Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8427: The second-generation (1)

A fully armored puppet stood before them, clutching a massive shield in one grip while wielding a lengthy saber in the other. A flowing cloak trailed behind it. The puppet's head bore a sturdy helmet, and across its face sat a mask. Yet this wasn't some simple covering; it was a fearsome ghost mask.

This imposing figure towered at roughly 2.5 meters in height, with the saber it held stretching 1.5 meters. Its shield loomed nearly two meters high, shaped like a triangular tower and clearly weighing a ton at first sight. A carved ghostly visage adorned the shield, lending it an utterly horrifying vibe.

Thousand Blade and his companions fixed their gazes on the puppet, burning with curiosity about its true might. Though it appeared far more robust than the earlier first-generation models, they needed to witness its battle prowess firsthand. Still, regardless of anything else, this puppet's look alone outshone the first-generation ones by a mile.

"Little Hai, this puppet seems impressive," Ha Jing remarked gravely. "But you need to explain it properly to me. I'm dying to learn what makes this one stand out." Ha Jing clearly showed keen interest in the puppet, eyeing it with eager fascination.

Zhao Hai grinned and replied, "Alright, Sect Master, Elders, allow me to detail this puppet. To start, consider its defenses. The armor covering the puppet boasts exceptional protective qualities on its own. It's crafted from iron essence mixed with some gold essence, granting it solid resilience. Plus, the armor plates are arranged in a precise pattern, creating a magic array that's purely for defense and boosts the puppet's overall shielding. These plates get forged by additional puppets before being fitted together, making the process fairly straightforward."

Zhao Hai halted briefly and gestured toward the puppet's helmet. "This helmet ties into the defense array as well, though the mask stands apart. The mask holds a compact illusory array. In combat, should the foe fixate on the puppet's face, they'll tumble straight into the illusion and meet certain doom."

Next, Zhao Hai removed the puppet's helmet and outer armor, exposing its inner frame. It was only then that the group noticed the puppet's structure wasn't overly intricate. It consisted mainly of the head, torso, and limbs. The head linked to the torso via a neck-like section. What stunned Ha Jing and the rest was how the puppet's vital components appeared to float freely. Put simply, the pieces weren't physically joined. How could that be?

Zhao Hai indicated the puppet's joint areas and explained, "These joint spots connect through energy from specific magic circles. That means, so long as the circles within each body segment remain intact, the joints will operate without issue. Every magic circle inside it is embedded deep within. What we're seeing as the puppet's body is essentially its inner armor. The core arrays are etched onto separate internal metal rods. This outer layer acts like human flesh and blood. The metal rods with the arrays serve as the bone structure. This flesh-like layer safeguards the bones. As long as the bone structure holds up, the puppet keeps battling on. Furthermore, the bone structure and inner armor are produced independently, and the inner armor can even fold away." With that, Zhao Hai struck one of the puppet's arms. The upper arm segment parted instantly, uncovering a metal rod about as thick as a dragon's eye, etched with numerous runes that formed a highly intricate array.

Zhao Hai directed attention to the exposed inner armor on the arm. It featured arrays on the inner surfaces too. He highlighted them and noted, "These magic circles handle two energy types: one for defense, the other for shock absorption. When an enemy's force proves overwhelming, they cushion the impact, preventing the inner metal bone from warping or snapping." Afterward, Zhao Hai reattached the inner armor to the puppet's upper arm, followed by the outer metal armor and helmet. The puppet regained its initial formidable form.

Zhao Hai shifted focus to the tower shield and stated, "This shield carries two magic circles. One enhances defense by generating a protective barrier over its surface to aid in blocking. The second is a intense light circle. It might not pack huge punch, but hoisting the shield against a foe and flashing a blinding light will daze them right away, throwing off their focus briefly. That's your opening. The shield's rim stays razor-sharp too, perfect for slicing or ramming—both deliver serious impact."

Shifting to the long blade, Zhao Hai spoke solemnly, "This saber features just two array types. One sharpens it to shatter enemy weapons and shields, while the other imposes gravity directly on the foe's form, pressing down relentlessly."

