Demonic Demoness Training Project

"But she is preparing to refine a second-grade mechanical artifact. In my opinion, she probably has some ambitions for the position of Holy Maiden."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Ying Wange finally became interested.

"When I went to see her before, I was in such a hurry that I forgot to test her skills in the art of puppetry. In your opinion, is she capable of mastering it?"

"This woman has some skill in puppetry; the Hundred Blades of the Demon Whip was made by her. However, she has only been practicing for a short time, no more than half a year from beginning to end. She has never had any experience in refining a second-grade puppet weapon. It will be difficult for her to succeed!"

"What if she succeeds in mastering it? How strong will she be?"

"She is considered outstanding in the outer sect, and her performance in the Boundless Realm is above average. However, compared with the inner sect disciples, as I said before, she has not been in the sect for long and her foundation is still shallow. If she is too hasty, she will not achieve great things. Furthermore, the Holy Maiden selected this time should be Mu Sixian, the puppet under the Grand Elder. The inheritance of the Spirit Chart Ancestor is also prepared for her."

Upon hearing the words "Ancestor Lingtu," a glint of light flashed in Ying Wange's eyes.

Those elders have been using their puppets to fight crickets for quite some time now. The winner can not only train their own subordinates, but also gain more sect resources.

It was supposedly a competition for the positions of Holy Son and Holy Daughter, but in reality, it was just a cricket fight among the sect's higher-ups. This was a rule jointly set by several Supreme Elders, and even she, as the sect leader, had to abide by it.

As for the inheritance of the Spirit Chart Ancestor, she did have some thoughts. Because of the relationship with the Heartless Protector, Lu Li was considered her disciple. If Lu Li won the championship, that would be ideal. However, it was unrealistic and unlikely that she would win the championship herself.

To ensure her puppet could win the championship, the Grand Elder would definitely prepare a three-stage puppet for Mu Sixian's self-defense. Although she gave Lu Li the Heavenly Round Earthly Box, it was only a defensive puppet for her to save her life.

"Keep an eye on her, just make sure she doesn't get killed in the competition... Well, it doesn't matter if she dies, at least preserve her soul, I'll refine her into a puppet later."

"Yes."

Chapter 149 Four-Core Battle Against the Scholars

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, during which Lu Li completed the forging of the Glazed Bone.

When the delicate and petite skeleton was placed in front of her, Lu Li rubbed her slightly swollen cheeks, exhaled a breath of stale air, and bounced around a couple of times.

For the past three days, he has been blowing almost non-stop, and his cheeks are always bulging, so they are now a bit swollen.

The structure of the hyaloid bone is basically the same as that of an adult skeleton, consisting of a total of 206 bones. Except for the six small sesamoid bones in the hand that do not contain bone marrow, the remaining 200 bones all contain bone marrow.

The next step was to fill these bones with extremely cold jade marrow.

"In this way, the refining progress of the Glazed Bone is 30%. We'll talk about the rest after I complete the mid-stage assessment."

After tidying up his cave dwelling, Lu Li set off, picked up the Demon Whip Hundred Blades that he had already forged, and headed to the second floor of the Weapon Forging Hall.

Lu Li arrived relatively early. When he got there, there was only a small group of people scattered around the weapon-refining hall. Lu Li looked around and found Qin Zijing in the last row. She was holding a small compass and nervously adjusting it repeatedly.

Lu Li walked over and said:

"You're here too?"

"Well!"

The girl looked up at Lu Li, then put away the compass somewhat embarrassed. She looked up at Lu Li again, her eyes widening suddenly, and she recognized him at a glance.

She still vividly remembered the scene when Lu Li had a verbal battle with five deacons and was respectfully asked to leave the stage.

"Last time I almost got scolded to death by the deacon, but when I got back, Muya suddenly sent me a message saying that I had passed and that I should prepare for the mid-term exam. So I've been working hard for a month. May my ancestors bless me and not let me fail the mid-term exam."

"You did it?"

"No, my little compass only has a sensing range of fifty feet in radius. Sigh, it's not fully calibrated yet. For the mid-term assessment, it just needs to have a rough prototype."

Fifty feet in radius... that's not even as big as the range of his divine sense perception, what's the point!

However, Lu Li thought again that the other party was refining a first-stage mechanical artifact, while his divine sense was only a mid-grade B, so naturally they could not be compared by his standards.

“Last time you left right after giving your report, and when you got back, those deacons were furious and didn’t give you a friendly look at all.”

"Because I took my anger out on someone else?"

"Yes, a lot of people didn't pass the initial shareholding assessment. After the final assessment, the stewards discussed it and found that there weren't enough people, so they let me pass. Hehe, I have to thank you for this."

Although the initial assessment is strict, there are standards for the number of people who pass; too many or too few are not acceptable.

"Then those disciples behind you must feel sorry for them."

Of course, it's just pitiful.

Lu Li didn't think he was wrong. The person who deserved to die was someone else. He was the one who angered that person, but ultimately it was the steward who was blind and confused.

