Chapter 281: Saint Puppet Sect

Above the silver-white crescent moon spirit boat stood a three-story pavilion, entirely crystalline white, as if carved from ice and jade, adorned with exquisite patterns of flowers, birds, fish, and insects, as well as various hidden talisman inscriptions.

"The first floor of the pavilion has meditation rooms. Fellow Daoists may each choose one. Three days from now, gather here again. I will give some explanations regarding this mission, but I don't know much about the specifics myself; we'll have to wait until we reach the Saint Puppet Sect to find out." Lin San briefly instructed the group, then his figure drifted upward.

He stepped through the void, layers of snow lotus phantom blossoms blooming beneath his feet, as if ascending a staircase, until he reached the third floor of the pavilion, pushed open the door, and entered.

Han Li gazed at the third floor of the pavilion, a hint of confusion appearing on his face.

The mask Lin San wore was also crimson, like Jiao San's back then, belonging to a higher level than cyan within the Wuchang Alliance. Although Han Li could not detect the other's cultivation aura, he felt there was a good chance Lin San was a Golden Immortal realm cultivator.

If a Golden Immortal realm cultivator was truly leading the team, this mission would likely be quite difficult. He would need to be extra cautious.

At that moment, the tall figure of Lin Jiu approached from the side, saying with a smile, "Hehe! I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Jiao Fifteen to also take on this mission. It seems fate has brought us together."

"The mission rewards are truly generous; I couldn't help but be tempted," Han Li replied with a smile.

"This mission is quite special. I imagine you've noticed as well, Fellow Daoist?" Lin Jiu asked.

"You mean the way the mission was posted and the unusually high compensation, Fellow Daoist Lin Jiu?" Han Li nodded and said.

"Indeed. The puppets made by the Saint Puppet Sect have always been of excellent quality and highly spirited, making them favorites of many sects and forces. Hence, the sect has extraordinary relationships with many sects. It is said that the sect master of the Lingchang Sect and the mountain lord of Fujia Mountain have always been sworn brothers with the Saint Puppet Sect master. Yet, as far as I know, this time when resisting foreign enemies, they did not seek help from these sects but instead came to the Wuchang Alliance," Lin Jiu said casually.

"Perhaps the trouble the Saint Puppet Sect faces is considerable, and these minor forces may not have the capability. But these matters are not for us to worry about; we are merely taking money to eliminate troubles for others," Han Li said with a nonchalant smile.

"Well said. Regardless, the Saint Puppet Sect is very wealthy. As long as the rewards are substantial, that's fine. I've been rather short on immortal spirit stones lately. Haha..." Lin Jiu also laughed.

Both had already guessed each other's identities, but neither revealed it. They simply chatted casually, even tacitly avoiding any mention of the turmoil caused by the previous mission, as if the two had never undertaken that mission together.

A moment later, the crescent moon spirit boat vibrated slightly, talisman symbols shimmering on its surface. A sharp sound of air being torn rang out as it flew off the coast of Guyun Continent, speeding southwestward.

The others on the spirit boat also entered the first floor of the pavilion one after another, each finding a meditation room, closing the door behind them.

Soon, Lin Jiu also returned to the attic, leaving only Han Li on the deck, leaning against the railing and gazing into the distance.

Below, near the coast, the slightly turbid seawater lashed against jagged, grotesque rocks, stirring up dense patches of white foam.

……

Several months later.

At the southeastern corner of the Minghan Continent, on a stretch of deep blue sea, the wind blew and waves churned.

In the azure, cloudless sky, a crescent-shaped spirit boat sped from afar. Over a dozen people stood on the deck, looking ahead. At the horizon where water met sky, a gray trace could be seen clinging to the sea's surface.

As the spirit boat drew closer, the gray trace gradually enlarged, eventually revealing its full form.

It was a massive, oval-shaped island, covered in rocks and sparse woods. Even from a great distance, one could see stone hall buildings scattered everywhere.

Around the island, seven or eight smaller islands were distributed, like guards encircling the central one.

After a moment, the crescent spirit boat reached the island's periphery, halted, and hovered in midair.

Han Li, clad in a green robe, stood by the port railing, leaning against it. Blue light surged in his eyes as he looked toward the island, his brow slightly furrowing.

The entire island, including the seven or eight smaller ones around it, was covered by a nearly transparent hemispherical light barrier. Water-like ripples slid across its surface, sending out waves of fluctuations.

On the island, huge rocks were cut neatly and stacked in a seemingly chaotic but actually meaningful pattern, scattered along the coast.

To someone ignorant of formations, this might appear merely as a poorly constructed defensive wall, but Han Li knew these boulders were the foundation of the island's grand protective array, and the surrounding islands were key formation hubs.

He lowered his gaze, focusing on the nearest small island. There, around a central round-tower structure, wide roads were built, interconnected to form a complete pattern—precisely a formation diagram.

