Puppet Covered Bridge

According to the ancients, most of the essence of Mountain-Viewing Cave is in the Moonlight Palace. Whether it is the Golden Core Formation Pill or the Evergreen Vine, these precious items all come from here.

Whether it's the Flying Dog Plank Road, the South Ghost Cave, or the Fire Essence Cave, they are all just different paths leading to the heart of the Moonlight Palace Mountain-Viewing Cave.

According to the notes of the cultivators who had entered the cave before, the Moonlight Palace would open when the bell rang. That's why Yuan Feng, Chu Yanran, and the others were willing to temporarily cease their fighting and head towards the Moonlight Palace together.

All five of them were top-tier Foundation Establishment, so the few miscellaneous soldiers they encountered on the road could hardly stop them. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the five of them gathered outside the Moonlight Palace.

Moonlight Palace, this majestic palace is surrounded by a group of low mountains, like a pavilion in the clouds, shining brightly with the stars.

The glazed tiles of the palace shimmered with a faint blue light under the moonlight. A long corridor paved with bluestone was quiet and solemn, with jade carvings of various shapes displayed on both sides.

Outside the palace walls, the pines rustled in the breeze, and the light shimmered. The bells continued to ring, growing louder and louder, accompanied by what sounded like celestial music, their lingering notes echoing long afterward.

None of them were ignorant Tu Foundation Establishment, but a palace like the Private Moonlight Palace was rare.

The Daoist Black Shoes sighed inwardly, "No wonder the cultivators who have entered the Mountain-Viewing cave abode say that the Moonlight Palace is unlike anything one would expect from a typical Golden Core cultivator's abode."

"This is the Moonlight Palace." Lang Yi stared intently at the towering palace. Whether he could obtain the legendary Life-Giving Longevity Pill or the Evergreen Vine that had already sprouted in the Mountain-Viewing Cave was of paramount importance to this old cultivator who didn't have many days left to live.

Lang Yi was merely a Rogue Cultivator. In his youth, he had risked his life to fight against others in order to obtain resources. Otherwise, how could he have overpowered numerous sects and Lineage and secured his position as the number one cultivator in Hong County?

As a result, he had countless old injuries, which inevitably shortened his lifespan.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment True Cultivator is capable of living to be four hundred years old, but if Lang Yi hadn't sought out and taken many longevity pills and studied Changsheng Cultivation Method in recent years, and hadn't cultivated the most nourishing wood-element Cultivation Method, he probably wouldn't have even lived to be two hundred years old.

Of course, the methods used were rather cruel, and many small families like the He Household were also ruined by being exploited to the bone.

But if he didn't do that, how could Lang Yi possibly have survived?

"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand." By this time, Lang Yi had already consumed several kinds of readily available longevity elixirs. Among the spiritual items that were still obtainable and effective, only the Evergreen Vine and the Life-Giving Longevity Pill remained.

Therefore, whether Lang Yi can buy enough time to create the False Core and prolong his life depends on this magnificent palace.

The others, though perhaps not as eager as Lang Yi, certainly had their own plans.

It's easy to imagine that the battle after the five enter the palace will be incredibly fierce. Leaving aside the reliability of the alliance between Yue Lan and Yuan Feng, even if a devoted lover like Chu Yanran were to obtain a treasure like the Golden Core Formation Pill, it wouldn't be surprising if she fell victim to Yue Lan's ruthlessness.

Although previous records indicated that there were no restrictions at the Moonlight Palace, the old cultivator Lang Yi was still extremely cautious. He urged a Second-Tier Lower-Grade puppet to push open the palace gates, and after quickly confirming that there was nothing amiss, the five of them entered the palace together.

Upon entering the palace, the first thing that catches the eye is the massive jade staircase, each step seemingly treading on clouds and mist, making one feel as if walking in a fairyland. A faint fragrance of magnolia blossoms wafts towards you, accompanied by Spiritual Qi, instantly making one feel refreshed and relaxed.

The Daoist Black Shoes and Chu Yanran did not rush to explore the palace. Instead, they both extended their Divine Sense behind them, and then a sigh rose in their hearts at the same time.

