Chapter 10: Puppet Refinement

Chapter 10: Puppet Refinement

"Xiao Yi Xian, I only wanted to save you! I never had any intention of harming you!" Liffey screamed desperately, her voice trembling with fear. Her teary eyes locked onto Xiao Yi Xian the only person who could possibly save her. If Xiao Yi Xian decided to kill her, it would truly be over.

"Xiao Yi Xian, this woman has been infatuated with my son, Mu Li, for a long time. They're quite close…" Mu She rasped, his voice hoarse but merciless, stabbing Liffey in the back without hesitation.

"That's not true!" Liffey shrieked. "Xiao Yi Xian, I've always been loyal to you!"

"Enough. Shut up!" Xiao Yi Xian snapped, her voice icy as she grabbed a wooden stick nearby and walked toward Liffey. "I can tell what's true and what's false. I don't need your explanations."

Raising the wooden stick, a faint yellow Dou Qi enveloped it, with a wisp of faint flame flickering faintly on its surface.

"X Xiao Yi Xian!" Liffey's scream pierced the air.

With a loud whoosh, the stick swung down, followed by a sharp crack. Liffey howled in pain as her leg was broken cleanly.

"Out of consideration for our past friendship, I won't kill you," Xiao Yi Xian said coldly as she tossed the stick aside. Grabbing Liffey by the collar, she added, "But you'll be left to fend for yourself in the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

Before Liffey could react, Xiao Yi Xian shoved a bag of medicinal powder into her mouth. Liffey immediately went silent, unable to produce any sound, though her mouth gaped open helplessly. Without hesitation, Xiao Yi Xian hurled her into the dark forest, her figure quickly swallowed by the shadows.

Mu She, Gan Mu, and the others watched, drenched in cold sweat. They never expected the seemingly gentle Xiao Yi Xian to act with such decisiveness and cruelty.

After it was done, Xiao Yi Xian exhaled deeply, surveying the kneeling and groveling members of the Wolfhead Mercenary Group. She turned to Lu Bu and said, "These people aren't my concern. I'll leave them to you."

"Jie, no need to rush." Lu Bu stroked his chin thoughtfully before asking, "Xiao Yi Xian, what are your plans next?"

"Why are you asking?" Xiao Yi Xian glanced at him warily.

"Do you want to join me in training?" Lu Bu offered casually. "Qingshan Town is too small for someone like you."

"This…" Xiao Yi Xian hesitated. She looked at Lu Bu, then at the defeated mercenaries, before shaking her head. "I… I think I'll return for now. I'm not ready to think about that yet."

They'd only known each other for a few hours. Compared to an uncertain future of cultivation, the familiar life in Qingshan Town felt much safer to her.

Hearing her response, Lu Bu frowned slightly but didn't push her. With a flick of his finger, he took Mu She's storage ring and handed it to her.

"Take this. And this as well…" Lu Bu retrieved a glowing jade slip and handed it to her.

"It contains my soul imprint. Crush it if you need to contact me, and I'll know."

"Thank you…" Xiao Yi Xian said softly, accepting the items. With a graceful leap, she disappeared into the forest, heading back toward Qingshan Town.

The remaining members of the Wolfhead Mercenary Group were ashen faced. If Xiao Yi Xian was returning to town, it meant they would never be able to go back themselves.

"Sir, please don't kill me! I'm willing to serve you, to be your loyal servant…" Mu She shouted in terror, but before he could finish, Lu Bu flicked his sleeve.

A wave of powerful soul energy surged forth, transforming into over twenty long needles that pierced the souls of every member of the Wolfhead Mercenary Group.

A soft pop echoed through the air like bursting bubbles. In an instant, all of them Mu She, Gan Mu, and the rest were dead. Their lifeless eyes bulged in shock.

"What would I want a servant like you for? If you were a pretty girl, maybe I'd consider it," Lu Bu muttered disdainfully.

With another wave of his sleeve, he used his soul energy to gather their corpses and flung them over the cliff. However, he kept Mu She's body.

"I'll refine this into a puppet. It's been a while since I've crafted anything. This will be good practice," Lu Bu mused. Since Mu She wasn't particularly valuable, he wouldn't feel bad if the experiment failed.

With a light step, Lu Bu transformed into a flash of lightning, darting deeper into the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

…

Back in Qingshan Town, at Wan Yao Zhai, Xiao Yi Xian resumed her usual routine. She treated mercenaries who came seeking her help, earning a modest income through medical fees. The only noticeable change was the absence of her assistant, Liffey, who had seemingly vanished without a trace.

Not just Liffey, but the leader and second in command of the Wolfhead Mercenary Group had also disappeared.

As time passed, others in the town began noticing something unusual about the mercenary group. It was as if many of its strongest members had vanished overnight, leaving no trace behind.

The resulting power vacuum caused the undercurrents in Qingshan Town to stir. Some mercenaries even began openly challenging the remnants of the Wolfhead Mercenary Group.

