Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 871

“That’s right. Spirit bodies that haven’t formed a nascent soul or a soul are very obedient and possess a bit of spirituality, allowing them to handle simple commands without mistakes. Moreover, since they fuse with the puppet and become one, they are the best material for refining spirit attendants. That’s why this old man has settled in Blood Flame Mountain for so long.”

“It’s all thanks to your mastery of puppetry, Senior. If it were someone else, they wouldn’t have thought of combining spirit bodies with puppetry even if they discovered them.”

Although the Ji Xue Old Monster spoke as if it were simple, Han Li knew well how complex and precise the technique of fusing a spirit body with a puppet was.

Therefore, his words just now were sincere praise.

“If you like this kind of thing, this old man can also pass on the secret art of ‘Fusing Spirit into Matter’ to you!”

The two Ji Xue Old Monsters exchanged glances, as if they had noticed something, and one of them spoke calmly.

“I haven’t done anything for you, Senior, so I can’t possibly receive such a great favor.”

“Haha, what favor is there in such a trivial skill! This old man will have many things to ask for your help in the coming month, so there’s no need to refuse.”

One of the Ji Xue Old Monsters smiled and spoke humbly. Although various thoughts crossed his mind, Han Li rose and expressed his gratitude with a bow.

“Ji Xue Seniors, could you please tell me how I can help you now?”

He asked seriously as he sat back down.

“It’s not urgent. Since you’ve come to the Blood Flame Palace, feel free to drink and rest well for a night. It won’t be too late to talk about it tomorrow.”

The crimson-robed figure waved his hand, not wanting to discuss the matter. So, Han Li had no choice but to sit quietly and drink.

Clap! Clap!

One of the Ji Xue Old Monsters clapped his hands, and twenty young and beautiful women appeared, wearing colorful skirts. When Han Li looked up, a strange fragrance filled the air.

“This is…”

Han Li recognized something from the fragrance and the pink aura they emitted. The women were surprisingly the same kind of beings as the pink mist spirit attendants who served him from behind.

However, these ones that appeared this time had a very faint pink mist, revealing their faces.

He couldn’t tell what material they were refined from, but their skin, as well as their behavior, were no different from ordinary Bi Ling Clan women. Even the blue wings on their backs looked like real wings.

‘A puppet that looks exactly like a human!’

In the human realm, his Nascent Soul puppet had deceived others because the puppet’s skin was made of a quality spirit jade that was almost identical to human skin.

Moreover, since it possessed the cultivation of a late-stage Nascent Soul, it was difficult for ordinary cultivators to see through it even with their divine sense [spiritual perception].

However, these spirit attendants were not made of quality spirit jade, yet they could not be scanned even with a powerful divine sense. Han Li observed the women and pondered.

While Han Li was marveling, young men enveloped in a faint gray mist appeared from both sides of the main hall. The men, with clear features, each held a strange instrument and took their places on the floor.

Soon, the sound of music filled the hall, and the women danced gracefully to the music. The women’s bodies were as flexible as willow leaves, and the swaying of their colorful skirts was like the fluttering of butterfly wings.

Han Li narrowed his eyes as if he were lost in their dance, not moving at all. Seeing this, the crimson-robed Ji Xue Old Monsters glanced at him a few times and then exchanged glances with each other.

After a full hour, the music stopped, and the women ceased their movements.

“Cultivator Han, how are my spirit attendant dancers? They are different from the guardian spirit attendants, but they can perform all of the hundred or so types of banquet dances. This old man refined them a long time ago when he suddenly felt inspired, and it took quite a bit of time and effort.”

One of the Ji Xue Old Monsters said with a smile.

“They are truly exquisite. They are so lifelike that they are indistinguishable from real people.”

Han Li lightly sighed and praised the spirit attendants.

“Haha, since you like them, Cultivator, this old man will give you all twenty dancers and twenty-four musicians.”

Ji Xue, receiving Han Li’s surprised gaze, raised one hand and flicked his fingers at the dancers and musicians.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Then, crimson threads extended from the palms of the two Ji Xue, piercing through the spirit attendants. As the crimson threads disappeared, the spirit attendants fell to the floor, motionless as if they were dead.

At that moment, one of the Ji Xue clenched his hand towards the floor, and a blue aura caused the spirit attendants to shrink. The spirit attendants, transformed into wooden figurines about an inch in size, flew up and lined up in front of Han Li.

“The consciousness within the spirit attendants has all been recovered! You can freely control them if you refine them with the secret art I will teach you.”

“I can’t receive such a thing without doing anything. It’s too precious a gift.”

Han Li’s expression turned strange as he lowered his head to look at the spirit attendant wooden figurines, and he shook his head, refusing.

“It’s just a toy, what does it matter? Could it be that this old man’s gift is too insignificant for you to accept?”

The other Ji Xue Old Monster’s face slightly hardened. At those words, Han Li’s expression changed, and he immediately clasped his hands in a respectful bow.

“Since you have specially prepared this for me, Senior, it would be impolite to refuse.”

Han Li immediately waved his sleeve and collected the wooden figurines on the table.

“Haha, that’s good then! This contains the secret arts of Fusing Spirit into Matter and refining spirit attendants. Take it and study it well. It will also help you in refining puppets in the future.”

One of the Ji Xue Old Monsters nodded with satisfaction, and the other Ji Xue extended his hand and sent a black bamboo tube flying.

“Thank you, Seniors!”

This time, Han Li did not refuse and accepted it. After expressing his gratitude, he slowly pulled the item towards him.

He spent half a day in the Yin Fire Hall, receiving the Ji Xue Old Monsters’ kind hospitality, before heading to a quiet room in the side hall, guided by a spirit attendant.