Just then, a loud hum suddenly emanated from the island below, and it began to tremble violently.

Seeing this, the people on the spirit boat flashed wariness in their eyes as they looked down. The seawater around the island boiled, surging into towering waves dozens of feet high.

Han Li's expression remained unchanged as he saw that the originally clear seawater had become turbid under this disturbance.

On the island below, several neat fissures several zhang wide split open and continued to expand, and the entire island slowly opened up like an octagonal treasure box.

Amid a rumbling roar, many large areas on the island rose slowly from the ground, floating in the void and shifting sideways a little, revealing the area beneath them.

The entire island immediately expanded greatly, and together with the areas suspended in the air, it became three layers.

Unlike the barren gray-brown of the top layer, the lower two layers were lush and green, with a much more pleasant environment.

They were covered with forests and traversed by rivers, and one stream flowed from the second layer to the first, forming a vertical waterfall in midair, which had a unique charm.

Although the people on the spirit boat were not ordinary, they could not help but show some surprise in their eyes at this sight, clearly marveling at the mechanisms on this small island.

At this moment, a slight sound came from above the island, and the protective array flashed, splitting open an opening just large enough for the spirit boat to pass through.

The crescent moon spirit boat passed through the grand formation and slowly descended toward a white stone square on the first layer of the island.

After everyone disembarked, Lin San waved his hand and put away the spirit boat.

On the square, more than a dozen people were already waiting. At their head was a woman dressed in a water-blue palace gown. She was not tall, but her figure was exquisitely proportioned. A light veil covered her face, yet one could still vaguely discern a stunning outline, leaving much to the imagination.

Han Li gave her a once-over and realized that this woman was a True Immortal realm late-stage cultivator. Her aura was solid and profound, clearly indicating that she had been at this stage for many years.

The dozen or so people behind her were also True Immortal realm cultivators, but most seemed to be at the early stage.

Although these people showed no unusual expressions on their faces, deep in their eyes there seemed to be a hint of anxiety, making them appear somewhat worried.

"Fellow Daoists, you must be tired from the journey. Please rest a while in the hall, and allow me to inform you of the detailed matters," the palace-gowned woman said, giving a slight bow to the group.

Upon hearing this, Lin San nodded to her.

Seeing this, the palace-gowned woman walked ahead with Lin San, leading the group toward the hall.

The terrain around the square was quite uneven, with gray-white stone pillars, either round or square, scattered everywhere. They were engraved with all kinds of hidden runes and strange lines, and the ground was also covered with many complex array patterns.

Even on the ancient buildings half-hidden among the trees, Han Li could detect faint fluctuations from spell formations.

He was not at all surprised by this, because cultivators who were skilled in puppet arts usually had considerable expertise in spell formations as well, since the refinement of puppets inevitably required the exquisite depiction and proper application of formations.

Speaking of which, when he was in the lower realm, he had done quite a bit of research on the art of puppets and mechanisms, but now that he had come to the Northern Frost Immortal Domain, he had been busy with cultivation and had not delved into this field for a long time.

Now that he happened to be at the renowned Sacred Puppet Sect in the Northern Frost Immortal Domain, if the opportunity arose, he could inquire about how to forge a suitable new body for the Crab Daoist's pseudo-immortal puppet.

But for now, he should first help this sect get through its crisis.

He wondered just what kind of formidable enemy was coming to attack.

The group walked along the square for a good while before arriving at a slightly old vermilion main hall.

During this time, Han Li inadvertently noticed something. It seemed that the woman in palace attire had turned her head several times, and each time her gaze seemed to be directed, intentionally or not, at Bai Suyuan, who wore a rabbit-head mask.

Once inside the hall, the woman in palace attire and Lin San took their seats at the two main seats on the dais, while the elders of the Sacred Puppet Sect and the members of the Everlasting Covenant sat on either side.

The attendants standing at the door had already brewed spirit tea, and as soon as everyone was seated, they immediately served it.

As the translucent green tea was poured into the cups, a plume of white steam rose, and a refreshing fragrance spread throughout the hall.

Han Li raised an eyebrow slightly and looked down into the teacup, seeing emerald-green tea leaves unfurling in the water, emitting a rich spiritual energy—clearly top-quality spirit tea.

Just as he was about to pick up the cup, the corner of his eye caught sight of the attendant pouring tea for him, on whose fingers faint golden patterns could be seen. His heart stirred slightly, and he immediately looked up.

Only then did he notice that although the attendant moved smoothly, had a normal appearance, and even emitted fluctuations matching those of a low-level cultivator, it was not a human but a lifelike puppet.

From this small detail, Han Li felt that the Sacred Puppet Sect indeed had some unique skills in the art of puppetry.

As a result, his curiosity about the sect's puppet and mechanism arts grew even stronger.