Since Tianmu Jia had such astonishing achievements in puppetry, he was naturally an exceptionally intelligent individual. Upon hearing Han Li’s question, he immediately guessed some of his intentions.
“Indeed, I wish to use the teleportation formation to travel to another continent,” Han Li admitted frankly, seeing no need for concealment at this point.
“Using this teleportation formation will likely be very difficult,” Tianmu Jia sighed with a bitter smile, shaking his head repeatedly without asking Han Li’s reasons.
“I know the cost of such teleportation is immense, but no matter the price, I must borrow it once. I only wish to ask, given my status as an outsider, whether it’s possible for me to use this formation,” Han Li asked slowly, his gaze fixed on Tianmu Jia.
Though his expression remained unchanged, his heart had tightened.
This last question was his true purpose for coming here!
“Since you’ve asked so directly, I’ll be honest. If Brother Han were a Saint Clan member and originally from our Tianyun, using this super formation once wouldn’t be difficult. But given your current circumstances, it’s extremely challenging. However, with the Jiao Chi Clan’s large-scale invasion, there might still be a sliver of possibility. If you can contribute significantly to Tianyun in battle, there may be room for negotiation. I’m only responsible for crafting puppets in our clan, so you’ll need to discuss specifics with our elders. That said, due to the war, all thirteen clans are actively recruiting foreign consultants. I’ve already mentioned to our elders how you effortlessly killed a Jiao Chi Clan member of the same rank, and they’ve shown considerable interest in you.” Tianmu Jia pondered for a moment before answering cautiously.
Han Li frowned deeply upon hearing this.
By nature, he had absolutely no desire to involve himself in a war between two major clans. In such a massive conflict, even someone of his cultivation level could easily perish with a single misstep.
“Thank you for your advice. I’ll consider it further. But if I decide to meet with your clan’s elders, would Brother Jia be willing to introduce me?” Han Li nodded solemnly before suddenly asking.
“After receiving such generous gifts from Brother Han, this small favor is no trouble at all,” Tianmu Jia replied with a smile, agreeing without hesitation.
Han Li’s face brightened at this response.
From then on, Han Li steered the conversation away from teleportation and instead engaged Tianmu Jia in discussions about puppetry.
The moment puppetry was mentioned, Tianmu Jia’s eyes lit up, and he spoke incessantly, clearly delighted by the topic.
His expertise in puppetry was indeed extraordinary, with many of his insights prompting Han Li to ponder deeply, sparking new ideas. The benefits were substantial!
Han Li, in turn, shared some unique techniques from the Great Divination Sage’s puppetry legacy, which surprised Tianmu Jia and made their conversation even more engaging.
Half a day later, Han Li descended Cloudmist Mountain under Tianmu Jia’s escort and returned to his residence.
The moment he entered his inn room, Han Li activated the restrictions, sealing the space completely.
He then casually walked to a corner of the room and sat down cross-legged.
Though he hadn’t obtained the most satisfactory answer, he had at least gained some clarity regarding the super teleportation formation. Moreover, he had acquired a highly useful sentient puppet.
Han Li’s eyes flickered as he suddenly swept a hand over his storage bracelet. A flash of cyan light later, a long wooden box appeared in his palm.
Without hesitation, he opened the lid, revealing a slender white snake lying quietly inside.
Han Li stared at the puppet, blue light flashing in his eyes as if trying to pierce through its secrets.
But this sentient puppet was truly unusual.
Even with his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, several critical parts remained indistinct, impossible to decipher.
Frowning, Han Li released his powerful spiritual sense, enveloping the entire white snake.
His divine sense swept over the obscured areas, but they were somehow constructed to repel intrusion, forcefully rebounding his probing.
The rest of the puppet resembled ordinary constructs—just made of peculiar materials with cleverly arranged mechanisms—but he could at least vaguely understand them.
It seemed the true mystery of the sentient puppet lay in those inaccessible parts.
He could forcibly invade those areas with his overwhelming spiritual sense, but doing so would undoubtedly damage the puppet.
Moreover, if previous owners of sentient puppets had attempted the same, yet the secrets remained solely in the hands of the Ancient Clan, it suggested this approach was futile. Most likely, even damaging the puppet wouldn’t reveal its mysteries.
After a moment of hesitation, Han Li abandoned the idea for now, deciding to first bind the puppet to himself.
With this thought, he suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a green thread.
The thread circled his wrist before darting back into his body.
Calmly, Han Li extended his wrist, allowing several drops of blood essence to drip onto the white snake in the box.
The moment the blood touched the snake’s crystalline body, it vanished without a trace.
Han Li then formed hand seals, sending a series of incantations into the puppet.
The previously motionless white snake abruptly raised its head, hissing softly.
With a flicker, it flew out of the box, swaying and coiling in the air before Han Li.
Ignoring this, Han Li flipped his hand, producing a stack of multicolored formation disks.
With a wave, the disks transformed into streaks of light, vanishing into the air before reappearing as a five-colored formation spanning several feet.
Han Li pointed at the white snake, which hesitated briefly before submitting to his spiritual pressure and entering the formation.
As Han Li activated the formation, a low hum filled the air, and countless floating runes surged toward the puppet.
A layer of crimson light enveloped the white snake as it remained still, allowing the runes to merge into the glow.
A hint of satisfaction crossed Han Li’s face.
This binding method, obtained from the Skywing Clan, was far more potent than conventional techniques.
Even someone ten times stronger than him would find it impossible to seize control of the puppet once the binding was complete.
Han Li closed his eyes, letting the formation continue its work.
The binding ritual lasted an entire day and night before Han Li reopened his eyes and halted the process.
Muttering an incantation, he beckoned toward the formation.
The white snake within erupted in radiant light before shooting out, transforming mid-flight into a white-robed woman who landed silently beside Han Li, her expression blank.
Han Li studied her exquisitely crafted face with a curious glint before murmuring, “Your sentience seems rather low, like a doll. From now on, I’ll call you Doll.”
The woman’s eyes flickered red briefly, but she remained cold and motionless.
Shaking his head, Han Li formed another seal, causing her to revert to a white snake and vanish into his sleeve.
He then dispersed the formation, recollecting the disks.
After a brief pause, he retrieved another white jade box, its surface sealed with crimson talismans—the mysterious item given to him by the big-headed man.
Given the big-headed man’s caution and the Jiao Chi Clan’s pursuit, this item was clearly significant. However, fearing powerful restrictions, Han Li hadn’t yet found time to study it.
Now that he might need to negotiate with the Ancient Clan’s elders, he had to uncover its contents first—perhaps finding something useful for leverage.
Han Li even secretly hoped the box contained something invaluable to the Ancient Clan, which might allow him to exchange it for a teleportation opportunity.
Of course, he wouldn’t hand it over blindly without inspecting it first.
Only by understanding its contents could he bargain effectively.
Running his fingers over the jade box, Han Li glanced at the faintly glowing walls and frowned.
If breaking the box’s seals caused too much disturbance, the current restrictions might not suffice.
With that in mind, he retrieved several more sets of formation flags, layering additional barriers around the room.
A cyan glow and a five-colored light curtain emerged simultaneously.
Still unsatisfied, Han Li raised a hand, summoning a black speck that expanded into a miniature black mountain, spinning above him.
A gray light sprayed from its base, forming another barrier around him.
Now, his surroundings were fortified to an impregnable degree.
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