Han Li locked the door and flipped his palm, taking out a set of formation tools. As he extended his hand, a dozen or so lights flew out and disappeared into the void.

A five-colored light barrier quietly unfolded. Only then did Han Li breathe a sigh of relief, quietly sitting in the room and closing his eyes.

‘It’s very strange for a Combined Body stage demon king like the Ji Xue Old Monster to treat me like this. Could it be that the task of refining the puppet is dangerous?’

Han Li shook his head, thinking that was unlikely. Even if the other party didn’t treat him well, he had to do his best. Besides, now that he thought about it, not only the Ji Xue Old Monsters but also Mok Cheong and Madam Mi, excluding the Six Clans, seemed to have intentions of recruiting him.

Mok Cheong didn’t even mind him meeting the white-haired Madam Mi. Just from that, there must be other reasons besides removing the Mingxia Golden Restriction, and this was likely related to the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning.

After a while, he sighed softly and opened his eyes.

He didn’t know what the Ji Yan demon kings were plotting, but for the time being, he didn’t have to worry about losing his life. Han Li’s eyes gleamed as he suddenly flicked his sleeve, and dozens of wooden figurines floated into the air.

As he extended one hand, one of them fell into his palm. Han Li observed the wooden figurine closely with his blue-glowing eyes. He couldn’t see the subtleties of the spirit attendant puppet from afar.

After a while, he tossed the wooden figurine into the air with a slightly strange expression and grabbed another one. After an hour, Han Li had examined all the wooden figurines.

The internal formation structure of the puppets was too complex and profound, making it difficult for him to figure anything out in a short time. However, it didn’t seem like they had played any tricks or left any traces.

Of course, that didn’t mean it was safe. The puppetry used to refine the spirit attendants was beyond that of the human realm. Fortunately, the Ji Xue Old Monsters had given him the related refining method, so he would be able to figure it out if he studied it.

Han Li once again brushed past his storage pouch, took out a small golden box, put the wooden figurines in the air into it, and sealed the box with various colored talismans.

Then, he took out the bamboo tube containing the spirit attendant refining method and poured his consciousness into it. He was instantly immersed in the subtleties of the new secret art.

After a while, he heard a knock on the door. Only then did Han Li retrieve the bamboo tube and rise to his feet. When he opened the door, a spirit attendant surrounded by a gray aura was waiting for him.

The spirit attendant couldn’t speak, but as he raised one hand, a small crimson light exploded from his palm, and the Ji Xue Old Monster’s voice was heard.

“Cultivator, please follow the spirit attendant to the Blood Refinement Hall. There’s something to discuss regarding the puppet refinement.”

After that, the Ji Xue Old Monster’s voice abruptly cut off, and the crimson light disappeared.

“Lead the way!”

Han Li commanded indifferently. The spirit attendant slightly bowed and walked away, but no aura could be felt.

After about an hour, he entered a secret area in the lower part of the Blood Flame Palace. It was a huge hall made of crystal in the underground lava.

It was about 300 to 400 feet wide, and the walls on all sides glowed with a faint white light. Behind the transparent crystal walls, red lava writhed, but the crystal walls were not damaged at all and perfectly blocked the external heat.

However, that was not what surprised Han Li.

The reason his eyes widened was because a giant puppet, thousands of feet tall, was submerged in the lava below the hall.

The puppet, clad in black armor, had crimson-purple skin covered in scales. Han Li felt a chill in his chest when he saw it.

The puppet had white horns on its head, a tiger’s mouth, a lion’s nose, and, strangely, six crimson eyes.

Two eyes were in their original positions, two others were on its cheeks, and the last two were surprisingly on the back of its head.

The sight of the crimson eyes rolling around and looking in all directions was enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

“This is Senior’s Blood Fiend Puppet. But it seems to have spirituality. Have you already used the secret art of Fusing Spirit into Matter?”

Han Li opened his mouth as he observed the giant puppet.

“Oh, it seems Cultivator has studied the puppet secret art I gave you yesterday quite a bit. That’s right. I’ve already infused a spirit body into the Blood Fiend Puppet. It’s not a weak spirit body like the spirit attendants outside, but a strand of this old man’s own clone!”

The Ji Xue Old Monster laughed strangely as he saw Han Li’s surprised face.

“Indeed, it would be impossible to control such a huge puppet with an ordinary spirit body. But it won’t be a problem if it’s a part of your consciousness, Senior.”

Han Li finally averted his gaze from the Blood Fiend Puppet and gave a wry smile.

“Now that you’ve seen it for yourself, you must understand why this old man had you stay in the Blood Flame Palace. You don’t have to do anything else, just inject some Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning into that armor! Then I will modify the formation engraved on the surface according to the changes in the Evil-Slaying Divine Lightning. Be careful and don’t mess things up.”

“Yes, I will do my best according to your orders, Senior.”

“Good. This old man won’t use you for nothing! Once the puppet refinement is complete, I will give you a few more things in addition to the spirit attendant refining method I gave you earlier.”

Satisfied with his answer, Ji Xue smiled brightly. Then, the Ji Xue Old Monster formed a hand seal and began to chant a spell.

A mysterious scene unfolded.

The giant puppet suddenly moved its head, and its six crimson eyes flashed. The puppet also formed hand seals with both hands and emitted a purple light from its entire body.

Wherever the purple light touched, the lava receded, and a huge purple barrier unfolded.

At the same time, a white light flashed beneath the feet of Ji Xue and Han Li, and the solid crystal floor disappeared.

The two fell straight down. Han Li was surprised, but he didn’t panic and flapped his wings to reduce his falling speed.

As Han Li descended to the head of the Blood Fiend Puppet, he passed one of the crimson eyes, and the pupil turned to stare at him.