bookpower Chapter 325: A Triumphant Return
Chapter 325: A Triumphant Return
Chapter 325: A Triumphant Return
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"Found you!"
A cold, oppressive voice echoed from the skies of the Nine Fiery Heavens.
Swoosh!
A hulking six-zhang-tall man-shaped puppet, clad in green armor, with a ghastly black face and fanged mouth, descended from the gloomy skies shrouded in ghostly mist. Its speed far surpassed the Core Formation stage as it transformed into a swirling storm of ghostly wind, striking downward toward a sandy pit below.
“A quasi-fourth-rank puppet? Mysterious Mechanism Tower, you have gone back on your word—!”
The traveling merchant cultivator meditating in the sandpit below turned pale, his expression frantic as he cursed angrily.
Boom!
The merchant cultivator hurled a bead into the air, which erupted in a dense gray fog, spreading across a radius of ten li, effectively interfering with spiritual senses and isolating it.
“Hmph! Petty tricks! Since you’re in my sights, you won’t escape today!”
The green-armored puppet, standing six zhang tall, swung its arm violently. Ghostly winds laced with green metallic energy swept across several hundred zhang, precisely targeting a section of the misty area.
Bang!
Within the gray fog, the merchant cultivator barely avoided the center of the strike, but he was still grazed by the outer edges of the blast. The spiritual light protecting his body shattered, and he was sent hurtling through the air.
As the merchant cultivator tumbled, fragments of high-grade protective armor peeled off his body, revealing intricate mechanical components beneath.
“Jie jie! So it’s truly a puppet! And one containing soul-seeding techniques surpassing those of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect!”
The green-armored man’s eye sockets flickered with ghostly green flames, his expression turning even more exhilarated.
Suddenly!
From the merchant cultivator’s tumbling figure, a streak of icy light in the shape of an arrow shot out from his sleeve. It moved with blinding speed, appearing before the green-armored puppet in the blink of an eye, catching it off guard.
Clang!
The puppet made no attempt to dodge, allowing the sleeve arrow to strike its chest directly.
Boom!
The ghostly mist exploded.
A strike comparable to that of a late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivator left only a faint scratch on the puppet’s chest.
The poisoned sleeve arrow, quivering from the impact, fell away and quickly returned to the merchant cultivator’s hand.
“So this is the so-called Azure Dragon Society? Such unimpressive tricks!”
The green-armored puppet sneered mockingly, its massive iron-green hand snapping out to grab the sleeve arrow mid-flight, crushing it effortlessly.
It had caught an magical treasure bare-handed!
And endured a late-stage Core Formation attack without damage!
The merchant cultivator was horrified. Without hesitation, he activated a secret movement technique, his figure turning into a shadow as he attempted to flee.
His true body was that of the assassin puppet, specializing in speed and stealth techniques.
Yet the green-armored puppet was even faster. It moved like ghostly mist, closing the distance in just a few breaths as though teleporting.
Boom! Thud! Thud!
The ground exploded continuously as crystalline yellow stone pillars shot into the sky, each over ten zhang tall, creating a barrier to block the green-armored puppet’s pursuit.
“Hm? There's a rat demon!”
The green-armored puppet stomped heavily, ghostly light rippling around its feet. One by one, it shattered the towering pillars blocking its path, leaving a trail of explosions and a cloud of flying sand.
Amidst the sandstorm, a sharp gust of wind swept toward the puppet’s back.
A massive orange-yellow rat demon, as agile as a hunting leopard, appeared behind the green-armored puppet.
Smack!
The creature’s massive, fan-like claws struck the puppet’s back with incredible force, causing its towering frame to stumble.
A three-zhang-long gash was left on the puppet’s back, nearly ripping through its armored surface.
“Not right! This isn’t an ordinary rat demon!”
The green-armored puppet was taken aback. Its iron-green arm swung backward in a cleaving motion, but its strike hit nothing but empty air.
Swoosh!
The orange-yellow rat demon vanished into the desert sands, using the swirling sand to conceal itself. Its burst of speed, strength, and combat awareness far surpassed most late-stage third-rank beasts.
“Your Excellency, if you wish to fight the Azure Dragon Society, you will have to stay here forever today.”
A cold, ethereal woman’s voice rang out from the distance.
In the haze of the sandstorm, the figure of a female cultivator in a pink dress appeared. Her steps were light and graceful, her form like an illusory mirage amidst the flying sand.
The desolate desert warped strangely, the surroundings shrouded in a pink mist. Beneath the puppet’s feet, the sand transformed into a bubbling hot spring.
