Zhang Yuanqing and Princess Yin Yao approached the stone platform and read the information on the plaque:
[Name: Artemis]
[Epoch: Greek Mythology]
[Rank: S-level]
[Description: The goddess of hunting, one of Zeus's most beloved daughters, overseeing hunting and forests.]
The documentation was concise but covered all essential details.
"Artemis?" Zhang Yuanqing turned his gaze toward the senior executive of Tianfa, knowing only a few prominent deities from foreign mythologies—especially those from Greek tradition. Yet Artemis remained somewhat obscure, and he momentarily couldn't recall her.
Alicia explained:
"In Greek mythology, Artemis is the daughter of Zeus, the twin sister of Apollo, the god of light. Her mother is Leto, who is also Zeus's first cousin."
Ah, the characteristic chaos of Greek mythological relationships—Zhang Yuanqing mentally sighed.
"Artemis wasn't particularly well-known among the Greek gods, yet she actually oversaw a wide range of domains: hunting, the wilderness, wild animals, forests, archery, and childbirth. Her twin brother Apollo, too, governed many domains, making the two siblings the most powerful and widely influential among the gods." Alicia explained. "Artemis has a special affinity for wild animals, especially deer. In myth, her chariot is drawn by a golden-horned female deer, and since she excels in archery, she is known as the goddess of hunting." This matched the information from the boss... Zhang Yuanqing nodded silently, then a question flashed through his mind: "How could mythological figures appear in a museum?" The museum's exhibits are artifacts—what exactly are artifacts? ——objects that have been passed down from history. Artemis is a mythological figure; she shouldn't be present in a museum.
Alicia and the two others paused, each lost in thought. After a few seconds, she sighed, "I never realized this issue before—you've reminded me. Artemis might very well have been a real historical figure, a powerful ancient superbeing." If Artemis is real, then the gods of Greek mythology might also have been real people, at least in significant part. Thus, the Greek myths themselves hold considerable research value. Future scholars might even extract some ancient secrets from these myths. However, this discovery doesn't currently impact our present situation. Alicia gathered her thoughts and asked, "What do you think?" She had already shared a great deal of information and now wanted to hear the moral sage's advice. Zhang Yuanqing looked at the archival materials and said, "Artemis is rated S-level. Since I've entered the museum, I've only encountered individuals rated 1, 2, or 3. She might be unique among those in the third exhibition hall."
"We need to gather a large number of artifacts, especially those of grade one—otherwise, it will be difficult to defeat the boss." Once we've collected enough grade-one artifacts, combined with the inventory of tools that this celestial master has, we should be able to handle the Huntress Goddess without much trouble. Alicia strongly agreed with his assessment: "Yes, we've explored half of the exhibition hall and found only one artifact of S grade. To be safe, I suggest we explore the entire hall once more and make a final confirmation." Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Just as he was about to propose splitting up to save time, Alicia reached into her inventory and pulled out an eye still connected to blood vessels and nerves—seeming as though it had just been removed from a normal human's orbit. The eye's pupil was a deep, vivid blue, luminous and full of depth, with no trace of emptiness. Closing her eyes, Alicia gently rested her staff against her side and used the flow of air to lift the eye into the air. The blue eye hovered above, rotating slowly and carefully scanning the nearby areas, the distant ones, and the directions of north, south, east, and west. Could the tools, once lifted into the air, remain unatt
Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood why Alicia could so swiftly gather people, form a team, and precisely identify those three evil factions' sages. Until now, he had only managed to explore the staircase entrance and subdue one artifact. Seeing this eye, everything became clear. After half an hour, Alicia withdrew the eye, staggering slightly and only standing steady with Qingzhu's support. Tears streamed down her face, her head ached violently, and her expression was one of profound pain. After a while, she took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and explained: "The Wind Eye transmits the information it sees directly into my mind. When I receive too much information at once, my soul can't sustain it—this is the necessary cost of using it. The advantage is that I've now memorized all the exhibition materials on the artifacts." This artifact possesses the quality of a "bird's-eye view," though since the quest hasn't disabled it, it still hasn't reached the level of a Sovereign... Zhang Yuanqing asked with concern, "Shall we rest a while longer?"
"Alice shook her head, 'No, peak saints aren't that fragile. I've organized the information and selected three highly valuable Level 1 relics, and two Level 2 relics that can serve useful functions.' Although the number of relics isn't large, Qingzhu and 'Federation Without History' still furrowed their brows— the danger associated with Level 1 relics has already reached the peak of Level 6. That is, one Level 1 relic is equivalent to a peak-level Saint of Rank 6. For them, acquiring such a relic requires a considerable risk. 'That's manageable,' Zhang Yuanqing said, 'Let's go.' Alice held her staff and floated ahead, leading the way. Soon, the group arrived at the first Level 1 relic—a golden-black kettle, its body adorned with three sculpted male figures wearing long dresses and bare-chested."
【Name: Gilded Silver Vessel】
【Period: Unknown】
【Level: 1】
【Description: A special silver vessel used to hold the forest's spring water. Three divine servants, embodying Spirit, Strength, and Judgment, regularly use it to collect the spring water and serve the gods.】
They wore simple skirts and trousers, their broad, muscular upper bodies bare, their long hair braided and coiled in tight circles upon their heads, their features rugged and fierce. One divine servant had a porcelain complexion, another a bronze hue, and the third a yellowish copper tone.
