Gou Dao Changsheng: Starting from the Reincarnation of a Demon Cultivator

Chapter 686 Obtaining the Treasure: The Withered Heart Vine, and the Inheritance of the Puppet Array
"Buzz!"

Two wooden puppets, one holding a bronze round shield, stood imposing and unmoving.

One was thin, with sinister eyes, holding a three-foot-long sword that gleamed coldly, and a blue spiritual light gathered as his cloak billowed.

Xu Qingshe gazed at the runes on the joints of the wooden puppet, his dark blue hands glowing with a faint black light, entwined with a rich vitality.

The two puppets' auras blended seamlessly, resembling a unified military formation.

"These two high-quality third-tier low-grade puppets are just an appetizer, according to the assessment process left behind by the Green Wood Palace."

"This appetizer alone is enough to keep your senior brother Fang drinking a whole pot of wine."

Puppet array?
Unexpectedly, even in this remote and desolate place like Dayun, there is a lineage of puppet array techniques.

A glint of light flashed in Old Chen's eyes.

A cultivator's spiritual sense is limited, and the puppets they can control also have their limits; it is difficult to manipulate puppets without restriction.

The Puppet Array Inheritance, as the name suggests, uses puppets as array treasures, linking puppets together to attack. Cultivators who are proficient in this art can be considered top-notch in combat.

He can rival the top sword fanatics who have nothing but their swords.

"Puppet array?"

Fang Yi's expression was solemn. The two low-grade third-tier wooden puppets, blessed by the spiritual veins of the cave and aided by the secret techniques of the puppet array, were no weaker than a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator when they joined forces.

'It's unclear whether the Green Wood Palace obtained this puppet array from someone else, or whether they possess a complete and inherited puppet array system.'

Having accumulated knowledge over two lifetimes, Fang Yi's foundation lies entirely in the art of puppetry; he possesses no puppet array inheritance.

If one can inherit the puppet array, one can draw inferences from it and greatly improve one's puppetry skills.

Thinking of the Jade Heart-Clearing Bamboo in the storage bag, he used the precious bamboo to refine the Soul-Startling Crane Puppet, and also inherited the Puppet Dao.

It can also be used as a major trump card.
"Fang Yi!"

The yellow-robed spirit was solemn and dignified, its large sleeves fluttering like a coiled dragon.

Three superior spiritual items were drawn to him.

A withered vine surrounded by a dim, ethereal light; a water lily with green leaves, its petals glistening with dewdrops and brimming with life; a woody heart covered in root nodules, exhaling purple miasma.

"Those who pass the highest examination of Qingmu Palace will also receive the highest reward."

Fang Yi, after passing the three tests, surpassed the first-class talent in the final battle, and has the opportunity to inherit the cave's lineage.

You can also choose one of the following as a reward: withered heart vine, green leaf water lily, or wood miasma heart.

After each victory, you can choose another spirit item, until you have collected all three.

The yellow-robed spirit took out a stick of incense, a spark fell and ignited it, and wisps of green smoke rose up.

"The assessment will begin after the incense burns out. Fang Yi, take good care of yourself and make thorough preparations."

“Differentiated treatment,” Xu Qingshe said, pursing her lips.

During his assessment, the Yellow Robe True Spirit acted swiftly and decisively, leaving no time to catch his breath, let alone for even half an incense stick's time.

Although I know that Qingmu Palace values ​​Fang Yi.

But this spirit's attentiveness was glaringly obvious; it took great care of Fang Yi, fearing that he was not adequately prepared.

The retrieved third-tier superior spiritual item has all the necessary attributes.

And he?

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a stepmother!
Xu Qingshe gripped a stack of image-capturing talismans with her five fingers, determined to capture enough of Fang Yi's 'wonderful' moments.

"Senior Brother Fang, please don't blame me for being heartless; that spirit array was truly going too far."

After a stick of incense.

On the altar, Fang Yi's hair was tied up with a five-lotus crown, and his robes, which resembled mountains and rivers turning into the moon, fluttered loudly, exuding a powerful aura.

His gaze fell on the tiny spark of Lingxiang.

"laugh!"

The last wisp of incense ash fell, and the embers went out.

"Buzz!"

Fang Yi and the two puppets attacked with all their might at the same time.

