Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Master Qingfeng's words caused the expressions of all the cultivators present to freeze. Then, seeing Su Qing's calm yet inwardly delighted expression after hearing his words, the cultivators looked at this old senior who had experienced the ancient and modern times and witnessed countless cycles of power and ups and downs with awe.
They are all seasoned professionals, intelligent individuals who have climbed step by step to the top of their respective sects and clans in this treacherous world of cultivation.

How could they not know what Su Qing's actions after annihilating the Evil Sword Realm were all for!
It should be understood that although these people had previously gathered around Su Qing and followed him in launching the Tianyuan All-Heavens Joint Battle to annihilate the Evil Sword Realm, it does not mean that these people, at least not all of them, firmly stood on the side of Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom and Su Qing, or on the opposite side of Yuanshi Sect.

Following Su Qing to eradicate evil spirits is the absolute political correctness in all the heavens and myriad realms at present. Even if the Primordial Sect knows this, at most they will mutter a few words in secret, and there is absolutely no reason to blame them for it.

In the view of most sects present, there was no problem in forming a united front against demons with Su Qing, because demons are the biggest problem in all the worlds right now, and all living beings have an inescapable responsibility to take any action against demons.

However, they were not so keen on following the example of Master Qingfeng of Wuzhuang Temple, immediately bowing down to Su Qing and following his lead from now on, maintaining consistency with the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom in matters other than the fight against demons, especially in actions against behemoths like the Yuanshi Sect.

The forces that are present today are not insignificant in the myriad realms. Insignificant forces would not be qualified to be invited to participate in such a major operation, nor would they dare to risk offending the Yuan Shi Sect and the Dong Wang Sect by coming here.

Since they are not minor figures, they have the right to sit on the fence and choose sides. In this ideological struggle between the Yuanshi Sect and the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, will the Yuanshi Sect, with its prudent and stable approach, use its accumulated profound foundation to overwhelm the fledgling Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, or will the passionate and rapidly rising Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, grasp the pulse of the present world and, under Su Qing's leadership, surpass its predecessors and prove that they are the standard-bearers of this era?

Whether the East Wind will prevail over the West Wind or the West Wind will prevail over the East Wind is uncertain. The risk of losing by taking sides is too great. Therefore, most capable sects are still trying to avoid offending either side and will choose the final winner when the dust settles.

But while they thought that way, Su Qing clearly didn't.

What he wanted was for these sects and forces to clearly and unambiguously choose sides, without ambiguity, equivocation, or playing both sides. He didn't expect them to be as fanatical as the Zixia Sect was towards the Yuanshi Sect, but at least they should be as respectful as the Penglai Immortal Kingdom was towards the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, regardless of whether they were truly convinced or not.

The result was clearly disappointing for Su Qing.

Despite the great victory in annihilating the Evil Sword Realm, which proved Su Qing and the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom's ability to fight major and tough battles in front of these sects, and the exemplary role played by Daoist Qingfeng of Wuzhuang Temple, the number of forces that ultimately made a firm commitment and were willing to unite under the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom was very small, barely countable.

This was somewhat beyond Su Qing's expectations. He was prepared for the fact that not many forces had been subdued. After all, a great victory doesn't mean much. From ancient times to the present, the Yuanshi Sect has led the various sects in many more tough battles and victories. They have proven themselves time and time again, and their invincible status in the eyes of the other sects is more deeply rooted.

But he's about to inherit the throne of the Heavenly Emperor and the Human Emperor, so he should get some boost, right? Those present are all forces in the heavens that are relatively friendly to the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. In his opinion, winning over and subduing twenty or thirty forces and sects shouldn't be a big problem.

Since the number has not yet reached that level, there must be reasons that he has not considered. Therefore, he gave a wink, signaling to Peach Blossom Spring True Lord, the social butterfly of the heavens, to inquire around.

“Fellow Daoist Liu, your Fangzhang Sect has always lived in seclusion outside the cultivation center from ancient times to the present day, and has not had deep ties with the three major sects of the Dao lineage. It is said that you have no relationship with the Yuanshi Sect. Now that you have seen the potential of Su Tianjun, you should know that now is a great opportunity to bet on him. Why are you still hesitating and indecisive?”

"My sect has no real relationship with the Yuanshi Sect, but we have no grudges either. The storms on both sides are too great for my sect's small boat to withstand. If we are not careful, our millennia-old foundation could be overturned in an instant. How could I bear that responsibility!"

“For a foundation that lasts for ten thousand years, any decision must be made with caution, and I understand that. But when it’s time to make a decision, you must make it decisively. You must know that there is a world of difference between adding flowers to brocade and providing charcoal in the snow.”

