Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

Chapter 332 Elder Ke Qing

In the art of puppetry, Master Cui uses his own body as a puppet, maximizing the puppet's power. He has a way of dealing with all kinds of puppets, whether they are long-range or close-range, or whether they are agile or heavy.

"Hehe, I, Lin, am merely rudimentary in puppetry, and can only haphazardly create some puppets. I am far from being an expert."

Lin Changsheng remained calm as he reached out and gently brushed his hand across the storage bag, from which a faint light flashed.

In an instant, a burly male corpse puppet with a faint black sheen on its surface appeared in front of him.

"A mid-grade third-tier puppet?"

"No, its power is approaching the late stage of the third tier, and it contains a fierce and malevolent aura. There's something strange about this puppet..."

Upon seeing the male puppet, Master Cui's expression changed slightly, and he looked somewhat confused.

Just then, Lin Changsheng activated the male puppet, which arrived with a whoosh.

'boom! ’

It slammed into Cui Kuishi with a strong aura of ferocity.

'Boom! '

Another loud noise followed.

Although the latter was surprised by the strength of Lin Changsheng's puppets, he did not show any weakness and fought them head-on.

For a moment, the two fought with great fanfare, their two powerful Golden Core level auras intertwining.

Even the aftershocks of the battle were enough to damage the surrounding mountains.

In an instant, trees fell and mountains collapsed within a radius of several miles, leaving a scene of utter devastation.

"That senior in white... was also a puppeteer!"

"A mere puppet can generate such terrifying power!"

The surrounding cultivators were both terrified and excited.

The earth-shattering and fierce battle between the two third-tier puppeteers was clearly beyond their comprehension and experience.

As time went on, damage gradually appeared on Lin Changsheng's male puppet and Cui the puppeteer.

This is also one of the drawbacks of puppeteers.

When encountering a battle between equals, the puppet is bound to be damaged, and repairing it is extremely expensive.

boom!

Another huge impact was heard. Cui Kuishi tried to dodge and instead used ranged means to maneuver, but Lin Changsheng's male puppet was tireless and would rather lose a thousand of its own to injure eight hundred of its enemy.

Once, Cui Kuishi was hit, and the puppet's body, which had been stitched up and modified, developed several more cracks.

"Wait!"

"I never expected that Master Lin could create such a powerful puppet. Our puppetry skills are quite similar, and our strength is no weaker than that of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator."

“If we continue fighting, I am confident that I can completely destroy Lin Kuishi’s puppet, but that will come at a price.”

"How about we call it a draw?"

Seeing the severe damage to himself, Cui Kuishi was heartbroken and immediately called for a halt.

However, his words suggested that he still believed he was slightly better, and he adopted a humble attitude.

"Hehe, Master Cui, you don't need to take care of me. Just go ahead and use your skills. Even if the puppet is destroyed, I will only consider it as a lack of skill and will not hold a grudge."

Lin Changsheng, however, did not care at all, waved his hand lightly, and smiled calmly.

As he spoke, he gently stroked the storage bag again, and with a 'whoosh' a flash of light, a female corpse puppet reappeared in front of him, standing side by side with the male puppet, both exuding astonishing murderous aura, the two auras being exactly the same.

"what!"

"A puppet of this caliber...you actually have a second one!?"

In an instant, Cui Kuishi's eyelids twitched wildly, and he broke through his defenses and cried out in surprise.

At the same time, he only felt bitterness in his heart.

To deal with the male puppet, Master Cui had to use almost seven or eight tenths of his strength to barely suppress it.

I thought that most of the opponent's strength was above this puppet, and even if he had any other tricks up his sleeve, he would at most be on par with me.

Who knew that Lin Changsheng could release another puppet of the same level in an instant.

It was only then that he realized that this unassuming puppeteer was not as simple as he appeared.

It's laughable that I went to their door without even knowing their strength, thus provoking such a ruthless person.

'boom! ’

Compared to the somewhat damaged male corpse puppet, the female corpse puppet that Lin Changsheng released was in brand new condition and its power was not diminished.

In an instant, Cui Kuishi was suppressed, and a barrage of attacks rained down on him.

In the blink of an eye, Cui Kuishi's body was blasted away like a ball, crashing into more than a dozen mountain peaks.

Ultimately, under the combined attack of the male and female corpse puppets, most of the puppet parts on his body were dismantled, leaving him almost completely destroyed. He himself was also coughing up blood, his magical power was dissipating, and he was on the verge of death.

"Master Cui, how are these puppets I crafted? Do they meet your standards, Master?"

Lin Changsheng stopped the two corpse-refining puppets and walked over to Cui Kuishi with a smile.

But that smile, in the eyes of those around him, sent chills down their spines.

