Chapter 245: Chapter 212: Tier 2 Puppet Master, Traces of a Tier 2 Demon Beast

Lu Zhao raised his hand and took out a metal chunk about the size of a fist from his Storage Bag.

This was a piece of scrap material left over from his last failed attempt to refine a Metal Element Puppet. Although it was no longer of much use to him, the pure Golden Iron Qi it contained was an excellent supplement for the Golden Feather Bird.

"Here, a treat for you."

When the Golden Feather Bird saw the object, its eyes blazed with golden light. It let out a cheerful cry and lowered its head to peck at it. Its sharp beak easily tore through the hard metal, making a crisp KRAK KRAK sound as it ate with great relish.

Watching it bury its head in its meal, Lu Zhao couldn’t resist gently stroking its smooth, warm back with his other hand. The Golden Feather Bird squinted its eyes in enjoyment, a contented purr rumbling in its throat. It even turned its head slightly to affectionately nuzzle the palm of Lu Zhao’s hand.

A warm, soft sensation, full of absolute trust and reliance, spread from his palm.

At that moment, the frustration and anxiety that had built up in Lu Zhao’s heart from his refining failure seemed to dissipate like morning mist under the sun.

The smile at the corners of his mouth deepened as he gently twirled the particularly dazzling cluster of golden feathers on the Golden Feather Bird’s head.

"You little thing..." His whisper held a gentleness that even he hadn’t noticed.

For the next half-day, Lu Zhao, for once, set aside all his cultivation and scheming.

He remained in a quiet corner of Broken River Castle, sometimes watching the Golden Feather Bird circle at low altitudes, stretching its increasingly magnificent and powerful golden wings.

Other times, he would coax it into performing simple commands like fetching objects or making short sprints. But most of the time, he just stood quietly, letting it nuzzle him with its head, feeling its pure vitality and companionship.

Half a day flew by in the simple play between man and bird.

As the sun dipped west, stretching Broken River Castle’s massive shadow, the Golden Feather Bird seemed to grow tired. It folded its wings and began gently preening its feathers with its beak.

Lu Zhao raised his hand and stroked its smooth feathers again, his eyes now clear and tranquil. The gloom of failure had been dispelled by this little Spiritual Bird.

"Go on back and digest that properly," he said softly.

The Golden Feather Bird rubbed against his cheek, reluctant to leave, and let out a low cry. Only then did it transform into a streak of golden light and voluntarily fly back into the Beast Taming Bag.

After sending the Golden Feather Bird away, Lu Zhao took a deep breath of the cool air, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace in his Heart Spirit. The confidence shaken by his failure had now become firm again.

He turned, his steps steady, and walked back toward the Artifact Refining Chamber that had once made him feel so stifled.

The stone door slowly closed behind him, sealing off the outside world.

Lu Zhao sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, but he did not begin immediately.

He closed his eyes and focused, circulating his True Water Spirit Transformation Skill for one Grand Circulation. He continued until his Essence, Qi, and Spirit reached their peak, and his Divine Sense was as smooth and flawless as a pearl, without the slightest hint of stagnation.

Then, he opened his eyes. They shone with a brilliant light, completely free of hesitation or doubt.

He slapped his Storage Bag, and the large, complete corpse of a bird appeared in the center of the Artifact Refining Chamber.

Its feathers, red as fire, seemed to glow even in the dim room, and its sharp, black talons glinted with a cold, metallic light. It was the Red-Feathered Black-Footed Bird!

The corpse of this bird was a perfect match for the Tier Two Puppet Atlas—the "Red Feather Fire Sun Bird"—that he had obtained from the Puppet Bead’s legacy!

Whether it was its pure Fire Attribute Demon Power or its feathers and skeleton, which contained potent Fire Spiritual Power, it was all excellent Main Material for refining this Puppet.

Compared to his previous attempt with the Jade Shadow Wolf Puppet, his chances of success with this were undoubtedly much higher.

"You’re the one," Lu Zhao whispered, a condensed light of Magical Power already glowing at his fingertips.

The Earth Fire in the Artifact Refining Furnace ignited with a low HUM.

Lu Zhao’s expression was one of absolute focus. Every movement was precise and steady, flowing with a rhythm as smooth as running water.

With each step, he summoned all of his Heart Spirit and experience, executing the essence of the Hundred Refinements Technique to perfection.

Time lost all meaning in his intense concentration. The only sounds in the Artifact Refining Chamber were the ROAR of the burning Earth Fire, the SIZZLE of Spiritual Materials melting, and the faint SCRAPING of the Carving Knife across hard bone.

An unknown amount of time passed. When the final crimson feather, containing the life essence of the Red-Feathered Black-Footed Bird, was perfectly integrated with the complex Fire Element Spirit Pattern—

VMM!

A scorching, immense Spiritual Pressure instantly swept through the entire Artifact Refining Chamber!

Within the light, the vivid, lifelike phantom of a majestic firebird could be seen, wings spread as if about to cry out!

’Success!’

Lu Zhao was ecstatic, but his hands didn’t pause for a second. He suppressed his surging emotions and immediately proceeded to the next step: fusing the Demon Pill into the Puppet!

He carefully placed the Demon Pill—the size of a pigeon’s egg, with fiery patterns flowing across its surface—into the Pill Chamber reserved in the center of the Puppet Core.

Threads of Magical Power streamed from his fingertips, precisely guiding the Puppet Core Spirit Pattern and the Demon Pill’s power to slowly merge and resonate.

This was an extremely delicate and dangerous process. The slightest mistake could trigger a backlash from the Demon Pill’s power, wasting all his previous efforts.

Lu Zhao’s Divine Sense was highly concentrated, like the most precise instrument, regulating the output of every wisp of Magical Power and sensing the delicate energy balance between the Demon Pill and the Puppet Core.

Sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled down his tense cheeks, but he was completely oblivious. His entire Heart Spirit was focused on the Demon Pill, which throbbed with immense Fire Spiritual Power.

Finally, as the last Spirit Pattern perfectly aligned with the Demon Pill’s fluctuations, it let out a faint "TSS" sound, like a drop of water hitting hot oil—

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