shēn xiàn chóng wéi ， lǐ píng què méi yǒu sī háo de huāng zhāng 。
身陷重围，李平却没有丝毫的慌张。
Trapped in a tight spot, Li Fan showed no signs of panic.
zhè xiē kuǐ lěi dōu shì jīng yóu cāng shēng líng yuán gōng liàn huà 、 tí qǔ de yuán lì qū dòng 。
这些傀儡都是经由苍生灵元功炼化、提取的源力驱动。
These puppets were driven by primordial energy extracted from the Soul Nourishing Spirit Essence Technique. The current Wisdom Era's mass cultivation technique, Enlightenment Spirit Essence Technique, was an advanced version of the Soul Nourishing Spirit Essence Technique.
ér rú jīn shèng cháo dà qǐ mín zhòng xiū xíng de qǐ zhì líng yuán gōng ， zhèng shì cāng shēng líng yuán gōng de shēng huá bǎn běn 。
而如今圣朝大启民众修行的启智灵元功，正是苍生灵元功的升华版本。
By simply observing, Li Fan discerned how the primordial energy influenced the puppets. A golden web of primordial energy within his body emitted waves of invisible fluctuations.
zhǐ yī kàn jiù kàn chū le yuán lì yǐng xiǎng kuǐ lěi de fāng shì ， lǐ píng tǐ nèi de jīn sè yuán lì zhī wǎng fā chū zhèn zhèn wú xíng bō dòng 。
只一看就看出了源力影响傀儡的方式，李平体内的金色源力之网发出阵阵无形波动。
The purity of the primordial energy had nearly reached its essence form, exerting a natural压制 on the puppeteer's skillful manipulation.
néng liàng jīng chún chéng dù yǐ jīng wú xiàn jiē jìn yuán lì jīng cuì ， duì qiǎo gōng cāo zòng de kuǐ lěi jī hū xíng chéng tiān rán de yā zhì 。
能量精纯程度已经无限接近源力精粹，对巧工操纵的傀儡几乎形成天然的压制。
In an instant, dozens of originally menacing puppets in the room were now leaning to one side and unable to stand. Even the female puppet from Shangguan family was affected.
dàn jiàn hū xī jiān ， cǐ jiān mì shì zhōng de shù shí zūn yuán běn hǔ shì dān dān de kuǐ lěi yǐ jīng biàn dé dōng dǎo xī wāi ， zhàn lì bù néng 。
但见呼吸间，此间密室中的数十尊原本虎视眈眈的傀儡已经变得东倒西歪，站立不能。
The puppeteer's expression turned extremely grim. With decades spent dealing with primordial energy, he couldn't fail to recognize the methods used by this mysterious figure.
bāo kuò nà jù shàng guān nǚ xìng kuǐ lěi 。
包括那具上官女性傀儡。
He abandoned his attempt to fight head-on and began plotting how to escape or even abandon this body in favor of a rebirth from memory backups.
qiǎo gōng de miàn sè shà shí biàn dé nán kàn wú bǐ 。 dà bàn bèi zi dōu zài gēn yuán lì dǎ jiāo dào ， tā yòu qǐ néng kàn bù chū miàn qián zhè wèi shén mì rén yǐng xiǎng kuǐ lěi de shǒu duàn ？
巧工的面色霎时变得难看无比。大半辈子都在跟源力打交道，他又岂能看不出面前这位神秘人影响傀儡的手段？
Li Fan easily read through the puppeteer's thoughts as he calmly revealed the locations where he had hidden his memory backups.
yǐ rán fàng qì le gēn duì fāng sǐ kē de dǎ suàn ， kāi shǐ móu huà qǐ rú hé táo pǎo 、 yǐ jí gān cuì fàng qì zhè jù shēn tǐ yóu jì yì bèi fèn chóng shēng le 。
已然放弃了跟对方死磕的打算，开始谋划起如何逃跑、以及干脆放弃这具身体由记忆备份重生了。
The puppeteer was shaken, no longer able to hide his shock.
