Chapter 158: 158. Chapter 158 Four‑Tier Puppet Inheritance, Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique

158. Chapter 158 Four‑Tier Puppet Inheritance, Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique

After returning to the city, Xiao Zhangqing went straight back to the Jinxiu Fang dwelling.

As for what grudges or conflicts exist between Character: Liyang Immortal City and the two major Nascent Soul sects, that is no longer something he can intervene in.

This matter has little to do with him, and his strength is still not qualified to partake in such high‑level scheming.

Let Character: Liyang Zhenren and his disciples handle it in due course.

He is merely an ordinary tenant Scattered Cultivator in Character: Liyang Immortal City; even if Character: Liyang Zhenren's lineage were to suffer successive defeats and Character: Liyang Immortal City's standing were to be jeopardized, it would still have little to do with him.

The worst outcome would be nothing more than him moving away and finding a new place to settle.

……

Cultivation Chamber.

After recounting his haul once more, Xiao Zhangqing placed a severely mangled puppet—missing arms and legs, barely recognizable as humanoid—in front of him.

This badly damaged puppet is not the second‑tier late‑stage puppet that was shattered by Gu Zongyuan in the recent battle.

"Strictly speaking, this unusable, ruined puppet is actually the biggest gain from my outing…"

Xiao Zhangqing thought to himself.

If this puppet hadn't been completely destroyed—already entirely unusable—any remaining trace of its peak power could have altered today's battle situation.

Because this was once a fourth‑tier puppet! The inheritance of the Puppet Evil Lord comes from a sect called "Qianji Gate" that existed millennia ago.

That sect differs from today's Xingyue Palace and Qixing Sword Sect, the two major Nascent Soul sects.

In the present Da Yu Cultivation World, the two great Nascent Soul sects each have their specialties, but the core focus is a single point: their own cultivation.

A sect that has a Nascent Soul True Lord seated as its pillar is fundamentally able to suppress everything.

However, the "Qianji Gate", which thrived thousands to tens of thousands of years ago, differed: its greatest strength lay not in the cultivators' own cultivation, but in their puppet techniques.

According to the inheritance Jade Tablet recorded in the Puppet Evil Lord's storage bag, the Qianji Gate possessed a puppet inheritance technique that reached the fifth‑tier!

What does fifth‑tier puppet technique signify? If mastered to the extreme with sufficient materials, one can forge a combat power one level above a Nascent Soul True Lord—a Transformation God Puppet! In today's cultivation world, a Nascent Soul True Lord is already the pinnacle of combat strength.

Not only in Da Yu's cultivation world, but also in surrounding cultivation realms, the era long ago saw no Transformation God Venerable; at most there are top‑tier cultivators in the mid‑to‑late Nascent Soul stage.

Thus in the current age, it is hard to imagine a puppet possessing Transformation God‑level power.

Of course.

When the Qianji Gate had not yet been annihilated and was at its peak, no puppet master ever truly forged a fifth‑tier puppet.

However, the Qianji Gate did have several fourth‑tier puppets.

Thus, even in the more prosperous ancient cultivation world, the Qianji Gate was unquestionably a first‑rate sect.

Far stronger than today's Xingyue Palace and Qixing Sword Sect.

After all, these two major Nascent Soul sects each now have only a single Nascent Soul True Lord.

Yet even a powerhouse like the Qianji Gate has long vanished into the river of history; after thousands to tens of thousands of years, even its legends are scarcely heard.

Xiao Zhangqing had never heard of the Qianji Gate before today.

The Puppet Evil Lord also counts as someone with great destiny; he obtained a portion of the Qianji Gate's core inheritance, and his puppet prowess is rather gifted, gradually elevating his puppet technique to a quasi‑third‑tier level.

Indeed.

The Puppet Evil Lord's cultivation has even entered the False Core realm, and his puppet technique is on the brink of breakthrough, nearly reaching quasi‑third‑tier.

Xiao Zhangqing inferred this from the list of treasures he purchased from the Puppet Evil Lord.

Many of the materials in that person's storage bag are no longer intended for forging second‑tier superior puppets, but rather to prepare for crafting third‑tier puppets.

"It can be considered rather gifted…"

Xiao Zhangqing thought silently.

In the hundred cultivation arts, whichever discipline, as long as one can take the first step, it can be said to have a modest talent.

More than half of cultivators lack talent in the hundred cultivation arts.

