Chapter 103: Puppet Curse

The attendant led Ge Qian to the guest room and respectfully asked, "Senior, are you satisfied with the accommodations?"

The room was about thirty feet wide, elegantly decorated, with complete furnishing and a warm, inviting atmosphere. There was even a painted incense burner, emitting a captivating fragrance that soothed the mind and kept one's thoughts calm, preventing any mishaps during cultivation.

Trying to curry favor, the attendant said, "Senior, my name is Xu Bo. If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to ask me."

Ge Qian flopped down carelessly onto a chair and asked in confusion, "I'm not a Foundation Establishment cultivator, only one level higher than you. Why do you call me senior? Aren't we of the same generation?"

Xu Bo immediately shook his head and replied, "Because you have spirit stones. If you have spirit stones, you're a senior. If I were as wealthy as you, I'd be a senior too."

Ge Qian replied with a meaningful smile, "Actually, all these spirit stones are hard-earned. I’m not as rich as you imagine."

Xu Bo leaned in, deeply interested. "Senior, what kind of business are you in?"

"I see you're clever, so I'll tell you—I'm in the business of selling fake elixirs. If you want in, follow me, and I guarantee you'll make a fortune," Ge Qian said with a straight face.

Xu Bo shivered and quickly waved his hands. "If someone catches us, we’ll be dead men. Senior, you do it yourself. Spirit stones are good, but not as important as my life. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. If you need anything, just call me."

With that, he hurried out, wiping the sweat from his brow outside.

Ge Qian smiled faintly, thinking that it would be best to throw up some smoke and confuse Elder Wu Jiang, making things easier for Liu Jie.

This time, Ge Qian was generous enough to impart the "Whirlwind Shift" technique to Liu Qian. Liu Qian was a prodigy in formations. If she gave her loyalty to the Beast Taming Sect, it would threaten the Celestial Star Sect. Rather than let that happen, it was better to help her break away. If Liu Qian left, she would take with her many of the Beast Taming Sect’s secrets, exposing this mysterious sect to the public. Besides, Ge Qian admired her; just reading a bit of her insights into formations had benefited him immensely. Things he could not grasp before were now crystal clear. Ge Qian did not want such a genius to be buried and made into someone else's tool.

Now alone in the room, Ge Qian activated the room’s restrictions, took out talisman paper and cinnabar, and began to craft the Great Fire Python Talisman.

Although the power of a single Great Fire Python Talisman was equivalent to a full-force strike from a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, for Ge Qian now, it was no longer his greatest trump card.

However, as long as one had spirit stones and time, such talismans could be crafted in great numbers. If hundreds of Fire Python Talismans were thrown out at once, even a Core Formation cultivator would have to flee in panic. Most cultivators spent their amassed spirit stones on pills to increase cultivation, often neglecting their own mastery of techniques. No matter how high one’s cultivation, without powerful trump cards, disaster would eventually strike. Cui Yun’s storage pouch had mountains of spirit stones, but in the end, they became Ge Qian’s spoils. If Cui Yun had spent those spirit stones on materials and crafted a large batch of Violet Fiend Yin Thunder, tossing out hundreds at once, Ge Qian would have been reduced to a puddle of flesh.

That is the fate of misers.

Ge Qian divided his spirit stones into three parts: one for buying materials and treasures to increase his strength, one for pills and spiritual herbs to improve his cultivation, and one to keep in reserve for emergencies.

Maximizing his benefits and eliminating future worries—this had always been Ge Qian’s guiding principle.

Crafting talismans was child's play for Ge Qian. With a settled mind, he finished one Great Fire Python Talisman in half a day, then began working on the second.

---

The ancient devil Lijia, having self-destructed his body and left only his nascent soul, used teleportation to flee desperately, exhausting all his power before finally returning to Myriad Demon Mountain.

Inside a grand, resplendent hall, a tall, imposing middle-aged man sat motionless, yet his presence was suffocating.

His brows were thick, his mouth broad, and his face was as if carved by a blade. Suddenly, a wave of demonic energy stirred within the hall, and Lijia’s nascent soul pierced the air, landing on the ground. The three-inch-tall figure knelt and said, "This subordinate has failed in his task. I beg the Wuyao King to punish me."

The Wuyao King’s voice thundered like a great bell, powerful and resonant. "I warned you to do nothing but watch Death’s Hell, yet you were clever enough to covet her daughter?"

"Yue Ying Qianqing made a unique sacrifice of love to Death and gained power. Even I must give her some respect, especially now, at the critical moment of my plans. You nearly ruined everything."

"This subordinate deserves death. But someone else caused this disaster. He has two-thirds of the Demon Dragon Blade, and with my share, it would be whole. This person is clearly after you, my king—we cannot let him go," Lijia said, seething with hatred.

The Wuyao King snorted coldly. "Even if you get the Demon Dragon Blade back, can you repair it?"

"This subordinate cannot. But if I could harness the death energy of the Death Scythe, I might be able to try," Lijia admitted honestly.

"Then what use is it to get it back now? I’ll wait for him to restore it, and then retrieve it. Understand?" The Wuyao King spoke with confidence, as though discussing a trivial matter.

"I understand. My king, your strategies are truly masterful. I am in awe," Lijia said, though inwardly he was miserable. Once the blade was restored, he would be of no further use. Now he finally understood how cunning and shameless the Wuyao King truly was. Keeping the Demon Dragon Blade with him had made him bait to draw out the other blade-holder, making him work to restore the blade.

The Wuyao King’s eyes flashed with sharp light. "Go—reform your body. I have a guest arriving."

Lijia nodded and withdrew into seclusion.

The Wuyao King stood and, with a single step, appeared a hundred yards away, using the great art of "shrinking the earth to an inch," vanishing from the hall.

On the outskirts of Myriad Demon Mountain, a young man dressed as a scholar and a beautiful woman hovered in the air.

The scholar’s eyes gleamed cunningly. "Mei Die, ahead lies Myriad Demon Mountain. Be sure not to slip up on what I taught you. Don’t forget—your son is still in my hands."

The woman replied coldly, "Li Qing, though my mind is enslaved and I have no will of my own, you truly disgust me."

Li Qing laughed. "Disgust is good. Once I get into Myriad Demon Mountain, marry the princess, seize power, and steal the Nine Glazed Lamps to refine my spirit, I’ll rule the world. If you serve me well now, I’ll reunite you with your son and lift your puppet curse. But your current attitude displeases me."

At that moment, a tall and imposing figure blocked their way. Smiling, he said, "Li Qing, disciple of He Changqi, you dare come to Myriad Demon Mountain? Are you so eager to die?"

Li Qing replied coolly, "Qi Bing, Wuyao King, your Princess Mei Die ventured into human territory and was nearly captured. I risked my life to bring her back. By rights, I’m your honored guest. Is this how guests are treated at Myriad Demon Mountain?"