zài mèng yǎn shā mò ， shén shí bù néng wài fàng ér chū ， bù guò nà yòu rú hé ， yòng yuán shén yī yàng kě yǐ cāo zòng kuǐ lěi zhī wù 。
在梦魇沙漠，神识不能外放而出，不过那又如何，用元神一样可以cāo纵傀儡之物。
In the Nightmare Desert, his divine consciousness couldn't be projected outward. But that mattered not; he could still control the puppet with his essence soul.
bú yào wàng le ， lín xuān rú jīn yǐ shì fēn shén jí bié de dà néng xiū xiān zhě ， yǐ yī lǚ fēn shén jì fù yú kuǐ lěi zhī shàng ， bìng méi yǒu tài dà de nán dù 。
不要忘了，林轩如今已是分神级别的大能修仙者，以一缕分神寄附于傀儡之上，并没有太大的难度。
Do not forget that Lin Xuan was now a powerful cultivator at the Shenfen level. It wasn’t difficult for him to detach a fragment of his essence soul and attach it to the puppet.
yú shì lín xuān pán xī ér zuò ， bǐng qì níng xī ， kǒu zhōng mò niàn zhòu yǔ ， hěn kuài ， yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu guò qù ， lín xuān yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， jiāng shí zhǐ shēn chū ， qīng qīng fàng yú é tóu de zhèng zhōng zhī chù ， suí hòu zài huǎn huǎn yí kāi ， suí zhe tā de dòng zuò ， yī lǚ wǔ sè liú lí de sī xiàn yóu tā de é tóu bèi lā le chū lái 。
于是林轩盘膝而坐，屏气凝息，口中默念咒语，很快，一盏茶的功夫过去，林轩右手抬起，将食指伸出，轻轻放于额头的正中之处，随后再缓缓移开，随着他的动作，一缕五sè琉璃的丝线由他的额头被拉了出来。
Thus, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, holding his breath and focusing deeply as he silently recited a spell. Soon, after a cup of tea’s time had passed, he raised his right hand and extended his index finger, gently placing it on the center of his forehead before slowly withdrawing it. As he moved, a thread of five-colored glass-like strands emerged from his forehead.
zhǎng bù guò cùn xǔ ， bù tóng yú jiàn sī ， yě xiāng yì yú fǎ lì ， kàn shàng qù ， yǐn yǐn yǒu jǐ fēn guǐ yì 。
长不过寸许，不同于剑丝，也相异于法力，看上去，隐隐有几分诡异。
The thread was only an inch long, unlike sword threads or magical power; it seemed somewhat eerie.
lín xuān liǎn shàng yě lù chū yī sī tòng kǔ ， jiāng yuán shén sī liè de zī wèi ér bìng bù hǎo guò ， hǎo zài tā de shén shí bǐ pǔ tōng xiū shì qiáng dà dé duō ， liǎn shàng de bù shì yī shǎn ér guò ， suí hòu jiù huī fù rú cháng le 。
林轩脸上也露出一丝痛苦，将元神撕裂的滋味儿并不好过，好在他的神识比普通修士强大得多，脸上的不适一闪而过，随后就恢复如常了。
Lin Xuan’s face showed signs of discomfort as he tore apart his essence soul, but the pain quickly faded as his divine consciousness was much stronger than that of ordinary cultivators. He resumed his normal appearance.
tā bǎo chí zhe gāng cái de dòng zuò ， yòu shǒu xiàng qián yī shuǎi ， nà lǚ fēn hún rú yǒu líng xìng yì bān ， mò rù le kuǐ lěi lǐ miàn 。
他保持着刚才的动作，右手向前一甩，那缕分魂如有灵xìng一般，没入了傀儡里面。
He kept his previous stance and swung his right hand forward. The fragment of his soul seemed to have a mind of its own, entering the puppet.
suí hòu kuǐ lěi de yǎn jīng liàng le qǐ lái 。
随后傀儡的眼睛亮了起来。
The puppet’s eyes then lit up.
