Chapter 170: Human Puppet!

"Although I didn't feel that the Elixir had any problem, you shouldn't casually eat things given by unfamiliar people—this is common sense even a three‑year‑old knows ah."

Yunhe sneered in his heart, spat, and vomited out the Elixir that Ning Manrou had given him earlier, unchanged.

He also had to admit that the timing chosen by Ning Manrou and Elder Jiang was excellent; after flying nonstop with a swift evasion technique for three days, even a Golden Core cultivator's mana would be somewhat depleted by this point, and sending up a high‑quality Third‑Grade Returning Origin Elixir at this moment, someone not so meticulous might really not be able to resist.

The point is.

Actually, the Elixir itself had no problem; even as a Third‑Grade Alchemist, Yunhe found nothing wrong with it, so even some cautious cultivators might not notice.

Watching Jiang Elder blast the ancient bronze gold brick away, Yunhe unhesitatingly formed a seal and unleashed the Five Elements Evasion Technique, simultaneously closing the distance and throwing out the Vermilion Bird Ring.

Cree—!!

A bright, long cry rang out, flames instantly rose, lighting up a vast expanse of night sky and dyeing the sea of clouds beneath a scarlet hue.

"Go!"

Then Yunhe pointed a finger, and the firebird transformed from the Vermilion Bird Ring shot forward without hesitation.

Seeing this, although Jiang Elder still had many things unclear, he knew this was no time to hesitate; he immediately threw out the pair of black‑ink Wu Hooks he held and formed a seal.

The next moment.

That pair of Wu Hooks unexpectedly transformed into two huge, pitch‑black scorpions, accompanied by the grating sound of metal chains, and lunged at the firebird.

A thunderous "Boom—" rang out!

Accompanied by a violent roar, a crimson ring flew backward out of the dust of the collision.

Yunhe furrowed his brow imperceptibly at the sight.

Although the Vermilion Bird Ring is also a magic treasure and its power is not weak, in terms of attributes and affinity it actually has an advantage over Jiang Elder's pair of Wu Hooks.

He could only exert seventy percent of this treasure's power, which is the disadvantage faced by a Golden Core cultivator without a life‑bound magic treasure when up against one who possesses such a treasure.

This is also why Yunhe has been eager to quickly forge a life‑bound magic treasure.

Likewise witnessing this, despite his injuries and pallid face, Jiang Elder couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

Why did they choose Yunhe?

Isn't it just because Yunhe is merely a newly broken‑through early Golden Core cultivator?

Moreover, he has been searching for "Blood Crystal Wood," which, in Jiang Elder and his associates' view, is merely preparation for forging a life‑bound magic treasure.

Such a Golden Core cultivator who has just broken through but has not yet managed to forge a life‑bound magic treasure is, to them, an ideal target.

The only miscalculation might have been not expecting Yunhe to be this cautious—he wasn't poisoned, and he even seized their moment of laxity to launch a sneak attack.

"Just a little bit—if not for the inner armor, it really would have been just a little bit."

Thinking of this, Jiang Elder's expression grew increasingly ferocious as the chaotic surge of his mana burst forth and poured into the Wu Hooks.

Those two pitch‑black scorpions, after knocking the Vermilion Bird Ring aside, locked their sights onto Yunhe.

But when Jiang Elder saw Yunhe again, his heart suddenly jolted.

A sense of danger welled up.

"Behind?!"

His divine sense burst outward.

To his surprise, however, there was clearly nothing behind him—not even any enemy or threat within the range of his divine sense.

Abruptly.

"Mmm!!"

Jiang Elder let out a muffled groan; his already pallid face grew even paler, as if his head had suffered a violent blow, and after the terrifying pain came a brief muddling of consciousness.

A divine sense attack?!

His spiritual perception warned him of danger, but Yunhe was clearly right in front of him, so he guessed the attack might come from behind—yet he never imagined it actually originated from an invisible, formless divine sense!

