Chapter 219: Shi Yutong’s Reminder

Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Shi Yutong’s Reminder

Li Ping nodded, his expression grave.

A Tier Four Great Demon, having passed its Thunder Tribulation, has shed its Demon Beast body and can take on a human form.

Before passing the Thunder Tribulation and undergoing Transformation, even a peak Tier Three Demon Beast’s intelligence is far inferior to that of a sapient race like humans.

Therefore, a Demon Beast’s combat power is generally inferior to that of a human of the same tier.

But once it successfully transforms, a Demon Beast’s intelligence will rise to a level comparable to that of a human.

Some ancient demons, having lived for countless years, are even more cunning than human cultivators.

They learn the human methods of refining Magical Treasures, and with their naturally powerful physical bodies, their combat strength is so great they can even suppress human counterparts of the same tier.

However, he was also curious why that Ice Flood Dragon would attack the Celestial Skill Sect.

’The Celestial Skill Sect was only refining a few Tier Three Puppets. That shouldn’t have been enough to threaten it.’

Before Li Ping could ask, Shi Yutong took the initiative to explain, "The nine Main Cities of the Land of the Far North are all interconnected and mutually supportive. If one is in trouble, the others provide aid. However, when a Tier Four Great Demon made its move, the Celestial Skill Sect was annihilated before support could arrive. By the time the other eight Main Cities got there, all they found were ruins."

"Later, an investigation revealed that the Celestial Skill Sect had attracted the Tier Four Great Demon precisely because of the Tier Three Puppets it was refining."

At this, Shi Yutong bloomed into a smile. "Brother Li, you’re a Puppet Master yourself, so you must know that after a puppet is successfully refined, you must refine a Life Soul of a corresponding grade into it to control it freely."

Li Ping nodded.

Puppets were different from Dharma Artifacts. The sliver of Divine Thought he injected was not nearly enough to activate one. What truly gave a puppet life and allowed it to fight like a normal cultivator was the Life Soul integrated during the refining process.

Moreover, the more powerful the puppet, the higher the requirement for the Life Soul to be integrated.

A Tier Two Upper Grade puppet required at least a Tier Two Upper Grade Life Soul.

A Tier Three puppet also required a Tier Three Life Soul.

Since Demon Beasts lacked intelligence before Transformation, they were the easiest to deal with. Furthermore, the Life Soul used for refining puppets only required Divine Soul strength; intelligence was not a consideration.

That was why the puppets Li Ping had refined in the past all used Demon Beast Life Souls.

At this thought, Li Ping grew pensive. He had probably guessed the reason for the Celestial Skill Sect’s destruction.

Sure enough, Shi Yutong slowly continued, "In order to refine Tier Three Puppets, the cultivators of the Celestial Skill Sect went to the Ice Sea to hunt Tier Three Demon Beasts and extract their Life Souls. However, the Tier Three Demon Beasts in the Ice Sea are all food for that Tier Four Ice Flood Dragon, which regards them as its personal property.

The Celestial Skill Sect hunting one or two was fine, but when they did it too often, it thoroughly enraged the Ice Flood Dragon, provoking it to attack and bring about the Sect’s downfall."

Li Ping sighed inwardly; what Shi Yutong described was just as he had guessed.

Shi Yutong smiled and added a reminder, "Brother Li, if you plan to refine Tier Three Puppets in the future, you’d best not hunt the Tier Three Demon Beasts of the Ice Sea. Otherwise, if you happen to provoke the Ice Flood Dragon, escaping won’t be easy."

Hearing Shi Yutong’s reminder, Li Ping gave a slight nod.

’I will definitely have to refine Tier Three Puppets, and more than one at that. So I will certainly have to hunt Tier Three Demon Beasts, and not just a single one.’

’But not now. That’s something I won’t consider until after I reach Core Formation.’

’Although a Tier Three Demon Beast’s intelligence isn’t high, its power is on par with a Core Formation Cultivator. I won’t risk provoking one.’

’Once I reach Core Formation and can use the Blood Wing Escape Skill, I still won’t be able to defeat the Tier Four Ice Flood Dragon, but as long as I’m careful, escaping with my life shouldn’t be a major issue.’

