Chapter 671: Slaying the Puppet

"Refining the alien clansmen into puppets, then setting commands so they act like normal people—it's indeed hard to detect in a short time! Senior Wu Yangzi probably found it thrilling to fool these fellows every day, and was so delighted that he forgot his worries!"

Zhang Xuan smiled.

Humans and the alien race were irreconcilable enemies, and as a master of artifact refinement, he understood this principle.

He must have been furious when first captured, but later, killing one or two every day—who wouldn't be so excited as to forget home?

An alien clansman who had survived since ancient times, each not weaker than him, yet... all were refined into puppets, wiping out the entire clan—just thinking about it was exhilarating...

Longing for home? Longing for nothing.

How pleasant it was here!

Only a fool would be homesick and miserable!

At the end of the book, the handwriting was exuberant, the sentences cheerful—it was clear the fellow was so happy he was practically flying.

As for how he tricked so many alien clansmen into willingly undergoing refinement, believing they would achieve immortality... the book didn't say, so it was impossible to know.

However, based on Zhang Xuan's speculation, it must have been gradual.

For example, first helping to refine an arm—the arm had little effect on the mind. Once one succeeded without injury, naturally a second came forward. After everyone's arms were successfully refined...

Then he started on the legs, spine, body...

When everyone trusted him and let down their guard, he refined their skulls, turning them into puppets in one fell swoop...

Of course, these were just his guesses; without seeing it firsthand, no one knew the specifics.

All that was known was that under the enthusiastic efforts of this upright and righteous Senior Wu Yangzi, the alien clansmen who had sought to extend their lives... were completely wiped out.

"According to Teacher Wu Yangzi's records, this underground palace had at least twenty alien clansmen, almost all of whom fell for his tricks and became puppets. Killing so many alien clansmen at once—if reported to the Master Teacher Hall, the merit would be enough to ensure a family's prosperity for a hundred generations..."

Suddenly recalling something, Luo Qiqi said.

Slaying alien clansmen was meritorious for humanity and could be rewarded at the Master Teacher Hall.

The higher the cultivation of those killed and the greater the number, the larger the reward. This Master Wu, single-handedly killing over twenty alien clansmen of similar strength, was enough to go down in history and have the Master Teacher Hall protect his descendants for a hundred generations!

In fact, with just one word, making his descendant the emperor of the Hongyuan Empire would be simple.

"Well, we'll report this to the Master Teacher Hall in detail when we get back. As for the reward, it's none of our concern!"

Zhang Xuan laughed. "For now, let's focus on getting out of here!"

Luo Qiqi nodded.

"According to his account, we need to go back the way we came. Although the Dragon-Severing Lock can't be opened, there are mechanisms around that can be used... In other words, if we want to return, we first have to deal with that big fellow outside!"

Zhang Xuan said.

The book recorded how to leave.

This was a prison where Wu Yangzi was confined, so naturally there was no exit. To leave, they had to pass through the Dragon-Severing Lock.

That mechanism was clearly unopenable, but Wu Yangzi, as a master refiner, had secretly left a contingency plan to escape.

Unfortunately, he never succeeded in the end.

"Deal with?"

Thinking of that big fellow, Luo Qiqi was full of worry.

It was too terrifying!

Invulnerable to weapons, fast, powerful—almost flawless.

"Don't worry. If it had no weaknesses before, now... it does!"

Seeming to read her thoughts, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly.

Before, when dealing with that big fellow, even if the Library of Heaven's Path pointed out the location of its weakness, his strength and means were insufficient.

Like an ant trying to kill a divine dragon—knowing the weakness but unable to even break its skin, how could it kill?

Knowing that cutting off its head would kill it, but with its strong defense and speed, even using maximum strength and the best weapon only left a white mark—naturally, he was no match!

Thus, when facing true experts, the Library of Heaven's Path played a lesser role because... the opponent's weakness might be stronger than your own strength.

In the previous battle, he had exhausted all his skills to no avail, but now that the Ice Rain Sword had advanced to the Half-Saint level, it would be easy!

"Teacher means... to attack directly?"

Seeing him pick up the Ice Rain Sword, Luo Qiqi was stunned.

She only knew that this Ice Rain Sword surpassed the Spirit-tier high grade, but its exact level was unknown.

Although her artifact refinement skills had improved considerably, she was still far inferior to Zhang Xuan in appraisal.

"Yes. In a moment, I'll remove the formation. You attract its attention from the front, and I'll strike from behind, aiming for a one-hit kill!"

Zhang Xuan instructed, detailing the tactics. "You need to do this..."

"Alright!" Hearing the teacher's instructions, Luo Qiqi nodded without hesitation.

If he could make her refine pills and artifacts simultaneously and succeed, what couldn't this teacher do?

She walked to the Red Flame Cauldron and stored it away. At the same time, with a flick of her wrist, a longbow appeared in her palm, and she nocked an arrow.

