Free Web NovelChapter 308: Chapter 37: Alliance, and a New Friend’s Visit
Wang Ping was studying puppets by using Corpse Soldiers. These Corpse Soldiers had all undergone a special process, their internal organs and meridians refined into a state of Spirit Veins. However, some areas had been damaged during the refining.
The most obvious damage was to the sensory and nervous systems, followed by all the body’s meridians. For a Taiyin Sect Cultivator, such Corpse Soldiers would have been sufficient. But the puppets Wang Ping planned to make needed to act autonomously and even cultivate, so the first step was to repair them.
Otherwise, even if he succeeded in making them, they would just be defective products.
Wang Ping currently had no experience reconfiguring sensory systems, nervous systems, or meridians. Everything he knew came from studying the two puppets Zi Luan had given him. The light-screen panel offered prompts, but they were only wiring diagrams and basic schematics.
The sensory system was incredibly complex, with every part interconnected. And unlike puppets, Corpse Soldiers couldn’t be disassembled for slow, careful work. He could only use Wood Spirit Qi to probe inside the bodies and repair them bit by bit. Severely damaged areas required compatible materials for restoration.
But the internal systems of a human body are immensely intricate. Every time Wang Ping thought he had successfully completed a repair, new problems would emerge within half an hour of testing. He also had to preserve the spiritual essence within the Corpse Soldiers; otherwise, they were very likely to degrade into a pile of useless Spirit Vein crystals. If he was unlucky, their flesh and blood would simply rot away.
"The Taiyan Inheritance truly has its unique advantages. The Spiritual Qi used by other sects would inevitably cause damage if it entered the body. Only Wood Spirit Qi is gentle and possesses restorative properties."
Tongyu Taoist’s Primordial Spirit materialized at the workshop window, watching Wang Ping with envy as he said, "Puppet-making is mainly draining on one’s energy. But it’s only difficult in the beginning. Once you form a routine, it becomes very simple."
"Water Spirit Qi can also heal and repair," Yu Lian grumbled, clearly annoyed with Tongyu Taoist.
"But after Water Spirit Qi repairs an injury, it leaves behind a trace of its own spiritual essence. For a puppet, that’s fatal. It could easily create a latent defect," Tongyu Taoist replied in the patronizing tone of an elder lecturing a junior.
Furious but unable to find a retort, Yu Lian glanced at the busy Wang Ping, flicked her serpentine tongue, and soared into the air, flying off to the river behind them to play in the water.
Wang Ping chuckled softly at the sight of her retreating figure. A flicker of smugness crossed Tongyu Taoist’s ethereal face, which earned him a look of pure disdain from Artifact Spirit Nether Water.
Half a month passed in this slow-paced daily routine.
The half-month seemed to pass slowly, so slowly that Wang Ping could feel the Spiritual Qi in the air gradually growing stronger.
Oh, it wasn’t just a feeling, it really was strengthening. Spirit Veins had been installed at several core nodes of the Nine Extremes Array, so the circulating Spiritual Qi naturally grew more potent.
Meanwhile, in the Inspiration Realm, many of the weaker Spiritual Creatures could no longer withstand the increasingly dense Spiritual Qi. The spiritual essence generated by the Observatory Disciples during their cultivation was particularly potent; the slightest exposure could shatter their fragile bodies, forcing them to flee the mountains around Qianmu Temple.
Zi Luan was punctual. He had said half a month, and he arrived in exactly half a month. He, Wu Quan, and Ganxing were so discreet upon their arrival at Qianmu Mountain that only Wang Ping was aware of their visit.
The four of them talked for a full day and night, primarily to clarify their respective responsibilities within the new alliance. They made a verbal commitment to a defensive pact, agreeing that if any of the four parties were ever attacked by an outside force, the other three were obligated to come to their aid. Even if the enemy proved unbeatable, they were to do their best to maneuver within the Daoist Scripture Hall on behalf of the beleaguered party.