lǐ píng kàn zhe qiǎo gōng liǎn shàng yīn qíng bù dìng de shén qíng ， zì rán shì kàn pò le tā xīn zhōng de xiǎo xīn sī 。
李平看着巧工脸上阴晴不定的神情，自然是看破了他心中的小心思。
"Who are you!" His voice broke with fear.
bù jǐn bù màn dì ， jiāng qiǎo gōng jǐ chù jì yì bèi fèn de mái cáng dì diǎn ， yī yī dào chū 。
不紧不慢地，将巧工几处记忆备份的埋藏地点，一一道出。
Unable to fight or escape, the puppeteer felt more desperate than ever since fleeing to this Realm of Immortal Desolation.
qiǎo gōng xīn shén jù zhèn ， zài yě cáng bú zhù de hài rán 。
巧工心神剧震，再也藏不住的骇然。
"I am here not to harm you, Fellow Daoist. I wish to offer you a chance at transformation," Li Fan said slowly.
“ nǐ jiū jìng shì shén me rén ！” tā de shēng yīn yīn wèi kǒng jù shèn zhì dōu yǒu xiē pò yīn 。
“你究竟是什么人！”他的声音因为恐惧甚至都有些破音。
His somber tone and unidentifiable face made his words utterly unconvincing.
dǎ yòu dǎ bù guò ， táo bù táo bù liǎo 。
打又打不过，逃不逃不了。
The puppeteer didn't believe him, his fear intensifying.
zì cóng táo nàn lái dào zhè xuán huáng jiè hòu ， qiǎo gōng hái méi yǒu yī kè xiàng zhè bān jué wàng 。
自从逃难来到这玄黄界后，巧工还没有一刻向这般绝望。
He had never mentioned the name "Craftsman" in this realm, only being known as the enigmatic Spirit Essence Sect Master. Now a faceless stranger who could pinpoint his origins and knew everything about him!
“ qiǎo gōng dào yǒu bié wù huì ， wǒ lái cǐ ， què shì xiǎng sòng nǐ yī cháng zào huà de 。” lǐ píng huǎn huǎn shuō dào 。
“巧工道友别误会，我来此，却是想送你一场造化的。”李平缓缓说道。
The puppeteer wondered if there were other survivors from the Celestial Fortune Realm besides himself.
zhǐ shì lüè xiǎn yīn chén de yǔ qì ， zài pèi shàng tā nà kàn bù qīng liǎn páng de miàn róng ， gēn běn háo wú shuō fú lì 。
只是略显阴沉的语气，在配上他那看不清脸庞的面容，根本毫无说服力。
In confusion, the puppeteer's thoughts vanished when Li Fan conjured a bright golden orb.
qiǎo gōng jū shì zì rán bù xìn ， shèn zhì xīn zhōng de huáng kǒng gèng shèn 。
巧工居士自然不信，甚至心中的惶恐更甚。
"Primordial energy... essence?!"
yīn wèi qiǎo gōng zhè ge míng zì ， tā gēn běn méi yǒu xiàng xuán huáng jiè zhōng qí tā rén tí qǐ guò 。
因为巧工这个名字，他根本没有向玄黄界中其他人提起过。
"How is this possible!?"
shì rén zhǐ zhī tā shì shén mì mò cè de líng yuán jiào zhǔ 。
世人只知他是神秘莫测的灵元教主。
The puppeteer was shocked again, his disbelief evident.
rú jīn què lái le gè néng yī yǔ dào pò tā lái lì 、 shèn zhì duì tā gè fāng miàn dōu liǎo rú zhǐ zhǎng de wú miàn shén mì rén ！
如今却来了个能一语道破他来历、甚至对他各方面都了如指掌的无面神秘人！
Just as he was about to examine it, Li Fan stowed away the golden orb.
