"In that case, holding the Artifact Breaker means unrivaled power?""Certainly not. Using such divine techniques with the Artifact Breaker entails consequences; it will temporarily lose its magical utility, becoming just an ordinary pointed cone. If used against ordinary magical artifacts, it’s truly not worth the cost."
"What if it’s used against a divine artifact?"
"Then it depends on both parties’ cultivation. When spellcasting stands in opposition, both sides’ magical utility will be constrained until one side’s technique is broken. However, this situation is rare, as the Artifact Breaker is usually enshrined here and cannot be taken out of the Book Observation Grotto Heaven."
"The Artifact Breaker is actually more suitable for support. Imagine Zhang San and Li Si engaging in magical combat, and then their companion Wang Wu suddenly uses the Artifact Breaker against Zhang San..."
"In what circumstances can the sect’s sacred artifact be taken out of the Grotto Heaven and used?"
"Needless to say in times of crisis, under normal circumstances, a necessary reason is required, and at least two elders must accompany, preferably three elders..."
"What was with Kang Rulin’s painted body back then?"
"When Kang Rulin was crafting the painted body, he also used the Artifact Breaker to seal a divine technique, but the painting was not the real Artifact Breaker, and could only be used once."
"No wonder when Kang Rulin summoned the second painted body, Hu Weidong didn’t dare act anymore; his Fusang Bow must have had its divine utility sealed as well."
"Fusang Bow is no ordinary magical treasure. The simulated Artifact Breaker from the painted body is also not that strong, even if it can seal, it’s only momentary... Their truce was mainly due to your arrangement."
The above introduction and dialogue were privately conducted with divine thought.
Upon entering this side hall and seeing the Artifact Breaker, Guo Qianhuai, Mei Guyu, Gu Chun, Li Xiuyuan, Wild Phoenix, and even Zhou Yeming all secretly sent divine thought to He Kao, primarily introducing this sect’s sacred artifact.
Some spoke rather meticulously, while others were more brief. He Kao took the opportunity to ask a few questions, engaging in some exchanges, his primordial spirit was akin to attending a meeting.
Guo Qianhuai was already seated in the hall’s only chair, Zong Zheng brought out a blank scroll and handed it to Zhou Yeming, who unfurled it and suspended it before himself, while Kang Rulin took out a paintbrush.
Kang Rulin painted directly without using any paint, yet the scroll revealed an image of Guo Qianhuai sitting upright, not in a meticulous realistic style, but extremely vivid in depiction...
Guo Qianhuai, Kang Rulin, and Zhou Yeming are all Tier Six Artifact Masters, and should all know the Paint Body Technique, but in terms of artistry, Kang Rulin’s mastery is the deepest, hence he leads this time.
Zhou Yeming and Guo Qianhuai are also concentrating on spellcasting.
They are crafting Guo Qianhuai’s painted body, so Guo Qianhuai must constantly infuse his own divine qi and mana, while Zhou Yeming assists in stabilizing the spiritual shock contained in the scroll.
This painting holds special significance, hence the collaboration of three artifact masters ensures perfection. He Kao is witnessing for the first time such esteemed practitioners crafting such a profound painted body, someone nearby is covertly explaining to him via divine thought —
The Paint Body Technique requires at least Tier Five Cultivation to master, and it is the Micro Realm Sect’s Tier Five Heart Measurers who specialize in this art.
Ordinary painted bodies are merely a type of special talisman; the effect after use is that the person in the picture steps out, requiring the user to control it with divine sense for the painted body to act or spellcast according to the user’s will.
Only when cultivation reaches the Seventh Realm can the painted body act autonomously, without deliberate divine sense control by the user, akin to the painting coming alive.
What if cultivation hasn’t reached the Seventh Realm? Using special scrolls, namely the Zhang Hua Scroll, can achieve the same effect.
On the day Kang Rulin and Hu Weidong engaged in magical combat, the painted body used was crafted with the Zhang Hua Scroll; once activated, it can freely confront Hu Weidong until the spiritual essence is exhausted.
As for the latter second painted body, it was probably an ordinary painted body. But ordinary painted bodies aren’t ordinary either, requiring special materials for meticulous crafting.
Currently, the blank scroll these three masters are using is the Zhang Hua Scroll stored in the Ancestral Hall. Since the Zhang Hua Seal was lost a thousand years ago, the stock of Zhang Hua Scrolls isn’t abundant, the specific number remains a secret of the Magic Sect.
Today the purpose is to craft a painted body for Grandmaster Guo, should it be activated in the future, Guo Qianhuai from the painting will emerge, capable of communication with later disciples, and of sharing insights from his era.
Once such a painted body is activated, it can last a full day, but if it fully engages in magical combat, it can only exist for fifteen minutes maximum.
On either side of the central hall of the sect’s grotto heaven’s ancestral hall, there are rows of elongated halls, with the western wing dedicated to venerating past sect ancestors, those with at least Tier Six Cultivation and who have served as sect leaders are qualified to be worshipped there.
Some ancestor images are ordinary portraits, but many are specially crafted painted bodies using Zhang Hua Scrolls, annually venerated and nurtured in spirituality by the sentinel disciples.
Unless it’s a critical moment, such painted bodies aren’t activated, but once they are, ancestors will emerge from the scrolls; even if they only fight wholeheartedly for fifteen minutes, it’s enough to strike terror in any opponent!
He Kao covertly asked through divine thought: "Currently, how many such ancestor painted bodies are retained in the major sects’ grotto heavens?"
Someone secretly replied: "The specific numbers are confidential! The total among major sects is less than a hundred, but nearly there, with the Micro Realm Sect having the most, as they are most skilled in this, followed by the Observing Body Sect, as they historically have the largest numbers."
He Kao: "Even if the Alchemy Sect doesn’t have the most, they should have quite a few. That day Master Dan Qiu and his disciple dared to infiltrate the grotto heaven, weren’t they afraid of a group of ancestors jumping out to confront them?"
Another explained: "At the time, Elder Mei wasn’t present, and the Immortal Pot Grotto Heaven was rotated between three stewards. It happened to be their inside man Geng Yanxin who was in charge."
Geng Yanxin brought Master Dan Qiu and his disciple along with the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Furnace to infiltrate, aiming to seize control of the grotto heaven without alerting, preventing ancestor painted bodies from being activated."
Painted bodies ultimately are just images on scrolls, they must be intentionally activated to be effective..."
At this point, another divine thought interjected: "Handsome young man, what you see and hear here is all confidential, do not disclose it."
As they spoke, Kang Rulin had already put down his brush, completing Guo Qianhuai’s portrait. Zhou Yeming held the scroll with solemn expression, evidently reaching the final critical step.
Guo Qianhuai summoned the nearby Artifact Breaker, stood up from the chair and swung the Breaker forward, his primordial spirit seemed to see his figure soar and fly into the picture.
Upon closer look, he was still sitting there untouched, showing slight weariness, evidently the crafting consumed considerable energy, yet the person in the painting now held a pointed cone.
Zhou Yeming rolled up the scroll and declared: "It’s done!"
**