"O humble and frail mortals, the Forest's spring is beyond your reach!" the servant with the porcelain skin proclaimed in a resonant, majestic voice.
Alyssia remained composed, but Qingzhu and the Federation representative were momentarily stunned— their minds reeling, their spirits shaken into a state of dazed stillness.
Seizing the opportunity, the bronze-skinned servant charged forward like a wild ox, his bulging muscles making him appear as solid as a great iron mass.
Alyssia pressed one hand firmly against her throbbing temples, the other wielding her staff, raising a wall of wind before them.
The servant with the yellow copper skin roared,
"Brave! Here before the gods, dare you summon magic?"
The wind wall before Alicia crumbled, and her face paled as she hurried to gather wind blades—only to find her control over the airflow now sluggish and stagnant. The bronze-skinned divine servant, though possessing knightly strength, had his wind-based spells constrained by his own code of discipline. Yet, due to the gap in their respective standings, the code could only limit, not entirely suppress him. With two burdensome figures at her side, Alicia now sought to use the airflow to sweep them aside, thus avoiding the impact of the servant whose ancient copper skin symbolized strength. At that moment, the greedy divine general stepped forward, adopting a low, grounded stance and delivering a powerful slash. The servant's body was cleaved by a deep gash, while the general himself was driven back by the force of the impact. On the other side, the Lady Silver Yao whipped her lasso, striking the pale-skinned divine servant with a crisp snap—her blow sending ripples through the servant's form, nearly dispersing him. Zhang Yuanqing raised his head and let out a sharp, resonant cry.
Qing Zhan, just recovering from a mental shock, was now spitting blood from his nostrils, feeling as though his soul had been torn apart, and nearly fainted. Alicia also clutched her head in pain. The pale divine servant's body instantly dissolved, returning as a mist into the pot. A master of illusion magic, this technique proved exceptionally effective against spiritual beings. The bronze-skinned servant erupted in fury, shouting, "Brave indeed! A humble, weak mortal!" Zhang Yuanqing then produced a fragrance of enchantment and sprayed it twice upon him. The servant's tone shifted: "You, a humble, weak mortal—quite alluring!" Zhang Yuanqing, unexpectedly alluring, released the Yin energy, summoning the ghostly lady Bai Lan to take form upon him. Lady Yinyao, meanwhile, drew her whip and struck hard, inflicting serious damage to the spiritual form. Finally, Zhang Yuanqing summoned his Hundred-Blade Formation, beheading the servant. Yet even after being beheaded, the servant did not die but instead transformed into a slender stream of mist, returning to the pot.
On the other side, the Greedy Deity, relying on her fearless combat prowess, exchanged wounds for wounds, swiftly eliminating the divine servants who embodied strength. Qingzhu and the Federation, with no historical memory, stared in stunned silence, their headaches still unresolved—nearly doubting whether what they were seeing was a vision. Could it really be that simple? Was a Level 1 cultural relic so easily subdued?
Even within the peak of her Saintly status, Alicia was deeply shaken. Without considering the venue or the risk of damaging other display cases, she had once been confident in defeating the three divine servants. Yet, she knew she would have to endure a fierce struggle—her wind mage’s skills were limited, and high status did not necessarily equate to a wide array of tactics. If she couldn’t counter the opponents effectively, high status alone would offer little advantage. That was precisely why she was so astonished—during the brief clash, the Moral Heavenly Sovereign had demonstrated so many varied strategies.
"Done!" Zhang Yuanqing removed the gilded silver vase.
After this battle, Qingzhu and the Federation's indifferent attitude immediately became much more respectful and cautious, even hesitating to get too close to the Moral Heavenly Sovereign. Next, the team took the initiative to secure the remaining two Level 1 relics and two Level 2 relics. These were: Level 1 relics—the nude sculpture "Laos" and the medieval knight's shield; Level 2 relics—the Egyptian pharaoh's solar disc and the gold and silver flat-lacquered lyre. Additionally, Zhang Yuanqing secured a Level 1 relic, the Han Ba Fang bronze sword, which he had long lacked, especially since the "Form and Spirit Annihilating Blade" and the "Purple Thunder Mallet" were sealed. After a brief rest and finalizing their tactics, the team proceeded to the staircase entrance under Zhang Yuanqing's leadership. Zhang Yuanqing employed a magical illusion to conceal the Little Red Cap, retired Princess Yin Yao, the Hundred-Blade Champion, and the Greedy Divine General, and summoned two Level 4 yin corpses to serve as sacrificial units. Against the dominion-level foes, the six-level yin corpses proved of limited use—should either be struck down by a single arrow, Zhang Yuanqing would
The three teammates merely glanced curiously, without asking where the shadowed corpses had gone. As someone approached, the hunting goddess in the air instantly turned her head—her face and eyes, pale and colorless, appearing cold and rigid. Alysia activated the lifeless, nude statue of Laos, standing two meters tall, and charged toward the stairs. "Thud, thud, thud!" The granite statue strode forward, each step causing a slight tremor. Artemis, her neck stiffening as she turned, watched the statue, drew a blood-red arrow, and nocked it onto her bow. "Whizz!" The arrow burst into a glow of blood and shot toward the statue's head. Alysia waved her staff, directing the airflow to form a wind shield above the statue's head. The arrow struck and shattered the shield instantly. The statue quickly raised its hands to shield its head, only for a loud "boom" to follow—its entire arm exploded, ready to spill in fragments. It had blocked the attack! Zhang Yuanqing shouted, "Go ahead!"