Chapter 573: Mechanical Puppet

The order of the Heavenly Initiation's Lord Youming was like a cold winter wind—harsh and merciless—its words hammering onto the heart of every cultivator member of the Shadow Unit.

Elder Mingyuan's face turned unusually solemn at the moment he received the order.

As he concealed himself within the forces of the Longyuan Immortal Sect, he grew increasingly unsettled about the Longyuan Immortal Sect.

History Tiger City, now that the Longyuan Immortal Sect has mastered the method to repel the Demonic Crane, has drawn the allegiance of myriad sects, its power great; it is fundamentally not an opponent they can easily shake.

The Lord of Heavenly Initiation, Youming's idea is overly simple; now the Shadow hides in a secret place, advancing and retreating both difficult—entering is easy, but leaving is doubly hard.

"Lord Youming's order, I must not obey, but History Tiger City's defenses are truly an iron wall and copper bastion." Elder Mingyuan's voice was hoarse, revealing a hint of helplessness.

The members of the Shadow Unit are all experts in stealth and assassination, having been victorious in countless operations of the Heavenly Initiation, yet now they feel an unprecedented sense of frustration.

It is like a beast trapped in a cage, possessing sharp claws and fangs but with nowhere to use them.

"Alas, thinking of our glory, now we are like mice groping in the dark, and History Tiger City's surveillance treasures are swords hanging over our heads—utterly keen and sharp." A Shadow Unit member said resentfully, eyes flashing with indignation.

"Those treasure mirrors not only can see through all concealment, they can also emit that terrifying red light." Another member took up the thread, voice trembling: "I personally saw a brother merely reveal a trace, and that red light pierced him, his soul body not spared, instantly ignited and turned to ash."

Shadow Unit members are accustomed to moving like ghosts through the dark night, completing their missions soundlessly and without trace.

Yet in History Tiger City, they must be extra cautious, fearing to attract the notice of those mysterious treasure mirrors.

Their movements became sluggish, their breathing suppressed, and now every Shadow cultivator's heart is filled with frustration.

"This is nothing short of an insult to the Shadow; when have we ever been so timid?" a hot-tempered member shouted, his voice echoing in the Shadow Unit's secret base, yet also tinged with helplessness.

"It's like a fly trapped in a bottle—can see the outside world but cannot fly out." A seasoned member sighed, eyes full of fatigue: "Every operation risks our lives; this frustration I have never experienced."

Elder Mingyuan looked at his subordinates, his heart also a mixture of feelings.

The reputation of the Shadow Unit cannot be destroyed like this; we must devise a countermeasure that both fulfills Lord Youming's order and preserves the Shadow Unit's strength.

"We must be more careful, more concealed." Elder Mingyuan said solemnly, "We must be like water—able to penetrate every crevice yet leave no trace. Only then can we find space to survive under History Tiger City's strict surveillance."

Although the Shadow Unit members feel frustrated, they know Elder Mingyuan's words are correct.

They must endure, they must adapt, they must seek opportunity in adversity; their gaze gradually steadies, knowing only by persisting can they find a chance to counterattack.

Yet they lurk in the dark corners of History Tiger City, their hearts not only filled with frustration but also overwhelmed by an indescribable fear.

These past days, they have encountered a series of extraordinarily strange events, causing even those Shadow Unit members accustomed to moving in darkness to feel an unprecedented shock.

When night fell, several Shadow Unit members silently infiltrated the Longyuan Immortal Sect's territory to capture a few lone patrolling disciples, in order to probe the sect's strength and secrets.

That operation was swift and soundless, like a ghost in the night, quickly locking onto several seemingly ordinary patrolling disciples.

However, when they launched the ambush and slew those disciples, the sight before them filled them with terror.

The slain disciples' bodies bled no blood, had no real flesh, but instead scattered across the ground were eerie parts—gears, metal fragments……

Those parts rolled on the ground, emitting a cold metallic clatter.

"What… what is this thing?" a Shadow Unit cultivator stammered, eyes wide, face full of disbelief.

"They are not cultivators, but mechanical puppets!" another cultivator exclaimed in a low voice, trembling, clearly also shocked by the sight.

These mechanical puppets are superbly crafted; their appearance is indistinguishable from a real person, and they can even imitate a cultivator's aura and movements.

The Shadow Unit members began to realize that the Longyuan Immortal Sect they faced was far more complex and mysterious than they had imagined.