Taoyuan Tianjun knew that Su Qing had only sent him to sound out the situation, not to act as a persuader. After understanding the attitude of the Fangzhang Sect, he only offered a brief word of advice before turning to ask the other forces. Their answers were all similar.

"Su Tianjun is excellent, truly exceptional. The leader of all the heavenly puppets, a candidate for Heavenly Emperor, and a future Human Emperor—his abilities and character are both top-notch. I admire him immensely. But I also admire the Primordial Sect; they've done remarkably well over the years..."

"Brother Tao, let me speak from the bottom of my heart. When our sect was in its most difficult time, the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom provided us with thousands of exorcism puppets. At that time, they were also struggling, but because our sect was being entangled by the Chaos Demon Realm, they didn't ask our sect for a single spirit stone in order to help our realm overcome the crisis. Out of gratitude for their kindness, our sect is now doing everything in its power to lend them a helping hand. But this doesn't mean that we're going to follow the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. Please don't misunderstand!"

"Ah, with whom? With Su Tianjun? Sure, Su Tianjun is a good person to work with, and he's capable of great things. Working with him is no problem, but working against the Yuanshi Sect is absolutely out of the question!"

"Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom? How many seventh-level Dao Lords do they have? None? Not a single seventh-level Dao Lord. What makes them think they can make us submit? And what makes them think they can stand against the Yuanshi Sect!"

The Heavenly Lord of Peach Blossom Spring collected all the cultivators' reactions and relayed them to Su Qing, summarizing as follows:
"Everyone still recognizes Su Tianjun and the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. The reason why they are unwilling to express their opinions is due to three concerns."

First, the Primordial Emperor was powerful and influential, and his prestige in the heavens was excessive.

Secondly, the prevailing mindset among major players of diversifying their investments and operating prudently prevents them from putting all their eggs in one basket and from undertaking such risky ventures.

Thirdly, the absence of a seventh-level Dao Lord in the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom has left other forces feeling uncertain.

Su Qing remained silent while the Heavenly Lord of Peach Blossom Spring expressed his first two concerns, as he had already considered these two points. It wasn't until the Heavenly Lord finished speaking about the third concern that Su Qing frowned and asked:
"A seventh-order Dao Lord? Such an existence is indispensable for a force that wants to reach the pinnacle of the heavens. My Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom did not have one before. I can understand why other forces are worried about this and even underestimate my Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. After all, even if it were me, I would not entrust the future of my sect to a force that does not even have a strong person who can participate in the top battles of the heavens."

"But in the recent great battle, my Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom has already proven with the Lingxiao Palace Puppet that we possess combat power at the seventh-tier Dao Lord level. With my abilities, given enough time, creating a second and a third Lingxiao Palace Puppet is only a matter of time. These forces should also know this, so why do they still have such concerns!"

Su Qing's doubts were genuine. He had rushed to create the Lingxiao Palace Puppet, hoping for an instant success and to fill the gap in high-level combat power in the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom. If the Lingxiao Palace Puppet performed poorly in this battle, he would accept it. After all, theoretical strength is just theoretical strength. Without actual combat experience, it's hard to convince everyone. It's similar to the story in his previous life where the French Rafale, a top-tier fourth-generation fighter jet purchased by the White Elephant Kingdom at great expense, was humiliated by the Dragon Kingdom's export-oriented third-generation fighter jet, which had always been questioned.

You can't judge a book by its cover; you need real achievements to prove yourself.

He had been worried that the puppet in the Lingxiao Palace might malfunction or embarrass him in front of the other sects and cultivators.

However, after this great battle, it has been proven that all these worries were unnecessary. The evil sword and demonic symbol now engraved on the Lingxiao Palace puppet ship has already shown all the cultivators the puppet's abilities. Logically speaking, all the cultivators should no longer question the strength of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom.

"Lord Su, please don't be agitated. Everyone is just saying that the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom doesn't have a seventh-tier Dao Lord, not that your Lingxiao Palace Puppet is bad." Seeing that Su Qing was a little agitated, Lord Taoyuan quickly comforted him. He also thought the Lingxiao Palace Puppet was really good. In his opinion, the puppet was almost flawless. If he had to point out a flaw, it might only be that the puppet didn't belong to their Taoyuan Sect, and the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom had no plans to export it for the time being.

"If the puppet in the Lingxiao Palace is fine, why do they still question whether my Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom has a seventh-level Dao Lord!"

"Hasn't Su Tianjun understood yet? Everyone is questioning the seventh-tier Dao Lord, not the puppet!"

"How can it be irrelevant? If a seventh-level Dao Lord can do something, why can't my Lingxiao Palace puppet do it?"

