Chapter 30: Fetal Breathing Realm Level 4

"The most important arrays on a puppet's body are the Spirit Core Formation and the Object Control Array."

"The former can gather nature's spiritual energy and store it, similar to a Spirit Gathering Array. It can also utilize the spiritual energy from spirit stones placed at corresponding nodes, thereby empowering the puppet."

"The latter is an array used to control the puppet."

Lu Qingfeng pondered.

A puppet, big or small, to manipulate using Inner Breath, True Qi, or True Yuan all over its body is impractical. Even controlling multiple talisman arrays on a puppet can exhaust one's heart power.

Therefore, someone has developed a special magical artifact known as 'Thousand Machine Stone.' Talismans are input into the Thousand Machine Stone through 'codes' and then linked with the puppet's talisman array. Cultivators can easily control the puppet by mastering the Thousand Machine Stone.

Mu Yuanyi controls the giant puppet using this method. Otherwise, even though he's already a Foundation Establishment Practitioner, he couldn't dream of controlling a giant puppet that's tens of meters tall!

Lu Qingfeng thought about enhancing, upgrading, or integrating the control array within the Thousand Machine Stone to achieve the level of remote control or even autonomous movement based on specific commands.

This is not impossible!

At least in the Hundred Skill Sect and the Spirit Mechanism Institute, there are means to drive a puppet without a cultivator's presence.

However, this is the core true transmission, even Mu Yuanyi is not eligible to learn it.

It is said that only the mysterious master of the Spirit Mechanism Institute holds the secret to this puppet refining. On Cui Ping Mountain, countless puppets are hidden, and no demon dares to trespass!

This is how one can command three hundred miles of mountains!

…

In the Alchemy Room.

Lu Qingfeng closed the "Basic Analysis of Puppet Mechanism Techniques."

He was already very familiar with the principles of Puppet Mechanism Techniques. Having successfully refined the Red Flame Pill Furnace, he was ready to attempt puppet refining.

Considering the time, the real world's pharmacy should be closing soon, Lu Qingfeng logged off in the alchemy room and vanished.

…

"Big brother, today an assistant from Lin Chuan Pharmacy on West Street sent a letter saying that their shopkeeper invites big brother to meet tonight at the Four Seasons Building."

Lu Qingfeng had just woken up when he saw Lu Qingshan holding a letter in front of him.

It had been two months since Lu Qingfeng and his siblings settled in Miao Yin City.

During these two months.

The 'Black Sand Pharmacy' owned by Lu Qingfeng was booming.

With Miao Yin City being a hub for martial artists and currently caught in a war between the Green Jade Sect, War God Society, and the Returning to Truth Sect, the Nourishing Essence Pill and Spirit Clearing Powder refined by Lu Qingfeng—if even diluted—were very effective, making Lu Qingfeng extremely wealthy.

After completing the reincarnation progress in "Primordial," Lu Qingfeng simply hired a shopkeeper and two assistants to manage the pharmacy. He and his siblings, Lu Qingshan and Lu Qingyu, focused on cultivation.

With an abundance of elixir pills over two months, the siblings made substantial progress in their powers.

Lu Qingyu stabilized her cultivation at the First Level of Fetal Breathing and was on the verge of breaking into the Second Level.

Lu Qingshan had just broken through a few days ago, advancing to the Third Level of Fetal Breathing.

As for Lu Qingfeng, he progressed rapidly and was already at the Fourth Level of Fetal Breathing!

Name: Lu Qingfeng [True Body]

Race: Human

Alignment: None

Title: None

Cultivation: Fourth Level of Fetal Breathing Realm

Level: 8 (35/40)

Inner Breath: 310/310 (Quality: True Sect Level)

Life Span: 16/68

Root Bone: 1

Merit: Unknown

Karma: Unknown

Cultivation Technique: Yellow Court Scripture First Layer (Perfection) [Traits: Derivation Technique (First Layer); Control Over All Techniques (First Layer); Karma Removal (First Layer)]; Qing Yuan Sword Technique Ninth Layer (Perfection) [Derivable];

Techniques and Skills: Fire Bomb Technique (Second Level), Heavenly Eye Skill (Second Level), Luo Smoke Step (Second Level), Burning Heart Palm (Second Level), White Jade True Technique (Second Level), Cloak Saber Technique (Second Level), True Yang Finger Skill (Second Level), Wind Control Technique (Second Level), Golden Light Skill (Second Level), Entanglement Skill (Second Level), Concealing Technique (Second Level), Concealing Breath Technique (Second Level), Object Control Skill (Second Level), Transmission Skill (Second Level), Water Control Technique (Second Level), Ice Freeze Skill (Second Level)

