Chapter 473 - 434: Sect Guardian Puppet

Chapter 473: Chapter 434: Sect Guardian Puppet

As he spoke, Cyan Wood True Master’s sleeve stirred slightly. A Jade Box materialized in mid-air. With a flick of his hand, it shot forward to hover before Chu Mu.

Chu Mu glanced at the Jade Box but did not take it, looking instead at Cyan Wood True Master.

Seeing this, Cyan Wood True Master pondered for a moment before saying, "I do indeed have a matter to entrust to you, Fellow Daoist."

As soon as his voice fell, Cyan Wood True Master waved his hand again. A Jade Scroll appeared and, in the blink of an eye, hovered beside the Jade Box in front of Chu Mu.

Chu Mu reached out and took the Jade Scroll. After a subtle inspection, he sent his Divine Sense into it.

The Jade Scroll contained no recorded information, only a single image sealed within.

As his Divine Sense perceived it, it was as if space and time had shifted. In an instant, the scene before him changed from the majestic hall to a boundless ocean.

Across the sky, dark clouds roiled and lightning flashed, a world-ending scene of thunder and destruction.

Above the sea, countless Cultivators formed ranks and arrays. Innumerable Puppetry Tools stretched across the waters. Towering figures stood in the sky, their overwhelming killing intent heralding the imminent arrival of a great battle.

At the far end of the ocean, where the sky met the sea, the view was no longer a uniform color of pale blue water and overcast sky. Instead, a black line was visibly churning on the horizon.

In just a few breaths, the black line became increasingly clear.

That was no black line—it was a heaven-blotting, earth-covering Beast Tide!

Countless Demon Beasts converged like a tidal wave, sweeping forward to cover everything.

Every single Demon Beast had crimson eyes, their expressions crazed and utterly fearless of death!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

At that moment, war drums thundered. For some reason, Chu Mu could feel his own blood begin to boil, a sudden impulse to join the slaughter welling up inside him.

"Kill!"

"Slay the Demons!"

Roaring cries stretched on endlessly. The countless formations of Cultivators unleashed a brilliant splendor that tore the rolling dark clouds in the sky to shreds.

In a mere instant, terrifying fluctuations of Spiritual Qi filled the vast sea. The earth-shattering collisions ignited a brutal slaughter that stained the very heavens with blood.

An endless tide of Demon Beasts, the thunder of war drums, countless brilliant lights, and a bizarre array of Magical Techniques and Divine Techniques all blossomed wantonly across the blood-soaked sea and sky.

The brutal battle flashed for only a moment before the image rapidly contracted, finally focusing on a Metal Giant.

The giant was broken and covered in mottled rust. Even standing on the surface of the sea, its towering body was visibly over a hundred zhang tall.

The Metal Giant held a massive shield in one hand and a Giant Sword in the other. With every swing of its sword, it was like a Celestial Punishment descending, stirring roiling thunderclouds. Amidst the flashing lightning, Celestial Thunder rained down like a prison, instantly turning vast swathes of Demon Beasts to ash.

"A Puppet..."

Chu Mu’s pupils constricted, and an indescribable shock filled his heart.

His Artifact Refining Skill had reached Tier Three, and his Puppetry Skill was at the Peak of Perfection.

He was, of course, no stranger to Puppets.

This terrifying Metal Giant before him was clearly a Puppet!

However, this Puppet’s Grade... was as high as Tier Four!

In other words, this Puppet was a terrifying existence capable of fighting a Nascent Soul cultivator!

Just as Chu Mu reeled from the shock, the image shifted again. When it reappeared, the overwhelming Beast Tide was gone. Only an endless sea of blood remained, staining the ocean and sky red. Severed limbs drifted in the bloody water, and the giant Puppet was half-kneeling on the sea’s surface.

Its Giant Sword was shattered, leaving only half a broken blade. On its enormous Puppet body, half of its head was gone, and the left side of its torso was completely ruined.

