Directly infusing the Evil-Warding Divine Thunder into the talisman array and infusing it during the inscription process were naturally two entirely different matters.
The former was effortless, while the latter required meticulous coordination with each step of the inscription, demanding immense mental exertion. Could this be the reason the other party had shown him such favor?
Han Li wasn’t entirely certain, but his expression remained unchanged as he readily agreed.
Seeing Han Li’s obedient demeanor, the Blood Robe Elder nodded in satisfaction.
With a slight movement, the Blood Robe Elder drifted diagonally upward, arriving at the side of the puppet’s chest in an instant.
With a flick of his sleeve, a small pale-red vial shot out.
The Blood Robe Elder raised a hand and lightly flicked the vial with a finger.
Immediately, the vial’s lid opened on its own, and a mass of purple liquid flew out, swirling briefly before hovering in the nearby air, shimmering with faint spiritual light.
Though shrouded in his blood-red robe, the Blood Robe Elder’s eyes gleamed with solemn focus as his hands continuously shifted through an extremely profound series of hand seals.
“Fellow Daoist Han, observe closely! This talisman array inscription technique can bestow numerous wondrous abilities upon the puppet. I will provide a brief explanation later, but how much of its mysteries you grasp will depend entirely on your own comprehension. The more you understand, the easier it will be to assist me with the talisman array,” a strange voice suddenly spoke from behind Han Li.
Startled, Han Li turned to find another blood-robed figure standing behind him. It was as if the figure had been there all along, yet Han Li hadn’t sensed his presence at all.
“Thank you for imparting the secrets of the talisman array, Senior. This junior will pay close attention,” Han Li said respectfully, clasping his fists.
The blood-robed figure waved a hand, gesturing for Han Li to focus on the other figure’s actions.
Han Li turned back to see the other blood-robed figure making hand seals with one hand while using the other to trace patterns in the air toward the purple liquid.
With a *bang*, a small portion of the purple liquid split off and burst apart, transforming into fist-sized runes that shot toward the massive armor.
A flash of spiritual light later, the runes vanished into the armor, only to reappear moments later on its surface amid faint hums.
Under the blood-robed figure’s movements—each finger seeming to weigh a thousand pounds—the runes began to shift and reorganize, swiftly forming the outline of a purple talisman array spanning several meters.
Some of the runes within remained unstable, as if not yet fully formed.
As Han Li watched intently, the blood-robed figure beside him began explaining, “This talisman array is called the ‘Golden Inscription.’ While it has no other uses, it can render the armor exceptionally resilient, capable of withstanding attacks from ordinary magic treasures without a scratch. The array consists of three layers. The first layer is…”
Han Li’s expertise in puppetry and formation techniques was considerable. As he observed the inscription process and listened to the brief explanation, his eyes flickered with insight. An opportunity to receive direct instruction and demonstration from a Body Integration-level expert was exceedingly rare.
Even though the explanation was superficial, it resolved many long-standing questions Han Li had about formations and puppetry, bringing sudden clarity.
Within the time it took to finish a meal, the blood-robed figure had completed most of the talisman array, which was beginning to solidify into its final form.
“Junior, now is the time. Infuse the Evil-Warding Divine Thunder into the core of the array’s final layer,” the blood-robed figure beside Han Li urged in a low voice.
Though the words were soft, they snapped Han Li out of his contemplation.
Without hesitation, he flew forward, rubbing his hands together. A deafening thunderclap erupted as golden lightning arcs burst forth, illuminating the surroundings in a dazzling golden glow.
The blood-robed figure beside Han Li watched the golden arcs in his hands, a fleeting glint of surprise flashing in his eyes before vanishing.
—
A month and a half later, Han Li reappeared in the quiet chamber of the Wood Essence Cave.
Seated cross-legged on a cushion, he toyed with a white jade slip in his hands, deep in thought.
Over the past month, he had spent nearly every day and night beside the massive puppet beneath the Blood Flame Palace, assisting the Blood Robe Elder in its refinement without major incident.
When the time came, Mu Qing arrived precisely on schedule to retrieve him from the palace.
Though the constant use of the Evil-Warding Divine Thunder to infuse the talisman array had drained him mentally, Han Li didn’t feel shortchanged.
If nothing else, the techniques for refining spirit attendants and the insights into talisman arrays shared by the Blood Robe Elder had greatly benefited him.
Moreover, before leaving, the Blood Robe Elder had gifted him a batch of rare puppet materials and medicinal herbs unique to the Earth Abyss.
Though aware the elder might have ulterior motives, Han Li was satisfied.
However, his current focus wasn’t on that matter but on the incomplete outer page of the Golden Jade Tome in his hand.
