216: The reason why Liu Sha was seriously injured that day

Hearing Yao Delong's words, Liu Duan merely waved his hand dismissively.

He picked up the wine jar and took a large gulp, though a flicker of barely perceptible pain and reminiscence flashed through his eyes.

"A Puppet is, in the end, an external object. If it's destroyed, it's destroyed. As long as a person is alive, that's better than anything."

He paused, his voice deepening slightly.

"Actually... not long after you left the Sect that day,"

"I sensed through a faint Divine Soul mark I left in the core of the panyan gold puppet,"

"that you had been ambushed and were in a critical situation!"

"I may love my wine, but I cannot stand by and watch my own Disciple be bullied!"

A cold light flashed in Liu Duan's eyes, and a sharp Killing Intent erupted for an instant before being quickly retracted.

"I immediately pursued you out of the Sect, racing toward the direction of the mark's sensation."

"As it turned out... barely a few hundred miles after leaving the Sect's boundaries, I was intercepted by several demonic Cultivators!"

"The leader was none other than that notorious 'Devil Sword Flesh-Man', Liu Sha!"

"Liu Sha?!"

Yao Delong's pupils constricted violently! He was all too familiar with that name!

The one who had been hunting him that day was Liu Sha!

"Indeed, that piece of trash who loves to slaughter Mortals!"

Liu Duan's tone was grim. "Those demonic brats who intercepted me had lower cultivation than mine,"

"but they coordinated perfectly, were unafraid of death, and possessed strange Cultivation Techniques that kept me entangled and unable to break free!"

"After a fierce battle, although I heavily injured Liu Sha and killed two of them,"

"I was also wounded by a sinister Demonic Technique they performed together... In the end, I let that Liu Sha and a woman escape!"

He patted his chest, where a dull pain seemed to linger.

"These internal injuries were left behind from that day."

"But after resting for some time, I've recovered seventy to eighty percent. It's no big deal."

Yao Delong's heart was thrown into a state of shock upon hearing this! So that was it!

No wonder when he encountered Liu Sha, that Devil Head's aura was unstable and he was clearly heavily injured!

He had wondered who could have wounded that infamously fierce Nascent Soul demonic Cultivator so badly.

It turned out to be the work of this seemingly drunken Elder Liu before him!

A strong surge of gratitude and warmth welled up in his heart.

"Elder Liu!"

Yao Delong bowed deeply, his tone incredibly solemn.

"This Disciple did not know that Elder suffered heavy injuries to save me!"

"I, Yao Delong, will etch this kindness into my heart!"

"In the future, should Elder have any command, this Disciple will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Liu Duan looked at Yao Delong's sincere gaze.

He laughed heartily and took another gulp of wine, though a complex and unreadable light flashed in his eyes.

"Enough, enough, stop with this sentimental talk!"

"This old man saved you because you're a pleasing lad and a promising talent. However..."

His tone shifted, carrying a hint of teasing and deeper meaning.

"With your current cultivation, you want to help this old man? You're still far from it!"

"Cultivate well. Wait until the day you can trade a few blows with me before saying such things!"

Yao Delong felt a chill in his heart, realizing Liu Duan spoke the truth.

Nascent Soul Perfection was only a step away from the legendary Soul Transformation realm.

His methods and power were far beyond what Yao Delong could reach now.

He wanted to help but truly couldn't yet. He nodded vigorously: "Disciple understands! I will surely Cultivate diligently without ceasing!"

"Alright, enough idle chatter, let's get back to business."

Liu Duan withdrew his smile, his gaze falling back onto the three-headed, six-armed Asura Puppet.

His expression became incredibly serious, even carrying a rare hint of gravity and... awe?

"Kid Yao, this thing you brought this time... is not simple!"

Liu Duan paced slowly around the Puppet, his fingers cautiously touching the cold, hard shell covered in profound runes.

"This is definitely not a Puppet that can be refined in today's cultivation world!"

"Looking at the materials, it's a fusion of 'Netherworld Demonic Iron' and 'Star Essence Gold', which have long been extinct; it's indestructible!"

"Look at this construction, three heads and six arms, matching the aspect of an Asura battling the heavens!"

"Especially the faint fluctuations of the Formation at its core... ancient, ferocious, and filled with destructive power!"

He stopped his pace and looked at Yao Delong with burning eyes, saying word for word:

"This is a war weapon left behind by the ancient Asura Race—the 'Asura War Puppet'!"

"Furthermore, judging by the complexity of its core Formation, this was definitely not used by ordinary Asura warriors."

"It is highly likely to be standard equipment for the Asura Royal Guard!"

"In its prime, it would be enough to rival a Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator!"

Liu Duan did not know that the core Formation of this Puppet was the result of the System's enhancement.

"Fortunately, the 'Asura Demonic Heart' Formation at the core isn't damaged."

"Only the external structure is damaged, and the flow of elemental energy is obstructed, preventing it from operating at full power."

After a careful inspection, Liu Duan breathed a sigh of relief, though his brow remained furrowed.

"However, repairing these external cracks, and especially fully activating its core power, is no easy task."

"This fusion of Netherworld Demonic Iron and Star Essence Gold cannot be refined or reforged by ordinary spiritual fire."

"It requires the special 'Earth Vein Molten Heart Fire' combined with a unique forging technique."

He pondered for a moment before saying to Yao Delong:

"To repair this Puppet, I first need to prepare several key supplementary materials and adjust my 'Earth Fire Heaven-Forging Furnace'."

"Give me a month, and I should be able to fully repair its external structure and restore its original combat power."

"A month?"

Yao Delong was overjoyed. It would take time for the God Burial Abyss Secret Realm to open, so a month should be just in time!

"Thank you, Elder Liu! This Disciple is eternally grateful! How many Spirit Stones will this repair require? This Disciple will surely provide the full amount!"

"Spirit Stones?"

Hearing this, Liu Duan was first stunned, then burst into loud laughter that made the courtyard hum.

He patted Yao Delong's shoulder with such force that Yao Delong felt a bit numb.

"Hahaha! I'm helping you because I find you pleasing, and also for the sake of this jar of good wine!"

"In the future, just bring this old man more of this good wine. It's better than any Spirit Stone! Got it?!"

Looking at Liu Duan's hearty and sincere smile, a warm current flowed through Yao Delong's heart as he solemnly cupped his fists.

"Disciple will remember! In the future, I will surely search the world for fine wines for Elder!"

On Spirit Forging Peak, Liu Duan gave the cold asura war puppet one last pat, his tone carrying an unprecedented solemnity:

"Kid Yao, after this thing is repaired, when it's fully activated, it will emit an extremely faint but essentially pure Asura Devilish Qi."

"At that time, it will definitely not escape the eyes of a true expert! Remember this when using it outside!"

"Unless it's a life-or-death moment, do not let it erupt with full power!"

"Otherwise, if those who call themselves the Righteous Path catch the scent, they'll label you as colluding with the ancient Demon Race,"

"or you'll be targeted by some old monsters who have designs on Asura relics... That would be the true disaster!"

Yao Delong felt a chill, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him, instantly clearing his head.

An innocent man gets into trouble because of his wealth! This powerful war Puppet was both a protective charm and a potential death warrant!

He took a deep breath, his eyes as steady as iron. "Disciple will keep Elder Liu's teachings in mind! I will be extremely cautious!"