The moment Old Demon Earth Puppet left the hall, he vanished from sight.
Wang Yu immediately locked onto his position using the massive tier-two formation that covered all of Spiritridge—Spiritridge Giant Mountain Array.
As for the Treasure Exchange—
He delegated it to the Foundation cultivators of the Guan and Jiang clans. Stabilizing public sentiment was now the top priority.
Once Earth Puppet master's location was confirmed, Wang Yu and Qingyang approached him directly.
"Senior Earth Puppet," Wang Yu said calmly, "please refrain from causing trouble within Spiritridge. What happens outside the city is no longer my concern."
It was a courteous warning, not a threat.
But Earth Puppet master ignored him, turning to Qingyang instead.
"Daoist Qingyang, you've only just broken through to Core Formation. Are you really going to risk your life for this brat? For two strangers you have no ties to?"
Qingyang glanced at Wang Yu's darkening expression and shook his head.
"I am the First Retainer of Spiritridge City Lord's Manor. If you deliberately disrupt the city's affairs, you are my enemy."
"Hahahaha!"
Earth Puppet master burst into laughter.
"You youngsters have grown soft—learning nonsense from Lakeheart Domain. The peace has dulled your respect for your elders. Today, I'll teach you a lesson."
He was over seven hundred years old—a long-lived Core cultivator. But most of his knowledge of the past came from hearsay. Like many elders, he romanticized the old days and inflated his own status.
Some grow cautious with age. Others grow arrogant.
He clearly didn't take Wang Yu seriously.
Which made Wang Yu's decision easy.
"Qingyang—kill him."
Just as he spoke, Rainflower Daoist emerged from Fragrant Pavilion. Realizing the danger, he leapt onto Windflower's spirit vessel.
"Go!"
He released a flurry of talismans, summoning a storm that propelled the vessel at top speed.
"Don't run!"
Earth Puppet master wouldn't let his prey escape. Three beams of light flew from his storage pouch.
The first was the tier-three close-combat puppet he'd mentioned earlier. It activated instantly, tearing up the street as it gave chase.
The other two landed—one was a peak Foundation puppet blocking Wang Yu, the other a Core-level puppet blocking Qingyang.
Three Core-level threats in total. No wonder he was so arrogant.
Longevity had allowed him to accumulate formidable resources.
Wang Yu responded instantly—he threw out the Moonfiend Coffin, and the Moonfiend Corpse burst forth, slapping Earth Puppet into a wall.
Qingyang summoned his newly acquired life-bound artifact: a jade-handled red-tipped brush named Crownbrush of the Pill.
Ink flowed like water. Dozens of ink beasts leapt from the air, swarming the iron puppet before him.
Puppets were powerful—but in one-on-one combat, they couldn't match a true Core cultivator, especially one wielding a life-bound artifact.
"Damn it—!"
Earth Puppet master cursed, crawling from the rubble—only to see Wang Yu, black coffin in hand, wrapped in dragon aura, hammering his peak Foundation puppet into the ground like a mole.
The puppet's head was crushed.
Wang Yu's strength was monstrous.
Fortunately, the close-combat puppet had reached Rainflower and Windflower.
With one punch—
It shattered their high-grade tier-two spirit vessel.
"Yes! Kill them and take the treasure!"
Seeing they weren't easy targets, Earth Puppet master transformed into a beam of light and gave chase, activating a puppet-path secret technique.
The Foundation puppet self-destructed.
The iron puppet unleashed a devastating blow—its fist formed a thirty-meter shockwave, scattering the ink beasts.
Qingyang unfurled a scroll, wrapping himself in its protective aura—and pulled Wang Yu with him.
"Careful, City Lord."
The explosion leveled a hundred meters of street, leaving a perfect crater.
Wang Yu and Qingyang reappeared 800 meters away.
"Spatial teleportation?" Wang Yu asked.
Qingyang shook his head.
"Not quite. It's a scroll-jump technique. I pre-hung a scroll nearby. Max range is a kilometer."
Wang Yu nodded. Limited, but useful—especially for ambushes.
The iron puppet was closing in. Earth Puppet master was about to join his close-combat puppet. Wang Yu summoned the Moonfiend Corpse to stall the iron puppet.
Then said quickly:
"Tier-three puppets lack life-bound artifacts and divine abilities. I'll handle the close-combat one. You take Earth Puppet—use our old strategy."