The puppet holding a bronze round shield knelt on one knee, its scales clanging as they clashed, and spiritual runes on its body seeped into the altar.

"Wow!"

The vitality of plants gathers, branches and leaves stir, and tender buds grow.

On the altar, ancient trees stretched out, transforming from bare ground to lush and verdant in the blink of an eye.

Among the ancient, towering trees, life-giving runes spread underground, connecting and nourishing each other, completely concealing the two puppets.

The gaunt puppet took a step forward, its slender sword gleaming coldly, transforming into a blur as it merged into the shadows of the magic domain.

"Look at the quality of this puppet."

Fang Yi's palm emitted a dim yellow light, and the veins on his left hand bulged, with brown old vines wrapping around it, instantly expanding to a size of ten feet.

Woodcraft Secret Technique: Withered Vine Hand!

The enormous handprint, carrying immense power, slammed down upon the Dharma realm.

"Oh!"

The burly puppet, wielding a bronze round shield, its body resembling a mountain peak, withstood a blow from the Wood Dao Secret Technique: Withered Vine Hand.

"Buzz!"

The bronze round shield trembled slightly, its massive structure remaining as immovable as a mountain, its energy completely undisturbed.

"fall!"

Fang Yi held the Five Poison Cauldron in his other hand, with insect and beast runes flowing around it. He slapped it down with his other hand, and the ancient cauldron turned into a gray meteor and fell to the ground.

"clang!"

The bronze shield rose again, accompanied by the sound of gold and jade, and surging wood elemental power poured out from the domain, smoothing out the shield's backlash.

Fang Yi frowned slightly, his expression hardening.

This shield-armored golem was a top-quality item among low-grade third-tier golems, making it quite troublesome.

With the blessing of the spiritual veins and the support of the puppet array, its defensive capabilities alone are no weaker than those of a Core Formation Realm cultivator at the fourth level.

"As expected of the profound and wealthy Qingmu Palace."

Fang Yi was skilled in puppetry, and after exchanging blows, he realized that the shield-armored puppet was made of high-quality materials and its quality could be further improved, perhaps even refined to a mid-grade third rank.

Instead, it was a shield-armored puppet made to test the younger generation, hone the disciples, and continuously refine spiritual objects.

"There is another puppet hidden in the Dharma Domain. I wonder what path it is proficient in?" Fang Yi's expression was solemn, his mind racing.

Two exquisite puppets, further enhanced by the spiritual veins of the cave's array, would be a major headache for even a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator like Yu Yu.

'Should we send Chi Yin to make a move?'

Fang Yi immediately rejected the idea in his mind. The third-order mid-grade corpse refinement was the biggest trump card before the spirit puppet in his dantian was successfully nurtured.

It's not that I don't believe in Xu Qingshe.

However, some things, once leaked, add to the risks.

"The power of a third-tier magic domain is no weaker than that of a Golden Core cultivator wielding a magic domain, coupled with a high-quality puppet dedicated solely to defense."

Xu Qingshe's lips unconsciously curled up, his face as gentle as a spring breeze.

If it were him, the Fire element would be quite troublesome to overcome the Wood element, let alone a conflict between the Wood and Wood elements.

"It seems Senior Brother Fang is about to suffer a great loss."

A stack of image-capturing talismans flew up from his palm, circling the altar in a 360-degree arc. Xu Qingshe's face was tense, afraid of missing the opportunity to capture the moment and Fang Yi's embarrassing moment.

Seeing the shield-armored puppet fall into the Azure Wood Domain, the runes on its body, which had dimmed during the previous battle, quickly recovered.

In the blink of an eye, under the nourishment of the Dharma Realm, he was restored to full strength.

"Suppress the magic domain first, otherwise the shield-armored puppet will be supported by the spiritual veins of the cave, so even if it causes great damage, it will not be seriously injured."

Fang Yi activated his Ku Rong magic, and spiritual light surged beneath his feet like a tide. Lotus blossoms bloomed in the waves, swaying and slashing out leaf blades like a storm.

The green wood domain rustled, and brown old vines emerged from it, transforming into whip-like shadows that continuously shattered the storm of leaf blades.

"Tear!"

A slender, needle-like magic sword tore through the magic domain, and a gaunt human figure suddenly appeared behind Fang Yi.

