Controlling A Puppet

Controlling A Puppet . . .

As the experts of the Battle Sword Faction gathered in response to Zai Yan's chilling proclamation, a pallor settled over their faces. Did this mean that every member at or above the Heavenly Dipper Realm was condemned to death? The cruelty of it all weighed heavily upon them.

"The Royal Sacred Sect? How utterly ridiculous," erupted some members, their eyes reddening with indignation. "We've never betrayed the Royal Sacred Sect, yet you seek to exterminate us all? Such tyranny! Even in death, we shall linger as specters to witness the fall of the Royal Sacred Sect's dominion."

"Are you all preparing to take your own lives? If so, there's no need for mercy," Zai Yan retorted, his eyes devoid of emotion. The Royal Sacred Sect had united the nine great sects into nine powerful factions to facilitate rule and the recruitment of prodigies. If any threat to their supremacy arose, they had no qualms extinguishing the offender and elevating a replacement sect.

"Suicide? Why not simply have the Sacred Emperor execute us? It would be more expedient," Xu Cang remarked, his heart chilling. There were no alternatives left; they had to fight with every ounce of their being.

"Why bother his Majesty with such a trifling matter?" Zai Yan raised his palms, his voice resounding through the skies. "The Royal Sacred Sect hereby declares the Battle Sword Sect traitors, colluding with our enemies. They are sentenced to death, without mercy."

"KILL, KILL, KILL!" A thunderous battle cry erupted, echoing as a relentless wave. A countless throng of experts surged toward the Battle Sword Faction from all directions, their overpowering presence threatening to rend heaven and earth asunder.

The Violet Thunder Sect's experts assembled, casting the sky in violet radiance. A colossal purple sword, spanning ten thousand meters, brimmed with destructive power, materializing before their eyes. The Violet Thunder Sect elders infused it with astral energy, enhancing its potency. As Xu Cang, the Battle Sword Sect's elder, witnessed this, he locked his gaze on the violet sword and cursed, "Ninethunder, you'll meet a gruesome end!"

Ninethunder, the leader of the Violet Thunder Faction and a vice-leader of the Royal Sacred Sect, wore robes adorned with lightning and thunder motifs. His electric eyes gleamed with malice as he waved his hand, laughing, "Fear not, you won't tread the road to the Yellow Springs alone."

The ten thousand-meter lightning sword descended, unleashing a deafening storm of destruction that obliterated everything in its path. Terrified expressions flashed across the faces of those below, and numerous Battle Sword Sect experts were annihilated in an instant.

The enormous purple sword carved through the Battle Sword Faction's location, tearing the earth asunder. Countless experts met a swift demise under this assault, leaving survivors with eyes aflame with vengeful fury.

But they had no opportunity to retaliate; the Royal Sacred Sect's experts outnumbered them tenfold. Even if they wished to fight, time was not on their side.

"Xu Cang," came a cold voice, and the Battle Sword Sect's elder turned his gaze skyward. In the firmament, a constellation comprised of innumerable golden eyes materialized.

"Shang Ying," Xu Cang responded, his sword at the ready. The surroundings transformed into a sword domain, setting the stage for an impending clash.

Shang Ying, the former emperor of Grand Shang who had relinquished his throne to become a vice sect leader of the Royal Sacred Sect, often immersed himself in seclusion, striving to break through to the next realm.

"The Battle Sword Sect's doom is sealed," Shang Ying declared with icy resolve, his golden eyes radiating an intense light. In an instant, he ensnared Xu Cang in a world conjured by his eye technique.

"BREAK!" Xu Cang bellowed, slashing his sword through the air. His blade cut through the celestial landscape, shattering countless golden eyes as their fierce clash unfolded.

Though Xu Cang could hold his own against Shang Ying, what about the other members of the Battle Sword Sect? This battle was far beyond their capabilities.

Suddenly, a formidable will surged from the distance, accompanied by an archaic voice brimming with fury, "The Royal Sacred Sect is willing to slaughter its own subordinates in cold blood? How merciless and tyrannical! No wonder Zai Xuan betrayed our world and aided that ominous young man from the immortal realms, abducting innocent young women."

