Chapter 247 - 242: Filial Piety Can Spoil, Master

As it turned out, Du Youqian’s suspicions were a bit unnecessary.

Nothing happened all the way until he walked out of the tunnel.

Looking back, his earlier cautiousness seemed somewhat laughable.

Of course, if he had to do it all over again, he would still choose to be on maximum alert.

Outside the tunnel was an extremely vast underground space, about the size of fifty soccer fields.

It was roughly a mile or so long and wide, but its shape was irregular, likely built according to the mountain’s natural contours.

A number of thick stone pillars stood on the ground in a specific pattern, making it look like a plaza or a grand hall of ancient design.

But Du Youqian, with his discerning eyes, could tell that the stone pillars were actually meant to work in conjunction with an Array.

Du Youqian cautiously extended his Divine Sense to probe the area.

This was a delicate skill. To detect others with one’s Divine Sense without being detected in return required extremely refined techniques for using Divine Sense, as well as corresponding Secret Techniques.

Du Youqian sharply perceived four objects with extremely faint auras. However, they caused a "stinging" sensation in his Divine Sense. They were scattered in different locations across the plaza and were probably the Tier Four Puppets Feng Xiaoyi had mentioned, though likely in a "standby" state.

He had also basically figured out the Array in the plaza.

It wasn’t that his mastery of Arrays was comparable to Feng Xiaoyi’s, but that the Array here was relatively simple and crude.

"Master, which direction do you want to go?"

Feng Xiaoyi pointed.

Du Youqian extended his Divine Sense and detected an arched doorway in that direction.

"The thing I want is over there," Feng Xiaoyi said. "Also, the path to the Teleportation Array leading to the Desolate Desert is that way."

Du Youqian tested the waters with a comment. "You really had a lot of time on your hands back then, building such a massive cave estate here. It must have taken a lot of effort. I even suspect you moved the mountain above our heads here yourself."

Feng Xiaoyi sighed faintly. "If you were trapped somewhere, unable to move for several hundred years, without talking to anyone or even seeing more than a few living creatures, you’d be bored out of your mind. Then you’d know that building a cave estate like this is actually a simple task. I only regret that I didn’t build it even bigger and spend more time on it."

Hearing her say that, Du Youqian could understand. He could picture it in his mind with just a moment’s thought.

He just didn’t know what the miraculous object was that had trapped Feng Xiaoyi, caused her soul to mutate, and allowed her to live for several thousand years.

"Is it possible to cross this plaza without alerting those Puppets?" Although Du Youqian knew it was impossible, he still had to ask.

The feeling those Puppets gave him was too dangerous.

"Of course... it’s impossible," Feng Xiaoyi said faintly. "If it were possible, why would I have brought you here?"

"Then, Master, you said before that there was a way for me to easily stop these Puppets. Now should be the time to explain the details."

Feng Xiaoyi pressed her slender fingers to her temples. "Yes, it seems there was a method... what was it again? Oh, my head hurts so much. It must be a side effect of too many Possessions. Ah, I can’t think about it. The moment I try to think, the pain is unbearable!"

Du Youqian was speechless. "Master, do you find this amusing?"

Feng Xiaoyi’s gaze shifted, and she put on a pained expression. "My dear disciple, my head really does hurt. I need to rest for a bit. You go handle it yourself for now. It’s just a few Puppets; they certainly won’t be a problem for you."

Du Youqian said with a blank expression, "Fine, then I’m going back to the Sect."

With that, he turned and walked away without the slightest hesitation.

"Wait, wait!" Feng Xiaoyi hurriedly pulled him back and sighed, "My dear disciple, where’s your filial piety?"

Du Youqian gave a fake grin. "Filial piety can spoil, Master! You want me to deal with four Tier Four Puppets. Isn’t that just forcing your disciple’s filial piety to go bad?"

Feng Xiaoyi reminded him, "Under the world’s suppression, those Puppets have all been suppressed to Tier Three."

Du Youqian snorted coldly. He was a scholar, not some uneducated pragmatist. He was crystal clear on the intricacies of the situation.

"A Tier Four Puppet is made with Tier Four materials, right? And it’s powered by a Tier Four Demon Core, right? So even though the Puppet is suppressed to Tier Three, its physical durability is still at Tier Four, and the Innate Divine Abilities from its Demon Core are also Tier Four. Its strength is equivalent to a Tier Four Demon King Zombie from the Desolate Abyss."

"Let me think... Back then, with the help of the Tier Three Peak Small Five Elements Divine Thunder Evil Extermination Array, it took five Core Formation Masters and several dozen Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivators to barely slay that Tier Four Demon King Zombie. Oh, right, and among those five Core Formation Masters was a Core Formation Middle Stage cultivator from Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, unrivaled in combat. So now you want me to face four Puppets equivalent to that Tier Four Demon King Zombie all by myself? How about this, Master: you go first. As soon as this disciple finishes his Cultivation to the Nascent Soul Realm, I’ll come right back to help you."

Having said that, he turned to leave again.

Feng Xiaoyi held him back. "Disciple, where are you going? Listen to me..."

Du Youqian started to walk away even faster.

Feng Xiaoyi had no choice but to concede. "My head doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m thinking, I’m thinking... oh, I remember now. Actually, dealing with those Puppets doesn’t necessarily require a direct confrontation. There’s a cleverer way."

Du Youqian stared at her.

Feng Xiaoyi’s beautiful eyes darted about, as if she were about to spout more nonsense.