Divine Skills: None

Equipment: Wolf-hair Talisman Pen, Several Talismans

Alchemy: "Alchemy Introduction"; "Alchemy Analysis"; "Basic Herb Manual"... Can refine Elixir Pills: Fasting Pill, Yellow Dragon Pill, Spirit Clearing Powder, Recovery Breath Pill, Nourishing Essence Pill, Charming Fragrance Pill, Yellow Chestnut Pills, Heart Corrosion Pill, Breathing Cultivation Pill, Essence Qi Pill, Golden Marrow Pills, Qi Movement Powder, Qi Union Pill

Talisman Making: "Detailed Analysis of Six Common Dan Sand Methods"; "Talisman Paper Basics"; "Comprehensive Low-level Talismans"... Can draw Talismans: Peace Charm, Invisibility Talisman, Earth Tunneling Talisman, Fire Bomb Talisman, Rejuvenation Talisman, Golden Light Talisman, Form-changing Talisman

Artifact Refining: "Basics of Artifact Refining"; "Detailed Fabrication of Tongling Talisman Pen"; "Red Flame Pill Furnace"; "Basics Analysis of Puppet Mechanism Technique"... Can refine Artifacts: Wolf-hair Talisman Pen, Red Flame Pill Furnace

Beast Taming: Skylark (*9)

Cultivating a True Sect Level Cultivation Method "Qing Yuan Sword Technique" to the Fourth Level of Fetal Breathing, compared to cultivating a Basic Level Technique "Flame Sun Scripture" also to the Fourth Level of Fetal Breathing, there are vast differences!

Both the total amount and quality of Inner Breath are greatly disparate!

For instance, when Lu Qingfeng initially cultivated the "Flame Sun Scripture" and reached the Fourth Level of Fetal Breathing, his Inner Breath was merely thirty or forty. Now by cultivating the "Qing Yuan Sword Technique," his total amount of Inner Breath has reached over three hundred!

That's almost a tenfold increase!

Even if the "Flame Sun Scripture" was cultivated to the Ninth Layer of Fetal Breathing, it still may not achieve such robust Inner Breath.

The quality between the two is incomparable.

One is a True Sect type, and the other is merely Basic Level, differing by three major grades.

With his robust Inner Breath, coupled with a variety of techniques and martial skills, Lu Qingfeng is no longer the youth at Black Wood Village who was at the mercy of others. Even if a high-level True Qi Realm master were to attack him now, he would have the confidence to contend with them.

If it's someone newly entered into the True Qi Realm, he even has the confidence to fight and possibly slay them.

Of course, this only applies to those in the True Qi Realm who have cultivated Beginner or Refined Level Techniques. If they practiced a Side Door Level or even the same True Sect Level Techniques, Lu Qingfeng would still opt to flee as far as possible.

However, in the Cultivation World, Guangyuan County is considered a remote area. Lu Qingfeng has reviewed the Returning to Truth Sect's cultivation method "Returning to Truth Technique," which is only slightly more advanced than the "Flame Sun Scripture," but still categorises as a Basic Level Technique.

That Returning to Truth Sect uses a Basic Level Technique as its Zhen sect's divine skill illustrates the level of the martial artists' or hidden cultivators' techniques in Guangyuan County.

Glancing at the attribute panel, Lu Qingfeng felt greatly assured and took an envelope from Lu Qingshan.

The letter inside merely expressed a long-standing admiration for Lu Qingfeng and a special invitation to a banquet to get acquainted. Besides, there will also be owners from two pharmacies and three business stores from Miao Yin South City attending the banquet.

The signature on the letter was Kang Zizai, presumably the shopkeeper of the 'Lin Chuan Pharmacy' on West Street.

"Why did the owner of Lin Chuan Pharmacy invite me to a banquet?"

"Could it be that Black Sand Pharmacy has blocked their financial path?"

Lu Qingfeng closed the letter, somewhat perplexed.

Logically, considering the size of Miao Yin City's market, the minor Black Sand Pharmacy could only cause a slight ripple. If it had indeed blocked the financial paths of these competitors, it would definitely be impossible.

Thus, there are only two possibilities.

First, this Kang Zizai covets the secret formula of Black Sand Pharmacy and intends to seize it forcefully.

This is the worst-case scenario.

Second, as mentioned in the letter, Kang Zizai genuinely just wants to meet Lu Qingfeng and befriend him.

This is the optimistic scenario.

"The surnamed Kang definitely has no good intentions!"

"Big brother, let's not go!"

Seeing that his elder brother had yet to speak, Lu Qingshan preemptively voiced his opinion.

Having experienced Black Wood Village and various malicious situations in Returning to Truth Sect, he had great distrust towards people's intentions. This sudden invitation from Kang Zizai to invite Lu Qingfeng certainly seemed abnormal.

Lu Qingshan was worried about possible deceit.

"Four Seasons Building is located in the most bustling area of Miao Yin City; even if he has ill intentions, he wouldn't dare to act in Four Seasons Building and within Miao Yin City."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head, "Let's go and see what his intentions are, it's not too late to make plans afterward."