The Ning Family council hall.
The Spirit Lamp emitted a bright light.
The Ning Family patriarch, the young lord, and a group of family elders were all gathered here.
A few jade slips were passed around in their hands, which recorded the entire process of this year's major family examination.
The patriarch rubbed the jade slip in his hand, his eyes slightly closed, as the scenes recorded in the jade slip appeared in his sea of consciousness, replaying continuously.
Unlike previous years, this year he paid special attention to the puppetry section of the examination.
The content of the puppetry exam for the Ning Family had changed; it involved controlling marionettes.
The young cultivators infused their mana, sending it through the strings directly into the marionette puppets.
Through the dual effects of spiritual sense and mana, the marionette puppets were made to move and perform various actions; however, even the best-performing young cultivator could only make the puppet perform walking, aerial somersaults, and rolling on the ground during this exam.
Overall, the performance was rather dismal.
The patriarch slowly opened his eyes, withdrawing his spiritual sense from the jade slip, and placed it gently on the desk beside him.
"This family exam didn't reveal any budding puppet masters among our younger members," sighed the Ning family patriarch.
The elder of the academy felt the pressure and quickly spoke up, "Patriarch, fellow elders, our Ning family excels in talismans. In the hundred arts of cultivation, puppetry is a minor specialization. Our family has very little foundation in puppetry, and the teachers in the academy who teach puppetry are all mediocre. How can we expect to cultivate a seed of puppetry?"
The Ning family patriarch reassured, "Rest easy, I'm not blaming you. The Puppet Immortal City of Magma Palace was built by the ancestors of the three sects to suppress the eruption of Fire Persimmon Mountain and is hidden within it. To access the immortal treasures and puppetry heritage of Magma Palace, the best approach is through puppet masters."
"Our Ning family only discovered the Magma Immortal Palace this year. The other two major families and the city lord have been ahead for a long time. They had the opportunity to secretly cultivate seeds for puppetry, but we could not."
"We are the latecomers, too late. Only by recruiting outsiders with heavy rewards to serve as our guest officials can we have a chance to compete."
The Ning family patriarch took out a jade slip: "This contains records of the Fire Persimmon Immortal City and the famous puppet masters around it; pass it around and have a look."
After all the elders had looked over it, the Ning family Patriarch said, "We need to make contact with all the puppet masters that we can find and try to win them over. Especially Young Puppet Master! He is a puppet master within Fire Persimmon City, with considerable skills, and should be our primary target."
The young lord said, "The identity of the Young Puppet Master is mysterious; he has never appeared publicly. His puppets sell well but they are only sold through the black market that takes place once a month."
"The black market is controlled by Sun Lingtong. This person is an external disciple of the No-Void Sect, making it very difficult for us to actually meet the Young Puppet Master."
The Ning family patriarch frowned, "Xiaoren, I don't want to hear about problems, I need solutions."
The young lord Ning Xiaoren sweated from his forehead and quickly assured, "Yes, father. I have already sent people to try to make contact with him personally, and we will surely have results soon!"
The Ning family patriarch then stroked his beard, "Good. I shall await the outcome."
* * *
After the meeting, the young lord of the Ning family immediately summoned his subordinate, Ning Ze.
"Ning Ze, you are the procurement manager of the Ning family, a position you would not have gotten without me backing you. I tasked you with making contact with the Young Puppet Master, yet you have made no progress. What exactly have you been doing?!" the young lord furrowed his brow.
Ning Ze was a middle-aged man who had a face reflecting years of stress. If possible, he would rather not have anything to do with this task.
"Young Lord, I am ashamed of failing the trust you placed in me; my incompetence is inexcusable."
"But the Young Puppet Master is really difficult to communicate with. Haven't I repeatedly tried to engage with him at the black market, purchasing the Up-and-Down Ruyi Ropes while persistently advising him, yet he remains unmoved? He refuses to discuss anything beyond the transactions."
"The Young Puppet Master is too mysterious. I've tried every means to inquire about him, but that only angered the black market owner Sun Lingtong. I not only lost manpower but was also framed and had to pay a large sum of spirit stones. I've been covering this expense myself so far…"
"Enough!"
The young lord interrupted, brimming with displeasure.
"You've been played, and that's embarrassing enough. Do you also want the clan to bear the cost of your mistakes?"
"This time, our family needs to purchase 80 Up-and-Down Ruyi Ropes; you handle it."
Ning Ze was shocked.
"Eighty ropes? That many?!"
The young lord said, "Leverage this significant deal and make it into an all-out effort. You've been in touch with the Young Puppet Master many times without advancing any talks of cooperation."
"Such performance really makes me doubt your capabilities, Ning Ze."
Feeling the pressure, Ning Ze repeatedly assured him that he would do his utmost.
