Chapter 105: Self-destruct Little Boy Number One

This is a path that had never been imagined before.

Be bold and get it done early; in any case, a Real-scene Simulation only costs ten points a day. She had just spent such a long time researching the Self-destruct Puppet and achieved some results, which in fact had only consumed less than eight hundred points.

For eighty days, at least this quiet room and the protective Array Disk that required Spirit Stones to activate were obtained for free. All she did was restart the Real-scene Simulation once every two days after her research.

Perhaps she actually had a talent for puppets?

This thought only flashed through her mind while she was busy.

She went through many failures in between; once, while she was crafting a puppet, a previously drawn self-destruct rune suddenly exploded, causing her to kick the bucket and end the simulation prematurely.

Through every tiny adjustment she made to the puppet crafting, her technique gradually became more proficient.

The number representing points in the Simulator slowly decreased. Just as she was dazed after completing the final step and ruling out yet another method, she suddenly froze.

"Elder Xu" opened his eyes and stood up sluggishly.

She also looked at him sluggishly.

The puppet... was successfully crafted! No failure in the Soul Summoning Incantation, no rejection between the puppet's essence and the body, no failure to activate after the final step was completed, no sudden explosion of flying flesh and blood...

This time, it was a true success.

Ruan Xing was somewhat pleasantly surprised. She had long since dripped her own blood into the puppet's essence during crafting. At this moment, she issued a command to "Elder Xu" through their mental link. He was very obedient; the yin energy circulated freely in his chest and throat, and while the self-destruct function was added, his original strength as a Golden Core Late Stage cultivator was also preserved.

Then, it was time to verify the results.

Ruan Xing took a deep breath, snapped her fingers, and ordered: "Golden Core self-destruct."

Boom—

With a heaven-shaking loud noise, this simulation ended once again.

With such a great weapon, even if her enemies were at the Nascent Soul stage after she arrived in the Central Province, she would no longer need to be afraid.

Heh heh, other protagonists who kill enemies above their level can at most cross one or two minor realms, but she is different: Foundation Establishment stage! Daring to kill Nascent Soul!

Although this was the puppet's ability and not her own strength, how could it not count? After all, this was a puppet she had crafted with her own hands.

For the sake of caution, although Ruan Xing had determined the successful crafting method, she was not sure if it would succeed every time, so she opened the Real-scene Simulation a few more times to familiarize herself with the process, and incidentally used the Self-destruct Puppet to test the explosion radius in the simulation.

The first time, she ordered the self-destruct at a distance of one thousand meters from the puppet; a white light flashed before her eyes, and the simulation ended before she felt any pain.

The second time, she stood two thousand meters away from the puppet. This time, when the sound of the explosion rang out, her entire head buzzed as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, producing a massive roar; her Spiritual Power even became chaotic, and she felt dizzy, unable to stop herself from spitting out a mouthful of blood.

But she only suffered a minor injury and did not die.

After several experiments, she could basically confirm that within a radius of eight hundred meters with the puppet as the center, there was basically no possibility of escape for those below the Golden Core Late Stage; within a radius of one thousand two hundred meters, cultivators below the Golden Core stage would basically die instantly; a radius of one thousand five hundred meters was about enough to cause heavy injury, and the impact beyond two thousand meters was relatively small.

It sounded small, just two thousand meters, which was only the distance one could run in a fall sports meet, but this was a radius; calculated out, the entire area affected was about five square kilometers, and the self-destructing Golden Core was an instantaneous injury with no warning. Even with the terrifying speed of the Ghost Escape Technique used by Sword Lai, it would be impossible to escape.

The other Golden Core Early Stage Self-destruct Puppet with the black bamboo hat was the same, only the range was slightly lower than "Elder Xu". As for whether a Nascent Soul stage cultivator could escape within five hundred meters... that would have to wait until she found a Nascent Soul stage cultivator to test it on.

Satisfied, Ruan Xing stroked her chin and ended the simulation.

She began to craft two Golden Core Self-destruct Puppets and two ordinary Self-destruct Puppets in reality, following the process she knew by heart.

However, looking at "Elder Xu"'s old face, she always felt it was a bit awkward, so she casually took off a black bamboo hat and covered his head, "That feels much more comfortable."

The face hidden under the black bamboo hat was very young and somewhat familiar. She carefully identified it in her memory before remembering that this person was the cultivator in charge of the water screen; he was present every time the list on the water screen changed, so she had seen him twice, but because this person had no presence, Ruan Xing had never paid attention to him.

It seemed to be, Lu Qisheng?

Forget it, who cares what his name is; since he followed her, he was her person, so why not give him a nice and easy-to-remember name?

"Elder Xu"'s power was a bit greater, so she pointed at "Elder Xu" and said: "Little Boy Number One."

