“Have you heard of the Transforming Divine Clay?” the Great Divination Sage asked solemnly.
“Of course. The Transforming Divine Clay is also known as the Phantom Molding Paste. It’s said to be able to take any shape when forged into artifacts and even possesses the ability to self-repair when damaged. It’s an extremely rare material for crafting complex magical tools. Could this be it? But I’ve heard the Transforming Divine Clay is white, like fine jade—how could it look so unremarkable?” Han Li was also startled, staring at the broken stone slabs in surprise.
“Han boy, don’t be skeptical. These are indeed the Transforming Divine Clay. However, they were mixed with other materials and specially refined by ancient cultivators, earning them the name ‘Roaring Spirit Jade’ in ancient times. There are probably no more than ten cultivators in the world who could recognize them. I only came across some related records in an ancient cultivator’s cave dwelling in my early years and had long forgotten about it. If not for a recent matter that reminded me of this, I wouldn’t have recognized it either,” the Great Divination Sage explained.
“Roaring Spirit Jade? How does it differ from ordinary divine clay?” Han Li mused thoughtfully.
“Didn’t you notice it before? After refinement, this divine clay not only maximizes its shape-shifting and self-repairing properties but can also absorb a cultivator’s magical attacks. A strike imbued with full spiritual power would be weakened by more than half upon contact with it. The only drawback is that it fears direct physical attacks, as it inherently lacks any defensive capabilities. But even so, its value is no less than that of Geng Essence,” the Great Divination Sage elaborated.
“I see. So, Senior, what part of the puppet do you intend to refine with this divine clay?” Hearing of the Roaring Spirit Jade’s miraculous effects, Han Li couldn’t help but press for details, his face lighting up with joy.
“Isn’t it obvious? When combined with your Hard Silver, this divine clay is the perfect material for crafting a puppet’s outer shell. A puppet forged from these two materials would be nearly indestructible in the human realm, even without any defensive treasures,” the Great Divination Sage declared proudly.
“Then it shall be as Senior suggests,” Han Li agreed without hesitation.
“Good. Leave these materials untouched for now and focus on refining the other components first. I estimate it will take about another year to complete the parts before assembling the entire puppet. Let’s continue refining the components.”
“Understood.” Han Li nodded, flicking his sleeve as a streak of azure light swept past, causing the materials on the ground to vanish. He then tapped his storage pouch, and seven or eight jade boxes containing other materials appeared before him. Han Li began refining the next puppet component.
Spring passed into autumn, and days turned into months. For a cultivator, a year was but the blink of an eye. During this time, while Han Li remained secluded refining the puppet, the twelve Six-Winged Frost Centipedes, stimulated by a monthly Snow Soul Pill, unexpectedly advanced. After molting, their bodies had doubled in size, and they had finally grown a pair of snow-white wings on their backs. Their flight speed and agility had increased dramatically—an unexpected boon.
However, after this advancement, the effectiveness of the Snow Soul Pills on the centipedes diminished significantly, far less potent than before.
One day, Han Li stood motionless in the center of the secret chamber, his eyes tightly shut. Before him floated a silver humanoid figure suspended in midair. His fingers danced as ten golden threads shot out, embedding themselves into various parts of the puppet’s body, his expression solemn. Above the silver puppet’s head, the bamboo tube emitted a faint green glow, slowly rotating.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Han Li’s expression shifted, his fingers stilling as he finally opened his eyes.
“It seems flawless—the fusion of the puppet’s components is perfect. I’m surprised the assembly went so smoothly,” Han Li remarked with a hint of delight as he examined the creation before him.
“This puppet is of my design. With my guidance, how could you go wrong? Since everything is in order, it’s time to begin the soul fusion,” the Great Divination Sage’s voice calmly echoed from the bamboo tube.
“Senior, are you truly resolved to do this? Have you reconsidered? The Soul-Splitting Technique is something you’ve never attempted before—there may be unforeseen consequences that could affect your reincarnation. Moreover, once the soul is split, your remnant spirit will inevitably dissipate, unable to persist any longer,” Han Li’s joy faded as he asked gravely.
“Heh, most of my life’s efforts have been devoted to puppetry. Merging my soul with this puppet was always my wish. Besides, even without the Soul-Splitting Technique, my time is nearly up. What is there to hesitate about? There’s no need to dissuade me further. I’ve already imparted the remaining Great Divination Art to you—I hope you’ll carry on its legacy and not let it fade,” the Great Divination Sage chuckled lightly, utterly unconcerned.
Han Li frowned deeply, exhaling a long sigh after a moment. “Since Senior’s resolve is unshakable, I won’t say more. I only hope everything proceeds smoothly for you.”
