Eternal Cultivation of Alchemy

Chapter 2558  Little Shen

The black markings on Alex's face, the different voice, along with the aura of darkness and death that came off him, were a clear sign of who he was.

The Winter God and Storm God both became vigilant at the same time.

The Weapons God stepped back in fear.

"How… how is this possible?" The War God was shocked.

"He's supposed to be trapped," the Beast God shouted.

"This thing again…" the Archer God said with disgust.

"Why does that kid have it?" the Formation God asked.

The Poison God shivered at the thought of meeting this thing again after barely surviving their past encounter.

The Alchemy God had only been given the title long after this thing was captured. And even then, he knew of its terror. He knew he should be scared, and yet he only worried for Alex. This thing's presence meant that Alex was far too gone to be saved.

The Artifact God watched as pure anger began forming in her heart at the presence of one who had killed her master. She had always sought revenge against it, and today she would finally find it.

"Sword God," the Puppet God urgently called in fear. "Your predecessor should have him trapped. Why is he free?"

The Sword God paled at the moment, the fear of the one before him overwhelming his every thought. That damn woman hadn't told anyone this. Was that where she had kept the sword? Along with the treasures from the treaty?

That was not the only cause for fear in the Sword God's mind. The other thing that scared him was the fact that the sword spirit knew his name.

Why the hell did it know his name?

"It took me too long to find you," Godslayer's greasy voice slimed its way to everyone. "Are you scared?"

"W-why would you be looking for me?" the Sword God asked.

"Did you forget what you did?" Godslayer asked. "What you and the other Slayers did?"

The Sword God felt an uneasiness at those words. "How do you… No… that's not possible."

"I was mad all my life, so I never understood what it was that I wanted," Godslayer said. "But I've lost my madness, and now I know what I want. I want to kill you, Purplerain."

Before either Godslayer or Purplerain could act, however, the Artifact God came slamming down with her large crystal hammer. Godslayer moved to defend himself, but the Artifact God was too strong.

His body was instantly destroyed.

And even as it was destroyed, it reformed a few steps back, turning back to Alex. He looked up at the Artifact God and the anger in her eyes. There were no such emotions reflected in his.

The Artifact God acted right away, attacking Godslayer again. Godslayer had ample time to protect himself, but he wasn't as strong as he had hoped he would be. He couldn't defend, so he dodged.

Unlike the previous times when he fully took over Alex's body, he was only taking some control of it. Alex wasn't completely taken away from his own body, so Godslayer now had access to Alex's Dao.

With Alex's help, time seemed to slow down just for Godslayer. He teleported away from the hammer strike and brought out Midnight. The Artifact God was quick even then, but Godslayer was never going to attack her anyway.

He teleported once again, dodging her attack, appearing some distance away. "You have grown strong," he said.

"Still your tongue, devil. Your words will not save you from me," the Artifact God said as she rushed in for another kill.

Godslayer held his sword up to fight but placed it down again. "Don't let your anger blind you, my little Shen. I thought I taught you better."

These words definitely worked on the Artifact God. She stopped, mere moments away from destroying Godslayer, her eyes wide in shock. "What… what did you call me?"

"Little Shen, it's me."

"NO!" she shouted. "I will not fall for your tricks." She pulled up her hammer, ready to deliver another blow.

"Do you remember my three values?" Godslayer asked.

The Artifact God stiffened.

Godslayer continued. "Never seek to hurt those who don't deserve it. Never seek fame at the cost of others. And never…"

"Never betray anyone, most of all yourself," the Artifact God completed the words with a look of shock.

Godslayer smiled. "You have grown a lot, little Shen. I'm proud to see you have followed in my footsteps."

The woman hesitated, her emotions in shambles at Godslayer's words. "No, it can't be… He's dead. You killed him. How can you be him when you're just a sword spirit?"

"I'm more than a sword spirit, little Shen. I am a spirit and a soul mixed together. The spirit is of the sword, but the soul…"

The Artifact God understood at that moment. In fact, she had always known but doubted herself due to the lack of evidence. It never made sense to her why Godslayer would ever kill her master, even if the sword was a failure, when he was the one who created it.

"Master?" she called out.

Godslayer nodded and dismissed Midnight. "I am dead, little Shen, but I am not gone. I live on as this… thing, a hybrid of a human soul and a sword spirit. A first of its kind, but I live on. I am not gone, not yet, little Shen. Your master lives."

The crystal hammer vanished from her arms as the tears began flowing down the Artifact God's face.

"Master!" she shouted as she hugged the man before her.

Godslayer hesitated for a moment and hugged back.

Around them, the world watched in sheer astonishment as they finally came to understand the identity of the spirit of the one they called the failed Demon-killing Sword.

As it turned out, it was never a spirit in the first place. Instead, it was a soul.

The soul of the man who created the sword itself.

The Artifact God.