Chapter 1919: Ancient Martial Divine Path

The combat puppets summoned by the Puppet King were somewhat akin to demons and monsters. While their physical outlines were largely similar, each combat puppet had a distinct face. Despite these differences, they appeared as a cohesive fighting unit. The Puppet King's combat style offered a significant advantage on the main battlefield.

However, in a localized battle like the current one, the gap in raw strength between the two sides remained the most crucial factor determining victory. Xu Yang did not immediately launch a fierce attack because he was concerned that the combat puppets released by the Puppet King contained the essence of his life force.

If that were the case, Xu Yang's direct and forceful attack to eliminate these puppets would simultaneously deplete the Puppet King's own life force, which would run counter to Xu Yang's objective of rescuing people. Therefore, to be safe, Xu Yang refrained from acting immediately and instead gave a knowing look to those around him.

After all, those who truly understood the Puppet King's attributes were his companions from the Changyun Heavenly Sect Elder Council. At that moment, Nangong immediately approached Xu Yang and spoke respectfully.

"Sir Xu Yang, if you ask me, let us old fellows handle this battle for you," Nangong offered. "You've personally led every previous fight; it's time you had a rest." Xu Yang, however, smiled and shook his head.

"There's no need for that," Xu Yang replied. "However, before I deal with this trouble, I must understand his complete combat attributes. You should act first and help me probe the characteristics of these combat puppets. I must ensure I don't harm the Puppet King before I make my move. Additionally, I need you to buy me some time to refine my new combat weapon."

Hearing Xu Yang's words, the six Martial God-level elders from the Changyun Heavenly Sect Elder Council nodded in agreement. They then displayed their respective abilities, entering the main battle area from the periphery of the garden. More and more combat puppets rapidly emerged during this time. However, the Puppet King's true body did not immediately appear in their sight; he remained hidden in the darkness, continuously manipulating the puppets in battle.

The fact that the combat puppets showed no weakening in their momentum even after the other six Martial God-level elders revealed themselves was sufficient proof of one thing: the Puppet King, who was secretly controlling these puppets, was himself controlled by the dark forces lurking in the shadows.

Taking advantage of this precious moment of respite, Xu Yang did not immediately enter the main battlefield. He remained in the outermost area of the palace garden, engaging in spiritual communication with the Qiankun Cauldron in his mind. Only Lan Ling'er stood guard nearby, preventing any sudden attacks on Xu Yang's main body by the silver-robed disciples.

"Master, I have finished forging the weapon you requested," the Qiankun Cauldron communicated. "However, since this item is not a product of swordsmanship, my unique attributes cannot add much more value to it. This die is far from reaching the potential of a primary divine artifact; at best, it's a regular divine artifact. More importantly, it shows no sign of awakening its own mystical talent. If you are not satisfied, Master, I will melt it down and forge it again."

Xu Yang decisively shook his head.

"There's absolutely no need," Xu Yang responded. "This die doesn't require powerful attribute enhancements. It's merely a medium to carry a portion of my power. As long as its strength and durability meet my expectations, it will suffice."

Xu Yang had no intention of making things difficult for the Imperial Cauldron; he knew well that it wasn't specialized in forging such unique magical artifacts. Therefore, when Xu Yang received the complete die, a look of considerable satisfaction appeared on his face. He did not immediately throw the die into the battlefield, as it wouldn't be able to exert its true effect that way.

Upon receiving the head-sized die, Xu Yang immediately began attempting to inject it with powerful spiritual energy. Lan Ling'er stood by, watching Xu Yang's every move with intense curiosity, utterly perplexed as to why he would infuse such potent spiritual energy into this artifact. After all, it was an inanimate object. However, Xu Yang soon demonstrated his purpose, giving Lan Ling'er a valuable lesson.

In reality, Xu Yang's true aim was to use his immense spiritual power to modify and isolate the internal space of the artifact. Soon, the six pips on the die came to represent six relatively independent spatial regions. Only after these internal regions were fully formed could the die perform its irreplaceable, unique function.

After completing the initial construction of the internal spaces, Xu Yang began releasing a distinct soul phantom into each of the six regions. The phantoms themselves were not very powerful, but they were sufficient for Xu Yang to conduct soul communication with them—this simplest function. Once the phantoms took shape, Xu Yang used them as mediums to gradually establish entirely different, unique laws within each of the six independent spaces.

Each law could carry a power totem unique to Xu Yang and not subject to the rules of the Ancient Martial God Path. In essence, Xu Yang's core objective was to use this dice artifact to seal within it six distinct combat techniques, each designed to handle a different battle scenario. By releasing his cultivation power through the die as a medium, he could avoid situations where his abilities might be incompatible with the prevailing environment.

This meant that even if the cultivation techniques Xu Yang unleashed were not permitted by the laws within the scope of the Ancient Martial God Path, they could still exert their immensely powerful combat effects within this unique space.

While the other six elders were locked in fierce combat with the puppets, Xu Yang had no intention of filling the dice artifact completely at once. The first cultivation technique he favored, a method capable of unleashing large-scale destructive power in a short period, was already taking shape in his mind.

The first technique that came to Xu Yang's mind was the most powerful Lightning Saint Art of the Xuanyuan clan, formerly the leader of the Six Human Spirit Veins! The Xuanyuan clan's Saint Art could summon the power of various elements, but Xu Yang chose to seal pure lightning-attributed power specifically for its ability to cause wide-range, instantaneous bursts of destruction.

Firm in this decision, Xu Yang unhesitatingly proceeded to transfer the essence of the Saint Art to the phantom. Simply put, this involved sealing the laws triggered by the Saint Art within the consciousness of the phantom located in its corresponding space. Whenever Xu Yang wished to utilize this power, he would only need to awaken the corresponding pip on the die. The phantom associated with that pip would then automatically awaken, and, stimulated by Xu Yang's spiritual energy, would unleash that power.