Dao Body Puppet

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Dao Body Puppet (道身傀儡)
Alias(es)	Daoist Chiying; Dizang
Species/Race	Artificial puppet animated by a sliver of Su Yu's soul through the Dao Body Puppet Art
Affiliation	Su Yu; Gongyue Merchant Association; Dizang Buddhist City
Occupation/Role	Su Yu's remote proxy, explorer, combatant, infiltrator, and regional administrator
Status	Active; its Dizang incarnation had attained a low-grade Rank 7 physical body 401 413
First Appearance	Dao Body Puppet Art discovered 56; first completed body 57

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Initial Dao Body Puppet	57	Su Yu fused blood and a soul sliver into a puppet beast, creating a lifelike body that could resemble Su Yu, an ordinary old man, or a Shadow Leopard demon beast.
Mid-grade Rank 2	74	The Dragon Crocodile-based body possessed mid-grade Rank 2 strength and defense sufficient to withdraw safely against a Foundation Establishment Stage Six cultivator.
Second-Grade Superior Puppet	95	The body evolved from top-tier mid-grade Rank 2 to Second-Grade Superior, equivalent to Foundation Establishment Stage Seven; the Puppet Soul also became more solid.
Top-grade Rank 2 Eight-armed Mantis body	106	Su Yu moved his soul from the Dragon Crocodile Puppet Beast into a newly forged Eight-armed Mantis puppet, then integrated the Puppet Soul into its core.
Low-grade Rank 3	113	After consuming Rank 3 spirit ores, the Eight-armed Mantis body evolved into a low-grade Rank 3 puppet; Shadow-Bearing Dark Spirit Stone granted exceptional light and divine-sense concealment.
Damaged Rank 4 Crimson Puppet body	126	The puppet repaired a severely damaged ancient Rank 4 humanoid puppet and made it its new body, gaining control of a main peak's formations in the Falling Moon Alliance ruins.
High-grade Rank 3 output	138	Though formerly a top-tier low-grade Rank 4 puppet, the partially repaired Crimson Puppet could barely exert high-grade Rank 3 power.
Peak Rank 3	150	Repairs restored the Crimson Puppet to the limit of Rank 3, allowing it to sustain Rank 3-limit power without damaging itself.
Low-grade Rank 4	157	By absorbing top-grade Rank 4 spirit ore, the Crimson Puppet regained low-grade Rank 4 strength and awakened a fire-element domain.
Low-grade Rank 5 Black-clad Warrior	258	The Black-clad Warrior's Puppet Soul and body evolved from top-grade Rank 4 to low-grade Rank 5, comparable to a Spirit Severing-stage Nascent Soul.
Low-grade Rank 6 Buddhist body	359	Its Buddhist Dao Body transformed from Rank 5 to low-grade Rank 6 after accumulating Buddhist cultivation and incense-and-wish power.
Low-grade Rank 7 physical body	401	The Dizang incarnation awakened after being nurtured into a low-grade Rank 7 physical body.

Background / History

Su Yu obtained the ancient Dao Body Puppet Art from a Heavenly Script Pavilion book. The art works by severing a sliver of the user's soul and integrating it into a puppet, enabling the puppet to move independently while retaining the user's awareness and faculties; its raw strength remains limited by the puppet body's rank. Su Yu considered it especially suited to him because the Golden Cicada Art could heal the resulting soul damage. 56

His first completed Dao Body Puppet was a humanoid puppet beast capable of changing into Su Yu's appearance, an unremarkable old man, or a Shadow Leopard. Su Yu deliberately chose an old-man disguise that only faintly resembled a Chen Family elder, so discovery of the puppet would not easily lead back to him. 57

Su Yu subsequently rebuilt the puppet around stronger bodies, including a Dragon Crocodile Puppet Beast and a top-grade Rank 2 Eight-armed Mantis. The latter became a stealth-oriented low-grade Rank 3 body after absorbing Rank 3 spirit ores, while its Puppet Soul enabled abnormal bursts of power and ongoing self-repair. 64 106 113