* * *
Ning Ze arrived in the southeastern area of Huoshi City. In the entire city, this area was notorious for its mix of dragons and snakes, rampant theft, and the worst public security in the entire city.
Additionally, it was the location of the black market.
At one of the entrances to the black market, Ning Ze displayed a token.
A grim-faced cultivator glanced at Ning Ze, scrutinized the token closely, then tossed it back to Ning Ze.
"Follow me."
He led Ning Ze into a small hut behind him, then lifted the floorboards to reveal a hole.
They entered the hole that led to a winding tunnel, and eventually arrived at an underground trading space resembling a small market.
Ning Ze swept his gaze around and immediately spotted his target.
"Lord Young Puppet Master, we meet again," Ning Ze approached Young Puppet Master with a warm smile on his face.
Young Puppet Master was an old man with a decrepit appearance. He leaned on a cane and was incredibly stooped; his entire figure bent like a lobster.
His face was weathered, with dark purple bags under his eyes and wrinkles deep enough to trap mosquitoes. His long, messy black hair hung down to his feet like a large black cloak.
Young Puppet Master stood behind a cart and merely gave Ning Ze a brief glance without speaking.
This was always Young Puppet Master's attitude, and though Ning Ze felt helpless, he also accumulated anger in his heart.
He was, after all, a cultivator of the Ning family, but Young Puppet Master gave him no respect!
Despite his frustration, the young lord of the Ning family wanted to win over him.
Ning Ze managed a forced smile and said, "Lord, this time I have brought a significant deal to you."
"Altogether 80 Ruyi Ropes!"
"Look, such a big deal, could your price be a bit more favorable?"
"I am your longtime customer, always patronizing your business. There will be even more such deals in the future. Every time it's 200 spirit stones per Ruyi Rope, this constant price seems a bit unreasonable, doesn't it?"
The old man with the dangling hair nodded slightly, his voice hoarse and time-worn: "You're right."
"Then let's settle for 250 spirit stones each."
Ning Ze was startled for a moment and chuckled, saying, "Lord Young Puppet Master, please don't jest with me. That's not how you lower prices."
Young Puppet Master snorted coldly.
"For every extra word you say, the price goes up by 50 spirit stones."
Ning Ze stared wide-eyed, frozen in place for a moment.
His belly was full of rising anger, wanting to smack the old man in front of him to the ground. But he eventually suppressed his fury, muttering, "Fine, let's go with your price!"
"However, my clan wishes to add some additional functionalities to better complement our clan's techniques. The specifics of the modifications…"
Young Puppet Master sternly interrupted.
"No modifications, take it or leave it, if not, scram."
Ning Ze became choked with anger.
After taking a deep breath, he finally nodded with a bitter smile, agreeing to the deal.
Young Puppet Master did not move, but from the roof of the puppet carriage in front of him, several marionettes were dangling down.
These marionettes were all manipulated by threads, each one seeming almost lifelike and giggling eerily.
They tumbled and jumped around. They even pushed and shoved each other, but they eventually opened the circular cover inside the puppet carriage.
One by one, they entered the hole beneath the cover, then, like pulling out a series of pythons, dragged the Up-and-Down Ruyi ropes out.
Every time Ning Ze saw this scene, he was amazed.
The control capability of these suspended-thread mechanisms was honed to perfection; the puppet-like dolls seemed truly alive.
If the young cultivators of the Ning family taking the examination had even one percent of this controlling ability, the puppet technique subject of the examination would definitely be top-notch!
"Puppet techniques are the lowest ranked among the hundred arts of cultivation, and they have many weaknesses. The most obvious weakness is the control method!"
"Just take these mechanical dolls, for instance; if their threads are cut, they would be paralyzed instantly."
Ning Ze handed over the spirit stones and took the Ruyi ropes with him as he left the black market. It was only then that he revealed a hint of sinister and angry expression.
'Young Puppet Master! Every time I speak to you with respect, I really give you face.'
'This time, I specifically hired the Huang Family Three Ghosts for you! I even meticulously prepared this 'gift' for you!'
'If you refuse to work with me, then you must take a loss.'
Ning Ze was truly forced into a corner and had to take a dangerous risk.
His plan was simple: first, have the Huang Family Three Ghosts deal with Young Puppet Master, then intervene to save the day himself, as a way to curry favor. If Young Puppet Master was severely injured, Ning Ze wouldn't discard the possibility of coercing him into submission.
In any case, the first priority was to break the situation open and complete the mission he was tasked with.
As for other issues, they were concerns for the other Ning family members!
After the black market ended, Young Puppet Master, laden with his gains, walked through a dark alley.
Suddenly.
A Calming Talisman!
A talisman instantly triggered, sealing the space around him.
Young Puppet Master halted in place, unable to move.