What's more shocking is that

Clearly the opponent is merely a cultivator who has only just broken through to Golden Core, so why is his divine sense so exaggerated?

Even a cultivator like him, who has lingered in the early Golden Core stage for a long time, cannot withstand it!

And since his divine sense was injured, his pair of Wu Hook magic treasures naturally ceased their motion.

When he finally managed to struggle back to consciousness, he happened to see Yunhe fiercely hurl a chunk of ancient‑bronze brick.

Bang!!

"Wah——"

Jiang Elder spat out a large mouthful of blood.

Yunhe was somewhat surprised, "He's not dead even after this?"

After he successfully broke through to Golden Core, he was finally able to wield the ancient‑bronze brick treasure with ease, and finally able to fully unleash its power.

Although this ancient‑bronze brick is somewhat damaged, after all it is an ancient treasure forged by ancient cultivators focusing solely on power; its function is singular, its use simple, and its purpose is to exchange for extremely pure and mighty power.

Even after smashing two such bricks, he still couldn't finish off this person?

Still, though he didn't die, he was pretty much crippled.

Yunhe formed a seal, his figure blurred for an instant, and in the flash of evasion light he arrived before Jiang Elder, whose eyes were filled with shock.

But when Yunhe saw Jiang Elder's shattered chest, his pupils contracted sharply and his heart was even more shocked.

"A puppet?!"

He couldn't help but cry out.

Jiang Elder's chest burst open in a large hole; within the intertwining muscle fibers were fine wooden grain patterns, and he could even see writhing roots clinging to his organs.

"No, this isn't an ordinary puppet—an ordinary puppet couldn't have flesh and blood; this is a 'human puppet'!"

At this moment.

Yunhe finally understood why Ning Manrou and this Jiang Elder had sought him out and lured him here.

The other party.

Also wanted to turn him into a "human puppet"!

At the same time, it also shows that Elder Jiang is not the one leading all this; someone else is controlling him behind the scenes.

And this person is very likely on that Cloud Island!

Myriad thoughts filled his mind, but in reality it was only a flash of lightning.

He snatched his storage bag, then kicked Elder Jiang down from the air with one foot.

And, pinching a seal with his fingers, he once again unleashed the "Vermilion Bird Ring".

Cry!!

Amid the firebird's long cry, carrying flames, he heavily smashed it onto the Cloud Island.

Boom!!

The entire Cloud Island trembled, stirring up layers of cloud waves.

Plop.

Yunhe landed lightly.

One foot lightly stepped on a human head.

"No, don't! Fellow Daoist Yun, this is not my wish; I am also forced by others, I implore you, Fellow Daoist," Elder Jiang pleaded.

"Even with just a head left, he can still speak."

Yunhe inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine.

Is this the "human puppet"?

"Stop!!"

At the same time.

A roar came from afar.

The wooden token that Ning Manrou had crushed earlier was precisely a special signal to notify the cultivators on the nearby island.

The distance between the two Cloud Islands is not great; with a Golden Core cultivator's evasion technique, it takes only five or six breaths to reach.

But no one expected that Yunhe, a newly minted Golden Core cultivator who hasn't even refined his natal magic treasure yet, an early-stage Golden Core cultivator, could actually dispatch Elder Jiang in such a short time.

Of course.

The most crucial factor, however, was Yunhe's unexpected sneak attack.

The "Golden Shadow Talisman" is not only effective when fleeing; its effect of confusing opponents during combat also looks quite good.

Moreover, the divine sense attack derived from the "Thousand Poisons Myriad Insects Technique" also played a decisive role.

"Huh?" Yunhe's divine sense swept out.

He clearly sensed two Golden Core cultivators flying swiftly toward this island.

And accompanying them were a large number of puppets.

And just as Yunhe was distracted by the distant shout, the murderous intent in Elder Jiang's eyes—whose only remaining part was a head under Yunhe's foot—burst forth.

