Xie Zhaolin reached out and picked up the crystal core of the Heart of Ten Thousand Puppets.
The crystal felt smooth and warm to the touch, and within it, countless tiny gears seemed to turn ever so slowly, releasing a faint pulse that resonated with the entire cave mansion.
She didn't refine it right away. Instead, she carefully stored it inside a separate compartment within the You Ming Bracelet.
Refining something of this level required absolute focus and time, and right now, it wasn't her top priority.
Her gaze then shifted toward the dark-golden puppet with its eyes tightly shut.
This puppet, called the An Jin Guardian, gave her a strange and heavy feeling.
Its aura was completely hidden, almost lifeless, yet the oppressive weight that seeped from its material and craftsmanship silently revealed how extraordinary it was.
"You You, how exactly do I refine and control this An Jin Guardian?" Xie Zhaolin asked calmly. For a puppet of this caliber, the refining process was bound to be complicated, and she needed every detail clear.
"Don't worry, Master!" You You's voice rang with confidence. "The steps aren't complicated, but they've gotta be precise!
First, you'll need to draw a drop of your own life essence blood infused with your Primordial Soul mark and drip it right on the center of its forehead.
Then, circulate the Soul Binding Puppet Seal technique I passed to you, imprint your divine sense into that blood, and use it as a medium to link with the puppet's internal core formation.
You'll have to keep infusing both spiritual power and divine sense without stopping until your imprint completely covers the puppet formation and establishes a stable Primordial Soul connection.
Once it's refined, it'll recognize you as its master, your minds connected as one! And because of its rare materials and extremely high-grade puppet array, once the bond's formed, no one can take control of it unless you release it yourself or your Primordial Soul is destroyed!"
You You explained in detail and sent the full Soul Binding Puppet Seal technique through their soul link.
Xie Zhaolin examined the technique carefully, made sure it was correct, then nodded.
She didn't start right away. Instead, she sat cross-legged to calm her breath, stabilizing her state to perfection.
Then, following You You's instructions, she forced out a single drop of crimson-gold life essence blood. With a flick of her finger, the droplet landed precisely on the faint indentation at the An Jin Guardian's forehead that seemed ornamental but was in fact its core node.
Hiss—!
The moment the blood touched the metal, it let out a faint sound. Instead of sliding off, it sank into the puppet like it had been absorbed!
Immediately, Xie Zhaolin formed seals with both hands and began chanting the incantation for the Soul Binding Puppet Seal!
A complex and mysterious spiritual mark flowed from her fingertips, guided by her pure spiritual energy. It followed the connection built through the blood and slowly merged into the An Jin Guardian's core.
At first, everything went smoothly.
Her divine sense and energy moved along the puppet's pre-set formation paths, engraving her imprint bit by bit.
The An Jin Guardian stood still as before, but she could feel their link growing stronger with each passing moment.
However, just as her divine sense was about to reach the puppet's deepest core array—
Buzz—!
A sudden surge of power exploded from within the An Jin Guardian! The energy was vast, pure, and carried a wild, defiant will that violently resisted her intrusion!
This wasn't an attack. It was a natural rejection, born from the puppet's materials and core array—a refusal to be controlled by anyone!
It was instinctively fighting back against full domination!
"Not good!" You You's voice rose in alarm. "Master, be careful! The core of this An Jin Guardian contains the refined dragon soul essence and bones of an Abyssal Shadow Dragon I killed back then! Its remaining will is incredibly proud, it won't submit easily!
You'll need to use a stronger divine sense and sheer willpower to suppress it, or the refinement will fail!" You You's voice grew panicked, filled with self-blame. "Ah! Damn it, this is my fault! I... I completely forgot about that part!"
She practically stomped inside the jade slip. "Back then, I used the Heart of Ten Thousand Puppets to forcibly subdue it! I got used to controlling it through the Heart, so I forgot that directly refining it would trigger the dragon soul's backlash!