Then Lu Qisheng, "Little Boy Number Two."

Finally, the two Foundation Establishment Self-destruct Puppets, "Fatty Number One, and Fatty Number Two."

Content, she put the four puppets into her Storage Bag. She even began to look forward to the future; if she ever had Nascent Soul or Transformation stage puppets, she could name them Miss Qiu!

Although she had spent more than half a year in the simulation, less than a day had actually passed in reality. Repeatedly and mechanically maintaining highly tense nerves, Ruan Xing felt mentally exhausted. At this very moment, it would be best to have a refreshing sleep.

Fortunately, based on her stingy nature, she hadn't thrown away the tent and bedding Hu San had prepared for her. She took them out now and spread them in the quiet room, just enough to lie down in the soft bedding and rest.

Because of the useful Dust-Gathering Technique, the bedding wasn't dirty, it just felt like it lacked the smell of being dried in the sun.

Never mind, what was there to be picky about? Sleep first, talk later.

A good night's sleep, fresh and clear.

When Ruan Xing woke up the next day, she received a message from Sword Lai through their mental link; he had arrived.

She had forgotten that after Sword Lai reached the Golden Core stage, his speed had increased a lot; he could run three hundred kilometers in less than two hours.

She got up to check out, and Ruan Xing even retrieved the fifteen unused Spirit Stones. Not long after she walked out the main gate, slight air fluctuations appeared nearby, as if it were deliberately trying to let her discover it.

"Behave." Ruan Xing reached out and gave a light tug toward the air, and Sword Lai was pulled into the Storage Bag very obediently.

She still had to go to the Jinxia Sect's station later to use their Teleportation Array; putting Sword Lai into the Storage Bag would be more convenient and safe. Although this would be a bit of a grievance for him, Sword Lai was so obedient, he wouldn't blame his master, right?

Finding a deserted corner, Ruan Xing took out the Mask Artifact and put it on, disguising her height, appearance, and cultivation level. With the support of the Illusion Technique, there were almost no flaws to be seen.

There were still over six thousand points in the Simulator, and over two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones left in the Storage Bag. For her now, it was enough, but for her after forming the Golden Core, it would definitely be a drop in the bucket. Therefore, she had to go fence the stolen goods first.

In the Golden Terrace Secret Realm, most of the wealth from the fellow disciples she robbed had been eaten by the Demon Lord, but the relics Xie Huai gave her and the inheritance of Xu Sixi and others were still with her. Later, she had harvested some more from Elder Xu and others. It was not easy for her to sell them at the Xuanbing Sect, but there should be no problem at the Jinxia Sect.

These materials, Pills, Dharma Artifacts, and talismans, even if sold at a twenty percent discount, could still earn quite a few Spirit Stones, and she could incidentally clear out the redundant space in her Storage Bag.

After observing the market, Ruan Xing found a shop that recycled all kinds of items, composed herself, and went in.

Her current disguise was a tall male cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, with slightly sinister eyes, looking like someone not to be trifled with.

The shopkeeper's recycling price wasn't too much of a rip-off. In any case, it was all free; she just wanted to sell quickly and not waste time. How much she earned was secondary; once sold, she would leave immediately.

The Sect Leader said Elder Xu was from a Cultivation family, so she was quite worried that there might be some inconspicuous marks on the other party's things.

Having harvested over two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones, Ruan Xing walked out the door, dispelled her disguise, and turned to head toward the Jinxia Sect's station.

After paying the two hundred Low-grade Spirit Stone fare, Ruan Xing entered the Teleportation Array and headed to the next destination.

If not for this trip to the Central Province, she wouldn't have known there were so many small Sects in Nanzhou. However, she didn't stop in between, but kept transferring between various Teleportation Arrays, wanting to reach the Central Province as soon as possible.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist, I would like to transfer to the Central Province."

"This is already the Central Province."

Hearing this, Ruan Xing was dazed for a moment; to avoid feeling too much heartache when spending Spirit Stones, she hadn't looked carefully at any of her destinations.

Hesitating for a moment, she continued, "Then, I want to go to the Xuanbing Sect."

The disciple stood up and looked her over, "Are you also a disciple of the Xuanbing Sect?"

"This place is the very center of the Xianyuan Continent, Xianyuan City, the Xuanbing Sect."

So, she was already inside the Xuanbing Sect?

It felt a bit surreal; usually, immortal sects would find a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters and abundant Spirit Qi around towns to serve as their mountain gate. Was the Xuanbing Sect opened inside a town? Or rather, was Xianyuan City opened inside the Xuanbing Sect?

After asking the disciple, Ruan Xing received an affirmative answer.

"The one hundred and eighty peaks of the Xuanbing Sect are all scattered around Xianyuan City. This entire area belongs to the Xuanbing Sect, but only Inner Sect Disciples can live on the peaks with spirit veins. Xianyuan City is just the periphery where Outer Sect Disciples and Loose Cultivators are located."