While exploring the Falling Moon Alliance Grotto-Heaven Ruins, the puppet discovered and repaired a damaged ancient Rank 4 humanoid puppet, the Crimson Puppet, as its next body. It used spirit ores and Spirit Jade Marrow to gradually restore this body, eventually recovering Rank 4 strength and establishing a power base in Sangmu Prefecture. 126 141 157

Operating as Daoist Chiying, it seized the Rank 3 Spirit Jade mine at Gongyue Immortal City, accepted Gao Yuanyuan's service, subjugated the Black Flood Dragon Merchant Association, and took control of Yellow Mausoleum Island. 141 142 157 158

In later years, Su Yu forged and cultivated further puppet bodies through the Puppet Heavenly Tome. One such incarnation adopted the Buddhist identity Dizang, established itself in Dizang Buddhist City, cultivated Buddhist methods, and used incense and wish power to advance beyond the limits of conventional puppet refinement. 332 342 359 401

Appearance

The Dao Body Puppet has no fixed appearance; its form changes with its current puppet body and mission. It commonly conceals its nature through humanoid disguises, while several bodies possess conspicuous nonhuman traits.

• Initial body — lifelike humanoid capable of appearing as Su Yu, a white-haired old man, or a Shadow Leopard. 57
• Dragon Crocodile body — originally a three-zhang dinosaur-like puppet beast before transforming into Su Yu's likeness. 64
• Eight-armed Mantis body — over three meters long, armed with eight blade-like limbs; later compressed to roughly one and a half meters tall after its Rank 3 evolution. 106 113
• Rank 3 Mantis concealment — metallic black body that absorbs most visible light and much divine sense, making it resemble a vague shadow or empty space. 113
• Crimson Puppet body — a damaged humanoid Rank 4 puppet with crimson eyes; its cracks gradually disappeared as it recovered. 126 157
• Dizang incarnation — outwardly resembles an ordinary Buddhist disciple when its Buddhist aura is restrained. 401

Abilities & Skills

Dao Body Puppet Art

The foundational technique places a sliver of Su Yu's soul inside a puppet body, allowing remote action as though the puppet were another body.

• The puppet retains the user's awareness and can act independently over long distances. 56
• Its combat strength is constrained by the rank of its current puppet body. 56
• Su Yu can transfer the Dao Body Puppet from one prepared puppet body to another. 106
• Destruction of the puppet destroys the attached soul sliver, but does not destroy Su Yu's main soul. 56
• The soul sliver may be affected by the nature of its puppet material; the Dragon Crocodile body's ferocious aura nearly influenced Su Yu's state of mind. 64

Puppet Soul

A Puppet Soul is an integrated puppet-path treasure that lets the body devour material essence, repair itself, evolve, and briefly unleash power beyond its normal rank.

• Absorbs spirit ore essence to restore cracks and strengthen puppet materials. 103 135
• Refines Spirit Jade Marrow to repair the puppet core and accelerate the Puppet Soul's advancement. 141 142
• Can temporarily empower the puppet far above its ordinary body rank. 90 150
• Excessive bursts damage the puppet body and leave the Puppet Soul dimmed or depleted. 90 116
• A true Rank 4 Puppet Soul can manifest briefly and mobilize vastly greater amounts of heaven-and-earth power than a Rank 3 prototype. 151
• Later Puppet Soul evolution gave the Black-clad Warrior exceptional survivability: so long as its Puppet Soul remains intact, it can recover even after its body is destroyed. 258

Transformation and Concealment

The puppet can change form and maintain identities separate from Su Yu.

• Assumes humanoid, beast, and disguised cultivator forms. 57 80 132
• Used masks, cloaks, Breath Concealing Talismans, Invisibility Talismans, and earth escape to evade pursuit after the Great Moon Black Market auction. 90
• The Eight-armed Mantis Rank 3 body naturally absorbs light and divine sense, making ordinary detection unreliable. 113

Combat

The Dao Body Puppet's combat style combines an unusually durable body, explosive Puppet Soul empowerment, talismans, formations, and high-grade treasures.

