Substitute Death Paper Figure

"What is this?"

Inside the jade box lay a pearl the size of a pigeon's egg. It resembled a clear, translucent drop of water, reflecting a crystalline gleam.

Song Changsheng picked it up between his thumb and forefinger. It felt icy cold and light as a feather, as though it had no weight at all.

"It looks so familiar. Could it be... a Water-Avoiding Pearl?" A flash of insight struck Song Changsheng, and he blurted it out.

A Water-Avoiding Pearl was not a magic artifact, but a clam pearl produced by a Clam Demon. It had no fixed grade. As long as one held it in the mouth upon entering water, one could move freely beneath the surface.

It was of little use to high-level cultivators, but cultivators below the Purple Palace Stage could still make use of it. It was a fairly good treasure.

This was an excellent start. Song Changsheng immediately opened the second white jade box. Inside was a shriveled brown seed. Though Song Changsheng was not particularly versed in Spirit Plants, he could still tell that the seed's Life Force had completely drained away.

"Alas, what a pity. A Spirit Seed carried personally by the master of this Immortal Cave could not possibly have been ordinary. I've missed out on a great Fortuitous Encounter."

Song Changsheng sighed in regret, but he still put it away, intending to bring it back for the Great Elder to examine. He was a Third Tier Low-Grade Spirit Plant Master; perhaps he might have some solution.

"Only the last one remains. I hope it won't disappoint me."

Song Changsheng opened the final vermilion jade box. After just one glance, his brows immediately furrowed. Inside was actually a half-foot-long piece of paper.

Picking it up for a closer look, he found that it was a carefully cut paper figure. Its simple Facial Features had been drawn in cinnabar, making it look rather comical.

When he turned it over, he saw a vivid red character for "substitute" written over its back.

Song Changsheng's Eyes Widened. He said in delight, "Could this be the legendary Substitute Death Paper Figure?"

A Substitute Death Paper Figure was a treasure that only a Third-Tier or higher Puppet Master could refine. As its name suggested, one paper figure could die in a cultivator's place once. The one in his hand was First-Tier and could be used by Qi Condensation Cultivators.

This was something one could hardly buy even with money. Even if he had no use for it during the Qi Condensation Stage, it would be an excellent choice to give to a younger member of the clan or sell to the Lineage.

"With this item, it's like having an extra life." Unable to conceal his joy, Song Changsheng placed his index finger between his teeth and bit it open, forcing out a crystal-clear drop of blood.

This was blood condensed from the essence of his cultivation. Once this drop was dripped onto the paper figure and the figure stored close to his body, it could achieve its death-substituting effect.

As the blood fell, the originally white paper figure immediately turned scarlet. He pressed it against his chest, and his heart instantly felt much more at ease.

"I wonder what was inside the jade box Fellow Daoist Zhuang traded away from me. It was probably no ordinary item either." Song Changsheng secretly speculated, yet he felt no regret.

After all, he had taken great advantage of Zhuang Yuechan.

Thinking of this, he took out the two jade slips again. He had already found time to read the one in his left hand. It recorded a Second-Tier artifact-refining inheritance, which had its own subtleties compared with the Song Clan's artifact-refining inheritance. By drawing on each other's strengths to make up for their weaknesses, he had benefited greatly.

In particular, one section on methods for refining "gourd"-type magic artifacts had greatly inspired him, giving him a new plan for refining the Treasure Gourd.

But that was merely icing on the cake for him. The true surprise lay in the array inheritance recorded in the jade slip in his right hand.

Back then, after only a cursory look, he had made up his mind that he had to trade for it, no matter the price!

Previously, he had been injured and also needed to consolidate his Array Dao cultivation, so he had never properly studied it. Now, however, the time was ripe.

Pressing the jade slip to his forehead, he watched as, along with a hazy glimmer, the contents recorded within surged into his Sea of Consciousness in one great rush.

There were words, images, and even sounds among those contents.

They flooded into Song Changsheng's Sea of Consciousness like the sky collapsing and the earth overturning, ultimately forming a young, illusory figure. Clad in flowing white robes and carrying a green longsword on his back, he looked at Song Changsheng with a smile.

Song Changsheng, in his soul state, was somewhat stunned. He had never expected these fragments of inheritance to construct a human figure within his Sea of Consciousness.

Was it a phantom, or a Remnant Soul?

"Later one, do not be startled. This is merely a small trick I left within the inheritance. It will not harm you in any way," the white-robed figure suddenly said.

"You are..."

Before Song Changsheng could finish, the figure continued to himself, "Let me introduce myself first. My name is He Yunxuan, and I come from the Array Dao Academy.

"When I was thirty, I reached the realm of a Second Tier Peak-Grade Array Master. Yet at that time, I encountered a bottleneck. In order to advance further, I left the academy and traveled far and wide. Eventually, after many twists and turns, I arrived in the Great Qi Cultivation World.

"Here, I finally broke through my bottleneck and became a Third Tier Low-Grade Array Master. Just as I was preparing to return, I happened upon a heavily wounded Purple Palace Stage devil cultivator.

"I fought him for three days. In the end, only with the aid of arrays and the Life-saving methods bestowed upon me by my elders was I able to slay him, though I too was gravely wounded as a result.

"Knowing that my days were numbered, I opened up an Immortal Cave and prepared to leave everything I had learned in my life to one fated to receive it..."

Hearing He Yunxuan's words, Song Changsheng's heart immediately burned with excitement. The other man actually came from the "Array Dao Academy"—the sacred land every Array Master yearned for.

Could the inheritance recorded in this jade slip have come from the Array Dao Academy?

Song Changsheng's gaze upon He Yunxuan instantly became fervent.

"However, the academy's methods must not be passed outside its walls, so all I can leave behind are certain inheritances I acquired during my travels."

The fire in Song Changsheng's heart instantly turned ice-cold.

"However, after combining everything I learned in my life, I developed an entirely new path. I named it 'Engraving Arrays with the Body.' I believe it will bring you some surprises.

"If you achieve success in your cultivation one day, please make a copy of it and send it to the Array Dao Academy, delivering it into the hands of someone named Gu Yiyi. This is my only wish before death.

"Lastly, regarding those three jade tablets: I obtained them from that Purple Palace devil cultivator. They seem to concern certain secrets of the Blood Demon Sect.

"Unfortunately, my injuries were too severe, and I had no chance to break through this mystery. I now leave it to you as well. It should be somewhat dangerous, so if your cultivation is too low, do not go throwing your life away.

"Mm, that is all I have to explain verbally. Read the rest for yourself."

With that, He Yunxuan's figure gradually became illusory, finally transforming once more into words, images, and sounds that circled within the Sea of Consciousness.

Song Changsheng stood blankly for a moment. This senior had likely been a figure from who knew how many years ago. Only now could he truly be said to have passed on.

He silently gave a cupped fist salute, seeing this senior off.

After a long while, he began studying the array inheritance He Yunxuan had left behind.

Although He Yunxuan had said that these inheritances did not come from the Array Dao Academy, their profundity far exceeded the Song Clan's array inheritance, greatly inspiring him.

And within them, he found the "surprise" He Yunxuan had left for him—"Engraving Arrays with the Body."