"How's your crafting going? I remember you were crafting a second-tier puppet, right? If you can't pass the second-tier puppet test on the first try, you can postpone it for six months?"

"No, I plan to get through this one; I have other things to do later."

"You actually succeeded?"

"Barely acceptable."

Lu Li chuckled inwardly. Not only had he mastered it, but he had also taken the time to deduce and refine some other puppets. Even now, his A, B, and C cores were working diligently in his dream to perfect the puppet design of the jade foot.

So, the person Qin Zijin was communicating with at this point was actually Lu Li's Ding He. Ding He was also very intelligent, but compared to Jia He's astonishing wisdom, he was still a little bit lacking.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two fell silent. Lu Li closed his eyes to rest, while Qin Zijing continued to fiddle with her compass mechanism.

Before long, the assessment of the central management team officially began, with the same few deacons who had come last time.

As before, I was first challenged by several deacons when I went on stage, but the pass rate for the intermediate share assessment was even lower than that for the initial share assessment.

Last time, they had basically become familiar with each other, and Wang Ze and the others remembered who was who and what their background was.

When it was Lu Li's turn to go on stage, he took out the Demon Whip Thousand Blades. Several deacons looked surprised; they hadn't expected that Lu Li could actually do it.

It would be difficult for anyone else to forge a first-stage puppet, yet Lu Li was able to forge a second-stage puppet in such a short time.

The stewards didn't say much in response. The rank was what it was; if Lu Li couldn't pass, then it would be outrageous for the first-stage puppet master to pass.

Since they already knew who was behind Lu Li, and given their limited influence, they dared not act rashly. They only asked Lu Li a few perfunctory questions before letting him leave the stage.

Just then, an old man with a white beard pushed open the door and entered. Wang Ze and the others turned around and immediately stood up to greet him.

"Elder! Hey, it's just a mid-level assessment, why are you making such a fuss?"

"What, can't I come?"

"No, please sit down, please sit down."

The deacons bowed and scraped. Wang Ze pulled out his chair, intending to offer it to the elder, but the elder waved his hand, gave a friendly smile, and sat down in an empty seat at the back.

"I'm just here to take a look. These disciples are the future pillars of our sect. Of course, I know the rules. I'm just here to take a look. You can evaluate them however you want. I won't interfere."

"Yes, yes, the Grand Elder is considerate of his disciple. I will obey the Grand Elder's orders."

The disciples behind him were slightly taken aback, and they all bowed to the Grand Elder. This Creation Realm cultivator sat down among the disciples. Although he smiled without saying a word, the disciples around him felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.

Lu Li had heard Su Xiaoya mention this Grand Elder before. His name was Rong Jing, and apart from the Supreme Elders and the Sect Master, he was the one with the most power.

Before Ying Wange became the sect leader, Rong Jing was her biggest rival. The two had never gotten along well, and the Rong family was one of the most prominent families in the sect besides the Ying family.

The factional wars within the sect almost entirely revolved around the Rong family and the Ying family.

Once everyone was seated, the mid-stage assessment continued. Wang Ze paused for a moment, then suddenly straightened his back, looked at Lu Li with a furrowed brow, and his expression immediately became extremely serious.

"Where were we just now? Oh, right, a thousand flying blades were launched simultaneously. They seemed simple and unadorned, but they must have consumed a lot of spiritual energy. How are you going to deal with that?"

Upon hearing this question, Lu Li was taken aback.

He felt that Wang Ze's tone had changed when he said those words. It was no longer the perfunctory attitude he had just displayed, but suddenly had a hint of sarcasm. He then glanced at the smiling elder behind him.

Others might not be able to sense it, but Lu Li's divine sense overwhelmed everyone present except for the Grand Elder. He vaguely sensed the faint fluctuation of divine sense emanating from the Grand Elder.

Good heavens, the old man is sending a message to Wang Ze!

There must be something fishy going on here!

With this in mind, Lu Li immediately activated all the sub-cores. He felt that one brain was not enough, so he decided to use four brains to think it over carefully.

Chapter 150 How can one cultivate to immortality while hanging out with these insects?

Lu Li mentioned last time that Ying Wange had given him guidance, which was tantamount to being branded as belonging to Ying Wange's faction.

Now it seems that although the Grand Elder said he wouldn't get involved in the judging and was just coming to observe, he was actually secretly giving instructions, which is why Wang Ze dared to take advantage of the situation and deliberately make things difficult for him.

The subsequent assessment was conducted by the elders themselves. In principle, Rong Jing could have directly attended the assessment if he wished, but the current situation is different.

At that time, several elders will gather. Ying Wange may not be present, but there will definitely be elders from the Ying family of the same faction present. Rong Jing alone cannot make the decision.

Right now, Rong Jing only needs to sit here to have Wang Ze act as his mouthpiece, thus enabling him to operate behind the scenes.

Conversely, if it were Ying Wange who came today, Wang Ze would not dare to utter a single word. He would praise Lu Li to the skies, treating him like an ancestor and inviting him off the stage.

