Serpent Ancestor

”Sect Master!”

Night Owl’s eyes widened.

The secret of the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation was known only to a few high-ranking members. Over the years, the formation had never been complete, always missing its core.

The core was set by the first generation sect master, Gongshu Zi. No one else could control it. Anyone else attempting to force their way in would have their soul scattered, becoming a mere puppet.

Daoist Sparrow closed his eyes tightly, the Law of Gold infused throughout his body, into every inch of his flesh. Before long, he transformed into a golden puppet body.

His primordial spirit had already dissipated, completely merging with the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation.

”As long as the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation stands, so does the sect! If the formation falls, the sect falls!”

”Though the ancestors have perished, their bodies, their wills, their laws, their Dao, all remain within the formation.”

”No one can live forever, but as long as the formation endures, our Divine Puppet Sect will pass down through the generations, eternally undying!”

Daoist Sparrow closed his eyes.His divine sense had already faded, even the remnants were quickly disappearing. He left no path of retreat for himself.

No sect master would disregard their sect. In Daoist Sparrow’s eyes, the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation was the Divine Puppet Sect.

”My Dao ends here. The road ahead is for my successors.”

With a final long sigh, Daoist Sparrow’s physical body officially turned into a puppet. Everything he had—his true essence, divine sense, laws, and his Dao—merged into the formation, becoming part of it.

At this moment, he became the core of the formation.

After Daoist Sparrow merged, the eyes of all the puppets lit up, as if each puppet had come to life.

A strange light flickered in Jiang Bufan’s eyes. The more he observed, the brighter his eyes became.

”Good! Good! I never imagined the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation wasn’t complete! Hahaha!”

Jiang Bufan praised repeatedly, then burst into laughter, as if he had discovered a rare treasure.

The cultivators of the Blood Refining Sect had their pupils contract, their bodies trembling. Facing the complete Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation, they felt an unprecedented sense of oppression.

It was like the ancient times when the Blood Refining Sect faced the pressure of Gongshu Zi.

”Let me, Jiang, witness the power of the complete Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation!”

Jiang Bufan laughed heartily, his hand gestures changing, drawing the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth, quickly converging it into a large seal that descended from the sky, aiming to smash into the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation.

All the puppets’ chests radiated a dazzling light.

The Law of Fire, the Law of Wood, the Law of Gold, the Law of Water, the Law of Earth, the power of the Five Elements converged, forming a Five Elemental Handprint, a supreme skill the first ancestor had longed for. With the complete Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation, it was unleashed, smashing towards the Jiang family’s seal.

”Boom...”

…………

At the earth core of Moon Star, in the central area.

In a hidden spatial crevice, a golden puppet with closed eyes suddenly opened them.

He let out a bitter smile and said, ”Master, you bet correctly.”

Behind the golden puppet, a misty voice sounded, ”So as agreed, this body is mine.”

In fact, this golden puppet was not Gongshu Zi’s true self.

It was merely a puppet he refined in the past, which had developed self-awareness and cultivated on its own.

All things have spirit; wood has spirit, stone has spirit, gold has spirit, even magical treasure puppets can develop spiritual essence.

As for Gongshu Zi’s true self, only a remnant of his divine sense remained, lingering in the space behind.

Gongshu Zi still had a remnant because he had an unfulfilled wish—

The Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation was not yet complete!

This was Gongshu Zi’s lifelong regret, and in the eyes of the golden puppet, the formation was simply impossible to complete. No one would willingly abandon their Dao to become part of the formation.

As a sentient puppet, his life’s goal was to succeed in cultivation and escape the puppet form! He couldn’t understand why anyone would forsake their intelligence to become a soulless puppet.

It was simply a fantasy!

But he lost the bet. There really was such a fool in this world, who even gave up the great opportunity bestowed by Jiang Bufan to complete the final step of the Thousand Mechanisms Grand Formation.

”A bet is a bet, this body is temporarily yours.” The golden puppet closed his eyes.

A gray light entered his brow.

When the golden puppet opened his eyes again, they were aged and profound, an unmatched dominance and majesty surged from within, his cultivation rapidly ascending, breaking through Divine Transformation, reaching the early stage of Void Shattering.

He had once again become an ascended cultivator.

”This wretched place, it’s time to leave!”

Gongshu Zi, clad in golden armor, wielded a golden mechanical longsword. Flames burst from beneath his feet and the wings on his back as he soared into the sky, out of the secret realm, out of the surface of Moon Star, teleporting continuously towards the direction of the Divine Puppet Sect.

”Divine Puppet Sect, your sect master has returned!”

…………

Outer battlefield.

Deep underground, a green lotus enveloped a white snake, growing slowly.

The white snake’s form flickered, sometimes turning into a snake, sometimes into a girl in white, constantly shifting.

After an unknown period, the girl with closed eyes suddenly began to struggle violently.

She seemed to be having a nightmare, her body trembling, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes, her eyes red, face pale, arms trembling slightly, as if she had seen something terrifying.

”Little one, did you have a nightmare?”

A gentle voice came from within the green lotus beneath the girl in white.

The girl in white, her eyes red, breathed heavily, then hurriedly said, ”Senior Green Emperor, I... I can’t sleep any longer, I want to go back, I want to go home!”

She spoke rapidly, as if faced with an urgent situation.

”No matter what the request, I agree, I just want to go back.” The girl in white said anxiously.

Her primordial spirit was still recovering, but for some reason, perhaps due to a mysterious intuition, she felt an urgent need to return, willing to pay any price.

The green lotus remained silent for a long time before letting out a soft sigh, ”Xu Bai, you were born free, I have not stopped you.”

”If you wish to go, then go. As long as you want to leave, the path is beneath your feet!”

The Green Emperor’s voice grew fainter, accompanied by a green light enveloping Xu Bai. The green lotus quickly shrank, turning into nourishment, merging into her body, into her primordial spirit.