If only you'd refined the Heart of Ten Thousand Puppets first... with that suppressing it, the dragon soul wouldn't dare fight back!
But it's too late now! You'll have to handle it on your own!"
Her tone trembled with anxiety. The dragon soul's resistance was no joke—if Xie Zhaolin made even the slightest mistake, not only would the refinement fail, but her own Primordial Soul could be harmed!
Understanding dawned instantly.
So that was the problem.
But now, there was no way to stop. The process had already begun, and if she forcibly cut it off, she'd suffer backlash all the same.
"No problem."
Her voice was calm, cutting through the turmoil with cold resolve.
Instead of retreating, her gaze turned sharper, colder.
"A mere wisp of a remnant soul dares resist?"
Her lips curved into a cold sneer as her divine sense erupted with full force, slamming directly into the defiant dragon will!
Boom—!
The two wills collided violently within the An Jin Guardian's core formation!
Her face went slightly pale, sweat beading at her temples, but her eyes stayed firm. She pushed the Soul Binding Puppet Seal to its peak, her pure spiritual energy forming chains that merged with her divine sense, binding and eroding the dragon's will.
The dragon's will struggled furiously at first, but against her overwhelming dominance, its resistance grew weaker and weaker.
"Surrender... or be annihilated!"
A defiant, unwilling roar echoed faintly in the depths of her mind before the dragon's consciousness completely shattered.
Crack—!
It was like a shackle breaking apart.
The resisting force vanished instantly.
The An Jin Guardian's eyes flew open.
At first, they were empty and dazed, but soon, they focused on her, filled with pure reverence and obedience.
A restrained yet immense aura flowed from its body, steady and firm.
"You did it!" You You exclaimed in delight, her voice filled with relief and lingering fear. "Master, you're incredible! You actually suppressed that dragon soul by sheer force!"
Xie Zhaolin slowly withdrew her divine sense and spiritual power, breathing lightly, though satisfaction flickered in her eyes.
"Greetings, Master."
An Jin Guardian knelt on one knee, its deep voice filled with absolute respect.
She nodded slightly.
"Next time, make sure you tell me everything." Her tone was mild, but it made You You flinch inside the jade slip.
"Y-yes, Master! I swear I'll remember next time!" You You promised quickly, guilt written all over her tiny face.
===
So, I hit a bit of a wall and I think I need a new story to freshen things up. Basically, I got a little bored translating one of my projects on Webnovel, True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress, so I decided to pick up another novel.
I was looking for something with 'historical' mixed with 'transmigration' and 'Fourth Calamity' vibes. I found this shorter one, I think it's around 100-150 chapters, called Summoning Players: From Magistrate to Monarch.
You can check it out on my AO3 profile if this blurb hooks you!
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Lin Xi died, and then she got a promotion. Waking up in a new world, she's now the magistrate of a backwater county, a post awarded to her predecessor by a grateful emperor. The good news? She's skipped the peasant class entirely and landed a government job. The bad news? Her new county is poor, the roads are terrible, and the locals have a deep-seated distrust of anyone in power.
But Lin Xi has a theory: there are no bad citizens, only too many terrible officials. So, she rolls up her sleeves. She's planting crops, building bridges, and turning this forgotten place into a functioning society. She's doing such a great job that the one thing she never saw coming happens: the Imperial Court vanishes. The central government just... ceases to exist.
With no emperor, no chain of command, and no laws from the capital, what's a capable and ambitious local leader to do? For Lin Xi, the path is clear: if the old heaven has died, it's time for a new one to rise.
Meanwhile, in a modern world called Longguo, a hyper-realistic game titled From Magistrate to Monarch has become an overnight sensation. Gamers are desperate to play, but the chances of getting a spot are almost zero. The masses are left watching live streams, endlessly debating the game's ruthless AI. What they don't know is that the world is all too real, and the few lucky "players" who log in are about to have their own lives turned upside down, forever changing the fate of Lin Xi's rising domain.