Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 117 Purchasing the Puppet and Going into the Mountains (Please Subscribe)

There are still three days left.

"He has seven fireballs in his hands, as well as the Fire Gang Sword, the True Black Seal, and the black robe of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau."

"We have both combat and defensive capabilities."

"In addition, we also obtained two bottles of first-grade high-quality Qi-union pills from Xin'er."

"In addition, the Void Seal of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau and the talent [Restore to Original State] have already been achieved, so recovery shouldn't be a big problem."

"The only remaining weakness is speed!"

After leaving Xuanting Division, Zhou Ling walked on the stone-paved street, pondering to himself.

Although the black robe has the Wind-Following Inscription, each use still consumes a considerable amount of spiritual energy.

With his current level of cultivation, this is not advantageous.

As for the Haoyang Fire Wings, they can only be used as a means of escaping.

"Let's go to the market and see if there are any flying magical artifacts or runes."

Zhou Ling pondered to himself, then headed towards the market.

It was almost noon, but there weren't many people in the market.

After walking for a while, Zhou Ling was quite puzzled, as he had not found a flying magical artifact that he liked along the way.

I do have a first-tier high-grade rune, but it's not as cost-effective as consuming my own spiritual power to activate the Wind-Following Inscription on my Xuan Robe.

What frustrated him even more was that he had been wandering around for quite a while.

The "Searching for Treasures in the Mountains" talent didn't seem to have any effect.

It shouldn’t be!

There are many vendors in the market, and you can usually find some good stuff.

[You have discovered a Tier 1 superior flying puppet. Search for treasure in the mountains +1]

After searching for a while, Zhou Ling finally found a flying puppet in a shop that sells second-hand magical artifacts.

"Shopkeeper, what's the price of this flying bird puppet?"

Pointing to the slightly old-looking, lifelike bird puppet on the shelf, which resembled a black eagle, Zhou Ling asked.

Through [Intermediate Analysis], he knew that although the flying puppet looked old and damaged, its internal structure was stable, its body was made of high-quality black iron, and it could be used multiple times.

It only slightly consumes one's spiritual energy to control.

"Young brother, this is a first-grade high-quality puppet. Although it's a bit old, it still costs over thirty spirit stones."

Seeing that Zhou Ling was a young man dressed as a rogue disciple, the shopkeeper figured he was probably just looking and not buying, and casually replied.

"Since it's under my control, could you make it cheaper? How about twenty spirit stones?"

Zhou Ling smiled.

"Twenty is too few, at least thirty!"

Upon hearing that Zhou Ling seemed interested in making a purchase, the shopkeeper's expression immediately softened.

"Shopkeeper, this is a damaged puppet. It's hard to say whether it can be used. I just want to buy it to learn how to use it. Look, the puppet is covered in dust, and it costs thirty spirit stones."

"Thirty spirit stones are enough to buy a complete mid-grade first-tier puppet."

Zhou Ling looked like an expert who knew the ropes.

"Hey, you little rascal, no matter what, this is still a first-tier high-grade puppet. It's still usable, it just consumes a lot of spiritual energy."

"Thirty spirit stones is already not expensive, how much cheaper do you want?" the shopkeeper said helplessly.

“If it consumes too much spiritual energy, then it’s not practical!” Zhou Ling shook his head and said.

Seeing that Zhou Ling spoke logically and persuasively, the shopkeeper fell silent.

Controlling puppets requires not only spirit stones but also divine souls.

If a Qi Refining cultivator does not cultivate a Divine Soul Technique, their spiritual sense is not strong, and their ability to control puppets is limited.

"Fine, since you're really serious about buying it, let's compromise on twenty-eight low-grade spirit stones each."

"Twenty-two yuan, I'll take it!"

"this!"

······.

A short while later, Zhou Ling walked out of the magic artifact shop, and his storage bag contained a flying bird puppet and a control jade slip.

"The art of puppetry has many similarities to weapon crafting!"

"If I have the chance in the future, I can practice it!"