This page recorded several immensely powerful talismans. Among them, he had already mastered the Taiyi Transformation Talisman and even carried several with him.
The other three were the “Nine Palaces Heaven Qian Talisman” for trapping enemies, the offensive “Heavenly Halberd Talisman,” and the shadow puppet talisman “Armor Origin Talisman.”
The most formidable, the Heavenly Halberd Talisman, remained beyond his comprehension, forcing him to set it aside for now.
As for the Nine Palaces Heaven Qian Talisman and the Armor Origin Talisman, years of meticulous study had brought him close to mastery, with only a few critical points eluding him.
But after over a month of guidance from the Blood Robe Elder—a master of puppetry and formations—and days of intense study in the chamber refining spirit attendants, those final obstacles had crumbled, allowing him to fully grasp the techniques for crafting these talismans.
The materials required for these talismans were exceedingly rare, but fortunately, they weren’t entirely unobtainable. While in Skywall City, he had gathered multiple sets of materials for both talismans, and now he could proceed directly with the attempts.
Normally, such talisman crafting required further contemplation and practice before using the precious materials for the final product.
But under the watchful eyes of several Body Integration-level demon kings, he had no time to spare.
Though the Evil-Warding Divine Thunder seemed to guarantee his safety for the next few years, there was no telling if these demon kings might change their minds for other reasons.
Since his ascension to the Spirit Realm, Han Li had relied solely on his own strength to reach his current level of cultivation. He would never entrust his survival entirely to others.
Crafting these talismans as soon as possible would provide him with additional means of self-preservation.
After a long moment of shifting expressions, Han Li’s face settled into calm.
He closed his eyes, channeling his divine sense into the jade slip to review the talisman techniques once more from start to finish.
After confirming there were no issues, he reopened his eyes.
With a flick of his wrist, a flash of spiritual light sent a green glow shooting into the air, where it spun rapidly—Han Li’s storage bracelet.
A finger pointed at it, and with a *puff*, a stream of green mist surged forth, scattering dozens of vials, jars, wooden boxes, and jade cases across the floor.
Reaching for a white wooden box, he flipped its lid open, and a silver-glowing object flew out.
With a curl of his fingers, the object halted before him—a piece of exquisite beast hide as smooth as silk.
The hide shimmered with silver light, its surface adorned with evenly spaced, rune-like natural patterns, making it strikingly beautiful.
This was the finest material for crafting shadow puppet talismans—the hide of a rare ancient beast known as the Windfire Beast.
Not only did this beast possess mastery over wind and fire, rivaling the strength of a Deity Transformation cultivator, but it also preferred cold, damp environments, spending most of its time dormant in dark swamps. It only emerged to hunt, making sightings exceedingly rare.
Talismans crafted from its hide not only boasted higher success rates but also enhanced potency, making them invaluable.
Han Li had expended great effort to trade several ten-thousand-year spirit medicines for a few pieces in Skywall City.
His first target was the Armor Origin Talisman.
Like other shadow puppet talismans, once activated, it could conjure a shadow puppet capable of replicating part of the user’s abilities and cultivation. Its effectiveness depended on the talisman’s quality and the user’s strength.
Ordinary shadow puppet talismans could replicate 20% to 50% of the user’s power and a limited number of abilities. Rumors spoke of perfect shadow puppet talismans capable of full replication, said to exist only in the human race’s Celestial Spirit Realm, though none had ever been seen.
Of course, these replications weren’t limitless—they only worked on cultivators at or below the early Void Refinement stage. Moreover, they were single-use items; once their energy was exhausted, the shadow puppet would vanish.
But Han Li’s Armor Origin Talisman, derived from the Golden Jade Tome’s outer page, was far superior.
Depending on the crafter’s skill, the shadow puppet could replicate 70-80% of the user’s strength and most abilities, even for cultivators at or below the early Body Integration stage.
This made the Armor Origin Talisman extraordinarily precious.
Naturally, the materials and techniques required were far beyond those of ordinary shadow puppet talismans.
Without his Spirit Devouring Heavenly Flame—a fire embodying extreme heat and cold—even full comprehension of the method wouldn’t guarantee success.
Han Li focused on the beast hide, clearing his mind. With a soft *puff*, he exhaled a silver-glowing fireball—the sentient Spirit Devouring Heavenly Flame.
A bird-like cry rang from the silver flames as they morphed into a foot-long firebird, circling the hide with outstretched wings.
Han Li silently activated a technique. After a few loops, the firebird plunged into the hide.
With a *hiss*, silver flames engulfed the hide, yet instead of burning, the rune-like patterns on its surface writhed as if alive under the silver glow.
The sight was mystifying.
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