Chapter 1409: Wan Kui Palace

Wang Mengbin took a deep breath, and with a gentle touch of his finger, he pointed at the approaching red fire phoenix.

The dark clouds overhead churned violently, emitting a low rumble of thunder. Hundreds of thick silver lightning spears shot forth, striking down at the red fire phoenix below.

The red fire phoenix opened its mouth and spewed out a jet of crimson flames, as thick as a bowl, striking the descending silver lightning spears.

Boom! A deafening explosion rang out. Over a dozen silver lightning spears were shattered by the crimson flames, but some of the lightning spears struck the red fire phoenix, causing its body to instantly explode into a sky full of blazing fire. The flames scattered across the ground, blasting out numerous large craters.

The red-dressed girl frowned, about to employ other tactics, when a thunderous roar echoed through the heavens and earth. The dark clouds churned violently like a rising tide, transforming into a silver lightning python over fifty zhang long, its entire body enveloped in a vast expanse of silver electrical arcs, before it lunged towards the red-dressed girl.

The silver lightning python was incredibly fast; in less than two breaths, it appeared before the red-dressed girl, opening its massive maw from which tiny silver electrical arcs surged forth.

With a flick of her right hand, a red light flashed, and a crescent-shaped scimitar appeared in the red-dressed girl's grasp. She slashed at the empty space in front of her, sending a crimson blade energy several tens of zhang long shooting out, which struck the silver lightning python.

The silver lightning python let out a painful hiss, its body suddenly bursting open, transforming into a silver sun a hundred zhang in diameter, enveloping the red-dressed girl. A powerful shockwave swept outwards, carrying a large number of red stone bricks high into the air, and dust filled the sky.

Wang Mengbin changed his hand seals, and a large number of silver electrical arcs erupted around him. Specks of silver light appeared in the void, suddenly transforming into a silver lightning orb over thirty zhang in diameter, which, carrying a destructive and violent aura, slammed towards the opponent.

Boom! The silver lightning surged dramatically, its dazzling brilliance making it hard to open one's eyes.

After three breaths, the silver lightning dissipated. The red-dressed girl stood in a massive crater over a thousand zhang wide, the inside of which was scorched black and emanating heat. A thin layer of sweat seeped onto her forehead, and her eyes showed a hint of apprehension.

If it had been a fight to the death, Wang Mengbin would have certainly continued his attack, and the outcome would have been obvious; the destructive power of lightning-attribute dao techniques was simply too immense.

Wu Chang lightly sighed and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist Wang, your Wang family is truly filled with talented individuals. Besides your cousin, there's also young Fellow Daoist Wang, a true prodigy."

"Fellow Daoist Wu, you flatter me," Wang Qingshan said modestly. "Mengbin has only learned a few basic techniques. Your Wu family's Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator didn't participate. If he had, Mengbin might not have been his match."

Wang Qingshan spoke modestly. The Wu family had a long legacy and was filled with masters. Wang Mengbin winning against one person didn't mean he could defeat all of the Wu family's Core Formation cultivators.

Wu Chang laughed heartily and said, "A loss is a loss, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Yue Yun, learn more from young Fellow Daoist Wang. Now you know that there's always someone better out there!"

"Yes, Ninth Uncle-Grandfather," the red-dressed girl replied. Her voice was sweet, and she appeared very well-behaved.

"Come, Fellow Daoist Wang, let's go somewhere else to talk. We'll leave this place to the juniors."

Wu Chang made a welcoming gesture and led Wang Qingshan to a secluded small courtyard with red tiles, where Li Linger had been waiting for some time.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, please try our Wu family's unique spiritual tea, Golden Flame Tea. The tea trees grow in volcanic lava and can only be harvested once every thousand years, yielding only a dozen jin of processed tea leaves each time."

Wu Chang picked up an exquisite red teapot and poured Wang Qingshan a cup of fragrant spiritual tea, the liquid itself a reddish hue.

Wang Qingshan didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. As soon as the tea entered his stomach, a surge of fiery heat rose in his abdomen, making him feel as if he were immersed in volcanic lava.

The fiery heat coursed through his limbs and bones. After ten breaths, the flames vanished, replaced by a refreshing coolness that spread throughout his entire body.