Suddenly, the bell tolled and the celestial music ceased, and the smooth, glazed porcelain door slammed shut.

In their view, Kang Dabao and the others may not have encountered any accidents, but they have already missed the greatest fortuitous opportunity within the Mountain-Viewing Cave. Unable to enter the Moonlight Palace, they can only wait until the half-month period is over before being teleported out of the cave abode by this separate residence.

After the gate slammed shut, even Yuan Feng's expression turned sour. The Moonlight Palace had opened much earlier than recorded in previous people's notes.

Yuan Xiyue and the female cultivator from the Zhang Household did not enter the palace together, which made it difficult for him to succeed in his pre-planned schemes, which was certainly not a good thing for him.

Even more critically, Yuan Xiyue had fallen into the hands of Kang Dabao, who was known for bullying women. He was too busy in the Moonlight Palace to rescue her, and what would happen after she left the palace?

When I met Yuan Xiyue again, the eldest daughter of the Yuan Household might already be pregnant!

That's a body of primordial yin that has been nurtured for two cycles of sixty years; I wonder how much it has nourished Sect Leader Kang Da.

What is done is done, so there's nothing to be discouraged about. The Foundation Establishment True Cultivator in the palace are all shrewd and know that the best course of action now is to retrieve the spiritual item as quickly as possible, lest they look back and regret that their efforts were in vain.

If Kang Dabao and Qi Buxiu come in, so be it. They can just take more spiritual items back with them.

The five remained silent for a moment; the tranquil palace was utterly still, save for the gentle murmur of the spiritual spring in the center of the hall.

After an unknown amount of time, Yue Lan drew his flying sword and summoned the Fire-Phase Half-Chi, while Yuan Feng's "Slaughter and Extermination" began to buzz.

Chu Yanran was not afraid at all. The Six-Sided Color-Embroidered Bamboo-Frame Golden-Thread Lamp at her waist, which had transformed into the size of a palm, suddenly lit up, and two thunder swords shot out first, hovering in the air.

The Daoist Black Shoes held the Listening to the Spring Sword upside down, glanced at Yue Lan with his phoenix eyes, and without saying a word, made the flying sword in Yue Lan's hand feel heavy. The latter instantly became wary, thinking that this Daoist was probably more troublesome than he had imagined.

"Ahem," finally, the most nervous Lang Yi spoke first, saying in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoists, I presume to offer advice. Now that fortuitous opportunity lies before us, I urge you to set aside your disputes for the time being. Compared to the Golden Core Formation Pill and other elixirs crucial to your Dao Path, your past grudges are utterly insignificant. Please do not let the trivial matter distract you from the essential."

Lang Yi's words did lessen the tense atmosphere in the air. He didn't speak up to mediate because he was worried about the lives of the other four.

Just like before outside the Moonlight Palace, he remained silent; but since the intensity of the battle outside was still within acceptable limits, neither Yue Lan nor the Daoist Black Shoes joined the fray.

Now that they've all entered the legendary Moonlight Palace, no one can remain uninvolved anymore.

How many people in the cultivation world who can live to this age are not shrewd and experienced with age?

If the two sides were truly going to fight to the death, how could I, an outsider caught in the middle, not be easily defeated by their combined forces?

At that time, he might not even be able to leave behind a complete corpse, Lang Yi dared not dream of reaping the benefits.

"In my opinion, Fellow Daoist Lang's words make a lot of sense. Yanran, what do you think?" Yue Lan sheathed his flying sword and gently asked, stroking the Fire-Phase Half-Chi.

Facing Yue Lan's somewhat clingy gaze, Chu Yanran naturally ignored it. Only the Daoist Black Shoes chimed in at the opportune moment, "Elder Yue is right. We'll make further plans after we get past the puppets in the hall."

Seeing that everyone listened to his advice, Lang Yi felt much relieved. To show his sincerity, he walked in front and led the group towards the Puppet Covered Bridge of the Moonlight Palace.

