Zhang Fei - The Abandoned Son

Chapter 768: Sky Puppet Imperial Art

”My soul? What do you want to do with my soul?” Xi Hongyan asked with skepticism.

Zhang Xiaolong [3] pointed his finger at Shang Xishun. ”Donʼt you want to control this woman? The only way to control her is to merge her soul with yours, so you need to release your soul before we can do that.”

Although she was not a soul cultivator, Xi Hongyan was still an experienced cultivator, and she felt that there was something wrong with Zhang Xiaolong [3]ʼs method, but she did not know what was wrong with it.

Lin Moxian directly spoke to him. ”He is my junior brother, and our master has taught him many things about the soul cultivation path. If you doubt him, it is the same as doubting our master. Therefore, we will not help you, and you can find another solution to control that woman.”

ʼThis bastard! Heʼs trying to pressure me by using their masterʼs name!ʼ Xi Hongyan took a deep breath. ”Fine! I will release my soul now.”

Zhang Xiaolong [3] and Lin Moxian exchanged understanding glances and laughed in their hearts. ʼItʼs too easy to fool and pressure this woman!ʼ

Xi Hongyan still looked suspiciously at Zhang Xiaolong [3], but he responded with a relaxed smile. She sighed in her heart before releasing her soul, but the two men saw that there were several black spots in it, which caused them to frown.

”Her soul was affected by something.” Lin Moxian said as he observed Xi Hongyanʼs soul. ”I donʼt know exactly where these black spots came from, but they eroded her soul. If they spread further and covered her soul completely, she would lose her mind.”

”These black spots in her soul came from demon miasma, which means she encountered and fought a demon in the past, Senior Brother.” Lin Moxian turned to Zhang Xiaolong [3] with a frown. ”I canʼt say for sure which demon race was her opponent back then, but you are right about the effect of these black spots. Once these black spots engulf her soul, her desire to kill will completely control her, turning her into a mindless demon.”

”What should we do to get rid of these black spots from her soul?”

”We canʼt do anything to get rid of them.” Zhang Xiaolong [3] looked at Shang Xishun. ”Senior Brother, force that womanʼs soul out, and we can ask Xi Hongyan about the demon later.”

”Forget it, let her suffer first, and Iʼll talk to her when she starts to feel the effects.” Lin Moxian then pulled Shang Xishunʼs soul out of her body and brought it before them, but he was shocked by Zhang Xiaolong [3]ʼs actions replicating her soul and Xi Hongyanʼs. He said nothing and watched him put the two soul replicas into his soul space.

Zhang Xiaolong [3] then created a soul thread between the two womenʼs original souls, and he didnʼt forget to implant his soul mark into Shang Xishunʼs soul before returning their souls into their bodies. As an expert soul cultivator, Lin Moxian naturally understood his reason to use his soul mark on her soul.

Soon, Xi Hongyan returned to her senses, and she could feel her connection with Shang Xishun, but she was unaware of Zhang Xiaolongʼs [3]ʼs action of replicating their souls. ”Does this mean she will completely obey my orders now?”

”You can try it yourself after you cure the woman, and you wonʼt be disappointed with the results.” Lin Moxian then embraced Zhang Xiaolong [3]ʼs shoulder and led him out of the Xi Clanʼs dungeon. ”We will return to the Hong Clan now, and you can take care of your own business.”

After they left, Xi Hongyan summoned several people and asked them to move Shang Xishun to another place, as well as treat her injuries. She then went to see Xi Qiuwei and discussed several things with her, especially regarding her future plans for the Shang Clan.

Unlike Xi Hongyan, Xi Qiuwei doubted that her plans against the Shang Clan would succeed because Shang Yanhan and Shang Yanjun had already come out of their isolation, and they might find out about Shang Xishunʼs strangeness.

Xi Hongyan then spoke. ”I know your worries, Aunt. However, Xi Yinying is in the Shang Clan now, and she managed to trick the two old god sticks. If they find out about Shang Xishunʼs strangeness, then just let it be, and we wonʼt lose anything. Instead, they will be the ones who lose if she dies, especially since she is one of their best elders.”

”Youʼre right.” Xi Qiuwei then told her. ”The situation has changed a lot now because Ren Dongcheng and Jin Ruyue have joined the Hong Clanʼs side, so their group is bigger than ours now, especially since they are a combination of many clans from the three regions.”

Xi Hongyanʼs expression turned furious after hearing that, especially after she remembered her conversation with Zhang Xiaolong [3] and Lin Moxian earlier. ”Aunt, we will likely never win against the Hong Clan, and we will have to share this realm with them and the Huo Clan.”

”Why are you suddenly pessimistic?” Xi Hongyan immediately told Xi Qiuwei about Zhang Xiaolong [3]ʼs fake identity as a member of the Lin Clan, his relationship with Hong Xinxin, and his status as Hun Diʼs newest disciple. ”Is all that true?”

