Chapter 944: Human Puppet

When Chen Mobai met Che Yucheng, the latter was seated by the window in his dormitory room. His face was deeply wrinkled, and his breathing was barely perceptible. Opposite him sat Hong Mengkui, whose spirits, however, seemed much brighter.

As a Core Formation cultivator, Che Yucheng's aged appearance indicated that he could no longer control his essence, vitality, and spirit, and was rapidly approaching death.

"You've come!" Che Yucheng's eyes brightened slightly upon seeing Chen Mobai enter with Elder Cheng Xuan, and a pleased smile appeared on his face.

"I'll take my leave now and come back to see you tomorrow," said Hong Mengkui. Upon seeing Chen Mobai, he rose to say goodbye and departed with Elder Cheng Xuan, leaving the master and disciple alone.

"Teacher..." Chen Mobai's voice trembled slightly, but Che Yucheng smiled and motioned for him to sit.

"My foundation is still quite robust; I probably have about half a year left," Che Yucheng said, gesturing to the teapot on the table and inviting Chen Mobai to pour his own tea.

"Teacher, Elder Yuan Xu has completed the Asura Dharma Form. I will plead with the two patriarchs to grant you a place out of their benevolence." Chen Mobai remembered what Patriarch Qianxing had once said: because of the Immortal Sect's insufficient spiritual energy, Yuan Xu's research had been sealed after its completion.

"No need. You've already secured the Asura Dharma Form for me today. Tomorrow, Ying Guanghua will use this as an excuse to add two more Nascent Soul cultivators to the Heaven-Mending lineage, and the day after, Nan Dou of the Kunpeng lineage will undoubtedly demand the same. Even if you become a Spirit Transformation Patriarch, you cannot break the rules for your own people. Once the rules are broken, the Immortal Sect's order, which has been stable for thousands of years, will descend into chaos..." Che Yucheng initially refused, but halfway through, he began rambling on, lecturing Chen Mobai.

Chen Mobai frowned, wanting to retort, but Che Yucheng uttered a sentence that made his eyes widen in surprise.

"Moreover, if I were to form a Nascent Soul, I would have to meet the two patriarchs, and I wouldn't be able to pass that review stage."

"Teacher, what do you mean by that?" Che Yucheng smiled faintly, then raised his right hand. It was unclear what switch he activated, but the skin on his right hand split open, revealing meridians and blood vessels beneath that were distinctly inhuman. The liquid that should have been blood was instead a deep blue.

Upon seeing this, Chen Mobai was initially stunned, then seemed to realize something, and gasped in shock: "A human puppet!"

"Xin Ji told me his old lair in Yumucheng was raided by you, so I knew you must know about this." Perhaps because he was nearing death, Che Yucheng relaxed and revealed the secret he had hidden in his heart for many years.

"Teacher, you've researched forbidden arts!" Chen Mobai stared incredulously at the aged man before him. In his mind, Che Yucheng was a highly respected figure, someone who would never engage in such practices.

"Not only did I research it, but I even experimented with it myself. By the Immortal Sect's standards, I have cultivated a forbidden art and should be imprisoned." As Che Yucheng spoke, he retrieved a thick stack of books from his spatial domain and placed them on the table.

"As your master, I have never asked anything of you in my life. Before I die, there is one thing I wish to ask you. I wonder if you can grant it." Upon hearing Che Yucheng's words, Chen Mobai furrowed his brow. The master and disciple looked at each other for a long time before Chen Mobai finally took a deep breath and shook his head in refusal.

"Teacher, I will not do anything that violates the Immortal Sect's regulations!" Although Chen Mobai aimed to achieve Spirit Transformation on his own, refining the Dao Law Fruit would be an acceptable alternative if that failed. In such a scenario, he absolutely could not afford to make any major mistakes.

"Rest assured, here in the Immortal Sect, I have only experimented with the human puppet art on myself." Hearing Che Yucheng's words, Chen Mobai subtly exhaled in relief. Just moments before, he had been contemplating whether to take action.

