Chapter 1426: Star Cloud Puppet

“What elective did Master Zhang choose for the first level?” Luo Xuanqing turned to look at a deacon elder who was watching the commotion and quickly asked. “Brother Zhang Xuan is strongest in professions like formation, beast taming, and soul-awakening. If he chose one of those for the first level, he should pass easily.”

“Heavenly Craftsman profession!” Recognizing him, the elder nodded and said.

“Heavenly Craftsman? Is the one guarding the level... Jiang Feifei?” Luo Xuanqing’s face went pale.

“Jiang Feifei is indeed the Saint Son of the Heavenly Craftsman profession in the Saint Son Hall, so of course, she’s the one he’ll face!” the elder replied.

“This is bad…” Luo Xuanqing grew anxious. Zhang Xuan might not know Jiang Feifei well, but he certainly did. The Soul-Capturing Golden Pearl he once owned was crafted by her. As a top genius from the Jiang family, one of the three great clans, her strength was no less than his own. Her understanding of the Heavenly Craftsman profession was exceptionally rare, lauded even by guild elders who believed she had the potential to reach nine stars!

When challenging the Master Teacher Tower, choosing an opponent is crucial. It’s best to start with an easy one to build confidence, then steadily progress to more difficult ones. But… facing Jiang Feifei from the start was akin to entering death mode, with absolutely no hope of victory! His sister merely didn't test for Saint Son status; even if she had, whether she could have surpassed Jiang Feifei was unknown, which spoke volumes about her power. Choosing this opponent for the first round of the Master Teacher Tower challenge… wasn't overconfidence, but sheer recklessness!

“Jiang Feifei never holds back. It seems this one will be defeated in the first round…” Just as he was filled with anxiety, a faint voice sounded. He turned to see an old man standing before Master Zhan, stroking his beard with a smile on his face. It was the deacon elder from the Heavenly Craftsman Guild! Clearly, he didn't have high hopes for Zhang Xuan's success either.

Unsure why his brother was in such a hurry to become an 8-star master teacher, Luo Xuanqing silently clenched his fists, his gaze serious. Thinking of something, he couldn't help but sigh, “This guy has skill and courage… It's a pity. If it weren't for my sister's marriage alliance with the Zhang family, marrying him would have been the best choice! What a shame…”

Entering the first hall of the Master Teacher Tower, Zhang Xuan looked around and then saw a woman sitting in a corner, meticulously carving with a special tool in her hand. She seemed not to notice his arrival, her cuts flowing together seamlessly, like painting on rice paper.

“Please wait a moment. I'll compete with you once I finish this carving…” Sensing his presence, the girl didn't lift her head, merely waving her hand dismissively.

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan smiled. Although the girl hadn't looked up and her face wasn't visible, her exposed skin and figure indicated she was a rare beauty, no less stunning than Zhao Feiwu and the others he had encountered before. Most crucially, her strength, surprisingly, had also reached the peak of Saint 7-dan, just like Zhang Chun! With such strength and cultivation, to sit on the ground and carve without concern, her level of focus impressed even him.

He lowered his head to look at what she was carving. It was a Heavenly Craftsman artifact. Heavenly Craftsman items were renowned for their intricacy. With each stroke of her carving tool, a piece fell from the iron plate in her hand. After a few breaths, a uniquely shaped component formed. She then flicked her palm, joining it perfectly with another carved piece, leaving not even a visible seam.

“Such exquisite carving skill…” Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. Having read books on Heavenly Craftsmen, he knew that her carving technique was absolutely top-tier, even among 8-star Heavenly Craftsmen. To possess such control at her age, she was indeed worthy of being a Saint Son, truly extraordinary.

“Done!” Clicking the components together, the girl let out a breath, set the item aside, and looked at him. “For the Master Teacher Tower challenge, you don’t need to defeat me. You only need to display a skill that I can acknowledge!” This is a Master Teacher examination, not a Heavenly Craftsman examination. Therefore, you don't need to be exceptionally strong or surpass a Saint Son.

“However, my standards are high. It won’t be easy to earn my recognition!” Looking at him again, the girl continued.

“To carve flawlessly from memory without pre-drawing, it naturally won't be easy to gain your recognition…” Zhang Xuan smiled. Normally, Heavenly Craftsmen would draw blueprints and use special tools to measure before carving components. Yet, she did nothing of the sort, carving freely and achieving a flawless result, indicating her mastery over component dimensions had reached an almost Dao-like level. How could passing an assessment by someone like this be simple?

“Good that you understand. As you can see, I’m quite busy, so let’s not waste time. Here’s a pile of materials. You and I will simultaneously carve a puppet according to this blueprint. After completion… as long as your puppet can withstand three of my moves, you pass!” The girl waved her hand, and immediately, a pile of various materials and carving tools appeared before them, along with a special blueprint. The patterns and text on it were dense and tiny, impossible to discern without scanning with divine consciousness. Apart from the lines, routes, and component outlines, there were tens of thousands of characters just in the annotations!

“So intricate…” Zhang Xuan frowned. He had seen many 8-star blueprints, but none as intricate as this.

“This is a Nebula Puppet; its combat power is very strong!” Nodding, the girl said, “These are materials for the Domain realm. If carved successfully, it would be difficult for a master teacher of the same Domain realm to defeat it!”

“The Nebula Puppet is constructed based on a nebula, with each component representing a star. Just as there are countless stars in the heavens, there are countless possible combinations for the components. Therefore, while this blueprint appears fixed, it actually presents countless possibilities. Even a slight error in carving can significantly alter the puppet’s strength!”

Glancing down at the blueprint, the girl continued, “It will take me about one day and one night to successfully carve it. After I finish, I will wait for you for three days and three nights. If you still can’t complete it by then, it means you haven’t passed my assessment!”

“Time is also crucial when carving puppets; you should understand that! Three days and three nights is the longest I can wait for you…” After explaining, the girl looked up again, picked up a piece of material, and was about to start carving when she suddenly froze.

Before the young man, over a hundred long swords appeared. Various materials spun and flew under the sword qi’s carving. In less than two breaths, a pile of components of different sizes lay on the ground. Immediately after, he sharply grasped with his palm. Clatter! The carved materials piled together.

“Alright, it’s done!” Clapping his hands, Zhang Xuan turned to look at her.