Immortality begins with meditation puppets

"How was it, Master Su? Did the conversation go smoothly? If you ask me, the cultivators of the Lingbao Sect are like rocks in a latrine—stinky and stubborn. Their bad attitude towards people is notorious throughout the heavens. If you want them to respect you, you have to be tougher than them first. If this negotiation doesn't work out, Master Su, challenge them to a duel. Once they've won them over, then it'll be easier to talk!"

When Su Qing walked out of the Lingbao Sect's lodging with a heavy expression, Taoyuan Zhenjun, who had been waiting outside for a long time, walked over quickly, seemingly to comfort him, but in reality, he wished they would fight.

Before he left, he had witnessed Li Sanyang's cold and distant attitude towards Su Qing, looking down on her. Now, with Su Qing's displeased expression, he naturally felt that Su Qing had been trying to win him over!

Serves you right. You think you're so great just because you have a little skill. A mere Nascent Soul cultivator, you're acting like a pushover, trying to get cooperation with everyone you meet. Do you really think all the major sects in the world are as spineless as your Peach Blossom Sect? The Spirit Treasure Sect won't tolerate you!
It would be great if they fought; it would be perfect for Li Zhenjun to help me vent my anger!
"Fight? Fight what? How could I possibly fight with my Tiger Egg's master? What would it look like if others saw us!"

Su Qing's eyes widened, not understanding why True Monarch Taoyuan thought he would fight True Monarch Li. This True Monarch was a kind and taciturn person. He not only gave him a large sum of spirit stones and resources, but was also willing to carefully cultivate Tiger Egg, letting Tiger Egg enjoy the treatment of a deputy peak master at Zongjian Peak. In principle, Tiger Egg's freedom was greatly restricted. Whenever he wanted to go home to see his master, it was just a matter of saying a word. How could he have the nerve to fight with such a good True Monarch?
"What! When did Tiger Egg become Li Zhenjun's disciple?! How could such a good thing fall into the hands of a puppet? Master Su, how did you manage this? You must have paid him a hefty kickback!"

Taoyuan Zhenjun was shocked, regretful, disappointed, envious, and felt a mix of emotions. He said in a sour tone.

Su Qing glared at him and snapped:
"What? Is my Tiger Egg not worthy of being a disciple of the Lingbao Sect? Let me be frank with you, it's not me begging True Lord Li to take me as a disciple, it's True Lord Li begging to take my Tiger Egg as a disciple. Not only did he not ask for any kickbacks from me, he also gave me tens of millions of spirit stones to let me release Tiger Egg up the mountain!"

"Tsk tsk, this True Monarch of the Lingbao Sect is really something. In order to get on good terms with you, True Man Su, he actually pulled this stunt. Taking Tiger Egg as a disciple is nothing but a little trick to please you, True Man Su!"

Taoyuan Zhenjun didn't believe that Li Zhenjun would cry and beg Hudan to become his disciple. In his opinion, if Li Zhenjun wanted to take on a disciple, hundreds of sword talents from all the heavens and myriad realms would rush to become his disciple. Why would it be Hudan's turn? In the end, it was just that Hudan was a son who relied on his father's status and a puppet who relied on his master's status. He was just riding on Su Qing's coattails!

"How can you talk like that? If you keep this up, I'm returning you to your Peach Blossom Sect! You're such a high-ranking True Lord, how come you can't even do the job of a follower properly? My brother Hailang never utters a single waste of words when he goes out with me!"

After cursing Peach Blossom True Lord to make him understand who was the master and who was the servant, Su Qing waved his hand, telling him to lead the way. Before it got too late, he would visit and befriend a few more powerful sects in the heavens. These people had enjoyed countless years of good fortune in the heavens and were all extremely wealthy. They were all fat sheep that he should slaughter.

"Sigh, dogs..." Su Qing almost blurted out, but then remembered that True Monarch Taoyuan was also a big dog lover, so he stopped himself and changed his words to, "The fellow Daoists of the heavens are really too enthusiastic. With so much business, I'm starting to worry!"

"Master Su, it's not that I want to interrupt, but what you're saying is utterly inhuman. Isn't it good to have more business? If it weren't for these business deals, why would you drag me around all morning?" Master Taoyuan, who had been running around for him all morning, couldn't stop talking and complained.

"You ignorant, crippled second-generation immortal, how could you possibly know the difficulties of us self-made, promising young people? With so much business, production capacity can't keep up. Next, just for the puppet factory alone, we'll need to open several new production lines for Peng Armor Puppets, Flying Sword Puppets, and Cavalry General Puppets. Along with that, we'll need to refine all sorts of tool puppets and crafting puppets, including the large and small wooden spirit puppets, to get the factory running smoothly. Once production starts, I'll have to draw runes for each one, I'll be busy to death every day!"

Su Qing made no attempt to hide her contempt for Peach Blossom True Lord. Making money was good, but it was also damn tiring!
This time, Peach Blossom Spring True Lord did not refute him, but only slightly curled his lips, cursing in his heart.

Tired? You deserve to be exhausted! You're doing business worth millions or tens of millions of spirit stones, yet you insist on saving on wages. Can't you hire some workers? Why do you have to refine large and small wood spirits to do the work, exploiting the value of these free laborers? Being so stingy, who else would be tired if not you?

Just as he was cursing in his heart, Su Qing suddenly called out to him in front of a quaint and elegant courtyard.

"Please wait here for a moment, I'll be right back!"

"Don't keep me waiting! I'll go with you. I'm your follower, so wherever you go, I have to go too, lest you say I'm not doing a good job as your follower and complain to my sect about me!"

"Alright, you can come if you want, but put away your True Lord spiritual pressure and don't offend the people inside!"

After reminding Peach Blossom True Lord and seeing that he had suppressed his spiritual pressure and was no different from an ordinary person, Su Qing led him into the courtyard called the Martial Arts Hall.

This was the first time that True Lord Taoyuan had come here. Upon entering the courtyard, he realized that there was a world within. On the front wall, there were talismans with shimmering light and shadows. The light and shadows recorded on them were all from the present world of Tianyuan Realm, as well as from the ancient times, and were all classic battles, large and small.

As he walked and looked around, Taoyuan Zhenjun only glanced at the exhibits before noticing ancient battles familiar to all the heavens, such as "The Battle of the Ancestral Dragon's Surprise Attack on the Beast's Headquarters," "The Battle of Three Hundred Qilin Warriors Defending Qilin Mountain," "The Battle of Ten Thousand Swords of the Lingbao Sect Ascending Kunlun, the Battle of Attack and Defense Between the Lingbao and Yuanshi Sects," "The Battle of Five Hundred Arhats Against the Demoness," "The Battle of One Hundred Thousand Heavenly Soldiers Against the Great Sage," and "Erlang Zhenjun's Battle to Hunt Demons."

In addition, after the ancient calamity, the ancient sects fled into the void, fighting and killing each other for the interests of the heavens. Many battles were fought against the thirteen demonic realms to continue their ancient feuds, and talismans and their shadows were also passed down through generations.

Of course, there were also battles fought on Tianyuan's own territory, especially the one in the Land of Despair where Su Qing used puppets to fight against the demon army led by five high-ranking demons. This battle was the most eye-catching, and even Peach Blossom True Monarch stood there for a long time, sighing inwardly, "This boy is like me, he has the appearance of a great general!" But as surprised as he was, he still couldn't quite understand it!
"These battle record talismans are circulated in various sects and realms, but they are not easy to collect and cost a lot of money. Paying such a price to hang them here as decorations is really a waste!"

"What decorations? These are teaching materials. This martial arts academy is a key project for the next thousand years of my Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. So what if it costs a lot? It's not like I can't afford it!"

Su Qing, being wealthy and powerful, declared that he had plenty of money. "The number one mine owner in the heavens, do you think I'm kidding?"

Further inside, one sees axes, hooks, forks, swords, spears, halberds, and all eighteen kinds of weapons, as well as magical cannons, puppets, talismans, array plates, and other crafts. There are probably thousands of such items in total, and each one shows signs of wear and use. Just as he was wondering about this, he saw lines of large characters appearing indistinctly on a stone wall. Peach Blossom Spring True Lord couldn't help but read them aloud.

"This Month's Honor Roll"

Combat Category, First Place: Black Tyrant, Cultivation: 96 points (Upper Third Tier), Combat Skills: 95 points (Minor Mastery of Nine Li Strengthening Technique, Major Mastery of Western Mountain Axe), Combat Experience: 94 points (27 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss in encounters with opponents of the same tier), Total Score: 285 points, Reward Points: 1200 points (can be exchanged for spirit stones at a 1:1 ratio, or for corresponding spiritual items.)
Warfare Category, First Place: Xue Qinghua, Cultivation Level: 82 (Lower Foundation Establishment), Battle Formation Theory: 99 (Published an excellent paper: The New Era of Anti-Demon Warfare—Starting from Master Su's Wise Battle Against Five Evil Demons), Battle Formation Practice: 98 (Leaded a team at the Ziying Stone Mine, achieving a victory of one death and three injuries, wiping out an entire group of Spirit Absorbers, earning high praise from the mine owner who presented her with a banner as a token of gratitude), Total Score: 279, Reward Points: 1200 (Can be exchanged for spirit stones at a 1:1 ratio, or for corresponding spiritual items.)
In the Hundred Arts category, the first place goes to Chunyu Qiuzi. His cultivation level is 92 (below the Golden Core stage), his spiritual sense is 94 (he has achieved mastery of the Divine Technique and has made initial contact with the Divine Communication Technique), and his realm is 96 (a third-tier Mechanic). His reward points are 1200 (which can be exchanged for spirit stones at a 1:1 ratio, or for corresponding spiritual items).
In the Invention and Creation category, first place: Song Guosheng, Cultivation Level: 79 points (Great Perfection of Qi Refining, Half-Step Foundation Establishment), Innovation Project Points: 97 points (Third-Order Array, Seven-Colored Dust Sand Array (An Improved Version of the Small Yellow Sand Array)), Actual Project Value: 98 (After being reported by the lecturers of the Martial Arts Hall to the Hundred Arts Department of the Immortal Kingdom, and judged by professionals, this array improves the deceptive effect of the Small Yellow Sand Array and reduces its consumption by 30%, making it valuable for widespread application.), Total Score: 274 points, Reward Points: 1200 points (can be exchanged for spirit stones at a 1:1 ratio, or for corresponding spiritual items.), In addition, this array has been included in the Kaiyuan Hundred Arts Dao Register and is sold in major shops throughout the Immortal Kingdom. 30% of the sales revenue belongs to this student.

······"

The more Taoyuan Zhenjun looked, the more alarmed he became. None of the students listed here were more than three hundred years old. In terms of current ability and future potential, apart from a few sects such as Lingbao and Yuanshi, the true disciples of other sects in the myriad realms were of this caliber.

Although he knew that those who could make it onto this list were the best of the younger generation in the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, the true disciples of all realms and sects were all one in ten thousand, and they were all cultivated from childhood and nurtured by the resources of a sect.
In this way, these students were able to reach the level of the true disciples of the major sects. Upon further inquiry with Su Qing, it was learned that these students had at most cultivated in this martial arts hall for a hundred years. A few promising talents were only discovered in the last ten years or so. Before that, they had been growing wildly in tribes or remote areas in the far west. Taoyuan Zhenjun immediately put away his initial contempt for this martial arts hall, and even stopped looking down on Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom and Su Qing.