miàn róng suī rán yī jiù dāi bǎn ， rán ér zhěng gè rén yǔ gāng gāng xiāng bǐ ， què píng kōng duō chū le jǐ fēn shēng qì 。
面容虽然依旧呆板，然而整个人与刚刚相比，却凭空多出了几分生气。
Though its face remained expressionless, it appeared more alive than before.
lín xuān shēn shēn hū xī ， tǔ chū yī kǒu xiōng zhōng zhuó qì 。
林轩深深呼吸，吐出一口胸中浊气。
Lin Xuan took a deep breath and expelled a mouthful of stale air.
zhè fēn hún jì yuán zhī shù shī zhǎn dé tài cāng cù ， hǎo zài zǒng suàn shì dà gōng gào chéng le 。
这分魂寄元之术施展得太仓促，好在总算是大功告成了。
He had performed the technique too hastily, but he was glad that it was finally complete.
suí hòu nà kuǐ lěi niǔ le niǔ tóu ， huó dòng le yī xià shǒu jiǎo ， bì jìng fēn hún cái gāng gāng jì fù ， zì rán xū yào shú xī yī xià zhè jù xīn qū tǐ de 。
随后那傀儡扭了扭头，活动了一下手脚，毕竟分魂才刚刚寄附，自然需要熟悉一下这具新躯体的。
Then, the puppet turned its head and moved its limbs as it needed to familiarize itself with this new body.
zhè ge guò chéng bù yòng lèi shù ， hěn kuài ， fēn hún jiù néng gòu jiāng kuǐ lěi cāo zòng zì rú ， xiàng jì tái shàng zǒu qù le 。
这个过程不用累述，很快，分魂就能够将傀儡cāo纵自如，像祭台上走去了。
This process didn’t need much elaboration. Soon, the fragment could control the puppet freely, walking towards the altar.
shàng miàn hái yǒu yī dāo yī jiàn liǎng yàng bǎo wù ， sàn fà chū xiān tiān líng bǎo cái yǒu de wēi yā yǔ guāng zé ， bù guò lín xuān yǐ jīng zhī dào ， zhè shì huàn yuè zhī dú biàn huà ér chéng de ， tā dāng rán bú huì zhǔ dòng qù pèng chù 。
上面还有一刀一剑两样宝物，散发出先天灵宝才有的威压与光泽，不过林轩已经知道，这是幻月之毒变化而成的，他当然不会主动去碰触。
There were two treasures on the altar: a flying knife and a divine sword, emitting the aura of primordial spiritual artifacts. However, Lin Xuan knew that they had transformed from the Moon Illusion Poison. He wouldn’t touch them voluntarily.
zhǐ shì zhēn zhèng de bǎo bèi jiū jìng cáng zài nǎ ér ne ？
只是真正的宝贝究竟藏在哪儿呢？
But where was the real treasure?
lín xuān mù guāng yóu yí ， jì tái bié wú tā wù ， zhǐ yǒu yī gēn bù qǐ yǎn de shí zhù ， zài yī páng gū líng líng de chù lì zhe 。
林轩目光游移，祭台别无他物，只有一根不起眼的石柱，在一旁孤零零的矗立着。
Lin Xuan’s gaze wandered. The altar held nothing else but an unremarkable stone pillar standing alone.
nà shí zhù hěn pǔ tōng 。 háo wú yǐn rén rù shèng zhī chù 。
那石柱很普通。毫无引人入胜之处。
The stone pillar was ordinary and lacked any captivating features.
bù guò lín xuān de mù guāng piān piān jiù luò zài tā shàng miàn le ， kuǐ lěi háo bù chí yí ， mài bù zǒu le guò qù 。
不过林轩的目光偏偏就落在牠上面了，傀儡毫不迟疑，迈步走了过去。
However, Lin Xuan’s eyes fell on it without hesitation as the puppet took a step forward without delay.
rán ér jiù zài zhè shí ， yì biàn tū qǐ 。
然而就在这时，异变突起。
Suddenly, something unexpected happened.
