Chapter 163: Foundation Establishment Level Puppet Beast

Chapter 163: Foundation Establishment Level Puppet Beast

Without the slightest hesitation, as the yellow shadow pounced, Chu Ning quickly backed away.

At the same time, he swiftly activated the defensive shield on his body.

However, the yellow shadow was also remarkably fast.

Just as Chu Ning activated the defenses of the Earth Spirit Bracelet and the Jade Belt, the yellow shadow heavily struck the shield.

With no hindrance, both defensive barriers shattered instantly.

Chu Ning didn't even have time to activate the defensive talismans on his body before the yellow shadow slammed into him.

A formidable force knocked Chu Ning's body flying.

He flew backwards for nearly twenty or thirty feet before he could steady himself.

Once he stood firm, a look of astonishment appeared on Chu Ning's face.

He was surprised by the speed and power of the yellow shadow's attack.

But he was equally astonished that despite the force of the impact, aside from being knocked back, he seemed to be completely unharmed.

"Even if I had tempered my body to near perfection, such an attack would have caused some reaction.

It must be because of this armor..."

At that moment, Chu Ning vaguely realized something.

At the same time, he looked ahead, and to his surprise, the yellow shadow that had attacked him turned out to be a wolf-like puppet beast.

As he saw the puppet beast charging at him again, Chu Ning quickly drew out the Fire Phoenix Feather Spear.

He channeled his magic power, causing a fire serpent to coil around the spear before shooting out from its tip and striking the puppet beast.

The beast's forward momentum halted, and it fell to the ground.

However, its body remained undamaged.

"Even the Fire Phoenix Feather Spear's Blazing Inferno Technique couldn't damage this puppet?

A single puppet beast possesses the offensive and defensive capabilities of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!"

Chu Ning's eyes narrowed, his heart filled with shock.

What shocked him even more was that the restriction on the seventh layer fluctuated once more, and in an instant, three identical puppet beasts appeared.

"Little White, run!"

Without hesitation, Chu Ning quickly flew downwards.

If it had been just one puppet beast, Chu Ning might have been able to hold his ground, but against so many, he wouldn't even have a chance to fight back.

Even without Chu Ning's urging, Ling Xiao Bai had already taken off running at the sight of the puppet beasts.

His speed was slightly faster than Chu Ning's.

Even Little White knew better than to provoke these puppets that could break through restrictions he couldn't.

As the two fled, the four puppet beasts pursued them closely.

Their speed was faster than Chu Ning's.

Just as Chu Ning was about to exit the fifth layer and enter the fourth, one of the puppet beasts caught up and lunged at him.

Chu Ning had already activated several intermediate-grade defensive talismans.

But, as he expected, they couldn't withstand the attack either.

At that moment, another puppet beast pounced.

Chu Ning had already released his spiritual sense, and sensing the beast's approach, he gritted his teeth and leaped into the air, propelling himself upward slightly.

The puppet beast that had been aiming for his head now struck his back instead.

Immediately, Chu Ning felt another powerful force wash over him.

Using this force, Chu Ning shot forward for several dozen feet, landing in the fourth layer and creating some distance between himself and the pursuing puppet beasts.

To his delight, despite the force of the impact, his body remained unharmed.

"The defensive power of this armor is incredible. Even a top-grade artifact wouldn't be this strong."

Chu Ning's heart filled with joy as he continued downward.

After entering the third layer, Chu Ning was once again entangled by a puppet beast. He dealt with it in the same way as before.

Using the talismans to withstand the initial impact, he then relied on the armor's defensive power to endure the beast's attack and accelerate away.

After doing this twice more, Chu Ning rushed down to the first layer and re-entered the corridor leading to the main hall.

At that moment, Chu Ning's expression changed slightly.

Within the range of his spiritual sense, the puppet beasts stopped pursuing them after reaching the first layer.

Chu Ning turned to look, and as he expected, the puppet beasts turned around and headed upward.

They completely ignored Chu Ning and Ling Xiao Bai.

Seeing this, Chu Ning curiously stopped in his tracks.

Then, he watched as the puppet beasts swiftly climbed several layers before disappearing into the restriction.