Zhou Ling murmured.

The art of puppetry, similar to that of magical artifacts, is divided into crafting the puppet's body and creating its magical seals.

The process of refining puppet seals differs from that of inscription, relying more on the power of divine sense.

In this respect, it is more similar to the Soul Imprint.

This is also a key factor in why puppetry is a niche technique compared to other skills such as alchemy, weapon crafting, and runes.

After all, cultivation techniques for strengthening the divine soul are extremely rare.

Even among ordinary Foundation Establishment families, few possess cultivation techniques related to the soul.

Needless to say, the disciples of independent cultivators...

Otherwise, Zhou Ling wouldn't have received such attention and favor from Steward Qin if he were able to refine a Soul Imprint.

If one's spiritual cultivation is insufficient, one cannot effectively control puppets and thus cannot unleash much combat power.

An ordinary late-stage Qi Refining cultivator might not be able to control a mid-stage first-tier puppet.

Therefore, puppets are considered a niche product on the market.

"My divine sense is now close to the eighth level of the first rank, and I also have the [Divine Soul Like a Blade] talent to assist me."

"Whether it's controlling puppets or creating puppets, there are significant advantages."

"But this puppetry technique seems to be hard to find!"

As Zhou Ling pondered, he continued to stroll through the market.

······.

After returning home, Zhou Ling ate a simple meal, then went into his room, took out the puppet control jade slip, and began to comprehend it.

Controlling the jade slip isn't difficult; the key is to have sufficient spiritual awareness.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhou Ling had mastered the method of puppet control.

He immediately took out the bird puppet from his storage bag.

Then, a fire-attribute spirit stone was placed in the core slot of the puppet on its head.

Since this flying puppet is made of black iron, it will be even more effective when driven by gold and fire attribute spirit stones.

As the spirit stones were placed in place, the puppet flashed with light, its body doubled in size, and its two black wings reached almost half a zhang in length.

It took up most of the room.

With a thought, Zhou Ling, following the method of control, focused his divine sense and made its wings flutter slightly.

[You are controlling a puppet. Divine Sense Training +1, Divine Sense +2]

[You are controlling a puppet. Your divine sense is sharp as a knife +1, and your puppet control proficiency +1.]

Feeling that it was not difficult and that his spiritual sense had not been greatly depleted, Zhou Lingxuan put the puppet back into his storage bag.

Then, with a thought, he directly activated [Illusion Simulation].

He wanted to test the puppet's power in the [Illusion Simulation].

He first rode the puppet, sitting on its back, and flew around the outer mountains of Black Cloud Mountain, the wind whistling in his ears.

At first, he was a little cautious and didn't move very fast.

Once you've mastered it, with a thought, the puppet flaps its wings, soaring through the sky like a graceful bird.

However, Zhou Ling soon discovered a problem.

Thanks to the [Divine Soul Like a Blade] talent, the consumption of divine soul energy was not as great as expected.

On the contrary, a lot of spirit stones were consumed.

After flying around once, eight spirit stones were placed into the puppet's core slot, leaving only four remaining.

Aside from feeling that the consumption of spirit stones was a little high, Zhou Ling was quite satisfied with everything else.

Just for that flight speed, Zhou Ling felt it was all worth it.

Then exit [Illusion Simulation].

The following day, he entered the [Illusion Simulation] again, this time using the flying puppet to challenge the Haoyang Bird.

Using the puppet's speed, they safely escaped from the Haoyang Bird's claws.

This delighted him greatly.

It was able to escape from the sharp claws of the Haoyang Bird.

Then they'd be even less likely to be caught by the blood crows of Blood Raven Valley.

The next day.

A small spirit boat carrying three teenagers flew out from the west gate of Lingxia Immortal City and headed towards the Black Cloud Mountain Range.

Zhou Ling hadn't expected that He Zijian and his sister would be piloting a spirit boat this time.

This spirit boat is a second-tier low-grade item, quite valuable. The fact that He Zijian can control it shows that he holds a very high position in his family.

At the front of the spirit boat, He Zijian, dressed in a black robe, stood tall and straight, with a broad longsword on his back.

He calmly maneuvered the spirit boat.

Beside him stood He Lingyun, dressed in a pale yellow dress, with a spirit beast bracelet on her wrist. Her eyes were bright and lively, her hair was flowing, and she stood tall and graceful. Although she was only eleven or twelve years old, she was already a beauty in the making.

Zhou Ling, carrying a medicine basket, was squatting behind the spirit boat, carefully examining the inscriptions on it.

Inside the medicine basket lay a chubby rock rat, lazily lounging around.

[You are currently observing a Tier 2 Low-Grade Three-Spirit Seal. Intermediate Observation +1, Three-Spirit Seal Proficiency +1]

"A second-tier low-grade inscription composed of three first-tier high-grade inscriptions!"

Looking at the inscription, Zhou Ling murmured.

Second-tier inscriptions typically contain more than thirty inscriptions.

Moreover, each inscription is a composite inscription, and its structure and connecting nodes make it far more difficult than a first-tier low-grade inscription.

This second-tier low-grade three-spirit seal is composed of three first-tier high-grade inscriptions: Wind Control, Spirit Shield, and Ruyi.

"Riding the wind" signifies the ability to control flight and is also the main inscription on the spirit boat.

The spirit shield gives the spirit boat defensive capabilities.

Ruyi can change the size of the spirit boat.

The three inscriptions are connected by second-order nodes, making them exceptionally secure.

He was thinking to himself, when will I have such a spirit boat? That would make going into the mountains much easier.

However, it was just a thought. Not to mention engraving inscriptions, the hull of this spirit boat was made of second-grade paulownia wood.

This price would be at least a thousand spirit stones.

“Brother Ling, there seem to be more monsters in the outer mountains of Black Cloud Mountain these days, and the mountain is often shrouded in mist.”

"Let's travel along the inner mountain for about several dozen miles, with Blood Raven Valley or Jade Essence Valley as our destination."

Which of these two routes do you think is more suitable?

After the spirit boat entered Black Cloud Mountain, its speed gradually slowed down. He Zijian unfolded the animal skin map and asked Zhou Ling a question.

"Since this is a trial, let's head to Blood Raven Valley."

Zhou Ling replied.

Jade Essence Valley mainly grows Jade Essence Flowers, which have bewitching properties, so it's best not to provoke them.

Moreover, Blood Raven Valley was the very valley he was heading to.

He Zijian nodded.

Clearly, he still trusted Zhou Ling regarding the situation in the mountains.

The spirit boat continued flying, and after about half an hour, it stopped roughly near the edge of the inner mountain.

It landed gently on a grassy area.

After the three of them leaped out of the spirit boat, He Zijian chanted an incantation, and the spirit boat rapidly shrank, eventually being stored in his storage bag.

"The fog is getting thicker in the mountains now, so we'll patrol towards Blood Raven Valley from here."

"It's about fifty li away. Let's see what happens."

After putting away the spirit boat, He Zijian spoke to Zhou Ling.

Zhou Ling then led the way, with the He siblings following behind him.

The purpose of this trip, besides inspecting the situation at Black Cloud Mountain, is to find an opportunity for He Lingyun to pilot the Haoyang Bird in actual combat.

Therefore, after setting off, He Lingyun summoned the Haoyang Bird from the Spirit Beast Bracelet.

The Haoyang Bird flapped its wings, its body radiating flame-like light, appearing exceptionally mysterious.

It landed beside He Lingyun, lowered its head, and gently rubbed its right wing against He Lingyun's arm in a gesture of affection.

He Lingyun smiled warmly, and it's unclear what she said to Haoyang Bird.

Then the Haoyang bird flapped its wings and flew low in the air with them.

[Fireweed discovered, treasure hunt in the mountains +1]

[Found Wood Elemental Grass, Treasure Hunt in the Mountains +1]

······.