"A seventh-order Dao Lord has the ability to preach and spread the Dao to various sects; a seventh-order Dao Lord has the hope of advancing to the Dao Ancestor Saint; a seventh-order Dao Lord has boundless lifespan and no worries about old age, death, or decline. Does the Lingxiao Palace puppet possess these qualities?"

"Hey! You guys are going too far! The Lingxiao Palace Puppet is just a puppet used for combat. As long as it performs well in battle, that's enough. How can you expect so much from it!"

"That's right, the Lingxiao Palace puppet is already amazing. Nobody is demanding that it be like a seventh-tier Dao Lord. What everyone wants is for the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom to produce one or more seventh-tier Dao Lords!"

"Puppets won't work?"

"Puppets won't work!"

Seeing the resolute expression on Taoyuan Tianjun's face, Su Qing's heart sank, and she let out a long sigh of helplessness.

Now he understood.

The significance of the seventh-tier Dao Lords to the major sects of the heavens is not merely reflected in their combat power.

He was too naive in the past, thinking that everyone revered the seventh-level Dao Lords because of their unparalleled combat power that one person could withstand a million soldiers, and that creating a war machine like the Lingxiao Palace Puppet would make up for the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom's disadvantage in this regard.

Now, all the sects and cultivators are telling him that a puppet is just a puppet after all. Even if its combat skills can reach the level of a seventh-order Dao Lord, it cannot truly compare to the status of a seventh-order Dao Lord in the hearts of all the sects and cultivators.

After thinking about it carefully, he could understand it.

If a seventh-order puppeteer can create a seventh-order puppet, and if a seventh-order puppet can be comparable to a seventh-order Dao Lord, then the art of puppetry would undoubtedly be the number one among all cultivation arts. Cultivators in all realms would not need to cultivate other great paths; they could simply focus on cultivating the art of puppetry.

The art of puppetry is not as heaven-defying as some claim, nor are puppets as magical as some claim. The puppets in the Lingxiao Palace contain the true spirit of the Great Emperor of the North Pole Ziwei, and are equipped with many puppets to assist him, but they still cannot compare to the significance of the Great Emperor of the North Pole Ziwei's true form to all the heavens and myriad realms.

The seventh-level Dao Lord is a realm only one step away from becoming an Ancestor or a Saint. Every cultivator who can reach this realm is a cultivator with the most talent, perseverance, and opportunities in the past, future, and all the myriad realms.

If each of them were selected and their cultivation experiences were condensed to a period of several hundred to a thousand years, similar to Su Qing's, their brilliance, mystery, and unparalleled stature would be no less than Su Qing's. For example, Zhuo Peiyu, who gracefully departed after slaying the Evil Sword Demon, was once the most radiant and dazzling figure of an era, dominating all the geniuses of his time.

Therefore, it is wishful thinking to think that a seventh-order puppet can rival a seventh-order Dao Lord. Perhaps one day, Su Qing will be able to refine a top-grade seventh-order puppet that can be compared with those acquired Dao Lords who have attained the seventh-order Dao Lord status through cultivating the acquired Dao, but it will never be able to compare with these innate Dao Lords who each led an era.

"How could I not know how rare and powerful a seventh-order Dao Lord is? But each of them has cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years to achieve enlightenment. During that time, personal talent, good fortune, and changes in the times are all indispensable. At this point, to ask my Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom to produce a seventh-order Dao Lord is simply asking too much of us!"

"It won't take 100,000 years. The record for the fastest advancement to the seventh-level Dao Lord in the present world was set by that Dao Lord Zhuo just now. He took 300 years to reach the Nascent Soul stage, 3000 years to reach the Heavenly Monarch stage, and 30,000 years to reach the Dao Lord stage. In a total of 33,300 years, he achieved the seventh-level Dao Lord status. Su Tianjun's talent is no less than that of Dao Lord Zhuo, and may even be slightly better. In my humble opinion, if Su Tianjun were to withdraw from worldly affairs, he might be able to achieve enlightenment in 10,000 years!"

Taoyuan Tianjun spoke sincerely and earnestly. These words were not meant to comfort Su Qing, for everyone in the heavens could see Su Qing's potential in cultivation. With his Dragon Tendon Witch Bone Body and Great Sun Azure Dragon Root, his physical and spiritual talents were almost comparable to those innate saints born as Dao Lords in ancient times. For such a person, if he wanted to step into the seventh-order Dao Lord realm, it was never a question of whether he could, but rather how long it would take. Judging from Su Qing's past performance and his cultivation experience of advancing to the Refining Void Heavenly Lord and the sixth-order body cultivator, it was truly possible that he could achieve the advancement to the seventh-order Dao Lord in ten thousand years, provided that he could free his energy from managing the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom and developing puppets.

"But ten thousand years is far too long, I can't wait!" (End of Chapter)