"Do these puppet beasts have some kind of restriction that prevents them from entering the main hall?

Or is there a restriction in the hall that prevents puppets and artifacts from being used?"

Chu Ning's eyes flickered as he recalled how his own puppet bird had been unable to function within the hall's vicinity.

He pondered for a moment, then brandished the Fire Phoenix Feather Spear.

He channeled his magic power into it once more.

But the top-grade artifact showed no response.

"There's definitely some kind of restriction in this hall that prevents the use of artifacts."

Chu Ning made his guess.

Then, he looked at the distant layers of caves, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

It was clear that going up was not an option.

The restrictions there were beyond Little White's ability to decipher, let alone break.

"Little White, is there anywhere else we can leave from?"

"Downward," came Ling Xiao Bai's quick reply.

Chu Ning hesitated, "Down? Didn't you say that the restriction downward is too strong for you to break because of your injuries?"

"After consuming the Heaven's Origin Grass, if I cultivate the Mysterious Fate Technique for another two or three days, my spiritual power will recover significantly, and I'll be able to take you out from the outside."

Ling Xiao Bai explained via spiritual transmission.

As he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the layers of caves above.

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Little White's eyes.

Clearly, he was still bothered by his earlier misjudgment of the restrictions and his inability to directly break through the ones above.

As Chu Ning spoke, he was also amazed by the incredible healing effects of the Heaven's Origin Grass.

Previously, Ling Xiao Bai's injuries had been severe, and even with their combined cultivation of the Mysterious Fate Technique, there had been no sign of his spiritual powers recovering.

But now, with just one Heaven's Origin Grass and the aid of the technique, Xiao Bai's spiritual powers were regenerating.

"Since this Heaven's Origin Grass was growing in that cave, aside from direct consumption for healing, it's likely that it can also be used for pill refining. Perhaps the Spirit Pill Collection will have some related information."

Chu Ning mused to himself.

He then turned to Ling Xiao Bai and asked, "Little White, do you want to continue cultivating the Mysterious Fate Technique now?"

"Whine!"

Ling Xiao Bai nodded, and Chu Ning immediately sat down cross-legged, beginning to cultivate the technique with Xiao Bai.

This time, Chu Ning noticed a difference from their previous cultivation sessions.

Before, when Xiao Bai had been gravely injured and barely clinging to life, Chu Ning had been the only one cultivating.

But now, through the channels of the Mysterious Fate Technique, Chu Ning could sense that Ling Xiao Bai was actively absorbing spiritual energy to heal himself, rather than just passively receiving it.

"This will indeed speed things up."

Chu Ning thought to himself, realizing that the only limiting factor was his own spiritual power.

The Mysterious Fate Technique consumed an enormous amount of spiritual power, and Chu Ning could only maintain it for half an hour at most before needing to stop and recover.

So, for the next two days, Chu Ning and Ling Xiao Bai healed their wounds while also exploring the surrounding area.

The ancient sect's ruins were vast, and although there were no spirit fields, they were several times larger than the inner and outer gates of the Qingxi Sect.

As they healed, the two continued to venture outward.

Unfortunately, the areas beyond the grand hall were severely damaged.

Even though most places lacked restrictions, allowing Chu Ning to enter freely, there were no other valuable discoveries.

Given the size of the sect, there should have been many disciples, and the extent of the damage suggested a significant event or battle.

Yet, strangely, Chu Ning hadn't come across a single corpse or remnant, which he found puzzling.

"Perhaps there are more secrets hidden in the upper levels of those cave dwellings."

After two days, as they finally reached the outermost edge of the ruins, Chu Ning reflected on this place, which had abundant spiritual energy but felt lifeless.

"Little White, for now, our strengths are insufficient. When we become more powerful, we can return here to explore further, what do you say?"

Hearing Chu Ning's words, Ling Xiao Bai let out a soft "Whine!"

Clearly, the little guy had already been thinking along those lines.

Chu Ning turned his attention to the formation restrictions before him, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"Although two days have passed, that red-faced old man is likely still lingering near Luoxia Island, searching for us. This ancient sect's ruins form a small world of their own, overlapping with the real world in a very subtle way. Leaving from this place, I might end up a thousand miles away, or I might still be in the same spot."

