Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Chapter 236 The advantage is with me, young master, rest assured

It is more than 20 miles outside Baiyun Immortal City.

The place is covered in silver and white, and the air is bitterly cold.

Being in Baiyun Immortal City, protected by the city's third-tier warm sun array, the group was unaware of the biting cold of the wilderness.

But once you arrive in this wilderness where there are no protective formations to keep you warm...

Even though Su Qing is now a second-level body cultivator and is wearing a high-grade magic robe, he still felt a chill.

The second-tier puppeteers behind Lin Fan were only wearing high-grade Cloud Maple robes, which could block most of the cold air, but they were still shivering from the cold.

"The weather is getting colder and colder. If this continues, Qi Refining cultivators and first-level body cultivators will not be able to leave the city to fight in the future!"

Li Mubai stroked his white beard and said in a deep voice.

Beside him stood Liu Songqing, a middle-aged man of short stature, but full of energy. In this frigid place that even second-level body cultivators found uncomfortable, he was not wearing any protective robes, only a coarse linen shirt, revealing his arms covered with runes.

"What does it matter? The little brats of the Immortal City can't go out to fight, and the demon brats don't dare to come out to attack the city. They're fighting and killing every day. At least this winter they can catch their breath and rest!"

"Rest? Demonic beasts can rest, rogue cultivators can rest, but can evil spirits rest? If no demonic beasts attack the immortal city and die, whose flesh and blood will the evil spirits devour during this time? Whose wronged souls will they eat? When evil spirits are hungry, they will really eat people!"

Li Mubai's eyelids twitched as he expressed his strong opposition to dragging Gao Erqiang, this evil spirit, into this vortex.

When they opened up the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range and entered the Western Sea cultivation world, it was to prevent the evil spirits of their sect from escaping their control and to secure a way out for the sect's future.

Unexpectedly, for the sake of a Jade Wall Immortal's cave dwelling and the so-called Nascent Soul opportunity, the Yunshan Sect is about to lose the foundation it has built up over a thousand years in the Western Sea cultivation world.

Just like before, they drank poison to quench their thirst, actively pulling evil spirits into their sect's camp. Just as they cut themselves off from the cultivation world of the Central Plains back then, they now want to cut themselves off from the cultivation world of the Western Sea.

If they obtain the Nascent Soul Cave and the sect leader also attains Nascent Soul status in one fell swoop, what will become of the vast Yunshan Sect in the future?

Should they continue to live among the monsters in the Hundred Beasts Mountain Range, barely surviving, or should they head west to the East Sea and fight against the Penglai Immortal Kingdom?
They're both at their wits' end, and their future is bleak!
Liu Songqing was also annoyed by what he said. In frustration, he kicked a mound of earth that had suddenly appeared on the road. The frozen mound of earth flew violently into the clouds that had been following the group.

With several muffled thuds, dozens of cloud rocs plummeted from the sky.

Su Qing noticed that neither the Lin family nor the accompanying Yunshan disciples were interested in Yun Peng's corpse, or perhaps they were interested but afraid of losing face.

Without further ado, he reached out and forcefully pulled the corpses of Yunpeng into his storage bag.

I made over 100,000 spirit crystals!
"You're quite clever, kid, and your physique is pretty good too. But there are very few puppeteers who have cultivated their physical abilities to the second level like you!"

Liu Songqing smiled and said to Su Qing, expressing his great admiration for her.

"Senior, you flatter me. My meager skills are hardly worthy of your attention. I merely practice them casually to serve as a protector and prevent harm from evil people."

Su Qing cupped his hands in a humble manner and said that Elder Liu Songqing was in the same camp as the master of Yuan Tianye and others, so he was very friendly to him, and he was willing to build a good relationship with him.

"Second-level body cultivation is not something that can be achieved by simply practicing. But since you are mainly pursuing the path of body cultivation, why do you still spend a huge amount of money to acquire the Talisman Genesis Technique?"

Do you perhaps still wish to pursue the path of cultivating both the Dharma and the body? This old Taoist advises you not to be overly ambitious. Both the Dharma and the body require diligent cultivation to reap rewards.

"Focusing on one path and even reaching the higher realms is already incredibly difficult; cultivating two paths is merely a waste of lifespan. Trying to do both will only result in losing everything!"

Li Mubai also took the opportunity to remind Su Qing, but before Su Qing could reply, he sighed deeply.

What's the use of saying all this? Looking at the vast White Cloud City in the distance, the evil light has already occupied a corner of the immortal city. Even under the blazing sun, the red evil light shows no sign of retreating. This kind of evil power will one day devour the immortal city completely.

Su Qing is destined to become food for demons sooner or later in this city, and her life is nearing its end. No amount of cultivation will be of much use to her.

On the contrary, the Lin family members, with their Golden Core ancestor as guarantor, might still have a chance to escape with their lives.

The two elders of the Yunshan Sect remained silent, their mood somber. The rest of the group also wisely kept quiet, creating a somber atmosphere further amplified by the harsh winds blowing through the wilderness, making everyone's hearts clench.

"Let's do it here. Each of you will release three hundred puppets. If either side loses more than ten percent of their puppets, they will be defeated. Do either of you have any objections?"

Li Mubai pointed to the open area ahead and said in an official tone.

“There’s no problem with the path!” Su Qing calculated the distance and, after confirming that the lizard riders could launch a charge, nodded in agreement.

"With only 10% casualties, how can the puppets' abilities be demonstrated? I know the two elders mean well; they are worried that we will suffer too many losses during the puppet battle."

However, the puppets chosen by the Yunshan Sect will later have to fight against the army of the Desire Demon Sect. This is a matter of great importance and must be handled with utmost care. As for the minor losses in the puppet battle, I believe Fellow Daoist Su, like my Lin family, can bear much more, right?

Lin Fan slightly raised his chin and looked at Su Qing with disdain. He wanted to destroy all the puppets that Su Qing had painstakingly created in this puppet battle and make Su Qing suffer as much loss as possible!

"Then, Fellow Daoist Lin, what casualties do you think are necessary to determine the victor?"

Seeing Lin Fan's unfortunate appearance, Su Qing knew what kind of trick he was up to, and asked with clasped hands.

"Thirty percent, no, fifty percent—only casualties like this can truly reveal the abilities of both sides' puppets!"

“Alright, then let’s do as Fellow Daoist Lin says, with a limit of 50% casualties!” Su Qing said decisively.

His confidence made Lin Fan feel somewhat insecure.

Turning his head to look at the puppeteers behind him, several second-tier puppeteers also exchanged glances.

"The advantage is with us, young master, rest assured!"

"Victory is assured, let's secure it!"

"A mere rogue cultivator, selling his head for a pittance, is not worth mentioning!"

"We'll slaughter them, leaving them utterly annihilated and penniless!"

Seeing that the puppeteers were still so confident, Lin Fan became even more confident.

The two confident puppeteers summoned their puppets from several miles apart.

On the Lin family's side, five second-tier puppeteers joined forces with Lin Fan, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, to control three hundred Blood Demon Puppets.

What caught Li Mubai and Liu Songqing's attention was that Su Qing was the only one controlling the group of lizard riders.

"To control three hundred first-grade high-level puppets single-handedly, such spiritual power is comparable to that of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, right?"

"Not only that, this boy is also wearing first or second-tier armor puppets, and his spiritual sense is so strong that even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator cannot compare to him!"

"I remember now, this boy joined my Yunshan Sect back then because of his extraordinary spiritual strength!"

"Back then, when that old demon went mad, this boy unfortunately fell victim to his poisonous hand. When he was found, he was as if he were dead. Although he was later sent down the mountain and inexplicably came back to life, he was depleted of both qi and blood, and his spiritual roots withered. He had no chance of making progress, so he was expelled from the mountain sect!"

"It's already a great fortune that he survived from that old demon. It seems that this boy must have had other good fortunes over the years, otherwise he wouldn't have such luck today!"

"What, you've got your eye on the opportunity he has?"

“In the past, perhaps there would be some use for it, but now, unless it's an opportunity that can immediately allow us to advance to the Golden Core stage, what use would it be to us?”

"That's true. Let's just focus on watching their puppet battle; it'll be quite a show."

(End of this chapter)