“Divine Demon Puppet?” Looking at those three blood-red characters, Xiao Yan’s eyes narrowed, and a hint of puzzlement flashed through his mind. He slowly unrolled the bamboo scroll, and the tiny, blood-red letters, exuding a scent of bloodthirst, immediately imprinted themselves in his vision. “The Divine Demon Puppet, this is not a cultivation technique nor an ordinary fighting skill. It is a puppet craft passed down from ancient times. To create the Divine Demon Puppet, one must gather three elements: a body, a soul, and a demon core. Use the body as a vessel, the soul as a guide, and the demon core as a heart. Combined with various materials, it ultimately forms a demonic puppet. The Divine Demon Puppet is divided into three ranks: Heaven, Earth, and Human. The difference in rank is determined by the materials used and the flame for refining. Its power is limitless, and it feels no joy, no sorrow, no pain, and no injury. It is indeed a weapon of slaughter.” As Xiao Yan’s gaze slowly swept over the blood-red letters on the bamboo scroll, a growing astonishment was evident on his face. This so-called puppet craft was something he had never heard of before, and it was incredibly mysterious.
Shifting his gaze from the last blood-red character, Xiao Yan let out a long breath. He was extremely intrigued by this “Divine Demon Puppet.” If he could refine one, he would have a loyal guard by his side…
Shaking his head in amazement, Xiao Yan handed the bamboo scroll to Su Qian and the others standing nearby. After receiving and examining it, their faces also reflected a similar surprise.
“I have only seen this so-called puppet craft mentioned briefly in some ancient texts, but I have never seen a method for refining one. I didn’t expect the old ghost of the Evil Flame Valley to have such a collection. I bet that seventh-grade fire-elemental demon core we found earlier was reserved by the old man for refining the ‘Divine Demon Puppet.'” Su Qian exclaimed after a thorough look.
Xiao Yan nodded and laughed, reaching into the wooden box to take out the fiery red demon core. He gently rubbed it, feeling the immense power contained within, his smile broadening.
“However, the method for refining the ‘Divine Demon Puppet’ is quite bloody. It requires a body, a soul, and a demon core, and these are combined using a unique refining method. The resulting creature may indeed be extremely powerful,” Su Qian commented, returning the bamboo scroll to Xiao Yan. “You should keep this. It’s not suitable for the academy. You’re going to explore the Central Continent, so it’s better suited for you.”
“Thank you, Great Elder,” Xiao Yan replied with a laugh, grateful for the gift. He was indeed very interested in the “Divine Demon Puppet.” Apart from some special materials, he had almost everything needed for the refinement, including the body, soul, and demon core.
Storing the bamboo scroll and the Flame Technique in his storage ring, Xiao Yan looked around. The other cultivation techniques and fighting skills were no longer of interest to him. However, the preserved rare medicinal herbs still had some value to him. After carefully selecting some, he took those that might be useful in the future.
Having gathered what he needed, Xiao Yan finally stopped with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction. Although there were few things left in the storage room of any interest to him, for the Xiao Sect, it was still a substantial fortune. The sect was young and lacked many techniques and fighting skills for its members. Now, with the resources plundered from the Evil Flame Valley, they would no longer face such a problem.
Seeing Xiao Yan finish, Xiao Lie smiled and called in some members of the Xiao Sect to empty the storage room using their storage rings. When they saw the empty space, everyone exchanged a sinister chuckle and departed.
After clearing out the Evil Flame Valley, Xiao Yan left some Xiao Sect members to watch over the area, while he and his group flew directly to the Inner Academy. Xiao Yan now had many pressing matters, especially the urgent need to refine a soul-nourishing elixir within ten days. Otherwise, if the Heavenly Fire Venerable’s soul dissipated, the vicious soul sealed in the storage ring would break free again. Of course, losing the Heavenly Fire Venerable, a future great ally, would be the greatest loss.