The terrifying Spiritual Pressure it had once emanated had completely dissipated, and the broken Array Prohibition Patterns had dimmed.

The image flickered slightly before dissolving into motes of light.

The scene before him was no longer the endless expanse of blood but had returned to the majestic hall.

Cyan Wood True Master spoke slowly:

"Fellow Daoist, you must be familiar with the Immortal Dao Sect, yes?"

Chu Mu’s gaze hardened slightly. He nodded. "When I visited the East Lake Secret Realm back then, I was fortunate enough to learn of the Immortal Dao Sect’s renowned name."

Chu Mu didn’t deny it. Although his Artifact Refining Skill had incorporated various evolving techniques from the Cultivation Immortal Realms of both Great Chu and the Vast Sea, its core framework was still based on the Immortal Dao Sect’s Artifact Refining General Outline.

If one were observant, it wouldn’t be difficult to discern the roots of his Artifact Refining Skill.

Since Cyan Wood True Master knew of the Immortal Dao Sect’s existence, he could undoubtedly make an accurate judgment about the origin of Chu Mu’s skills.

"This Puppet is a Sect Guardian Puppet from the Ancient Immortal Dao Sect."

Cyan Wood True Master was not surprised. He slowly rose to his feet, his tone calm.

"Although the Immortal Dao Sect collapsed back then, its legacy and foundations were scattered far and wide."

"This Sect Guardian Puppet of the Immortal Dao Sect was obtained by an ancestor of the Chen Family and has been passed down as our family’s ancestral treasure ever since."

"After numerous upheavals, many of the Tier Four Soldier Puppets handed down from that era were damaged. Only this one has survived to this day."

"During the earlier battle at Chixia, this Soldier Puppet was damaged in a fight against a Tier Four Great Demon..."

Hearing this, Chu Mu raised an eyebrow. "Fellow Daoist, are you suggesting that I repair this Soldier Puppet?"

Cyan Wood True Master countered with a question, "Fellow Daoist, your Artifact Refining Skill and the Cultivation Technique you practice—they both originate from the Immortal Dao Sect, don’t they?"

Chu Mu chuckled softly, picked up his Spirit Tea, and took a light sip without saying a word.

"Hahaha, I have misspoken, I have misspoken!"

"Consider this bloodline my apology to you, Fellow Daoist."

Cyan Wood True Master laughed heartily. With a wave of his hand, the Jade Box that had been hovering before Chu Mu landed on the table beside him.

"To be frank, the matter of repairing this Tier Four Soldier Puppet is something my clan’s predecessors have instructed us to do many times."

"Over the years, my clan has gathered several renowned Artifact Refining Masters from the Vast Sea, and several of our own have also participated, but we have yet to see any results."

"Fellow Daoist, your Pill and Artifact Dual Proficiency is long famous throughout the Vast Sea, and your Puppetry Skill is a rare sight in this world. Add to that your connection to the Immortal Dao Sect..."

"If you are willing to help, Fellow Daoist, I will reward you generously, and my clan will reward you generously!"

Only then did Chu Mu set down his teacup. A hint of surprise entered his gaze as he looked at Cyan Wood True Master. "Fellow Daoist, you seem... quite confident in me?"

Cyan Wood True Master smiled. "Fellow Daoist, how do you think I was able to discern your connection to the Immortal Dao Sect from your Artifact Refining Skill?"

Chu Mu was astonished. "Fellow Daoist, you... are also an Artifact Refiner?"

"Hahaha..."

Cyan Wood True Master shook his head and laughed. "But of course. I reached the level of a Tier Three Refiner many years ago, yet when I saw the Artifacts you refined back when you were merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, I felt I couldn’t even hope to catch up!"

"I had hoped to meet a refining genius like you back then, but alas, you were at sea for many years and did not return. By the time you came back, you were already my peer..."

"Now that you have reached the Golden Core realm, Fellow Daoist, with your talent for Alchemy and your Artifact Refining Skill, your abilities must have advanced by leaps and bounds."