“ sōu sōu ” liǎng shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， shì xiān bàn fēn zhēng zhào yě wú ， nà yī dāo yī jiàn huà wèi liǎng lǚ hán máng ， yǐ xùn léi bù jí yǎn ěr de sù dù ， xiàng zhe kuǐ lěi pī kǎn guò lái le 。
“嗖嗖”两声传入耳朵，事先半分征兆也无，那一刀一剑化为两缕寒芒，以迅雷不及掩耳的速度，向着傀儡劈砍过来了。
"Zhu Zhu," two sounds entered his ears. There were no signs of warning before two threads of cold light transformed from the knife and sword, moving with lightning speed to strike the puppet.
sù dù kuài jí 。 jiù suàn shì lín xuān de běn tǐ ， yě méi yǒu shí zú de bǎ wò duǒ guò ， nà kuǐ lěi gèng bú yòng shuō ， háo wú xuán niàn de bèi jī zhòng diào le 。
速度快极。就算是林轩的本体，也没有十足的把握躲过，那傀儡更不用说，毫无悬念的被击中掉了。
The speed was incredible; even Lin Xuan’s main body wouldn’t have been certain about dodging it. The puppet had no chance and was hit.
rán ér tā bìng méi yǒu bèi kǎn chéng jǐ duàn 。
然而他并没有被砍成几段。
But he wasn’t cut into pieces.
fēi dāo xiān jiàn ， kàn shì qì shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， rán ér qí shí què shì yóu huàn yuè zhī dú biàn huà ér chéng de 。
飞刀仙剑，看似气势非同小可，然而其实却是由幻月之毒变化而成的。
The flying knives and divine swords, though impressive in appearance, were actually transformed from the Moon Illusion Poison.
guǒ rán ， tā men yī yǔ kuǐ lěi jiē chù ， jiù rú jiāng bīng xuě tóu rù huǒ lú ， xùn sù wǎ jiě xiāo róng diào le 。
果然，牠们一与傀儡接触，就如将冰雪投入火炉，迅速瓦解消融掉了。
Indeed, upon contact with the puppet, they melted away like snow in a furnace.
qǔ ér dài zhī de shì liǎng tuán hēi wù 。 mò rù kuǐ lěi de shēn tǐ lǐ miàn qù le 。
取而代之的是两团黑雾。没入傀儡的身体里面去了。
In their place, two black mists entered the puppet’s body.
huàn yuè zhī dú ， sān jiè wèi zhī cè mù ， ruò shì yǒu rén yǔ qí yì dì ér chǔ 。 nǎ pà shì dù jié jí bié de lǎo guài wù ， yě yí dìng shì chī bù liǎo dōu zhe zǒu 。
幻月之毒，三界为之侧目，若是有人与其易地而处。哪怕是渡劫级别的老怪物，也一定是吃不了兜着走。
The Moon Illusion Poison was notorious across the three realms. If anyone were to switch places with it, even an old monster at the Tribulation Transcending stage would surely suffer greatly and possibly not survive.
jí biàn bù yǔn luò ， yī shēn fǎ lì yě fēi dà sǔn bù kě 。
即便不陨落，一身法力也非大损不可。
However, for the puppet, which was a lifeless object, such poison could do nothing.
rán ér kuǐ lěi bù tóng ， tā běn jiù shì méi yǒu shēng mìng de sǐ wù ， jù dú zài měng è ， yòu néng rú hé ？
然而傀儡不同，牠本就是没有生命的死物，剧毒再猛恶，又能如何？
Thus, the Arrogant King of Devils’ fatal strike seemed like a gentle breeze, effortlessly dissipating.
gù ér ā xiū luó wáng ān pái xià de bì shā yī jī ， duì tā ér yán què fǎng fú shì qīng fēng fú guò ， jiù zhè yàng bù xián bù dān de huà jiě diào le 。
故而阿修罗王安排下的必杀一击，对牠而言却仿佛是清风拂过，就这样不咸不单的化解掉了。
The puppet then approached the stone pillar.
suí hòu kuǐ lěi lái dào le nà shí zhù de yī cè 。
随后傀儡来到了那石柱的一侧。
This pillar was about ten feet tall. It looked as if it would take several people to encircle it, but there were no other peculiarities. Lin Xuan’s keen eyes couldn’t determine its material.
cǐ zhù zi zhǎng zhàng xǔ ， fàng yǎn wàng qù 。 dà yuē yào shù rén cái néng hé bào de yàng zi ， rán ér chú cǐ yǐ wài ， què méi yǒu fēn háo chū qí ， yǐ lín xuān de yǎn lì ， yě kàn bù chū zhè jiū jìng shì shén me cái zhì dì dōng xī 。
此柱子长丈许，放眼望去。大约要数人才能合抱的样子，然而除此以外，却没有分毫出奇，以林轩的眼力，也看不出这究竟是什么材质的东西。
The puppet stopped and pushed with one fist.
kuǐ lěi tíng xià le jiǎo bù 。
傀儡停下了脚步。
Boom!
