Chapter 513: The Puppet Guard of the East, Dong Dong Ershisan

Buzz— the instant it met the old man's gaze, Li Yuan felt a chill rise from the depths of his heart, spreading through his whole body in a flash, as if frozen in place!

What the hell is that thing!

Li Yuan was shocked and furious in his heart. Just as he was about to retreat explosively, the strangeness around him vanished in an instant, and then the old man's mouth opened and closed, producing sound!

"Kacha, dongkao, babo..."

Li Yuan was dumbfounded. The Dragon of Illusion belt at his waist trembled once, and the little mother dragon's voice came through: "This is Origin Divine Script. It means, after a gap of forty-eight thousand years, someone has come to challenge the 'Eastern Realm'? But far too weak!"

The old man seemed able to hear the little mother dragon's muttering, and actually nodded in a human-like fashion!

Eastern Realm?

Li Yuan's brows knit tightly. Is there a Western Realm too?

Turning the thought over in his mind, Li Yuan drew the Dragon of Illusion belt from his waist: "Ask him who he is? What is the Eastern Realm?"

The little mother dragon watched the old man nervously. Just as she was about to ask, she saw the old man's eyeballs tremble once, and when he spoke again, it was in the most authentic Dayun official tongue: "My name is 'Dong Dong Ershisan'!"

Learned that fast?

Li Yuan was startled. That name was too casual, like a serial number?

"This place is the Eastern Realm!"

The old man pointed at the passage behind him. The bytes he uttered hung in the air as if substantial, radiating a faint glow: 【Eastern Realm Challenger: Profound Whale Hammer Master.

【Bloodline: Human】

Realm: Blood Exchange Achieved!

Bone age: sixteen, years of cultivation: ten. Initial root bone: mid-to-low. Practiced various Wu Gong, altered bodily form one thousand and eleven times!】

Primary Wu Gong: Dragon Demon Heart Scripture, Bai Shen Zheng Fa, Hundred Beasts Thunder Dragon. Auxiliary Wu Gong: Dragon Elephant Vajra Heaven, Dragon Tiger Shan Xuan Scripture,

Pure Yang Health Preservation Scripture!

Comprehension extraordinary. Estimated ultimate potential: God-Demon Grade!

【Spirit Embryo Form: Gathering thunder, lightning, wind and cloud into the shape of a thousand beasts. Comprehended upon observing the Rending Sea Profound Whale. May be named 'Thousand-Beast Long Kun'. Potential: Divine Grade.】

【Overall Evaluation: Passable】

Admitted to the Eight Directions Temple, Eastern Realm.】

Staring at the text flickering in midair, Li Yuan was somewhat dazed. After reading it line by line, his expression could not help but shift!

It was not his first time being sized up, but never had anyone sized him up this thoroughly — not only did they see his bone age, they also saw how many years he had trained in martial arts, and how many bodily forms he had altered!

His primary Wu Gong, his auxiliary Wu Gong, even the combination of his form-alterations were all listed!

And this potential!

"God-Demon Grade — is that talent? Divine Grade — is that the grade of the Spirit Embryo? Above Heaven Grade?"

Li Yuan was still mulling it over when the little mother dragon's shrill voice already rang in his mind: "You — you've trained in martial arts for ten years, and altered your form to a talent close to Zhao Tianxing Grade?"

Looking at the subtitles hanging before her eyes, the little mother dragon felt a chill of dread!

She had been somewhat shocked and doubtful before that this native boy could be summoned by the Eight Directions Temple, but at this moment, all that remained in her heart was dread!

A talent nearly at Zhao Tianxing Grade, a Spirit Embryo Form of Divine Grade!

This kind of prodigy, she had only heard of in books, or in legends and rumors.

Even more terrifying was that this boy was not innately gifted beyond compare, but had been forged through postnatal effort, rising all the way from mid-to-low root bone to a height nearly that of Zhao Tianxing.

No wonder, no wonder the Eight Directions Temple wanted to summon him. The little mother dragon was too shocked to speak!

Buzz.

The suspended text flickered and flowed. The instant the old man closed his mouth, it gathered into a clump, and after a buzz,

it transformed into a pale-gold token that fell before Li Yuan!