“Hmph! Mere illusions!”
The ghostly green flames in the green-armored puppet’s eye sockets flared up, dispelling the pink mist in an instant.
Its ghostly soul power exceeded the limits of a peak Core Formation cultivator, breaking through the third-rank illusion with ease.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, the rat demon unleashed a massive sandstorm spell, its power engulfing the green-armored puppet’s six-zhang-tall frame.
Simultaneously, the merchant cultivator puppet hurled a throwing blade weapon, which released a ten-zhang-long blade of sharp energy that slashed toward the green-armored puppet.
Reacting swiftly, the green-armored puppet unleashed a storm of ghostly green winds from its body. The winds swirled around it, deflecting both the sandstorm and the throwing’s blade energy.
Even though the rat demon and the two puppets—each comparable to a late-stage Core Formation cultivator—joined forces, they could do little against the quasi-fourth-rank green-armored puppet.
...
"Enough with these petty tricks! It ends here!"
The green-armored puppet’s stiff face twisted into a sinister and icy grin.
Its massive, gaping mouth split open as the two blackish-green fangs on either side suddenly detached, igniting with ghostly green flames that radiated an aura of extreme danger.
Screeech!
The Earth Burrowing Rat's fur stood on end as an overwhelming chill surged through its body. Trembling, it instinctively burrowed deeper into the desert sands.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Hiss—
The two fangs, now blazing with ghostly fire, streaked through the air, leaving afterimages as they hurtled toward the Earth Burrowing Rat and the assassin puppet.
The assassin puppet even with exceptional agility and speed found itself locked on by the fangs. In a flash, they were upon it, leaving no room to evade.
It could only raise its arm, which morphed into a shield, to block the incoming attack.
Crack!
The fangs sliced through the puppet’s arm with ease. The severed limb, crafted from superior-grade third-rank materials, was engulfed by ghostly flames that spread across its body, leaving it battered and charred. The puppet tumbled, crashing heavily into the sandpit below.
The Earth Burrowing Rat, despite its quick burrowing and the protective buffering of the rocky earth, was unable to escape unscathed.
Shhhhk!
In a critical moment, the rat twisted its body and shrank itself just enough to narrowly avoid a direct hit. Even so, the residual aura of the ghostly fang grazed its abdomen, leaving a deep, corrosive wound.
Screeeech!
The rat screeched in agony as the ghost flames burned into its sea of consciousness, a sharp, searing pain wracking its body. It managed to burrow deeper into the ground, where the power of the ghost flame fangs diminished. The fangs returned to the gaping maw of the green-armored puppet, their deadly glow now dimmed.
The puppet’s glowing green eyes fixed on the severely damaged assassin puppet in the sandpit.
“You’re next!”
The green-armored puppet raised its arm, unleashing a ghostly cyan whirlwind laced with deadly energy, intent on finishing off its prey.
“Hmm?”
Just as it closed in on the sandpit, an unusual fluctuation rippled through the air.
The damaged assassin puppet, disguised as the merchant cultivator, vanished into thin air, as if it had stepped into another dimension.
At the same time, the ground beneath the sandpit erupted with an overwhelming surge of spiritual power.
Boom!
Thirty-six talismans shot skyward, bursting into dazzling rays of light that tore through the yellow sand and ghostly mist above.
Buzz!
The radiant energy of the talismans wove together, forming intricate patterns of a Five Elements formation that enveloped the area in a hundred-zhang-wide cylindrical barrier.
"Talisman formation?!"
The green-armored puppet’s expression shifted, realizing it had walked into a trap.@@@@
It tried to retreat, but the ground beneath it pulled with tremendous force, locking it in place.
Among the thirty-six talismans, twelve were superior-grade third-rank, while the remaining twenty-four were top-quality mid-grade third-rank.
Together, they formed a formation that unleashed power nearing the Nascent Soul stage, strong enough to pose a genuine threat to the puppet.
“Break!”
On his way back, Lan Chang'an dressed up as a traveling merchant cultivator and disappeared from the area.
Even if traces of his battle were discovered by spies from other factions, they would only suspect the Azure Dragon Society’s involvement.
Other than within the confines of the illusion array, Lan Chang'an himself had not appeared in plain sight.
Two days later.
Lan Chang'an returned to Xuan Yin Pavilion through a roundabout route.
The illusionary talisman within his cave abode continued to emit his simulated aura, giving the impression that "Mister Xu" had never left the pavilion in the first place.
