Wu Nuo!
Dark red Blood Qi rose from Situ Huaji's celestial spirit like burning wolf smoke, while the endless ferocious demonic phantoms behind him let out silent, earth-shattering roars.
Though its light was dim, it still carried the fierce and ruthless killing intent of someone who had survived countless battles.
He clenched his fists, his bones cracking, and assumed a desperate stance to confront the eerie black mist head-on!
It seemed that Situ Huaji was about to engage in battle with the entity within the strange black mist.
"Noisy."
Qi Yun's indifferent voice rang out, revealing neither joy nor anger, but carrying a clear hint of impatience.
He did not get up, but remained seated cross-legged on the ground. He simply raised his left hand, spread his five fingers, and made a grasping motion in mid-air towards the surging black mist and the ferocious giant hand.
[Wield Myriad Laws]!
Buzz!
The moment Qi Yun closed his five fingers, everything within a ten-zhang radius of the black mist suddenly froze!
The churning black mist, the ferocious giant hand, the two scarlet eyes, even the rampant, pervasive, and malevolent aura—
They were all forcibly "fixed" in the void by an supreme will that surpassed it!
The black mist stopped churning, the giant hand froze halfway, and the greed and violence in its scarlet eyes turned into frozen astonishment.
Even the piercing laughter and the filthy mental shock seemed to have been cut off at the source, coming to an abrupt end!
"Playing tricks."
In Qi Yun's eyes, nine-colored divine light swirled like a river of stars, flashing and disappearing in an instant.
He gently pressed down with his loosely clenched left hand.
"Get down here and see me."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Bang!!!
The frozen black mist, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, collapsed inward and then exploded with a roar!
The gray-black sky that had spread for hundreds of miles suddenly disappeared, the shadows and patterns on the sea ice quickly melted away, and the foul aura was completely cleansed by a more vast and pure Daoist charm.
As the black mist dissipated, a figure fell from mid-air in a disheveled state, landing heavily on the stone platform in front of Qi Yun with a "thud".
He was a man who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.
He was dressed in a simple, even somewhat worn, blue cloth robe, and had a tall and slender figure.
His face was quite kind and handsome, with clear features and even a gentle, approachable air, like that of a friendly older brother.
His appearance was completely different from his previous crazed and wicked state.
"Please calm down, senior! I know I was wrong!"
This junior was blind and ignorant, and offended the majesty of the senior. I beg the senior to spare my life!
Having witnessed Qi Yun's ruthless methods, the man acted decisively and immediately backed down.
Qi Yun didn't look at him; his gaze fell on the open ebony brocade box.
The bottom of the box was covered with a layer of soft, deep purple velvet, and there was nothing else on the velvet.
There was only a thin chain.
The chain is made up of dozens of jade crystals, each about the size of a thumb, strung together. Each crystal is pure and translucent, with a wisp of milky white light sealed inside.
At the very center of the chain, within the largest jade crystal section, a miniature yet incredibly clear figure was clearly preserved.
The figure sat cross-legged with eyes closed, looking serene, and his appearance was exactly the same as the man in blue robes who was now prostrate on the ground, trembling!
Qi Yun raised his hand and beckoned, and the jade crystal chain floated out of the box and landed in his palm.
The chain was warm to the touch, and the seated figure in the jade crystal at the center of the chain exuded the same aura as the man on the ground.
Qi Yun's gaze swept back and forth between the jade crystal chain in his palm and the man on the ground, a thoughtful look in his eyes. After a moment, he said softly, "Wu Nuo Method?"
The voice wasn't loud, but it exploded in the man in blue's ears like a thunderclap.
His prostrate body trembled violently, unable to contain himself.
"That's true." Qi Yun understood immediately upon seeing his reaction.
Wu Nuo!
A strange lineage that has become almost legendary in the world today.
This path delves into the ultimate study of the wondrous uses of the Divine Soul and the ways of all things in nature, employing unpredictable and ingenious methods.
When one's skill reaches a high level, one can even entrust one's Divine Soul to mountains, rivers, plants, metals, and stones, using their spirituality to cultivate oneself and create all sorts of incredible creations.
However, the entry barrier for this method is also frighteningly high.
The requirements for Divine Soul talent are extremely demanding, making it one in a million, and the cultivation process is exceptionally dangerous, with the risk of the soul being scattered at any moment.
The tradition of passing down knowledge in secrecy led to a sparse population.
It had completely declined and been lost many years ago.
Only a few mysterious legends remain.
The man in blue robes before them was clearly a practitioner of a highly profound and mysterious technique within Wu Nuo Method – [Divine Puppet].
It is neither alive nor dead, neither human nor thing.
They can think, cultivate, and comprehend the Great Dao just like any other living being, without any hindrance.
More importantly, as long as the [Puppet Heart] on which its Divine Soul core resides remains intact.
The Divine Puppet is nearly immortal, even if its body is shattered.
As long as the Puppet Heart's core remains, it can be reassembled.
Qi Yun gazed at the exquisite and mysterious jade crystal chain in his palm, then looked at the respectful-looking Divine Puppet man on the ground, and couldn't help but sigh once again.