”Lin Moxian introduced that brat to me himself, so I canʼt be wrong, right?” Xi Qiuwei nodded to Xi Hongyan. ”That brat has the soul emperorʼs badge, and he helped me control Shang Xishun, so his status as Hun Diʼs disciple is self-evident. However, I still have doubts about his relationship with Hong Xinxin, and I plan to send someone to infiltrate the Hong Clan. Unfortunately, I canʼt do it now, especially since the two of them have returned to that clan.”

Xi Qiuwei then spoke. ”If you want to do that, you should wait for them to leave the Hong Clan. Hun Diʼs disciples are not ordinary cultivators, and he must have taught them many great techniques, so we must be extremely careful when dealing with them. If we act too hastily and rashly, we might end up facing him and Lin Jingxia, and both of them have the ability to raze our clan to the ground.”

”Yeah.” Xi Hongyan suddenly received a long-distance message. ”Xi Baoxing and Xi Chaozu have already entered the middle realms, and they will arrive at the Netherworld Realm in about two weeks. By the way, Shang Ziyuan is currently at the Huo Clan, and she asked Huo Jiguang for help to cure Shang Huaqiang and Fei Qinyuan.”

”Is Huo Jiguang willing to help her?”

”No.” Xi Hongyan answered with a shake of her head. ”My spy in the Huo Clan told me that Huo Jiguang refused Shang Ziyuanʼs request, but that bitch still doesnʼt want to give up. Perhaps there will be a battle between them if she dares to force him, making it easier for us to destroy the Shang Clan.”

Xi Qiumei sighed. ”Shang Ziyuan is too reckless if she dares to force Huo Jiguang, especially since that old-fashioned old man never likes it when someone forces him. Although he never had any problems with her clan, he never liked her clan members, especially her two ancestors.”

”We donʼt need to think about them, and I hope that Shang Ziyuan really forced Huo Jiguang.” Xi Hongyan then walked out while thinking about something. ʼWhere exactly is Mai Xiaomeng now? Could it be that she brought her clan members to another realm? They have been missing for two months, and my people still havenʼt managed to find them anywhere in this realm.ʼ

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Lin Moxian and Zhang Xiaolong [3] had already arrived at the Hong Clan, and the two of them immediately went to the rearmost building in the clan.

”Hey, how can you replicate their souls, Junior Brother?”

Instead, Zhang Xiaolong [3] pulled Xi Hongyanʼs soul replica out of his soul space and handed it to Lin Moxian. ”Senior Brother, youʼve already realized my demon identity, right? That ability is one of my innate abilities, so I canʼt teach it to you unless you transform into a demon like me. As for this soul, you surely know what you can do with it, right?”

”Nah! Iʼm not a jealous or envious person, and Iʼm just curious about your abilities.” Lin Moxian then looked at Xi Hongyanʼs soul replica with a playful smile. ”Hehehe! I wonʼt do weird things to that woman, and Iʼll prank her a few times through this soul replica. Anyway, thanks for your help, Junior Brother.”

”As you said, we are both brothers under one master, so we should help each other.” Lin Moxian nodded at Zhang Xiaolong [3] before taking out a small doll, and he then put Xi Hongyanʼs soul replica into it.

”Are you surprised by this?” Zhang Xiaolong [3] nodded to Lin Moxian. ”Apart from being a soul cultivator, I am also a puppet master. In this realm, only Miao Miao can match my puppet technique, but I am still slightly superior to her because my soul power is higher than hers.”

Zhang Xiaolong [3]ʼs eyes sparkled like stars after hearing about puppet techniques. ”Can you teach me your puppet technique, Senior Brother? Actually, I have met Senior Miao before, and I wanted to learn her puppet technique. Unfortunately, I had to join her clan to learn it, so I gave up on my intention.”

Lin Moxian immediately touched Zhang Xiaolong [3]ʼs forehead and shared his puppet technique, triggering a notification.

===

[Ding]

[You obtained the Sky Puppet Imperial Art.]

===

”This way, you donʼt need to learn puppet techniques from Miao Miao, and you will be superior to her if you can master them.” Lin Moxian then reminded Zhang Xiaolong [3]. ”There are several types of puppets in that technique, but you should not create the Nine Yin Puppet and the Cursed Puppet.”

”Is there a problem with those two puppets?”

Lin Moxian nodded at him. ”The Nine Yin Puppet is quite sinister, and you have to use a womanʼs corpse to create it. However, you canʼt use a random corpse for it, and you have to find a female virgin corpse that was born on the night when Yin was at its peak, which is very rare. I donʼt know for sure why my grandfather forbade me from creating it, but he is very experienced in puppets, so I donʼt dare doubt his words.”

”Then, what about the Cursed Puppet?”

”The cursed puppet will curse you and everyone it touches.” Zhang Xiaolong [3] frowned at that. ”According to my grandfather, the curse will drain our vitality, and it will also reduce our lifespan. Therefore, I never created it, and you should not try to create it either.”

