Substitute Death Paper Figure

"What is this?"

Inside the jade box lay a bead the size of a pigeon's egg. It looked like a clear, transparent droplet of water, reflecting a crystalline glow.

Song Changsheng pinched it between his thumb and forefinger. It felt icy cold and strangely light, as though it had no weight at all.

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

A Water-Avoiding Pearl was not a magic artifact, but a clam pearl nurtured by a Clam Demon. It had no fixed tier. As long as one held it in the mouth upon entering the 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 good use of it. It was a fairly decent treasure.

This was a very good start. Song Changsheng immediately opened the second white jade box. Inside was a shriveled brown seed. Though Song Changsheng was not especially 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 close by the master of an 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 take it back for the Great Elder to inspect. He was a Third Tier Low-Grade Spirit Plant Master, so perhaps he might have some method.

"Only this last one remains. I hope it doesn't disappoint me."

Song Changsheng opened the last vermilion jade box. After only one glance, his brows immediately furrowed. Inside was actually a paper slip about half a foot long.

When he picked it up and looked closely, he found it was a carefully cut paper figure. Its simple facial features had been drawn with cinnabar, making it look rather comical.

Turning it over, he saw a scarlet character for "substitute" written over its back heart.

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, a single paper figure could die in a cultivator's stead once. The one in his hand was First-Tier and could be used by Qi Condensation Cultivators.

This was the sort of excellent item that could scarcely be bought even with money. Even if he had no use for it during the Qi Condensation stage, it would still be a fine choice to give to the younger members of the clan or sell to the Lineage.

"With this item, it's like having an extra life." Song Changsheng could not conceal the delight in his heart. He placed his forefinger between his teeth and bit it open, forcing out a glistening drop of blood.

This was blood containing the essence of his cultivation. Once he dripped it onto the paper figure and kept it close to his body, it would achieve the effect of substituting for death.

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

"I did not know what was inside the jade box that Fellow Daoist Zhuang traded away from me back then. I imagine it was no ordinary item either." Song Changsheng secretly guessed, 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 taken the time to examine the one in his left hand. It contained a second-tier artifact-refining inheritance. It had its own subtleties compared to the Song Clan's artifact-refining inheritance, and by drawing on each other's strengths to offset their weaknesses, he had benefited greatly.

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

But this was merely the 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, he had merely given it a cursory look before resolving that he had to trade for it, no matter the price!

Previously, he had been injured and also needed to consolidate his attainments in the Array Dao, so he had never properly comprehended it. But now, the time was ripe.

He pressed the jade slip against his forehead. Along with a hazy flicker of light, the contents recorded within the jade slip flooded into his Sea of Consciousness all at once.

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

They surged into Song Changsheng's Sea of Consciousness like a sky-covering, earth-shrouding tide, eventually forming the illusory figure of a young man. Dressed in flowing white robes, with a Qing longsword slung across his back, he watched Song Changsheng with a smile.

In his soul state, Song Changsheng was somewhat stunned. He had not expected these fragments of inheritance to construct a human figure within his Sea of Consciousness.

Was it a phantom, or a Remnant Soul?

"Later generation, do not be surprised. This is merely a small technique I left within the inheritance. It will not cause you any harm," the white-robed figure suddenly said.

"You are..."

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

"By the age of thirty, I had already 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 to travel and gain experience across the world, eventually making my way to 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 injured Purple Palace Stage devil.

"I fought him fiercely for three days. In the end, I only managed to kill him with the aid of arrays and the life-saving methods bestowed upon me by my elders, but I was severely injured as well.

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

Hearing He Yunxuan's words, Song Changsheng's heart immediately burned with excitement. He actually came from the Array Dao Academy—that was 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 toward He Yunxuan instantly grew blazing hot.

"However, the academy's methods must not be passed outside, so the only things I can leave behind are some inheritances I obtained during my travels."

Song Changsheng's burning heart instantly turned ice-cold.

"However, after combining all 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 cultivation one day, please make a copy of it and deliver it to the Array Dao Academy, placing it in 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. They seem to concern some secret of the Blood Demon Sect.

"Unfortunately, my injuries were too severe, and I never had the chance to break through this mystery. I now leave it to you as well. There should be some danger involved, so do not throw your life away if your cultivation is too low.

"Well, that is all I have to explain verbally. You can read the rest yourself."

After speaking, He Yunxuan's figure gradually became more and more illusory, eventually transforming back into words, images, and sounds that circled within the Sea of Consciousness.

Song Changsheng stood dumbfounded for a moment. This senior had been a figure from who knew how many years ago. Only now had he truly passed on, perhaps.

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

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

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

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