āo zòng tā yī quán dǎ le shàng qù 。
āo纵牠一拳打了上去。
A loud noise echoed as dust rose. The strength of this puppet equaled that of an Incubus Stage cultivator; at least a hundred thousand pounds. But the pillar remained unmoved, not even trembling.
hōng ！
轰！
Lin Xuan was unsurprised; he had only intended to test it. If he could figure it out immediately, that would be strange.
jù xiǎng shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， què zhǐ jiàn chén tǔ sì qǐ ， cǐ kuǐ lěi de shí lì xiāng dāng yú yuán yīng qī ， zhè yī quán dǎ xià qù ， zhì shǎo yě yǒu shù shí wàn jīn zhī lì 。 nà zhù zi què wěn rú tài shān ， chàn dōu méi yǒu chàn 。
巨响声传入耳朵，却只见尘土四起，此傀儡的实力相当于元婴期，这一拳打下去，至少也有数十万斤之力。那柱子却稳如泰山，颤都没有颤。
For some time, Lin Xuan controlled the puppet to try various methods—pushing and shaking—but none worked. He couldn’t help feeling frustrated but knew that good things came after much effort. After all, he had traveled far just to get here; giving up over a few setbacks was not an option.
bù guò lín xuān què yě háo bù jīng qí ， tā yuán běn jiù jǐn jǐn shì shì tàn ， rú guǒ yī xià zi jiù néng gòu shì chū lái ， nà fǎn dào lìng rén qí guài 。
不过林轩却也毫不惊奇，他原本就仅仅是试探，如果一下子就能够试出来，那反倒令人奇怪。
So, he continued manipulating the puppet with the stone pillar.
suí hòu de shí jiān lǐ ， lín xuān cāo zòng kuǐ lěi yòu zuò le shù zhǒng cháng shì ， duì nà shí zhù yòu shì tuī ， yòu shì yáo ， què dōu bú jiàn bàn fēn yòng chǔ ， yào shuō yì diǎn yě bù qì něi ， nà kěn dìng shì piàn rén de 。
随后的时间里，林轩cāo纵傀儡又做了数种尝试，对那石柱又是推，又是摇，却都不见半分用处，要说一点也不气馁，那肯定是骗人的。
Finally, after the puppet accidentally rotated the pillar several times and pushed hard, it fell with a loud crash.
dàn lín xuān jīng lì kǎn kě ， shēn zhī hǎo shì duō mó ， hé kuàng hǎo bù róng yì cái lái dào cǐ chù ， zǒng bù kě néng yù jiàn yì diǎn bō zhé jiù fàng qì le 。
但林轩经历坎坷，深知好事多磨，何况好不容易才来到此处，总不可能遇见一点波折就放弃了。
As they say, what is difficult does not come easily.
bàn fǎ shì rén xiǎng chū lái de ， yú shì lín xuān cāo zòng kuǐ lěi jì xù qù bǎi nòng nà shí zhù 。
办法是人想出来的，于是林轩cāo纵傀儡继续去摆弄那石柱。
Lin Xuan’s solution seemed simple. The material of the pillar was special, even excessively heavy for most cultivators to move. Fortunately, his puppet had immense strength; otherwise, he wasn’t sure if he could have done it.
gōng fu bù fù yǒu xīn rén ， zài kuǐ lěi wù dǎ wù zhuàng de bào zhù nà shí zhù xuán zhuǎn shù quān yǐ hòu ， zài shǐ jìn yī tuī ， hōng rán jù xiǎng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， zhōng yú jiāng tā fàng dǎo le 。
功夫不负有心人，在傀儡误打误撞的抱住那石柱旋转数圈以后，再使劲一推，轰然巨响传入耳朵，终于将牠放倒了。
With the pillar down, a large hole appeared before him.