• Killed a Foundation Establishment Stage Eight pursuer with a single palm strike after releasing the Puppet Soul's power. 90
• Used high-grade Rank 2 talismans to clear large groups of demonic beasts during the Great Moon Black Market beast tide. 101
• Killed the Li Family Ancestor, a Core Formation Stage Three True Person, with the nascent Ice Soul Pearl. 103
• Defeated Daoist Yijian's party, infiltrated the Chiling lineage's secret realm, defeated its guardian demon snake, and emptied its treasure vault and medicine garden. 133
• As a low-grade Rank 4 Crimson Puppet, wielded a fire-element domain capable of turning its surroundings into an inferno. 157
• Used spatial power to halt three Nascent Soul True Monarchs at an invisible barrier and expel them from Yellow Mausoleum Island. 161

Formation and Talisman Arts

The puppet performs auxiliary cultivation arts on Su Yu's behalf.

• Discussed and applied high-grade Rank 2 formation knowledge while posing as Daoist Chiying. 140
• Drew talismans using the puppet body, though mid-grade Rank 3 talismans remained unstable compared with Su Yu's main body. 144
• Gained control of the formations on a main peak of the Falling Moon Alliance ruins after repairing the damaged Rank 4 puppet. 126
• Taught Gao Yuanyuan how to prepare Rank 3 high-grade spirit jade into long-lasting talisman paper. 150

Buddhist Dharma and Incense Power

As Dizang, the Dao Body Puppet follows a separate Buddhist cultivation path based on the Puppet Heavenly Tome.

• Cultivates the Moro Vajra Sutra and Ksitigarbha Undying True Scripture simultaneously. 333 359
• Gains strength through believers' incense and wish power, allowing a route of advancement beyond repeatedly forging stronger bodies. 342
• Held a three-month scripture discussion with Buddha Master Dichan and four others, gaining substantial soul power and improving Golden Cicada Art proficiency. 360
• Exchanged three top-tier ancient Buddhist Dharma inheritances for a Rank 7 sarira with the Great Buddha Temple's abbot. 391

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Puppet Soul — integrated soul treasure responsible for the puppet's self-repair, material devouring, evolution, and temporary power bursts. 151
• Nascent Ice Soul Pearl — a powerful treasure used alongside the Puppet Soul to kill the Li Family Ancestor and resist a dangerous secret-realm formation. 103 116
• Heavenly Script Pavilion token — identifies Daoist Chiying to Heavenly Script Pavilion branches and deterred the Black Flood Dragon Merchant Association. 140 142
• Crimson Divine Halberd — used to cut Spirit Jade ore while mining in Phoenix Fall Prefecture. 140
• High-grade Rank 3 Nine-Bend Spirit-Shocking Formation flag — obtained through a trade with the Heavenly Roaming Daoist; primarily used to temper the soul. 124
• Qi Refining Pot shards — acquired through separate trades and the Black Flood Dragon Merchant Association's treasury for fusion with Su Yu's Qi Refining Pot. 124 157

Relationships

• Su Yu — creator, controller, and main body. The puppet acts through Su Yu's soul sliver and shares consciousness with him. 56 158
• Heavenly Thunder Rat Demon King — subdued scout and expedition partner; its demon pack gathers intelligence, mines spirit jade, and assists in ruin exploration. 126 133 141
• Gao Yuanyuan — subordinate and head of the Gao Family under the puppet's protection; she founded the Gongyue Merchant Association and supplies it with resources and intelligence. 142 150
• Black Flood Dragon Daoist — former leader of the Black Flood Dragon Merchant Association; submitted after the puppet restored Rank 4 power and merged his association with Gongyue Merchant Association. 157
• Daoist Jinfeng and Daoist Fujing — followers who aided the takeover of Yellow Mausoleum Island. 158
• Buddha Master Dichan — scripture-discussion counterpart whose exchange with Dizang benefited both sides. 360
• Great Buddha Temple Abbot — recognized Dizang as a Dao Body Puppet connected to Yuexian's Puppet Heavenly Tome and traded a Rank 7 sarira for Buddhist inheritances. 391