The voice rang out from the skies, causing everyone present to freeze in astonishment. All eyes turned toward the source of the voice, narrowing in intrigue.

"Medicine Sovereign, this is an internal matter of the Royal Sacred Sect. What concern is it of yours?" A chilling aura emanated from within the Royal Sacred Sect, sending shivers down the spines of all present.

It was the Sacred Emperor. Clearly, he had sensed the arrival of the Medicine Sovereign. Beings of their caliber possessed perceptions far superior to mortals.

"Your Royal Sacred Sect claims to be the world's hegemon, yet you commit such heinous acts? As part of the Royal Sacred Region, my Medicine Sovereign Valley will intervene on the side of justice," declared the Medicine Sovereign, his voice resonating from the heavens. In the distance, Medicine Sovereign Valley's experts hurried over, led by an immensely powerful Xuanwu puppet carrying the Medicine Sovereign himself. Surrounding them were formidable puppets, resembling an army of war machines.

The Sacred Emperor had also arrived, and both leaders now hovered above the Battle Sword Faction, staring each other down from afar.

"What? You intend to meddle in this?" The Sacred Emperor's gaze turned frosty, and a heavy pressure pervaded the surroundings, stifling the entire world. This time, it wasn't just the Sacred Emperor's immortal sense; he was physically present.

"Let them all depart," the Medicine Sovereign responded calmly.

"Impossible," the Sacred Emperor firmly rejected. Having already initiated the purge of their sect, there was no way they would allow the Battle Sword Sect to escape unpunished. Especially not with the Medicine Sovereign's arrival. Allowing the Battle Sword Sect to leave would undermine their prestige and authority.

"In that case, we have no choice but to fight," the Medicine Sovereign replied icily, as though he had foreseen the Sacred Emperor's answer.

"How shall we proceed? If you and I get involved and deal with those below us, both my Royal Sacred Sect and your Medicine Sovereign Valley will suffer heavy losses," the Sacred Emperor inquired. At their level, they could dispose of ascendants with ease. If both intervened against mortals, mutual destruction would be the only outcome.

"You and I have a pact. Unless one of us falls, we may not interfere in their battle," the Medicine Sovereign replied with concern. He had no intention of allowing his sect to be annihilated entirely. In truth, the victor between them would determine the outcome of the war. However, the condition was that one of them must be able to kill the other first. For example, if the Sacred Emperor managed to slay the Medicine Sovereign, it would spell doom for the Medicine Sovereign Valley, and vice versa.

"What about that puppet?" the Sacred Emperor pointed to the Xuanwu puppet beneath the Medicine Sovereign.

"It will not initiate attacks against your people but will passively protect the experts of my Medicine Sovereign Valley," the Medicine Sovereign clarified.

"In that case, very well, I shall indulge in a taste of your formidable prowess, you seemingly immortal old eccentric," the Sacred Emperor chuckled, his tone remarkably serene, devoid of animosity. The ambiance surrounding them bore a striking resemblance to two old friends engaging in a friendly sparring match.

As their banter flowed, a radiant halo enveloped them, casting a luminous spectacle across the section of the sky they occupied. Both the Sacred Emperor and the Medicine Sovereign, in this moment, underwent a palpable transformation of their auras. These were genuine immortals, and the ethereal glow encircling them emanated from the very essence of their immortal being.

"RUMBLE!"

A monumental wave of regal energy surged from the Sacred Emperor. His fist shot forward, releasing a dazzling immortal radiance that shook the heavens and the earth, puncturing through the fabric of space and morphing into a formidable black hole hurtling towards the Medicine Sovereign. In terms of mastering force, he had achieved absolute mastery. Despite the astonishing might of his attack, not a single iota of energy dissipated wastefully.

The Medicine Sovereign retaliated with a single pointed finger, propelling a fiery beam toward the Sacred Emperor's assault. This fiery beam might have seemed unassuming, but upon contact with the Sacred Emperor's attack, it unleashed a cataclysmic surge of annihilative energy. Space transformed into a fiery sea, yet the Medicine Sovereign stood within it, seemingly untouched, harnessing this blaze to fortify the fires of his existence.