But seeing Du Youqian’s expression, she stammered, "Actually, if I use my Innate Divine Abilities, I should be able to Charm the Puppets for the space of a single breath. If you, my disciple, can destroy the drive cores of the four Puppets within that breath, you won’t need to fight them."

Du Youqian was stunned. "Charm? Puppets can be Charmed?"

At this, Feng Xiaoyi was no longer dazed. She gave a bewitching smile. "Don’t underestimate the Innate Divine Abilities of the Fox Demon Race. Forget Puppets, I can even make a stone fall in love."

Du Youqian asked doubtfully, "But aren’t the Innate Divine Abilities of the Demon Race inscribed on the Demon Core? You’ve already used Possession to take over a human body, so how can you still use the Innate Divine Abilities of the Demon Race?"

Feng Xiaoyi was also a bit puzzled. "That... I don’t know. In any case, every time I undergo Possession, as long as I cultivate to the Core Formation Realm, I will inevitably awaken the Charming Divine Abilities."

Du Youqian didn’t press the issue. Strange things happened every day, and the priority now wasn’t to figure out such minor details. "Destroy the drive core. How exactly do I do that? How much time will it take?"

Feng Xiaoyi then taught Du Youqian the method for destroying the Puppets’ drive cores. It didn’t sound complicated; the space of a breath was more than enough time to complete it.

Moreover, the four Puppets certainly wouldn’t swarm them all at once. They would come from different locations, so there would be a time lag.

"Since you had such a good method, Master, why did you hide it from me and try to trick me into fighting the Puppets head-on?"

Feng Xiaoyi giggled unnaturally. "I... I’ve been deceived by humans many times, you know. What if I go up and Charm a Puppet, but you don’t dismantle it and just let it break free from my Divine Ability’s influence? What then? That kind of Puppet could smash me to a pulp in just two or three punches..."

Du Youqian laughed in exasperation. "And what about me? Do you think I can withstand that Puppet, Master?"

Feng Xiaoyi glanced at him cautiously. "You, my disciple... you’re tough-skinned. You should be able to take five or six punches..."

Du Youqian said irritably, "If I get beaten to death, can you get inside on your own, Master? Or are you expecting me to attract all four Puppets by myself so you can take the opportunity to run inside?"

Feng Xiaoyi said in a small voice, "After you get hit a few times, my disciple, I would naturally go and Charm the Puppets for you to dismantle. At that point, you’d be heavily injured, and even if you wanted to plot against me, you wouldn’t have the strength for it."

Du Youqian felt a genuine headache coming on.

’Such a suspicious fox nature!’

’You think I’m going to plot against you?’

’I’ve been on guard against you plotting against *me* this whole time!’

’This is your territory. Only you know what arrangements have been made. You have the complete home-field advantage.’

’All I can do is be cautious and try to avoid falling into your traps...’

’And with all that, you’re saying you’re worried I’ll plot against you?’

But Du Youqian didn’t want to argue with her too much right now.

After all, he was already here.

He would never be content if he didn’t at least get a look at the Teleportation Array.

Besides, he had Little Wukong to help. Even if Feng Xiaoyi really did try to plot against him, he was confident that he and Little Wukong could turn the tables and kill her instead.

"Master, you have to believe in your disciple’s filial piety. Let’s go dismantle those Puppets quickly."

Feng Xiaoyi rolled her eyes at him. "Doesn’t your filial piety spoil?"

Du Youqian smiled. "You misunderstand, Master. Food spoils because of a bad environment; a person’s heart sours because it has been hurt. If you stop hurting your disciple’s heart, Master, then my filial piety will naturally not spoil."

Feng Xiaoyi had no intention of continuing their war of words, so she said, "Then let’s begin."

Her expression turned serious, and she cautiously walked into the range of the Array.

The moment she stepped into the Array’s range, the four Puppets suddenly awoke. The one closest to her just flapped its wings and, in an instant, charged in front of Feng Xiaoyi, swinging a long, mantis-like blade arm down at her.

Its power startled even Du Youqian. It seemed even stronger than the Tier Four Bear Demon King Zombie he had slain, even though it was only the size of a horse, far smaller than that Bear Demon King Zombie.

But Feng Xiaoyi wasn’t surprised. She had probably died here many times and was used to it.

So, she remained calm in the face of danger and activated her Charming Divine Abilities. The Puppet’s movement came to an abrupt halt, its blade arm only a foot away from Feng Xiaoyi’s forehead.

Du Youqian wasn’t idle. While sensing the positions of the other Puppets and estimating the time it would take for them to arrive, he quickly circled around to the Puppet’s left waist.

The four Puppets had different shapes, and the locations of their drive cores were also different, hidden extremely deep. If he were fighting them alone, he would have needed a long time to observe them and find their weak points.

But with Feng Xiaoyi’s guidance, Du Youqian got straight to the point. His Shuiyu Sword gently flicked open a soybean-sized patch of "skin" on its waist, identical in color to its surroundings. Then, he inserted his Divine Sense and destroyed several key nodes in its drive core.

The Puppet’s blade arm immediately drooped, grazing past Feng Xiaoyi’s forehead as it fell. The entire Puppet slumped down.

It was that simple, taking less than the space of a breath.

"Master, can you use your Divine Ability four times in a row in a short period?" Du Youqian suddenly thought of a fatal problem.

His own Divine Abilities could be used at most two or three times in quick succession.

If he wanted to use them again, he would have to start burning his life force with the Red Blood Seven Transitions Technique.

"I can only use it twice..." Feng Xiaoyi said weakly.

"!!!"