Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Puppet

Immortal Peach Mountain.

After the gathering ended, Li Ping dismissed the other three, asking only Gumu Sheng to stay behind.

"Big Brother," Gumu Sheng said respectfully.

Ever since last year, when Li Ping had stood firm against Xiong Pohai to protect him, Gumu Sheng’s attitude toward Li Ping had unconsciously become even more reverent.

Li Ping waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit, then brought up the matter of this year’s auction. "The Foundation Establishment Fund currently has 2,660 Spirit Stones. They’ll be auctioning Foundation Establishment Pills this year. If you want to participate, you’ll need to cover the difference yourself. Do you want to do it?"

Gumu Sheng’s attitude was resolute. "Big Brother, I want to participate in the auction."

Through years of hard work and some profitable ventures during the beast tide, he had amassed a considerable fortune. He could cover the remaining cost for a Foundation Establishment Pill and win one at auction without needing Li Ping’s help.

Glancing at Li Ping’s expression, he added with a smile, "Big Brother, I already have one Foundation Establishment Pill, but I have Four Spirit Roots. A single pill might not be enough for me to succeed. That’s why I’m thinking of bidding for another. If I get lucky and achieve Foundation Establishment with just one, I’ll give the remaining pill to Cheng Yao."

Li Ping nodded, approving of Gumu Sheng’s plan. "In that case, remember to bring the remaining Spirit Stones on the day of the auction. I’ll go with you."

"Yes, Big Brother!" Gumu Sheng agreed respectfully before taking his leave.

Watching Gumu Sheng’s departing figure, Li Ping felt no particular emotion.

It was true that Gumu Sheng already possessed one Foundation Establishment Pill, but that was due to his own fortuitous encounter.

Using the Foundation Establishment Fund to purchase another was his right.

And since he wasn’t breaking any rules, Li Ping had no reason to stop him.

...

Deep within the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, tens of thousands of miles in, in front of a certain cave.

Two figures came to a halt. On closer inspection, they were none other than Yan Liming and Yan Hengchuan.

Gazing at the cave before them and comparing it to the records in his sect’s scriptures, Yan Liming revealed a satisfied smile. "Not bad. This should be one of the hideouts used by the local Demon Cultivators of the Western Wilderness. I can rest and recuperate here."

After the four great sects of the Demon Dao entered the Western Wilderness and their power waxed while the righteous path’s waned, the local Demon Cultivators had all joined them. They could now openly occupy Spiritual Lands to cultivate and no longer needed to hide in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

This hideout was now conveniently his for the taking.

"Go take a look inside." To be safe, Yan Liming ordered the figure beside him.

The figure was Yan Hengchuan. Upon receiving Yan Liming’s command, he walked stiffly toward the cave.

Watching his wooden, lifeless back, Yan Liming couldn’t help but feel a flicker of smugness.

Previously, after being brainwashed and demoralized by Yan Liming’s talk of ’True Cultivators’ versus ’inferior cultivators,’ Yan Hengchuan had finally succumbed to the temptation of Foundation Establishment and Core Formation, and had begun practicing the Cultivation Technique Yan Liming had transmitted into his mind.

What he didn’t know was that the technique Yan Liming had given him wasn’t the Cultivation Skill for the Blood Spirit Hundred Transformations Scripture at all, but the refinement method for a Secret Technique contained within it: the Art of the Blood Puppet.

The creator of the Blood Spirit Hundred Transformations Scripture had cunningly disguised this Secret Technique as a Cultivation Technique for dissemination.

Once a Cultivator began practicing it, their cultivation speed would indeed be astonishing. In reality, however, they weren’t cultivating at all; they were actively refining themselves into a Blood Puppet.

Yan Liming had used this Secret Technique to ensnare countless Cultivators.

Yan Hengchuan’s current state was proof that he, too, had fallen for the trick. In the process of practicing the Secret Technique, he had unknowingly become Yan Liming’s Blood Puppet.

Yan Liming gloated inwardly. ’A Loose Cultivator is just a Loose Cultivator. He knew I was a Demon Cultivator, yet he still dared to practice the Cultivation Technique I gave him. I didn’t even have to lift a finger; he refined himself into a Blood Puppet all on his own.’

Standing outside the cave, Yan Liming waited for a while, but Yan Hengchuan did not emerge.

He couldn’t help but wonder, ’Hm? What’s going on?’

However, despite his confusion, he wasn’t overly concerned.

After all, since Yan Hengchuan had only recently been refined into a Blood Puppet, Yan Liming couldn’t yet control him as easily as his own limbs. He could only issue short commands for simple tasks.

Yan Liming assumed that Yan Hengchuan’s failure to emerge promptly simply meant he hadn’t received a new command and had stopped inside the cave.

Besides, there had been no sound or fluctuation of Magical Power from the cave since Yan Hengchuan entered.

Clearly, the cave was safe.

With this in mind, Yan Liming decided not to wait any longer. Protecting himself with a shield-type Dharma Artifact, he slowly walked into the cave.

"Hm?"

But to his surprise, the cave was completely empty. Yan Hengchuan, who had entered first, was nowhere to be seen.

’How is this possible? Could there be some hidden mechanism in this cave?’ Surprised, Yan Liming began a more thorough search of the entire cave.

But after searching for a long time, he ended up standing in the center of the cave empty-handed.

