“Old monster, when you possessed that puppet, didn’t you ever consider transferring your spirit back out? With your intellect, creating such a method shouldn’t have been difficult, right? After all, you single-handedly developed the Great Development Mantra,” Han Li said calmly after a brief silence.
“Do you think the Soul Attachment Art I used was simple? In my prime, I was so confident in my unparalleled intellect that I pursued too many endeavors. Not only did I create the Great Development Mantra to enhance spiritual sense, but I also founded the Thousand Bamboo Sect and revived the lost puppet arts of the South Sky. These alone consumed most of my lifespan, let alone cultivating my own techniques to reach late Nascent Soul stage, allowing me to dominate without equal.”
“Dominate without equal?” Han Li’s expression turned peculiar upon hearing this.
“What, think I’m boasting? When I reached the peak of my power, I remained low-key and proud, challenging only renowned cultivators without publicizing my victories. Thus, only the top-tier figures knew my name. Take the two so-called ‘top cultivators’ of the South Sky’s righteous and demonic paths—they were utterly defeated by me, submitting so completely that they voluntarily ceded the Far West as my sect’s territory, withdrawing all their forces. Did you really think mere deserts alone kept South Sky cultivators from encroaching? The Far West, however barren, spans two nations—enough to accommodate major sects.” The Great Development Sage’s voice brimmed with pride.
“You fought for the Far West?” Han Li was speechless.
“Not only that, I forced those two old fools to swear a blood oath forbidding their disciples from entering the Far West for ten thousand years,” the old man added smugly.
“With their status, they’d obey just like that?” Han Li’s lips twitched in disbelief.
“Unwilling? I’d have slaughtered every last one of their disciples. Did you think I’d hesitate? As for overwhelming me with numbers—my thousand puppets weren’t for show. Though, it’s odd that the righteous and demonic paths still haven’t seized the Far West. Could they truly have upheld their ancestors’ oath all this time?” The Great Development Sage sounded puzzled.
Han Li fell silent. Either this old monster was exaggerating, or he’d been terrifyingly formidable. A thousand Foundation Establishment puppets alone would be horrifying. Whether the righteous and demonic paths abstained due to the oath or simply disdained the Far West’s remoteness and poverty, Han Li couldn’t care less—it wasn’t his concern. As he marveled inwardly, the old man sighed in his mind.
“By the time I achieved all this, believing myself at the pinnacle of cultivation, I realized my fatal mistake: my lifespan was dwindling, yet I remained stuck at late Nascent Soul stage. Even with my prodigious talent, two centuries weren’t enough to break through to Deity Transformation. Had I not squandered time on puppetry and creating techniques, reaching Deity Transformation wouldn’t have been difficult. I could’ve ascended to the Spirit Realm instead of languishing as a puppet for millennia, facing soul dissolution now.” His voice grew somber, tinged with regret.
Han Li pursed his lips, inwardly rolling his eyes—even feeling a twinge of envy.
While ordinary cultivators struggled to form Golden Cores or Nascent Souls, this old monster made Deity Transformation sound trivial. If true, he was a heaven-defying prodigy, surpassing even the label of “once-in-ten-millennia genius.”
“Knowing Deity Transformation was beyond reach, I refused to await death. Though souls may reincarnate, without memories, is it still ‘me’? My next life might lack spiritual roots or cultivation talent entirely. Fearful of this, I spent my final two centuries obsessively researching immortality or reincarnation techniques. After countless failures, I derived the Soul Attachment Art from the Great Development Mantra—an unprecedented feat.” The old man chuckled darkly.
“So you abandoned most of your power to possess a puppet, becoming a near-immortal corpse for millennia,” Han Li interjected wryly.
“What do you know? I ran out of time! The art was only half-complete when I was forced to use it, leaving me like this. After possession, my cultivation vanished unexpectedly—only my spiritual sense remained functional. Exiting the puppet was impossible. My hidden chamber, guarded by formidable arrays and a hundred puppets, became my prison. Without a body or magic power, I couldn’t even open its seals. Fearing enemies, I’d told no one of its location, and my Core Formation disciples couldn’t find it. Thus, I was trapped for ten millennia. Only my puppet form and stored spirit stones kept me from dissipating.” His tone turned icy.
Han Li frowned but softened slightly. “Old monster, why so talkative today? Before, you’d brush off questions about your past. Why the sudden detail?”
“Who else would I tell? You’ve cultivated the Great Development Mantra—you’re half my disciple. Besides, had you not stumbled into my chamber and found me near death, I’d have perished soon. The Soul Attachment Art isn’t true immortality; even an indestructible puppet can’t sustain a soul eternally without a body. I’d withered to the brink. Yet you, clever brat, spotted my uniqueness and nearly killed me!” The old man grumbled.
“*I* attacked? You struck first with that damned Seven Emotions Art! Had you not ambushed me, I’d have left your odd puppet alone. Thanks to that, your soul and my second Nascent Soul reached a stalemate—you could drive it berserk, but I could annihilate you both via assimilation.” Han Li retorted bluntly.
“How was I to know you’d cultivated a second Nascent Soul so young? With no magic power left, I acted in self-defense!” the old man huffed, unrepentant.
Han Li fell silent, refusing to engage further.
“Enough. Surprisingly, you possessed Soul Nurturing Wood—a treasure that saved me. Otherwise, subduing you would’ve bought me only a year at most. Fortune and misfortune intertwine,” the Great Development Sage mused wryly.
“I lent the wood because you promised the final three layers of the Great Development Mantra—and your puppetry fascinates me. After millennia of research in isolation, your expertise is invaluable. This is merely a transaction,” Han Li stated plainly, halting his steps.
“Ha! I’m growing fond of you, boy. In my day, I despised hypocrites. Were your aptitude not so wretched, I’d have taken you as a disciple and taught you everything,” the old man laughed uproariously in Han Li’s mind.
“I’m already stretched thin mastering my current techniques. Even if yours were a hundred times superior, I wouldn’t restart. Though your secret arts do intrigue me,” Han Li admitted, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“Secret arts? Disappointment awaits—they’re inseparable from my core techniques. Without learning those, you can’t practice any,” the old man dismissed.
“Then never mind. The Great Development Mantra and puppetry suffice; my Far West trip wasn’t wasted. But why did you pass fake versions of the final mantra layers to your disciples?” Han Li shifted topics curiously.
“Disciples? Centuries passed without a single one reaching Nascent Soul stage—none worthy of my legacy. The true final layers would’ve only endangered them. And look—you, an outsider, obtained the earlier layers anyway. My foresight proved sound,” the Great Development Sage remarked smugly.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage