Chapter 127: Thunderclouds, Heartbeats

"Old Pu, please stop hanging your head. As the old saying goes, life is full of disappointments eight or nine times out of ten. It's better to be open-minded and take things in stride."

Gu Xiaopang gave him a sincere, earnest piece of advice.

Puyang De, currently feeling as though life had lost all meaning, wanted desperately to correct the boy: "My surname is Puyang, not Pu! Pfft, what is the point of correcting this brat? It’s not like he’s going to let me go anyway!"

Thinking about it, it was truly absurd. A renowned assassin of the Deity Transformation stage, famous across the continent, had actually been captured by the very target he was sent to kill. If word of this got out, where would he hide his face? How would his old friends view him? What would the rest of the world say about him?

When did the Wind Spirit Continent, a land abandoned by antiquity, produce such a method? To forcibly control a living, breathing human being with thoughts and emotions, without needing to seize their spirit or soul!

Methods like those of the Puppet Sect, which directly seized souls to control puppets, were more acceptable in this continent—after all, that was no longer a secret. But even the powerful Puppet Sect, with their late-stage Tribulation Transcendence ancestors, wouldn't dare face the wrath of the world by forcibly suppressing and enslaving a Deity Transformation expert. If they truly dared to do such a thing, every high-level sect on the continent would surely rise up to attack them in unison.

What the others did not know, however, was that a massive refining process was currently underway within the Puppet Sect. The incomplete corpse of Helian Tu, which had shocked the continent with his fall and been forcibly snatched back by the Puppet Sect leader, was being worked on by Taishi Zheng and his cohorts.

Inside a giant humanoid furnace, the armless and legless Helian Tu lay flat, his missing limbs replaced by strange meteoric iron, while roaring flames constantly swept over him. The highest-ranking members of the Puppet Sect, none below the late stage of Deity Transformation, were struggling to perform various complex hand seals.

Visibly, Helian Tu’s physical body began to restore itself. One quarter-hour, two quarter-hours... A puppet shell of Helian Tu, indistinguishable from the man when he was alive, was successfully crafted.

"Grand Elder, Helian was your younger brother. It is only fitting that you control his soul."

"Although he is gone, his body can still remain by your side for years to come."

"Good... good." Grand Elder Helian Peng wept, his lips trembling as he answered with a sob.

A wisp of soul essence was forcibly imprinted into the brain of the Helian Tu shell. Slowly, the aura of a living person began to emerge from the body, though everyone present knew it was merely the aura of the Grand Elder’s split-soul imprint. After being nourished for four or five hours, the puppet Helian Tu could walk, run, and even utilize cultivation techniques. However, his strength was no longer at the Tribulation Transcendence stage; it had dropped two levels during the refining process, leaving him at the late stage of Deity Transformation. Had he not burned his life’s potential while still alive, he would have been at the Great Perfection of Deity Transformation rather than just the late stage.

This was the terrifying nature of the Puppet Sect. Even after a powerful fighter died, they could continue to serve the sect. This was especially true for high-level experts who were decisive factors in major battles. This was why, despite being only a second-tier force in the Central Region, they dared to clash head-on with top-tier sects. Yet, what the world did not yet know was that the Puppet Sect possessed an even greater backing behind their already formidable strength. Of course, that was a story for another time.

At this moment, the high-ranking members of the Puppet Sect were vengefully discussing plans to retaliate against the Asura Mansion. A greater war between the two sects was about to break out.

...

"By the way, Old Pu, as a veteran assassin who has traveled all over the continent, do you happen to know where I might find a Fire Spirit Essence?"

"Fire Spirit Essence? I am afraid I am unaware of that."

"Spirit essences of various attributes are not exactly precious, but they are hard to find. It mostly depends on one's personal fate."

"However, I do have a Space Spirit Essence that has been sitting idle for many years. I obtained it by accident while lurking in the void during a mission in another domain. I don't know if, Young Master..."

"Space Spirit Essence? Good stuff! Bring it here!"

"You really are my lucky star, Old Pu! Hahahaha!"

Gu Xiaopang took the Space Spirit Essence from Old Pu and laughed heartily, his excitement bordering on vanity. Losing one thing but gaining another, and for Gu Xiaopang, he hadn't even lost anything yet—he just hadn't found the Fire Spirit Essence. Old Pu didn't feel much regret; he had possessed the item for over a hundred years and never encountered a single space cultivator, so it had simply been gathering dust.

"Does the young master practice space techniques as well? Or do you know a space cultivator?"

"Are you looking down on me, Old Pu? It's just space power, how hard can it be? I am a genius, after all."

While Old Pu was shocked, Bai Ling'er shot Gu Xiaopang a look that clearly said, *Can you be any more insufferable?*

By the time the group of three—no, four—slowly reached the outermost edge of the Endless Forest, where it met the perpetually raging Endless Boundary Sea, Gu Xiaopang suddenly had an epiphany.

"Damn, how did I forget that?"

"Senior Nangong? Ancestor? Are you there?"