As he thought about this, Chu Ning frowned slightly.

There weren't many dangers within the ruins, and under normal circumstances, he could have stayed there for several months.

But he had finally obtained the White Frostbite Grass, which could only be preserved for half a month.

On top of that, the Flamewood Twin Fruits would soon be ripe.

All of these things were crucial for his next step—the Foundation Establishment.

If he missed this opportunity, it might take an immeasurable amount of time and effort to gather these resources again, and even then, success wasn't guaranteed.

So, despite the slight risk, Chu Ning was determined to take a chance.

"After all, the chances of ending up back where I started are slim if I exit this small world from a different direction..."

With that thought in mind, Chu Ning turned to Ling Xiao Bai and said,

"Let's go, Little White. Take me out of here!"

"Whine!"

Along with this call, Ling Xiao Bai, who was perched on Chu Ning's shoulder, emitted a white glow from the top of his head.

The glow enveloped Chu Ning, and the little guy charged forward, breaking through the restrictions.

In an instant, Chu Ning's surroundings changed.

He found himself in water, cold and wet. Blinking in surprise, he realized he was in a lake.

Chu Ning reached into his storage bag and pulled out the Green Light Pearl, causing the water around him to immediately recede.

Without rushing to fly, Chu Ning carefully extended his spiritual sense to scan his surroundings.

"There's water for nearly a hundred feet in every direction. I must be in the middle of a lake."

Sensing this, Chu Ning relaxed a little.

He then rose into the air, hovering above the water.

Looking around, he saw nothing but water in every direction, except for an island that loomed faintly about a dozen miles to his left.

Without hesitation, Chu Ning flew straight toward the island.

His first priority was to identify the island and determine his current location.

After flying about thirty miles, Chu Ning finally landed on the island.

Of course, he had already altered his appearance and aura, assuming the form of an ordinary-looking middle-aged cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining. As for Ling Xiao Bai, who might have exposed his identity, Chu Ning had placed him in a spirit beast bag.

Scanning the area cautiously, Chu Ning felt no sense of familiarity with the island.

"I must not have come to this island before, or if I did, I didn't stay long enough to get a deep impression of it. But with such dense spiritual energy, it seems similar to an island with a second-grade spirit vein."

Chu Ning muttered to himself as he carefully flew toward the center of the island.

In the Thousand Lakes and Islands, if there were cultivators residing on an island, the teleportation formation would usually be located near the center.

After flying for about five or six miles, Chu Ning's eyes lit up as he spotted another cultivator.

This cultivator appeared to be around the same age as Chu Ning's current form, but his cultivation level was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

With a slight smile, Chu Ning cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, fellow cultivator. May I ask how to get to the teleportation formation from here?"

Hearing that Chu Ning was only inquiring about the teleportation formation, the middle-aged cultivator's expression eased somewhat.

He pointed towards a location on the eastern side of the island's center and said, "That's the way to the teleportation formation. Don't go straight to the center of the island, as that's where the cave dwellings of several island lords are located. Ordinary cultivators are not allowed to approach that area."

Upon hearing this, a serious expression appeared on Chu Ning's face. He reached into his storage bag and took out a low-grade Spirit Stone, offering it to the middle-aged cultivator as he said, "Fellow cultivator, now that I think about it, I should be careful. May I trouble you to guide me there? This Spirit Stone is for your trouble."

The middle-aged cultivator's eyes lit up at the mention of being paid a Spirit Stone just for showing the way, and he readily agreed.

The two of them used a simple Wind Riding Technique to fly towards the teleportation formation.

Along the way, Chu Ning casually struck up a conversation, skillfully extracting useful information.

However, this also caused a strange expression to appear on his face.

"What a coincidence, I ended up on this island, which turns out to be Feng Cliff Island."

Previously, when he had encountered Song Ye, Chu Ning had claimed to be a cultivator from this very island.

And indeed, he had been to Feng Cliff Island before.

As an island with a second-grade spirit vein, it was home to numerous cultivators.