"Excellent. If a fire-attribute cultivator drinks this tea, it would be quite beneficial for their cultivation."

Wang Qingshan thought of Wang Qingjun, who cultivated fire-attribute techniques. This Golden Flame Tea would be greatly beneficial for his cultivation; a single sip of this spiritual tea could equate to a month of arduous cultivation for Wang Qingjun.

Li Linger smiled and said, "If Fellow Daoist Wang likes it, we can give you a few jin."

"No need," Wang Qingshan politely refused. "The tea tree only yields a dozen jin of leaves every thousand years. I haven't earned it, and this gift is too valuable."

Wang Qingshan tactfully declined.

Wu Chang and Li Linger exchanged glances and nodded to each other.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, we actually do have something we need your help with."

"Oh, what is it? Fellow Daoist Wu, please speak freely. As long as it is within my capabilities, I will certainly agree."

Wang Qingshan spoke vaguely, not giving a definite answer.

Wu Chang and Li Linger were not weak, and it genuinely surprised Wang Qingshan that they would ask for his help.

No wonder Wu Chang immediately suggested a sparring match upon seeing Wang Qingshan. He had thought Wu Chang was merely a martial arts fanatic, but now it seemed Wu Chang wanted to assess his strength through the match.

Li Linger's expression turned serious as she asked, "Fellow Daoist Wang, have you ever heard of the Puppet Emperor?"

"I have heard of her," Wang Qingshan replied. "It is said that she once unified the Northern Border immortal cultivation world, and more than half of the Northern Border's top ten sects were founded by her disciples and their descendants."

Wang Qingshan had, of course, heard of the Puppet Emperor. Although she was a woman, her accomplishments inspired admiration even among male cultivators, as she single-handedly unified the various major forces of the Northern Border and brought the Northern Border immortal cultivation world under one rule.

"You must have heard of the Myriad Puppet Palace, right? The Myriad Puppet Palace was left behind by the Puppet Emperor and contains countless treasures. It's quite similar to your South Sea's Immortal Suppression Tower, though not as formidable as the Immortal Suppression Tower."

"Myriad Puppet Palace? I've heard a little about it. How is the Myriad Puppet Palace related to what you're discussing?" Wang Qingshan's expression remained calm. The Myriad Puppet Palace was similar to the Immortal Suppression Tower, but the rewards in the Myriad Puppet Palace were mostly the Puppet Emperor's personal collection—primarily magic treasures and puppet beasts. Pills or natural spiritual treasures were very rare, and currently, there were no Profound Spirit Treasures in the Myriad Puppet Palace.

Each time the Immortal Suppression Tower appeared, its location was different, whereas the Myriad Puppet Palace's location was fixed. Only Core Formation cultivators could enter the Immortal Suppression Tower to challenge its trials, while only Nascent Soul cultivators could enter the Myriad Puppet Palace. Furthermore, most of the treasures in the Myriad Puppet Palace had already been taken, unlike the Immortal Suppression Tower, which some people said was an enhanced version of the Myriad Puppet Palace.

Some even speculated that both the Immortal Suppression Tower and the Myriad Puppet Palace were crafted by the Puppet Emperor, though no one could provide conclusive evidence.

"We need to venture into the Myriad Puppet Palace, but the guardian puppet beasts are too powerful. We would like to request your assistance, and we will certainly offer a substantial reward once the matter is concluded."

The guardian puppet beasts of the Myriad Puppet Palace were Fourth-tier puppet beasts, equivalent to Nascent Soul cultivators, and there was more than one of them. However, these puppet beasts only operated within the Myriad Puppet Palace and could not be taken out by anyone.

"You're not a match for the guardian puppet beasts either? Fellow Daoist Wu, are you joking?"

Wang Qingshan's face showed a skeptical expression.

"The place we need to go has high-grade Fourth-tier puppets blocking the way. These are equivalent to late-Nascent Soul cultivators, and we are simply no match for them!"

Wu Chang said with a wry smile. If it weren't for the high-grade Fourth-tier puppet beasts blocking their path, why would he need to ask Wang Qingshan for help?