"die!"

The magic sword exhaled a murderous aura, gleaming with a deep, cold light. Countless terrifying sword shadows attacked Fang Yi's head, sea of ​​consciousness, dantian, and other vital points.

"Shadow Assassination Techniques, Master of Assassination Puppetry?"

As if lotus flowers bloomed beneath Fang Yi's feet, his figure blurred as he retreated continuously, trying to avoid the chilling sword shadows.

"Whoosh!" The gaunt puppet's sunken eyes, cold and piercing, reflected Fang Yi's retreating figure. "An opportunity!"

Having found a weakness in Fang Yi, he would not back down.

The slender sword shadow, like a venomous snake, thrust forward, unleashing a three-foot-long sword aura.

"Bang!" Fang Yi was a little slow, and the green lotus crown on his head exploded, his black hair flying wildly.

"coming!"

Xu Qingshe also showed excitement, manipulating the twelve image-recording talismans to move in a circle. The talismans glowed faintly, ready to be activated at any time to capture images.

Based on his understanding of Fang Yi, the slender sword light was not enough to threaten Fang's life, but it had a very high chance of teaching him a lesson.

He didn't ask for much; a few tears in his robes, leaving Fang Yi looking disheveled, would give him something to talk about, and he'd be content.

"Qiang!"

The gaunt puppet with sunken eyes continued to advance, urging its slender sword to stab Fang Yi once more.

"Finally, I've managed to coax you out." Fang Yi's lips curled into a slight smile.

"disease!"

The ancient scroll of the Azure Waters unfolds, its shimmering water like silkworms spinning silk, delicate and long, lifting up the fine sword and magical artifact.

"Zheng!"

The longsword trembled slightly, its melodious yet chilling sound seeming to tear apart the ancient map of the Azure Water.

"Rip!" A corner of the Azure Water Ancient Map was torn apart, and Fang Yi knew that time was precious.

"go with!"

With a wave of his sleeves, eight hundred silver energy roots spread out, clinging to the emaciated puppet like vines with each breath.

The yellow-robed spirit showed approval, its index finger twitching.

"Clang!" The slender sword shadow, like a swimming fish, continuously cut through the tendrils of energy that were spreading along its length.

"I can't let you get away." Fang Yi made a hand seal with his index finger, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Yi Wood returns to its source, explode!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The sonic boom echoed, wood chips flew everywhere, and deep cracks continued to spread across the emaciated puppet.

"The sword puppet is no longer able to fight, and the shield-armored spirit puppet is good at defense but not enough at offense."

"By the ancestral masters of Qingmu Palace, Fang Yi's first test in magical combat."

"Victory!"

The yellow-robed spirit released a bolt of lightning, shattering the silver energy root completely. The [Golden Oath Treasure Book] unfurled, its ink outlines visible.

Fang Yi

[Celestial Elixir Grade: Second-Grade Golden Elixir of the Wood Path]

Lifespan: 100/600

[True Inheritance Rank: Upper Grade]

[Battle of Wits: Lower Armor]

Seeing that Fang Yi's face was bluish and his aura was low, the yellow-robed array spirit made a grasping motion with its five fingers, and a clean bottle flew out from the spirit wood surrounded by azure mist.

The pure bottle is carved from spirit jade, its entire body pure white and crystal clear. A drop of azure spirit liquid flies out, transforming into a misty drizzle, nourishing Fang Yi's Dharma body.

"A third-tier spiritual spring?" Xu Qingshe's lips twitched slightly. The yellow-robed array spirit took meticulous care of Fang Yi.

It is he who, without defeating the two puppets, will have no chance of ending the assessment.

With the foundation of Qingmu Palace, there is no shortage of Golden Core cultivators, but the fact that Fang Yi is like this is all due to the addition of a hundred years of lifespan.

Xu Qingshe vaguely grasped the significance of longevity as mentioned by Elder Chen.

Fang Yi took a short breath and removed the withered heart vine surrounded by dim, yellow spiritual light.

He pondered to himself, and then he obtained a spiritual item that had been refined after the Void Realm's Withering and Flourishing Banner.

