Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chapter 1546: Chapter 637: Red Robe Guest vs. Cloud Pot Daoist (2)

Afterward, Dong Chen also risked his life, exerting all his means to create a slim chance of survival from a desperate situation, allowing the two of them to miraculously escape with their lives.

Later, the two each engaged in their own cultivation, and though they did not frequently interact, their friendship remained.

Once Dong Chen became a high-ranking member of Heavy Array Peak, he secretly invited Yue Qingshan. Yue Qingshan, on his own initiative, joined the Myriad Images Sect. On the surface, he was part of the Territorial Expansion Alliance on Flowing Cloud Peak, but in truth, he was Dong Chen’s most capable and trusted ally!

But now, Yue Qingshan is dead.

He died in the third match of the Five Victories Martial Arts Competition.

He died at the hands of Tan Zhu.

Dong Chen closed his eyes, and only after a long time did he slowly exhale a breath of turbid air.

"Tan Zhu." His voice was both light and heavy.

Tan Zhu’s lifespan was nearing its end.

Killing him holds little significance.

The killing intent in Dong Chen’s eyes slowly sank, like dark clouds pressing into the ground, eventually transforming into a colder hatred.

"Investigate."

"Find out who’s behind Tan Zhu. Investigate why he joined Nanming Village!"

Dong Chen thought of this and took out a fishing hook.

The body of the hook was extremely fine, like a crescent cold moon forged into a sharp edge. It was entirely dark white without any trace of blood color, and onlookers would feel a chill in their hearts.

At the tip of the hook was a little bluish-cold star, seeming to pierce deep into the soul.

The fishing hook fell into Dong Chen’s palm without the slightest weight.

Three Lights Heavenly Dao Cave Mansion.

Ning Zhuo sat alone in the quiet chamber, his eyes slightly closed.

He was reviewing the battle from earlier in the day, secretly manipulating the Luo Shu to assist in calculations.

"I’m not unfamiliar with Divine Power Level poison techniques. Tan Zhu’s Poison Annihilation is clearly just a Quasi-Divine Power."

"There is indeed a chasm between quasi-divine powers and true divine powers. Why, in this battle, did it exhibit such strength?"

In another cave mansion.

Tao Liang sat cross-legged on a cushion, also recalling the battle.

"Conventional quasi-divine powers triumph in quality. Spells triumph in quantity. When quality and quantity offset each other, if the quasi-divine power isn’t truly perfected, it can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers of spells."

"It’s like a piece of metal, harder than mud, yet still buried by layer upon layer of mud."

"So, although quasi-divine powers are strong, they are not invincible."

Tao Liang squinted his eyes: "But Tan Zhu is different."

"His quasi-divine power possesses not only quality but also quantity."

"Vast quantity."

"An ocean of it!"

"Yet it’s too restrained, from the outside, it seems like just a wisp of smoke. In reality, it is a mountain of poison, a sea of poison!"

"And this poison seems like... Pill Poison?"

Tao Liang pictured Tan Zhu: "This old demon is hiding well indeed."

"But he’s ultimately one of ours from the village."

"If we win this round and win one more, we can establish ourselves on Flowing Cloud Peak and occupy the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar, this prized location."

"Heh heh!"

"In hindsight, joining Nanming Village was indeed wise."

For the fourth match, White Cloud Village sent someone first.

Without any hesitation, White Cloud Village directly chose the Cloud Marsh Martial Arts Arena.

Here, there was no solid ground, nor a completely open sky.

Above and below, in all directions, were endless streams of cloud Qi. Where heavy, it resembled white swamps; where light and thin, it was like flowing silver mist. In the distance, cloud layers stacked like floating islands. Nearby, the cloud tides slowly rose and fell, each movement bringing with it moist spiritual energy and faint traces of cloud light.

In the center of the Martial Arts Arena was a vast cloud lake.

Cloud lake was not water but rather extremely fine and dense white clouds pressed together. A cultivator stepping on it would feel softness beneath their feet, yet not to the point of sinking. Below the cloud lake were countless cloud veins flowing like unseen currents, crisscrossing like an invisible giant net.

Cultivators from Nanming Village, White Cloud Village, and the Territorial Expansion Alliance took their seats successively.

Each cultivator wore a solemn expression.

In the Five Victories Martial Arts Competition, the blood of Nascent Souls has already been shed.

From the moment Yue Qingshan died, this duel was no longer just a surface-level contest. It had turned into a bloody gamble between Nanming Village, the Territorial Expansion Alliance, White Cloud Village, and various forces of Flowing Cloud Peak!

Within the Martial Arts Arena, a cultivator slowly appeared.

He had a round face and short beard, his stature was not tall, and his complexion was gentle. On his back was a white jade big pot taller than a person.

The pot’s body was smooth white, with thirty-six layers of cloud sea patterns emblazoning its surface. A green jade cloud plug sealed the pot’s mouth, and from its edge seeped delicate white cloud qi. The cloud qi did not disperse but slowly wandered around his shoulders, cuffs, and waist.