The previous one had been destroyed by that puppet. Although this one looked similar, its grade was lower, and its effect far inferior.

But there was no help for it; she only had one Spirit-tier long-range weapon, so she had to make do with this.

Seeing she was ready, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath, leaped up, and flew straight upward.

After searching for a moment, he stopped at a spot, channeled true energy into his palm, and grabbed downward fiercely.

Woo woo woo!

One by one, formation flags were pulled from the ground. The hall, which had been too dark to see far, gradually brightened under the night pearls' light, revealing the figure of that big fellow again.

Roar!

Seeing it, the creature also spotted Luo Qiqi and charged straight at her with an angry roar.

"Die!"

Raising her brows, Luo Qiqi didn't pause. She shot arrows like a storm from her longbow.

Ding ding ding ding!

Because the power was insufficient, the arrows landed on the creature but didn't even slow it down, let alone pierce its skin.

Not expecting such a difference in power, Luo Qiqi gritted her teeth and threw the longbow directly at its face.

Crack!

The puppet's hand swept, splitting the longbow in two. It was already upon her, its iron fist swinging with a whistling wind, aiming straight at her.

The fist wind howled; if hit, she would surely die on the spot.

Seeing the fist about to reach her, Luo Qiqi raised her brows and flipped her wrist.

Clang!

With a loud crash, the Red Flame Cauldron she had just stored in her ring appeared in front of her.

The cauldron had ventilation holes for coal combustion. The puppet's fist happened to plunge into one, getting stuck and unable to move.

The Red Flame Cauldron was a treasure left by Wu Yangzi from his artifact refinement. Even he couldn't destroy it, so naturally the puppet couldn't either. It was caught, furious but helpless.

"Teacher's method works really well!"

Seeing it succeed, Luo Qiqi's eyes lit up.

When the teacher had explained the situation, she thought it would be hard to accomplish, but following his instructions strictly, she did it easily.

She had no idea how he had figured it out.

This application of thinking and experience in battle was practically heaven-defying.

Swish!

As she marveled, a cold gleam flashed before her eyes. The puppet's body shook, and its head fell off.

The teacher had somehow appeared behind it and sliced off its head with one sword stroke.

"So sharp..."

Seeing the Ice Rain Sword cut off the head with a single swipe, Luo Qiqi's eyes went wide.

Even without Zhang Xuan's discernment, she now knew that the sword upgraded with a piece of Cold Cyan Stone was no mere Spirit-tier high grade!

Even a top grade couldn't do it so easily!

"Teacher, what grade has the Ice Rain Sword reached?"

She couldn't help asking.

"Half-Saint." Zhang Xuan saw no need to hide it.

"Half-Saint level?" Luo Qiqi's body swayed.

A weapon of that level—even a Six-Star Grandmaster Artificer couldn't just refine one on a whim. And she had succeeded while unconscious?

"Alright, pack up, and let's hurry to leave!"

Seeing her eyes wide with disbelief, Zhang Xuan waved his hand, inwardly wondering... This Master Teacher Academy, which boasted so grandly, why did the few talented students he'd met seem so inexperienced?

Artifact refinement forging, furnace quenching—after such tempering, the Ice Rain Sword advancing to Half-Saint was both unexpected and reasonable. What was there to make a fuss about?

"Yes!"

Unaware of Zhang Xuan's confusion, Luo Qiqi suppressed her shock, stored everything into her ring, and turned to hand him a book.

"Teacher, this is Teacher Wu Yangzi's body-tempering technique, the Five Radiance Golden Body, a Spirit-tier peak secret manual..."

The reason she had persuaded Zhang Xuan to follow was precisely because Teacher Wu Yangzi had a body-tempering technique. Now that she had it, she handed it over.

"Mm." Zhang Xuan touched it with his finger, then withdrew. "You've inherited Senior Wu Yangzi's legacy. This is his unique technique. I won't take it—it wouldn't be proper. Study it well and live up to his hopes!"

Without a master-disciple relationship, unique secret manuals were rarely passed on.

Otherwise, it would break the Master Teacher Hall's rules, and no one would have any secrets.

"This..."

Unexpectedly, he refused because of the rules, Luo Qiqi's face reddened. She wanted to say something but didn't know how.

Anyone else would want to keep such a precious body-tempering technique for themselves, but the teacher directly refused...

Such integrity, such professional ethics, were admirable and moving!

Teacher Zhang, from now on you are my role model. Whatever you do, I will learn from you!

Luo Qiqi made a vow.

She was utterly impressed and swore to learn from Teacher Zhang. Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan was looking at the newly appeared Five Radiance Golden Body manual in the Library of Heaven's Path, his face full of bitterness.

"Seventy-eight flaws? Damn! Is this really a Spirit-tier peak body-tempering technique? Is it messing with me? How am I supposed to practice such a crappy book that's treated as a treasure and legacy..."