With further secret investigation, the Shadow Unit discovered an even more shocking fact—these strange mechanical puppets might actually account for sixty percent of the Longyuan Immortal Sect's patrolling disciples.

This means that the Longyuan Immortal Sect they face has nearly sixty percent of its strength not from true cultivators, but from these mechanical puppets composed of strange parts.

"How is this possible? How could the Longyuan Immortal Sect possess so many mechanical puppets?" a Shadow Unit cultivator muttered to himself, heart full of doubt and fear.

"What is the strength of these mechanical puppets? If they truly occupy most of the Longyuan Immortal Sect's power, then our previous assessment was completely wrong." Another cultivator said anxiously, eyes flickering with unease.

Elder Mingyuan's face grew even graver; he knew this news was a massive blow to the Shadow Unit, and indeed to the whole.

The Longyuan Immortal Sect's strength has been severely underestimated; those mechanical puppets they possess are undoubtedly a formidable force.

"We must immediately send this news back to the Heavenly Initiation." Elder Mingyuan said solemnly, "The Longyuan Immortal Sect's strength far exceeds our imagination."

The Shadow Unit members began to realize that they faced not merely a cultivation faction, but an enemy full of the unknown and the strange.

In a world filled with cultivators composed of strange parts, every step is fraught with danger and uncertainty.

They moved stealthily under the shadow of the Longyuan Immortal Sect, their hearts filled with worry and fear.

Once those mechanical puppets detect them, these emotionless, merciless constructs will lock on without mercy and launch a deadly attack.

Mechanical puppets differ from true cultivators; they have no hesitation, no delay—once they identify an intruder, they immediately execute their order—to destroy.

"Our shadows here have become fragile; the eyes of those mechanical puppets seem able to see through even our souls." a Shadow Unit cultivator said softly, voice trembling, clearly feeling deep dread toward these non‑living foes.

"Yes, we cannot be as reckless as they are." another cultivator replied, eyes flashing with worry: "If our soul body falls, the physical body in the real world will quickly wither and finally perish."

From now on we must act carefully, lest these mechanical puppets catch our trail.

Shadow Unit cultivators deeply know that the soul body is their projection in this world; should it suffer mishap here, their physical bodies in the real world will also perish.

This dual fragility compels them to be more cautious and careful than ordinary people when carrying out missions.

"Moreover, we must not create too great a disturbance." Elder Mingyuan warned, "The true powerhouses of the Longyuan Immortal Sect have not yet revealed themselves; their power is unfathomable. Should our actions draw their notice, we would fall into extreme danger, and perhaps truly be unable to escape even with wings."

When carrying out missions, Shadow Unit cultivators must move through the shadows, each action carefully calculated, each breath controlled to just the right degree.

They cannot unleash power recklessly like the mechanical puppets, for that would expose their position and draw unwanted attention.

"We must be like ghosts—soundless and traceless." a cultivator said softly, his body nearly blending with the night's surroundings, "Any slight carelessness could lead to our utter defeat."

The Shadow Unit members, within the Longyuan Immortal Sect's territory, are like dancers on a blade's edge, each step fraught with danger.

They must not only dodge the patrols of mechanical puppets, but also remain ever vigilant of the Longyuan Immortal Sect's true powerhouses.

Under such pressure, the Shadow Unit cultivators feel an unprecedented frustration.

They once were the pride of the Heavenly Initiation, masters of stealth and assassination, but now they must hide like mice, unable to afford any carelessness.

Their hearts are filled with resentment, yet more so with fear of the unknown and a longing to survive.

"We must persevere until we find an opportunity." Elder Mingyuan said firmly, his voice hinting at resolve: "As long as there is still a breath, we cannot give up. The glory of the Heavenly Initiation and our lives depend on our actions."

At this moment, in the Shadow Unit's secret base, a cultivator whispered an unbelievable piece of news.

"Have you heard?" a Shadow cultivator lowered his voice, eyes flickering with doubt and curiosity, "The Longyuan Immortal Sect is said to have mastered the secret of longevity, able to let those ancient monsters whose lifespans are near breaking the shackles of their mortal bodies, defy heaven and change fate, and live another life."

"At first I thought this was just an absurd rumor," another cultivator interjected, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "but when I heard this rumor in the cultivator hall of Lihu City, I discovered it was actually an open secret. Everyone was talking about the mysterious power of the Longyuan Immortal Sect, and the old monsters who had gained new life because of it."