As Zhou Ling traveled, he relied on his talents in [Crisis Response] and [Mountain Search and Treasure Hunt].

We haven't encountered any monsters yet, but we've found quite a few medicinal herbs.

Most of them are still mid-grade and high-grade first-order items.

Although it was said to be an opportunity for He Lingyun to undergo a trial, the inner mountain was shrouded in a light mist. Once the spiritual energy in her body was depleted, even with a Qi-union pill in hand, it wouldn't be able to recover so quickly.

Therefore, he planned to first find the Blood Lotus, and then find a late-stage first-tier demonic beast for He Lingyun to practice on.

Having fought against Haoyang Bird multiple times in the [Illusion Simulation], he was very familiar with Haoyang Bird's strength.

This is definitely no match for a typical late-stage Tier 1 monster.

More than half an hour later.

puff!
Holding the Fire罡 Sword, Zhou Ling dug out a blood-black spiritual herb from the grass.

He exclaimed with delight, "Second-tier Inkblood Grass!"

This second-tier Blood-Ink Grass has many functions; it can be used as a material for spiritual ink or as a tonic for body cultivation and blood replenishment.

Of course, Zhou Ling was happy about more than just that. As they got closer to Blood Raven Valley, the number of blood-attribute spiritual herbs they collected along the way gradually increased.

This greatly increased his confidence in finding the Blood Lotus.

"Brother Ling, you truly live up to your upbringing in the mountains; you can even find second-tier spiritual herbs hidden in the soil!"

He Zijian looked on in amazement as he watched Zhou Ling carefully wipe the dirt off the Blood Grass.

Originally, he had been cautious and careful, and had not relaxed at all along the way.

After walking for a while, they heard quite a few roars of monsters.

But we didn't even see a single soul shadow. Logically, that shouldn't be the case!

On the contrary, Zhou Ling has already found twenty or thirty spiritual herbs along the way.

Looking at that luck, even he couldn't help but feel a little envious.

It seems Zhou Ling's luck is exceptionally good.

"It's mainly because I have an extra sensitivity to medicinal herbs, plus the inner mountain is rich in resources!"

Zhou Ling said with a smile.

Although the fog in the mountains was thick, with the help of two talented individuals and the bodyguards, the He siblings, his speed gradually increased.

Now the Spirit Flame has transformed into the Five Elements Spirit Flame. Through the [Five Elements Qi-Eating Spirit Flame] talent, it can absorb the herbal energy contained in spiritual herbs to improve the grade of the Spirit Flame.

Therefore, the more elixirs the better, but of course, the quality cannot be too low.

······.

An hour later.

A deafening roar echoed across the wilderness.

A silver-clawed ape, over two zhang tall and in the late stage of the first rank, was covered in wounds and was being attacked by Haoyang Bird and He Lingyun.

The main attacker was the Haoyang Bird, which would spew fireballs from its mouth and swoop down to fiercely attack the Silver Claw Ape with its sharp claws.

Eight zhang away, He Lingyun was manipulating the magic sword.

Like a streak of blue light, it occasionally swept across the body of the silver-clawed ape.

The Silver Claw Ape roared and charged towards He Lingyun, brandishing its sharp claws.

However, He Lingyun's body was graceful, and she flew lightly through the air, always maintaining a distance of seven or eight zhang from the Silver Claw Ape.

In addition, the Haoyang Bird would occasionally swoop down from the sky, its sharp claws slicing across the back of the Silver Claw Ape.

Under this coordinated long-range attack from both sides, the Silver Claw Ape was completely powerless to retaliate.

Even if they wanted to escape, their bodies were too bulky and their speed too slow, leaving them with absolutely no chance.

Moreover, not far away, He Zijian, holding a heavy sword, was keeping a close eye on the battle.

Zhou Ling, who was standing to the side, was keeping an eye on the battle while communicating with the rock rat.

Blood Raven Valley is just a few miles ahead.

(End of this chapter)