Gou Zai Yao Wu Simulated Immortal

In the dark room, the talismanic fire had already died down.

Li Qian raised his hand and swept away the surrounding restrictions.

With a sway, his consciousness retreated from the Great Sun Dynasty back to the True Spirit Continent.

When I opened my eyes again, it was bright outside the window.

The sounds of people gradually rose in Baixifang, and the wind chimes on the eaves swayed gently, carrying a touch of the morning air of the marketplace.

Li Qian sat on the couch for a moment, preparing to first find a suitable magical artifact, and then inquire about the method of obtaining the bones and flesh of the Thousand-Machine Dragon.

After making his decision, he got up and left.

Baixifang was ultimately just a small shop.

Although there are many cultivators coming and going, very few shops can actually produce high-grade magic artifacts.

He visited several reputable shops selling Buddhist artifacts in the neighborhood.

The shopkeepers smiled broadly upon hearing the words "top-grade."

When they went to retrieve their items from the storage room, they all looked somewhat embarrassed.

It's not just medium-grade.

They simply use flashy but impractical items to fill the gaps.

Li Qian glanced at it briefly and knew it wasn't what he wanted.

The Soul-Devouring Sword in his hand now is not something that ordinary magical artifacts can withstand.

The mid-grade sword embryo was cut in two by it. Although it was mainly for venting its anger, at its core, it also meant that the clothes did not fit properly.

If we try to use ordinary high-quality items to make up the difference, it probably won't last much longer and will still be a waste of spirit stones.

I asked several places but couldn't find anything suitable.

Li Qian stood at the street corner, looked up at the sky, and frowned slightly.

"Baixifang is still a bit too small."

The image of the Purple Orchid Pavilion where he had previously stayed flashed through his mind.

The other side is bigger. Although high-quality magical artifacts are rare there, there are always a few families that have some hidden treasures.

But going back there now would take quite a bit of time, both ways.

Moreover, readily available magical artifacts may not be suitable, so it would be better to simply commission a sword embryo.

Given the current ferocity and methods of the Soul-Devouring Sword, a special shell for its body should be forged.

Li Qian made up his mind and stopped wandering around the streets. Instead, he went to the most famous and highly regarded weapon-refining shop in the neighborhood.

The plaque of the Refining Pavilion had old gold-lacquered characters.

The shop was filled with a tense atmosphere; you could smell the burning heat as soon as you reached the door.

Li Qian stated directly that he wanted to commission a top-grade sword.

The fetus needs to be strong enough to withstand the repeated erosion of Yin energy and demonic flames, and it is best to reserve space for the formation.

More formations can be added later.

The shopkeeper initially thought it was just an ordinary cultivator, but after hearing this string of requests, his eyelids twitched, realizing that a big order had come in today.

He invited the resident weapon refiner to come and take a look.

He then brought out several high-quality swords that could be forged in the shop for Li Qian to inspect.

Li Qian reviewed them one by one, but still felt they were inappropriate.

In the end, we decided to have it custom-made.

After hearing the request, the weapon refiner pondered for a long time before quoting a price.

After listening, Li Qian slowly and methodically started to negotiate the price.

The shopkeeper and the weapon refiner exchanged a glance.

After several rounds of back and forth, Li Qian finally managed to lower the price by a significant margin.

After the agreement was reached, he paid the deposit on the spot, arranged the delivery date, and left after receiving the receipt.

It was noon when she left her home.

The sun was high in the sky, and the long street was bathed in a blinding white light.

The new shell for the Soul-Devouring Sword has finally been found.

Next, go find Wen Qianji.

He followed the familiar route to the side alley in the southwest of the neighborhood.

The alley remains the same, with rotten wood and broken iron piled up against the walls.

A gust of wind blew, and the broken bone fragments collided lightly, making a soft, crisp sound.

But when Li Qian reached the courtyard with the half-closed wooden door, he stopped in his tracks.

The gate to the courtyard was open, and it was eerily quiet inside.

