Chapter 195: Born Alongside Lu Bu, Why Must I Be Xiao Yan?
"Ah, this..."
Looking at the twisted and shimmering silver glow in the distance a space so distorted and illusory that it couldn't be clearly seen or sensed Su Qian and the elders Qian and Bai were momentarily stunned, still trying to make sense of the situation.
Xiao Yan, on the other hand, was full of bitter regret. He had gone through so much hardship, gathering countless heavenly treasures and cultivating diligently to finally reach the three star Dou Wang level. It had only been one or two months since his breakthrough to Dou Wang!
When he was still a Dou Zhe, he had never advanced so quickly. He had thought he was gradually closing the gap between himself and Lu Bu.
Yet, who could've expected… the guy had already reached Dou Huang!
"Born alongside Lu Bu, why must I be Xiao Yan…" Xiao Yan lamented, sighing bitterly as he gazed at the heavens. He felt as though Lu Bu was his lifelong rival, someone he could only defeat with great effort and determination. Compared to this, even the Hall of Souls seemed less significant!
"Ahem, everyone, the Pill Lightning is about to descend!" Fire Elder coughed lightly, clenching his fists to draw everyone's attention. "You bunch of old and young fools, the Pill Lightning is right above us, and you're still daydreaming!"
How am I supposed to refine pills properly with these insects around? I'm going to lose my mind!
"Ah, Fire Elder, no need to worry. Stay calm," Xiao Yan said with a wave of his hand. "That brat Lu Bu's puppet is incredibly strong. It should be able to endure two or three Pill Lightnings at least."
He had seen the strength of Lu Bu's puppets more than once be it the wind element puppet in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the green flame puppet during the fight against Han Feng, or the spatial force wielding puppet displayed during the refining of the Lesser Aid Pill.
Though their appearances varied, their power was consistently astonishing. Thus, there was no reason for concern.
"Xiao Yan's right," Su Qian nodded. He had personally witnessed Lu Bu enduring Pill Lightning before and was well aware of the power of his puppets. "One of Lu Bu's puppets could probably beat you up, so don't worry… Wait, hold on!"
As Su Qian spoke, he suddenly froze, his expression stiffening. A realization dawned on him, and his eyes widened. "That puppet's face… isn't that Mo Tianxing?"
"What?!" The Qian and Bai elders were taken aback, their expressions turning incredulous.
The Fire Elder was similarly dumbfounded. "Mo Tianxing? So he's already fallen into Lu Bu's hands?!"
Not long ago, Mo Tianxing, the Black Emperor Sect's sect master, had mysteriously disappeared. The Black Emperor Sect's Dou Huang level fighters had also vanished without a trace. Seizing this opportunity, countless factions eyeing the sect's wealth gleefully pounced, dividing its resources among themselves.
Most had assumed that Mo Tianxing was either seriously injured or in seclusion. Who would've guessed that he was already dead and turned into a puppet controlled by Lu Bu?
"This brat…" Qian and Bai elders exchanged awkward glances after learning the rough sequence of events. A four star Dou Zong like Mo Tianxing was even stronger than Su Qian, who had only recently broken through to four star Dou Zong with the help of the Snow Spirit Pill and the Fallen Heart Flame.
Su Qian couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. All these years, what have I even been doing?
The Fire Elder's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Initially, he had dismissed Lu Bu as just another talented student, not worth his attention. But he had clearly underestimated him. Lu Bu's alchemy skills were already comparable to Yao Lao's current state, enough to guide him, the Fire Elder, if needed.
And as if that wasn't impressive enough, Lu Bu had also managed to defeat someone on Su Qian's level and refine him into a puppet for his own use. Even the Jia Nan Academy would be envious of such an asset!
BOOM!!
A deafening crack of thunder erupted from the clouds above. Brilliant silver lightning, sharp as a blade, tore through the darkness and struck the Earth Demon Puppet's chest with terrifying force.
CLANG !!
The crisp, metallic sound echoed through the Inner Academy, resonating in every corner.
