Nascent Soul Was Within Reach

Atop the lone peak, Lu Changsheng watched the battle.

This was training, after all. He had to let them truly step onto the battlefield, so he did not interfere too much.

Otherwise, all he would raise was a bunch of delicate little flowers. How would the sect develop then?

Meanwhile, the puppet had reached the front of the great hall. It was not far away, and he could clearly sense everything, as though he stood there himself.

Zhao Yang had already arrived, with two people following beside him.

They looked toward the great hall, weighing things up.

"Senior brother, what if Zhou Qingyu discovers us?"

Zhao Yang shook his head. "With Xuan Cheng and that woman there, Zhou Qingyu won't be able to get away anytime soon. Besides, so what if he notices? Would I be afraid of him?"

"That's right. How could someone like him be a match for you, senior brother?"

Zhao Yang nodded and looked at the great hall. "Barring any surprises, the Azure Cloud Map is probably here. Otherwise, Zhou Qingyu wouldn't defend it to the death!"

"If you obtain the Azure Cloud Map, senior brother, you'll surely control the entire Divine Firmament Sect one day!"

"You'll be an overlord of a whole region then!"

Hearing this, Zhao Yang's face filled with smug satisfaction. He seemed to find it extremely gratifying.

Just as he was about to speak, an ill-timed voice suddenly rang out.

"You certainly know how to flatter someone. But what sort of regional overlord is as sneaky as him, circling around the back?"

"Who's there!"

Their faces darkened.

Before the great hall stood a black-robed figure. It was none other than the puppet.

The one speaking was Lu Changsheng. He controlled the puppet, and every sensation felt utterly real.

"What do you mean by that, sir?" Zhao Yang asked angrily.

Lu Changsheng said, "Can't understand me?"

"Are you trying to make an enemy of our Divine Firmament Sect?"

Sensing that his opponent was no ordinary person, Zhao Yang immediately tried to use the Divine Firmament Sect to pressure him.

Yet Lu Changsheng said, "The Divine Firmament Sect is precisely what I can't stand!"

Whoosh!

With that, the puppet sprang forward. A single strike descended, instantly blasting the others around Zhao Yang to death.

Zhao Yang roared in fury and tried to fight back, only to be suppressed outright. His body slipped beyond his control, his knees bent, and he fell to his knees on the ground.

The entire process went without the slightest hitch.

Although the puppet's refinement was not yet complete and it remained at the Core Formation Third Layer, that was already enough to deal with someone at the ninth layer of essence condensation.

"Core formation realm? How is that possible!"

Zhao Yang was alarmed, finding it hard to believe.

Only those under thirty could enter the Cangyun Secret Realm, yet the person before him possessed core formation cultivation-and not merely the Core Formation First Layer. This was far too astonishing.

Even so, Zhao Yang remained unwilling to accept this. A rune flashed between his brows, and an astonishing power manifested, trying to break free of the restraints.

A paper talisman also quietly manifested inside his robes, as he sought to catch his opponent off guard and escape.

But before he could unleash his means, the puppet raised its hand and slapped its large palm straight onto his head.

Zhao Yang flew sideways and crashed to the ground, his skull feeling as though it would burst.

The rune on his forehead was also scattered outright by that blow.

Before the paper talisman in his robes could fully manifest, it was already in the puppet's hand.

"Quite a few tricks. Got any more?" Lu Changsheng asked, looking at Zhao Yang.

The sight was infuriating.

But before Zhao Yang could say anything more, a strand of Law Power had already restrained him and brought him before the puppet.

Before he could react at all, everything on him had been plundered. His spatial ring, the cloth pouch at his waist, his weapons, and everything else were all found.

Yet Lu Changsheng frowned as he looked at these things.

"This is all you've got on you? Is the Divine Firmament Sect too broke to get by?"

"You..."

Zhao Yang was ashamed and furious.

Being suppressed and then humiliated like this was unbearable. If not for that useless Wang Ming, would he have had so little on him?

He seethed indignantly, his face flushing with shame.

