Early the next morning, a low rumble echoed across the horizon as two massive flying ships tore through the clouds.

The vessels were enormous, their hulls intricately carved with blue cloud patterns and the character “Miao” engraved boldly upon their prows.

Leader Wangya stood at the bow of the lead ship with his hands behind his back, flanked by a group of elders. Among them were Zhiyin, the supervisor of Heavenly Puppet Peak, and Liu Huaigu, the leader of Green Wood Peak.

The group stepped onto the deck of Zhang Xian’s smaller vessel and scanned their surroundings. Though his ship was compact, the elders were secretly impressed. The complexity of the spirit-gathering arrays was far more exquisite than those found even on the Yunmiao Sect’s flagships.

However, when their eyes fell upon Li Fuxi and Liu Qingxuan, their expressions shifted instantly.

Li Fuxi stood at the second level of the Golden Core realm, her aura unstable and her complexion deathly pale.

Liu Qingxuan, now at the fourth level of Golden Core, had suffered an even more drastic drop in cultivation. Yet, despite her weakened state, there was an unmistakable air of maturity between her brows.

In contrast, Zhang Xian remained at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, his spiritual energy robust and pulsing as if he were on the cusp of a breakthrough.

Wangya’s eye twitched, while Liu Huaigu’s frown deepened. To an experienced eye, this looked like the telltale backlash of a broken Nine Turns Jade Condensation Sutra.

But such delicate matters were not to be discussed in the open. Wangya cleared his throat. “Recount what happened once more.”

Zhang Xian cupped his hands and detailed the battle at Muling Sect. He glossed over certain ambiguous details, merely stating that he had forced Jianchen to retreat using spirit talismans and ship cannons, and that the two women had suffered cultivation damage due to a potent love poison.

The reactions were mixed. Some elders marveled at Zhang Xian’s puppet mastery, while others were taken aback by his ruthlessness in erasing an entire sect with a single cannon blast.

Zhiyin, however, had a playful glint in her eyes. She circled Zhang Xian slowly. “Is this the puppet that fooled Lu Qing and Jianchen?”

Zhang Xian smiled. “It is. I’ve spent the last few days in the inner cabin, seeking guidance from the captain on my cultivation.”

He had realized that Captain Yunshang was not only a master pilot but possessed a vast reservoir of knowledge, which made him respect Supervisor Zhiyin even more.

Wangya and Liu Huaigu were genuinely surprised. Until Zhiyin pointed it out, they hadn’t realized they were speaking to a puppet. It was so lifelike that without a deep scan, it was impossible to distinguish from a human.

Using puppets as proxies was a long-standing tradition in the Yunmiao Sect, so no one took offense. After all, Zhiyin herself often roamed the sect in puppet form.

Without any hesitation, Zhiyin pinched the puppet’s cheek. “So realistic! Did you build this yourself?”

“An elder from my family assisted me,” Zhang Xian fabricated quickly.

“I’d love to consult with them in person,” Zhiyin purred, leaning closer. She began touching and squeezing the puppet’s frame, marveling at the craftsmanship.

Zhiyin was a charming woman, and her proximity was… distracting. Her hands were roaming over Zhang Xian’s puppet body quite freely, making the other elders uncomfortable. However, since it was technically one puppet “interacting” with another, they looked away and treated it as professional curiosity.

“There will be an opportunity,” Zhang Xian said with an awkward smile. “We owe much to your puppet techniques, Sister Zhiyin. Without them, we wouldn’t have survived.”

“Hehe. A puppet is only as good as its master.”

“By the way,” Zhang Xian continued, “can you help me upgrade this ship? I want everything pushed to the absolute limit—offense, defense, everything.”

“You want to overhaul it after just one trip? This ship cost several million mid-grade spirit stones. It’s nearly as expensive as a flagship.”

“We nearly died. Cost is no object.”

Zhiyin’s eyes sharpened. “Do you understand what ‘cost is no object’ truly implies?”

“Literally. If this ship is worth 80,000 high-grade spirit stones, I’m willing to pay ten times that. Or twenty.”

“Are you serious?”

“I never joke about my life. We can settle on a deposit right now.”

Zhiyin gasped. A transaction of this magnitude was unheard of in the Southern Region. The commission alone would be astronomical.

“I’ll look into it,” she said breathlessly. “Su Ling and I can personally handle the final puppet cluster. But for a deal this large… why aren’t you asking Sect Master Yun?”

At the mention of the Sect Master, Wangya—who had been speaking with Li Fuxi—pricked up his ears.

“We’re too familiar,” Zhang Xian laughed awkwardly. “I’m afraid she’d just give it to me for free, and I’d feel too embarrassed to accept.”

“You two…” Zhiyin giggled, hiding her mouth behind her hand. “Sometimes I wonder if there are secrets between you.”

Wangya felt a surge of irritation. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the conversation, and turned back to Li Fuxi. “I will personally visit Shan Chanyuan to demand an explanation for Jianchen’s ambush.”

A white-robed elder nearby snorted. “Don’t worry, Fuxi. Even if that bald thief flees the Southern Region, I will drag him back.”

This was Elder Xingyin, the leader of the main peak. He was a legendary figure who had reached the peak of the Golden Core realm before Wangya even joined the sect. He was a master of divination and arrays; with him on the trail, Jianchen would have nowhere to hide.

“Thank you, Leader Xingyin,” Li Fuxi said, bowing respectfully to her senior.

“The techniques used by Jianchen and the Muling Sect are perverted,” Wangya noted. “And they threaten the safety of minor worlds. I’ve contacted the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty; I suspect a demonic resurgence.”

Li Fuxi nodded. The rapid regeneration Jianchen and Lu Qing displayed suggested they were draining life force—a hallmark of demonic arts.

“Fuxi, you all should return to the sect to recuperate,” Wangya ordered. “Elder Xingyin will investigate the surrounding area for clues while I head to the Imperial Dynasty.”

“But the Muling Sect has been leveled,” Li Fuxi reminded him.

Elder Xingyin chuckled. “Their base is gone, but their disciples are scattered. I’ll hunt them down one by one until someone talks.”

As the elders prepared to depart, Liu Huaigu remained behind. “Go ahead, everyone. I’ll catch up.”

Once the ships had sailed away, Liu Huaigu looked at his pale daughter and sighed. “Qingxuan, come into the cabin with me.”

Knowing her father wanted a private word, Liu Qingxuan gave Zhang Xian a reassuring glance and followed him inside, closing the door behind them.

“Speak truthfully,” Liu Huaigu said, his voice low and grave. “Exactly what happened?”

Liu Qingxuan looked at her father’s sharp gaze and quickly lowered her head. “Father, I…”

“Is your Nine Turns Jade Condensation Sutra broken?”

“Yes…” she whispered.

“And Li Fuxi? Did she also…?”

“No. Supervisor Fuxi used a secret method to force a breakthrough. She is suffering from the backlash.”

Liu Huaigu let out a long sigh of relief. “Oh. Good. Then it seems that lad Zhang Xian likes you more after all.”

“Huh?” Liu Qingxuan froze. She had braced herself for a lecture, not this.