Immortality begins with meditation puppets

The Three Schools of Dao are the source of all Dao lineages in the heavens and the pillars supporting all realms. From ancient times to the present, they have been the greatest spiritual support and strength for all beings in the world to fight against evil.

Even though Su Qing is currently vying with the Lingbao Sect for the Zhuxian Sword Diagram and with the Yuanshi Sect for the right to speak in the heavens, he still respects and relies on these three sects of the Dao lineage. He understands that in order to achieve final victory in the struggle against evil forces in the present world, these three sects of the Dao lineage are indispensable!
From ancient times to the present, the various advantages accumulated by these three sects, as well as their prestige and influence throughout the myriad realms, have destined them to be indispensable in mobilizing the full power of all beings and spirits in the myriad realms.

The orthodox Xuanmen sect, the three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man, and all races and beings including demons, monsters, witches, dragons, and so on—these are the core forces in the fight against evil. If any one of them is missing, the chances of winning the final battle against evil will be reduced. Moreover, the Xuanmen power represented by the three sects of the Dao lineage is the one that suffered the least loss after the ancient calamity. The loss of this power cannot be made up for by Su Qing's efforts alone.

Therefore, when he thought that the three sects of this lineage might be infiltrated by evil spirits, he immediately realized that this matter was more important than the ownership of the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Diagram.

Of course, no matter what, the ownership of this Zhuxian Sword Diagram is also very important!
"Palace Master Zhuo, to tell you the truth, the massive amount of resources used to mobilize this Lingxiao Palace puppet were partly saved up by the hard work of the people of my Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, and partly obtained from war loans from Xiong Er Bank."

After this battle, all the cannonballs are used up, and all the money is gone. If I don't take something back with me, I won't be able to explain it to the people of Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, nor will I be able to deal with Xiong Er's money house!

Su Qing complained that the reason sounded absurd, so absurd that even the straightforward Zhuo Peiyu felt it was untenable.

"Su Tianjun, if all else fails, my Lingbao Sect can give you something. Isn't the final payment for that formation project still outstanding? Consider this payment as compensation for your help this time, how about it?"

"The final payment isn't urgent. We agreed to let you try out this formation project for a hundred years. If no problems are found after a hundred years, then we'll settle all the remaining payments. I, Su Qing, am known for my generosity. As long as I'm satisfied with the formations from your Lingbao Sect, I definitely won't withhold any of the final payments. But one thing at a time, the final payment for this formation project is not enough to cover the cost of the Immortal Execution Sword Diagram!"

Su Qing glared at Zhuo Peiyu. Who said sword cultivators were straight? This guy's mind works faster than anyone else's. He's worried that Zhuo Peiyu won't settle the final payment for the array project and is using this uncertain money to exchange for the Zhuxian Sword Diagram. Would he agree to that?
After talking for a long time without getting to the point, Zhuo Peiyu was also anxious, so she simply got straight to the point and hit the nail on the head.

"Palace Master Zhuo, you know that Tiger Egg is my puppet!"

"Yes, Lord Huwei and Lord Su are family. Our Lingbao Sect also considers Lord Huwei as family. So, we are all family. Since we are family, please don't be so petty!"

"Who told you we're family? Oh no, we are family, but even family members have different levels of closeness and distance. Look, isn't this Zhuxian Sword Diagram quite suitable for Tiger Egg? Tiger Egg has suffered so much. He's followed me through thick and thin all these years, undergoing major repairs and modifications several times. As his master, I often feel guilty towards him and have always thought about giving him some compensation. Now that he's learning swordsmanship at your Lingbao Sect, the best way to compensate him is to find some treasures suitable for sword cultivators. Don't you think this Xianxian Sword is quite suitable for him?"

"That really revealed the true intentions, hitting the nail on the head," Zhuo Peiyu was stunned for a moment after hearing Su Qing's words.

Su Qing's request sounds excessive at first glance. In any major sect across the myriad realms, it would be absolutely impossible for them to entrust such a treasure as the Immortal Trapping Sword to a disciple who has only been in the sect for a few hundred years, who was once someone else's puppet, and is still someone else's puppet now. A treasure of the sect should be kept by the sect leader or the supreme elder who established the sect. How could it be the turn of a disciple with a questionable background to take care of it?

But upon closer examination, it is indeed feasible, because their Lingbao Sect is not an ordinary sect among the heavens. Since ancient times, their Lingbao Sect has maintained the fine tradition of teaching without discrimination and accepting people indiscriminately. No matter if you are a dragon or a worm, as long as you enter the gate of the Lingbao Sect, they will truly treat you as family.

As for Tiger Egg, setting aside the fact that he is Su Qing's puppet or has picked up many of Su Qing's bad habits, his talent and potential, as well as his achievements in following Su Qing to subdue demons and monsters over the years, make him one of the most outstanding disciples in the Lingbao Sect. Although he is still a true disciple, he is already the unappointed peak master of the Lingbao Sect's Zongjian Peak, which is enough to squeeze into the leadership of the Lingbao Sect. If he were to wield the Immortal Trapping Sword, his status in the sect would be sufficient.

