More than a hundred artifact spirits shone with dazzling magical light. Their swords, spears, halberds, and armor all bent their upper bodies at Fang Zong—they had come out with Fang Zong expecting to become his subordinates or friends, and they were already prepared to be tools.

Aren't ritual implements just tools? It's been like this for thousands of years... Ma Xiaoling and Fang Zong have the best relationship. When she came out, she also hid the little secret of the 'ten years' that once moved her heart.

"What are you doing?" Fang Zong asked softly.

Many of the artifact spirits looked at Ma Xiaoling and found her face pale. After hesitating for a moment, they nodded slightly.

"Sister Xiaoling, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"Actually, it's better to cut off some thoughts altogether..."

The spirits whispered a few words of comfort to Ma Xiaoling, and then, led by Ma Xiaoling, they knelt down behind Fang Zong, facing his back.

"We obey the mandate of Heaven!"

The spirits spoke in unison, heads bowed, yet their voices, like the light emanating from their bodies, surged into the heavens:

"By the mandate of Heaven, we welcome the Lord! From this day forward, we will never disobey the Lord's commands, nor stray from His presence, and we pledge our loyalty!"

A few simple words caused a dramatic change in the heavens and earth. A fierce wind howled, and white clouds churned, rumbling with muffled thunder. Fang Zong sensed the power of the Eastern Kingdom's great destiny, vast and boundless, and three extremely sharp gazes shot down from the endless sky…

"You guys..." Fang Zong was really frightened.

This oath is the most severe oath in thousands of years, from ancient times to the prehistoric era, and from the Heavenly Court period of the prehistoric era to the present day. Once it is made, the Heavenly Dao acts as the witness. If the promise is broken, the person will be struck by lightning and will not stop until they are reduced to ashes!

Zhao Xiao's three thousand grass-root gods made such a vow, and even after countless reincarnations, even if only fragments of their souls remained, they would still be utterly loyal to Zhao Xiao...

"Why are you doing this to yourselves?" Fang Zong sighed and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Ma Xiaoling looked at him and said, "Really, A-Zong, the spirits created by our magical artifacts are no different from living people. We get hungry, we get thirsty, we...we get emotional, but none of us ever dared to think we could truly live like human beings! A-Zong, we suffered from hunger, thirst, and calamities in the Silver Waterfall Sea, and you brought us out. We are willing to fight for you, but we never expected you would want to give us the identity of living people, so..."

By the spirit of this sacred artifact, I swear my loyalty, for all eternity; may its spirit endure, and may this vow live on forever!

"Very well!" More than a hundred artifact spirits shouted in unison, "May our oath endure for a thousand lifetimes!"

With the oath fully fulfilled, Fang Zong raised his head and vaguely saw more than a hundred invisible lines on his hands. He could control the life and death of more than a hundred artifact spirits whenever he wanted.

The heavens and earth suddenly changed color. The power of the vows of numerous artifact spirits broke through the churning clouds, but the sunlight could not shine down. It was shattered into fragments by the power, like a torrential rain of light...

Fang Zong chuckled softly, but the smile gradually turned cold, and when he looked up, his face was as cold as ice.

"You all saw it?" he asked softly.

"..." All the great generals fell silent.

"Did you all hear that?" Fang Zong asked again, his face even colder, to the point of seeming to be on the verge of madness.

The twenty-odd generals remained silent, while the virtuous idler pressed down his palm-leaf fan: "I treat people with sincerity, and they treat me with sincerity in return. Even if the world changes, it cannot escape this principle." A cold, pale yellow light emanated from his body: "Gentlemen, based solely on the oath of loyalty, these artifact spirits are practically human. If you still refuse to agree... you should understand Lord Tyrant's current predicament. Ask yourselves honestly, if he doesn't give the artifact spirits a living identity, can he live with himself?"

"make life difficult for."

"But is this really how it has to be?"

"The Demon Slayer Corps has never had internal strife since its inception. Is this the first time they're going to have a major battle?"

The faces of the twenty-odd generals turned grim, and various forces spread out: "Lord Thug, this matter cannot be reasoned with. We are ashamed, but we cannot joke with the treasures left by our ancestors. Let's fight. As long as you defeat the strongest among us, we will obey your orders. But please remember, Lord Thug, fight fairly and stop when you have made your point."

"Okay!" Fang Zong stood up immediately.

On the other side, the generals looked at Elder Wang, who chuckled and lowered his head to drink. They then looked at a woman wearing a bird feather cloak.

The woman stood up, and her seven-colored bird feather cloak scattered in all directions, transforming into a colorful, isolated space.

"We don't want to fight, but we have no choice but to."

The woman bowed deeply to the man and said apologetically, "I am the Palace Master of Tianshui Palace, and the title Bird Hermit of the Ghost-Slaying Team. My Tianshui Palace has existed for 2,600 years, and we possess 16 magical artifacts that have served us for 2,682 years... Lord Thug, I shouldn't fight you, because it's bullying the weak and oppressing the strong, and it's unreasonable to hinder your reforms for my own selfish desires. However, for the sake of Tianshui Palace's legacy, I must..."

She kept talking, as if trying to find a reason to take action.

Fang Zong listened with a smile, trying his best to adjust the power within his body—Tori Jushi was a powerful expert at the peak of the fourth transformation of the supernatural power, the Azure Cloud Transformation. Not to mention what terrifying abilities the Azure Cloud Transformation had, the Netherworld Transformation of the third transformation alone was enough to give him a headache.

The five transformations of the supernatural power are vastly different. He knew very well that he could only challenge opponents one level higher than himself. Now he had challenged opponents two levels higher. It wasn't a desperate struggle, but it was even more difficult than when he needed to fight with all his might.

"In short, it is I who have wronged you." Toriiji could find no other reason.

Having reached their level, they've come to understand many things and are very clear about what they're doing.

"Fight!" Fang Zong was ready.

"etc!"

Toriiji and the great warriors exchanged glances, clearly knowing that they were destined to win this time, and it would be an overwhelming victory.

“Lord Thug,” Torii-ji and the other great warriors reached a consensus, and with a wave of his hand, generously tossed the treasures washed down from the pool beneath the waterfall to Ma Xiaoling and the others: “We all know we shouldn’t stop Lord Thug, but we have families and businesses to support, and we can’t let Lord Thug harm the interests of our descendants. Regardless of who wins or loses, consider these treasures our apology, and then… three moves! Within three moves, Lord Thug will be unable to move. Please, Lord Thug, do not struggle for your life and damage your foundation.”

"Is it really that aboveboard?"

Fang Zong blinked and smiled a little embarrassedly.