Ning Fa's gaze instantly turned razor-sharp as he stared fixedly at Fairy Liyue.
The woman spoke calmly. "I saw Fellow Daoist Tian You once, roughly thirty years ago.
"At that time, she seemed to have completely lost her sense of self. I realized then that she had likely become a Sha Puppet of the Yuan Cha Gate.
"Fellow Daoist Ning may not know much about Sha Puppets, but they are in fact an extremely bizarre method of the Yuan Cha Gate.
"They do not merely turn others into puppets. They also alter the Sha Puppet's body so it can cultivate the Yuan Cha Gate's special secret arts, increasing its strength severalfold.
"Moreover, the requirements for becoming a Sha Puppet are extremely demanding. Long ago, I felt that Fellow Daoist Tian You was highly suited to the Yuan Cha Gate's criteria for selecting Sha Puppets. I never expected it to truly happen later.
"When I saw her again, she had indeed become a Sha Puppet, and her strength even surpassed that of an ordinary Mid Nascent Soul Cultivator."
"Sha Puppet...?" Ning Fa's expression changed at her words.
At this moment, Fairy Liyue sighed.
"In truth, matters concerning Sha Puppets are kept extremely secret. The reason I know of them is because of my own aunt.
"She had also been a Nascent Soul Cultivator in the Demonic Path Alliance. She was once chosen by the Yuan Cha Gate and ultimately became one of their Sha Puppets.
"However, my aunt was fortunate. She noticed something was wrong while her symptoms were still mild, so she decisively escaped through a ruse.
"For the following several centuries, she fought continuously against that mysterious power within her body.
"My aunt was an exceptionally formidable Array Formation Master. Based on her physical condition, she continuously studied and