Li Qian pushed open the door and entered, only to find the courtyard still piled with those unfinished puppets.

There was even a fine file that hadn't been put away on the stone table.

But there was no sign of Qianji, not even a note from someone guarding the shop.

Li Qian immediately frowned.

People like Wen Qianji value the things in the courtyard more than their own lives.

Normally, he would curse someone if even a demon bone was misplaced, so he would never leave so cleanly and in such a hurry.

Li Qian stood in the courtyard, his gaze slowly sweeping over his surroundings, a sense of distress in his heart.

In Baixifang, there weren't many people who knew how to make puppets.

Those who specialize in demonic beasts and know how to piece together demonic flesh from demonic bones are even fewer.

Puppets made of gold, wood, copper, or iron can simply be dismantled and recast if they break; the materials can even be recycled and reused.

However, the corpses of demonic beasts are different, their bloodlines are different, and their tendons are different. If one part is wrong, the entire set of materials will be ruined.

If it's damaged during the refining process and sold to merchants who collect demon corpses, the price will drop by more than half.

This is why the practice of creating puppets from demonic beasts is such a niche field.

It's difficult to get started, costs a lot of spirit stones, and can easily leave you penniless.

Wen Qianji does indeed possess some skill.

Li Qian had already planned to ask him about the method of combining the dragon's bones and flesh.

Then decide on the next step.

Now that the person is gone, the matter is stuck here, neither here nor there, and I feel a little frustrated.

Li Qian was about to turn around and go to the neighborhood to inquire again.

Just then, the half-assembled monster puppet in the corner of the courtyard suddenly moved.

Li Qian's gaze turned cold.

He raised one hand and pressed down on the talisman in his sleeve, while his other hand quietly gripped the spare low-grade flying sword.

The unfinished puppet merely raised its head.

A sound came from the hollow beast head.

"...Something's come up..."

"To Black Canal Street... Dry Bone Abode..."

"There... is my other puppet..."

The voice was intermittent; you couldn't understand what it was saying unless you listened carefully.

I last visited Heiqu Street just a few days ago.

only……

What trouble did Wen Qianji get into?

Why would he suddenly abandon his business?

After a moment's thought, he decided to head to Black Canal Street to inquire.

Before leaving, he casually closed the courtyard gate again, just as it had been.

They left no trace of their presence.

"Black Canal Street, Dry Bone Abode..."

Li Qian followed the old road from his memory, heading west through the neighborhood.

The further west you go, the narrower the street becomes, and the lanterns and incense banners hanging under the eaves are no longer the usual ones.

At the end of Black Canal Street, a shop appears, which is the Dry Bone Studio.

Seeing that there were no guests at the door, Li Qian stepped inside.

As soon as you step over the threshold, you can hear a slight metallic scraping sound coming from inside.

A metal puppet slowly emerged from the side and rear.

It has no facial features, only three thin slits on its face, which serve as holes for sight and hearing.

It moved much more smoothly than ordinary wooden and iron golems, clearly indicating that the craftsmanship was excellent.

The metal puppet stopped in front of Li Qian and bowed slightly. "A guest has arrived... What brings you here...?"

"Where is Wen Qianji?"

"A guest has arrived...what brings you here...?"

Li Qian asked again:

Where is Wen Qianji?

After calling out the name of the Thousand Machines of Hearing three or four times in succession, the puppet did not respond except to repeat the name.

Li Qian frowned, intending to bypass the puppet and look directly behind it.

But just then, a flurry of footsteps suddenly came from inside the hall.

The curtain was suddenly flung open, and a group of people rushed out.

The leader, a man with a face full of scars and a chipped, thick-backed knife hanging from his waist, cursed, "Damn it! If we don't drag that son of a bitch Wen Qianji out today, I'll change my surname to his!"

The others behind also looked angry, their faces ashen, as if they had just suffered a great loss.

The group rushed in so fast that they almost bumped into Li Qian, who was standing by the door.

The man in the lead paused, sized Li Qian up and down, frowned, and said, "You're also here to see that guy surnamed Wen?"