Entering the Path of Immortality, Mastering a Hundred Arts: Chapter 25: The Art of Puppetry

Li Feng fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

According to the young woman, Jinyanzi seemed absolutely certain that the closed-door disciple of the Blood Cloud Ancestor was hiding within the Ten Thousand Mountains. To be so confident and to bring so many helpers along—could it be that they were coming for him?

He thought of Li Etian. Before leaving Anhe City, the simulation had mentioned some unclear connection between Li Etian and Jinyanzi. If it was indeed Li Etian who tipped him off, then Jinyanzi’s target was none other than himself. This silly girl was actually taking the heat for him. Li Feng felt a fleeting moment of guilt, which quickly vanished. It was fortunate he hadn't run into Jinyanzi yet. That fellow was certainly ostentatious, bringing such a large entourage just for an outing.

"Hmph, once I recover from my injuries, I will kill him without fail," the young woman said with bitter resentment.

Li Feng snapped back to reality, crouching down to retrieve some golden sore medicine and healing pills. "Let me stop your bleeding first."

The young woman took the pills, hesitating. "You were just trying to drive me away; why the sudden change of heart?"

"Surely, it’s for profit. I’ll save you, and you give me your puppet arts in return. How about that?" Li Feng had no intention of letting such a good trade opportunity slip by.

"I’ve already given you the Encyclopedia of Puppetry; I have no other puppet techniques on me," the young woman said unnaturally.

"You have the encyclopedia, but I don't believe you don't have the accompanying puppet arts," Li Feng countered. His guess was correct; she did indeed possess a second-tier puppet technique.

Li Feng began to appeal to both reason and emotion. "Fellow Daoist, if you die, your belongings will eventually become mine anyway. You might as well sell them to me now, and I’ll find a way to help you resolve this crisis."

"What will you give in exchange?" The young woman, swayed by his logic, began to waver.

"I am saving your life. How precious is a life? Is that not enough?" Li Feng said as if it were only natural.

The young woman wanted to refuse, but upon reflection, it seemed to hold some truth. However, the thought of parting with a second-tier puppet technique made her reluctant. Eventually, the two reached an agreement. Although her injuries were severe, they were not fatal. After swallowing the pills, her condition improved by seventy or eighty percent in a short time. Once Li Feng obtained the second-tier puppet technique, he immediately retreated to a safe distance.

"It is safe enough here for now. You rest for a few days while I prepare some talismans. When the time comes, I’ll help you take those fellows down," Li Feng arranged.

"You are such an extreme egoist. Faced with this kind of danger, you don't think about running away, but instead, you want to trade and help me. You are truly a strange one," the young woman said, sitting cross-legged. She felt that Li Feng had changed significantly, and it seemed as if he held some deep grudge against Jinyanzi.

Li Feng gave a perfunctory reply: "Like I said, I am an egoist. Ten Foundation Establishment cultivators plus a second-tier high-grade alchemist—that’s a fat haul. I can make a fortune."

"Aren't you afraid of choking on it?"

"Well, there's a saying: the timid starve to death, while the bold are stuffed to death."

"Bah, how lewd and vulgar!" The young woman’s face turned bright red at his twisted logic. She couldn't quite pin down his identity anymore. A righteous cultivator wouldn't be this dissolute, but he didn't seem like an evil cultivator either—he wasn't rotten to the core.

"I’ve saved you twice now, and I still don't know your name."

"None of your business."

"Fine, keep it to yourself. My name is Li Etian. If we meet again, please treat me well." Li Feng wasn't surprised by her attitude; he would know everything once he ran the simulation.

After they finished talking, they each found a place to cultivate. Li Feng walked deeper into the cave, carving out several camouflaged sub-chambers and filling them with entrapment, killing, and illusion arrays. He entered one himself. The arrays were his first layer of defense, and talismans were his second. Body-protection talismans, Golden Light talismans, Wind Shield talismans—with these layered on, he felt a sense of security.

"Hoo!" Li Feng let out a long breath. "System, simulate."

[This simulation consumes 1.2 years of lifespan; remaining lifespan is 18.4 years.]
[Simulating...]

[Age 19: You encounter the Blood Cloud Sect's closed-door disciple twice in the Ten Thousand Mountains, obtaining the Kunyun Pill and puppet techniques from her.]
[You spend many days recuperating with the woman, then head out of the mountains together to ambush Jinyanzi. The attempt fails and you are discovered.]
[Ten Foundation Establishment cultivators surround you both; the situation is dire.]
[You throw over a thousand talismans to stall for time and decisively flee.]
[Age 20: You drift from place to place, dodging pursuit, then return to the cave to cultivate diligently and study puppet arts.]
[Age 21: Your talisman craftsmanship breaks through to the second-tier low-grade.]
[Age 22: Your talisman-crafted items can now deal with cultivators around the third level of Foundation Establishment.]
[Jinyanzi continues searching for your whereabouts and adds more men, but finds nothing.]
[Age 23: Your array craftsmanship breaks through to the second-tier low-grade.]
[The arrays you set can now handle cultivators around the third level of Foundation Establishment.]
[Jinyanzi's men gradually withdraw from the Ten Thousand Mountains. You disguise yourself and venture out, hearing that the Blood Cloud Sect's closed-door female disciple has fallen.]
[A brutal war breaks out between the Blood Cloud Sect and the Heavenly Crane Sect, with both sides suffering heavy losses.]
[Age 26: Your puppet craftsmanship breaks through to the first-tier low-grade. You grasp the essence of puppetry, and your training efficiency doubles.]
[Age 27: Your puppet craftsmanship breaks through to the first-tier high-grade. The puppets you craft can battle ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators and possess significant power.]
[Age 29: Your progress in the Evergreen Arts is slow; your puppet craftsmanship breaks through to the second-tier low-grade. Your puppets can now fight against Foundation Establishment cultivators.]
[Age 31: Your cultivation progress is slow; limited by your strength, your immortal arts cannot advance further.]
[Age 32: You frantically hoard various monster materials in the Ten Thousand Mountains, mass-producing pills, talismans, arrays, and puppets.]
[Age 34: Carrying hundreds of array sets, thousands of pills, tens of thousands of talismans, and over a hundred thousand puppets, you return to Anhe City.]
[With overwhelming force, you slay Jinyanzi and obtain a special method for crafting pill-talismans.]
[Jinyanzi’s death causes an uproar in the cultivation world of the Guiyuan Kingdom. People view you as an evil cultivator, and panic spreads.]
[Age 35: You assault the Heavenly Crane Sect and slaughter indiscriminately.]
[The Heavenly Crane Ancestor, with his peak Golden Core strength, battles you for two hundred rounds. You are ruthlessly slain.]
[You have died!]

[Simulation complete. You may retain one of the following:]
[Thirty-four-year-old cultivation base.]
[Thirty-four-year-old array experience.]
[Thirty-four-year-old alchemy experience.]
[Thirty-four-year-old talisman experience.]
...

"Select all!"

[Congratulations, host, you have gained the cultivation base of a thirty-four-year-old.]
[Congratulations, host, you have gained the array experience of a thirty-four-year-old.]
[Congratulations, host, you have gained the alchemy experience of a thirty-four-year-old.]
[Congratulations, host, you have gained the talisman experience of a thirty-four-year-old.]
...
[Friendly reminder: Host's remaining lifespan is only 17.4 years.]