Chapter 641: Farewell, Mo Sang

"Go back and practice well!"

He Pingsheng instructed Hao Cang: "I've given you the items and the cultivation resources—I believe you'll soon break through to the ninth level!"

"Yes!" Hao Cang said: "It's coming soon—this old man has already shattered one spiritual barrier; entering the ninth level is merely a matter of time!"

"If I had twenty or thirty years, perhaps I could even reach the tenth level!"

He Pingsheng nodded, then waved his hand to signal Hao Cang to leave.

After Hao Cang departed, He Pingsheng retrieved the materials for crafting the 【Death-Substitution Puppet】.

Main material: Dragon Scale Imperishable Wood—two pieces!

Main material: Flame-Flaring Tiger Blood Stone—several pieces!

In addition to the main materials, over a dozen auxiliary materials were also pulled out one by one by He Pingsheng.

These materials now suffice for He Pingsheng to craft two 【Death-Substitution Puppets】.

But if the materials are strengthened, perhaps he could succeed in crafting four.

"Strengthen them!"

Over the following days, He Pingsheng strengthened the puppet materials while also taking out the 【Tianbei of the Dao of Alchemy】 to hone his own Dao techniques and spiritual powers.

Several days later, He Pingsheng completed the strengthening of the 【Death-Substitution Puppet】 materials.

He obtained four portions in total.

And all were supreme-grade materials.

Next came the crafting.

Crafting puppets is a form of artifact forging.

Besides puppet materials, one also needs alchemical fire and a cauldron.

Fortunately, He Pingsheng still possessed an ancient Xuan Cauldron.

After studying the crafting method continuously for several days, He Pingsheng finally exhaled deeply and began forging the puppet.

The first step in forging a puppet is melting the main materials.

After the main materials melt, the auxiliary materials are melted next.

Once all materials are melted, they are blended together, and supreme spiritual energy is used to inscribe Void Dao laws and arrays onto them.

Thus, the puppet is complete!

For his first attempt at forging a puppet, He Pingsheng spent seven or eight full days and barely managed to complete it.

Before it even took shape, the puppet exploded in a burst of powerful energy.

The massive energy surge shattered the cauldron and even tore apart several windows on the second floor.

Had He Pingsheng not used a defensive technique at the critical moment, the entire hall would have been destroyed.

Fortunately, the hall was not destroyed!

He Pingsheng gave a bitter smile: Failed!

Not only failed—but exploded outright!

He Pingsheng was not one to give up.

Try again!

Once more!

He took out the puppet crafting method once more, studying it while recalling the mistakes he'd made during the forging process.

Every problem was extracted one by one and resolved one by one.

A month later, He Pingsheng began his second attempt at forging.

Result!

Boom…

Second time, the cauldron exploded.

Seeing this result, He Pingsheng nearly spat blood.

After all that painstaking research, it exploded again?

But upon reflection, this outcome was only natural.

For example, imagine giving someone who has never forged an elixir a hundred years to study elixir-making, then expecting them to forge a fifth- or even sixth-grade elixir on their first try.

Could they succeed?

Of course not!

A cauldron explosion would be unsurprising.

The same logic applies to artifact forging.

Though He Pingsheng possessed immense spiritual sense and had studied highly advanced forging methods, he had zero foundational experience in forging.

After losing two portions of material through void-refinement, he looked at the last two remaining portions and involuntarily shuddered.

Forget it!

I won't forge anymore!

I'll just find someone else to do it.

But then the question arose: Who?

He Pingsheng now deeply regretted why he had slaughtered Gu Song and the other four all at once.

If he had spared Gu Song back then and made him his servant, he wouldn't be in such a predicament now, would he?

Sigh!

Enough already!

He Pingsheng rose, tidied up the ruined cultivation ground, gathered the remaining materials, and left directly for the Holy Fire Trading Society.

The society's Second Elder, Elder Mo Sang, had also participated in the artifact material trading fair.

He probably knows something about forging, right?

If he doesn't, at least he could recommend someone.

With a single teleport, He Pingsheng arrived directly at the entrance of the Holy Fire Trading Society.

Upon entering, a beautiful woman approached and bowed respectfully to He Pingsheng: "Elder!"

He Pingsheng said: "I'm here to see Elder Mo Sang."

"Arrange a meeting for me."

"Yes… Please wait a moment!"

After a dozen breaths, Elder Mo Sang descended from upstairs. Seeing He Pingsheng, he feigned surprise: "Ah—it's Elder Longzhe… Hahaha… Long time no see!"

"Quickly, quickly…"

"I've been searching for you for some time!"

"Follow me!"

He didn't ask why He Pingsheng had come—he hurriedly led him into a spacious private chamber within the society.

This chamber was one He Pingsheng had never seen before.

Very large!

The two sat down, host and guest, and servants immediately brought them spiritual tea.

"Heh…" Mo Sang took a deep breath and said: "Elder Long, you've truly impressed me!"

He had known about Gu Song and the other four chasing after He Pingsheng.

Later, He Pingsheng and those five vanished simultaneously.

It was confirmed that Gu Song and the others were dead.

Now He Pingsheng stood before him alive and well—the outcome of that battle was obvious.

He Pingsheng had slain them all.

Thinking of this, Mo Sang couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath: How could a sixth-layer Soul Transformation cultivator possibly slaughter five others in one go?

Remember, this was slaughter!

Were those five men just wooden statues?

Couldn't they run?

Or did they have no chance to flee once facing this man?

The more he pondered the fight, the more terrifying it became.

Mo Sang even began to suspect that the man before him was a reincarnated being—or a powerful cultivator deliberately suppressing his realm.

"What do you need, Elder Long?" Mo Sang asked. "Anything within my power, I will not refuse!"

He Pingsheng smiled but did not answer. Instead, he asked: "Elder Mo Sang, have you taken the 【Holy Origin Pill】?"

"I have," Mo Sang nodded, yet showed no sign of joy.

Because he had lost his Wisdom Root.

A Soul Transformation cultivator losing his Wisdom Root meant he would live only two thousand years at most.

Yet after consuming the Holy Origin Pill, his lifespan increased by another two thousand years.

A cause for celebration!

But with his Wisdom Root severed, his path to the Immortal Dao was forever closed—he would eventually turn to dust. So naturally, Mo Sang could not rejoice.

Yet his gratitude toward He Pingsheng was genuine.

That Holy Origin Pill He Pingsheng had given him—though framed as a trade—he had clearly gained the greater advantage, and he knew it well.

"Thank you once again, Elder… Had it not been for your kindness, I would never have obtained such a supreme-grade Holy Origin Pill in my lifetime!"