The five people, each with their own thoughts, moved in unison, and only stopped when they reached the outside of the covered bridge.

The Puppet Covered Bridge contains many first and second-tier puppets that Exalted Cultivator Guanyu collected from the Pingrong battlefield in his early years. Legend has it that these puppets were originally made to resist the demon beast army of the Mountain Barbarians Demon Beast, but for some unknown reason, they never came to fruition and were instead placed in this villa by Exalted Cultivator Guanyu.

No one could say for sure whether the legend was true or false back then, and the five of them certainly didn't know either, but they all knew how powerful this Puppet Covered Bridge.

This Puppet Covered Bridge contains more than just puppets; it also features Third Tier array personally crafted by the Exalted Cultivator Guanyu. Even though it's mostly damaged due to lack of maintenance, it's still a formidable obstacle for cultivators below the False Core.

According to some researchers, since the Mountain-Viewing cave abode was discovered, at least ten Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators, whose names are known, have perished on this Puppet Covered Bridge.

It is clear that what our predecessors said—that only after entering the Moonlight Palace will one face the true test of entering this Mountain-Viewing cave abode —is not an exaggeration.

This covered bridge is far more dangerous than the paths the group had previously traversed. Unless one possesses skills far surpassing those of their peers, it would be impossible to cross it alone.

This is also why Lang Yi was able to persuade everyone to temporarily put aside their grudges.

The predecessors who achieved such a feat last time had all reached the Golden Core stage. However, he did not record much in the notes he left behind during his trip to Mountain-Viewing Cave, because three years after he achieved the Golden Core stage, he died and disappeared in another secret realm.

Faced with such a dangerous place, the five dared not let their guard down, remaining vigilant not only about the perilous covered bridge but also about their companions. For a time, however, no one moved.

In the end, Lang Yi was the most eager, and despite suffering a hidden loss, he was the first to enter the covered bridge. With someone taking the lead, the other four did not linger and entered in turn.

The Daoist Black Shoes was in such a dangerous place for the first time. Before he could take a good look around, he saw that Lang Yi was clearing the way, had been blocked by a corundum puppet.

This old cultivator's woodworking skills are truly unparalleled in Cloud Horn. No wonder even someone with such exceptional insight as Fei Nanying would specifically send Sect Leader Kang Da to him to practice woodworking.

"Go!" Lang Yi pointed his fingers and waved them, a spiritual light appearing at his fingertips. A giant tree appeared out of thin air in front of the old cultivator. The giant tree had no roots, but it had thousands of vines. The tree crown shook, and countless fallen leaves, along with vines that stretched out to tens of feet in length, rushed towards the jade puppet.

The corundum puppet was indeed tall and strong, but it was slow and clumsy. Caught off guard, its massive body was tightly entangled by the vines growing from the giant Lang Yi tree.

That wasn't all; a swarm of bees, thick with fallen leaves, rushed toward the corundum golem.

In the blink of an eye, a continuous rustling sound filled the arena as jade fragments fell to the ground. The corundum puppet was completely powerless to resist as a thick layer of it was sliced away by the sharp, flying leaves.

Seeing that the enormous body of the jade puppet had been reduced from two zhang tall to half a zhang long in such a short time and was no longer able to fight, the Daoist Black Shoes thought more highly of Lang Yi.

It should be noted that this puppet is not necessarily weak. Even if it were to encounter a late-stage True Cultivator like Ye Zhen, the leader of the Book and Sword Gate Sect, the outcome would still be uncertain.

The fact that Lang Yi had so easily defeated them was somewhat unexpected for the Daoist Black Shoes. The other three felt the same way, but upon reflection, they understood.

This old cultivator was clearly doing this on purpose to show off his strength. Even if he could be considered a first-rate figure below the False Core, he absolutely could not use this level of Dao technique at will.

This is both a display of sincerity and a silent declaration of authority. It serves as a warning to others not to treat him as a pushover, or to refrain from harboring malicious intentions.

Just as Lang Yi had predicted, his scheme had an immediate effect. Not only did the Daoist Black Shoes change his opinion of him considerably, but the other three also did. At least until Lang Yi received any tangible benefits, he was still considered safe.