At the arena, the students on the Strong Ranking eagerly scratched their heads, itching to see what was happening. Their restless movements made them look as if they were sitting on a bed of ants.
But in the next instant
BOOOOM!!!
The sound waves rolled across the Inner Academy like a tidal wave, sweeping through in all directions. The resulting windstorm slammed into the spatial barrier protecting the Inner Academy, causing it to tremble violently.
The students collectively shrank back. "Okay, maybe staying here is safer after all," they muttered, deciding it was best not to seek out the excitement.
Back at the mountain, the Earth Demon Puppet was blown backward by the lightning strike. However, it did not crash to the ground but instead steadied itself mid air and continued to hover.
CRACKLE!
Electric arcs danced across the puppet's metallic body. Thunder snakes as thick as arms flickered wildly, making its already intimidating form even more fearsome.
Su Qian watched with a mix of awe and fear. Although he was confident he could match the puppet in a fight, enduring such relentless lightning strikes was another matter entirely. Not even a physically robust Magical Beast of the same rank would dare try such a thing.
"Wait, why isn't the puppet fighting back?" Qian and Bai elders exchanged glances, realizing something was off.
A puppet's typical role in such situations was to fight the lightning fearlessly, unaffected by pain or death. It wasn't supposed to just stand there and take the hits. No matter how strong it was, this strategy was unsustainable especially against the Pill Lightning for two seventh tier pills. No one knew how many strikes it could unleash.
Xiao Yan frowned. When Lu Bu had faced the Pill Lightning for the Lesser Aid Pill, his puppets had fought tooth and nail. Why was this one behaving differently?
"Something's strange," Xiao Yan muttered. "It almost looks like the puppet is absorbing the lightning."
Yao Lao's weak voice echoed from the cauldron filled with Soul Nourishment Elixir. "What?! That puppet… can absorb Pill Lightning?"
Xiao Yan's eyes widened in disbelief. Ignoring the raging thunderstorm around him, he extended his soul perception to investigate the puppet.
This was an incredibly risky move. If he wasn't careful, his soul could suffer permanent damage, preventing him from advancing further. But with the protection of his Heavenly Flame, the danger was somewhat mitigated.
As his perception enveloped the puppet, Xiao Yan quickly noticed something unusual. The violent lightning wasn't just crackling on the puppet's surface it was seeping into its body, refining its structure. The puppet was actively absorbing the lightning, and its aura was steadily growing stronger, albeit incrementally.
"It's actually absorbing the Pill Lightning?!" Xiao Yan's jealousy flared. As an alchemist, he understood the immense value of such a puppet.
Just imagining a future scene made him envious: the fragrance of pills filling the air, dazzling light illuminating the surroundings, and thunderclouds looming ominously above. Pill Lightning raged, intent on obliterating both the alchemist and their creation.
And yet, in this scenario, a puppet stepped forward to take all the strikes. Meanwhile, the alchemist simply stood by with arms crossed, perhaps sipping tea out of boredom.
What a perfect setup!
Not only that, but the puppet itself would grow stronger over time, making it an even more formidable weapon.
"I can't believe such a thing exists," Xiao Yan muttered, his eyes glowing green with envy. "Why does Lu Bu get all the good stuff?!"
Throwing his head back, Xiao Yan let out a mournful cry of frustration. "Born alongside Lu Bu, why must I be Xiao Yan?!"
No wonder Lu Bu had been so indifferent to the treasures Xiao Yan had painstakingly gathered. Clearly, he had already secured far greater rewards.
"This puppet… I must have one!" Xiao Yan declared, his gaze steely.
Yao Lao agreed. "Yes, we need to figure out how to acquire one of those puppets or learn how to make them ourselves. Such a treasure is invaluable."
BOOM!!!
Above them, the Pill Lightning continued its relentless assault. Just as Xiao Yan and Yao Lao had expected, the violent strikes failed to faze the Earth Demon Puppet.
Watching this, Xiao Yan's determination only deepened. The puppet's ability to endure lightning was simply too incredible to pass up.
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