Back and Forth
"If it weren't for the fact that I didn't have my Soul-Locking Nails, Soul-Suppressing Nails, Heart-Piercing Nail, and Heaven-Opening Pearl, how could someone like you possibly threaten me!"
The dark blue ghost face possessing the mechanical wooden figure's body and then suddenly launching a counterattack to kill 'Yao' seemed somewhat unbelievable, but Zhang Xuezhou had at least a 30% chance of it happening.
'Yao' may have been an outstanding craftsman in the past, but once a craftsman is involved in a conflict, especially one involving his own interests, the other party no longer possesses the harmless and neutral characteristics of a craftsman, but rather a high risk of being controlled.
No one wants to live in the shadow of being controlled, especially top-level cultivators.
These people may endure humiliation for a while, but given the opportunity, they will most likely develop rebellious intentions.
You broke your promise!
The word 'yao' filled Gongsun Hong's face, revealing an indescribable pain, and he uttered a questioning voice with great difficulty.
"Master Dao is very honest; I just wanted to test your sincerity, but I'm very dissatisfied with the sincerity you've shown!"
The wooden puppet with the dark blue-green face turned its head to look at Zhang Xuezhou.
If there hadn't been another person in the hall, he would have stabbed wildly with several green bamboo swords, guaranteeing to leave the opponent with ten or eight more holes in their body.
A fellow practitioner understands another best; having both lost their physical bodies, he knows how to render the other powerless to resist.
Unless they encounter another fool who can draw in the vital energy of heaven and earth, they'll never be able to escape this predicament in their lifetime.
Whether it's the dark-faced Shen Daoren or 'Yao', both require a catalyst to enter the body. Gongsun Hong provided a suitable environment for invading the body, and Yao, after controlling the mechanical wooden figure, also provided a similar catalyst for possession.
"Tell me about this wooden figure's body," Shen Daoren inquired. "How can a wooden figure, like a human body, contain your divine soul?"
"Want to know the wonders of this wooden figure? Maybe in your next life," Yao replied through gritted teeth.
"Look at you, you're not sincere at all. How can I cooperate with you?" Shen Daoren said.
"Who talks about cooperation while nailing someone's limbs to the ground with a sword?" Yao roared.
"Weren't you the same just now? As long as I use the mechanical wooden dummy, you can kill me in an instant," Shen Daoren sneered. "Why can't you do the same thing when it comes to yourself?"
"You..."
Yao found it difficult to answer immediately.
As the top master craftsman of the Celestial Craftsmen, he focused more on machinery than on the intrigues and power struggles of interpersonal relationships.
This situation doesn't lead to increased experience as he gets older; instead, his lifestyle makes it harder for him to keep up with the times.
His attempts to form alliances and counter-alliances in this grand hall clearly failed; he was outmaneuvered by his opponents time and again, ultimately ending up being betrayed.
Yao's personality is not as fickle as Shen Daoren's.
He believes something is feasible, and if he believes something is impossible, he won't do it.
He can become an ally and cooperate with Shen Daoren while controlling him, but Yao cannot cooperate with someone when his life is in someone else's hands.
For Yao, it's simply not feasible to handle things on his own.
"What do we do?"
After a few short sentences, Yao fell silent, too pained to respond, while Shen Daoren looked at Zhang Xuezhou and asked a question.
"Expel him, sober up my friend, and then use this 'Jiuyu' treasure to leave this place," Zhang Xuezhou said. "The sea is wide enough for fish to leap; once we're out of this Zixiao Palace, everything can be discussed later!"
What you said is very true!
Zhang Xuezhou didn't guarantee anything, but Zhang Xuezhou did point out the most important thing.
Compared to the infighting and killing among everyone, leaving the Zixiao Palace is the most urgent matter at hand.
The group appeared to be locked in a fierce battle, but it didn't last long.
Even now, one can still see the Yuanshi Celestial Venerable outside the main hall through the gate, as well as the dragon demon roaring in pain in the sky, and the remaining fire rain and golden lightning.
Whether Yuanshi Tianzun and the others failed to control the disaster, or whether the enemy returned victorious, it was troublesome for everyone in the Zixiao Palace.
There's no need to wait for Yuanshi Tianzun to deal with them. Even if the Xiaotianyan Wuliang Array of Zixiao Palace recovers its effect, these people won't be able to withstand it and will eventually get lost in this hall.
"I've already overpowered him to the point of suffocation. Even if he regains Body Control, he won't be able to exert any strength. You have no choice but to beg me, because only I possess enough Law Power to guide the passage!"
After exchanging a few words with Zhang Xuezhou, Yao, whose limbs were pinned down, spoke again in pain.
"You are a wooden puppet, currently only controllable by mechanisms and strings. Your body has lost the ability to circulate Law Power, making it impossible for you to use Jiuyu," 'Yao' said, looking at Shen Daoren. "You need to beg me!"
"He wants us to beg him," Shen Daoren said with a sneer.
"My friend's injuries can be treated quickly," Zhang Xuezhou said, frowning.
The injuries could be forcibly suppressed with the Supreme Purity True Technique, but whether Gongsun Hong's weakened spirit could still cast spells and exert his strength normally was something Zhang Xuezhou could not be sure of.
The longer 'Yao' remains inside Gongsun Hong's body, the more difficult it will be for Gongsun Hong to awaken.
His immediate priority was obviously to get rid of this unknown 'Yao,' but 'Yao's' words also made Zhang Xuezhou somewhat anxious.
Gongsun Hong is not Li Shaojun; once he dies, he cannot be brought back to life.
If Yao leaves, he will lose control of Jiuyu; if Yao doesn't leave, Gongsun Hong may disappear. Gongsun Hong's life or death is related to the choices and safety when using Jiuyu to travel.
This is almost a deadlock, making it difficult for each party involved to completely extricate themselves from the trouble.
"You have no choice right now," Zhang Xuezhou warned. "We can't do anything to you right now, but once Yuanshi Tianzun recovers, I don't believe you'll still be so stubborn!"
"That old man sealed me in the Eye of the North Sea for a thousand years before. It wouldn't be too difficult for him to seal you and me back in," Shen Daoren said. "Think it through. You can't afford to play tricks on this!"
"You're the ones playing dirty tricks!"
Yao replied unwillingly.
Upon hearing that Zhang Xuezhou possessed the ability to provide rapid medical treatment and heal his injuries, he immediately endured the pain, continuously vomiting the nauseating and corrosive vomit that was attacking his stomach and intestines, trying to regain some physical strength before pushing Jiuyu again.
"He encountered some problems when using this treasure to travel..."
"This involves the profound mysteries of spatial transfer. Only spatial power can counter spatial power, and Zixiao Palace is that old man's training ground. He specializes in space, so perhaps here..."
'Yao' kept vomiting on the ground, while Zhang Xuezhou and Shen Daoren also exchanged rapid and low-voiced messages.
A moment later, Zhang Xuezhou began to gesture wildly, using the Dragon Riding Technique to prevent a failed shuttle.
Meanwhile, Shen Daoren began to remove the heads of the mechanical wooden figures, seeking solutions for unexpected situations.
They obviously wouldn't have relied on 'Yao's' power if they had a choice.
At this moment, both sides had hidden trump cards, and Shen Daoren was also holding onto 'Yao' tightly, diminishing the strongest person's control over the situation.
Only by controlling 'Yao' can they have the greatest chance of safety.
If the opponent uses underhanded tactics to cause a spatial teleportation disaster, he will inevitably pay a price to make the opponent suffer a net loss.