The token was square and proper, with all manner of divine patterns flowing across it. Focusing slightly, one could seemingly see the subtitle evaluation from before!

As well as text resembling a serial number!

'Number fourteen thousand four hundred and thirty-seven?'

Li Yuan's eyelid twitched. So many people had actually come here?

"Bear this token, and you may enter the Eastern Realm."

After the old man finished speaking, he closed his mouth, his head turned back again, and the aura on his body instantly plummeted to rock bottom. In an instant, not a trace of vitality remained, like a stone statue!

"Many thanks, Senior!"

After coming back to his senses, Daoist Li bowed once, then received the token with both hands!

Buzz!

The instant he touched the token, Li Yuan felt a faint warmth at his brow, and all manner of information had already flooded into his mind, letting him know the use of this token!

As the old man had said, this was the credential for entering the Eight Directions Temple!

Moreover, if he encountered an irresistible danger, he could crush the token, and at that moment, he would naturally be sent out of the Eight Directions Temple!

"A good thing!"

Li Yuan gripped the token tightly. With this token in hand, his heart immediately settled considerably. At the very least, he had a way out!

Plan for defeat before planning for victory!

This had always been Daoist Li's way of doing things!

"The threshold of this Eight Directions Temple is truly very high!"

Clutching the token, Li Yuan guessed in his heart why he had been summoned!

Apart from the complete recognition of the Rending Sea Profound Whale Hammer and the talent stacked from two Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, it seemed to also involve comprehension, and age?

"This old fellow... old man, is he a puppet?"

Aside from the complete subjugation of the Haiye Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing and the combined talents of the two Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, it also seemed to involve aptitude and age?

"This old man... the elder, seems like a puppet?"

At this moment, the little mother dragon finally came back to her senses from her shock. Her attitude changed again, and without waiting for Li Yuan to ask, she eagerly offered her guess!

"A puppet?"

Li Yuan sized him up from afar. From the outside, this old man looked just like a real

person, only without any aura!

"You Jing is dangerous, the eerie lands are treacherous. Any cultivator from Tian Shi Yuan who ventures into You Jing or the eerie lands will buy some puppets to scout the way, but this old man…"

The little mother dragon's voice carried greed: "A puppet that looks like a living person is nothing special, but a puppet that can guard the Eight Directions Temple… what grade must that be? Let's try it—can we move it?"

The aura of this Eight Directions Temple has a huge influence on one's state of mind!

Li Yuan gripped the Dragon-belt of the Mirage tightly. Ever since the little mother dragon had laid eyes on the Eight Directions Temple, she'd become incredibly active and greedy—she was clearly being affected!

In fact, he felt he himself was being affected too!

"Steady, steady!"

Li Yuan forced himself not to look at the old man, yet he still couldn't help the stray thoughts rising in his heart, wanting to try moving this Dong Dong Ershisan!

"This has to be at least a Spirit Treasure-grade puppet, right?"

The little mother dragon was still muttering: "How many 'Yuan Fire' would this be worth!"

"Shut up!"

Li Yuan glared at her. The state of mind he'd finally stabilized was almost thrown into chaos by her!

He took a deep breath, then carefully walked toward the passage exit behind Dong Dong Ershisan. But just as he got within several zhang of it, his eyelid suddenly twitched!

【Gate-Sitting Puppet (Eleventh Grade)】

【A soul born within 'Lei Chi', with spiritual wisdom and a mind

like a normal living being, able to draw upon the energy of heaven and earth to grow, nourished by all manner of heavenly materials and earthly treasures… Due to damage, its grade has fallen, and its spiritual wisdom has been lost!】

'Control Requirements: Refining Art sixth layer, Heart of the Spirit Puppet.'

'Control Effects: Sixteenth Grade: Open Temple Eight Directions (East); Eleventh Grade: Draw upon the energy of heaven and earth!'

"An eleventh-grade puppet!"

Li Yuan sucked in a cold breath!

With its grade fallen and its spiritual wisdom lost, this Gate-Sitting Puppet's grade was still as high as eleventh. If it were at its peak!

"At its peak, it was at least a quasi-sixteenth-grade spirit puppet."

Li Yuan immediately couldn't move his feet!