qiǎo gōng dōu yǒu xiē huái yí ， shì bú shì dāng chū tiān jī jiè chú le tā zhī wài hái yǒu qí tā xìng cún zhě le 。
巧工都有些怀疑，是不是当初天机界除了他之外还有其他幸存者了。
"You wanted primordial energy essence but couldn't get it? I can teach you," Li Fan said, silencing him.
yī shí jiān ， qiǎo gōng xīn luàn rú má 。 bù guò tā zá luàn de sī xù ， zài suí zhe lǐ píng shǒu zhōng yī tuán shǎn liàng de jīn sè guāng tuán shēng qǐ hòu ， quán dōu xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
一时间，巧工心乱如麻。不过他杂乱的思绪，在随着李平手中一团闪亮的金色光团升起后，全都消失不见。
"Did you want to recreate a divine-class puppet [Ancestor]? I can help with that too," Li Fan continued slowly.
“ yuán lì …… jīng cuì ？！”
“源力……精粹？！”
The puppeteer was so stunned he barely registered the mention of Ancestor's existence.
“ zhè zěn me kě néng ！”
“这怎么可能！”
Amidst disbelief, a glimmer of hope arose. What if this stranger was telling the truth?
qiǎo gōng zài dù jīng hū ， mǎn liǎn de bù kě zhì xìn 。
巧工再度惊呼，满脸的不可置信。
"What do you want in return?" the puppeteer asked directly.
zhèng yù xì kàn ， nà jīn sè guāng qiú què yǐ jīng bèi lǐ píng shōu qǐ 。
正欲细看，那金色光球却已经被李平收起。
Li Fan chuckled: "Believe what you see. Follow me."
“ dào yǒu bú shì yù qiú yuán lì jīng cuì ér bù dé me ？ wǒ kě yǐ jiào nǐ 。” lǐ píng zhè yī jù huà ， zhí jiē bǎ qiǎo gōng zài dù zhèn zhù 。
“道友不是欲求源力精粹而不得么？我可以教你。”李平这一句话，直接把巧工再度镇住。
Following Li Fan, they traveled east from Jiushan Province to the depths of Cunyun Sea near an underwater volcano.
“ dào yǒu bú shì xiǎng yào fù xiàn xiān jí kuǐ lěi 【 zǔ 】 me ？ wǒ yě kě yǐ bāng nǐ 。” lǐ píng jì xù màn tiáo sī lǐ de shuō dào 。
“道友不是想要复现仙级傀儡【祖】么？我也可以帮你。”李平继续慢条斯理的说道。
"Ah?"
qiǎo gōng cǐ kè yǐ jīng bèi zhèn jīng de yǒu xiē má mù le ， duì yú lǐ píng zhī xiǎo zǔ de cún zài ， jìng rán yì diǎn dōu bù gǎn dào yì wài 。
巧工此刻已经被震惊的有些麻木了，对于李平知晓祖的存在，竟然一点都不感到意外。
The puppeteer scrutinized this terrain, sensing a living entity slumbering beneath the volcanic core.
xīn zhōng zhǐ gǎn dào wú bǐ huāng miù de tóng shí ， yòu yǐn yǐn shēng qǐ yī gǔ xī wàng 。
心中只感到无比荒谬的同时，又隐隐升起一股希望。
Li Fan confirmed his suspicions.
wàn yī duì fāng shuō de shì zhēn de ne ？
万一对方说的是真的呢？
"You mean a puppet with full self-awareness?" the puppeteer doubted.