The group stepped over a pile of First Tier Cinnabar-Yellow Stone fragments, which were considered quite valuable by a certain sect leader. As for the puppet's core, the egg-sized Second-Tier Upper-Grade Cinnabar-Yellow Stone Essence was taken by Lang Yi, the greatest contributor.

Those around could see that the old cultivator showed no joy on his face, which suggested that, as he had said, he truly cared little for anything other than longevity-promoting spiritual objects.

Even those who obtain the Golden Core Formation Pill are in the same boat; although such rare pills are excellent, not every Foundation Establishment True Cultivator is qualified to take them.

Take Lang Yi as an example. He has been at the Foundation Establishment Peak for many years, but because he has no one to guide him, he has difficulty finding his way forward and his Core Thesis is far from perfect.

In this situation, even if he took the Golden Core Formation Pill, it wouldn't increase his chances of success by 20%. He would likely just die from the collapse of his Dao Foundation, thus wasting a pill that could determine the rise and fall of a family and clan for hundreds of years.

Apart from Lang Yi, none of the others present had such worries.

The Daoist Black Shoes has been cultivating for less than a hundred years, yet he has achieved such accomplishments, which is truly rare; Chu Yanran's lifespan has only just passed halfway, but she has already held the title of the number one female cultivator in Cloud Horn Prefecture for many years; even Yuan Feng and Yue Lan, whose lifespans are slightly longer, still have several decades left to perfect their Core Thesis.

In other words, even Yue Lan, whose future is uncertain among the four, still has at least several decades to verify the False Core.

But everyone could easily empathize with Lang Yi's State of Mind. Those who cultivate themselves, meditating and seeking enlightenment, sitting in solitary meditation by the lamplight, are simply defying fate. Who can say for sure whether today's Lang Yi will be tomorrow's version of themselves?

A single, cleanly shattered corundum golem was not enough to lull everyone into a false sense of security. The arrival of these unwelcome guests excited the cold monsters that had been guarding this place for so long. One by one, the enormous creatures that had been lying limp on the corridor bridge stood up, let out strange roars, and charged forward.

The corundum puppets, their bodies gleaming with Golden Light, suddenly flung themselves along their path, causing spirit-containing jade stones to rain down upon them.

The Daoist Black Shoes and his companions dared not be negligent. They unleashed their swords, giant logs, short halberds, spirit beasts, and palace lanterns, barely managing to withstand the onslaught from the dozen or so puppets. Without a single warning, dozens of blazing flames suddenly descended from the sky above the covered bridge.

To the naked eye alone, this raging fire seemed poised to consume the entire world.

"Is this the legendary Li Fire Heaven-Burning Formation set up by the Exalted Cultivator Guanyu?" the Daoist Black Shoes pondered. "Even a broken formation has such power; I wonder how exquisite it would be in its full glory!"

Undeterred by the raging flames, he first cleaved the head of one of the corundum golems, then aimed his sword at the thick armor on the chest of another corundum golem, where the golem's core was located.

"No rush, there are still people blocking the way!"

Yue Lan's expression hardened as he faced the raging flames. His trusted Fire-Phase Half-Chi showed no sign of relief. With a single breath, it swept away most of the flames, leaving the remaining small portion still raging.

Without a second thought, Yue Lan used her footwork to its fullest extent and dodged to the side.

The fire seemed to possess a spirit, first burning away the giant log used by Lang Yi, and then forcing Yuan Feng's short halberd back. The Daoist Black Shoes's eyes sharpened, seeing that the power of the flames was even greater than he had expected, and he was about to exert all his strength to resist the remaining fire.

At this moment, the wick of Chu Yanran's palace lantern suddenly lit up, the lamp cover flew off, and the beautiful woman murmured something. The remaining flames were drawn by the sparks from the wick, swallowed into the palace lantern, and transformed into nourishment for the Law Treasure.

"So Chu Yanran's palace lantern also has the ability to absorb fire." Only then did the others realize this unexpected surprise.

