"Such a shame. It was an Earth-Rank Puppet, after all. I could've taken it home to guard the place."
Looking at the motionless puppet, Lin Chen shook his head.
If it were put up for auction outside, who knew how many Spirit Stones it would fetch?
After all, owning such a puppet was like having an Earth Martial Realm warrior stationed at one's home for years to come.
That kind of deterrence would shoot up through the roof.
"Well, time to collect the spoils."
Lin Chen walked over to the puppet's remains. In its chest was a fist-sized crystal core that looked as though it were made of countless crystals fused together.
The core was a deep bloodred. Vast power surged within it; it was the source of the puppet's strength.
But Lin Chen took out the core not to refine it, but to open a door.
Holding the bloodred core, Lin Chen looked toward the depths of the hall.
There stood another tightly shut stone door.
An intricate relief was carved into it: a three-headed, six-armed Wisdom King stood upon a sea of blood, weapons in hand, eyes blazing with wrath.
There was a recess in the statue's chest, shaped to fit the core from the puppet's chest exactly.
"The final guardian's core is the key to the stone door. The Blood Spirit Hall's design is straightforward enough."
Lin Chen wasted no more time. He strode to the stone door and slotted the core into place.
The next instant, the Wisdom King relief came to life. Bloodred light raced along its carved lines, and its wrathful eyes seemed to gain life. Their gaze fell on Lin Chen, as though sizing him up.
At the sight, Lin Chen considered for a moment, then deliberately activated the Immovable Wisdom King Body.