Very soon, however, his expression changed again.

Seeing that nothing remained on him, his opponent had already revealed murderous intent.

"You wouldn't dare! I'm a disciple of the Divine Firmament Sect and a junior relative of Elder Zhao Jing! If you dare touch me, the sect will never let you off!"

Zhao Yang voiced his threat. By now, he had no other options and could only try to intimidate his opponent with the Divine Firmament Sect.

And Lu Changsheng's hand stopped moving.

Seeing this, Zhao Yang thought it seemed to have worked and hurriedly said, "It's not too late to stop now!"

But Lu Changsheng said, "You mean the Divine Firmament Sect values you quite highly?"

"That's right! I'm a core disciple of the sect!"

For a moment, Lu Changsheng set aside his killing intent and said slowly, "If you put it that way, it seems the Divine Firmament Sect should be willing to ransom you with spirit stones!"

"What did you say!"

Zhao Yang's expression changed drastically.

He had thought he had intimidated his opponent, never expecting his thinking to be so peculiar-or that he would be audacious enough to try to extort the Divine Firmament Sect!

At this thought, Lu Changsheng suppressed him with a turn of his hand.

He could spare the man, but the money had to be made.

With that in mind, he prepared to leave, only to turn around and discover someone else approaching.

At this point, Zhou Qingyu and the others were nowhere to be seen in the sky, though the distant upheaval continued unabated. A graceful figure, however, was quietly drawing near. It was Su Muyue.

She had already come close.

Seeing this, Lu Changsheng did not hesitate. He controlled the puppet to pick up a wooden club as thick as an arm, and once it reached her rear, it swung both arms and smashed down without holding back at all.

Bang!

A dull thud followed immediately.

Su Muyue sensed it and turned to block. The wooden club shattered, scattering countless splinters to the ground.

"Who's there!"

Beneath her veil, wariness appeared on her face.

Yet her opponent gave her no chance to react at all. Law Power surged forth, and a raised hand came crashing down to suppress her.

"Core formation!"

Su Muyue was greatly alarmed. Her delicate hands swept across and formed a seal as Law Power erupted within her body. A green jade hairpin appeared, blocking in front of her.

The two collided. The puppet was driven back, but it caught the hairpin.

Lu Changsheng marveled at the hairpin's might, only to discover that it had gone dull all over, its spirituality already gone.

"A restricted artifact!"

His expression shifted slightly as he observed from afar through the puppet.

Such things could unleash astonishing power. They were expensive, extremely difficult to refine, and single-use, much like the Sword Intent he had left inside Zhou Qingyu's body.

"What a spendthrift!"

Lu Changsheng shook his head, then attacked again.

Su Muyue had not expected a core formation expert to be here either.

Seeing her opponent attack again, she manifested a longsword in her hand, which immediately unleashed astonishing Sword Intent.

Countless strands of Sword Qi crisscrossed, powerful enough to slay someone at the Core Formation Fifth Layer.

Seeing this, Lu Changsheng pointed a fingertip. A streak of sword light swept across the heavens and landed beside the puppet, breaking through all the killing attacks.

The longsword shattered.

"Another restricted artifact!"

This was unexpected.

Su Muyue's expression began to change. Several consecutive attempts had failed to get her away, greatly surprising her.

As she unleashed one means after another, Lu Changsheng was shocked. She had so many means of protecting herself, and none came cheap, easily costing ten thousand or even tens of thousands of spirit stones.

"This little lass has hidden herself well!"

Lu Changsheng muttered to himself as the puppet kept attacking.

Although the two had a connection, it was merely a transaction, with no real friendship to speak of.

Su Muyue found secret realms for him and supplied information, while he would provide her with Zhou Qingyu's insights into the Sword Dao. Whatever she wanted to do, what he gave her was still his own handwritten notes.

Now, facing the woman, he was filled with delight.

Clearly, she must have plenty of good things on her. Once he had her under his thumb, he could also trade her for another batch of spirit stones!

At this thought, Lu Changsheng suddenly felt that the nascent soul realm was within reach!