Even the Daoist Black Shoes was hearing this for the first time, thinking to himself, "The saying goes, 'One thing subdues another,' Chu Yanran's palace lantern Law Treasure is no ordinary Law Treasure. If it weren't for the Fire-Phase Half-Chi that Yue Lan raised, which also has the ability to swallow fire, why would Chu Yanran need me to help her fight against Yue Lan?"

Those who remained, witnessing this scene, also felt a strange mix of emotions.

The first to be affected was Yue Lan, who still couldn't forget Chu Yanran. Seeing that Chu Yanran's Law Treasure was more powerful than expected, he was both worried and happy.

"If Yuan Feng hadn't tricked me, I would have had a good chance of getting all the Law Treasure! Even if my clan abandoned me and my sect disliked me, I might still be able to make something of myself!"

After Yanran and I both Golden Core Formation Pill stage, we'll become an immortal couple. Not only will we be free to Cloud Horn Prefecture, but we can also roam freely in Shannan Circuit! However, Yanran's palace lantern Law Treasure is truly formidable, and the Daoist Black Shoes is quite troublesome. I wonder if that boy's words are true or false. Heh, if he dares to deceive me..."

Yue Lan hardened his heart. The raging flames subsided slightly, but the jade puppet was not to be trifled with. It slammed down with a huge hand, which had the power to split mountains and shatter the earth.

The Fire-Phase Half-Chi instantly shot out from Yue Lan's neck, rushing towards the giant jade palm. During this process, the Fire-Phase Half-Chi's body swelled up, becoming as thick as a bowl and ten feet long, its tail flaring with spiritual fire as it lashed out.

The giant hand of the corundum puppet that reached out first was slapped open and cracked, while the Fire-Phase Half-Chi was struck by the eye technique of another corundum puppet, writhing in pain and crying out in alarm!

"You damned bastard!" Yue Lan dealt with the puppet in front of him first, then his flying sword spun out and gouged out the gem-like eyes of the Fire-Phase Half-Chi puppet. But then a short halberd wrapped in spiritual light appeared behind him and pierced the thick armor of the puppet's chest with a flick and a pull.

With a "click," the mechanism was exposed. The Fire-Phase Half-Chi seized the opportunity, opened its huge mouth, and a pillar of flames surged out.

The "Karara" mechanism was scorched and cracked, rendering this behemoth unable to wreak havoc.

With Chu Yanran's palace lantern warding off the fire, the power of the remaining array left by Exalted Cultivator Guanyu was greatly reduced. With the five of them working together, these powerful jade puppets did not cause them too much trouble.

Even after they exited the Puppet Covered Bridge, only Yue Lan's Fire-Phase Half-Chi and Lang Yi, the lone old cultivator, suffered some minor injuries.

The Daoist Black Shoes was examining a relatively intact corundum puppet, while everyone else ignored it. Only Chu Yanran, after finishing her meditation, came over and reminded him, "Fellow Daoist, there's no need to look at it too much. Our predecessors have already recorded this; this puppet will be useless once it leaves this covered bridge."

"Is that so?" The Daoist Black Shoes immediately became interested.

Chu Yanran nodded slightly. "Not only that, those puppets we just shattered will be perfectly intact again when the next round of the Mountain-Viewing cave abode opens. Even if you brought one out today, there won't be one missing from the next corridor bridge."

"So miraculous?" The Daoist Black Shoes pondered. Chu Yanran chimed in at the opportune moment, "Otherwise, the Mountain-Viewing cave abode wouldn't be hailed by all cultivators as the most miraculous Golden Core Abode."

Before the fellow Daoist in Black Shoes could ask further, Yue Lan approached and said with a hint of amusement, "Have you two rested enough? We should continue our journey now."

The smile on Chu Yanran's face vanished instantly, and the Daoist Black Shoes nodded in agreement.

Neither of them saw that Yue Lan made a strange hand seal as he left.

At the same time, Chu Yanran felt an inexplicable strangeness on her body. Her beautiful eyes flashed, and she spoke to the Daoist Black Shoes, "Fellow Daoist..."