Building an Eternal Dynasty: The Eternal Legacy System

The Everlasting Puppet (Part 2)

Every clone accumulated experience.

Everything eventually returned to a single person.

It was an ability so heaven-defying that even Victor found it extraordinary.

However...

Its price was equally horrifying.

Splitting one’s soul was not ordinary pain.

It was like tearing apart every strand of one’s spirit with bare hands before throwing each fragment into blazing molten flames, remaining conscious through every second of the suffering.

Few people could survive such torment once.

Even fewer would willingly endure it twice.

Leandro...

Had done it hundreds of times.

Every successful soul division meant another cultivator working on his behalf.

One day of cultivation for him was no longer a single day’s effort.

It had become the equivalent of hundreds of days cultivated simultaneously.

Combined with the abundant spiritual energy throughout Sovereign Blessed Land and the endless supply of precious spiritual herbs...

His cultivation speed had reached an almost unbelievable level.

At that pace...

Even an ordinary beast would eventually awaken intelligence.

Perhaps...

Victor thought quietly...

Repeatedly tearing apart his own soul had altered something fundamental within him.

Perhaps that was why his aptitude had become so strangely distorted.

A young man blessed with the inheritance of an Eternal Emperor Realm expert.

A young man who had transformed caution into obsession.

A young man ruthless enough to inflict unimaginable suffering upon himself over and over again without hesitation.

Just how far...

Would Leandro Salvatore ultimately climb?

Even Victor found himself looking forward to witnessing the answer.

If Victor hadn’t quietly swept the entire Sovereign Blessed Land with his spiritual perception earlier, even he might have been deceived by Leandro’s endless precautions.

The more he learned about the young man...

The more amused he became.

Just how paranoid was this kid?

The answer was surprisingly simple.

Leandro’s small wooden cabin, tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of the blessed land, contained no fewer than several hundred formations. More than a hundred of them existed solely to conceal his presence and erase every trace of his aura. Every wall, every beam, every floorboard had been carefully modified.

And inside...

Thousands upon thousands of talismans were hidden everywhere.

Some were buried beneath the floor.

Some were concealed within the walls.

Some were disguised as ordinary pieces of furniture.

Others were folded into paper dolls so perfectly that even experienced cultivators would overlook them.

Every corner of the cabin contained another safeguard.

Every safeguard concealed another escape route.

Every escape route led to another hidden contingency.

It was enough to make even veteran cultivators question their own sanity.

Victor looked at the respectful young man standing before him and smiled faintly.

”You have your own path to walk, your own Great Laws of World to seek.”

”That’s a good thing.”

Leandro slowly raised his head.

His emerald-green eyes revealed a trace of surprise.

Victor stepped forward and gently patted his shoulder.

”Harm no one who hasn’t harmed you, but never let your guard down.”

He paused for a brief moment before speaking in a softer voice.

”Still... leave a little room in your heart.”

Leandro quietly listened.

Every word sank deeply into his mind.

”Remember this.”

”You are the Salvatore Family’s First Rank.”

”Your title...”

Victor smiled.

”...is Everlasting Puppet.”

Leandro’s pupils trembled slightly.

The title suited him perfectly.

He had spent years hiding behind countless puppets and paper dolls, never revealing his true self unless absolutely necessary.

Victor continued,

”No matter what happens...”

”The family is your greatest backing.”

”As your Patriarch...”

”I will always shelter you.”

His calm voice carried unquestionable confidence.

There was no arrogance.

No exaggeration.

Only absolute certainty.

The evening breeze swept gently across Sovereign Peak, causing Victor’s long black hair to sway behind him. His black robe embroidered with golden dragons fluttered softly, while the setting sun painted the sky in brilliant shades of crimson and gold.

Standing before such a figure...

Leandro felt an unfamiliar warmth spread through his heart.

Victor suddenly seemed to remember something.

”You may enter Sovereign Peak at any time from now on.”

”I grant you—”

He stopped midway through the sentence.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

”Actually...”

”Never mind.”

”A Divine White Pegasus is far too flashy for your tastes.”

Leandro awkwardly scratched his cheek.

Victor had guessed correctly.

Flying around on such a magnificent spiritual beast would attract far too much attention.

That was the last thing he wanted.

Victor waved his hand.

A finely crafted jade box appeared in his palm.

Its surface shimmered with faint spiritual light.

”Take what’s inside this jade box.”

He placed it gently into Leandro’s hands.

Leandro froze.

For several breaths...

He didn’t move.

Hidden inside his sleeves were thousands of talismans.

Hundreds of paper dolls rested around his waist.

Even strands of his hair contained tiny life-saving techniques prepared for emergencies.

Every instinct he possessed urged him to examine the jade box.

Inspect it.

Test it.

Seal it.

Hide it.

Open it only after creating several hundred safety formations.

That was how he had always survived.

Ever since receiving the inheritance within his dream, he had imagined countless possibilities.

Perhaps the mysterious Patriarch possessed an ancient inheritance greater than his own.

Perhaps Victor had already discovered his greatest secret.

Perhaps today would be the day he died.

He had even imagined Victor demanding that he surrender everything he had obtained from the Eternal Emperor Realm inheritance.

He had prepared for every possibility.

Every single one.

Except this.

Victor hadn’t questioned him.

Hadn’t threatened him.

Hadn’t tried to seize his inheritance.

Instead...

The Patriarch had simply acknowledged his future path...

And promised that the Salvatore Family would always stand behind him.

For the first time in this many years...

Leandro’s constantly vigilant heart became completely quiet.

------------------

Author’s Note

If you enjoyed this story, please support the novel by reading, adding it to your library, and leaving your Power Stones or gifts. Every bit of support motivates me to continue bringing Victor and the Salvatore Family’s journey to life. Thank you for reading!