"Master Lin, I am inferior in skill and humbly admit defeat. I beg you to show mercy..."

Cui Kuishi, whose body was at the third level, had been almost crippled by Lin Changsheng and was powerless to resist.

"Master Cui, you flatter me. We agreed to exchange puppetry skills, so naturally we should stop when we've reached a point. I am not a bloodthirsty person."

Lin Changsheng concealed his magical aura and spoke in a calm tone.

"Thank you, Master Lin Kui..."

Seeing that Lin Changsheng had no intention of killing him, Cui Kuishi breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him repeatedly.

He then disregarded his severe injuries and took out a giant spider puppet from his storage bag. With difficulty, he leaped up and entered the spider puppet's abdomen. He then controlled the puppet to move its eight spider legs at high speed, treating mountains and cliffs as flat ground, and sped away.

Half an hour later.

After traveling hundreds of miles, Cui Kuishi found a secluded mountain forest.

Struggling, it fell out of the spider puppet's body, spitting out a mouthful of blood with a 'pfft'.

"What a Lin San Gou! He's been hiding his true intentions so well!"

"I, the puppeteer, must find a way to obtain that special method of puppet creation!"

Cui Kuishi's expression was twisted with resentment.

Suddenly, a strange noise seemed to come from the sky.

Before Cui Kuishi could react, he was enveloped by a huge, beast-shaped shadow.

‘Boom! ’

A deafening roar erupted from the once peaceful mountain forest, followed by the collapse of a mountain peak.

Dust billowed up instantly, and the surrounding monsters scattered like birds and beasts.

……

Half a month later.

The Liuyan Sect's mountain gate is located in a beautiful and breezy mountain range in the eastern part of 'Liuying Immortal City'.

It is said that the scenery inside the Liuyan Sect's mountain gate is quite unique.

Although they are located in the same mountain range, the scenery is very different.

Some places have spring-like weather all year round, some places are full of autumn colors, and some places are covered by snow all year round.

Even with the speed of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, they could experience the strange scenery of the four seasons within two or three days.

Lin Changsheng piloted the Water Cloud Boat and flew for half a day before finally approaching the location of the Willow Smoke Sect's mountain gate.

Looking into the distance, at the horizon, a towering white snow-capped mountain pierces the clouds.

The clouds in the sky seem to only drift to the foot of the snow-capped mountains.

It is like a pillar connecting heaven and earth, majestic and magnificent.

"As expected of a cultivation ground for mid-Nascent Soul cultivators, it is indeed extraordinary."

Lin Changsheng gazed at the magnificent snow-capped mountain and couldn't help but marvel.

Before long, he leaped and landed outside the gate of Liuyan Sect.

Two female cultivators dressed in light, thin silk robes were already waiting outside the mountain gate in the distance.

"Greetings, Master Lin."

As Lin Changsheng landed, the two Foundation Establishment stage female cultivators stepped forward to greet him.

Lin Changsheng nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Then, led by the two, they entered the Liuyan Sect's mountain gate.

Along the way, Lin Changsheng did not forget to appreciate the beautiful scenery around him, and found that the scenery inside the sect was even better than the rumors outside.

Even the occasional Willow Smoke Sect cultivators they encountered were all tall and handsome men, and exceptionally beautiful women.

Before long, Lin Changsheng arrived at a Taoist temple filled with maple trees.

A young girl in a pink palace dress had already set out tea and snacks and was waiting for them.

"I originally thought that Master Lin would be an old man with white hair, but I didn't expect him to be so young and promising. It's quite a surprise to me."

The girl in the pink palace dress feigned surprise, her bright eyes sparkling with a hint of astonishment, before gracefully curtsying and smiling:

"I am Huang Jia, the sect leader of the Willow Smoke Sect. Welcome Master Lin Kui to visit my Willow Smoke Sect."

The girl said with a smile.

"So it's Sect Leader Huang. I've long admired your name. My apologies for my disrespect."

Lin Changsheng looked at the female cultivator in front of him, who resembled a girl next door, and smiled as well, cupping his fists in greeting.

But he did not look down on the woman in the slightest because she looked young.

Because this woman's cultivation aura was actually higher than his, she was clearly a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

As the sect leader of the Willow Smoke Sect, his strength and methods are far beyond those of ordinary Golden Core cultivators.

"Master Lin is too kind. The title of sect leader may be able to intimidate ordinary low-level cultivators, but for Golden Core cultivators like you and me, it is nothing but an empty title."

Huang Jiaming's eyes sparkled, and she smiled gently.

"As the head of a sect, Fairy Huang is so approachable. I admire her greatly."

After a slight hesitation, Lin Changsheng went along with it and befriended Huang Jiaping and others.

My visit to the Willow Smoke Sect was at the personal invitation of Huang Jia, the sect leader of the Willow Smoke Sect.