“ nǐ yǒu shén me tiáo jiàn ？” qiǎo gōng zhí jiē kāi kǒu dào 。
“你有什么条件？”巧工直接开口道。
"Not a direct creation, but transformed into a puppet through mystical means. Absorbing primordial energy for millennia, it's still not fully transformed. Waking it up prematurely could leave it inherently weak. I brought you here to see if you have any ideas," Li Fan said calmly.
lǐ píng qīng xiào yī shēng ：“ ěr tīng wèi xū yǎn jiàn wèi shí 。 dào yǒu xiān qǐng gēn wǒ lái ba 。”
李平轻笑一声：“耳听为虚眼见为实。道友先请跟我来吧。”
"Transformed into a puppet?" the puppeteer pondered these words.
qiǎo gōng gēn zài lǐ píng shēn hòu ， cóng jiǔ shān zhōu yī lù xiàng dōng 、 lái dào le cóng yún hǎi shēn chù 。
巧工跟在李平身后，从九山州一路向东、来到了丛云海深处。
He scanned the surrounding underground veins with golden light.
yī zuò hǎi dǐ huǒ shān fù jìn 。
一座海底火山附近。
After a long while, the light faded and the puppeteer nodded.
“ ń ？”
“嗯？”
"The puppet below has been refined by volcanic energy for thousands of years, growing immensely in power. But the energy is limited; even after another thousand years, it will only reach the peak of divine realm completion. Further progress is impossible."
qiǎo gōng níng wàng zhe zhè piàn dì xíng ， tā yǐn yǐn chá jué dào ， zhè dǐ xià de dì mài zhī huǒ zhōng 、 sì hū chén shuì zháo yí gè shēng líng 。
巧工凝望着这片地形，他隐隐察觉到，这底下的地脉之火中、似乎沉睡着一个生灵。
"This volcanic energy array was set up before its slumber. After so long, they've become integrated. Any hasty changes could wake him."
ér lǐ píng jiē xià lái de huà ， zé shì yìn zhèng le tā de cāi cè 。
而李平接下来的话，则是印证了他的猜测。
"Unless..."
“ nǐ shì shuō ， yī jù yǒu zhe wán quán zì wǒ yì shí de kuǐ lěi ？” qiǎo gōng yǒu xiē bù xìn 。
“你是说，一具有着完全自我意识的傀儡？”巧工有些不信。
The puppeteer pondered for a moment and said thoughtfully: "Unless the nature of the volcanic energy used to refine this puppet changes."
“ fēi shì zhí jiē de kuǐ lěi zào wù ， ér shì yǐ xuán qí miào fǎ 、 shēn huà kuǐ lěi 。 xī shōu dì mài zhī lì shù qiān nián ， réng rán shàng wèi wán chéng chè dǐ tuì biàn 。 ruò shì mào rán jiāng qí huàn xǐng ， kǒng pà huì dǎo zhì kuǐ lěi zhī shēn xiān tiān bù zú 。 wǒ dài dào yǒu lái cǐ ， jiù shì xiǎng kàn kàn nǐ yǒu méi yǒu shén me bàn fǎ 。” lǐ píng dàn dàn dì shuō dào 。
“非是直接的傀儡造物，而是以玄奇妙法、身化傀儡。吸收地脉之力数千年，仍然尚未完成彻底蜕变。若是贸然将其唤醒，恐怕会导致傀儡之身先天不足。我带道友来此，就是想看看你有没有什么办法。”李平淡淡地说道。
"You know, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao is unpredictable, with frequent cosmic upheavals. Volcanic energy is a manifestation of the Dao's laws..."
“ yǐ shēn huà wù ？” qiǎo gōng bù duàn jǔ jué zhe zhè sì gè zì de hán yì 。
“以身化物？”巧工不断咀嚼着这四个字的含义。
"But such opportunities are rare," the puppeteer admitted.
ér hòu shuāng yǎn shè chū yī dào jīn guāng ， sǎo guò xià fāng lián mián de dì mài 。
而后双眼射出一道金光，扫过下方连绵的地脉。
Li Fan said slowly: "I understand."