They even discussed a contingency plan: if the situation went south and they needed to pledge allegiance to a new Lord, the four of them had to act in unison to negotiate better terms.
Beyond responsibilities, they also established penalties. Any party failing to honor the agreement would face a joint attack from the other three. Of course, the enforcement of this clause was open to interpretation. Should such a situation ever arise, it would surely be complicated, but it was a point that had to be stated nonetheless.
Finally, they touched upon interactions between their disciples. For the alliance to remain stable, it wasn’t enough for the leaders to communicate; their disciples also needed to interact. They even agreed to share certain intelligence to ensure the longevity of their pact.
In the long run, this would cause the Cultivation Realm of Nanlin Road to coalesce around them. While conflicts couldn’t be completely eliminated, they could be redirected. Of course, this could also lead to irreconcilable feuds, but those were problems for another day. Their immediate focus had to be the coming upheaval in the Zhongzhou World.
Having agreed upon the broad strokes of their cooperation, the four men ordered the disciples responsible for handling such affairs to travel to Jinhua Prefecture City and discreetly negotiate the finer details.
With the alliance settled, the countdown to Wang Ping’s trip to Shangjing City began.
"You don’t seem to care that much about this alliance, so why did you do it?" Yu Lian asked after Zi Luan and his companions had departed.
"What he cares about is their pact to act in unison," Tongyu Taoist answered for him. "The four of them are the most important part of this alliance. As for their disciples... hehe, they’re just the glue holding it all together."
"Act in unison?" Yu Lian was confused for a moment before realization dawned. "You don’t think Xiao Shan Lord will succeed in his advancement?"
"No," Wang Ping replied with a chuckle. "We’re just securing an escape route."
"But Zi Luan is Xiao Shan Lord’s disciple. Does even he lack confidence?"
"This has nothing to do with confidence."
"Then what is it about?"
"Our own lives!"
...
In the following days, Wang Ping split his time between cultivating and discreetly meeting with various people to make arrangements for his trip to Shangjing.
As autumn set in, the chaos on Mozhou Road became more pronounced. Some Cultivators went so far as to coerce County Governments into declaring independence, using them to plunder wealth and the spiritual essence of the living. However, they were always quickly besieged.
The Court did appoint a new Governor, but he never arrived to assume his post. Meanwhile, the Daoist Scripture Hall had the local Cultivators of Mozhou Road elect three Patrol Envoys—a move clearly intended to spite Xiao Shan Lord.
Yet Xiao Shan Lord simply turned a blind eye to the turmoil on Mozhou Road.
Wang Ping had intended to visit Xiao Shan Lord before his trip to Shangjing City, but Zi Luan stopped him at the mountain gate.
Xiao Shan Lord was in seclusion!
「Late Autumn.」
Wang Ping was preparing to depart for Shangjing City.
But then he received a formal request for a visit.
It was from Ruan Chunzi, who had actually come to see him.
Wang Ping had a very good impression of Ruan Chunzi. After all, back when Ruan Chunzi was a Third Realm Cultivator and Wang Ping was merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage, Ruan Chunzi had been willing to share the Purgatory Banner with him. Such open-mindedness was enough to earn Wang Ping’s admiration.
’If I had been in his shoes,’ Wang Ping thought, ’the most I would have done is not harm the other person. I could never have split the spoils so evenly.’
Wang Ping personally descended from the Mountain Peak Dojo to welcome Ruan Chunzi at the main gate.
At the main gate, Ruan Chunzi was playing with his Spirit Pet. It was a Fire Salamander about half a foot long, with a small pipe clenched in its mouth. It was constantly blowing smoke rings, though the smoke it puffed out reeked of sulfur.
"That lizard is so obnoxious. I want to beat him up!" Yu Lian spoke first.
"You think you can take me?" the Fire Salamander retorted, not to be outdone.
"Wanna try?"