This spirit puppet's value was far too high—surpassing even the other Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing.

Not to mention that control effect of opening the temple's eight directions, even on its own,

this spirit puppet's value was beyond estimation!

He had seen with his own eyes the gap between a Grand Master and a Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing. An eleventh-grade spirit puppet would have to be at least Supreme-grade combat power!

If he had a spirit puppet like this in hand!

"Hmph, you were just criticizing me!"

Seeing Li Yuan in a daze, the little mother dragon snorted coldly in her heart, but she didn't find it strange!

A puppet of this grade—even smashed up and sold, it could probably fetch an astronomical price!

"Refining Art sixth layer, Heart of the Spirit Puppet!"

Looking at the completely aura-less Dong Dong Ershisan, Li Yuan couldn't help but squeeze his palms!

He wanted to try moving this spirit puppet, but the moment he got within two zhang, a chill rose in his heart—Dong Dong Ershisan's neck had turned!

The moment I reach out, I'll die!

This thought flashed through his mind. Li Yuan felt his back go cold. Forcing down the pounding in his heart, he skirted around the spirit puppet, yet still couldn't help glancing back again and again!

That reluctant, lingering feeling—even the little mother dragon could see it!

"Hoo."

Not far behind the stone statue was the end of the passage. Outwardly, it looked like a wooden door, its surface covered in extremely intricate patterns that, at a glance, seemed to flow and shift like living things!

"Do you recognize the patterns on it?"

Li Yuan asked the little mother dragon, focusing his senses. The feeling these patterns gave him was somewhat similar to the divine patterns mentioned in the Refining Art!

"Never seen them!"

The little mother dragon was even more earnest than he was, craning her head and almost pressing it against the wooden door: "Looks like some kind of divine pattern? But there are too many kinds of divine patterns—to identify them, you'd need a Divine Pattern Grand Master to come in person…"

"These divine patterns…"

Li Yuan focused his senses. The more he sensed the divine patterns, the faster they flowed, as if constantly changing every moment, impossible to memorize. He had to give up and look around!

This passage, apart from Dong Dong Ershisan, contained nothing else. Clearly, this was only the corridor before entering the temple—the true

Eight Directions Temple lay beyond this wooden door!

"Can't memorize them!"

After a moment, the Dragon-belt of the Mirage drooped down too. The little mother dragon was deeply frustrated—she clearly wanted to memorize them as well!

A moment later, the Illusory Dragon sash also drooped down, the little female dragon deeply vexed, clearly wanting to record it too!

Li Yuan's will stirred, and two great suits of armor wrapped around him. Only after making full preparations did he take out that token and gently press it against the wooden door!

At a thought from Li Yuan, the two great suits of armor had already wrapped him within them, fully prepared, and only then did he take out that token and press it gently against the wooden door!

In less than an instant!

Li Yuan felt a chill at his brow, and then an extremely dazzling purple light burst forth before his eyes, engulfing him in an instant!

Li Yuan only felt a chill at his brow, and Yu Yu Xuanji before his eyes a most dazzling purple light burst forth, instantly engulfing him within!

The night wind howled, and within the Imperial City, lights blazed bright!

The night wind howled, and within the imperial city, every lamp blazed bright!

The Qian Emperor sat at the head; on either side sat the imperial court's various high officials, attendants, and the Yellow Dragon Master, whose umbrella never left his hand!

Your Highness.

Brother Wan.

When Wan Wan Zhuliu stepped into the hall, everyone except the Qian Emperor rose to welcome him!

Your Majesty.

Wan Wan Zhuliu clasped his hands in greeting!

The Qian Emperor waved him to sit and asked directly: "Wan Zhuliu, have you gained anything?"

Everyone else in the hall also turned to look!

"Those without the affinity may not enter!"

Wan Wan Zhuliu looked at the large umbrella in the corner, his face as still as water: "For those without the affinity, the only path to enter the Eight Directions Temple is perhaps the Grand Sacrifice!"

What Brother Wan says is absolutely right; apart from that, there is no other way!

The Yellow Dragon Master beneath the umbrella seemed to have waited a long time; hearing Wan Wan Zhuliu speak, he stepped out smoothly, clasped his hands, and said: "I beg Your Majesty to decide."