Starting From A Son In Law To Build An Long Lasting Family Chapter 1853: 477: 797 Zhuyan, Ancient Puppet Sect! (2)
Previously on Starting From A Son In Law To Build An Long Lasting Family...
One must understand that a cultivator's soul holds immense importance.
If it gets cracked and harmed, the core origin of the soul suffers, impacting even one's vital potential.
"Were you a cultivator prior to your death?"
Lu Changsheng inquired.
"Indeed, should you desire this secret technique, I will hand it over to you provided you release me."
Noticing Lu Changsheng's astonishment, Qian Zhuyan replied.
"Then, the individual who struck down my spiritual pet and fell to my hand isn't your master? The controller of the puppet battle array wasn't him, but rather you."
As soon as he realized the puppet in front of him wasn't a Third Rank creation refined by another, Lu Changsheng quickly grasped that the earlier dozen puppets had probably been manipulated by this one.
The figure he had viewed as a supreme prodigy in the Puppet Dao turned out to be merely a standard Late Stage Core Formation cultivator, far from being this puppet's owner.
"Yes."
Black flames flickered in the puppet's eye sockets, its tone rough and grating.
"Impressive."
Lu Changsheng commended, recognizing this as exceptional talent of the highest order, and pressed on: "Did you fashion the earlier puppets as well?"
The greatest reward from his expedition into this Secret Realm consisted of the diverse Heaven and Earth spiritual materials he had gathered.
Even if he equipped himself completely or made sure his Core Formation wife and offspring each wielded a magic treasure, he still couldn't exhaust them all.
Yet he lacked the spare moments or vigor to personally forge artifacts and produce magical treasures.
Should this puppet prove to be an elite puppet master, subduing it would allow him to employ those heavenly treasures to craft superior Third Rank puppets, thereby bolstering his family's strength!
"Yes."
The puppet affirmed once more.
"From what you've said, fellow Daoist, survival seems to be your goal. In that light, why not strike a bargain?"
"Craft... well, about a hundred puppets for me, impart the puppet techniques, and instruct ten puppet masters on my behalf, and I'll grant you freedom."
The Bi Lake Mountain Lu Family had long been renowned for its puppetry arts, though over the years and as they expanded beyond the Bi Lake region, their puppetry standards had fallen short.
Given that this puppet stood as a premier Puppet Dao expert, it could assist his clan in raising puppet masters and producing elite puppets.
"Half my soul has turned into puppet spirit, so I can't stay conscious for extended periods; the most I can offer is my puppet techniques."
Qian Zhuyan quelled the turmoil within her soul and uttered, her voice raspy and ghostly.
In the midst of a dire peril years back, with her sect in ruins, she hastily fused her soul into the puppet out of desperation.
What occurred was largely an accidental fusion, converting half her soul to puppet spirit and granting her flawless command over the puppet.
However, the price was steep: that transformed soul portion resembled a ghost cultivator's, warping her temperament over time until only bitterness and fixation lingered in her core.
In this state, even her conscious soul endured ongoing erosion from the puppet spirit half, forcing her to employ a hidden method to enter slumber and dispel the corrupting effects and dark feelings.
"Can't stay awake for long? To maintain consciousness?"
Lu Changsheng's brow furrowed faintly, sensing right away that the puppet's utility was quite restricted.
His household already held the puppetry legacy from Tianyuan True Monarch, after all.
Thanks to his own prowess and position as Great Dream City Lord, acquiring further Puppet Dao legacies posed no real challenge.
His interest in capturing it stemmed from the fact that mere technique inheritances often fell short; true progress demanded mentorship and instruction.
But this puppet offered neither guidance nor crafting ability, rendering it worthless.
"How exactly did you create those twelve puppets from before?"
Lu Changsheng questioned.
With her limited wakefulness, how had she managed to produce twelve Third Rank puppets?
After a brief pause, Qian Zhuyan explained: "While I can't remain alert for too long, Soul Path treasures and special artifacts let me prolong my awareness."
"Besides, the one you slew was a Third Rank puppet master too, and we forged most of those puppets jointly."
The puppet's tone turned ever more icy and foreboding, like murmurs rising from the underworld, chilling the listener to the bone.
"Husband, the way her soul became puppet spirit echoes some ghost cultivator methods, leading me to believe her puppet spirit soul requires cultivation in an Extreme Yin Land, lest the ambient yin energies overwhelm it and spawn a vicious spirit."
Hong Lian transmitted to Lu Changsheng at that instant: "Still, her case diverges from typical ghost cultivators; venturing into Extreme Yin Land might erode the remaining soul half with spectral forces, as it wouldn't adjust well."
"Yes."
Lu Changsheng had also observed the puppet's wildly fluctuating moods, as if she were barely containing her soul's chaos now.
He addressed the puppet deliberately: "Under those terms, we could work together. If you forge puppets for me and mentor puppet masters, any Soul Path treasures you desire are yours."
The puppet fell quiet, sinking into a profound hush, wrapped in an ominous chill.
"We share no grudge, and you've allied with others before—perhaps allying with me is possible too."
"Plus, you were the one who first targeted my spiritual pet."
Lu Changsheng spoke leisurely, his manner relaxed and composed.
"I crave vengeance! Aid me in settling my deep-seated grudge, and I'll build puppets for you! Impart every puppet technique I know!"
The puppet shook violently all of a sudden, like some battle engine igniting, its words slithering like poisonous serpents and screeching like malevolent fowl, brimming with agony, grudge, and fury.
"Calm down, speak at ease."
Spotting issues in the puppet's soul condition, Lu Changsheng swiftly raised his hand, channeling yin-yang mana to soothe her turmoil.
With the yin-yang mana's harmonious flow, the puppet's agitation eased bit by bit, though laced with sorrow and entreaty, she declared: "Vengeance... if you assist in my revenge, I'll serve as your puppet, aid you in whatever you need..."