"How could this be possible?" a young shadow cultivator interjected, his face full of disbelief, "Immortality isn't that just a legend? How could it appear in reality?"

"But this is the fact," Mingyuan Elder said in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity, "The power of the Longyuan Immortal Sect far exceeds our imagination. They can not only manufacture those strange mechanical puppets, but also grasp the secret of immortality. Such power is enough to make any faction feel apprehensive."

"What's even stranger," a shadow cultivator added, his voice trembling slightly, "Because of this mysterious power, many old monsters whose lifespans are nearing their end have become guest elders of the Longyuan Immortal Sect; their strength and wisdom undoubtedly greatly enhance the sect's power."

"But," another cultivator said, frowning in confusion, "Where exactly are these old monsters hidden? Why does nobody know of their existence?"

"This is the Longyuan Immortal Sect's cleverness," Mingyuan Elder said slowly, his eyes flickering with thought, "They have hidden these old monsters, making them a covert force. At critical moments, these old monsters are undoubtedly the sect's strongest trump card."

The cultivators of the Shadow Unit fell into silence, their hearts filled with shock and unease. They began to realize that the power of the Longyuan Immortal Sect far exceeded their imagination, being much stronger.

The sect that holds the secret of immortality not only possesses powerful mechanical puppets, but also has a group of nearly immortal old monsters as its backing.

A shadow cultivator said in a low voice, his tone firm, "The Longyuan Immortal Sect's power is so great that we cannot afford any carelessness; we must find the hiding places of those old monsters, otherwise we will never truly understand the sect's power."

"Yes," another cultivator agreed, "We must not only dodge the patrols of the mechanical puppets, but also stay wary of those old monsters that could appear at any moment; their strength and experience are undoubtedly our greatest threat."

Those old monsters are like time bombs that could deal a deadly blow at any moment.

The cultivators of the Shadow Unit sat gathered in a dim light within their concealed outpost, their faces grave and uneasy.

The power of the Longyuan Immortal Sect, especially its secret of immortality, filled them with an unprecedented fear.

In this cultivation world full of mystery and danger, the Longyuan Immortal Sect is undoubtedly the most terrifying obstacle they must face in carrying out their missions.

"The Heaven's Initiation's hegemonic map aims to control the entire Tianji Shengyu, but the existence of the Longyuan Immortal Sect is undoubtedly the biggest stumbling block in our plan." A shadow cultivator said in a deep voice, his eyes flashing with a stern light.

"The immortality secret they hold allows those old monsters who should have perished to extend their lives, meaning they possess nearly infinite experience and wisdom." Another cultivator added, his voice tinged with awe, "The strength of those old monsters, combined with the mechanical puppets, makes the Longyuan Immortal Sect's power unfathomable."

"Yes, we originally thought the Heaven's Initiation's power was enough to sweep everything away, but now..." a young cultivator shook his head, his face showing worry, "The strength of the Longyuan Immortal Sect makes the Heaven's Initiation's plan perilous."

Mingyuan Elder fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly: "The power of the Longyuan Immortal Sect is indeed great, but we cannot retreat because of it; the Heaven's Initiation's goal is to unify the Tianji Shengyu, and any obstruction must be eliminated."

"But how can we oppose such power?" a cultivator questioned, his voice tinged with despair, "We are like fighting an enemy that can never be defeated."

"We cannot confront them head-on; we must find the Longyuan Immortal Sect's weak point." Mingyuan Elder said in a deep voice, his eyes flashing with determination, "Every faction, no matter how strong, has its weakness; we must patiently seek it out and carefully plan."

"Moreover, we cannot act alone." An experienced shadow cultivator suggested, "We can join forces with other factions to oppose the Longyuan Immortal Sect. In the Tianji Shengyu, many factions feel wary of the sect's mysterious power, and we can take advantage of that."

"Indeed, joining other factions to jointly devise a plan might perhaps find a way to counter the Longyuan Immortal Sect." Another cultivator nodded in agreement, "We can secretly contact those factions dissatisfied with the Longyuan Immortal Sect and plot together."

The cultivators of the Shadow Unit knew that facing such a formidable enemy as the Longyuan Immortal Sect, relying solely on the Heaven's Initiation's power was not enough.