Furthermore, Tiger Egg's potential in sword cultivation is evident to everyone in the Lingbao Sect. In terms of sword talent, it is not much different from many of the current disciples of the Lingbao Sect. What makes it more advantageous than these disciples is that it not only has innate talent, but also external advantages.

At this point, its master, Su Qing, was no longer an obstacle on its path to enlightenment, but rather a guiding light. With Su Qing's abilities as the leader of the Heavenly Puppet Master, he constantly repaired and modified the tiger egg, continuously replacing its runes and materials with better and more suitable ones, patching up wherever needed. Ordinary sword cultivators might have to rack their brains and exert all their efforts to make up for their shortcomings, but this tiger egg only needed to call out to Su Qing, and Su Qing would treat this son like his own father, providing him with the best. No one in the Lingbao Sect could compare to this advantage. They could call Su Qing "father," but the key was that Su Qing wouldn't dote on their son!

Thus, Tiger Egg's current achievements and future prospects in swordsmanship are both commendable. Under the guise of nurturing future disciples, entrusting him with the management of the Immortal-Trapping Sword would be acceptable to the public. At least, as a seventh-level sword cultivator, Zhuo Peiyu would not be challenged by the Sword-Holding Hall Master, so there would be no problem.

Zhuo Peiyu's swordsmanship is based on straight swords, emphasizing directness and overwhelming force. This clashes with the elusive and trap-like nature of the Trapping Immortal Sword, which turns sword light into sword formations. Giving him this sword would not only fail to enhance his combat power but might even hinder his swordsmanship. This is why the Trapping Immortal Sword was not seized by the Evil Sword Demon before, and why he, as the Sword Master, never considered taking the sword when he was still at the Lingbao Sect.

Then, thinking back to Su Qing's earlier reminder that their Lingbao Sect might be infiltrated by evil spirits, Zhuo Peiyu immediately felt that handing the Immortal-Trapping Sword over to Hu Dan was the best option.

Of all the myriad realms, Su Qing is the least likely to be corrupted by demons. He possesses too many Dao patterns from the Four Emperors and Five Elders, as well as the Azure Dragon Dao pattern and the Tai Xu Sun and Moon Dao pattern, crucial to the position of Human Emperor and Heavenly Emperor. Add to that the Reincarnation Dao pattern he previously won back for all living beings after defeating the Reincarnation Demon, and these three Dao patterns alone encompass the three paths of Heaven, Earth, and Man. If he were to be infiltrated by demons, the myriad realms would have perished long ago. Since he is unlikely to be infiltrated, neither is Tiger Egg. Entrusting this sword to Tiger Egg is far safer than entrusting it to the elders of the sect who lost the sword years ago and were at risk of being infiltrated by demons. "Then it's settled. This Immortal-Trapping Sword will be entrusted to Tiger Might for safekeeping, and the Immortal-Slaying Sword Diagram will belong to us!"

Having thought it through, Zhuo Peiyu felt that this deal wasn't a bad one, so she readily agreed.

What he gave was not enough; Su Qing wanted more than he had imagined.

"That's why I say your sect cherishes its disciples. If I hadn't valued your sect for that, I wouldn't have been willing to hand Tiger Egg over to you. However, since you've already given the Immortal Trapping Sword to Tiger Egg, shouldn't you also temporarily entrust the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Diagram to him for safekeeping?"
Tiger Egg is suffering. He has been with me since he was a child. He has never seen anything good. He learned about the basics and theories of swordsmanship from small picture books bought from roadside stalls. He is far less knowledgeable than the disciples of your sect. However, the Zhuxian Sword Diagram contains the ultimate principles of swordsmanship, which can make up for Tiger Egg's shortcomings. The Xianxian Sword can only unleash its greater power when used together with the Zhuxian Sword Diagram!
Besides, even if Tiger Egg recovers, does that mean it only benefits me? A puppet sent away is like water spilled; it's lucky if it occasionally returns to the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom to visit me. Most of the time, isn't it still in your Lingbao Sect? Its strengthening benefits your Lingbao Sect the most!"

After a long and rambling speech, Zhuo Peiyu's eyebrows twitched wildly. Several times she wanted to interrupt Su Qing and angrily denounce this shameless person for being too shameless, but in the end she was able to control her impulse with the tenacious Dao heart of a seventh-level sword cultivator.

It was only because of his superior cultivation that he was able to hold back, because the Lingbao Sect disciples behind him were already so angry that they wanted to draw their swords at Su Qing!
His request was far too unreasonable, an insult to the intelligence of the Lingbao Sect.

They accepted giving the Immortal-Trapping Sword to Hu Dan. Like the other three swords, it lacked a sword spirit. A sword without a sword spirit is like a person without a soul, greatly diminishing its power. For the Lingbao Sect at present, its symbolic significance outweighed its practical significance. Giving it to Hu Dan in exchange for Su Qing not getting entangled with the Immortal-Slaying Formation Diagram was acceptable to them.

