Chapter 3062: Puppet Beast Utility

A specific area within the Blue Glaze Sea Region.

As the morning sun rose, golden sunlight illuminated the sea surface, creating a dazzling golden expanse as far as the eye could see.

A red streak of light appeared on the distant horizon, swiftly approaching the area.

Soon, the red light halted, revealing a glowing red flying boat. Standing aboard were Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli, their expressions grave.

Not far ahead, an island shrouded in gray mist loomed indistinctly.

Dong Xueli flicked her right hand, and a small, exquisite golden bell, the Golden Moon Bell, appeared. This auxiliary treasure was primarily used to detect spatial rifts.

Myriad Poison Island harbored remnant spatial restrictions and rifts, some of which moved unpredictably, making them extremely difficult to guard against.

Li Qingxue had lent them this treasure. However, the most formidable challenges on Myriad Poison Island were not the spatial rifts or restrictions, but the constant emergence of venomous insects and beasts, particularly seventh-tier ones capable of slaying Integration-stage cultivators.

Wang Qingfeng shook his sleeve, releasing hundreds of golden bee-like puppet beasts. These second-tier puppets, though low-ranked, served primarily as scouts, circling constantly around them.

These puppets could detect restrictions in advance. Wang family cultivators utilized puppet beasts in numerous applications.

With a flick of his wrist, hundreds of bee puppets fanned out, encircling and protecting them as they advanced.

The red flying boat slowly approached Myriad Poison Island. Both displayed heightened vigilance, their expressions solemn.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, the Golden Moon Bell in Dong Xueli's hand began to shake rapidly, emitting a clear, ringing sound.

Simultaneously, two of the bee puppets inexplicably split apart, their severed surfaces perfectly smooth.

Startled, Wang Qingfeng quickly performed a hand seal, causing the red flying boat to swerve sharply. They only felt relieved when the Golden Moon Bell ceased its tremors.

After sacrificing over ten bee puppets, they successfully landed on Myriad Poison Island.

Ahead lay an endless, dark forest. A black miasma hung heavy above the treeline, numerous puddles dotted the ground, and the air was thick with the stench of decay.

Wang Qingfeng flicked his sleeve, releasing an entirely black metal sphere. He cast a spell into it, and the spiritual patterns on its surface glowed brightly. With a whirring mechanical sound, it transformed into a black centipede puppet.

The Wang family specialized in crafting various puppet beasts suited for diverse terrains and environments, including models for surveillance, treasure hunting, combat, escape, defense, and stealth.

This particular puppet was a sixth-tier beast, proficient in earth-elemental abilities. It was crafted with black jade mud, a corrosion-resistant material that made it ideal for navigating miasma-laden areas. Its construction reduced the cultivators' spiritual energy consumption and allowed it to bypass some high-tier venomous insects and beasts.

Wang Qingfeng cast a spell, and a hidden opening appeared in the centipede puppet's abdomen. Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli entered through it, and the opening sealed shut.

The centipede puppet moved along the ground, while over a hundred bee puppets maintained a perimeter of vigilance.

After venturing a hundred zhang into the black forest, the bee puppets began to emit green smoke and crackle with sizzling sounds, their bodies showing clear signs of corrosion.

Soon after, these bee puppets successively dropped from the air, their surfaces pitted and severely corroded.

The centipede puppet remained unaffected and pressed onward.

A buzzing sound emanated from the black miasma as a swarm of black venomous ants emerged, led by a fifth-tier queen. Each ant spewed a stream of black poisonous fire.

The black poisonous fire struck the centipede puppet, feeling no more than a tickle, and the puppet continued its advance.

Tens of thousands of black venomous ants coalesced into a dense black spear, hurtling directly towards the centipede puppet.

The black spear struck the centipede puppet's back with a muffled thud, leaving no discernible mark.

The centipede puppet completely ignored the black venomous ants and pressed on.

The tens of thousands of black venomous ants dispersed, crawling all over the centipede puppet and attempting to bite it, but their efforts were futile.

Before long, the centipede puppet vanished into the depths of the forest.

Over half a month later, a massive explosion echoed from deep within Myriad Poison Island, followed by a towering pillar of crimson fire that conspicuously shot skyward.

In an open clearing, numerous large craters spewed black smoke. A gigantic, entirely red toad lay dead in a pool of blood, a massive, gaping wound in its abdomen. A centipede puppet rested nearby on the ground.

A portly man in a red shirt emerged from within the centipede puppet. It was Wang Qingfeng, whose appearance had been altered. He then collected the red toad's corpse.

“Since you two fellow cultivators have arrived, why remain concealed?”

After speaking, Wang Qingfeng looked into the distance.

He wouldn't have altered his appearance had he not detected someone lurking and observing him.

“Fellow cultivator, please don't misunderstand. We mean no harm; we were simply drawn here by the sounds of combat.”

A robust male voice rang out.

From a distant hilltop, a tall, slender man in a black robe and a short, stout man in a golden robe emerged. The black-robed man was a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator, while the golden-robed man was a mid-stage Void Refinement cultivator.

“Since it's a misunderstanding, let's go our separate ways. Do not let me discover you following me again, or I will not be so courteous.”

Wang Qingfeng's tone was dismissive.

“Fellow cultivator, wait. We've discovered over a dozen Golden Centipede Grasses, three of which are more than twenty thousand years old. They are guarded by two formidable sixth-tier Six-eyed Sand Spiders. Would you be willing to join forces with us?”

The black-robed man spoke politely, his face full of anticipation.

The Six-eyed Sand Spider, a spiritual insect ranked on the Myriad Insect List, was notorious for its ferocity.

“I'm not interested. Do not follow me.”

Wang Qingfeng flatly refused.

He didn't know these individuals and had no interest in collaborating with them, unsure if they might turn hostile afterward. His primary objective in entering Myriad Poison Island was to locate a sixth-tier tree demon, not to invite further complications.

“Very well, then we shall not disturb you further.”

The black-robed man did not press the issue and departed with the golden-robed man.

Wang Qingfeng re-entered the centipede puppet, controlling it to continue its journey.

Two days later, the centipede puppet emerged into a golden forest, filled with trees over a hundred zhang tall.

Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli emerged from the centipede puppet, their expressions grave.

According to the map, the sixth-tier tree demon was less than fifty li away, nestled within a small mountain valley.

Dong Xueli raised her right hand, releasing over a dozen golden metal spheres. With a spell, these spheres transformed into golden butterfly puppets. They flapped their wings and settled motionless on the trunks of large trees, resembling leaves.

These were warning puppets, designed to immediately detect anyone passing through the area.

Wang Qingfeng and Dong Xueli applied two layers of defense to themselves before climbing onto the centipede puppet's back. The puppet then swiftly scuttled forward.

After traversing the forest, a narrow valley appeared before them. It was filled with a thick, blood-red miasma, obscuring everything within.

According to intelligence provided by Zhou Yan, a sixth-tier tree demon resided within the valley.