Chapter 964

“Have you ever heard of Hua Yi Divine Mud?” asked Da Yan Shen Jun in a deep voice.

“Of course I’ve heard of it. Hua Yi Divine Mud is known as the Shape-Shifting Ointment—it’s said to be moldable into any artifact and capable of self-repair after damage, making it a rare material for crafting complex magic treasures. Could this be it? But I heard Hua Yi Divine Mud is white, like fine jade—how could it look so unremarkable?” Han Li was startled, staring at the broken steles in disbelief.

“Han boy, don’t be alarmed. These are indeed Hua Yi Divine Mud, but they’ve been specially refined by ancient cultivators with other substances—back then, they were called Chi Ling Soft Jade. Fewer than ten cultivators in the world could recognize them. I only saw a mention of them once, long ago, in an ancient cultivator’s cave, and I’d long forgotten. If it weren’t for something I recently recalled that’s tied to this material, I wouldn’t have recognized them now,” said Da Yan Shen Jun.

“Chi Ling Soft Jade? How does it differ from ordinary divine mud?” Han Li mused.

“Didn’t you notice yourself? After refinement, this mud doesn’t just maximize its shape-shifting and self-repair abilities—it can also absorb a cultivator’s magical attacks. A single strike brimming with spiritual power loses over half its force upon contact. Its only weakness is vulnerability to direct physical strikes from weapons, since it has no inherent defensive capability. Still, even so, its value rivals that of Geng Jing,” explained Da Yan Shen Jun.

“So that’s why. Then, Master, what part of the automaton do you intend to forge from this divine mud?” Han Li’s face lit up at the news of Chi Ling Soft Jade’s extraordinary properties, and he pressed on.

“Do you even need to ask? Combined with your Gang Silver, this mud is the perfect material for crafting the automaton’s body. An outer shell forged from these two materials can withstand nearly no one in the Mortal Realm—even without any defensive magic treasure,” Da Yan Shen Jun said proudly.

“As you say, Master.” Han Li agreed without hesitation.

“Good. Don’t touch these yet. First, forge all the other components. I estimate another year will suffice to complete them, then we’ll fuse them into a full automaton. Now, continue forging the parts.”

“Understood.” Han Li replied, flicking his sleeve—a streak of green mist swept across the ground, and the materials vanished instantly.

He then tapped his storage bag, and seven or eight jade boxes filled with other materials appeared before him.

Han Li began forging the next automaton component.

Seasons passed, days slipped by; for a cultivator, more than a year was but the blink of an eye.

During this time, aside from sealing himself away to forge the automaton, Han Li’s twelve Six-Winged Frost Centipedes unexpectedly advanced in cultivation due to the monthly dose of Xue Po Pills. After one molt, their bodies grew nearly twice as large, and finally sprouted a pair of snow-white wings. Their flight speed surged, and their agility became extraordinary—an unexpected boon.

Yet after this advancement, the Xue Po Pills’ effect on the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes plummeted drastically, far less potent than before their evolution.

One day, Han Li stood motionless in the secret chamber, eyes closed, before him a shimmering silver humanoid figure hovered midair.

His ten fingers danced, shooting out ten golden threads that pierced directly into various points of the automaton’s body, his expression grave.

Above the silver automaton’s head, at a foot’s distance, the bamboo tube emitted a faint green spiritual light, slowly rotating.

After an indeterminate time, Han Li’s expression shifted—he halted his fingers and opened his eyes.

“It seems flawless. The fusion of all components is perfect. I never expected such smooth assembly,” Han Li said, gazing at the object before him with a hint of delight.

“This automaton was my design; under my guidance, you couldn’t have made a mistake. Since everything is in order, we may proceed with the spirit fusion,” came Da Yan Shen Jun’s voice, faintly emanating from the bamboo tube.

“Master, are you certain you must do this? You’ve never used the Soul-Splitting Art before—there may be unforeseen consequences, and it could severely disrupt your reincarnation. Once you split your soul, your remaining spirit fragment will surely dissipate and vanish beyond recovery,” Han Li’s joy vanished, replaced by solemn concern.

“Heh, I’ve devoted most of my life to automaton crafting. Merging my spirit with this automaton was always my true wish. Even if I didn’t use the Soul-Splitting Art, my time is nearly up—what’s there to hesitate over? Don’t try to dissuade me. I’ve already transmitted all remaining Da Yan Scripture to you. I hope you’ll carry on its legacy—don’t let it die out,” Da Yan Shen Jun chuckled lightly, unconcerned.

Han Li frowned deeply, then sighed after a long silence.

“Since your resolve is firm, I won’t say more. May all go well for you, Master.”

Da Yan Shen Jun laughed loudly—suddenly, the bamboo tube split down the middle with a flash of green light, and a tiny golden figure appeared there.