At that moment, Lan Chang'an sensed a disturbance in the distant Gutian Immortal City. The fragment of his past-life soul essence stored within the second-rank puppet there had naturally dissipated.
"He ran quite fast."
The feedback from the second-rank puppet revealed that as soon as Lan Chang'an captured the quasi-fourth-rank puppet, the city lord, who had been pursuing him, suddenly halted and immediately retreated to Gutian Immortal City.
It seemed the city lord, perhaps as one of the puppet’s creators, shared a partial connection with the green-armored puppet. When the puppet was subdued, this connection was severed, and the city lord realized the situation was dire.
"The Azure Dragon Society... truly mysterious. What I’ve seen so far is likely just the tip of the iceberg. I must not act recklessly.
"Alas, the Tower Lord was eroded by the energy of the Ghost Dao, and couldn't heed my advice... Fortunately, this City Lord ran fast."
The ancient city lord, now safely within the fortified walls of his city, shuddered as he ordered all defensive formations to be fully activated. Gutian Immortal City was placed on high alert, and the loss of Mysterious Mechanism Tower’s quasi-fourth-rank puppet was carefully concealed from the outside world.
...
After much deliberation, Lan Chang'an decided to let the city lord off the hook.
There were several considerations behind this decision:
First, It was impossible for him to destroy Gutian Immortal City outright. If he went against the great forces of the Outer Sect Alliance and attracted the Nascent Soul old monsters who supported them from behind the scenes, he would fall into the schemes of the Heavenly Master.
Within the Fengyuan Kingdom, Lan Chang'an always kept a cautious hand, wary of the Heavenly Master’s shadow looming over everything.
Secondly, by assigning responsibility for this incident to Azure Dragon Society, Lan Chang'an ensured that he would not implicate Xuan Yin Pavilion or people like Yun Ling. The deep-rooted fear the city lord now harbored toward Azure Dragon Society would prove advantageous.
Even if the Nascent Soul backer behind Gutian Immortal City eventually learned of this incident, they would hesitate to act rashly, wary of Azure Dragon Society’s mysterious power.
Thirdly, by eliminating Mysterious Mechanism Tower’s strongest trump card without directly conflicting with its Nascent Soul backer, Lan Chang'an’s actions would make Mysterious Mechanism Tower even more reliant on its patron. The city lord, having lost his primary weapon, would retreat into even deeper obscurity.
Any attempt to kill the city lord outright would not only be troublesome but he would also have to be concerned of the Heavenly Master and as well as the Nascent Soul cultivators behind the Outer Sect Alliance.
...
Half a month later.
Lan Chang'an began a comprehensive study of the quasi-fourth-rank puppet he had captured.
The materials and crafting techniques used to construct the puppet left him in awe. He had to admit that they far surpassed his own abilities.
Many of the puppet's components were forged from Nascent Soul-grade materials.
In terms of pure material quality, it was only 20-30% inferior to a genuine Nascent Soul-grade puppet.
In addition, the level of the puppet spirit had not yet reached fourth-rank.
“If I can fuse my fourth life with this puppet to replace the puppet spirit, its combat strength would easily rival that of a fourth-rank Demon King. And it would be much more versatile.”
Lan Chang'an marveled at the craftsmanship.
“The main framework of the puppet, the refining techniques used have reached the fourth rank! Even its supplementary components surpass peak third-rank craftsmanship.”
One discovery piqued his interest: the ghost spirit consciousness sealed within the puppet.
“Could it be that the ghost spirit was a fourth-rank puppet master in its life? No wonder its spiritual sense is so strong, even as a ghost spirit formed from a peak Core Formation soul.”
Since the ghost spirit consciousness was deeply integrated into the puppet’s systems, Lan Chang'an was unable to refine or control it while it remained dormant.
For puppets of this caliber, refining the core was the key to mastery.
“If I forcibly erase the puppet spirit, I’ll damage the puppet’s central system. The two are highly integrated, making it difficult to separate them.”
Without the expertise to repair a fourth-rank puppet core, Lan Chang'an prioritized maintaining the puppet’s integrity.
He planned to wait for the ghost spirit consciousness to awaken. Once awake, he would attempt to communicate with it—or, if necessary, perform a soul search.
Forcing a soul search while the ghost spirit was dormant would likely cause its consciousness to collapse, destroying both the spirit and the puppet.
To accelerate the recovery of the ghost spirit, Lan Chang'an placed soul-nurturing artifacts—the Soul Nurturing Bracelet and Spirit-Taming Ring—on the puppet’s frame.
