Stealing the Dao to Reach Spirit Transformation, No Longer Human
Little B's fiery temper—he'd kill to silence anyone right off the bat. I'm quite fond of him.
However, the Great Five Elements Heaven-Trapping Formation still sealed the main hall, and the external divine sense was completely dead. The Primordial Spirit in front of them could not cause any trouble.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
[You withdrew your right hand and looked down at that Primordial Spirit.]
"Sect Master Gongshu has been trapped in this puppet for so many years, a mere marionette. I kindly offered to break you out of this cage, and you're stopping me instead?"
"Could it be that you've become addicted to making puppets?"
Gongshu Ke's Primordial Spirit gave a bitter smile, his gaze falling on his own bronze crystal body.
"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this."
"I was trapped at the Nascent Soul Perfection for over a hundred years, my Qi and Blood were declining, and my lifespan was nearing its end."
"In search of a glimmer of hope, I ventured alone to the Azure Dragon Upper Domain in search of a breakthrough fortuitous opportunity, only to stumble upon a hidden place and be captured alive by a mysterious powerhouse."
[Gongshu Ke's voice was hoarse.]
"That person erased my physical body and implanted my nascent Nascent Soul into this Heaven-Reaching Puppet, making it the central hub of the array that brings the puppet to life."
"Life is unpredictable. The path to Spirit Transformation that I had sought for a hundred years was unexpectedly broken open the moment my Nascent Soul merged with the Array Patterns of the Heaven-Reaching Puppet."
"The Nascent Soul transformed into the Primordial Spirit through the puppet's central core, and I thus glimpsed the realm of the Spirit Transformation."
[Upon hearing this, your eyebrows twitched slightly, indicating some surprise.]
[Having been in the cultivation world for so long, I've seen plenty of people break through by taking pills; but to forcibly raise one's cultivation level by acting as a battery for a puppet—that's truly a first for me.]
[Gongshu Ke raised his hands, looked at his palms, and lowered his voice.]
"This is the opportunity to Spirit Transformation Fortuitous Opportunity I have sought my entire life."
"But there's no such thing as a free lunch. Since then, my primordial Primordial Spirit has been locked within this Spirit Crystal, enduring the torment of soul forging day and night."
"I possess the title of Nascent Spirit Transformation, yet I have no freedom whatsoever. My every word and action is controlled by Restrictions, reducing me to a mere henchman tasked with amassing the Thousand Mechanisms Sect's wealth."
"Over the years, nearly half of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect's annual profits have been secretly sent to the shadows by me, following the instructions of the Restrictions."
"The divine sense left behind by that person is usually dormant, only restraining me with basic Restrictions."
"Besides guarding a sliver of my true spirit by carving wooden birds, I can't even control the blink of an eye."
Your gaze sweeps over the half-formed wooden bird on the ground.
[No wonder Gongshu Ke spends all year sawing wood; he's using manual labor to resist the brainwashing Restrictions.]
"Just now, fellow Daoist mentioned the bargaining chip. Driven by my obsession, I risked tearing my Primordial Spirit to regain a moment of control and begged you for that Creation Life-Restoring Pill."
At this point, Gongshu Ke shook his head with a wry smile.
"Having been stripped of my physical body for hundreds of years, suffering the torment of soul refinement day and night, I developed a deep-seated obsession. I always dreamed of obtaining a Creation Life-Restoring Pill to escape this shackles and reshape my flesh and blood."
"But just now, fellow Daoist, you wiped away that divine thought with a single strike and shattered the core Restriction. Now that I'm truly free, I've become clear-headed."
"My Spirit Transformation Fruit Position is entirely dependent on this puppet!"
"If I were to leave this body, I would immediately fall back to the Nascent Soul, returning to that old man whose lifespan is nearing its end, awaiting my demise."
"Now that I have stolen the Spirit Transformation, I can wield the Thousand Mechanisms Hub and glimpse the scenery from a higher vantage point. Even if I make no further progress in the rest of my life, even if I suffer the torment of soul forging day and night, what is there to be unwilling about?"
"If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening!"
[Looking at Gongshu Ke, who appeared both frantic and incredibly lucid, you fell silent for a moment.]
[You've witnessed Song Fuan's boldness, and you've also seen Jiang Mutian's refined elegance.]
[But in the vast world of cultivation, those who stand atop the clouds are ultimately only a tiny minority.]
