Chapter 694: Beaten into a Twist

Even cultivators get exhausted and lose all strength after continuously performing techniques, so it’s even more true for puppets!

These puppets are equipped with spirit-gathering formations and operate on spiritual energy or spirit stones. Excessive consumption would cause them to run out of energy and cease functioning.

No wonder Yu Fei’er and the others mentioned that over twenty puppets had previously launched a coordinated attack before retreating. It seems their continuous assault on the protective light barrier depleted their energy, forcing them to come here for replenishment.

“This underground spirit vein gathers spiritual energy from thousands of kilometers around, making energy replenishment incredibly fast. However, it shouldn't allow the puppets to recover completely so easily. There's something odd about this heart!”

While puppets absorb energy to function, and cultivators recover from exhaustion, both processes typically require time. Yet, for them to fully recover in mere breaths is truly bizarre. It must be connected to this heart.

The sight of a heart pulsating with a dense aura of slaughter, suspended within the spiritual river water, grew increasingly unsettling to Zhang Xuan, causing cold sweat to trickle down his spine. It was too unsettling!

Gurgle, gurgle!

As he pondered, another Otherworldly Demon approached. With each throb of the heart, the creature seemed to regain its strength, becoming vibrant and full of vigor.

“This is bad…”

Zhang Xuan's heart sank as he watched the arriving puppets recover their strength one after another. If this continued, the puppets would soon all be fully restored. Should they then launch another attack on Yu Fei’er and the others, the latter would surely perish!

“I must rescue them and escape before they all fully recover their strength!”

He clenched his fists. With all of them gathered here to recover, this was a crucial opportunity. If he missed it and they all returned, rescuing anyone would become impossible!

“But even with so many puppets gone, there are still two remaining on guard, and I can’t defeat them…”

Even if only two puppets remained there, he was no match for them. Furthermore, any battle would inevitably cause energy fluctuations, likely alerting other puppets who would then surround him before he could even escape. By then, he would be powerless. He had only managed to slay the previous puppet with Luo Qiqi's assistance and by leveraging the Red Flame Cauldron, a powerful artifact. Now, with both Little Seven and the cauldron absent, killing two puppets was virtually impossible. Ultimately, his strength was simply too low.

“Wait, I could do this…”

He rubbed his brow, at a loss for what to do, when suddenly, a thought sparked in his mind. He meticulously refined the idea, his eyes brightening with each detail. With a surge of spiritual energy, he flew straight back, and moments later, returned.

This time, instead of heading to the altar where Yu Fei’er and the others were, he found a narrow, puppet-free alley and landed. With a thought, his clone materialized before him. He had retrieved his clone from his storage ring during his quick trip back. Then, with another thought, the tall corpse of the puppet he had killed earlier in the underground palace appeared before him.

“Witch Soul, enter!”

Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and murmured to himself.

Whoosh!

His Witch Soul immediately entered the puppet lying on the ground. These puppets, much like the soulless golden figures from before, were refined from living beings, making soul integration relatively straightforward. However, the overwhelming aura of slaughter within them meant that only his Heaven's Path Witch Soul could successfully inhabit one. Any other Witch Soul Master would likely have their soul shattered and die on the spot before even getting close.

Creak!

As the soul entered the body, the puppet, previously inert on the ground, twitched, then struggled to its feet.

“It actually worked…”

Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, a sigh of relief escaping him. While pondering how to rescue them, he suddenly recalled the puppet's corpse in his storage ring. Even with its head severed, he reasoned that a soul could still possess it. Once possessed, the puppet could move as if alive, potentially fooling the enemies and creating an opportunity for a rescue.

The puppet, now possessed by the Witch Soul, bent down and picked up its severed head from the ground. It placed the head onto its neck, rotated it to adjust, and, finding that it could walk without issue, strode excitedly towards the altar. It had only taken a few steps when it suddenly crashed into a nearby crossbeam with a 'Thump!' Its head rolled several feet away. It scrambled over, hastily picked it up, and reattached it to its neck.

While the Witch Soul's possession truly made it impossible to discern the puppet's true nature, the only flaw was its severed head. The head remained unstable, threatening to topple off with every step.

“I'd better hold it in place…”

Noticing the head swaying precariously with each step, threatening to give away their deception, he reluctantly extended a hand to hold it in place. With his other hand steadying the head, Zhang Xuan strode purposefully towards the altar. Their previous hiding spot wasn't far from the altar, so they arrived in short order.

“It’s over…”

Yu Fei’er and the others, who were seated and anxiously awaiting Zhang Xuan's rescue, watched their faces fall as they saw a puppet, clutching its head, approach them. The continuous attacks from the two existing puppets already strained the light barrier to its breaking point. With another one joining the assault, it certainly wouldn't hold.

Yet, this particular puppet appeared odd: its head was not only tilted to one side but also held in place by one hand, giving it an exceptionally bizarre appearance. The crooked-headed puppet quickly approached and patted the shoulders of the two attacking puppets. The two attacking puppets paused, their gazes fixed on the newcomer.

The crooked-headed puppet pointed behind it. Following its gesture, Yu Fei’er and the others saw a human figure stealthily approaching under the soft glow of a nearby night-luminescent pearl.