Prior to this, Lin Changsheng had also received a visiting card from the Liuyan Sect.

That was just a fake alchemy steward stationed in 'Willow Oriole Immortal City', and Lin Changsheng didn't care.

However, this formal invitation cannot be ignored.

"Speaking of which, congratulations to Master Lin, who previously sparred with Master Cui of 'Willow Oriole Immortal City' in puppetry techniques, has now become famous in the surrounding area and his value has increased many times over."

After inviting Lin Changsheng to sit down, Huang Jia personally boiled water and poured tea, her demeanor elegant, and smiled gently.

"It's just a rumor. Master Cui doesn't care about such empty fame, which is why he granted Lin's request."

Lin Changsheng responded with a light laugh.

His nonchalant attitude suggested that he didn't care about the matter at all.

"Master Lin is truly modest."

"However, according to rumors circulating in the Immortal City, Master Cui disappeared without a trace after losing the sparring match that day, and didn't even take some of the precious materials from the dojo with him. I wonder what Master Lin thinks about this?"

During their pleasantries, Huang Jia casually brought up the question of Cui Kuishi's whereabouts, but her gaze inadvertently fell on Lin Changsheng.

In fact, there are many different opinions in the Immortal City regarding the whereabouts of Cui Kui Shi.

However, the more mainstream interpretations can be roughly divided into three types.

Firstly, Cui Kuishi lost the competition and couldn't save face, so he abandoned the 'Willow Oriole Immortal City' dojo and looked for other suitable places to cultivate.

Secondly, after Cui Kuishi left that day, he was ambushed by the third Golden Core cultivator, and his fate is unknown.

Thirdly, after defeating Cui Kuishi, Lin Kuishi secretly killed him.

After all, rivals are enemies. As fellow third-tier puppeteers, the materials and other resources they collect are very attractive to each other.

It seems that the mainstream guesses all have a certain degree of possibility.

However, most cultivators secretly suspected that Master Cui might have been assassinated.

"Perhaps Master Cui has gone into seclusion to delve into the art of puppetry. As his research into various techniques deepens, he will increasingly appreciate their profoundness. In particular, after exchanging skills with others, he will examine himself and more easily discover his own shortcomings."

"After the exchange that day, Lin also gained a lot of insights. After some time in seclusion, he also benefited greatly."

Lin Changsheng seemed to be recalling the scene of their sparring session, then calmly said...

"What Master Lin said seems to make some sense. However, this matter is insignificant. The reason for inviting Master Lin to be our guest today, besides getting to know him, is to discuss some trivial matters."

Huang Jia glanced at Lin Changsheng silently for a moment, then changed the subject.

"Hehe, if Fairy Huang has any instructions, just send someone to 'Willow Oriole Immortal City' to inform me. There is no need for such trouble."

Lin Changsheng, with a friendly demeanor, continued:

"Now that you're here, I wonder what instructions you have for me, Fairy Huang? If it's within my ability, I, Lin, will certainly not refuse."

Lin Changsheng seemed easy to talk to and agreed to it on the spot.

The two had a very pleasant conversation.

Lin Changsheng naturally knew that being personally invited by the sect leader of Liuyan Sect was no trivial matter.

However, it's worth listening to first. If it's beyond your ability, then there's nothing I can do to help.

Ultimately, it's up to Lin Changsheng to decide what's within his own capabilities.

"I've heard that when Master Lin and Master Cui were sparring, Master Lin used two puppets whose power was close to the late stage of the third tier..."

When it comes to puppets, Huang Jia seems to have a great deal of interest.

"You jest, Fairy Huang. A late-stage third-tier puppet is equivalent to a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. It's not something you can easily achieve."

Lin Changsheng gave a wry smile, seemingly speaking calmly:

"The puppets created by Lin are perhaps slightly more powerful than ordinary mid-level third-tier puppets due to some special techniques and the willingness to use precious materials."

As he spoke, Lin Changsheng noticed Huang Jia's slightly disappointed expression and seemed to be deep in thought.

The sect leader of the Willow Smoke Sect seems to have an urgent need for high-level puppets.

However, since the two sides were not familiar with each other, Lin Changsheng naturally could not reveal his background at the outset.

"If I provide sufficient materials, could Master Lin create a late-stage Tier 3 puppet?"

Huang Jia looked at Lin Changsheng with clear eyes and a hint of hope in them.

"There are many types of puppets. If a puppet's speed is simply sufficient, it can be considered a late-stage Tier 3 puppet. Alternatively, it can be a puppet with strong defense, attack, magic, and a combination of other abilities."

"I am unaware of Fairy Huang's specific requirements and the purpose of the puppet, so I cannot help you."

Lin Changsheng pondered for a moment, then spoke softly.

……