sú huà shuō ， nán zhě bú huì ， huì zhě bù nán 。
俗话说，难者不会，会者不难。
It went deep and cold winds blew through. A green stone staircase extended into the unknown.
zuì hòu lín xuān pò jiě mí tí de guò chéng kàn shì hěn jiǎn dān ， dàn nà shí zhù cái liào tè shū ， shèn zhì kě yǐ shuō ， zhòng dé yǒu xiē lí pǔ ， yì bān de xiū xiān zhě ， xiǎng yào jiāng tā zhuǎn dòng jī hū shì bù kě néng de ， xìng hǎo lín xuān ná chū de nà kuǐ lěi yuán běn jiù lì dà wú qióng ， fǒu zé ， néng bù néng zuò dào zhè yì diǎn ， hái zhēn bù tài hǎo shuō 。
最后林轩破解谜题的过程看似很简单，但那石柱材料特殊，甚至可以说，重得有些离谱，一般的修仙者，想要将牠转动几乎是不可能的，幸好林轩拿出的那傀儡原本就力大无穷，否则，能不能做到这一点，还真不太好说。
If Lin Xuan were to go in himself, he might hesitate, but now controlling only a puppet, there was no need for caution. He stepped forward.
suí zhe shí zhù dǎo dì ， yí gè dà dòng chū xiàn zài shì xiàn lǐ 。
随着石柱倒地，一个大洞出现在视线里。
To his surprise, this passage was very short. After descending several dozen feet, it lit up ahead.
shēn bú jiàn dǐ ， yǐn yǒu hán fēng chuī fú ， yī tiáo qīng shí tái jiē bù zhī dào yán shēn xiàng hé chù 。
深不见底，隐有寒风吹拂，一条青石台阶不知道延伸向何处。
Lin Xuan quickened his pace and entered a small stone room.
ruò shì lín xuān zì jǐ yào jìn qù ， kěn dìng hái huì yǒu diǎn chí yí ， dàn xiàn zài fēn shén suǒ cāo zòng de bù guò shì yī jù kuǐ lěi ér yǐ ， nà yǒu shén me bì yào gù jì ， mài bù jiù zǒu le xià qù 。
若是林轩自己要进去，肯定还会有点迟疑，但现在分神所cāo纵的不过是一具傀儡而已，那有什么必要顾忌，迈步就走了下去。
Inside, there was nothing but a table and a chair.
chū hū lín xuān de yù liào ， zhè tiáo tōng dào fēi cháng de duǎn ， jǐn jǐn shēn rù dì xià shù shí zhàng hòu ， qián miàn jiù liàng le qǐ lái 。
出乎林轩的预料，这条通道非常的短，仅仅深入地下数十丈后，前面就亮了起来。
On the table lay a round plate with an jade box resting on top.
suí hòu lín xuān jiā kuài jiǎo bù ， yī jiān bù dà de shí shì yìng rù yǎn lián 。
随后林轩加快脚步，一间不大的石室映入眼帘。
Even though Lin Xuan’s main body was outside, he could see everything through the puppet as if it were real.
lǐ miàn bié wú tā wù ， yī zhuō yī yǐ 。
里面别无他物，一桌一椅。
Without hesitation, he instructed the puppet to pick up the jade box.
zhuō zi shàng fàng zhe yí gè yuán pán ， yí gè yù hé píng tǎng zài lǐ miàn 。
桌子上放着一个圆盘，一个玉盒平躺在里面。
With a "clack," it opened. A bracelet appeared inside.
lín xuān de běn tǐ suī rán zài wài miàn ， dàn tōng guò fēn hún suǒ jì fù de kuǐ lěi ， zhè yī qiè ， yě yǒu rú qīn jiàn 。
林轩的本体虽然在外面，但通过分魂所寄附的傀儡，这一切，也有如亲见。
Elegant and well-made, clearly meant for a woman, but that was all.