’Besides, compared to the Ice Sea Demon Beasts, I have a better option.’

’There are no Tier Four Transformed Great Demons in the Cloud Mist Mountain Range. I can just return to the Western Wilderness after I reach Core Formation and hunt Demon Beasts there to collect Life Souls.’

’Wait... The Cloud Mist Mountain Range is so vast, who knows if a Tier Four Great Demon exists in its depths...?’

As this thought crossed his mind, Li Ping couldn’t help but give a wry laugh. He hadn’t even reached Core Formation, yet here he was, thinking about dealing with Tier Three Demon Beasts.

’Besides, the other refining materials for a Tier Three Puppet are hardly easy to gather.’

’Thinking about this now is just needless worrying. I’m getting ahead of myself.’

...

Coming back to his senses, Li Ping asked with curiosity, "By the way, Sect Leader Shi, that Ice Flood Dragon devoured so many cultivators under the Celestial Skill Sect’s rule, along with millions of mortals. Did you not ask Great Zhou for help? From what I understand, the eight Main Cities of the Land of the Far North are all fiefs held by Viscounts appointed by Great Zhou. The Celestial Skill Sect should have been no exception, right? Great Zhou wouldn’t just turn a blind eye to the destruction of one of its vassals."

Li Ping had learned about Great Zhou’s policy of enfeoffment from Xiao Yunzhi.

He also knew that Great Zhou had once appointed a ’Marquis Xiping’ to the Western Wilderness, responsible for governing the local cultivators and mortals.

However, that Marquis Xiping had mysteriously disappeared, which was why the Western Wilderness Cultivation Realm had remained without a ruler.

Shi Yutong nodded. "So Brother Li knows about this. Indeed, after learning of the Celestial Skill Sect’s destruction, the lords of the eight Main Cities in the Land of the Far North were deeply unsettled. Fearing the Ice Flood Dragon would attack humans again, they did jointly petition Great Zhou for help in their alarm."

Li Ping listened quietly.

He had long heard that the Great Zhou Cultivation Realm was a true mecca for cultivation. Nascent Soul Cultivators, who were never seen in the Western Wilderness, were numerous in Great Zhou.

’If Great Zhou Cultivators had truly answered the plea from the people of the Far North, that Ice Flood Dragon would have been skinned and ripped apart long ago.’

’It wouldn’t have survived to this day, still striking fear into the heart of Shi Yutong.’

’In all likelihood, the Nascent Soul Cultivators of Great Zhou couldn’t be bothered with the cultivators from the Land of the Far North and simply never came to deal with the man-eating Ice Flood Dragon.’

However, what Shi Yutong said next was a great surprise to Li Ping.

Shi Yutong began, "When the Great Zhou Saint Emperor learned that millions of mortals had been devoured by the Ice Flood Dragon, he was furious. The Headmaster of the Confucian Sect at the time even traveled personally to the Land of the Far North to slay the Tier Four Ice Flood Dragon and avenge the dead."

"However, that Ice Flood Dragon is an ancient species and possessed the geographical advantage of the Ice Sea, making it far more difficult to handle than a human of the same tier.

According to the records passed down by the Sect’s elders, the senior Headmaster of the Confucian Sect waited patiently in the Ice Sea for ten years before the Ice Flood Dragon finally appeared. After just a few moves, the Ice Flood Dragon was outmatched and heavily injured."

Shi Yutong said with a helpless sigh, "But taking advantage of its home turf, the Ice Flood Dragon caught the senior Headmaster off guard and used a tail-severing escape Divine Ability to flee into the abyssal depths of the Ice Sea, refusing to emerge again. In that situation, even the senior Headmaster, a mighty Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator, was powerless against it."

"Fortunately, ever since being so heavily injured by the senior Headmaster, the Ice Flood Dragon has been wary of danger and has mostly stopped leaving the Ice Sea."

...

"A Headmaster, a Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator." Li Ping quickly latched onto the key points in Shi Yutong’s story.

This shocked him to the core. To think that the Great Zhou Cultivation Realm actually had such a Great Cultivator standing at the very apex of this world—it was truly worthy of its reputation as a cultivation mecca.