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， jīn guāng dàn qù ， qiǎo gōng diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ zhè xià miàn de kuǐ lěi ， jiè zhù dì huǒ zhī lì qiān nián bù jiàn duàn de chuí liàn ， shí lì dí què péng zhàng dào le yuán xiān wú fǎ qǐ jí de dì bù 。 dàn dì huǒ qiáng dù běn jiù yǒu xiàn ， jiù suàn zài xī shōu gè qiān nián ， shí lì yě zhù dìng zhǐ zhǐ bù yú huà shén yuán mǎn le 。 xiǎng yào zài jìn yí bù ， jué wú kě néng 。”
许久之后，金光淡去，巧工点点头：“这下面的傀儡，借助地火之力千年不间断的锤炼，实力的确膨胀到了原先无法企及的地步。但地火强度本就有限，就算在吸收个千年，实力也注定只止步于化神圆满了。想要再进一步，绝无可能。”
"Truly worthy of a Celestial Fortune heir. My original plan was to use divine treasures and primordial energy arrays for transformation, but your suggestion seems better. Harnessing celestial power to recreate the world..."
“ ér zhè dì huǒ zhī zhèn ， yòu shì tā zài chén shuì zhī qián bù xià de 。 jīng guò zhè me zhǎng shí jiān ， èr zhě yǐ rán yǒu le róng wéi yī tǐ de jì xiàng 。 ruò shì qīng yì duì qí gǎi zào ， kǒng pà yě huì jiāng tā jīng xǐng 。”
“而这地火之阵，又是他在沉睡之前布下的。经过这么长时间，二者已然有了融为一体的迹象。若是轻易对其改造，恐怕也会将他惊醒。”
The puppeteer paused, emphasizing: "This opportunity is rare."
“ chú fēi ……”
“除非……”
"Is it?" Li Fan smiled.
qiǎo gōng jū shì chén yín piàn kè hòu ， rú yǒu suǒ sī dào ：“ chú fēi cuì liàn zhè kuǐ lěi de dì huǒ běn shēn ， fā shēng biàn huà 。”
巧工居士沉吟片刻后，如有所思道：“除非淬炼这傀儡的地火本身，发生变化。”
"I will show you my abilities," he declared.
“ nǐ zhī dào de ， zhè xuán huáng tiān dào guǐ jué fēi cháng ， duō yǒu tiān dì jù biàn 。 ér dì huǒ yòu shì tiān dào fǎ zé lì liàng xiǎn huà ……”
“你知道的，这玄黄天道诡谲非常，多有天地剧变。而地火又是天道法则力量显化……”
After making such a grand statement, Li Fan stood still, closing his eyes.
“ bù guò ， zhè ge jī yuán 、 kě yù bù kě qiú 。” qiǎo gōng rú shí shuō dào 。
“不过，这个机缘、可遇不可求。”巧工如实说道。
Thinking the other was preparing some divine technique, the puppeteer focused intently.
lǐ píng huǎn huǎn chū shēng ：“ wǒ míng bái le 。”
李平缓缓出声：“我明白了。”
But after waiting for hours with no action, he almost left when not for the faint primordial energy essence that kept him in check.
“ bù kuì shì tiān jī jiè chuán rén 。 wǒ yuán běn de dǎ suàn shì ， yòng tiān cái dì bǎo duì dì huǒ guī yuán zhèn jìn xíng gǎi zào shēng huá 。 bù guò xiàn zài xiǎng xiǎng ， hái shì dào yǒu de jiàn yì gèng hǎo yī xiē 。 jiè tiān dì zhī lì ， zài zào qián kūn ……”
“不愧是天机界传人。我原本的打算是，用天才地宝对地火归元阵进行改造升华。不过现在想想，还是道友的建议更好一些。借天地之力，再造乾坤……”
The situation forced him to wait along with Li Fan for nearly two weeks.
qiǎo gōng wēi wēi yí zhèng ， ér hòu chóng fù qiáng diào dào ：“ wǒ shuō le ， zhè jī huì 、 kě yù bù kě qiú 。”
巧工微微一怔，而后重复强调道：“我说了，这机会、可遇不可求。”
Only a master of alchemy like Craftsman could endure such a long wait.