If we win another battle and obtain the Rongshu spiritual item, the Green Leaf Water Lotus, the Ruins Realm Withered Glory Banner can be refined into its fourth treasure restriction, thus entering the ranks of mid-grade magic treasures.

As his cultivation improved, low-grade magic weapons could no longer keep up with Fang Yi's pace.

He waved his sleeves and put away the ancient blue water map with hidden sword marks. Then he narrowed his eyes and looked at Xu Qingshe, who was gloating and waiting for his moment of embarrassment.

"Junior Brother Xu, what is the purpose of using so many image-recording talismans?"

"Cough!" Xu Qingshe's body stiffened slightly. He put the image-recording talisman into his sleeve, pretended to be nonchalant, and whistled.

Hey, nothing happened, nothing happened.

Fang Yi shook his head slightly, not dwelling on it. Right now, his main focus was on acquiring spiritual items and inheriting the legacy of the Green Wood Palace.

An hour later, the Azure Wood Domain on the altar had already dissipated.

The Yellow Robe Formation Spirit sensed Fang Yi's presence, regaining its vigorous energy. With a wave of its sleeves, a rainbow bridge-like cavern extended outwards.

"Qiang Qiang!"

With the clanging of armor plates and the dull sound of footsteps, a pale blue puppet rose three zhang high, its six arms waving, its aura powerful and majestic, like a demon god.

Behind the puppet, three to the left and three to the right, there were six quasi-third-tier puppets, some holding flags and others carrying golden spears, all clad in armor, like soldiers guarding the six-armed demon puppet.

"Senior Brother Fang is in big trouble."

Xu Qingshe put away the image-recording talisman, his expression solemn.

A mid-grade third-tier wood-attribute puppet, plus six near-third-tier puppets forming a puppet array.

This impressive lineup is among the most elite in the Great Cloud Cultivation World, second only to the top sect leaders and true masters.

"Tsk~" Elder Chen shook his head slightly. "The more Qingmu Palace values ​​Fang Yi, the more trials he will face."

However, obtaining a high-grade third-tier spiritual item was already a great gain for Fang Yi.

"Roar!"

The six-armed demonic puppet brandished its weapons, all of which slammed down towards Fang Yi.

"boom!"

The altar trembled slightly, and cracks spread like a spider web.

The yellow-robed array spirit, devoid of joy or sorrow, spoke again mechanically. "Second test of combat: defeat the six-armed demonic puppet."
Fang Yi, if you want to give up, just give the signal.

"No need."

Fang Yi stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his Dharma robes fluttering, his presence as deep and still as a mountain.

If a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator were to lead six pseudo-Core Formation cultivators in a battle formation, he would certainly not seek his own death.

However, the puppet, under the control of the yellow-robed array spirit on the stone slab, is not without a chance of victory.

"Wow!"

Fang Yi patted the storage bag, and the blue-feathered white crane flapped its wings, spreading purple mist and faint blue light, auspicious and propitious.

'Let's first test the strength of this puppet formation.'

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

Amidst the lingering purple aura, the crane puppet gracefully waved its feathers, unleashing hundreds of jet-black feather blades.

"what!"

The two soldier puppets each summoned a triple tower shield, which glowed with a brown spiritual light, blocking the feather blades.

Then, the two gray soldiers took off their binding artifacts from their waists and landed on the crane.

Two vermilion puppets wielded golden halberds, unleashing swift, chilling strikes.

"Wow!"

The spiritual energy surged, and the six-armed demonic puppet stopped Fang Yi's puppet without even making a move.

'Puppet Array Inheritance!'
This Green Wood Palace possesses the inheritance of the Puppet Array Dao! Fang Yi's heart burned with excitement. Of all the arts of cultivation, the one that would benefit him the most was the inheritance of the Puppet Array Dao.

"It's a bit tricky."

Looking at the six-armed demonic puppet, which strutted like a dragon and a tiger, it stood up and stepped towards him.

Fang Yi's expression was solemn.

Even though the cave dwelling of Qingmu Palace contains the legacy of the [Puppet Array Way].

Only after defeating the six-armed demon puppet can one be qualified to acquire and compete for benefits.

'It's been a long time since I've used this much force.'

A burning desire stirred within Fang Yi. He extended his hand, its knuckles distinct, and scattered several spirit seeds gleaming with a bluish light.

(End of this chapter)