The miniature figure, no more than a few inches tall, was neither metal nor wood, exquisitely crafted, resembling a shrunken hundredfold version of a middle-aged man with a refined, scholarly face.

At that moment, the miniature’s eyes glowed green as it sat cross-legged.

A low incantation began, and a speck of green light flew from its mouth, expanding into a fist-sized orb that enveloped its form.

Seeing this, Han Li’s lips twitched slightly, but no words escaped.

As the incantation grew faster, the green light intensified, becoming blinding.

Han Li narrowed his eyes, his pupils shrinking as blue sparks flickered within.

Then Da Yan Shen Jun let out a pained roar that shook the entire chamber.

Han Li’s face darkened—the green light split cleanly in two: the larger portion drifted toward the silver automaton, while the smaller portion flashed back into the miniature’s mouth, restoring its original form.

But now, the miniature’s head hung low, its eyes dull and lifeless.

Han Li didn’t hesitate—he tapped the silver automaton several times with his fingers. Instantly, the humanoid opened its mouth and shot out over a dozen slender silver threads, wrapping the split light fragments and pulling them inside. The entire automaton blazed with silver radiance, trembling violently.

Han Li’s expression hardened. Without a word, he spat out a streak of purple flame that struck the automaton’s body.

A sharp hissing erupted as a thick layer of ice rapidly spread across the automaton, instantly encasing it in a massive block of ice.

Only then did Han Li exhale in relief. He looked up at the miniature hovering in midair, a trace of worry crossing his face.

“So this is what splitting the soul feels like—truly astonishing. Only I, the Divine Lord, could ever experience such a sensation,” came Da Yan Shen Jun’s wild laughter from the miniature, though his voice was clearly weak, as if recovering from a grave illness.

“Master, are you alright?” Han Li asked, unable to suppress his concern.

“Don’t worry. Though my split soul won’t last long, I’ll remain stable for ten days or so. Hurry and complete the spirit fusion—only then can I witness the automaton’s true power before my spiritual sense dissolves,” Da Yan Shen Jun urged, his voice filled with excitement.

“Naturally. But before that, I’ll use a Soul-Stabilizing Talisman to reinforce your remaining spirit fragment—don’t want any mishaps.” Han Li raised his brows, flicked his sleeve, and a blood-red talisman appeared in his hand.

“Soul-Stabilizing Talisman? That’s an exceedingly rare talisman. Wasting it on a dying man seems excessive,” Da Yan Shen Jun’s voice sounded surprised.

“I found this talisman in the storage bag of a Nascent Soul cultivator I exterminated. Even if it’s precious, it’s a free gain—why regret it?” Han Li said calmly, then flicked his wrist—the blood-red talisman shot out as a crimson streak, striking the miniature. A burst of blood mist erupted and was instantly absorbed into its body.

“Much better. I feel stronger. But remember—you used this talisman of your own accord. Don’t expect me to owe you anything,” Da Yan Shen Jun’s voice grew noticeably louder, tinged with something unusual.

“It’s nothing. Consider it interest on the help you gave me before,” Han Li replied quietly after a moment of silence.

Da Yan Shen Jun grunted a few times, then gestured toward the two halves of the bamboo tube on the ground. Instantly, with two soft whistles, the halves flew back and encased the miniature, restoring the bamboo tube’s original form. The tube floated down and repositioned itself upright before Han Li.

Without waiting for Da Yan Shen Jun to speak, Han Li extended one hand toward the massive ice block.

Purple light flickered within the ice as the humanoid automaton slowly melted, the frost dissolving bit by bit.

Han Li sat cross-legged again, then slammed his palm onto the crown of his head. A brilliant green glow erupted from his skull, and a translucent Nascent Soul emerged, flying straight toward the humanoid automaton…

Three months later, on the nameless barren island where Han Li dwelled, a streak of green light shot skyward and vanished into the void.

Ku Zhu Island, a tiny, obscure islet off the coast of Da Jin, perpetually shrouded in blue mist.

Its master, Ku Zhu Old Man, was unknown in the inland cultivation world, yet many mid- to late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators from the inland knew of him—and most feared him deeply.

Among the offshore cultivators, Ku Zhu Old Man was renowned. Though only at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, he wielded three hundred and sixty-five Cold Bamboo Flying Swords and the Heavenly Mulberry Divine Tree on Ku Zhu Island, earning him the status of a peer to the Three Immortals of the Sea.

The Ten Thousand Trees Array, centered on the Heavenly Mulberry Divine Tree, was astonishingly wondrous and had terrified offshore cultivators for tens of thousands of years—one of the few ancient marvels known across the seas. Even late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators entering the array had their powers diminished by a third.

But today, an unwelcome guest arrived above the island.

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