“ shì me ？” lǐ píng shěn rán yī xiào 。
“是么？”李平哂然一笑。
In an unseen place within the Wisdom Era's small world, many captured and factory-produced Ghouls began praying to the Dark Sea again.
“ dào yǒu qiě kàn wǒ shǒu duàn 。”
“道友且看我手段。”
Their innate purpose as power sources made them efficient in prayer compared to addressing the Faceless Holy Emperor.
kuā xià háo yán zhuàng yǔ zhī hòu ， lǐ píng què bì mù zhàn zài yuán dì bù dòng le 。
夸下豪言壮语之后，李平却闭目站在原地不动了。
These subtle changes were spreading through the Realm of Immortal Desolation.
qiǎo gōng hái yǐ wéi duì fāng shì zài jī zǎn shì fàng shén me shén tōng ， dāng jí níng shén guān chá 。
巧工还以为对方是在积攒释放什么神通，当即凝神观察。
The Faceless Holy Emperor standing on the Cunyun seabed sensed these shifts.
nài hé zú zú děng le dà bàn tiān ， dōu méi yǒu rèn hé de fēng chuī cǎo dòng 。
奈何足足等了大半天，都没有任何的风吹草动。
Some things take time, slowly accumulating before they happen.
yào bú shì nà ruò yǒu ruò wú de yuán lì jīng cuì qì xī ， yī jiù jiāng zì jǐ suǒ dìng 。 qiǎo gōng dōu xiǎng zhe chèn zhè ge jī huì liū zhī dà jí le 。
要不是那若有若无的源力精粹气息，依旧将自己锁定。巧工都想着趁这个机会溜之大吉了。
When Li Fan felt this accumulation surpassed a critical point...
bù guò xíng shì bǐ rén qiáng ， duì fāng bù shuō huà ， tā yě zhǐ néng gēn zhe jì xù děng dài 。
不过形势比人强，对方不说话，他也只能跟着继续等待。
"Reverse the cosmic order!"
zhè yī děng ， jiù shì xiǎo bàn gè yuè de shí jiān 。
这一等，就是小半个月的时间。
The Faceless Holy Emperor whispered, pointing at the continuous volcanic energy.
yě jiù shì qiǎo gōng shēn wèi liàn qì zōng shī ， xīn xìng bù sú ， cái néng miǎn qiǎng jiān chí 。
也就是巧工身为炼器宗师，心性不俗，才能勉强坚持。
What seemed like a casual gesture alarmed Craftsman as he witnessed its effects.
Trapped in a tight spot, Li Fan showed no signs of panic.
These puppets were driven by primordial energy extracted from the Soul Nourishing Spirit Essence Technique. The current Wisdom Era's mass cultivation technique, Enlightenment Spirit Essence Technique, was an advanced version of the Soul Nourishing Spirit Essence Technique.
By simply observing, Li Fan discerned how the primordial energy influenced the puppets. A golden web of primordial energy within his body emitted waves of invisible fluctuations.
The purity of the primordial energy had nearly reached its essence form, exerting a natural压制 on the puppeteer's skillful manipulation.
In an instant, dozens of originally menacing puppets in the room were now leaning to one side and unable to stand. Even the female puppet from Shangguan family was affected.
The puppeteer's expression turned extremely grim. With decades spent dealing with primordial energy, he couldn't fail to recognize the methods used by this mysterious figure.
He abandoned his attempt to fight head-on and began plotting how to escape or even abandon this body in favor of a rebirth from memory backups.
Li Fan easily read through the puppeteer's thoughts as he calmly revealed the locations where he had hidden his memory backups.
The puppeteer was shaken, no longer able to hide his shock.
"Who are you!" His voice broke with fear.
Unable to fight or escape, the puppeteer felt more desperate than ever since fleeing to this Realm of Immortal Desolation.
"I am here not to harm you, Fellow Daoist. I wish to offer you a chance at transformation," Li Fan said slowly.