However, it is clear that Lu Li is not worth Ying Wange's time. In Ying Wange's eyes, Lu Li refused the invitation to go to the Extreme Dao Peak and never formally became his disciple. At most, he was just a tool to help Xin Wu protector advance. It didn't matter whether his cultivation level was high or low, as long as he didn't die outside.

On the contrary, it was his words last time that caught Rong Jing's attention.

Having figured out the pros and cons, Lu Li gained a new understanding of the White Moon Palace and even the entire cultivation world, and he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

"Cultivating immortality? What kind of immortality is he cultivating! How can he possibly become an immortal by hanging out with these insects?"

"What did I tell you? You need to open source first. Only after you open source can you be as free as a fish in the sea. Otherwise, you will be controlled by others everywhere. I went through the same thing back then. You might as well think about it the other way around. The higher your cultivation level, the more carefree you will be."

Duan Lao's voice echoed in Lu Li's mind, but Lu Li remained unmoved.

"Speak up, why aren't you saying anything? I'm asking you a question."

Lu Li pondered for a moment, then replied:

"A thousand blades is merely the upper limit of this puppet weapon, used for attacking strongholds and defeating enemies. In actual combat, ten, twenty, or even a hundred blades can be activated. It is not necessary to activate thousands of flying blades at all times. In my opinion, a good puppet weapon should be adaptable to different scenarios as much as possible."

"How powerful is this weapon? Tell me in detail, don't just answer when I ask you questions."

"I have already tested it. If I control ten flying blades, it is comparable to a first-stage mechanical weapon. If I control hundreds of flying blades, I can easily penetrate a one-finger-thick Xuanming crystal with just one round of attack. If I unleash my full power, I can penetrate a three-finger-thick Xuanming crystal. This is exactly the defense of most standard mechanical weapons."

Over the next fifteen minutes, the five deacons took turns bombarding Lu Li with a barrage of nitpicking questions, ranging from material selection and craftsmanship to practical application and operational difficulty.

Midway through, his other three sub-cores stopped deducing the diagram and focused on full operation. Their minds worked at lightning speed, engaging in a verbal battle with the five deacons. In addition, Lu Li was well-prepared and was able to answer fluently throughout the entire process.

By the end, the deacons were all sweating profusely, while Lu Li stood quietly on the stage with a calm expression.

Every year, many disciples are promoted to open source. Of the open source puppets designed by these disciples, less than one in ten are actually usable. Lu Li even suspects that he is not here to participate in the central government's assessment, but to report on the puppet project, which is about to be mass-produced.

If it weren't for the Creation Realm cultivator sitting below, Lu Li would have really wanted to rush down and hang those five deacons up and beat them up.

In the end, the five deacons couldn't get any more questions out of them, and finally uttered a single sentence.

"You say your puppet is unique in that it's inexpensive and has a high cost-performance ratio. Well then, I'd like to ask you, how much does this puppet cost?"

"When I was refining it, I used about 430 spirit stones of spiritual materials. If we take into account the labor costs, the convenience of mass production, and the sect's spiritual mine resources, we should be able to reduce it to less than 550 spirit stones."

These words caused an uproar in the audience.

The cost of a second-stage puppet is generally over a thousand, and the cost of the several second-stage puppets on Lu Li's body is all over two thousand.

For example, the Azure Netherworld Skin, although its original form only cost a few hundred spirit stones to create, Lu Li spent several hundred spirit stones to buy Nine Dragon Pills during the subsequent advancement process. The cost of the medicinal bath was not included, so it came to at least two thousand spirit stones.

Suddenly, Lu Li sensed another subtle ripple of divine thought spreading out. He didn't know what Rong Jing and Wang Ze had said, but after listening, Wang Ze's lips twitched slightly, and then he said, word by word:

"Five hundred and fifty spirit stones is still too expensive. You... you need to lower it to five hundred and twenty or lower. I want to see your results in the next assessment."

"..."

Lu Li remained silent, and Wang Ze added another sentence.

"The sect values ​​your puppet very much and wants to see your results next time."

Wang Ze's tone was somewhat stiff. Clearly, even he himself thought these words were outrageous. If Rong Jing hadn't been sitting behind him, he wouldn't have dared to say them at all.

A second-stage artifact costing 550 spirit stones is already a refugee price.

With 550 spirit stones already, why would we need a mechanical oxcart?

Five hundred and fifty spirit stones is the limit. With each additional spirit stone, the difficulty increases exponentially.

This is blatant obstruction.

What they're saying is, "We'll let you pass this time, but you need to keep improving."

However, Lu Li caught a weakness.

"By the way, Deacon Wang just said that the sect values ​​disciples' magical artifacts very much. May I ask if this is your idea, or the idea of ​​some other elder? Or is it just something you said casually?"

"This……"

In an instant, Wang Ze broke out in a cold sweat. He cautiously turned his head to look at the Grand Elder behind him, Rong Jing, who simply nodded with a smile.

“Oh, the Elder said so.”