Cloud Pot Daoist!

Ning Zhuo’s eyes slightly gleamed, a trace of doubt arose in his heart: "This Nascent Soul Cultivator is known for raising cloud beasts, not for combat, why would he be sent here?"

It was Nanming Village’s turn to send someone forth.

Before this battle, all cultivators had discussed.

Logically, sending Tan Zhu would be the safest choice. After all, the Five Victories Martial Arts Competition had no explicit restrictions in this regard. But Tan Zhu had already clearly stated that due to his poor condition from the previous battle, he could not make a move.

"Alright, let me deal with him." The Red Robe Guest sneered, rising slowly.

As he stood, his crimson robe moved without wind, the dark black blood patterns on the robe climbing from its hem to the cuffs, and then from there creeping to the back of his hand, as if yearning for slaughter.

Tan Zhu was withered, silent, dreary, like a deep well, harboring poison within.

The Red Robe Guest, on the other hand, was outwardly flamboyant, bloodthirsty, like a boiling blood pool, never concealing his demon nature.

"I have long awaited a life-and-death battle like this." The Red Robe Guest licked his lips.

The Red Robe Guest stepped into the arena.

With each step he took, dark red ripples spread across the Cloud Lake. The white cloud was tainted by his blood qi, the edges showing faint red lines, like white silk dyed with fresh blood.

When Cloud Pot Daoist saw the Red Robe Guest, a trace of nervousness instantly appeared.

He knew precisely whom he faced: The Red Robe Guest, a Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator, a fierce figure in the Blood Dao, once hunted by Pure Yang Palace, later joined Myriad Images Sect, only to be ostracized to Bixue Mountain Gate. This person practiced the "Blood Demon Technique," alongside the "Blood Pill Scripture," he fed on blood and verified Dao through killing, heavily laden with demonic qi.

Facing such a person, Cloud Pot Daoist naturally felt uneasy.

More so, Yue Qingshan had just died at Tan Zhu’s hand in the previous match.

"White Cloud Village, Cloud Pot." Cloud Pot Daoist bowed.

The Red Robe Guest squinted and joked with a smile: "You brought a pot to see me; do you intend to seal me inside it?"

Cloud Pot Daoist’s smile froze slightly, but he still responded: "Friend, you jest. I am merely one who raises clouds and beasts, entering the arena today, only doing my best."

The Red Robe Guest laughed heartily: "Doing your best? Fine, that’s excellent!"

He raised his hand, flicking his blood-colored robe: "During the last match, Tan Zhu killed one. If you don’t do your best, won’t that make me appear inferior to him?"

Cloud Pot Daoist’s heart sank.

The Red Robe Guest’s words, to Tan Zhu, were like provoking a competitive edge, but to Cloud Pot Daoist’s ears, they sounded like a death knell rung prematurely.

The sound of the jade chime resonated.

The fourth match, begins!

Nearly at the same instant the jade chime rang, Cloud Pot Daoist removed the green jade cloud plug from the white jade big pot on his back.

Whoosh.

Cloud qi gushed from the pot’s mouth.

The previously calm Cloud Marsh Martial Arts Arena felt as if stirred by an invisible giant hand. The cloud veins beneath the Cloud Lake lit up simultaneously, thirty-six beams of cloud light shot from the pot’s mouth, landing in all directions, forming thirty-six thin jade cloud gates.

The cloud gates suspended in the air, resonating with each other.

White clouds rolled, the cloud veins merged.

A Pot Heaven Cloud Formation quickly unfolded!

Cloud Pot Daoist flicked his sleeves again, taking out a round plate. The plate was divided into nine compartments, each holding different types of cloud grain, dyeing powder, cold dew, demon blood.

Feeding Dawn Beast Plate!

The round plate rotated, all nine compartments lighting up simultaneously.

A deep humming sound emanated from the depths of the pot’s mouth.

The first cloud beast charged out.

A White Wave Sky Bat Fish!

It resembled a giant batfish, its wings spread wide, covering several yards of cloud sky. Its body was entirely snow-white, with a row of water-patterned cloud tentacles hanging beneath its belly. It didn’t fly by wingbeat but glided close to the cloud qi surface, like a white tide sweeping across the sky.

Upon its appearance, the Cloud Lake surged with white waves.

The turbulent white waves rolled towards the Red Robe Guest.

The Red Robe Guest stood still, his crimson robe fluttering wildly. He eyed the White Wave Sky Bat Fish, a hint of derision in his gaze.

He raised his hand, delivering a palm strike.

Blood light erupted from his palm, transforming into a crimson Big Handprint, pushing across the Cloud Lake.

Boom!

The blood palm collided with the white waves, cloud qi exploded, blood light splattered. The White Wave Sky Bat Fish unveiled its belly cloud cavity, astonishingly absorbing the aftermath of the blood palm into its abdomen.

Its belly’s cloud tentacles turned thoroughly red, as if having drunk blood water.