Qingyang understood immediately. He glanced at the Moonfiend Corpse battling the iron puppet—its power was terrifying.
Puppet arts rival corpse refinement.
But Wang Yu's corpse was special. Among puppets, the strongest were human puppets, or living puppets—crafted from living cultivators.
They retained their full strength. Above them were earth puppets and heaven puppets—even stronger.
Despite his title, Earth Puppet master hadn't crafted a true human puppet. His arsenal consisted of standard iron and spell puppets. Only the close-combat one resembled a human puppet.
Likely due to lack of skill. If both tier-three puppets had divine abilities and artifacts, he'd dominate the early Core realm.
Instead, he was stuck at Core Formation third layer.
"A washed-up old fool dares ruin my plans!"
During the chase—
Qingyang painted ink dragons across the sky, each one harassing Earth Puppet master and slowing his advance.
Rainflower Daoist saw this and felt a surge of emotion. Wang Yu was helping—but he and Windflower were still in grave danger.
He handed her his beginner-grade spatial ring, voice resolute:
"Windflower, take this and go. Don't return to Yunyan City. Find a place to break through. Once you reach Core Formation—avenge me."
Such scenes were rare in Crimson Kite.
Occasionally, brotherhoods showed such loyalty. But romantic bonds rarely reached this depth—likely due to their dual cultivation technique.
Years of shared fate had forged this connection. Windflower, tearful, didn't hesitate.
She took the ring, changed direction, and fled. Her voice echoed across the sky:
"I'll make that filth pay!"
Rainflower didn't look back. He charged the close-combat puppet, unleashing his ultimate technique.
Raging water turned to rain. Ropes of water bound the puppet—but only for a breath.
A hundred-meter wave sword formed. Rainflower slashed down with all his might.
The puppet punched through it.
In a flash—
It stepped forward and crushed Rainflower's skull.
Only a few hundred meters away, Wang Yu saw it—and his fury ignited.
He'd arrived quickly—but still too late.
"Outrageous—!"
Rainflower was dead. Spiritridge's honor was stained. Earth Puppet had to die—here and now. Otherwise, who would dare attend the Fragrance Gathering again?
The final distance was just a few breaths.
Wang Yu kicked the close-combat puppet into a house, carving a hundred-meter trench in the street.
Since breaking through to mid-tier-two body refinement, his progress had slowed. Even with dragon blood essence, he'd only condensed 333 drops.
Equivalent to Foundation fifth layer. To reach late stage, he needed 999 drops—then fuse them into one and spread it through his body for ascension.
Earth Puppet master claimed the puppet was made from a body-refiner—but it was a hybrid, not pure. A pseudo-dual cultivator.
In terms of physique, Wang Yu had no fear.
Moonshade Body Refinement, Dragon Blood Enhancement, Corpse Demon Secrets, Lunar Nether Eyes—
Four layers of augmentation and transformation.
His foundation in body refinement surpassed most orthodox cultivators. He could overpower the puppet.
As long as Earth Puppet master didn't interfere.
Three battlefields now raged:
Wang Yu vs. close-combat puppet, Qingyang vs. Earth Puppet master ,Moonfiend Corpse vs. iron puppet
All locked in fierce combat.
Then—
Little Talisman Lord Luo Chen appeared atop a nearby building. He scanned the scene, nodded to Wang Yu, and vanished.
Wang Yu's gaze darkened.
That bastard was clearly chasing Windflower.
To reclaim a treasure after a completed trade—such disgraceful behavior, especially after his earlier words and promises in Fragrant Pavilion.
Wang Yu felt a chill in his soul.
All lies.
He should never have advised Luo Chen. If not for his ties to Zhuo Shouqing, Wang Yu wouldn't have tried to befriend him.
Cunning was fine. But without integrity, one was worthless.
In the demonic domain, credibility was everything.
Luo Chen was not someone to trust.
And if he truly stole back the Floodwyrm Heavenly Water Essence, and word got out—it would destroy the Fragrance Gathering's reputation.
Worse than Earth Puppet's rampage.
Boom—
Another punch landed. Wang Yu resumed his duel with the puppet, keeping one eye on Qingyang's battle.
Earth Puppet had to die—now.
Just then—
A surprising figure appeared nearby: He Valley Master from Scorpion City.
His expression was solemn.
"City Lord Wang—do you require assistance?"
(End of Chapter)
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