His somber tone and unidentifiable face made his words utterly unconvincing.
The puppeteer didn't believe him, his fear intensifying.
He had never mentioned the name "Craftsman" in this realm, only being known as the enigmatic Spirit Essence Sect Master. Now a faceless stranger who could pinpoint his origins and knew everything about him!
The puppeteer wondered if there were other survivors from the Celestial Fortune Realm besides himself.
In confusion, the puppeteer's thoughts vanished when Li Fan conjured a bright golden orb.
"Primordial energy... essence?!"
"How is this possible!?"
The puppeteer was shocked again, his disbelief evident.
Just as he was about to examine it, Li Fan stowed away the golden orb.
"You wanted primordial energy essence but couldn't get it? I can teach you," Li Fan said, silencing him.
"Did you want to recreate a divine-class puppet [Ancestor]? I can help with that too," Li Fan continued slowly.
The puppeteer was so stunned he barely registered the mention of Ancestor's existence.
Amidst disbelief, a glimmer of hope arose. What if this stranger was telling the truth?
"What do you want in return?" the puppeteer asked directly.
Li Fan chuckled: "Believe what you see. Follow me."
Following Li Fan, they traveled east from Jiushan Province to the depths of Cunyun Sea near an underwater volcano.
"Ah?"
The puppeteer scrutinized this terrain, sensing a living entity slumbering beneath the volcanic core.
Li Fan confirmed his suspicions.
"You mean a puppet with full self-awareness?" the puppeteer doubted.
"Not a direct creation, but transformed into a puppet through mystical means. Absorbing primordial energy for millennia, it's still not fully transformed. Waking it up prematurely could leave it inherently weak. I brought you here to see if you have any ideas," Li Fan said calmly.
"Transformed into a puppet?" the puppeteer pondered these words.
He scanned the surrounding underground veins with golden light.
After a long while, the light faded and the puppeteer nodded.
"The puppet below has been refined by volcanic energy for thousands of years, growing immensely in power. But the energy is limited; even after another thousand years, it will only reach the peak of divine realm completion. Further progress is impossible."
"This volcanic energy array was set up before its slumber. After so long, they've become integrated. Any hasty changes could wake him."
"Unless..."
The puppeteer pondered for a moment and said thoughtfully: "Unless the nature of the volcanic energy used to refine this puppet changes."
"You know, the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao is unpredictable, with frequent cosmic upheavals. Volcanic energy is a manifestation of the Dao's laws..."
"But such opportunities are rare," the puppeteer admitted.
Li Fan said slowly: "I understand."
"Truly worthy of a Celestial Fortune heir. My original plan was to use divine treasures and primordial energy arrays for transformation, but your suggestion seems better. Harnessing celestial power to recreate the world..."
The puppeteer paused, emphasizing: "This opportunity is rare."
"Is it?" Li Fan smiled.
"I will show you my abilities," he declared.
After making such a grand statement, Li Fan stood still, closing his eyes.
Thinking the other was preparing some divine technique, the puppeteer focused intently.
But after waiting for hours with no action, he almost left when not for the faint primordial energy essence that kept him in check.
The situation forced him to wait along with Li Fan for nearly two weeks.
Only a master of alchemy like Craftsman could endure such a long wait.
In an unseen place within the Wisdom Era's small world, many captured and factory-produced Ghouls began praying to the Dark Sea again.
Their innate purpose as power sources made them efficient in prayer compared to addressing the Faceless Holy Emperor.
These subtle changes were spreading through the Realm of Immortal Desolation.
The Faceless Holy Emperor standing on the Cunyun seabed sensed these shifts.
Some things take time, slowly accumulating before they happen.
When Li Fan felt this accumulation surpassed a critical point...
"Reverse the cosmic order!"
The Faceless Holy Emperor whispered, pointing at the continuous volcanic energy.
What seemed like a casual gesture alarmed Craftsman as he witnessed its effects.