But to give them the Immortal-Trapping Sword and demand the Immortal-Slaying Array Diagram is going too far. The Immortal-Slaying Array Diagram is exactly what the Spirit Treasure Sect desperately needs, and it can only be used to its fullest potential in their hands. Many array masters in the Array Hall and many sword cultivators in the Sword-Holding Hall can benefit from this Immortal-Slaying Array Diagram. But what about Tiger Egg? Can Tiger Egg understand arrays, or can it comprehend more and better sword techniques from them than they can? Does it deserve to wield this array diagram alone?
Most importantly, giving this formation diagram to Hu Dan is the same as handing it over to Su Qing. It would be better to just give it to Su Qing now!
Su Qing noticed the displeasure of the Lingbao Sect sword cultivators and knew what they were worried about. Before they could collectively erupt in anger, he quickly pressed down on Zhuo Peiyu's shoulders, who was struggling to control her breathing, and said:
"Palace Master Zhuo, if you don't trust my character, I won't force you. But I can swear to God that after this array diagram is handed over to Hu Dan, I, Su Qing, will never possess or borrow it in any form or under any pretext. This diagram is in Hu Dan's possession, but it still belongs to the Lingbao Sect. Hu Dan only has the right to use it, not the ownership. If your sect feels that Hu Dan has done something wrong and is not worthy of this diagram, you can take it away at any time, and I, Su Qing, will not question it!"

After Su Qing finished speaking, Zhuo Peiyu's anger subsided considerably. His main concern was indeed this: he feared Su Qing might use Hu Dan to gain actual control of the Zhuxian Sword Diagram. Since he had no such intention, and the diagram was with Hu Dan, the Lingbao Sect could use it whenever they wanted, and take it back whenever they wanted, so there was nothing unacceptable about it.

"What are you saying, Lord Su? Your character is known to all living beings in the heavens. How could I not believe you? There's no need for oaths or swearing oaths. But in order for me to be able to report back to the sect, you should sign a spiritual contract with me. It will not be bound by the Heavenly Origin and the Earth, but by your Dao Heart and Dao Fruit. If you violate this spiritual contract, you can simply disintegrate your Dao Fruit."

Su Qing's character is certainly untrustworthy, and Zhuo Peiyu certainly wouldn't trust him anyway. Swearing oaths is even more absurd. Heaven and Earth treat him like their own son. If others break their oaths, Heaven and Earth might punish them. But if Heaven and Earth break their oaths, it's very likely that they'll just give him a minor punishment as a warning and let it slide. So, it's most reliable to have him swear on his own Dao Fruit.

Hey, this old swordsman is pretty shrewd!
Su Qing cursed inwardly, knowing that there was no chance of finding a loophole, so he didn't insist any further and obediently made a vow with his own Dao Fruit as Zhuo Peiyu requested.

In this way, his intention to use the Immortal Slaughtering Array Diagram to benefit the array masters of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, accelerate the development of array techniques in the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, and attempt to use the Immortal Slaughtering Array Diagram to refine a seventh-order peak puppet was completely thwarted. What he gained was equipping Tiger Egg with the Trapping Immortal Sword and the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Diagram, the two most luxurious and top-quality equipment for sword cultivators. He could only hope that Tiger Egg would live up to his training and be able to fully realize his talent in swordsmanship using these two treasures.

A seventh-tier peak puppet can be created without using the Immortal Slaughtering Formation Diagram, or it can be created by Tiger Egg through its own hard work!

With the ownership of the Immortal Slaughtering Formation Diagram settled, there's not much else to discuss regarding the Evil Sword Realm's gains this time.

Because the high-ranking demons of the Evil Sword Realm have all been transferred to the Demon Buddha's command, the quality of the evil runes seized in the Evil Sword Realm this time is not very high, and they are all dropped by mid-ranking demons.

Su Qing is currently in a state of reducing and seeking emptiness regarding the Dao patterns, and has no interest in these low-level evil patterns. After the merit wooden fish purified them into Dao patterns, he simply distributed them as post-battle rewards to the cultivators from all realms present.

These Dao patterns, which Su Qing had grown tired of eating, were not considered top-tier items by the various realms and sects, but they were still quite valuable. Seeing Su Qing's generosity, they were pleasantly surprised and also gave Su Qing plenty of emotional value.

"Su Tianjun is so open-minded! Everyone says you're cunning, but this is slander, defamation, and a deliberate attempt to ruin Su Tianjun's reputation!"

"I came here unharmed, without any injuries or deaths. I was transported by puppets and reaped a huge amount of merit for free. Afterwards, I even received Dao inscriptions in my account. This job is easy, and I want to do it again in the future!"

"Hehe, the news of the Evil Sword Realm's destruction will probably spread throughout all the heavens and myriad realms soon. I really want to see how those forces that didn't come today will react after hearing this news. They'll probably be slapping their thighs until they're swollen!" (End of this chapter)