It even had a small gathering place for loose cultivators to trade.

This was mainly because not every cultivator wanted to spend money on the teleportation formation just to go to Thousand Illusion Island for trading, especially for smaller transactions.

However, the transactions there were still small-scale and had not yet developed into a proper market.

Chu Ning had visited a few times in the past when he was looking for alchemy ingredients.

He had been to Feng Cliff Island twice, each time heading directly to the loose cultivator gathering place.

He had not ventured to other parts of the island, which was why he had felt unfamiliar with the island when he first arrived.

After flying for several dozen li, Chu Ning had learned everything he wanted to know.

He found an excuse to say that he now knew the way to the teleportation formation and parted ways with the middle-aged cultivator.

Before leaving, Chu Ning also took the opportunity to spend two more Spirit Stones to purchase several Fire Maple Grass spirit herbs from the cultivator.

This herb was unique to the island, and the middle-aged cultivator had mentioned that he was going to sell them at the loose cultivator gathering place.

Chu Ning seized the opportunity to say that he had come to the island specifically for this herb and offered the market price for it.

Naturally, the middle-aged cultivator was happy to sell them to Chu Ning.

After the middle-aged cultivator left, Chu Ning's expression turned serious.

"Since I claimed to be a cultivator from this island before, that red-faced old man might really come here to investigate.

If I, a stranger, suddenly appeared on this island, he might discover something.

Now that I have an identity and a motive, even if someone investigates me, there shouldn't be a problem."

With that in mind, Chu Ning quickly made his way towards the teleportation formation.

Before long, he arrived at the teleportation formation.

Just like everywhere else, the fee to teleport to Thousand Illusion Island was ten Spirit Stones.

Of course, Chu Ning, who was pretending to be a 7th Layer Qi Refining cultivator, couldn't possibly pay all at once.

So, he waited with three other cultivators at the teleportation formation.

After a while, two more cultivators arrived, but Chu Ning paid them no mind.

However, his eyes suddenly narrowed, then returned to normal.

"Senior Song, we've never heard of a cultivator named He Jie on Feng Cliff Island.

He managed to escape from your hands with his 9th Layer Qi Refining cultivation; if he were from our island, I would definitely have heard of him."

Along with these words, several figures appeared outside the teleportation formation.

Leading them was an elder with a red face and a formidable aura—none other than Song Ye, whom Chu Ning had encountered on Luoxia Island.

Beside him stood a cultivator in the early stages of the Foundation Establishment level.

Chu Ning had caught a glimpse of him during the Thousand Islands Competition; he was Zhou Xinquan, the island master of Feng Cliff Island.

He was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but in front of Song Ye, he addressed himself as a junior, likely due to both his younger age and Song Ye's status as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and a member of the prestigious Song family.

Seeing these people, Chu Ning was quite astonished.

He had not expected Song Ye to arrive at Feng Cliff Island so quickly.

Based on his assumptions, Song Ye should have stayed on Luoxia Island for a while longer.

Song Ye's face was gloomy as he stood there. He had been keeping watch on Luoxia Island, but after two days without any sightings, he could no longer sit still.

Recalling that the man named "He Jie" had possessed a treasure that could counter his spiritual sense, Song Ye immediately came to Feng Cliff Island to investigate.

To his surprise, the island's cultivators claimed to have never heard of such a person.

"That guy actually hid his identity from me the moment he saw me."

Thinking of this, Song Ye gritted his teeth in frustration.

Stepping into the area where the teleportation formation was located, Song Ye paid no heed to Zhou Xinquan, who was still trying to explain.

His gaze swept over Chu Ning and the others, and he coldly asked, "Are all of you cultivators from Feng Cliff Island? Have any of you seen a cultivator named He Jie?"

Of course, this was just a name Chu Ning had made up on the spot, so the others naturally shook their heads.

Song Ye's brow remained furrowed as he turned to the cultivator next to Chu Ning and asked, "What's your name? Are you from Feng Cliff Island?

If you're from Feng Cliff Island, then where are you going now?"

Song Ye asked a few more questions, then turned his gaze to Chu Ning. "What's your name?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end