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Moon Worship Immortal City Operations

The puppet first served as Su Yu's covert extension in Moon Worship Immortal City, shadowing Wu Zhigang after Su Yu rejected his proposal to search for the Ice Heart Lotus. 57

It later intimidated Hu Xiu and a Spirit Hall steward, changed appearance to avoid retaliation, and attended the Great Moon Black Market auction under a false identity. When pursued afterward, it killed a Foundation Establishment Stage Eight cultivator and retreated underground to repair the damage caused by its Puppet Soul burst. 80 90

Great Moon Prefecture and Falling Moon Alliance Exploration

The puppet refined Haotian Pills at the Li Family, survived an ambush by the Li Family Ancestor, and killed the Core Formation Stage Three attacker with the Ice Soul Pearl. 103

After entering the Falling Moon Alliance Grotto-Heaven Ruins, it endured encounters with Rank 3 demonic beasts, residual formations, and a high-grade Rank 3 Wolf Demon. Its exploration eventually yielded a damaged Rank 4 puppet body and control over a main peak's formations. 116 126

Conflict with the Grand Void Immortal Alliance

The puppet crossed into Purple Light Prefecture to investigate the Grand Void Immortal Alliance, using a Qi Refining rogue-cultivator identity to avoid notice. 132

After confirming the Chiling lineage was preparing to send thousands of disciples toward Great Moon Prefecture, it ambushed Daoist Yijian's group, infiltrated the Chiling lineage's blessed-land secret realm, rescued Yu Qianqing and Su Qi, and looted the lineage's resources under the name Demon Thief Daoist Chiying. 133

Sangmu Prefecture and Yellow Mausoleum Island

In Phoenix Fall Prefecture, the puppet used the Daoist Chiying identity to seek the Azure Wood Age Wheel Art, discovered a Rank 3 Spirit Jade mine, and extracted Spirit Jade Marrow to restore the Crimson Puppet. 140

It seized the mine from the Gao, Yu, and Meng families, appointed Lin Shu as its guard, and accepted Gao Yuanyuan's allegiance. Its authority over Gongyue Immortal City grew after the Black Flood Dragon Merchant Association retreated before its Heavenly Script Pavilion token. 141 142

After regaining Rank 4 strength, it forced the Black Flood Dragon Daoist's submission, merged his merchant association into its own sphere of influence, and became Yellow Mausoleum Island's new island master following the Huang Family's surrender. 157 158

Dizang Buddhist City

Su Yu later refashioned the Dao Body Puppet into a Buddhist incarnation. As Dizang, it cultivated Buddhist scripture, gathered incense and wish power, and established a durable foundation in Dizang Buddhist City. 332 342 375

Dizang's three-month scripture discussion with Buddha Masters generated spiritual phenomena throughout Yuanlang Immortal City. Its Buddhist inheritance and puppet nature later drew the attention of the Great Buddha Temple, whose abbot recognized a possible connection to Yuexian's Puppet Heavenly Tome. 360 391

Notable Quotes

“In your next life, don't do such dirty work again.”

— Dao Body Puppet, before killing a Foundation Establishment Stage Eight pursuer 90

“In the end, only power cultivated by oneself can last long and achieve the eternal path of immortality.”

— Dao Body Puppet, after exhausting the Puppet Soul in battle 90

Trivia

• The Dao Body Puppet Art was originally described as an Ancient Era minor technique for exploration, visiting relatives, and similar tasks. 56
• Su Yu bought the ancient book containing the technique for fifty Low-grade Spirit Stones. 56
• The Puppet Soul had been nurtured by Su Yu's Golden Cicada Art for over twenty years before its major transformation. 95
• The puppet's later Buddhist advancement relies on incense and wish power, an approach derived from the Puppet Heavenly Tome rather than ordinary puppet refinement. 342 391