Starting From A Son In Law To Build An Long Lasting Family Chapter 1895: 491: Punishment Beast, 1,000 Zhuyan Awaken! (part 2)
Previously on Starting From A Son In Law To Build An Long Lasting Family...
"Hmm~"
Hong Lian understood her husband's character all too well.
He always showed mercy to those who didn't stir trouble against him, forging bonds far and wide.
"Oh, and husband, Qian Zhuyan has awakened..."
With poise and elegance, Hong Lian went on to tell Lu Changsheng: "On the matter of Qianzhu Sect and the intelligence from Ancient Puppet Sect, given how distant the events are, Immortal City has only managed to collect basic details..."
"Back in the early days within the Endless Wilderness, a group known as [Qianzhu Sect] truly existed, but after challenging the Supreme Sect over a Secret Treasure, it was wiped out by Ancient Puppet Sect together with a handful of other factions..."
"At present, Ancient Puppet Sect maintains two Nascent Soul Cultivators there, each in the Nascent Soul Early Stage..."
Hong Lian's voice remained gentle and low.
"Two at Nascent Soul Early Stage."
The power level of Ancient Puppet Sect matched precisely what Lu Changsheng had guessed.
In truth, across this stretch of Southern Wilderness Northern Domain, no dominant force truly held sway.
"Let's head over to see Qian Zhuyan right away."
The pair soon reached a secluded Cave Mansion, where they spotted a puppet radiating a subtle shadowy light, etched with complex designs, its frame bearing clear cracks.
"Master..."
As Lu Changsheng and Hong Lian entered, the flame in the puppet's eyes flared up, and it rasped out the word.
Since Hong Lian was there, Lu Changsheng didn't need to handle the talks or the mending himself.
"Don't worry, if you stay loyal, I'll ensure you reach Fourth Rank within a century and guide you toward your vengeance."
Lu Changsheng could see that Qian Zhuyan ahead appeared far more composed and steady now than earlier.
In short order, an accord was struck between them.
For the time ahead, Qian Zhuyan would devote herself fully to aiding Lu Changsheng in puppet creation, sharing all her Puppet Skills and insights.
In return, Lu Changsheng pledged to elevate her to Fourth Rank in under a hundred years and support her quest for revenge.
Once revenge was claimed, she would pledge total allegiance to Lu Changsheng.
Right after, Qian Zhuyan worked closely with Lu Changsheng to refine and master the puppet's core, embedding the Soul Seal.
Yet Qian Zhuyan retained her independent awareness, so Lu Changsheng had no call to dominate her actions.
She could even operate on her own when he wasn't around.
...
"Are you able to mend your own form?"
Lu Changsheng spotted the injuries on Qian Zhuyan's frame and asked.
His own Puppet Skills sat at just Second Rank.
But as a Third Rank Top Level Refiner armed with the "Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinement Technique", he figured he could give repairs a shot.
"Indeed, though it demands materials and a good deal of time."
Qian Zhuyan rasped in reply.
"I have various materials on hand right now—take a look to see if any suit, or which might stretch out your time awake."
The sole weakness for Qian Zhuyan lay in her limited wakefulness.
She had to rest periodically to fend off the Puppet Spirit's corrosion.
Thus, Lu Changsheng aimed to enhance her in ways that addressed this issue.
"Thank you, Master..."
As she eyed the stack of Fourth Rank Heavenly and Earthly Treasures Lu Changsheng presented, the soul flame in Qian Zhuyan's gaze danced.
It dawned on her that this Master surpassed her wildest expectations.
While fixing the puppet's outer shell next, Lu Changsheng offered plenty of ideas drawn from his refining expertise.
Qian Zhuyan felt a surge of delight upon discovering Lu Changsheng's status as a Third Rank Top Level Refiner.
After all, the crafts of Refiner and Puppet overlapped in so many ways.
Thanks to Lu Changsheng's assistance in refining, her puppet's overall caliber soared, paving the way for a Fourth Rank breakthrough.
Half a month in, the Puppet Spirit Soul started its half-measure assault, creeping in like a Ghost Cultivator to disrupt her usual Soul Consciousness.
"So that's the Puppet Spirit erosion in action?"
Via his Taiyi Divine Soul, Lu Changsheng detected this spectral path's dark sentiment.
The golden figure nestled in his brow gleamed brightly as he tried channeling the "Six Desires Heart Demon Technique", linking through the Soul Seal to convert that spectral negativity into cultivation fuel for the technique.
What followed was a wondrous sight.
The spectral energy and foul moods born from Qian Zhuyan's Puppet Spirit Soul got purified straight by Lu Changsheng's Taiyi Divine Soul.
"It works this way?"
The Six Desires Heart Demon Technique built Divine Sense via the swirl of seven emotions and six desires.
Cultivating it proved rather arduous, so after Lu Changsheng built the [Fenyan Qi Refining Tower] way back, he dabbled for a bit before shelving it.
He'd never dreamed that the Soul Seal could serve as a bridge to directly process the dark feelings her Puppet Spirit spawned.
"Does that imply I can advance the "Six Desires Heart Demon Technique" by harnessing the negativity from her Puppet Spirit Soul?"
Gazing at the Dark Armor Puppet before him, Lu Changsheng mulled it over.
"This..."
Lu Changsheng wasn't alone in his bewilderment—Qian Zhuyan herself felt lost, clueless about the shift.
All at once, the fixations, grudges, and wicked impulses from her Puppet Spirit Soul vanished clean away.
"Master?"
Her soul flame flickered as she stared at Lu Changsheng in puzzlement.
"With those dark feelings gone, can you remain conscious for longer stretches?"
Rather than clarify, Lu Changsheng posed the question.
"Yes, Master. Without the Puppet Spirit's meddling, my soul only faces the yin turbid aura's wear, which lets my awareness last much longer."
"Incorporating Soul Nourishing Wood into the puppet's brain parts would stretch that time even more."
A trace of excitement laced Qian Zhuyan's raspy tone.
Longer awareness meant she could prove her worth better, help Lu Changsheng forge puppets, and leverage his resources to climb to Fourth Rank.
At Fourth Rank Puppet level, her shot at revenge would finally gleam real.
"Fine, I'll figure out a fix for it."
Though Lu Changsheng could ease her plight for now with Taiyi Divine Soul and the "Six Desires Heart Demon Technique".
Still, it only masked the root problem.
All the same, this approach sparked fresh ideas in Lu Changsheng's mind.