"I'm in urgent need of a Fire Spirit Essence. I wonder if you..."

Before Gu Xiaopang could finish, a Fire Spirit Essence with suppressed flames descended from the empty sky and slammed into him.

"Ouch! It hurts, that really hurts! You old man are ruthless!"

"But for the sake of the Fire Spirit Essence, I won't hold it against you. Hmph!"

Though he was complaining, his mind was entirely occupied. He took out the Gold, Wood, Water, Earth, Space, and Wind Spirit Essences he had collected and placed them alongside the newly acquired Fire Spirit Essence. His eyes sparkled like a miser, and he couldn't stop grinning.

"Xiaopang, could you show a little restraint?" Bai Ling'er was happy for him, but couldn't help but offer a mild rebuke.

"Ah? Right, right. Low profile. Yes, must be low profile."

"It fell right into my lap without any effort! Truly, having an elder is like having a treasure—especially when I have several elders and several treasures! Hahaha!"

The two watched in speechless silence as Gu Xiaopang, who had just promised to be low profile, immediately returned to his boastful self. Yet, Old Pu, having received such an evaluation from his "young master," felt his mood improve slightly, though he didn't quite realize it himself.

Even Old Man Qin, hiding within the stone pendant, had to admire the brat's luck.

First, he plundered the Gold Spirit Essence during the raid on the Variegated Golden Scale Tiger’s territory. Then, the Earth Bear Demon King personally fetched him the Wood Spirit Essence from the Ten-Thousand-Year Ancient Pagoda Tree. By inciting a war between two factions, he cleaned up the battlefield and obtained multiple Water and Earth Spirit Essences from the storage rings of two Deity Transformation experts. Just now, the great assassin Old Pu contributed the Space Spirit Essence, and now he had easily obtained the Fire Spirit Essence from his own guardian.

What Old Man Qin admired most was his luck ten thousand miles away.

"Brat, do you dare to place a bet?"

"Master, what are we betting on?"

"Ten thousand miles north, there is a raging thunderstorm. If you dare to try, you might just get the Lightning Spirit Essence as well."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Yes. Do you dare?"

"I dare not."

"You brat! You're retreating because of such a small obstacle?! Don't you want to be invincible on the continent?!"

"Uh, fine. For the sake of being invincible, I'll give it a try. But if it's impossible, I promise I'll be the first to run!"

After some reluctant banter and a bit of anticipation, Gu Xiaopang set off with the group.

"Young Master, where are we going now?"

"Yes, Xiaopang, haven't we already gotten the Fire Spirit Essence?"

"Sister Ling'er, Old Pu, my sixth sense tells me that there is a significant opportunity waiting for me within ten to thirty thousand miles."

"Sixth sense? Opportunity? And you're going to 'conquer' it?"

"Why, Sister Ling'er? Don't you believe me? How about we make a bet? If you lose, you help me warm my bed tonight, how about that?"

"Go to hell!"

Bai Ling'er kicked out in embarrassment, and Gu Xiaopang feigned pain as he flew far away. Old Pu, having watched Gu Xiaopang’s unpretentious, authentic, and slightly shameless behavior throughout the journey, no longer felt such intense resistance to being captured. Perhaps this was what happened when one finally surrendered to fate and caught a glimpse of hope.

...

Amidst the playful bickering, the group soon arrived twenty thousand miles north. This was the intersection of the Southern and Eastern Domains, immediately adjacent to the Endless Boundary Sea. Before them, a massive, ink-black thundercloud raged over the sea. Bolts of lightning, seemingly capable of splitting all things, struck the surface of the ocean, stirring up furious waves. It was as if the thundercloud and the ocean were locked in a love-hate struggle, a confrontation between heaven and earth.

This was the raw power of nature that struck awe into every living creature. Gu Xiaopang felt a complex mix of emotions. The power of the lightning was terrifying even from a distance; his master actually wanted him to absorb it? Was he really going to do this?

"Xiaopang, you aren't actually going into that thundercloud, are you?"

"If you need the Lightning Spirit Essence, we can find another way later."

Seeing Gu Xiaopang’s fearful yet eager expression, Bai Ling'er instinctively knew his intent and asked with concern. Old Pu, standing to the side, looked at the distant thundercloud and then at the young master in front of him with horror. He asked himself: *If it were me, would I dare to rush into that thundercloud?* The answer was definitely no; he felt he hadn't lived long enough yet. *Such a suicidal act? Forget it, youth is just reckless.*

Nangong Hongbo, hidden in the sky, was also looking at the giant thundercloud with a grim expression. He cursed inwardly, *This brat is always playing with fire; I'll definitely die young following him. My poor old heart... should I stop him?*

But just as they were hesitating, the fear vanished from Gu Xiaopang’s face as he gritted his teeth. Before anyone could stop him, he tore through the void and headed toward the thundercloud. By the time he reappeared, he was at the very edge. Without waiting for the others to react, he clenched his fists tightly and dove straight in, leaving the three of them staring in stunned silence.