Meanwhile, Qin Wang gathered the corpses of Murong Tai and his two companions. Knowing that these were Foundation Establishment bodies, he planned to use them to create more soul puppets, even though his current mental strength allowed him to control only three soul puppets simultaneously.
"If I teach Zhang Fujiang the method to control soul puppets, he can control one as well. This way, we can have six Foundation Establishment puppets attack an enemy all at once, ensuring instant victory."
Qin Wang thought as he looked at the storage bag, contemplating his strategy.
"Zhang Fujiang, pack up the formations quickly, and let's get out of here," Qin Wang ordered.
"Yes, Master!" Zhang Fujiang obediently responded and went to dismantle the formation disks.
"This... is it over?" Wanyan Meng watched Zhang Fujiang pack up the formations with wide eyes, utterly shocked.
"Yes, it's done," Qin Wang replied nonchalantly.
"To defeat three Foundation Establishment experts so quickly... Daoist Li, this... this is incredible."
Wanyan Meng was profoundly shaken. She couldn't believe that Qin Wang, in less than a quarter of an hour, had effortlessly eliminated three Foundation Establishment cultivators as if they were mere Qi Refining novices.
"Let's clean up. Later, I'll help you disguise yourself, and then we'll head to Tian Nan Market," Qin Wang advised Wanyan Meng, noting her shock.
"Okay," Wanyan Meng agreed, though she kept her distance from Zhang Fujiang, worried that her bad luck might affect him.
Before long, Zhang Fujiang had collected all the formation disks and flags from the Lei Yin Formation and the Four Symbols Killing Formation.
"Zhang Fujiang, how's the excavation at Eagle Cliff coming along?" Qin Wang asked as he took the formation disks and flags from Zhang Fujiang.
"Master, we've dug 220 feet deep. The deeper we go, the more stifling it feels. So, I widened the tunnel to allow air circulation. Currently, two soul puppets are still digging. According to my estimates, we need another five days to reach 300 feet."
"Five days?" Qin Wang mused. "Alright, you continue digging with the soul puppets. I'm heading to Tian Nan Market."
Trusting Zhang Fujiang implicitly due to their soul connection, Qin Wang wasn't worried about betrayal. Zhang Fujiang's loyalty was ensured by the threat of instant death if he turned.
"Yes, Master," Zhang Fujiang acknowledged, bowing respectfully before leaving.
"Let's go," Qin Wang summoned his flying sword and instructed Wanyan Meng.
With the bodies of three Foundation Establishment cultivators in hand, Qin Wang planned to create soul puppets and disguise both himself and Wanyan Meng. They needed to enter the Tian Nan Market discreetly.
Three hours later, fifteen miles from Tian Nan Market, a middle-aged couple walked slowly.
"Daoist Li, your disguise skills are amazing!" Wanyan Meng admired, her eyes sparkling.
After killing the three Murong family cultivators, Qin Wang had returned to his previous retreat and used his adept transformation skills to disguise them as a middle-aged couple. Qin Wang now appeared as a sallow-faced man, while Wanyan Meng was disguised as a middle-aged woman. He had also concealed his cultivation to appear as a low-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, the minimum requirement to enter the Wanbao Building's auction.
"I had to learn these skills to survive. Without them, I wouldn't be here today," Qin Wang replied, reminiscing about his struggles.
"True enough," Wanyan Meng agreed, reflecting on her own harrowing experiences.
Qin Wang and Wanyan Meng checked into a nearby inn before heading to the Wanbao Building. The four-story structure was bustling with cultivators entering and exiting.
"Sir, my name is Miaoling. How may I assist you?" A graceful and fair-skinned female cultivator greeted Qin Wang with a deep bow as he entered.
"I heard there is an auction here. When will it be held?" Qin Wang inquired.
"Sir, you are just in time. Our next auction is tomorrow. If you wish to participate, please follow me to obtain a participation token," Miaoling replied courteously.
Qin Wang followed Miaoling to the second floor, where he spent 100 spirit stones to acquire a token for the auction. The fee was refundable if returned after the auction, but Qin Wang opted to keep the token for future use.
"Sir, the auction will be held tomorrow morning at the auction hall behind the Wanbao Building. Please bring your token to enter," Miaoling explained, detailing some of the items that might appear at the auction. Qin Wang, however, took a jade slip with the auction details and returned to the inn to wait.
As night fell, Qin Wang informed Wanyan Meng of his plan.
"Wanyan Meng, I'm going to visit the Murong family. I'll be back later."
"Wait, Li Xiaoye!" Wanyan Meng called, handing him a white porcelain bottle. "Add this to what you have. It's more of my unlucky blood."
Qin Wang was moved by her gesture, understanding that she wanted to increase their chances against the Murong family. He took the bottle, nodded, and disappeared into the night.