White Cloud Immortal City Base,

Yufeng Real Person's Celestial Secret House.

"Junior Brother, how goes it?" Yufeng Real Person asked excitedly, facing the young man sitting opposite him.

"I did not fail in my mission, the Crystal Condensing Reishi is successfully acquired!"

This was a tall, handsome young man with an impressive appearance.

His name was Xing Huai'an, a Wind Spirit Root cultivator, the youngest disciple under Master White Cloud, barely over seventy, already at the Eighth-Layer Foundation Establishment.

"Good! Good! Good!" Yufeng Real Person said three 'goods' in succession.

This time White Cloud Immortal City dispatched three teams, all for the sake of this one Crystal Condensing Reishi.

Fifty years ago, a loose cultivator who participated in a treasure hunt at Golden Cloud Valley reported the news of the Crystal Condensing Reishi, which is what led to their current action.

Of course, that loose cultivator also soared to great heights, being taken in as a disciple by Master White Cloud, ranking eighteenth.

He is precisely the Elder Sun at the base.

With the Crystal Condensing Reishi in hand, it can then be refined into Crystal Condensing Pills to increase the chance of Core Formation.

With Xing Huai'an's Earth Spirit Root aptitude, the probability of forming a True Pill is as high as 80%, allowing White Cloud Immortal City to remain prosperous for years to come.

Currently, White Cloud Immortal City is beautiful on the outside but precarious on the inside.

Due to the events in the Ghost Realm that year, Master White Cloud suffered severe injuries, shortening his lifespan significantly.

Now, only less than sixty years remain.

Once Master White Cloud passes,

if no True Pill cultivator presides, it will be impossible for White Cloud Immortal City to maintain its current esteemed position in the Xui Country.

"This spirit medicine is of vital importance, how about I return to the Immortal City ahead of time to bring it back?" the young man suggested.

"Imprudent, the base is tens of thousands of miles from the Immortal City, it's too prone to mishaps. Plus, with Golden Cloud Valley currently open, cultivators from all the surrounding countries have gathered here, a mixed crowd, among whom there are countless Tribulation Cultivators that we cannot fathom."

"Besides, there is a quasi-third tier array protecting here, leaving it here is safest, and I have already notified the master, we'll discuss once he arrives!"

Yufeng Real Person shook his head and said.

"The master has exited seclusion!" The young man's eyes lit up.

With Master White Cloud's arrival, there would be no chance of error.

"Indeed, with the master's speed, he'll be here in two days."

...

Meanwhile,

Three thousand miles away in a certain valley.

"Boss, news from the White Cloud base, those three teams have returned!" a black-robed figure reported.

"Brother Wuk, let's move, since they've already returned, I suppose the treasure has been retrieved!" an elderly voice said.

"Let's move then!"

Soon after, eight or nine shadows soared into the sky, rushing toward the direction of the White Cloud base.

...

"Finally taking action, are they!"

In the center of the base,

Inside a certain temporary cave mansion, a square-faced man muttered to himself.

Then he stood up, his expression exceedingly stern, and stepped out of the mansion.

At the duty post, an elderly man with graying hair was waiting idly.

Suddenly, a square-faced man approached from behind.

The elder instantly became enthusiastic.

"Elder Sun, what brings you here!"

"There's just two more days, after which I'll personally take over the watch!" the man said expressionlessly.

The watches were all scheduled by this Elder Sun.

All mundane matters at the base were naturally not personally handled by Yufeng Real Person; they were taken care of by this eighteenth disciple of Master White Cloud, Elder Sun.

"That Elder Sun would personally handle such matters, I am impressed. Here is the token!" The elder complimented, then took out the manipulation token of the array.

The man took it, subsequently putting it in his storage bag, and said no more.

The elder bowed and took his leave.

At this time, only Elder Sun was left at the duty post.

...

On the other side,

Zhou Xun stayed inside the cultivation room, holding a jade scroll in his hand.

It was the "Puppetry Technique".

Within it recorded methods of refining puppets from the lowest tier one low-grade to tier three high-grade.

Refining puppets was not Zhou Xun's main interest.

He was interested in how to control the puppets.

Last time, he killed a certain puppet master and seized many puppet beasts, among which was a tier two puppet.

If he could learn their control methods, it would greatly supplement his abilities.

Not to mention, using those puppets as scouts would be excellent.

Furthermore, it also recorded some rare secret techniques in the cultivation realm.

For instance, the "Divine Refining Art" used to temper divine sense.

It has three layers in total.

Mastering the first layer can increase a cultivator's power of divine sense by ten percent, the second layer by twenty percent, and the third by thirty percent.

Divine sense is the most crucial power for a puppet master, and stronger divine sense allows control of stronger puppets, and in greater numbers as well.

Apart from Divine Refining Art, there was also a secret technique called "Thousand Consciousness Divinity Splitting Technique".

By cultivating this technique, one could split divine sense into multiple parts, each controlling a puppet beast, which is the reason why puppet masters can become a one-man army, invincible against even those of the same tier or higher.

However, this secret technique requires a very strong divine sense to practice.

If divine sense is not strong enough and split too finely, it could harm the divine soul, turning one into a madman.

"Thousand Consciousness Divinity Splitting Technique" also has three layers.

The first layer, Divine Sense Transformation Ten.

Can split one's divine sense into ten parts to control ten puppet beasts.

The second layer, Divine Sense Hundred Transformations, can control a hundred puppet beasts. The puppet master Zhou Xun killed was at this stage.

The third layer, Divine Sense Transformation Thousand, can control a thousand puppet beasts, covering the sky like a swarm, a one-man army. This is a level not even reached by the puppet master in Fengg Country in bygone days.

"It seems I must cultivate this 'Thousand Consciousness Divinity Splitting Technique' in order to control these puppet beasts!"

Half an hour later.

In Zhou Xun's cultivation room, nine puppet beasts lined up in two rows, operating under his control as if an extension of his body.

"I seem to have quite a talent in the art of puppetry!"

Afterward, Zhou Xun went to the hall, where the space was larger, making it convenient for him to become familiar with controlling puppets.

...

Meanwhile, outside the base, eight figures slowly approached the array.

The square-faced man at the duty post, upon seeing this scene, instead of raising an alarm, took out the manipulation token from his waist.

Slowly injecting mana, the token emitted a spirit light and struck the array in front of him.

Subsequently, a passage wide enough for two people formed.

Eight black-robed figures entered one after another.

"You finally came, then isn't it time to give me the antidote?" the square-faced man said in a deep voice.

"Haha, I always keep my promises!" The leader of the black-robed figures laughed sinisterly, brushed his waist, and a green pill bottle appeared in his hand.

He then tossed it to the square-faced man.

"Won't you be joining us in our action, fellow Daoist? Once we act, I'm afraid Daoist Sunx will be exposed!" The aged voice sounded again, full of mockery.

"There is no need for the senior to worry about this, Sun himself has a way out!" the square-faced man replied expressionlessly.

Years ago, he was unfortunately captured by this person, and to save his life, he divulged the secret of the Crystal Condensing Reishi, henceforth controlled by them with no choice but to follow this dark path.

"Alright, alright, feel free, Daoist Sunx. By the way, the layout of the base..." The words were cut off by the man surnamed Sun.

"Take it!"

The man took out a map and stuffed it into the black-robed person's hand, saying no more.

"Haha, farewell, Daoist Sunx!"

The black-robed man unfolded the map, examined it several times, and then stealthily headed towards the direction of the Celestial Secret House.

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