But… their hopes were dashed. The Wolfhead Mercenary Group's third captain, Hemeng, was an eight star Dou Fighter and a renowned powerhouse in Qingshan Town. Meanwhile, the young captain Mu Li, under tremendous pressure, broke through to a seven star Dou Fighter.

The two joined forces, repeatedly suppressing internal dissent within the mercenary group and fending off challenges from several rival mercenary factions in Qingshan Town. Although their sphere of influence was significantly reduced, they managed to retain their core strength.

Despite this precarious situation, Mu Li showed no animosity toward Xiao Yi Xian, even though she was a prime suspect in his father's disappearance. He continued interacting with her as if nothing had changed, acting as though his father's absence had nothing to do with her.

Xiao Yi Xian remained indifferent, continuing her daily routine of consultations and studying the Seven Colored Poison Codex. The strange equilibrium of peace persisted in an almost eerie manner.

…

Deep within the Magical Beast Mountain Range, a dense thicket swayed violently as gusts of wind surged through. Fierce cries echoed in the air, and the trees around shook as if struck by an invisible force.

Lu Bu stood shirtless amidst the commotion, his upper body covered with yellow, flame attributed Dou Qi. His muscular frame glistened in the open air as he relentlessly pummeled his fists into the massive, snow white body of a magical beast before him.

It was an Ice Snow Ape, its three icy blue fur streaks across its chest marking it as a Tier 3 beast.

Bang!

The Ice Snow Ape's enormous fist struck out, landing squarely on Lu Bu's chest. With a thunderous crash, Lu Bu was sent flying into the underbrush, his body carving a long trench in the dense shrubbery.

"Roar!"

The Ice Snow Ape bellowed triumphantly, ready to press its advantage. But suddenly, it froze, a chilling sensation coursing through its body. The next moment, an excruciating heat, as if burning its very soul, overwhelmed it. The ape let out a panicked cry and bolted, leaving the strange two legged creature behind.

Cough cough… Lu Bu struggled to his feet from the dirt, breathing heavily.

He was training his body through combat. Cultivating the Azure Sky Dragon Transformation Art was no simple task his body needed to be incredibly strong. Otherwise, he would only end up hurting himself.

To that end, Lu Bu had adopted the most primal training methods: fighting magical beasts and strength training. With the abundant supply of meat in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he had seen excellent results after just a few months.

If he had once been a "pretty boy" and elegant noble, now he resembled Bruce Lee.

On the surface, he maintained the demeanor of a refined scholar. But once his shirt came off, he transformed into a ferocious, powerful beast. Simply put, he embodied the saying: fit in clothes, ripped without them.

"Not bad, but still not enough…" Lu Bu muttered as he dusted himself off and took a fresh set of clothes from his storage ring.

"It looks like I'll need some natural treasures to enhance my body. This method is too slow…"

He had to lay a solid foundation for cultivating the Azure Sky Dragon Transformation Art before heading to Jia Nan Academy. As for how to gain admission… it wasn't a problem. At sixteen or seventeen years old, he was still a young man, and joining the academy would be a breeze. Plus, as a transmigrator, he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

With that thought, Lu Bu leaped forward, heading back to his residence: a cave near a waterfall.

However, instead of entering the cave immediately, he stopped at the lake beneath the waterfall. A faint light shimmered as a formation appeared on the surface of the water, hovering just above it.

Lu Bu stepped into the center of the formation and sat cross legged, forming hand seals.

A humming sound filled the air as the spiritual energy of heaven and earth began swirling, converging into a vortex above him.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Bu began channeling his technique, refining the spiritual energy into Dou Qi and absorbing it into his body.

The formation was a Gathering Spirit Array that Lu Bu had set up himself. Thanks to it, he had advanced from a one star Dou Fighter to a nine star Dou Fighter in just nine months.

This speed was impressive by any standard, but compared to Xiao Yan who had skyrocketed from one star to nine star Dou Fighter in just eight months it still felt lacking.

Immersed in his cultivation, Lu Bu entered a meditative state, his focus unwavering as he became as still as stone.

In the mountains, time flows unnoticed. In cultivation, days blend into moments.

When Lu Bu finally opened his eyes, it was already dusk. He gazed at the droplets of liquid Dou Qi forming within his energy vortex and exhaled deeply, releasing the stale air from his chest.

"My cultivation speed is a little slow… but forget it. Rushing will only lead to mistakes." Lu Bu shook his head. On the path of cultivation, impatience was dangerous deviation or inner demons were no joke.

Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Lu Bu waved his hand, and a corpse floated into the formation it was Mu She's body.

"After cultivating Dou Qi for so long, it's time to refine a puppet. A Symbol Master's craft cannot be neglected it's my foundation."

As the center of his forehead twitched, the Devouring Ancestral Symbol emerged, radiating a mysterious aura.

"I wonder… just how strong a puppet refined using the Devouring Ancestral Symbol will be," Lu Bu murmured, rubbing his chin in thought.

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