Based on his calculations, the ghost spirit consciousness should awaken within a few years.
By that time, he would have returned to the Righteous Dao Alliance, far removed from Mysterious Mechanism Tower’s reach.
...
Over half a year later.
Lan Chang'an had wrapped up his affairs in the Fengyuan Kingdom and was preparing to leave.
Before departing, he informed Fairy Ni Yue and left behind several high-grade resouces which included Yun Ling's Core Formation spiritual item.
Fairy Ni Yue, having long sensed that this day would come, did not attempt to persuade him to stay.
As a parting gesture, she accompanied Lan Chang'an hand in hand to the desolate wilderness.
For three days and three nights, they indulged in their emotions and passions amidst the lonely sands of the desert.
The Fengyuan’s most beautiful woman, a peerless figure of ice and purity, surrendered her perfect body to him amidst the shifting sands, revealing an untamed, primal beauty like that of a fallen celestial maiden.
For Lan Chang'an, spiritual pursuit transcends simple physical desires. He and Fairy Ni Yue reached an integration of body and spirit as he prepared to part ways with her.
Lan Chang'an had a premonition that this parting might span countless years, so he indulged himself one last time.
If that powerful figure from the central region of Great Qing came hunting for him, Lan Chang'an would have no choice but to flee—and flee far.
There was the possibility that this might be their final meeting.
"Darling Lan, when will we meet again?"
Fairy Ni Yue, now dressed in a simple white robe, her face still glowing faintly with passion, looked at him with a melancholic expression.
She sensed that this parting was different.
Lan Chang'an had been her first man—the one to whom she had offered her once-in-a-lifetime divine art, Thousand Years Divine Dream.
Their love may not have been entirely sincere, but the years they had spent together, enduring hardships and triumphs, it was inevitable that love would grow over time.
"It’s hard to say."
Lan Chang'an shook his head. After reaching the late Core Formation stage, his sole focus was now on advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm.
As a loose cultivator with no backing, breaking through to Nascent Soul was a perilous journey fraught with danger, especially with powerful unknown enemies lurking in the shadows.
"I hope that when you ascend to Nascent Soul, you’ll still remember me... and be willing to return to Xuan Yin Pavilion."
Fairy Ni Yue’s voice trembled slightly as she gave her blessing and bid him farewell at the edge of the Righteous Dao Alliance's territory.
"If fortune allows, I will remember little Ni Yue and Xuan Yin Pavilion’s seventy-year grace," Lan Chang'an said, cupping his hands in farewell.
She watched him silently, then gave a final bow.
As the wind and sand swirled around them, they parted ways—just as they had met years ago, as ordinary Fellow Daoists.
...
Lan Chang'an rode on his flying light and flew away from the Outer Sect Alliance.
In fact, the great first that the Immortal Ni Yue had given him was the Divine Dream Kiss back then, which contributed to increasing his sense of the Great Dao and the state of his mind.
A few days later, Lan Chang'an arrived at the border of Fengyuan Kingdom, taking a circuitous route to avoid the heartlands where the Heavenly Master’s influence was strongest.
Just as the final green oasis of the borderlands was disappearing from his view, Lan Chang'an’s flight abruptly halted.
Whoosh!
In the distant desert, a fierce wind rose, and the swirling sand coalesced into a towering statue of a Daoist.
The Daoist wore pristine white robes and stood with his hands behind his back, his face abstract and angular, exuding an aura of boundless majesty as though he were one with the vast desert itself.
"Heavenly Master."
Lan Chang'an’s heart tightened. He bowed deeply in respect.
"Little friend Lan, why did you not inform me of your departure from Fengyuan Kingdom? At least allow this poor Daoist the opportunity to send you off."
The Heavenly Master’s voice was ethereal and distant, his snowy-white robes immaculate.
Whoosh!
A whirlwind of sand and dust spiraled around the two, forming a barrier that cut them off from the outside world.
No one knew what Lan Chang'an and the Heavenly Master spoke about during their private conversation.
When the conversation ended, the statue of the Heavenly Master crumbled into dust, and the whirlwind dissipated.
Lan Chang'an’s expression was unreadable as he resumed his journey, finally leaving the borders of Fengyuan Kingdom.
Half a month later.
After traversing the endless Flying Sand Desert, Lan Chang'an crossed into the Liang Kingdom’s borders.
After nearly a hundred years, he formally returned to the Righteous Dao Alliance as the Evergreen Immortal.