Observers near the spectacle felt the ambient temperature soaring due to the blistering heat. Even their garments seemed to ignite, while their parched skin developed cracks. Their gaze remained fixated on the airborne sea of fire. These were no ordinary mortal flames; they were the flames of immortality.

At the echelon inhabited by the Sacred Emperor and the Medicine Sovereign, their strength had transcended ordinary comprehension.

"Let us relocate our duel to a more suitable location. These bystanders won't endure the shockwaves from our aftermath," the Medicine Sovereign proposed, ascending into the sky. The Sacred Emperor followed suit, and they transformed into twin points of luminosity shooting skyward. Spectators below witnessed cascades of destructive energy surging downward, akin to fading embers from an immortal fire. If this force met with mortals, even low-level ascendants would disintegrate into ash.

The members of the Battle Sword Sect collectively breathed a sigh of relief, gratitude filling their hearts. They had been snatched from the brink of destruction by the timely arrival of the Medicine Sovereign, who had reinforced them with his Medicine Sovereign Valley's experts. Otherwise, the consequences would have been dire indeed.

Yet, even accounting for the Medicine Sovereign Valley's experts and their combat puppets, their numbers paled in comparison to those of the Royal Sacred Sect. The Royal Sacred Sect wielded their numerical superiority to press them relentlessly.

The most potent assets of the Medicine Sovereign Valley were their combat puppets. Each puppet had reached the pinnacle of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm. However, within the dominion of the Royal Sacred Sect, there were simply too many experts. In the presence of combat puppets, the experts of the Medicine Sovereign Valley and the Battle Sword Sect still grappled with overwhelming pressure.

The immortal-ranked puppet remained restrained, barred from initiating attacks, only permitted to defend passively. Such was the compromise brokered between the Medicine Sovereign and the Sacred Emperor when they opted to step back from total annihilation. Otherwise, both sides would have plunged into a scenario of mutual obliteration.

In the heat of the moment, Qin Wentian found himself nestled within a remarkable puppet, its form resembling that of a magnificent roc. He had spent considerable time acquainting himself with this extraordinary creation and couldn't help but marvel at the genius behind its construction.

Puppet crafting was an artistry that stood as one of the most challenging endeavors known, even surpassing the intricacies of forging divine weapons. In the realm of powerful puppets, each component equaled a divine weapon in potential, capable of unleashing unparalleled might. However, the creator had to meticulously balance the strength of every single part, harmonizing the energy output so that the wielder could harness it to its full potential. Those combat puppets he had encountered at the White Deer Institute were mere molehills compared to this colossal mountain of craftsmanship. The gulf in complexity was staggering.

Within the puppet's inner sanctum lay an array of intricate formations etched in divine inscriptions. The controller could manipulate these with their consciousness, yet the true power unleashed depended on the operator's mastery of the puppet and their control, influenced by their own cultivation level.

Observing the experts from the Royal Sacred Sect through the eyes of the roc puppet, Qin Wentian's gaze remained fixed. The representatives of the nine great sects must have all assembled to partake in this brutal confrontation. It had been a close call; even a slight delay would have spelled the annihilation of the Battle Sword Sect.

To set the record straight, it was Zai Qiu who had killed Quinn, not the other way around. The Royal Sacred Sect had betrayed the Battle Sword Sect, igniting a feud between them. What's more, rather than extending an apology, they were now opting for the complete eradication of the Battle Sword Sect. The world's self-proclaimed hegemon exhibited unparalleled tyranny.

"Swish!"

A furious gust of wind swept by as Qin Wentian, at the helm of the roc puppet, soared into the heavens. Formations inscribed upon the puppet's wings sprang to life, summoning a tempestuous windstorm that barreled toward the experts of the Violet Thunder Sect.

Ninethunder's expression shifted when he witnessed this spectacle. His eyes locked onto the approaching combat puppet as he urgently advised, "This particular puppet demands astronomical amounts of Yuan Meteor Stones to maintain. Do not engage it directly; instead, stall until it exhausts its energy reserves. Once it runs dry, we can dismantle it with ease!"