The Great Divination Sage laughed heartily. Suddenly, the bamboo tube split in two with a flash of green light, revealing a small golden figure within.
This figure was a puppet no more than a few inches tall, crafted from neither metal nor wood, exquisitely detailed, resembling a miniature version of a refined middle-aged scholar.
The puppet’s eyes glowed green as it sat cross-legged, chanting a low incantation. A speck of green light flew from its mouth, expanding to the size of a fist and enveloping its form.
Watching this, Han Li’s lips twitched slightly, but no words escaped him.
As the chanting grew more urgent, the green light intensified, becoming nearly blinding. Han Li narrowed his eyes, his pupils contracting as blue light flickered within them.
Then, the Great Divination Sage let out a pained roar that shook the entire chamber.
Han Li’s expression changed as the green light abruptly split into two—the larger portion drifting toward the silver puppet while the smaller one flashed back into the puppet’s mouth, revealing its form once more. However, the puppet’s head now hung low, its eyes dim and lifeless.
Not daring to delay, Han Li pointed rapidly at the silver puppet. The humanoid puppet’s mouth opened, and a dozen slender silver threads shot out, ensnaring the split light and pulling it inside. The puppet’s body trembled violently as a radiant silver glow erupted from it.
Han Li’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and spat out a stream of purple flame, striking the puppet’s body. A sizzling sound filled the air as thick ice rapidly spread across the puppet, encasing it entirely in a massive block of ice.
Only then did Han Li relax, glancing up at the small puppet with a trace of concern.
“So this is what splitting one’s soul feels like—truly extraordinary. I doubt any other cultivator in the world has experienced this sensation,” the Great Divination Sage’s voice rang out from the puppet, though it was noticeably weaker, as if recovering from a grave illness.
“Senior, are you alright?” Han Li couldn’t help but ask.
“Don’t worry. Though I won’t last long after the soul split, I’ll remain unharmed for another ten days or so. Hurry and complete the soul fusion for this puppet so I may witness its true power before my consciousness fades,” the Great Divination Sage urged excitedly.
“Of course. But before that, I’ll use a Soul-Stabilizing Talisman to fortify your remnant spirit, just in case.” Han Li flicked his sleeve, and a blood-red talisman flew into his hand.
“A Soul-Stabilizing Talisman! That’s an exceedingly rare talisman. Isn’t it wasteful to use it on a dying man?” the Great Divination Sage’s voice held a note of surprise.
“I found this talisman in the storage pouch of a Nascent Soul cultivator I killed. No matter how precious, it was obtained freely—there’s no reason to regret using it,” Han Li replied indifferently. With a flick of his wrist, the talisman transformed into a crimson streak, striking the small puppet. A burst of blood mist erupted and was swiftly absorbed by the puppet’s body.
“Ah, much better. But don’t expect me to owe you any gratitude for using this talisman voluntarily,” the Great Divination Sage’s voice grew stronger, carrying a hint of amusement.
“It’s nothing. Consider it partial repayment for your past assistance,” Han Li replied calmly after a brief silence.
The Great Divination Sage snorted before suddenly gesturing toward the two halves of the bamboo tube on the ground. With two sharp whistles, the pieces shot up, encasing the small puppet and reforming the bamboo tube, which then floated down to stand upright before Han Li.
Without waiting for further instructions, Han Li waved a hand at the massive block of ice. Purple light flickered within as the ice encasing the humanoid puppet began to melt away.
Han Li sat cross-legged once more, slapping the top of his head. A cyan glow erupted as a miniature cyan infant emerged from his crown and flew straight toward the humanoid puppet…
Three months later, a streak of azure light shot into the sky from the nameless desert island where Han Li resided, vanishing into the distance.
—
Bitter Bamboo Island, an obscure islet in the seas near the Great Jin, was perpetually shrouded in blue mist.
Though its master, the Bitter Bamboo Elder, held no renown in the inland cultivation world, many mid-to-late Nascent Soul cultivators knew of him and regarded him with deep wariness.
Among overseas cultivators, the Bitter Bamboo Elder was even more renowned. Despite being only a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, his mastery of three hundred sixty-five Cold Bamboo Flying Swords and the Celestial Mulberry Divine Tree on his island had long elevated him to the same status as the “Three Immortals of the Outer Seas.”
The Ten Thousand Trees Formation, centered around the Celestial Mulberry Divine Tree, was an ancient marvel that had awed overseas cultivators for millennia. Even late-Nascent Soul cultivators would find their powers diminished by a third upon entering it.
Yet on this day, an unwelcome guest arrived above the island.
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