"Looking across the entire Vast Sea Cultivation Immortal World, you are likely the only one who has a chance of repairing that Tier Four Soldier Puppet."

Chu Mu sipped his Spirit Tea, not denying Cyan Wood True Master’s words.

He had been on the Immortal Path for many years, and he had spent nearly half that time on his Artifact Refining Skill.

With his comprehension accelerated by the Spiritual Radiance Blessing, the insights he gained in a single year were likely more profound than what an ordinary Cultivator could achieve in several decades.

After all these years, his Artifact Refining Skill could be said to have skyrocketed, advancing by leaps and bounds.

The limiting factor for his Artifact Refining Skill had never been a lack of foundation or poor technique, but rather his own Immortal Dao Cultivation level.

When he reached Golden Core, he was guaranteed to be a Tier Three Artifact Refining Master. When he reaches Nascent Soul, he will surely be a Tier Four Artifact Refining Master!

For someone truly proficient in the art of Artifact Refining, this level of skill was something that could be seen in the Artifacts he refined.

After all, by examining the final product, one could clearly tell whether the Refiner had worked with ease and complete control, or if they had stumbled along, their ambition outstripping their ability.

Even among Artifacts of the same Grade, or even the same type of Artifact refined from the same Spiritual Materials, the Mighty Power could vary. The difference lay in the Refiner’s skill.

This was the fundamental reason why renowned Artifact Refining Masters and Alchemy Masters held such extremely high status in the Cultivation Immortal Realm.

After a moment, Chu Mu slowly replied, "I can agree to this matter, but I cannot guarantee that I can complete the repairs."

"Just hearing you say that sets my mind at ease, Fellow Daoist."

"How about this: you set a time, Fellow Daoist, and I will take you there."

"One month from now."

Chu Mu nodded, setting the time. He then picked up the Jade Box from the table and rose to his feet.

"Very well. In one month, I will personally visit the True Understanding Pavilion."

Cyan Wood True Master stepped forward and personally escorted Chu Mu out of the hall.

Chu Mu leaped into the air. A streak of crimson fire shot across the sky, and in just a few dozen breaths, he landed outside the True Understanding Pavilion.

To his surprise, a guest was already waiting for him at the True Understanding Pavilion, and it seemed they had been there for quite some time.

"I hope you’ll forgive me for coming uninvited, Fellow Daoist."

The Five Poison Child stood by the second-floor window, smiling down at Chu Mu below. It was as if the roles of host and guest had been reversed.

"Hahaha, your presence at my humble abode brings it great honor, Fellow Daoist."

Chu Mu chuckled lightly. His figure flickered, and in the next instant, he was standing at the second-floor window, side-by-side with the Five Poison Child.

"You must have gotten what you wished for, Fellow Daoist," the Five Poison Child said leisurely.

Chu Mu raised the Jade Box in his hand and chuckled.

"The Chen Family has stood in the Vast Sea for tens of thousands of years, acting tyrannically and plundering without restraint. To them, a mere Earth Tier Lower Grade Bloodline like the one you wanted is naturally nothing worth mentioning."

Chu Mu glanced at the Five Poison Child, who was indignant and made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction with the Chen Family.

Chu Mu’s eyes flickered, but he acted as if he hadn’t heard a word, playing dumb.

’After all, what happens with the Chen Family has very little to do with me.’

’Besides, in this Cultivation Immortal Realm, there is no essential difference between any of the major powers—not even my own True Understanding Pavilion, which is still in a state of frantic expansion.’

’Every power is structured like a pyramid!’

’Take my True Understanding Pavilion for example. Its creation, and even its current expansion, all stem from a single reason.’

’To serve me and to gather Cultivation resources for me!’

’That’s all!’

’The True Understanding Pavilion is like this, the Chen Family is like this, and the Longevity Sect is like this too.’

’Even if the Chen Family were destroyed and another power rose to rule the Vast Sea, nothing would change...’

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