tā háo bù chí yí ， ràng nà kuǐ lěi jiāng yù hé ná qǐ 。
他毫不迟疑，让那傀儡将玉盒拿起。
Lin Xuan didn’t find anything extraordinary about it.
suí hòu “ bā dā ” yī shēng dǎ kāi ， yī méi shǒu zhuó yìng rù yǎn lián 。
随后“吧嗒”一声打开，一枚手镯映入眼帘。
Neither did the puppet, which played with it endlessly without discovering anything.
jīng zhì xiǎo qiǎo ， shì yàng bù sú ， míng xiǎn shì nǚ zǐ pèi dài zhī wù ， dàn yě jǐn shì rú cǐ le 。
jīng致小巧，式样不俗，明显是女子佩戴之物，但也仅是如此了。
However, several characters caught his eye on the box.
lín xuān méi yǒu kàn chū ， cǐ wù yǒu hé bù fán 。
林轩没有看出，此物有何不凡。
He quickly picked up the box to see the tiny script on its back: Seven Treasures of the Arrogant King!
bié shuō shén me xiān tiān líng bǎo ， zhè shǒu zhuó shèn zhì jiù bú shì yī jiàn fǎ bǎo 。
别说什么先天灵宝，这手镯甚至就不是一件法宝。
"Seven Treasures of the Arrogant King!"
kuǐ lěi ná zài shǒu lǐ ， fān lái fù qù de bǎ wán ， què dōu kàn bù chū duān ní 。
傀儡拿在手里，翻来覆去的把玩，却都看不出端倪。
Lin Xuan repeated this phrase softly. He still couldn’t figure it out.
dǎo shì nà yù hé shàng yǒu jǐ gè zì yìng rù le yǎn lián 。
倒是那玉盒上有几个字映入了眼帘。
But two things were certain:
tā lián máng jiāng qí ná qǐ ， què jiàn hé gài de bèi miàn ， xiě zhe jǐ gè yíng tóu xiǎo kǎi ， xiū luó qī bǎo ！
他连忙将其拿起，却见盒盖的背面，写着几个蝇头小楷，修罗七宝！
First, this was indeed a gift left behind by the Arrogant King; second, Purple Beauty’s efforts had been aimed at obtaining this bracelet.
“ xiū luó qī bǎo ！”
“修罗七宝！”
Unfortunately, he didn’t know its origin but wasn’t in a hurry to find out. He would gather information gradually.
lín xuān yòu chóng fù le yī biàn ， nán nán zì yǔ ， hái shì bù dé duān ní 。
林轩又重复了一遍，喃喃自语，还是不得端倪。
He instructed the puppet to thoroughly search the room and ensure no other treasures were missed before bringing the bracelet back up. (To be continued.) If you enjoyed this work, please continue reading.
In the Nightmare Desert, his divine consciousness couldn't be projected outward. But that mattered not; he could still control the puppet with his essence soul.
Do not forget that Lin Xuan was now a powerful cultivator at the Shenfen level. It wasn’t difficult for him to detach a fragment of his essence soul and attach it to the puppet.
Thus, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, holding his breath and focusing deeply as he silently recited a spell. Soon, after a cup of tea’s time had passed, he raised his right hand and extended his index finger, gently placing it on the center of his forehead before slowly withdrawing it. As he moved, a thread of five-colored glass-like strands emerged from his forehead.
The thread was only an inch long, unlike sword threads or magical power; it seemed somewhat eerie.
Lin Xuan’s face showed signs of discomfort as he tore apart his essence soul, but the pain quickly faded as his divine consciousness was much stronger than that of ordinary cultivators. He resumed his normal appearance.
"Go!"
He kept his previous stance and swung his right hand forward. The fragment of his soul seemed to have a mind of its own, entering the puppet.
The puppet’s eyes then lit up.
Though its face remained expressionless, it appeared more alive than before.
"Huff!"
Lin Xuan took a deep breath and expelled a mouthful of stale air.
He had performed the technique too hastily, but he was glad that it was finally complete.
Then, the puppet turned its head and moved its limbs as it needed to familiarize itself with this new body.
This process didn’t need much elaboration. Soon, the fragment could control the puppet freely, walking towards the altar.
