. The characters before his eyes would blur as drowsiness washed over him... It was as if his soul were dancing.

During this process, layer upon layer of shackles seemed to bind his soul, making him grow sleepier and sleepier until he could only clutch the jade tablet and collapse onto the bed. A faint smile touched his lips as he fell into a deep sleep.

The Soul-Forging Technique was a renowned Miracle Technique in the Cultivation Realm. The furnace fire that scorched the soul was merely a preliminary trial. Those who couldn’t pass it would simply fall into a deep sleep for the night.

Half an hour later, Zhao Zuo opened his eyes. He stared at the jade tablet in his hand, a look of confusion on his face.

’Those flames and the Immortal Sound must be the preliminary trial,’ Zhao Zuo thought.

Refusing to give up, he picked up the jade tablet and started reading again. He could read the first few lines normally, but as soon as he reached the fourth, the familiar golden flames ignited, searing his very soul.

Zhao Zuo knew this was the trial for the Soul-Forging Technique, so he immediately forced himself to concentrate on the characters on the tablet. The words seemed to move and twist, and text that he had previously understood became obscure and incomprehensible.

Pleasant music echoed in his mind, like a grand yet chaotic symphony.

His head tilted to the side, and he was out again.

The rising sun streamed through a gap in the window, illuminating Zhao Zuo’s face. His tightly shut eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Mmm, that was a good sleep."

’This technique is truly amazing,’ he thought. ’Reading it normally doesn’t trigger anything. Only when I try to memorize and learn it do the characters seem to activate, making it impossible to even reach the Entry Level.’

Zhao Zuo casually put the jade tablet into his Storage Bag. His cultivation progress remained at zero.

By now, his wounds had mostly healed. A few more days of rest, and they would likely be completely closed. Then he could proceed with his plan.

Zhao Zuo pushed open the door, and the aroma of food filled the air.

Spirit Rice and Demon Beast meat were already laid out on the kitchen table, but Shen Yunjiao was nowhere in sight. He figured she must have gone out early to sell the Middle Grade Magical Artifact they had acquired.

Zhao Zuo finished his breakfast, washed the dishes, and returned to his bedroom to continue studying the Soul-Forging Technique.

He laid the jade tablet out on the bedside table and began to read it in a low voice. Just as he thought, simply reading the contents of the Soul-Forging Technique didn’t trigger any anomalies.

After a few read-throughs, Zhao Zuo discovered something else that was strange: he was completely unable to memorize the text. The moment he tried to recall it, the content would vanish from his mind.

Unconvinced, Zhao Zuo read it several more times. Yet, the moment he looked up, the contents were gone from his memory again.

"Truly incredible," Zhao Zuo murmured softly.

He immediately changed his attitude and began to focus on memorizing, learning, and understanding the text with all his heart.

The golden flames surged once more. The sound of a zither drifted from far away, carrying a power that warmed the heart. It felt like a warm, clear spring seeping through his soul, from top to bottom. Once again, Zhao Zuo’s head tilted to the side, and he collapsed onto the bed.

About half an hour later, Zhao Zuo groggily came to.

’I couldn’t fight it off. I failed again.’

’If I fall asleep every time, I’ll never be able to successfully cultivate this technique.’

Zhao Zuo took a stick of Concentration Incense from his Storage Bag and lit it. He knew that he had to pass the jade tablet’s trial to truly receive the inheritance of the Soul-Forging Technique.

Concentration Incense was known to enhance focus. Perhaps it could help him pass the jade tablet’s trial.

Golden flames burned within Zhao Zuo’s soul while the sounds of a zither and bamboo flute echoed within it. He felt drowsiness creeping in, but he concentrated his spirit, fighting against the mounting flames and the symphony.

Ultimately, his head slumped to the side, and he collapsed.

Zhao Zuo only began to stir once the Concentration Incense had completely burned away. This time, he had been asleep... for several hours longer than usual. He was finding it difficult to understand the rules of this thing.

Zhao Zuo couldn’t help but feel perplexed. He picked up the jade tablet and read the text again, still unable to understand why he kept failing. ’Is my soul just not strong enough to meet the requirements?’

After resting for a few minutes, Zhao Zuo got up and went into the courtyard. He brewed a cup of Cold Thorn tea with hot water and sipped it slowly. Half a day had already passed, and Shen Yunjiao still hadn’t returned. He couldn’t help but start to worry.

He decided to use the time to think about why he was failing repeatedly.

’If it’s not because my soul’s innate talent is lacking, then there must be some other reason.’ Zhao Zuo was more inclined to believe it was the latter.

Half an hour later, he still hadn’t figured out why he was failing, but Shen Yunjiao had returned. She had no visible injuries, but her aura was turbulent, and she carried the faint scent of blood.

"Are you hurt?" Zhao Zuo asked.

"No. It’s someone else’s," Shen Yunjiao said, sitting down across from Zhao Zuo. She picked up the teapot, poured herself a cup of Cold Thorn tea, and gulped it down, ignoring the scalding heat.

"Did you run into trouble?"

"On my way back, a few short-sighted thieves tried to rob me, so I had no choice but to lure them outside Moyun Workshop..." Shen Yunjiao explained.