And those who can cultivate any art to the first tier surpass ninety percent of cultivators.

Reaching the first tier in the hundred arts makes one a "upper‑class individual" in the major cultivation markets, entitled to very high privileges.

Just like the old Nanshan Fang, as long as an art could be tiered, one could reside in an "Yi" cave dwelling.

Achieving the second tier, even in major Core‑Forming sects or places like Character: Liyang Immortal City, ensures a comfortable life.

Reaching the third tier is like Jiang Jiyue's father Jiang Canghai, whose Talisman Script reached the third tier, instantly placing the Jiang family among the top ten families in Character: Liyang Immortal City! Thus the Puppet Evil Lord's talent in puppetry is truly impressive, making him a genius.

"But… no matter how gifted, it's worthless before a cheat…"

Xiao Zhangqing looked at the inventory screen and couldn't help but smile.

【Fourth‑tier Superior Puppet】

【Created jointly by two fourth‑tier puppet masters, a painstaking masterpiece, once one of the Qianji Gate's strongest trump cards in the path of puppetry, guarding the sect for centuries. Both the materials and the crafting technique are flawless, highly artistic. Even though it was completely destroyed in a great war, with the main material losing its effect, its former elegance can still be discerned.】

【Equipment Requirement: Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique (Introductory)】

【Equipment Effect: Puppet Technique (Third‑tier Superior), Puppet Talent Boost (Blue)】

Fortunately, when the Puppet Evil Lord first obtained the Qianji Gate inheritance, he didn't discard this abandoned fourth‑tier puppet; instead he kept it as a souvenir, which can be considered a good deed.

This completely shattered puppet would fetch little if sold; its broken body is worth almost nothing even for parts, so it can only be sold as scrap.

For the Puppet Evil Lord, whose net worth is tens of thousands of low‑grade Spirit Stones, it's of no use; keeping it merely takes up space.

But for Xiao Zhangqing, it becomes extremely useful!

Two major skills! Each is a level Xiao Zhangqing has never encountered before.

Puppet Technique directly reaches the third tier, and it is third‑tier Superior!

Until now, the highest of Xiao Zhangqing's hundred cultivation arts was his Talisman Script, only second‑tier Superior. It only advanced after arriving at Character: Liyang Immortal City.

As for the blue puppet talent, Xiao Zhangqing has never encountered that before either.

Aside from spirit‑root quality, other talent aptitudes are only white and green.

And blue is one rank higher than green.

In other words, after equipping this broken puppet, Xiao Zhangqing not only instantly becomes a third-tier middle‑grade Puppet Master, but also truly becomes a genius in puppetry.

As for the equipment requirement, one must have cultivated the core inheritance of the ancient Thousand‑Machine Sect, the "Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique", at the introductory level; if Xiao Zhangqing only has this broken puppet, it would indeed be troublesome.

The Thousand‑Machine Sect has been annihilated for at least several thousand years, its traces nearly vanished in the long river of history; in the present Cultivation World, few cultivators even know the sect's name, let alone how to locate its core inheritance technique. Yet Xiao Zhangqing actually found the Transmission Jade Tablet of the Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique inside the Puppet Demon Lord's storage bag!

It is unknown whether this Jade Tablet is the sole surviving copy passed down from the Thousand‑Machine Sect, but it is an authentic original, engraved personally by a senior elder of the sect centuries ago!

After Xiao Zhangqing equips this Transmission Jade Tablet, the Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique progresses beyond the introductory stage to a small completion! Consequently, meeting the condition to equip a fourth‑tier broken puppet is no longer a problem for him.

"It's kind of like nesting dolls…"

Xiao Zhangqing feels elated, temporarily removes two pieces of equipment, and first equips the Transmission Jade Tablet.

As soon as the thought arises, numerous cultivation experiences of the Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique pour into Xiao Zhangqing's mind like a divine nectar.

Fortunately, Xiao Zhangqing's Soul Transformation is now strong enough, already surpassing many mid Core Formation cultivators, so the intake is not painful.

After a while, he opens his eyes.

"So it turns out to be a secret art concerning Soul Transformation…"

Xiao Zhangqing is somewhat surprised.

The Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique, the core inheritance of the Thousand‑Machine Sect and a required art for its puppet lineage, is actually not about how to make puppets but about refining Soul Transformation! Unlike the Dragon Chant Technique or the Nine Autumn Secret Technique, the Thousand‑Autumn Essential Technique involves no spiritual attack methods nor any spiritual defense methods.

