Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Wooden Puppet Who Served Until Death

Jiang Yan stood on the open ground to the east of the Spirit Field, looking somewhat helplessly at the wooden puppet in his hand. The land before him, strewn with trees and rubble, was the very place the Sect Master System had chosen for constructing the Talisman Array Arena.

He had already noticed a shallow crack on the wooden puppet after using it to build the Artifact Refining Room. If he tasked the puppet with constructing the Talisman Array Arena on this rough terrain, he feared the puppet would be utterly ruined.

Yet, if the sect wished to nurture a talisman master, the arena was indispensable. From his experience playing the game, Jiang Yan knew the Talisman Array Arena could not only train talisman masters but also reinforce the protective array, strengthen the mountain shield, and enhance the richness of spiritual energy on the mountain...

Thinking of this, Jiang Yan gritted his teeth. Even if it meant destroying the wooden puppet, he had to see the arena built. Once it was complete, opportunities would arise for talisman masters to craft new puppets.

With that thought, he flipped his wrist, and the wooden puppet reappeared in his palm. He infused it with spiritual power and tossed it out. Watching the puppet tumble through the air, Jiang Yan sighed inwardly—this would likely be its final service.

With another flick of his wrist, a scroll covered in runes appeared. Wrapped in his spiritual power, the runic scroll floated into the air.

It drifted upward, unfurling slowly until it filled half the sky.

Then, the scroll descended gently, settling over the trees and rubble, blanketing the ground. Four wooden puppets quickly moved forward, securing each corner of the scroll, and began constructing the Talisman Array Arena.

They felled trees, cleared rubble, and cut perfect blocks of blue stone from the mountain wall with their bare hands. The wooden puppets set to their busy work once more.

A faint cracking sound reached Jiang Yan’s ears as he watched the puppets work.

Another crack—the sound of wood splitting—made his heart sink. Would the puppet shatter before the arena was finished?

In the center of the arena, a puppet hoisting a stone several times its own size showed a long, thin crack running from its waist up to its neck, wide enough to fit two fingers side by side.

As the puppet moved with the stone, the crack widened with each step.

Another sharp crack sounded as the puppet gently set the stone atop another. The impact of stone against stone was not as loud as the splitting of wood, intensifying Jiang Yan’s unease.

The damaged puppet continued to the cliff, cut another perfect stone, and began the return journey.

A final, louder snap rang out as the puppet set the stone down. It could no longer straighten its wooden body and collapsed in the dust.

With a clatter, the puppet shattered into heaps of sawdust, a brief glow of blue light flickered over the fragments, and then all was still.

Jiang Yan sighed inwardly. The first wooden puppet was gone—soon, the second and third would follow. He could only hope that upon completing the arena, the Sect Master System would reward him with another.

Now, the arena was only half finished; the blue stone walls circled just halfway, and the central platform had only just begun. If all the puppets failed now, Jiang Yan would have to build it himself.

“Master, your disciple has a request.”

Jiang Yan, watching the construction anxiously, saw cracks appear on another puppet. He was just about to roll up his sleeves and step in when Zisu’s voice sounded behind him.

With a furrowed brow, Jiang Yan glanced at Zisu, then at Ding Ning and Lin Ke—whose face was veiled in black gauze—standing behind her. His tone was impatient. “What is it?”

Zisu, sensing her timing was poor and her master’s mood worse than usual, nevertheless pressed on.

“Master, Ding Ning wishes to become your disciple. I make this request on her behalf—please grant your approval.” Zisu spoke cautiously.

Jiang Yan fixed his gaze on Ding Ning and summoned the transparent information panel. He intended to check her aptitude—if her spiritual roots were lacking, he would not take her as a disciple. He resolved that unless her roots scored at least seventy, she would have to join his junior sister Wan or junior brother Nan—both of whom had yet to accept a single disciple.

Name: Ding Ning
Sect: —
Position: —
Cultivation: Fourth Layer of Qi Refining
Weapon: Violet Condensation Sword
Techniques: Water Transformation Technique (First Grade, Intermediate), Water Arrow Technique (First Grade, Intermediate)
Merit Points:
Spiritual Roots: 70

Jiang Yan frowned deeply. What a coincidence—he had just set seventy as the standard, and Ding Ning matched it exactly. It was almost too perfect.

“Very well, for your sake I’ll accept her as my disciple,” he said with obvious impatience, waving them away.

A hint of joy appeared on Ding Ning’s face as she stepped forward, knelt on both knees, and bowed respectfully. “Disciple greets Master.”

Jiang Yan dismissed her with a wave, indicating she should rise, and instructed Zisu to teach Ding Ning the advanced incantation for the Water Transformation Technique. He did not wish to speak further—the crack of splitting wood from behind told him yet another puppet was failing.

“Master, I have two more requests: Lin Ke hopes to become Junior Aunt Wan’s disciple, and Duo’er wishes to join Junior Uncle Mu,” Zisu persisted.

Jiang Yan’s irritation deepened, his impatience clear as he waved her off. “I won’t interfere. If Junior Sister Wan and Junior Brother Mu agree, they may take them as disciples. You may bring them to meet Wan and Mu directly.”

Zisu had no choice but to comply, leading Lin Ke and Ding Ning toward the Alchemy Room to meet Tang Wan.

“Elder Sister, what Master Jiang was overseeing looked like a Talisman Array Arena,” Lin Ke said softly, hurrying to catch up with Zisu.

“Talisman Array Arena?” Zisu frowned, glancing at the distant puppet and their exasperated master. “What is a Talisman Array Arena, junior sister?”

Ding Ning, listening, quickly joined them, eyes curious.

Lin Ke lowered her voice with a hint of pride. “Have you heard of talisman masters, sister?”

Zisu’s expression changed, interest piqued. “You mean like those talisman master apprentices in Linqing Prefecture?”

Lin Ke snorted softly, dismissive. “Those are mere apprentices—at best, they once followed a talisman master in the arena. Some have never even seen one.”

Ding Ning suddenly interjected, “Second Sister, how do talisman masters’ abilities compare to ours?”

Lin Ke fell silent, walking on. After a moment, Zisu leaned toward Ding Ning and whispered, “After Lin Ke broke through to the sixth layer of Qi Refining, she was injured by a talisman master apprentice and lost all her cultivation.”

Ding Ning’s eyes widened in surprise, her gaze drifting between Lin Ke ahead and their master, busy with the arena’s construction behind.

PS: Last night, Lian Wu Hen gave another reward. Many thanks from Hong Yan.