His search confirmed there were no other hiding places or exits. His Blood Puppet had seemingly vanished into thin air.

His expression flickered uncertainly for a moment before he sat down cross-legged, appearing to meditate and cultivate.

In reality, he wasn’t cultivating. Instead, he scanned his surroundings vigilantly, waiting in silence.

He waited like this for an entire night, but nothing happened.

The next morning, after searching the cave once more, Yan Liming sighed in lament and walked out, seemingly leaving for good.

In truth, he didn’t go far. He hid near the cave entrance, his eyes fixed on it.

After lying in wait for more than half a month, Yan Liming finally lost his patience and stepped back into the cave to check again...

And while Yan Liming was busy outwitting the air, Yan Hengchuan was resting in a man-made cave several thousand miles away.

"I finally escaped! That Demon Cultivator is too damn cunning. This is over a thousand miles from that cave; he shouldn’t be able to catch up." Yan Hengchuan’s heart was still pounding with fear.

In truth, he had long suspected there was something wrong with the Cultivation Technique Yan Liming had given him. Who but a fool would trust the words of a Demon Cultivator?

However, considering he was dealing with a Demon Cultivator who killed without blinking, it was hard to say what would have happened to him if he had refused to practice the technique.

To save his own life, he had no choice but to practice the technique, actively allowing himself to be refined into a puppet.

What Yan Liming didn’t know, however, was that although Yan Hengchuan practiced the given technique, his suspicions led him to deliberately suppress his cultivation speed.

When he noticed his body transforming into a Flesh Puppet during his practice, he put on an even more convincing act of obedience, earning Yan Liming’s trust.

Of course, his deception was only effective because Yan Liming’s Cultivation was too low after his Possession—merely at the Qi Refining Stage.

Originally, Yan Hengchuan had planned to continue feigning his puppet-like state, follow Yan Liming, and then find an opportunity to lure a Demon Beast to kill him, after which he would figure out his own escape.

But as luck would have it...

When ordered by Yan Liming to scout the cave, he had unexpectedly discovered a second exit. And upon further inspection, he even found the mechanism to close it.

So, he acted decisively.

While Yan Liming was still waiting outside, he seized the opportunity to leave through the other exit and sealed it shut behind him.

The entire process left Yan Hengchuan on edge, terrified that Yan Liming would catch him. Fortunately, he was not pursued.

What he didn’t know was that the exit he had used was an emergency escape route left by the previous Demon Cultivator. To confuse enemies, it could only be opened and closed from the outside.

From inside the cave, there was no trace of the exit at all.

Unable to find the exit, Yan Liming mistakenly assumed Yan Hengchuan was hiding and tried to lure him out with an act, never imagining he was already long gone.

...

Sitting cross-legged, he felt his stiff body and the blood-tinged Magical Power in his Dantian.

A helpless look crossed Yan Hengchuan’s face. ’To fool that Demon Cultivator, I had to practice the technique he gave me. I don’t know if the current state of my body can be reversed.’

Thinking this, he sat cross-legged and tried to cultivate the Basic Skill, Golden Sword Skill.

To his disappointment, however, his half-puppet body was completely unable to practice any other Cultivation Technique.

The moment he tried, the technique the Demon Cultivator had given him would automatically activate, pushing him further toward a full puppet state.

Seeing this result, Yan Hengchuan’s expression turned incredibly sour. ’Damn you, Demon Cultivator. I’ll remember this.’

...

After several months of rushing and carefully avoiding other Cultivators and Demon Beasts, Yan Hengchuan finally reached Gaoji Mountain.

His Storage Bag had been taken by the Demon Cultivator, and he had also lost his Dharma Artifacts and Immortal City identity token.

Coupled with his current appearance, which screamed Demon Cultivator, Yan Hengchuan didn’t dare return directly to the Immortal City, fearing he’d be dealt with on the spot.

But staying outside the Immortal City long-term wasn’t safe either.

A Spiritual Mechanism sparked in his mind: he thought of his Grandmaster’s concubine, Bai Lin.

He knew Bai Lin was a Cultivator from the Bai family of Gaoji Mountain, and that his Grandmaster had a good relationship with them.

Therefore, he sought out the Bai family, hoping to ask his Grandmaster to meet with him through them.

In his current situation, his only hope was to rely on his Grandmaster’s help.

...

"What? Hengchuan is at Gaoji Mountain?" Li Ping shot to his feet upon hearing Bai Lin’s report.

Bai Lin nodded obediently. "The person sent by the Old Ancestor said so. It should be true."

With Bai Lin’s confirmation, a look of joyful surprise appeared on Li Ping’s face. "Excellent! I’ll head to Gaoji Mountain at once."

With no news of Yan Hengchuan for over a year, he had been preparing to write a letter to his third senior brother, informing him of Yan Hengchuan’s death and offering his apologies.

He never expected to suddenly receive news that Yan Hengchuan was still alive. How could he not be overjoyed?

Aboard the rapidly speeding Floating Shadow Shuttle, Li Ping gazed into the distance.

At the same time, he pondered why Yan Hengchuan would stay at Gaoji Mountain and ask him to meet there, rather than returning directly to the Immortal City.

’Has he run into some kind of trouble?’ Li Ping wondered silently.

As he mulled it over, the silhouette of Gaoji Mountain came into view ahead.

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