Zhou Tian Puppet

The sun shone brightly, and the flowers smiled happily.

Silver Sword Peak welcomed another beautiful morning, with clear mountains, flowing water, singing birds, and fragrant flowers.

Chu Liang walked out of the small wooden house, stretched, and loosened his muscles and bones.

With his master away for the past two days, he was the peak master of Silver Sword Peak, feeling quite powerful. Of course, even when Di Nufeng returned, he would still be the deputy peak master.

After basking in the sun for a while, he returned to his room and carefully closed the door.

There was still something to do.

After returning from Zhennan Region Mountain last night, it was very late. He parted ways with the disciples from Jade Sword Peak and returned to Silver Sword Peak alone, where he immediately rested.

Now it was time to reward himself.

His divine sense sank into the white tower. The golden phantom of the Human-Faced Mountain Demon's large head hung in the iron cage. Chu Liang stepped forward and pressed the "Refine" character with his palm.

Boom—

A red light flashed.

Chu Liang caught the light that floated out with his hand, and immediately received a thought in his mind.

[Zhou Tian Puppet]:

A puppet used to circulate the Zhou Tian and assist in cultivation. It consumes one Qi Gathering Pill during the day and two Qi Gathering Pills at night for continuous cultivation throughout the day and night. All cultivation growth obtained will be attributed to the host. Note that this puppet can only be used to assist in cultivation. Engaging in other improper activities risks causing damage.

"Huh?"

Chu Liang held the three-foot-tall big-headed doll in his hand and suddenly felt a surge of pleasant surprise.

Its appearance was very similar to the Human-Faced Mountain Demon, with a small body like white jade and a large head without facial features.

Perhaps because it had no expression, it looked a little cute.

But Chu Liang's surprise was certainly not because it was cute.

It was... a cultivation assistant that worked non-stop, 365 days a year, day and night. All the cultivation growth it obtained would be counted towards himself. Didn't this mean his cultivation speed could double?

No, more than double.

Among the three passes and nine realms, the three realms of the Heaven Pass relied on sudden enlightenment; a single day of gaining the Dao could be worth decades of arduous cultivation. The three realms of the Earth Pass mainly relied on resources, with personal cultivation being secondary. But in the three realms of the Human Pass, which were the starting point, personal arduous cultivation was still the most important.

Body Tempering realm was about tempering the physical body, Qi Condensation realm was about opening up the dantian and sea of qi, and Divine Intent realm was about condensing divine sense... The cultivation growth at this stage relied on meditation, contemplation, and circulating energy, which was the so-called circulating the Zhou Tian.

However, everyone had limited time for cultivation. Excluding daily activities like eating, drinking, and using the restroom, one could cultivate for a maximum of eight hours a day. But one couldn't just cultivate true qi; there also had to be time to learn divine abilities. Mount Shu disciples, for example, also needed time to complete missions to exchange for magical treasures and pills...

So normally, a cultivator who could maintain four to five hours of energy circulation and cultivation every day throughout the year was considered very diligent. Someone like Chu Liang, who frequently went on missions, might average only two to three hours a day.

One must know that cultivation time had to be genuine; sitting there but slacking off wouldn't count for anything.

But...

With this big-headed doll, he could cultivate for an additional twelve hours every day.

His cultivation growth rate could increase by four or five times!

This also meant he could spend more time and energy on slaying demons and devils, which perfectly suited his current needs.

Thinking this, Chu Liang couldn't wait to place the big-headed doll on the ground. He sat cross-legged facing it and fed it a Qi Gathering Pill.

Then he placed his palm on the large head.

He circulated his Zhou Tian.

The cultivation technique Chu Liang practiced was the most orthodox Divine Nine Mysterious Heart Art: Divine Intent Chapter of the Mount Shu.

The cultivation techniques of the Mount Shu were famously unremarkable in the cultivation world, but they were stable and solid. As long as one cultivated diligently to the same realm, the overall strength of a Shu Mountain disciple was often a cut above others.

As Chu Liang circulated his Zhou Tian, the big-headed doll's body became transparent. Only white lines flowed along complex routes, glowing as they moved.

When Chu Liang finished circulating his Zhou Tian and removed his hand, the big-headed doll's face and features had actually transformed into his own! There was still a flickering glow on its body, indicating that it had already entered a cultivation state.

Chu Liang understood that this doll was now in his shape, inside and out.

Three Qi Gathering Pills a day – this consumption was not small, but it wasn't large either. Compared to the output of cultivating diligently all day, it was definitely a huge profit.

Chu Liang secretly made up his mind that he absolutely could not let the big-headed doll stop.

Worst case, I'll go chop down Lantern Monsters to support you.

However, something was a bit strange. This Zhou Tian Puppet clearly had no intelligence; it was just an emotionless cultivation machine. Yet, the amount of Qi Gathering Pills it consumed day and night still varied.

One pill during the day, two at night... It seemed like it wanted double pay for overtime.

Sigh, this is truly lawless.

Thinking this, he suddenly felt that it would be great if this big-headed doll were a real person...

In that case, he could set an impossible performance target for it, like reaching the Golden Core Realm within three days, or else its Qi Gathering Pills would be deducted. If it couldn't complete the task, it would have to work overtime voluntarily. This way, all its overtime work would be self-initiated and have nothing to do with him.

Not only would he not have to pay double, he wouldn't even have to pay single. With just one Qi Gathering Pill, he could make it work for twelve hours.

If it didn't meet the performance target by the deadline, he would deduct a little more from it.

In the end, it might work hard for him for so long and still end up owing him Qi Gathering Pills.

Chu Liang did not take the big-headed doll out, leaving it in the white tower's space to work for him.

After all, this thing looked a bit strange, and it wouldn't be good for others to see it. It was better to just keep it inside.

The space where the white tower was located was very mysterious, and Chu Liang hadn't fully figured it out yet. He only knew that it could be used like a storage artifact, but only items obtained from the white tower could enter and exit.

After that, he set off again for Reaching Heaven Peak.

After completing the Zhennan Region Mountain mission, the few people from Jade Sword Peak all thought Chu Liang had suffered a great loss. In reality, he had won big.

Although the Spirit Cat Leap Talismans he consumed were precious, they were obtained without cost. In exchange, he got several portions of Hundred Flowers Powder that could cure all poisons, and such a practical Zhou Tian Puppet. It could definitely be said to be a huge profit.

In addition, he received a reward of fifty Sword Coins.

His reward for a single mission was usually around ten Sword Coins. If the others hadn't given him their rewards, he wouldn't have had this much. Chu Liang had never held this much money before.

A poor person suddenly becoming rich naturally wanted to spend some.

He first went to the Pill Hall and bought a gourd of Qi Gathering Pills, enough to support the big-headed doll for a while. Then he turned left out the door and went to the Sword Transmission Hall.

The Sword Transmission Hall managed the Mount Shu's magical artifacts and flying swords. Chu Liang entered and went directly to the area specifically for selling swords within the hall.