The Lin Household's Invitation
The biggest difference between a second-tier puppet and a first-tier puppet is that the second-tier puppet possesses Puppet Core.
The Puppet Core is the key to its autonomous operation, allowing it to actively absorb the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth.
Just like cultivators, they store Spiritual Power within their bodies, which can be replenished on its own after use.
Of course, there is also an extreme case.
If a battle drags on, even cultivators eventually run out of Spiritual Power, and puppets will naturally follow suit.
However, compared to cultivators, the advantage is that even if the stored Spiritual Power is exhausted, it can still be powered by Spirit Stone.
This step is extremely complex and requires a lot of practice to have a chance of success.
The Puppet Core contains hundreds of spiritual runes; any slight mistake could lead to the failure of all previous efforts.
Moreover, the materials for the Puppet Core are expensive; it costs more than ten thousand Spirit Stone to manufacture just one.
This doesn't even include the other things needed to create the puppets; otherwise, there would be even more.
Each failure meant a significant amount of Spirit Stone were wasted.
Qin Fei didn't care about the consumption of materials, as he possessed the Heavenly Craft Creation Pavilion and could use virtual materials for simulation.
Other Rogue Cultivator would probably go bankrupt trying to forge even one.
No wonder second-tier puppets are difficult to create; after all, they are puppets comparable to those of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Qin Fei had long been prepared for a protracted battle, keeping a calm mindset and not caring about success or failure.
He simulated it day and night in his mind, and even when he was on a mission, he would try it twice whenever he had a spare moment.
Time flies like an arrow.
The snow in the courtyard gradually melted, and new buds sprouted on the trees on both sides of the road.
The desolation of the abandoned factory has faded, replaced by the vibrant energy of spring.
A woman stood at the doorway, craning her neck to look out.
"Brother Qin, I've come to pay you a visit."
Before long, the courtyard gate suddenly opened automatically, and a puppet resembling a maid slowly walked out.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, please come in."
The person who arrived was Lin Man. The two had not seen each other for many years since they parted ways at the Lin Household that day.
At this moment, she felt conflicted and her thoughts were racing.
Over the years, she tried her best not to inquire about Qin Fei, but she would always inadvertently hear his name.
Captain of Jia Sixteen Patrol Squad, with a 100% team survival rate, a powerful cultivator at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer...
The titles she received made her feel like it was all unreal.
Is this still the same Qi Refinement Fifth Layer Rogue Cultivator that I know?
She was quite sad when she was rejected after confessing her feelings.
It wasn't until she received a mission from her Lineage that she realized the two were indeed not on the same path.
She had long been accustomed to the protection of her Lineage and disliked cultivation; her cultivation level had not changed over the years.
Qin Fei, having gone through several life-or-death trials, was no longer the Rogue Cultivator that anyone could ignore.
He is now Lin Household also wants to recruit.
Following the puppet around the artificial hill, a figure dressed in a linen Daoist robe was feeding the fish.
Lin Man quickened her pace and gave a slight bow.
"Brother Qin, how have you been?"
Qin Fei scattered a handful of fish food, wiped it on his clothes, and then returned the greeting.
"What a rare guest! What brings Fellow Daoist Lin out here?"
Seeing that he was still living such a carefree life, Lin Man felt her obsession fade a little, for some reason.
"Can't I come if there's nothing wrong?"
"So many years have passed, I never expected you to still be in this puppet junkyard. I went to ask Old Zhang and found out you never moved away."
Qin Fei handed her a handful of fish food and calmly said:
"This place is quiet, so I'll stay here."
"That suits your personality."
Lin Man chuckled softly, scattered the fish food in her hand, and watched with great interest as the fish scrambled for it.
"I've come on behalf of the Lin Household to invite you to become an inner sect elder, Brother Qin. Are you interested?"
Qin Fei thought to himself, "Just as I thought." Now that he was Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator with some reputation in the outside world, it would be strange if the Lin Household didn't extend an invitation.
What amused him most was that the Lu Household had recently extended an invitation to him, as if nothing had ever happened.
Qin Fei and decisively refused, and he also did not intend to agree to the Lin Household's request.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, I, Qin, am used to a carefree life and may not be obedient. Let's just leave it at that."
Lin Man was not surprised and smiled sweetly:
I knew Brother Qin wouldn't agree.
She came with virtually no hope, only because her clan insisted on inquiring.
The invitation also included the group from the Star Radiance Merchant Association, but whether it was pre-arranged or not, they all declined.
To be honest, when Shangyu Market was first rebuilt, people weren't opposed to Lin Household.
However, the Lin and Lu families later engaged in internal strife and were completely outmaneuvered by the Barbarian Tribe, who even forcibly conscripted soldiers within the neighborhood, squandering almost all of their previous goodwill with the locals.
Those who serve in the inner sect must be deeply bound to their Lineage and must obey the Lineage's orders during times of war.
As people increasingly see through the true nature of the Lin and Lu families, it's natural that they would no longer want to join them.
"In that case, I will not disturb Brother Qin any longer."
Lin Man cupped her hands in a respectful greeting, then turned and left.
As she reached the entrance to the courtyard, a voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, please wait."
Lin Man turned around and asked in confusion:
"Brother Qin has changed his mind?"
Qin Fei shook his head slightly and said:
"I've heard that the Daoist academy run by the Lin Household is doing quite well, and that Second-Tier Puppet Master occasionally hold classes there. Is that true?"
"You mean this? Yes, it really happened."
Lin Man looked enlightened, then asked with interest:
"What, Brother Qin, are you also interested in teaching? If so, I can certainly recommend a couple of people."
The Daoist academy is also a property of the Lin Household. She may not have a say in important matters, but it's easy for her to place an instructor there.
Moreover, Qin Fei had already Qi Refining Eighth Layer, and his Puppet Technique were exceptionally refined.
Even if they go through the proper channels, the Daoist academies will still be eager to hire them.
But Qin Fei's next words left her stunned.
"Fellow Daoist Lin misunderstands. I am not suited to be an instructor, lest I mislead the students. I simply wish to attend a few classes."
Lately, he has been simulating the refining of the Puppet Core in his sea of consciousness.
If we were to count the number of simulations, it would probably be no less than a thousand.
He only succeeded once by sheer luck, managing to refine the Puppet Core.
The success rate is extremely low.
To everyone's surprise, the Big Yellow was quite pleased when it heard about it.
According to it, the Puppet Core is the most difficult part for a second-tier puppet to overcome.
Even disciples of the Heavenly Secrets Sect typically need three to five years to grasp the basics.
Especially considering that the Battle Puppet he was refining was Foundation Establishment Realm, its core was extremely complex. It was already quite an achievement that Qin Fei was able to succeed even once.
It suggested starting with simpler second-tier puppets, such as the blueprint for the Divine Travel Flying Boat.
Take it step by step, and it would be best to find someone to guide you; this will likely speed up your progress considerably.
Following the advice of the Big Yellow, Qin Fei changed his focus to studying the Divine Travel Flying Boat, and sure enough, he refined it in no time.
The Puppet Core of the Divine Travel Flying Boat is much simpler, and there are not as many interactions between the spirit patterns.
This boosted his confidence considerably.
As for finding someone to tutor him, Qin Fei had no clue.
He only heard that there seemed to be Second-Tier Puppet Master giving a lesson in the academy.
Lin Man happened to arrive, hence this question.