[Gods and Devils' Flesh and Blood] ---- [Divine Puppet] ----
In a seemingly inconspicuous Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace, with its doors and windows in disrepair, several brocade boxes casually placed contain these rare and exotic Divergent Method that have long since disappeared from the world.
What wondrous things might reside in the three main halls of the Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace?
The more mysterious and precious the contents of the brocade box were, the stronger Qi Yun's regret and frustration became.
He slowly put away the jade crystal chain, his gaze returning to the Divine Puppet man, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Tell me about it.
Qi Yun gently examined the Divine Puppet man before him. "Who created you?"
Why was it sealed in this box?
"How much do they know about the Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace?"
"Reporting to Senior, this matter—cannot be discussed."
The Divine Puppet man's face showed a genuine sense of helplessness and despair. He slowly shook his head, his voice very low.
"Um?
Upon hearing this, Qi Yun raised his eyebrows slightly. Without making any visible movement, he simply lifted the index finger of his right hand, which was resting on his knee, by half an inch.
The Divine Puppet man trembled violently as if struck on the back by an invisible whip. He hurriedly bowed and pleaded, "Senior, please calm down!"
It's not that I intentionally concealed anything, it's just that—it really can't be said!
He then opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out as far as he could.
On the seemingly ordinary tongue, near the root, was a blood-red seal character, its strokes ancient and vigorous.
[ban]
The edges of the characters flowed with extremely subtle yet incredibly resilient pale golden light patterns, faintly forming a closed ring.
"My lords—you've cast a curse on me." The Divine Puppet man retracted his tongue, his voice growing even lower, carrying a hint of barely concealed fear.
"If I were to reveal the secrets of the Heavenly Palace without authorization, I would be severely punished in no time."
"The Heavenly Palace has crashed, the palaces are in ruins, what severe punishment could there be?" Upon hearing Situ Huaji couldn't help but snort, saying gruffly, "I think you're just putting on a show to try and bargain, aren't you?"
The Divine Puppet man turned his head and glanced at Situ Huaji. A trace of extremely indifferent, even condescending, coldness flashed across his originally gentle and kind eyes.
"You should try—can the power of the True Lord still be effective across the Long River of Time?"
His voice was calm, yet it Situ Huaji's spine.
Try the power of the True Lord?
Situ Huaji opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to reply.
Although he was arrogant and fierce, he also deeply understood the weight of the title "True Lord".
With such a formidable arrangement, who would dare to lightly test it?
Qi Yun took in the reactions of the two men, his gaze returning to the faint afterimage of the character "[Forbidden]" on the tongue of the Divine Puppet man, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
He had personally experienced the terror of the "Dao Abomination," a strange creature formed from the remnant thoughts of True Lord, which had almost rendered him helpless.
The restrictions and spells personally set up by the True Lord are beyond the comprehension or even challenge of the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, even after countless ages.
"Okay."
Qi Yun finally spoke, his voice flat and unreadable. "I believe you."
"The Heavenly Court is destroyed, Upper Mysterious Heavenly Palace is nothing but ruins." Qi Yun changed the subject and looked at the Divine Puppet man.
Now that you're free, you probably have nowhere to go.
From now on, you'll follow me.
It's better than—remaining sealed in this dark, sunless box, oblivious to the passage of time.
The first part is an invitation.
The second half of the sentence is a blatant threat!
The Divine Puppet man remained silent for a moment.
"To be favored by you, senior, is my great Creation." The Divine Puppet man bowed again, his voice solemn. "I am willing to follow you and await your command."
Qi Yun nodded slightly, which was taken as approval.
He pointed to the open space next to him, gesturing for the Divine Puppet man to stand aside.
The Divine Puppet man stood up as instructed, straightened his old blue cloth robe, and silently walked to the edge of the stone platform, standing with his head bowed and eyes lowered, his posture respectful.
After dealing with the Divine Puppet man, Qi Yun's gaze finally fell on the last brocade box on the stone platform.
Dark gold in color, the box is decorated with layers of ever-changing, ever-changing cloud and thunder patterns.
Its inner radiance is profound and its history is ancient and dignified.
The first two brocade boxes yielded two different items: one contained Gods and Devils finger imbued with the essence of Innate ice, and the other contained an ancient divine Divine Puppet sealed by True Lord and carrying hidden secrets.
What will this last one be?
Qi Yun remained calm and gently touched the center of the lid of the dark gold cloud and thunder brocade box from a distance.
Like a key fitting into a lock.
"Despair."
The lid popped open slightly.
The instant that tiny gap appeared, "Whoosh!!!"
The box lid was opened, and a divine light suddenly appeared!
At the same time, a strong sense of unease surged through Qi Yun's heart, and the Law Technique Panel spontaneously appeared!
The [Supreme Mystery Register] flashed continuously, releasing a strong desire to refine it.
Qi Yun's gaze fell upon the divine object inside the brocade box, and his expression instantly sharpened. He murmured with some disbelief, "Shenxiao—"