"So easy…"
Li Ye quietly watched the two puppet figurines in front of him sparring skillfully, a hint of intrigue flickering in his eyes.
He was already well-acquainted with the unique abilities of the Thousand Thoughts Divine Refinement Technique and its capacity to divide his consciousness.
But manipulating insects or magical tools was one thing controlling puppets, which required far greater finesse and coordination, was an entirely different experience.
The sense of smooth, intuitive control made Li Ye wonder whether this technique had originated not from within the Four Nations, but perhaps from some powerful sect beyond, one that specialized in puppet mastery.
"Though… something feels off. Ever since I reached Foundation Establishment and awakened my divine sense, this technique seems to have changed. I can now split off fragments of divine thought and embed them into objects independently…"
Reflecting on the sensation of maneuvering the puppets, Li Ye took the opportunity to further explore how the Thousand Thoughts Divine Refinement Technique evolved after gaining divine sense.
"If that's the case, then puppets aren't the only things I can control perhaps even living beings can be manipulated this way!"
"Though I've only reached the third level and can currently split my divine sense into nine parts, and their strength isn't enough to control anything too powerful… once my cultivation improves and my divine sense grows stronger, that will surely change!"
"Besides, based on how my divine sense has evolved, this technique likely contains far more secrets beyond the Foundation Establishment realm. The later stages might hold more refined methods for wielding these split fragments."
And if each breakthrough allowed for further division of the mind, then the "Thousand" in Thousand Thoughts Divine Refinement Technique might be an understatement!
As Li Ye pondered this, he started to feel a trace of unease.
"But this path… why does it carry a faint sense of darkness and wickedness? Could it be that this technique is a demonic art? Or perhaps derived from one?"
If that were true, it might offer him another lead to trace its origins.
Li Ye, of course, wasn't the type to shy away from a technique just because it might be considered demonic.
So long as it didn't harm him, the abilities this technique provided especially in refining and wielding divine sense were truly top-notch.
Even just for puppet control, it was remarkably effective. And if he could pair it with the right supporting arts, he might even take things a step further perhaps one day even attempt to craft a clone based on it!
If he could obtain the later chapters of this technique, it would no doubt give his cultivation a major boost he had no intention of giving it up.
"The information Elder Yu gave me back then was just too vague. She only said this method came from a strange rogue cultivator, possibly from outside the Four Nations. But with the Ten-Thousand Beast Mountain Range as a natural barrier, even Golden Core cultivators would struggle to cross it, let alone a Foundation Establishment rogue."
"How could a rogue cultivator strong enough to cross that be easily dealt with by Elder Yu? Perhaps she didn't tell me everything. If I can't figure it out myself, I'll just have to ask her again when I return to Huan Country."
While these thoughts spun in his mind, he suddenly noticed that the two puppets had grown into nine each one distinct in form and design battling each other chaotically in front of him.
There were beasts like tigers and leopards, birds in flight, and humanoid puppets wielding tiny daggers or miniature bows.
Each had its rhythm and movement, attacking and defending in a lively, tangled skirmish that brought a genuine sense of satisfaction to Li Ye's heart.
The next moment, he waved his sleeve, and all nine puppets froze, then vanished into his storage.
He clapped lightly.
Ruan Jin, who had been waiting outside, quickly stepped into the hall and gave him a graceful salute, smiling sweetly.
"Young Master, what are your orders?"
Li Ye spoke calmly, "Pass the word to that puppet artisan. I'm quite satisfied with the miniature models. Tell him to produce a batch of standard-sized puppets. If they're up to par, he'll be well rewarded."
"As you command," Ruan Jin replied respectfully. She didn't ask any questions and left immediately upon seeing that Li Ye had nothing more to say.
At the moment, suitable spiritual crops still couldn't be planted, and Li Ye had previously devoted all his focus to formation arts to defend against Xu Pingyang. He hadn't accumulated enough experience to rapidly level up his puppet technique.
Fortunately, puppet techniques were different from most other disciplines.
Even if he didn't personally craft them leaving potential unknowns or hidden flaws as long as he understood the manipulation techniques, he could use ready-made puppets effectively with just a bit of practice.
It was quite a time-saver.
What Li Ye had been studying earlier was just the control aspect of puppet manipulation.
With the Thousand Thoughts Divine Refinement Technique as support, mastering it had been remarkably easy far superior to the split-focus methods found in other legacy techniques.
It was this synergy that led Li Ye to suspect there was more to the technique than met the eye.
.....
A Few Days Later
"Your craftsmanship is truly impressive…"
Li Ye inspected a few puppets in front of him and couldn't help but voice his satisfaction.
He looked at the respectful old man before him and smiled, "Fellow Daoist Ban Hou, would you be willing to join my Pingyang Mountain?"
The skinny old man, with a goatee, immediately showed a mix of joy and apprehension.
"It would be this old man's great honor to receive such favor from the Alliance Master…"
As he spoke, a trace of hesitation crossed his face. "However, I've previously signed a long-term spirit contract with the Liu family of Yuanqingshan as their retainer. It's not that I'm unwilling to serve you, Alliance Master it's just that I cannot violate the terms of the contract."
"I see…" Li Ye chuckled. "Then I won't make things difficult for you."
Truthfully, if Li Ye were willing to speak on his behalf to the Liu family, there was a good chance they'd terminate the contract themselves without objection.
But he was merely being polite he didn't care enough to go through all that trouble for one old man.
"Many thanks for your understanding, Alliance Master!" Old Ban felt a pang of regret but showed only gratitude on his face as he bowed deeply.
Li Ye then asked, "I happen to have some interest in puppet arts myself. Apart from the first-tier techniques, do you happen to possess anything related to the second-tier?"
It had been this very old man who had originally opened a puppet shop in the Dengyun Market.
But when Xu Pingyang seized the market and began his ruthless purge, Ban and his Liu family backers could only survive by handing over their most valuable puppet techniques.
These then became part of Xu Pingyang's collection later inherited by Li Ye.
Now, with the physical puppets in front of him as a reference, Li Ye found the technique scrolls far easier to understand.
But for a mid-stage Qi Cultivator like Ban Hou to possess such refined crafting skills truly piqued Li Ye's curiosity.
Since he couldn't recruit him, he figured he might as well ask who knew what other surprises the old man might have.
As expected
Though the old man had just declined his invitation, and Li Ye hadn't shown any displeasure, the moment he asked again, Ban didn't dare be the least bit negligent.
A dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator had offered to recruit him refusing once had already been risky. That Li Ye hadn't flown into a rage was a blessing in itself.
If he dared refuse again, that would be crossing the line no matter how polite things looked on the surface, consequences were sure to follow.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Ban Hou gave a deep bow.
"To be honest with you, Alliance Master, this puppet technique of mine is a family inheritance. By the time it reached me, most of it was already lost. Only the first-tier content remains largely intact…"
"But I do possess a few incomplete fragments of the second tier. If the Alliance Master is interested, I'd be honored to present them to you."
"Then I'll gladly accept."
Li Ye's eyes lit up slightly, though his tone remained calm.
"But I won't take advantage of you show me what you have, and if it proves useful, I'll see to it that you're appropriately rewarded."
Old Ban nodded repeatedly, and with trembling hands, retrieved a jade slip from his storage pouch and offered it up with both hands.
"Please review it, Alliance Master."
As he took the jade slip, Li Ye couldn't help but mutter to himself inwardly.
Why does this old man make it seem like I'm bullying him with power?
-support me on Patreon for more chapters, 200+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LordoftheReader