The sole purpose of this art is to create puppets, because puppet fabrication is an extremely mind‑exhausting task.

It consumes far more mental energy than forging Talisman Scripts or refining Pills!

Especially the higher‑tier puppets, the more so!

It requires an extremely subtle grasp of countless details, so the Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique hones the Soul Transformation's concentration.

Precisely because he cultivated the Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique, the Puppet Demon Lord, when confronted by Xiao Zhangqing's ability to suppress the pseudo‑Core Formation level Nine Autumn Secret Technique, was caught off guard at first but quickly recovered.

Had he not cultivated the Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique, he would have been restrained immediately at the outset and then captured by the Character: Liyang Guard led by Gu Zongyuan.

"The Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique shares some similarities with the Nightmare Technique in refining Soul Transformation, but the former is far purer than the latter."

"Before mid Core Formation, this secret art serves no purpose other than researching puppet fabrication."

"However…"

"Once cultivation reaches late Core Formation and Soul Transformation has grown to its limit, the Thousand‑Autumn Essential Technique yields notable effects."

After Xiao Zhangqing activates the secret art and gives it a try, he comments:

When Soul Transformation reaches its limit, a deeper qualitative change is required, becoming more condensed, preparing for the Tribulation Crossing.

The Thousand‑Autumn Essential Technique is used by the Thousand‑Machine Sect to cultivate fourth‑tier Puppet Masters, i. e., to train puppet masters capable of forging fourth‑tier puppets and, in legend, fifth‑tier puppets.

To forge puppets above fourth tier, the Soul Transformation requirement is not much lower than that for the Tribulation Crossing.

"This is a pleasant surprise."

Xiao Zhangqing feels extremely exhilarated.

The benefits scavenged from the Blood Crow True Immortal are somewhat disappointing.

But what emerged from the Puppet Demon Lord far exceeds expectations.

Overall, the deficit has been compensated.

Having become familiar with the Thousand‑Machine Essential Technique, Xiao Zhangqing does not hesitate and immediately equips the broken fourth‑tier puppet into the system.

Thereafter, he officially becomes a third-tier middle‑grade Puppet Master!

If this status were announced, setting aside his strength, Soul Transformation intensity, and everything else, he could directly become the No. 2 figure of Character: Liyang Immortal City!

Throughout the Da Yu Cultivation World, he could belong to the top handful of individuals coveted by the two major Nascent Soul factions! A third-tier middle‑grade Puppet Master holds a status far surpassing mid Core Formation cultivators.

He can rival the great True Immortals of late Core Formation! At most, he still cannot compare to Character: Liyang True Immortals who virtually dominate all Core Formation immortals.

"Fortunately, the hidden threat of the Blood Crow True Immortal has been eliminated."

"Then, during this period, I'll just close off, try to see whether I can forge a third‑tier Puppet!"

A third‑tier Puppet would be a being comparable to a Core Formation True Immortal! Core Formation True Immortals already dominate a region of the Da Yu Cultivation World, founding sects, yet Xiao Zhangqing can create such combat power—how terrifying? Hence the Nascent Soul factions also vie for him.

"However, forging a third‑tier puppet, besides skill requirements, also demands a crucial point: sufficient materials!"

The materials for a single third‑tier puppet are not easy to gather.

The raw materials for forging a third‑tier puppet cost tens of thousands, nearly a hundred thousand low‑grade Spirit Stones.

Moreover, many of those materials are hard to purchase; even the major shops of Character: Liyang Immortal City may not have them, requiring contacts who specialize in acquisition! Fortunately, the Puppet Demon Lord had already begun attempting to forge a third‑tier puppet, so he has already gathered more than half, especially the rarest, hardest‑to‑buy items and new materials.

This is another boon for Xiao Zhangqing.

Reflecting on this, Xiao Zhangqing silently sighs in his heart: the Puppet Demon Lord is surprisingly generous in this regard!

"During this period, first acquire all the missing materials for forging a third‑tier puppet; then, before forging the third‑tier puppet, craft a few second‑tier upper‑grade puppets to practice!"

Xiao Zhangqing ponders in his mind.

Although the system directly granted him third‑tier middle‑grade puppet techniques, he has never personally tried them, so he cannot just test a third‑tier puppet outright.

It's too expensive, gathering materials isn't easy, and a single failure hurts a lot. (End of chapter)