"Many thanks, Xie Shixiong, for clearing up my confusion." Ruan Xing smiled at him gratefully, then humbly asked for advice, "I am a disciple of the Xuanbing Sect in Nanzhou, and I was recommended by the Sect Master to come here. I wonder where I should go to register?"

"Nanzhou Xuanbing Sect?" A trace of doubt appeared in the disciple's eyes, "Since you are a disciple favored by the Nanzhou Sect Master, you should also be participating in the Golden Terrace Secret Realm. Why did you come here yourself before the Secret Realm ended? Wouldn't it be better to wait for other senior brothers and sisters to travel together?"

Ruan Xing was stunned. What? That group of disciples from the Central Province hadn't returned yet?

It had already been more than half a month.

She could understand them not taking the Teleportation Array back; after all, there were so many of them, and if the Sect paid for their tickets, it would be quite a strain. But if they had to pay for it themselves, an Inner Sect Disciple at the Foundation Establishment stage only had a monthly stipend of one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. Even if they had other sources of income, a round trip would cost each person over a thousand, so they probably couldn't bear to take the Teleportation Array.

Anyway, with over a hundred of them traveling together, no one with poor judgment would dare to trouble them on the road.

However... more than half had died in the Secret Realm, and only a mere dozen or so were returning. It was hard to say if they would encounter any accidents.

It couldn't be that because they were disrespectful to the Sect Master before leaving, the Sect Master snuck over at night and finished them all off, right?

Hesitating for a moment, Ruan Xing avoided the important and focused on the trivial, "The Secret Realm has already ended. They set off to return before me, but I was in a hurry and wanted to come to the Central Province early, so I chose to take the Teleportation Array."

Having said that, her face was slightly shy, "If I didn't truly revere the main sect in the Central Province, I wouldn't have spent so much money."

"Normal." The disciple showed a somewhat proud expression, "The land of the Central Province is vast and rich; how can Nanzhou compare? You want to find the Sect Affairs Hall to register, right? After leaving this station, walk east for two streets. The one with red wood and gold lacquer and a black hanging flag on top is it."

"Good, many thanks, Xie Shixiong." Ruan Xing cupped her hands to take her leave, and after exiting the door, she headed in the direction the disciple had mentioned.

Sure enough, she saw a hanging flag fluttering in the wind, with a dragon-flying-phoenix-dancing 'Xuan' character on it.

Thinking for a moment, Ruan Xing took out a bamboo leaf, used it as an ornament to stick onto her wooden hairpin, and inserted it into her hair bun.

Presumably, those who didn't recognize this bamboo leaf would just think it was a decoration, while those who did recognize it would probably know who she was and take the initiative to find her.

Although she didn't know who exactly that backer of Elder Wen was.

Walking into the Sect Affairs Hall, the layout inside was similar to the one in Nanzhou, just more spacious and bright. After walking around twice, Ruan Xing found the place to register new disciples. There weren't too many people, and after waiting for a while, it was Ruan Xing's turn.

She took out the credential Jade Slip given by the Sect Master and her own Sect Jade Token, and placed them on the counter.

The person inside took them to check, muttered "Nanzhou Xuanbing Sect," and tossed the jade token into a small circular Formation next to them. After a moment, the Formation spat the jade token out.

"There, go back and wait for the Sect's message. It will be sent to your jade token in a few days. Just see which peak you are assigned to and go there directly." The person inside returned the jade token to her and said, "Before that, you can familiarize yourself more in the city. A friendly reminder: don't trust the Loose Cultivators selling maps at the city gate; the Library Pavilion has free maps."

Sincerely thanking the other party, Ruan Xing didn't hear anything else, so she left the Sect Affairs Hall and wandered aimlessly through the city.

The person just now didn't have any special reaction when seeing her, so they probably didn't recognize the bamboo leaf.

That was also true; as the backer of a Golden Core Elder, they must be at least at the Nascent Soul stage. How could she see them so easily now?

Sighing, she really, truly needed this backer to let her pull some strings.

After all, her Contribution Points had already been spent during the Jin Tai Dao Discussion and were now a big zero. But her cultivation was already at Foundation Establishment Perfection, and she had the Breaking Boundary Pill in hand; she really didn't want to waste time earning more Contribution Points to exchange for cultivation techniques.

She didn't need this backer to protect her, but she did need the other party to provide her with a way to quickly obtain the Golden Core volume of the Tongxuan Scripture.

The second-place book title's vote count is about to overtake the first place QAQ babies, you have me confused. Is the current book title good or bad? Thanks to book friend 20230721566_cb for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to book friend 20200114221551553 for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to 'what book is there now' for the monthly ticket~ (End of chapter)