100: Master, I'm super useful!

"Mm." Su Lin nodded and led Ye You towards the back mountain.

Quiet Contemplation Courtyard.

This place was indeed serene, with only an old tree in the courtyard.

Yue Xiaoxiao was sitting on a stone stool under the old tree.

She had already changed out of her messy black dress and put on a moon-white Daoist robe that only Core Disciples of the Daochu Sect could wear.

The robe looked a bit loose on her, and coupled with her tender face, it made her look more like a little girl who had wandered into the wrong place.

She seemed very bored, using a small twig to draw something on the ground.

"Revered Master."

She immediately stood up, bowing respectfully.

Ye You stood beside Su Lin, holding his arm, giving the new soul effigy a cold look.

Su Lin got straight to the point: "I'm here to ask you something. Do you know about the Thousand Puppet Sect?"

Hearing the name, Yue Xiaoxiao paused, then looked up.

"The Thousand Puppet Sect! I know them."

Her tone carried the disdain of a professional.

Yue Xiaoxiao pouted, an age-inappropriate scorn appearing on her tender face.

"Their Cultivation Technique and refining skills are simply crude beyond belief.

The Thousand Puppet Sect doesn't understand the mysteries of souls at all; they only use the clumsiest methods, forcibly erasing the consciousness of living souls, leaving only instinct.

The things they refine are stiff and ugly, a complete waste of Materials.

Unlike my soul effigies, each of which retains its most interesting characteristics."

Ye You frowned beside him; she didn't like Yue Xiaoxiao's boastful tone.

Su Lin ignored her self-praise and focused on the key point: "So you know them?"

"Of course." Yue Xiaoxiao immediately put away her smugness and became respectful, "Although their technique isn't good, they have the advantage of numbers and are very good at hiding.

As far as I know, they have already secretly refined several Mortal cities."

"Refined Mortal cities?" Su Lin asked.

"Yes." Yue Xiaoxiao's expression became a bit more serious, "They are stealing Opportunity.

Mortals have a huge base, and there are always some who are born with Spiritual Roots but don't know it themselves.

These people are the best Materials."

Su Lin said, "Tonight, they have a transaction in the Black Stone Forest."

"Black Stone Forest?" Yue Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up.

She immediately seized the Opportunity, stepping forward: "Revered Master! Are you going to clear them out?"

"Take me with you!"

Ye You said coldly, "When Revered Master is handling matters, there's no place for you to speak."

Yue Xiaoxiao quickly looked at Su Lin, stating her reasons rapidly: "Revered Master! You must take me with you!

Although the Thousand Puppet Sect's methods are crude, they have a knack for dealing with souls! My abilities can suppress them!"

"Moreover," she added, "I am a ghost Cultivator, and they also play with souls, so I am most sensitive to their aura!

With me there, I can help you dig out all their secrets! I can also help you take over those Puppets!"

"I'm super useful!"

Her last sentence revealed her true intentions.

Su Lin looked at her.

Yue Xiaoxiao's reasons were very compelling.

"Alright." Su Lin agreed.

"Xuan Zhen." Su Lin called out towards outside the courtyard.

Elder Xuan Zhen, who had been waiting not far away, immediately walked over: "Sect Master."

"I'll leave the Sect affairs to you for now. Youer and I are going out for a trip."

"Yes, Sect Master!" Xuan Zhen respectfully responded.

Su Lin turned, Yue Xiaoxiao had already excitedly followed, while Ye You let out an unhappy "hmph" but still held Su Lin's arm tightly, asserting her status.

At Hai Shi (9-11 PM), the moonlight was clear and cold.

At the entrance of Wendao Mountain, Su Lin, Ye You, and Yue Xiaoxiao were ready to depart.

Ye You glanced at the eager Yue Xiaoxiao beside her and spoke coldly: "You'd better be truly useful, don't hold Revered Master back."

Yue Xiaoxiao felt the hostility, her body shrinking slightly, but she still turned to Su Lin and respectfully reported: "Revered Master, the Black Stone Forest has a strange terrain; those black stones interfere with Divine Sense detection, making it the best place to hide a workshop."

Ye You said no more, unleashing her Body Integration Stage demonic power. Instead of using a flying boat, she directly enveloped Su Lin, bringing him along with her.

Seeing this, Yue Xiaoxiao, understandingly, activated her ghost Qi, transforming into a black shadow and following behind.

The three streaks of light moved extremely fast, soon reaching their destination.

The Black Stone Forest lived up to its name; no grass grew here, only countless strangely shaped black stone pillars rising from the ground, casting mottled shadows under the moonlight, appearing eerie and terrifying.

"Revered Master, according to Li Feng's memory, the entrance is inside the hollow stone pillar struck by lightning in the very center." Ye You whispered into Su Lin's ear.

"No."

Yue Xiaoxiao's voice came from the other side. She stopped a few zhang away, pointing to an inconspicuous cliff.

"That entrance is for low-level buyers like Li Feng, just a facade.

The real core workshop is underground, and the entrance is behind that cliff face.

I can feel that the soul aura there is the densest."

Ye You glared back at her unhappily; this soul effigy dared to contradict her.

Su Lin, however, nodded: "Well done, Xiaoxiao."

He raised his hand and formed a hand seal.

An invisible fluctuation instantly spread, completely shrouding the figures and auras of the three.

"This is a Qi concealment technique, which can block all our fluctuations."

Ye You immediately added her demonic power, making this layer of concealment even more secure.

Yue Xiaoxiao also quickly contributed her strength, using ghost Qi to simulate the surrounding environment, making the presence of the three completely disappear.

They silently passed through the illusion on the cliff and entered a deep, downward tunnel.

At the end of the tunnel was a huge underground cavern.

It was brightly lit, and dozens of Cultivators wearing the Thousand Puppet Sect's distinctive black robes were busy at work.

On a stone platform in the center of the cavern were several objects covered with black cloth.

Su Lin and the other two concealed themselves in the shadows of the entrance, observing quietly.

"What time is it?" A hoarse voice sounded, seemingly the leader.

"Reporting, Protector, it's almost Zi Shi (11 PM-1 AM)."

"Hmph," the Protector was clearly impatient, "Why hasn't that Mortal named Li from down the mountain arrived yet? Isn't he very interested in the 'new products'?"

Another Disciple chimed in: "Indeed, he's always been punctual. Today is a big day for transactions, and he still needs to pay the final balance."

"He's just a Mortal lackey, it doesn't matter if he dies."

The Protector said coldly, "If he doesn't come, send someone to his clan later and refine his entire family into Materials.

Although Mortal souls are fragile, they have the advantage of quantity."

"Protector is wise." The Disciple flattered, "However, should this batch of new products really be given to such Mortals?"

"Of course, we give them defective products."

The Protector walked to the stone platform and tore off one of the black cloths.

Beneath the black cloth was a Puppet.

This Puppet looked no different from a real person, a beautiful young girl with her eyes tightly closed.

"This batch of unpolished jade is of extremely high quality."

The Protector patted the Puppet's face with satisfaction, "Among those Mortals, there are always some with unawakened innate Spiritual Roots.

We harvest them before the Righteous Path Sects discover them; they are simply perfect Materials."

"Hehe, the Sect's plan is truly brilliant."

The Disciple laughed, "What we are stealing is the Foundation of those great Sects! When we have enough Puppet armies refined from these unpolished jades..."

"Then it will be an army of Cultivators who feel no pain and are absolutely obedient!

By then, those high-and-mighty Sects will discover that it is precisely the Genius Disciples they should have taken in who are slaughtering their mountain gates!"