’What a vast and magnificent realm that must be!’ Li Ping couldn’t help but yearn for it.

However, with his current cultivation, it would be an extremely dangerous undertaking, whether he chose to cross the Land of the Far North and head south over the Desert Grassland, or return to the Western Wilderness and then cross the boundless Vast Sea.

Now was not the time for him to go to Great Zhou.

Li Ping would only consider journeying to Great Zhou after reaching the Core Formation stage and successfully refining several Tier Three Puppets.

"Even though the Ice Flood Dragon mostly dares not leave the Ice Sea, you should still try your best not to provoke it, Brother Li," Shi Yutong reminded him again. "After all, the senior Headmaster is far away in Great Zhou. Even if he got word, he wouldn’t be able to rush over in time." ℯ

Li Ping smiled and nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Sect Leader Shi, but you worry too much. With my puppet-making skills, my success rate for refining even Tier Two Puppets is appallingly low. How could I possibly dare to dream of Tier Three Puppets?"

"Then I can rest assured. I just don’t want Brother Li to thoughtlessly provoke a powerful enemy," Shi Yutong replied, also smiling.

Of course, she knew it was impossible for Li Ping to refine a Tier Three Puppet.

After all, refining a single Tier Three Puppet required at least as many Spiritual Materials as it would take to refine more than ten Magical Treasures. Even the Flying Snow Sect, with all its resources, would struggle to gather that much.

How could a lone Foundation Establishment Cultivator like Li Ping possibly manage it?

The only reason she had revealed the cause of the Celestial Skill Sect’s destruction was to use the topic to build a closer relationship with Li Ping.

Since they were on the topic of puppets, Li Ping didn’t stand on ceremony and asked, "By the way, Sect Leader Shi, I heard that the Celestial Skill Sect possessed a cultivation technique for tempering one’s Divine Sense. Does your sect happen to have any leads on it?"

He wanted to complete the fragmented scroll of the Ten Thousand Spirits Divine Communication Skill, but he had made no headway in over a decade.

After the Celestial Skill Sect was destroyed, the cultivators from the eight Main Cities who went to provide support were the first to arrive on the scene. Li Ping guessed they might have salvaged something.

Since his conversation with Shi Yutong was going so pleasantly, Li Ping decided to bring it up directly.

If he could obtain the rest of the Ten Thousand Spirits Divine Communication Skill and master it, not only would his Divine Sense be strengthened, but the number of puppets he could control simultaneously would also increase dramatically.

This would undoubtedly lead to a sharp increase in his combat power.

In response to Li Ping’s inquiry, Shi Yutong thought for a moment before shaking her head. "My sect has no leads on this cultivation technique."

Just as Li Ping’s hopes fell, she broke into a smile again. "However, the other Main Cities might have some leads. I will ask some of my fellow cultivators to help inquire. If we find anything, I will inform you immediately, Brother Li."

"Then I must thank you, Sect Leader Shi." Li Ping stood up and gave her a formal bow.

Shi Yutong also stood and chided him playfully, "Brother Li, what are you doing? You’re being far too formal over such a small thing. If you keep this up, I’ll be heartbroken."

Li Ping shook his head, inwardly speechless, and chose to ignore her coy act. "In any case, I’ll leave this matter in your hands, Sect Leader Shi."

...

After seeing Shi Yutong off, Li Ping happened to see Xiao Yunzhi standing in the courtyard, looking at him with a complicated expression.

She asked plaintively, "Brother Li, do you really just see me as a little sister?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ping asked, puzzled, "Why? Are you planning to disguise yourself as a man and be my brother instead?"

"Hmph!" Xiao Yunzhi pouted. "Brother Li, if you keep that up, I’m really going to get angry!"

At that, Li Ping was rendered speechless. "Just talk normally. Where did you learn to speak like that?"

"Doesn’t that Sect Leader Shi talk just like that?" Xiao Yunzhi said, puffing her cheeks out. "Yunzhi saw how happy you looked chatting with her, Brother Li."

Li Ping waved a hand dismissively. "Don’t copy her. It’s exhausting to listen to."