There were two treasures on the altar: a flying knife and a divine sword, emitting the aura of primordial spiritual artifacts. However, Lin Xuan knew that they had transformed from the Moon Illusion Poison. He wouldn’t touch them voluntarily.
But where was the real treasure?
Lin Xuan’s gaze wandered. The altar held nothing else but an unremarkable stone pillar standing alone.
The stone pillar was ordinary and lacked any captivating features.
However, Lin Xuan’s eyes fell on it without hesitation as the puppet took a step forward without delay.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened.
"Zhu Zhu," two sounds entered his ears. There were no signs of warning before two threads of cold light transformed from the knife and sword, moving with lightning speed to strike the puppet.
The speed was incredible; even Lin Xuan’s main body wouldn’t have been certain about dodging it. The puppet had no chance and was hit.
But he wasn’t cut into pieces.
The flying knives and divine swords, though impressive in appearance, were actually transformed from the Moon Illusion Poison.
Indeed, upon contact with the puppet, they melted away like snow in a furnace.
In their place, two black mists entered the puppet’s body.
The Moon Illusion Poison was notorious across the three realms. If anyone were to switch places with it, even an old monster at the Tribulation Transcending stage would surely suffer greatly and possibly not survive.
However, for the puppet, which was a lifeless object, such poison could do nothing.
Thus, the Arrogant King of Devils’ fatal strike seemed like a gentle breeze, effortlessly dissipating.
The puppet then approached the stone pillar.
This pillar was about ten feet tall. It looked as if it would take several people to encircle it, but there were no other peculiarities. Lin Xuan’s keen eyes couldn’t determine its material.
The puppet stopped and pushed with one fist.
Boom!
A loud noise echoed as dust rose. The strength of this puppet equaled that of an Incubus Stage cultivator; at least a hundred thousand pounds. But the pillar remained unmoved, not even trembling.
Lin Xuan was unsurprised; he had only intended to test it. If he could figure it out immediately, that would be strange.
For some time, Lin Xuan controlled the puppet to try various methods—pushing and shaking—but none worked. He couldn’t help feeling frustrated but knew that good things came after much effort. After all, he had traveled far just to get here; giving up over a few setbacks was not an option.
So, he continued manipulating the puppet with the stone pillar.
Finally, after the puppet accidentally rotated the pillar several times and pushed hard, it fell with a loud crash.
As they say, what is difficult does not come easily.
Lin Xuan’s solution seemed simple. The material of the pillar was special, even excessively heavy for most cultivators to move. Fortunately, his puppet had immense strength; otherwise, he wasn’t sure if he could have done it.
With the pillar down, a large hole appeared before him.
It went deep and cold winds blew through. A green stone staircase extended into the unknown.
If Lin Xuan were to go in himself, he might hesitate, but now controlling only a puppet, there was no need for caution. He stepped forward.
To his surprise, this passage was very short. After descending several dozen feet, it lit up ahead.
Lin Xuan quickened his pace and entered a small stone room.
Inside, there was nothing but a table and a chair.
On the table lay a round plate with an jade box resting on top.
Even though Lin Xuan’s main body was outside, he could see everything through the puppet as if it were real.
Without hesitation, he instructed the puppet to pick up the jade box.
With a "clack," it opened. A bracelet appeared inside.
Elegant and well-made, clearly meant for a woman, but that was all.
Lin Xuan didn’t find anything extraordinary about it.
Neither did the puppet, which played with it endlessly without discovering anything.
However, several characters caught his eye on the box.
He quickly picked up the box to see the tiny script on its back: Seven Treasures of the Arrogant King!
"Seven Treasures of the Arrogant King!"
Lin Xuan repeated this phrase softly. He still couldn’t figure it out.
But two things were certain:
First, this was indeed a gift left behind by the Arrogant King; second, Purple Beauty’s efforts had been aimed at obtaining this bracelet.
Unfortunately, he didn’t know its origin but wasn’t in a hurry to find out. He would gather information gradually.
He instructed the puppet to thoroughly search the room and ensure no other treasures were missed before bringing the bracelet back up. (To be continued.) If you enjoyed this work, please continue reading.