At last, Zhao Hai indicated the cloak and added, "This cloak serves more than looks. It's modeled after the Fang clan's carefree blanket, though not quite as potent. It bears several arrays: a wind-type one to boost the puppet's speed or alter its path swiftly. There's also a sword-type array for striking at enemies. A support array lets it unleash fire spells to fend off insect assaults from foes. Finally, a poison absorption array draws in any toxins the enemy throws."

Having covered everything, Zhao Hai faced the Sect Master and elders once more. "These puppets pack tremendous power. Even without turning them into Yin souls, we can wield them directly and they'll still hit hard. Each matches a Magic Refinement Realm cultivator's strength. Handled smartly, one could rival a peak Magic Refinement Realm expert. Controlling them does take skill, though. Magic Usage Realm disciples max out at five, Magic Essence Realm at around ten. Refinement Realm masters can handle up to fifty at most—beyond that, it's impossible. But deployed right, their fighting strength will far exceed the first-generation puppets."

 The Grandmaster and others sat stunned by Zhao Hai's explanation. They never imagined he'd craft puppets reaching such heights. It was downright astonishing. From offense to defense, this puppet excelled in every way.

 Zhao Hai regarded the Sect Leader and companions before saying, "What sets these puppets apart most is their unbreakable loyalty—they'll never turn on us. So we should ramp up production ahead. They can guard the sect's forbidden zones. We could stockpile extras for wartime releases. Naturally, only top materials for building them; no junk will do for refinement."

Dao Qianzhan rose abruptly and declared deeply, "Let's head out to some secluded spot and test this thing's might." The other elders had no qualms and stood as well. Zhao Hai nodded, stowed the puppet, and trailed Thousand Blade and the group from the chamber.

Blood Slaughter Island held restricted zones, including sites honoring fallen Blood Slaughter Sect ancestors. Plenty of quiet corners saw no visitors either. Yet Dao Qianzhan and company deemed training on the island unwise. They guided Zhao Hai off the isle and into the Blood Sea.

Though prolonged exposure in the Blood Sea harmed cultivators generally, Thousand Blade and his peers, with their prowess, could endure it for months hassle-free. Entering briefly posed no challenge. For Zhao Hai, practicing the Blood Sea God-Killing Technique made the Blood Sea entirely welcoming.

Once inside the Blood Sea, Dao Qianzhan swept his hand, dispersing the blood mist to uncover a barren expanse. He instructed, "Little Hai, test it here. I need to see the outcome." "Yes," Zhao Hai affirmed. He flicked his wrist, summoning the puppet, then channeled a spell into it. Red glow ignited in the puppet's eyes as its frame stirred to life.

Zhao Hai gestured again, unleashing ten standard puppets that morphed into blades and charged. Spotting the incoming sword-forms, the puppet hoisted its enormous shield to guard fully. As the shield lifted, a shielding layer materialized around it, enveloping completely.

The first-generation puppets' greatswords clashed against the shield, yet it held firm without shifting. Instead, the blades glanced off to the sides. Thousand Blade and others noted the shield wasn't utterly static—it subtly repositioned. Facing an incoming greatsword, it tilted just right to deflect the blade's strongest point, the tip, taking the hit on the flat instead. Thus, it repelled the first-generation assaults effortlessly.

Soon after, the first-generation puppets unleashed a follow-up assault, whirling their forms to slash at the second-generation puppet with blades. The second-generation raised its shield to parry, then countered with a devastating chop that cleaved the attacker in two. The bisected puppet detonated, but the second-generation stood unscathed, shield up to absorb the blast's force without a scratch.

Just then, another first-generation puppet wheeled around for a rear strike on the second-generation. White light flared from the second-generation's cloak, birthing swarms of sword Qi that pelted the attacker. The first-generation's frame riddled with sword scars and punctures in moments. It blew itself up immediately, yet the second-generation's cloak quivered like a billowing banner, coiling sharply to nullify the explosion and spare the puppet any harm.