Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chapter 1596: Chapter 664: Preparing for Battle

The news of Ning Zhuo being trapped in the Xingyun Trial spread across all the peaks of the Myriad Images Sect like an invisible mountain breeze.

Chunyangzi returned from the Artifact Refining Hall, silent as a stone along the way.

In the afternoon, the sunlight fell on the Pure Yang Peak. The faint elixir qi atop the peak was as thin as gauze. Crimson gold radiance seeped slowly through the gaps in the clouds, lighting up the stone steps before the hall, making them as bright as if they were freshly washed.

Chunyangzi ascended the steps, his red gold Taoist robe fluttering in the wind like a battle flag that never falls. The scriptures of the Pure Yang Pill Scripture on the robe appeared and vanished intermittently, like a quietly burning sea of fire silently exhaling and inhaling radiance.

At this moment, the Yang Fish had already returned to his sleeve, gently swimming in the shadow of the cuff, occasionally leaking a trace of golden warm light.

The elders of the Pure Yang Palace came out to greet him.

"For the fifth battle, I will go forth," Chunyangzi said.

The elders were astonished. One of them said, "Sect Leader, this battle is of great importance. Your direct involvement would naturally boost our momentum. However, you are the Great Village Chief of Nanming Village and also the master of Pure Yang Peak. If you were to suffer any injury in the martial trial..."

Another elder interjected, "Perhaps let Tan Zhu..."

Chunyangzi raised a hand to stop them, "Ning Zhuo maintaining his bet with the Three Brave of Xiang Sect is equivalent to drawing a strong enemy wave away from Nanming Village. While Tan Zhu is strong, his intentions are unclear, and if we let him take action, calculating the debt, my position in Nanming Village would become precarious."

"The Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar is of great benefit to our sect."

"If I can oversee Nanming Village and occupy this place, it would benefit my Pure Yang... up and down the peak."

The elders were deeply moved.

Chunyangzi pointed out one person among them, instructing him to send a message: "Next, I will go into seclusion for several days, having committed to the fifth battle!"

The elders’ expressions changed subtly. An elder who understood the situation let out a sigh of relief: "It’s been more than ten years since I last saw the Sect Leader prepare for a battle so solemnly."

Chunyangzi smiled slightly, "Remember, I have already relinquished the position of Sect Leader."

The elders were quick to express their allegiance, indicating their loyalty.

Chunyangzi shook his head, uninterested in these trivial matters, and waved the elders away before stepping alone into the quiet chamber at the peak’s summit.

The walls of Chunyangzi’s quiet chamber were all made of crimson gold stone, naturally containing Yang Fire patterns within the stone.

In the center was a cushion.

Chunyangzi sat cross-legged, first placing the Bright Heart Evil Mirror in front of him.

The mirror surface of the Bright Heart Evil Mirror was clear like the dew of dawn gathering, the four characters "Yang Illuminates All Hides" on the mirror frame glowing calmly in the dim light of the quiet chamber.

Chunyangzi raised a hand and pointed, and his own image surfaced on the mirror’s surface.

The shadow appeared majestic like a mountain, yet hidden in its eyes were a few strands of mixed fire, like an undercurrent. Restlessness akin to hot wind scorching the land, doubt as if thin mist veiled the eyes, desire for the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar like a fiery blaze consuming the heart, and there was a scarcely noticeable yet persistent thought circling within his heart—the Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill, this pill was still in Ning Zhuo’s possession!

Ning Zhuo’s innate talent was exceptional, especially his remarkable Yang path aptitude, so good that recalling it would fill Chunyangzi’s chest with mixed emotions.

"A young child’s body, with Origin Yang abundant like a reservoir, the richness of his Pure Yang Qi almost like an unpolished sunlit golden jade. If he delves too deeply into the understanding of the Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill and empties the True Intent of the Yang Path accumulated by generations of Sect Leaders, what then?"

Chunyangzi’s eyelids twitched slightly, and in the mirror, his brows furrowed. This thought sprang forth like dust falling into a pill furnace, tiny yet striking.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly exhaled softly, "I’ve been overthinking."

As his voice fell, the Bright Heart Evil Mirror brightened slightly.