Xiao Yan was well aware that once the Heavenly Fire Venerable regained his strength, it would be a tremendous boon. Even facing the Hall of Souls head-on might be manageable then. After all, according to what he knew, the Hall of Souls housed several Elders, just below the enigmatic Hall Master. This demonstrated that even experts of the Dou Zun rank could not be easily underestimated by the Hall of Souls. Moreover, he was about to head to the Central Continent, where strong individuals were numerous. Those participating in the Alchemy Gathering would likely have both impressive backgrounds and formidable strength. Without a solid ace up his sleeve, he might be completely crushed. In the world, the rule of the strong eating the weak was immutable. Therefore, Xiao Yan had to prepare all his cards before heading to the vast and competitive Central Continent.
Returning to the Inner Academy, Xiao Yan immediately dived into the medicine storage area. There, he had to race against time to refine the soul-nourishing elixir. Ten days was a tight schedule, almost impossible for the Xiao Yan of the past. Fortunately, the old pharmacist had left him a treasure trove of pill recipes when he was captured. With these recipes, Xiao Yan could address the problem directly without having to scramble for a solution. The soul-nourishing pill was somewhat of a niche, making it quite rare. But the old pharmacist, true to his title, provided a solution. After an hour of searching, Xiao Yan found a recipe perfectly suited for the Heavenly Fire Venerable.
“Soul Nourishing Saliva.” This small pill, though not of the highest grade, was just around the fifth grade, and its preparation was not overly complex. The only drawback was the rare ingredients required. Luckily, Xiao Yan’s collection, along with the Inner Academy’s long-term stock, made it manageable.
Having gathered all the necessary ingredients, Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief. He summoned his medicine cauldron and a flame slowly emerged from his fingertips. With the countdown to the Heavenly Fire Venerable’s soul dissipation looming, he began the refining process. Perhaps due to the time constraint, Xiao Yan felt a sense of urgency. His first two attempts at refining the Soul Nourishing Saliva failed. However, after failing twice, he understood the problem. He calmed himself, and the refining process gradually went smoothly. It took three full days to complete the refining, which, though not difficult, was very time-consuming. With the previous failures as a lesson, Xiao Yan kept a steady hand, maintaining a gentle heat to purify the jade-like liquid in the cauldron.
As Xiao Yan maintained a calm demeanor, the refining proceeded without further issues. By the fifth day, Xiao Yan, who had been deeply engrossed, suddenly opened his eyes. With a wave of his hand, a glob of the jade-hued liquid rose from the cauldron, hovering in front of him.
Looking at the lifeforce-filled jade liquid, Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Raising his finger adorned with the white storage ring, he guided the liquid to fall and slowly seep into the ring. As the Soul Nourishing Saliva penetrated, the white ring, which had been quiescent for days, began to emit a bright glow. Within this glow, Xiao Yan could sense the sleeping soul gradually awakening.
When the last drop of Soul Nourishing Saliva was fully integrated into the ring, the soul inside the ring began to emit signs of life. A grateful, aged voice reverberated, “Hehe, Xiao Yan, no need to say thanks for such a great favor. This time, consider it a debt owed by me.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said, “Old Mister, you speak too formally. If it weren’t for your intervention, I would have been in trouble with that vicious soul.”
“Taking care of the vicious soul was my way to obtain its soul power. So, no need to thank me. I don’t mix gratitude with debts,” the Heavenly Fire Venerable replied from the ring.
Xiao Yan shrugged; he was not going to refuse a debt owed by a Dou Zun. Storing the medicine cauldron back into the ring, he got up and headed towards the exit, saying, “Old Mister, take more rest. There’s no rush for dealing with the vicious soul.”
“Alright, my current state makes it difficult to refine it,” the Heavenly Fire Venerable agreed.
Xiao Yan smiled, pushed open the door, and stepped out into the glaring sunlight. Just as he exited, he spotted Xiao Lie pacing outside the storehouse, causing him to pause. “Brother, why are you here?”
Upon hearing Xiao Yan’s voice, Xiao Lie turned and, seeing Xiao Yan, let out a sigh of relief. With a serious face, he said, “You’re finally out. Quickly, go see the Little Healer Immortal. She’s in trouble!”
Xiao Yan’s smile froze. In the next moment, before Xiao Lie could react, a shadowy figure dashed out like lightning. Following behind, Xiao Lie sighed and hurried after him.
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