This time, the pair of halberds hanging in the air did not turn into scorpions; instead, they shot toward Yunhe's back at extreme speed, silently.

Buzz—

Suddenly.

A faint buzzing sound came.

Just as those halberds locked onto Yunhe, suddenly from beneath the Cloud Island, from behind Yunhe, a large swarm of Crimson Shadow Golden-Winged Bees emerged.

And without hesitation, they rushed to meet those halberds.

Seeing this, Elder Jiang's eyes grew colder.

But the scene he had imagined—of the halberds easily breaking through the bee swarm—did not occur; instead, as the halberds approached the swarm, the countless Crimson Shadow Golden-Winged Bees entwined around the pair of black halberds.

In just an instant, the pair of halberds turned a crimson-gold color.

Then came a harsh, grating "creak" that made one's heart pound.

Just a moment ago, Elder Jiang's eyes were full of murderous intent, but now they were dull and foolish.

His magic treasure—his magic treasure actually vanished at a visible speed?!

"This is."

Bang!!

Yunhe ignored Elder Jiang's shock, simply frowning and stomping down with one foot, causing the head to explode like a watermelon.

One could see that the shattered flesh and bone were likewise filled with wooden grain.

Then Yunhe raised his hand and grasped the ball of light that had fled from Elder Jiang's head, firmly holding it in his palm.

Elder Jiang's nascent soul!

And Yunhe's actions, especially the scene of the bee swarm devouring the magic treasure, caused the two Golden Core cultivators rushing over to stagger.

Hovering above the Cloud Sea, they looked at Yunhe clutching Elder Jiang's nascent soul, their eyes filled with astonishment.

What kind of demonic insect is that?

It can even devour magic treasures?

Yunhe then turned his head to look at the dazed Ning Manrou not far away.

Obviously.

What just happened in those few breaths left her, the only Foundation Establishment cultivator present, somewhat unable to accept it.

It seemed she felt Yunhe's gaze; Ning Manrou shuddered, her formerly lovely face instantly paling, and she stammered:

"I, I, I really know where the 'Blood Crystal Wood' is."

Hmm?

Speak frankly.

When launching a sneak attack on Elder Jiang, Yunhe had already given up hope on the "Blood Crystal Wood" they spoke of.

But at this moment, Ning Manrou, facing herself, could still say such words, giving him again a little bit of hope.

After all, she should be very clear that her life and death now lie in a single thought of Yunhe.

Deceiving oneself is merely a slight delay.

Delay?

Yunhe suddenly startled, fiercely gazing at the two Jie Dan cultivators hovering in midair.

Only to see, one of their expressions unexpectedly became ferocious and twisted, even his appearance changing in an extremely short time.

What shocked Yunhe even more was the feeling that person gave him.

It made cold sweat break out on his back, and a bold thought suddenly sprang from his heart.

Yuan Ying Cultivator?!

On that island, could there be a Yuan Ying Old Monster?!

"Junior."

His appearance turned into that of a hunched-over old man, a Jie Dan cultivator, emitting a hoarse voice.

And the other Jie Dan cultivator beside him likewise changed expression greatly, shocked beyond measure, yet daring not to make any out-of-line move, not even daring to pull away.

"Not right!"

Yunhe quickly reacted.

If that Yuan Ying Old Monster truly were on the opposite Cloud Island, given the distance between the two Cloud Islands, to him it would be merely an instant.

Yet it so troublesomely descended onto the body of that Jie Dan Stage person puppet.

This can only indicate one thing.

The other side temporarily cannot leave that Cloud Island!

Moreover.

Otherwise, how could a grand Yuan Ying Cultivator, an existence that calls itself king and ancestor of a realm, go to such trouble here to set traps and scheme against Jie Dan Cultivators?

Yunhe's expression slowly turned strange.

Seems not a Yuan Ying Cultivator?

Moreover, there is a trace of yin qi?

(End of chapter)