Zhang Xiaolong [3] expressed his understanding. ”All right, I will always remember your words.”

*Tap... Tap...*

Hong Xinxin walked into the room and questioned them. ”Where have you two been? Why did you guys just come back?”

”The Xi Clan.” Hong Xinxin immediately narrowed her eyes at Lin Moxian. ”Why are you looking at me like that? Donʼt you already know my junior brotherʼs true identity? Thatʼs why I brought him to see Xi Hongyan, and he helped me with something interesting, which can help me get her.”

Hong Xinxin already knew Zhang Xiaolong [3] quite well, so she could immediately guess his actions toward Xi Hongyan. ”Moxian, I want you to take Zhang Fei to see your aunt.”

”Huh?” Lin Moxian was taken aback by Hong Xinxinʼs request. ”Donʼt you know that my aunt wonʼt be willing to meet just anyone? Even if he is my junior brother, Iʼm sure she wonʼt be willing to meet him, so it would be useless.”

”Have you still not noticed the change in my appearance?”

”Hmm?” Lin Moxian looked at Hong Xinxin up and down before looking at her face. ”Oh god! I just realized that you have become so young now! Donʼt tell me that my junior brother helped you regain your youth.”

”Thatʼs right.” Hong Xinxin nodded to Lin Moxian, who immediately turned to Zhang Xiaolong [3]. ”He learned alchemy about five months ago, but he is already a grandmaster alchemist, and he will become a king-rank alchemist soon. Moreover, he is building his own force, so he has to help them with many things, and alchemy things are the best solution. If your aunt knows his talent, Iʼm sure she will be willing to meet him, and she will probably take him as her disciple.”

Zhang Xiaolong [3] immediately gave Lin Moxian his basic pills and the other two pills before explaining their effects. ”Since you are the nephew of the alchemist goddess, people will definitely not be suspicious of your appearance, Senior Brother. However, I hope you can hide the effects of the pills from your aunt, at least for now.”

Lin Moxian did not respond to Hong Xinxin or Zhang Xiaolong [3], and his gaze was only focused on the several pills in the two bottles, especially the two miracle pills. He knew for sure that Lin Jingxia had long coveted such pills, but unfortunately, she and Tian Shuixiang had never succeeded in concocting them. However, his junior has such pills, and their effects have been proven by the change in his future wifeʼs appearance. ”Did you really match these pills, Junior Brother?”

”Yes.” Zhang Xiaolong [3] replied with a nod. ”I gave you the two pills because you are my senior brother and you have already taught me your puppet technique. However, they will bring me serious trouble if too many people know about them, so I hope you can keep them both a secret to yourself. Once Iʼm ready to face all the cultivators from the upper realms, I will sell both of them to the public, but I will only sell them to certain people.”

Lin Moxian was, of course, aware of the risks of both pills. ”Donʼt worry, I wonʼt tell anyone about the two pills. Since your talent in alchemy is so extraordinary, I will take you to the Void Heaven Realm to meet my aunt. However, she is not an easy person, and you must prove your alchemy abilities to her first. If she deems you worthy, she will definitely be willing to meet you or even take you as her disciple, so you must prepare yourself well when we are on our way there.”

”How long does the journey to that realm take?”

”Two months.”

Zhang Xiaolong [3] then turned to Hong Xinxin. ”Do you want to join us?”

”No.” Hong Xinxin immediately refused. ”The situation in this realm is more under control, but I still have to help my family monitor everything, so I will stay here.”

”All right.” Zhang Xiaolong [3] then asked Lin Moxian. ”Shall we depart now, Senior Brother?”

”Letʼs go.” Upon arriving outside, Lin Moxian immediately took out his flying artifact, brought Zhang Xiaolong [3] on board, and quickly sped away from the Hong Clan.

Hong Xinxin immediately left the building and went to see her family. She explained to them that Lin Moxian had taken Zhang Xiaolong [3] to the Void Heaven Realm, and they then discussed their long-term plans, especially since their group had grown bigger.

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On the flying artifact, Zhang Xiaolong [3] felt relieved after his lightning tribulation was over, and his real body had returned to the Cloud Mansion to stabilize his cultivation. He turned to Lin Moxian, who had already started to swallow his basic pills before sitting down cross-legged. ʼAt first, I thought I would have to wait a long time to meet the alchemist god and the alchemist goddess, but I will meet one of them soon.ʼ

[I hope the alchemist goddess is willing to accept you as her disciple, Master. That way, your alchemy skills will increase greatly, and you will be able to concoct more pills for your people.]

ʼI was hoping for that myself, and I hope the alchemist goddess has a pill to speed up our cultivation so I can take them to the upper realms ahead of schedule.ʼ After that, Zhang Xiaolong [3] closed his eyes and began studying the Sky Puppet Imperial Art.

- To Be Continued -