"Heh, no need to stand on ceremony, everyone. Please sit. Fellow Daoists without seats will have to make do-you might follow the ancient cultivators' example and sit on the ground. I shall begin my lecture now."
Master Artisan Bu looked to be around forty, but he was actually over a hundred and fifty years old. Even by the lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he could already be considered well into middle age.
He was plump and fair-skinned, with a kindly face. Had he traded the enchanted robes marking him as a Puppet Master for a brocade gown, it would have been even easier to believe he was one of the marketplace merchants.
Once those in the front row had sat down and everyone else had found places to sit or stand, settling into attentive postures, he began. "Before discussing the Blood-Exchange Art, I would first like to ask you all a question. What do you make of the saying, 'Great power belongs to oneself'?"
Though he called it a question, he clearly did not expect anyone in the audience to answer. He immediately answered it himself. "I believe these words reveal the most fundamental difference between the Outer Dao and our Puppet Dao!"
"What is great power? All divine abilities and spells, all power sufficient to reshape heaven, earth, and nature."
"What does 'belongs to' mean? Possession. Ownership."
"What is 'oneself'? The self. One's own being."
"For those of the Outer Dao, riding the wind through empty air is great power. But is traveling by carriage or boat not also great power for us Puppet Masters?"
"For those of the Outer Dao, moving mountains and overturning seas is great power. But are our celestial palaces ranging freely across the world not also great power?"
"For those of the Outer