Chunyangzi stared at himself in the mirror and said slowly, "The Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill is the pill passed down through the generations in Pure Yang Palace, its True Intent as deep and profound as a mountain. How could it be exhausted in just a few days? Ning Zhuo, despite his innate talent, is just a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. His advantage is already fortuitous enough. After I retrieve the elixir pills post-battle, discussions about the Pure Yang Dao Skill with him, as well as negotiations on Nanming Village and the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar, will actually be more favorable."

Upon saying this, the flicker of nagging thoughts in his heart finally faded away like smoke.

Lending the Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill to Ning Zhuo was naturally part of Chunyangzi’s scheme: allow Ning Zhuo to taste the benefits now, and in the future, Chunyangzi would approach negotiations with more confidence!

With his thoughts aligned, Chunyangzi tossed aside considerations of Ning Zhuo and faced the multitude of other thoughts.

In the mirror, the mixed fire in his eyes gradually dissipated, like ashes being blown away by the wind.

Chunyangzi invoked the Three-time Sundial.

The Three-time Sundial hovered above his head, the marks for morning, noon, and evening on the dial lighting up in sequence, with sunlight of three hues weaving together like three strands of silk with different temperatures, falling upon Chunyangzi.

Morning sunlight was gentle like a brook, washing away fatigue. Noon sunlight was fierce like furnace fire, burning away fear. Evening sunlight was heavy as the earth, gathering and settling restlessness.

The Yang Fish also began to circle around him slowly, its golden scales casting rings of warm light rippling outward, the dark cold spot deep within its ink jade eyes steady like a well.

Chunyangzi closed his eyes to control his breath, and the distracting thoughts within him were washed away layer by layer like sand being filtered from water, while his Heart Lake shone like it was illuminated by the blazing sun, becoming clear almost to the point of emptiness.

He gradually reached a state of near perfection—the Pure Yang Purity Body!

With the simultaneous illumination of the Three-time Sundial and the Bright Heart Evil Mirror, his mastery of the Three-Time Yang Body Technique quickly stabilized.

The ephemeral shadows of the Rising Sun Body, Noon Sun Body, and Dusk Sun Body emerged behind him one after another, and dispersed in succession. Each manifestation was more nimble than the last, and each dispersal consumed less than before.

By the second day of seclusion, when Chunyangzi performed the Three-Time Yang Body Technique again, the three Yang Bodies emerged almost at his whim. The Rising Sun Body held a hint of vitality in its palm like nurturing a tender bud, the Noon Sun Body was surrounded by fiery intensity like red-hot iron in a furnace, and the Dusk Sun Body’s expression was serene like an ancient bell in the night, with sealing light floating within its palm lines.

Chunyangzi’s main body opened its eyes, his gaze calm, thus completing the battle preparations, now only to await the time of the battle.

Atop Heavy Array Peak, the array clouds hung low like leaden curtains.

Inside the great hall at the peak, Dong Chen sat in the main seat, with Yin Changgeng standing below.

Yin Changgeng said in a deep voice, "I never expected, it was Chunyangzi."

Dong Chen did not speak immediately, the array patterns circulating in the great hall like a reversed galaxy, the interplay of light and shadow flickering on his face.

The fact that Chunyangzi himself was taking action on behalf of Nanming Village was unexpected for both of them.

Originally, they planned to use Tuoba Pan and employ a special battle strategy to deal with Tan Zhu. But they hadn’t anticipated that the strongest Nascent Soul Cultivator of Nanming Village wouldn’t even take the field.

Dong Chen let a trace of deep thought surface like gentle ripples on a pond: "Chun Yangzi is more impatient than we thought."

Yin Changgeng’s eyebrows twitched.

Dong Chen said, "The Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar holds immense significance for him, so much so that he would rather personally enter the fray than hand over the battle merits to Tan Zhu."

Yin Changgeng remained silent for several breaths before clasping his hands in acknowledgment: "Tuoba Pan should not be used."

"Change the person," Dong Chen said lightly.

This time, without waiting for Yin Changgeng’s recommendation, he directly said, "To counter the Pure Yang Technique, let Liang Ming go to battle."

Yin Changgeng hesitated slightly: "Peak Master, Liang Ming is the diligently hidden trump card of the Territorial Expansion Alliance, using him here..."

Dong Chen merely glanced at him.

Yin Changgeng quickly nodded: "Yes, I will make the arrangements immediately."