While this Master Su may amass wealth, he is truly capable of getting things done. With this Martial Arts Academy in place, the talent pool of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom may surpass that of all the major sects in the heavens. The future development of this immortal kingdom will also be beyond the reach of ordinary sects!

Taking a deep breath and continuing forward, Peach Blossom True Monarch could see that in the inner courtyard, there were cultivators dressed in indigo-blue uniforms with a large "Martial" character on their chests. Some were focused on strategizing around the sand table, while others were practicing Taoist techniques and combat skills under the guidance of Master Wanfa.

A vibrant and uplifting atmosphere swept over him, making Su Qing beside him beam with joy, feeling that his previous investment had not been in vain.

These people were chosen by him using the power of the Azure Dragon Dao Pattern to probe the destiny of countless immortals in Kaiyuan (including natives from the original far west, shamans from various tribes who came from all over the Tianyuan Realm, and islanders who migrated from the island kingdoms of the Western Sea). Cultivating them was the first project Su Qing had undertaken in recent years that did not show immediate returns, but given time, these people would surely become the backbone of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom and contribute to its development.

"Master Su has arrived!"

"Greetings, Master Su!"

"Master, I watched your arena match yesterday. You fought really well! That's how you teach those arrogant dogs from all the heavens to be taught a lesson!"

"Little Ba, you mustn't speak recklessly. Although the cultivators of the heavens are a bit arrogant, the mainstream ideology of the great unity of all realms cannot be broken. You mustn't speak recklessly and damage the relationship between my Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom and all the sects of the heavens!"

Clearly, Su Qing, who paid for the training, frequently visited the Martial Arts Hall to make his presence felt, which had earned him considerable respect among the cultivators. Over the past hundred years, these cultivators, young and old, have treated him with utmost respect and admiration, greeting him with excitement and joy whenever he arrived.

He patted the youngest of them, who had just turned eight a few days ago, but was already big and strong, and nearly three meters tall.

This little fellow is a Jiuli witch. His parents originally lived with their tribe in a fairy kingdom in the Eastern Wilderness. After Su Qing dealt with the sea witch, they followed Yao Fei's call and came to the Kaiyuan Fairy Kingdom with their tribe, entering the Kaiyuan Fairy Kingdom under the jurisdiction of the Holy Lord Su Qing. (The witches' title for Su Qing is not used by all witches; currently only the witches of four tribes—Jiuli, Xingtian, Kuafu, and Fengbo—recognize his status as the Holy Lord, ranking him above the Ancestral Witch.) On a stormy night, Hei Ba was born in the city of the far west, possessing the extraordinary characteristics of a blood witch. Everyone knew his bloodline was special. After alarming Su Qing, using the Xingtian Blood Axe, he determined that Hei Ba showed signs of reverting to the ancestral Great Witch. At the age of eight, he could already tear apart a third-tier demon king. Given time, he might truly one day recreate the glory of the ancient Great Witch.

Su Qing also valued him highly, providing him with all kinds of daily food, including the Long Dragon and Fat Tiger, as well as elixirs and miraculous medicines. In addition to one-on-one instruction from a specially crafted fourth-order master puppet, Su Qing also frequently invited fourth-order True Persons such as Xin Feng and Liu Qianpiao to practice with him to improve his combat skills.

I asked Hei Ba how he was doing lately, whether he had caused any trouble, or bullied his classmates who were on average fifty or sixty years older than him but were still his classmates.

"No, it's too boring to fight them. Only Zheng Dechun can hold his own against me for a bit, but he plays with a bow and it's very dirty. I don't want to play with him." Hei Ba shook his head, indicating that he was already eight years old and had reached the age where he should be mature. He then looked up and asked, "Master Su, everyone is vying for points. We also want to contribute to the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. Why can't we participate in the competition and help the Immortal Kingdom win points?" (End of this chapter)