Chapter 1922: Malicious Humor

"No, please, both of you stop right now! I can't take it anymore, hahaha!"

The Puppet King's laughter contained a trembling desperation, on the verge of breakdown. He was genuinely ticklish. This was not an act, nor could it be overcome by powerful cultivation; it was an innate attribute. In fact, Xu Yang had a similar weakness, though no one knew what it was or dared to test him.

At that moment, the Puppet King's fate was firmly in the hands of Xu Yang and Lan Ling'er. Lan Ling'er seemed reluctant to continue tormenting Uncle Puppet King and cast an inquiring glance at Xu Yang beside her.

However, Xu Yang seemed to revel in this peculiar form of torture. Far from stopping, he increased the frantic pace of his fingers even more.

"Damn, I didn't realize that despite your strength, you're quite sadistic. If you keep this up with his ticklish nature, you'll really make him have a mental breakdown."

Xu Yang's smile deepened, and he immediately sent a mental imprint to Lan Ling'er beside him.

"Compared to this method, don't you think directly invading his soul world would be far more cruel?

The Puppet King excels at summoning martial arts techniques because his soul power is stronger than that of ordinary martial artists, and the structure of his soul world is relatively more complex.

If I were to treat him the way I treated you, it would very likely cause unavoidable damage to his soul world.

Furthermore, I'm certain that the wisp of malevolent thought that invaded his soul world and forcibly controlled him had already grasped this most significant characteristic, which is why it placed him in his current position, making him the most controllable pawn among the Seven Elders.

If I were to forcibly invade his soul world and couldn't find the source of his control in the shortest time, the damage to the Puppet King would be unimaginable. A slight misstep could permanently strip him of his Martial God level cultivation.

That would likely be far more despair-inducing than simply taking his life. However, our current method can bring him to the brink of soul collapse naturally.

In his current state, every structure of his body is vibrating wildly at the same frequency. Only the malevolent thought within his soul world cannot resonate with his body's rhythm.

This way, it won't be long before that wisp of malevolence voluntarily detaches itself from his soul world. I have already secretly set up special rules around this stone statue. As soon as that malevolent wisp forcibly breaks free from his soul world, I can immediately eliminate it. This is the most perfect plan to deal with the trouble affecting the Puppet King."

Upon hearing Xu Yang's true intentions, Lan Ling'er immediately fell silent. She finally understood that she was indeed like a frog in a well compared to Xu Yang. In such a situation, without Xu Yang, their Changyun Heavenly Sect's Elder Council would likely have been completely annihilated.

Once she understood Xu Yang's true objective, Lan Ling'er's own mischievous streak began to grow wildly. It seemed a little demon, still dormant beneath her pure exterior, had revealed a grinning face.

A far more fiendish expression than Xu Yang's appeared on her face as she wildly increased the vibrating rhythm of her two fingers. Not only that, but Lan Ling'er immediately called upon her elder companions to frantically target the other sole of the statue's foot.

The Puppet King finally began to lose control. Amidst the continuous sensation emanating from his soles, every muscle in his body started vibrating wildly to its limit. Powerful martial essence continuously surged outwards from within him.

Soon, the stone statue's outer shell, which he had disguised himself as, began to crack and peel off frantically, gradually revealing the Puppet King's true form. However, there was still some distance to go before the malevolent thought in his soul world was completely stripped away.

Xu Yang pondered for a moment, then attempted to actively send a powerful mental force into the Puppet King's soul world. However, this mental force did not have a direct attacking effect; instead, it formed a mirror image within the Puppet King's mind.

This allowed Xu Yang to experience the constantly oscillating rhythm of this sensation on both a physical and spiritual level, effectively intensifying the Puppet King's mental pleasure tenfold in a short period.

It was the emergence of this powerful vibrating effect that finally pushed the Puppet King to the absolute brink of collapse. Suddenly, a booming roar erupted, shaking the entire palace, which then collapsed frantically under the powerful sound waves.

After all, the Puppet King was a true Martial God-level expert. The power unleashed by a Martial God's enraged roar, a cry from the very edge of life, was simply unimaginable.

It was precisely under the effect of this furious roar that Xu Yang's objective was finally achieved: the malevolent thought slumbering in the Puppet King's mind was perfectly expelled from his body.

Furthermore, within the rules woven by Xu Yang, it materialized into a concrete form. The soul's outline indeed belonged to a golden-robed devotee.

"Xu Yang, Xu Yang, I must admit, your ingenuity is truly remarkable. To think you could devise such a method to force me out of this fellow's soul world.

However, don't assume that by rescuing this Puppet King from the Changyun Heavenly Sect, you can rescue the others as well. I can tell you one thing: your companions have already been sealed within the most terrifying prison in the entire imperial capital.

These puppets from the Changyun Heavenly Sect were merely buying us time. The sealed prison has now been perfectly formed, and the most powerful array we intended to create is also complete. What awaits you next is a true feast. You will have to choose between the imperial front line and your companions.

In other words, whichever side you choose to save, the other will inevitably fall into eternal despair due to your abandonment. Lord Priest intends to use this method to plant a permanent crack in your heart's Dao. Hahahaha!"

Seeing the golden-robed devotee's overly confident expression, Xu Yang couldn't help but curse under his breath. However, those nearby didn't quite catch what he said.

With a slight twitch of his lips, the soul of the golden-robed devotee before him instantly disintegrated into ashes. It was Xu Yang's Kunlun Dao profound technique that ignited its soul power.

As this malevolent thought completely vanished, the Puppet King finally understood the benevolent intentions of Xu Yang and his companions. With a face full of shame, he stepped forward, then bowed respectfully to Xu Yang in gratitude.

"Thank you, Sir Xu Yang, for personally intervening to save me. Otherwise, my fate would have been unimaginable. However, truly, the method you used to rescue me is rather… embarrassing."