[More often, there are people like Gongshu Ke, whose talents are limited and whose future is sealed.]
[Knowing that what lies ahead is an abyss, knowing that what is being offered is poison, one would gladly succumb to the allure of that illusory path to enlightenment.]
[Options pop up.]
[A: Respect the fate of others and let go of the urge to help others.]
[B: Forcefully help him quit his internet addiction! Slap the puppet body to pieces, shove the Creation Life-Restoring Pill into his mouth, and shout: "Behave yourself like a decent human being!"]
[C: You were so moved that tears welled up in your eyes, and you immediately pulled out a "Lifetime Re-employment Contract of the Thousand Mechanisms Sect" and slapped it on his forehead: "Comrade Gongshu, your spirit of self-reliance, selflessness, and willingness to serve as an ox or horse has deeply moved me! I have decided to hire you as the chief mechanical engineer of the Lu Group, working 007 all year round, since you don't have a physical body and don't need to sleep anyway!"]
Lu Ping looked at the text on the screen and sighed inwardly.
You are not a fish, how can you know the joy of fish?
They finally managed to get a permanent position at the Spirit Transformation Stage through a cheat code, even if it's just a temporary Labor Dispatch position without the five social insurances and one housing fund, they're still Spirit Transformation cultivator.
If we really do as Little B says and force the person back to the Nascent Soul, that would create a feud.
Although he didn't really care about Gongshu Ke's hatred.
Lu Ping chose A.
[You chose A.]
[You said calmly,]
"Everyone has their own ambitions. Since Sect Master Gongshu has already seen his own path clearly, I naturally will not force him to do anything against his will."
[You looked at the Spirit Crystal inside his chest cavity and said,]
"Although I have just shattered that divine thought, the hidden Restrictions within the puppet's body still need to be removed."
"Otherwise, the person behind the scenes can activate the Mother Seal and still detonate this puppet of yours."
[Gongshu Ke's Primordial Spirit paused, clearly aware of his predicament, and he bowed deeply to you.]
"Fellow Daoist, you possess great Divine Ability powers! Please, fellow Daoist, save my life! If you can preserve this body, you may take whatever you desire from the Thousand Mechanisms Sect's treasure vault!"
You waved your hand.
"Forget about the treasure vault. Since I've taken your scriptures, I'll clean up the mess for you."
"However, there are some obscure points in the * Heavenly Art True Scroll * and the * Taiwei Puppet Profound Scripture *, which I will need Sect Master Gongshu to clarify for me later."
Gongshu Ke quickly agreed, "I will certainly tell you everything I know!"
[Reverse Engineering, in effect.]
[The Artisan Spirit is now in effect.]
[Cost Reduction and Efficiency Improvement, effective.]
[...]
[With the blessing of this Trait, the Restriction was completely dismantled in the blink of an eye.]
[You draw a wisp of Spiritual Power from your fingertips, probing into Gongshu Ke's chest, swiftly outlining the junction of the Spirit Crystal and meridians.]
[In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, with a final flick of the finger, a layer of silver light shimmered on the surface of the Spirit Crystal, and the shackles binding the Primordial Spirit dissipated inch by inch.]
[Gongshu Ke's Primordial Spirit returned to the Spirit Crystal.]
[The mechanical body, slumped in its seat, slowly rose, its bronze crystal armor retracted, and its flesh regained its natural color, transforming it back into the appearance of a middle-aged scholar in a blue robe.]
Gongshu Ke looked at his ten fingers, his eyes slightly red.
[Without the constant excruciating pain of soul forging and the constraints of the Restrictions, for the first time in hundreds of years, he truly had control over this body.]
He straightened his robes, walked up to you, and bowed respectfully.
"Fellow Daoist, you have granted me a new life today. I, Gongshu Ke, will never forget this life-saving grace!"
[Options pop up.]
[A: Accept the gift with grace and let it be a good connection.]
[B: While he's still getting used to the body, let's do another "I’ll Make Three Points" and snatch this Nascent Spirit Transformation puppet to pilot like a Gundam!]
[C: You help Gongshu Ke up, take out your phone and play "A Grateful Heart," patting his iron chest affectionately: "Old buddy, don't be so polite! From now on, we're like brothers, even if we're not from the same father. Hurry up and pack up your Thousand Mechanisms Sect's Floating Mechanism City; I'm taking it as my private luxury yacht!"]