“It’s… Master Zhang!”

As they clearly saw the figure's appearance, everyone became extremely anxious. They had witnessed foolishness before, but never anything quite like this. If he intended to rescue them, he should at least conceal his presence! Walking directly from in front of the night-luminescent pearl was practically begging to be discovered, wasn't it? And most critically, after being spotted by the crooked-headed puppet, he didn't flee but continued to walk toward them with a bewildered expression. Was he eager to die more quickly? This wasn't a rescue; it was a suicide mission!

Before their thoughts could fully form, the two puppets spotted Zhang Xuan. With a furious roar, one stomped its foot and lunged forward. Faced with the attack, Zhang Xuan's face paled in fear. He tried to flee, but under the puppet's oppressive aura, escape was impossible. He was struck squarely in the head by a powerful punch. His face was flattened like a pancake, and his body crashed heavily to the ground.

“Master Zhang…”

“Zhang Xuan…”

They hadn't anticipated that he would be struck down before even reaching them, his head exploding. Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and the others all reeled, nearly fainting from shock. He had just so confidently vowed to rescue them, only to be killed the moment he appeared… “You weren't here to save us; you were here to commit suicide, weren't you?”

“W-weren’t you… quite formidable? I haven't even won our bet yet! You can’t die!” Yu Fei'er cried out, her eyes reddening. What in the world was this? “You were so good at bullying me, weren't you? Why are you such a coward when facing puppets, getting your head blown off without even resisting a single move? Could you possibly be any weaker? After cultivating in the Purification Pool and turning himself into a 'corpse,' he supposedly became smarter. Yet, he hadn't even rescued anyone before getting his head bashed in. Was this truly the extent of his capability?”

While some were distraught and others heartbroken, the puppet that had pulverized Zhang Xuan's head simply shook its own head, dismissing the 'dead' figure, and turned to walk back. It hadn't gone far when it saw the crooked-headed puppet pointing behind it once more.

The puppet frowned and turned, only to see the 'dead' figure standing upright again. A large, flattened 'pancake' that used to be his face dangled from his neck, swaying precariously in the dim light, yet he remained stubbornly on his feet.

“What?!”

“This…!”

Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and the others, who had been grieving moments before, now gaped, their eyes wide with disbelief. “Your head is flattened like that, and you can still stand up? Are you serious?!”

“He… didn’t die?” Yu Fei'er's beautiful eyes widened, and she was utterly dumbfounded. “Could it be… he’s risen from the dead again?!” Her crimson lips trembled as she blurted out. “Master Zhang had already 'played dead' once before in the Purification Pool, secretly slipping into the water while they weren't looking. This couldn’t be happening again, could it? His head was obliterated… and he’s 'risen from the dead' to stand up?! Rising from the dead once was already bewildering and inexplicable enough, but twice in a row…? Does your family specialize in playing dead?!”

“Hmph?!” While everyone was reeling, the puppet looked utterly bewildered. Gritting its teeth, it turned and marched over, delivering a powerful kick with a loud 'Thump!' With that kick, the 'playing dead' Zhang Xuan’s chest instantly caved in. He tumbled backward again, seemingly lifeless.

Seeing him almost certainly dead this time, the puppet nodded with satisfaction. Just as it turned to leave, it saw the crooked-necked puppet, pointing backward with a look of utter terror. It quickly spun around, and sure enough, saw the figure with the caved-in chest standing upright once more, hands on hips, as if completely unharmed.

“Aaaahhh…!”

Yu Fei’er, Xing Yuan, and the others were beyond sadness; they were slapping themselves, wondering if they were seeing things. “What in the actual hell was going on?! It was one thing for him not to die after his head was flattened into a pancake, but now his chest was like a piece of paper, and he could still stand?! Were they being played for fools?!”

Furious that two consecutive attacks hadn't killed him, the puppet roared in frustration, charged forward again, and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks. Zhang Xuan, already severely injured, could not withstand the assault and was immediately beaten beyond recognition. Half his head was missing, his body was flattened into a thin sheet, and his leg and arm bones were crushed to powder.

Seeing the figure reduced to a pulp, the puppet finally breathed a sigh of relief. With a satisfied expression, it turned and began walking back. It hadn't gone far when it again saw the crooked-headed puppet pointing behind it. Roaring in frustration, it spun around violently. Sure enough, the figure, which had just been stomped beyond recognition, was standing again, arms akimbo, with what looked like blatant mockery in its two squashed eyes.

“What the heck…!”

“Is that really Master Zhang?!”

“How in hell is he still alive?!”

“I’m not dreaming, am I?!”

Yu Fei’er, Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, Ye Qian, and the others were utterly dumbfounded, all feeling like they were losing their minds. The puppet had unleashed so many deadly moves, each a fatal blow. His head had exploded, and they'd dismissed it as merely 'playing dead.' But now, his body was twisted into a grotesque knot, barely resembling a human, yet he was standing again. This surely couldn't be just 'playing dead' anymore! Have you ever seen a 'corpse' that could 'play dead' after being mangled to such an extent?