"Heeheehee…"
A light, floating laugh echoed as three small ghosts emerged from nearby and attacked Young Puppet Master.
Young Puppet Master remained still as a rock until the small ghosts closed in on him. Then, his body shook.
Several mechanical birds tumbled out, shooting forward.
Puppet Arts—Thunder Silent Birds!
In the darkness, several streaks of lightning suddenly lit up, exploding into silent flashes of thunder.
In an instant, the Thunder Silent Birds had slain the three small ghosts.
"How is that possible?"
"We used the Calming Talisman; you shouldn't be able to use your divine sense to control puppets!"
"There's something strange. He's clearly using mechanical puppets, but I didn't see him use any controlling threads."
"Doesn't matter, let's go together!"
The Huang Family Three Ghosts leapt forward simultaneously, each displaying their unique skills to besiege the puppet master with the long, disheveled hair. Suddenly, more than a dozen ghostly spirits burst forth, surrounding the area from all sides with their ghastly and ferocious appearances, their teeth bared and claws extended.
The young puppet master remained as immovable as a mountain, and his long, chaotic black hair suddenly intertwined, forming several long whips.
These dark whips danced wildly like dragons and serpents, yet not a breath of air stirred, and in the eerie silence, a terrifying intent to kill filled the air.
Mechanism—Long Hair Death Whip!
The whips were ferociously violent, as if capable of devouring everything in their path, leaving souls dissipated and spirits scattered.
The eyes of the Huang Family Three Ghosts glinted ferociously, preparing to counterattack.
Inside the puppet master's mind, a treasure seal emerged, vast as a mountain, embodying both Buddha and demon, suddenly bursting with a strange light.
Treasure—Buddha Heart Demon Seal!
The three ghosts faltered simultaneously, revealing fatal flaws. Shocked and desperate, they hastily retreated, but it was already too late.
Two screams rang out, and two of the ghosts met their demise.
The eldest, eyes filled with rage and hatred, fueled by vengeance, pushed his foundational energies to their limit, launching a do-or-die counterattack against the puppet master.
His treasured dagger, upon which he pinned all his hopes, flew like lightning, instantly striking the middle of his forehead.
Ting.
A crisp sound of metal striking metal resounded.
The eldest of the Huang family stood frozen, disbelief etched across his face.
Thud, thud, thud.
In the next instant, several Long Hair Death Whips converged from all directions, piercing him through.
The eldest ghost's eyes widened as the whips penetrated his body, suspending him in mid-air. Blood rained down like a shower, spattering the ground and the walls, obscured by the thick darkness of the night.
As the nearby cultivators heard the strange noises, they arrived at the alleyway to investigate.
"What happened?" one cultivator wondered aloud.
In the alley, there was neither a body nor a drop of blood to be found.
Having waited in vain for news, Ning Ze's heart grew colder. "Why is there still no news? It's been so long, it should have been successful by now."
"The Young Puppet Master is at the Foundation Establishment stage, and so are the Huang Family Three Ghosts. Even in Huoshi City, where their combat power is suppressed, it doesn't make sense for them to fail with a three-against-one advantage." He was still trying to reassure himself.
"I gave them the Calming Talisman and also the spirit pet, the Green Knife Mantis, capable of slicing through hanging threads. With such preparations, the mechanic master should be severely restricted!"
"Just wait a bit longer."
But this waiting was destined to be futile.
The Puppet Master walked through the underground tunnels.
Three chain whips trailed behind him, each carrying a dead body of a cultivator. As he moved, monstrous and terrifying shadows were cast on the tunnel walls.
A red glow slowly appeared ahead, and the temperature became scorchingly hot.
Turning a corner, a large furnace appeared in front of the Young Puppet Master.
The furnace door was opened, and the puppet master skillfully threw the three bodies inside.
After closing the furnace door, he headed to an adjacent storage room.
He deposited several kilograms of fire essence, recently acquired from the black market, into the storage room. Over the years, the accumulation of fire essence had formed a small mountain.
"Only ten more kilograms of fire essence to go."
Young Puppet Master made his way to the transmission room and activated the teleportation array. In the next moment, he returned to his underground workshop.
The body of the puppet master began to change. The strange, floor-length black hair quickly retracted, and his hunched posture gradually straightened. Under the black robe, the old man's body flickered with light and shadow, revealing his true form—a silver-gray mechanical battle armor.
The surface of the armor shimmered with a faint precious light, adorned with talismans and array patterns. A new scar was evident on the helmet of the armor, a result of the last stand made by the eldest of the Huang Family Three Ghosts.
The armor's breastplate, abdominal plate, and leg plates symmetrically opened to the sides. From within emerged a young man.
The youth had a pale complexion with eyes clear as water, exuding a calm and serene aura.
The armor was named: Iron Grey Han Armor.
The youth's name: Ning Zhuo.