In another cave mansion.

Tan Zhu sat on the stone bed wearing a dark robe, the furnace fire on the wall flickering like a ghostly green.

"Chun Yangzi..." he murmured once more.

He had been waiting, waiting for Chun Yangzi to invite him. But now that Chun Yangzi personally entered the scene, he shattered this hope completely.

He could only continue to wait.

But this time, he was waiting for new orders from Wang Yu.

Danxia Peak.

Above the mountaintop, the rosy glow surged like tides.

Before the Alchemy Furnace, the fire’s reflection cast a moving layer of red gold on Wang Yu’s face.

After listening to the steward’s report, he gently tapped his horsetail whisk on his arm, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "Chun Yangzi is personally fighting?"

The steward bowed his head like a bending willow: "Indeed. The fifth battle in Nanming Village has been confirmed to be Chun Yangzi, and both the Territorial Expansion Alliance and White Cloud Village were notified."

Wang Yu pondered silently.

His plan originally hinged on Tan Zhu.

If Tan Zhu made a move, he would likely win, thus obtaining substantial leverage.

With Chun Yangzi’s share diminished, the share held by Zhong Limei due to his refining furnace would be enough for Wang Yu’s chess piece to immediately ascend as the Great Village Chief of Nanming Village.

At that time, Danxia Peak’s involvement in the Nanming Fire Furnace would be justifiable, like sailing with the current.

But Chun Yangzi’s action altered the situation suddenly.

Wang Yu lifted the furnace lid slightly, letting the elixir qi rise like mist, the initial bitter, then sweet aroma spreading.

He looked at the wisp of elixir qi as if gazing at a river suddenly changing course.

"It seems the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar holds extraordinary significance and enormous value for Chun Yangzi."

In the depths of Wang Yu’s eyes flowed the rosy glow like a starry river, his Alchemy Dao realm was quite profound, but his Yang Dao realm was limited, hence he couldn’t yet glimpse the deeper truth.

Wang Yu sighed softly: "Keep a close watch on this battle. Particularly who the Territorial Expansion Alliance sends."

According to his understanding of the Heavy Array Peak, the outcome of this fifth battle will determine the final result, definitely requiring Heavy Array Peak to make a move, and to play their trump card!

Ning Zhuo sat cross-legged at the center of a strange field.

The Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill hovered in his Divine Sea, transforming into a great sun.

Bathed in golden light, the waves of his Divine Sea were entirely dyed red gold, and the countless mirror surfaces condensed by the Mirror Stand Spirit Communication Technique shone brilliantly.

He was head suspended from a beam, practicing the Awl-Thorn Vigilance Art, cultivating the Martial and Literary Wind, poring over Luoshu Book Pages.

His Master Level Yang Dao realm continuously climbed, with his Alchemy Dao realm rising in tandem, the increase significant.

Sun Lingtong and Qing Chi were also amidst a Xingyun Trial.

The rhino-like Cloud Beast charged forward, arms closing like an iron gate pressing down.

The wind roared dully, mist on both sides of the Cloud Road being squeezed into white waves.

Sun Lingtong slid on his tiptoes, his whole body drifting like a paper blown by the wind, slipping under the Cloud Beast’s legs. He casually patted Qing Chi’s lower back, pushing her to the other side: "Three steps to the left, duck your head!"

Qing Chi’s body reacted faster than her mind, instantly complying.

Boom!

The Cloud Beast’s feet struck air, a section of the Cloud Road collapsed from the impact. Red iron sparks flew, narrowly missing Qing Chi’s cheek, heating her earlobes slightly red.

Qing Chi turned back, her eyes becoming fierce.

She didn’t charge recklessly this time, a short blade twirled between her fingers, ghost energy spread along the ground. The blue-black shadow slithered through the Cloud Road’s cracks, wrapping around the Cloud Beast’s ankles.

The Cloud Beast paused in lifting its leg, an earth-yellow divine pattern on its chest lit up, shattering the ghost energy with a crackle.

Sun Lingtong took advantage of this moment, flipping onto the Cloud Beast’s back.

His figure was small, his movements swift, three slender needles flew from his sleeve, embedding into key points on the Cloud Beast’s back. The needles pierced with a shrill resonance, like knives scraping against an iron surface.