"In that case, Teacher, you may rest in peace. I will help conceal your affairs after your passing." After so many years of master-disciple bond, Chen Mobai was unwilling for Che Yucheng to die in disgrace. As long as he confirmed that Che Yucheng had not experimented with human puppets on others, he was willing to keep it a secret for him.

"These are the human puppet research materials that Xin Ji and I compiled together. With your talent, you'll easily grasp them after reading them..."

"Teacher, after your passing, I will help you burn these materials to protect your reputation!" Before Che Yucheng could finish speaking, Chen Mobai interrupted him directly. As a disciple within the Immortal Sect, this was the extent of what he could do.

"After so many years of master-disciple bond, is it still not possible?" Che Yucheng pleaded somewhat. Chen Mobai recalled how he had managed to establish himself within the Immortal Sect and become the head of the Dancing Weapons lineage, all thanks to this old man in the early days. His heart softened slightly.

"You may speak first; I will listen."

"I have already refined myself into a human puppet. After I die, please activate me according to the methods described within these books and help me verify if this path is truly viable." As he spoke, Che Yucheng handed the stack of books from the table to Chen Mobai.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you with that." Chen Mobai did not take the books and directly shook his head in refusal.

"Then what if you send my corpse off Earth Star and deliver it to Yan Xinji?" Che Yucheng proposed another request, but Chen Mobai remained silent, uttering no reply.

"Would you like to hear my story?" Che Yucheng suddenly asked.

"Please do," Chen Mobai nodded.

"Xin Ji and I were the best of friends. Together, we researched puppets and developed the Formless Humanoid, the pinnacle of Immortal Sect craftsmanship. However, no matter how much we improved, we couldn't break through the bottleneck of creating Fourth-Tier puppets using ordinary materials. It's simply almost impossible for common materials to withstand and unleash the power of Fourth-Tier spells."

"However, if human puppets were used as the foundation, this could be achieved. The human body contains the potential for infinite evolution, yet many cultivators lack the correct direction. Once refined into puppets, they could be continuously enhanced, even breaking through the Fourth Tier and nearing Spirit Transformation."

"However, within the Immortal Sect, human puppet experimentation is strictly forbidden; even the two of us dared not cross that taboo. But I never anticipated that after Yan Xinji abandoned the path of puppets, he would collaborate with Lin Daoming to begin experimenting on human bodies from the embryonic stage, while also secretly conducting human puppet experiments."

"When the Immortal Sprouts of Yumucheng were discovered, Yan Xinji sent me the human puppet research data he had collected over the years. After reading it, I was greatly tempted but still firmly held to my principles. It wasn't until after you formed your Nascent Soul, and my own life entered its final years, that I began experimenting on my own body."

"Now, only one final step remains to complete this experiment. If I succeed, you can seal me away again, or even destroy me; I just want to know the outcome." Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai sighed deeply and nodded.

"Teacher, I agree, but I must report this matter to the two patriarchs." Hearing this, Che Yucheng's eyes flashed, and he nodded gently, then pointed to the stack of books.

After leaving the room, Chen Mobai immediately informed Elder Cheng Xuan of the matter, who was greatly astonished upon hearing it.

"I never imagined that his connection with Yan Xinji hadn't been severed..." Elder Cheng Xuan murmured to himself.

Due to his advanced age, Che Yucheng had already retired from his duties at the Dao Academy when the frontier wars began. Having spent his entire life on Chicheng Mountain, he had not left after retirement. However, they had never expected that he would undertake such a thing in the final moments of his life.

After a brief discussion, the two decided to first inform Patriarch Baiguang, as family shame should not be publicized.

However, when it came to reporting the matter, the two began deferring to each other.

"Chunyang, you are now in charge of the Dancing Weapons lineage; you should report this to the Patriarch."

"Headmaster, you're too kind. You're still hale and hearty; you should be the one to report it..."

However, Elder Cheng Xuan remained persistent, leaving Chen Mobai no choice but to call Patriarch Baiguang. He had already obtained the contact information earlier at the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

"Such a thing actually happened..." Yu Baiguang frowned slightly upon hearing this, then immediately rushed over from Dragon God Star.

However, by the time they arrived at Che Yucheng's room, they were surprised to find that he had already lost all vital signs.

Elder Cheng Xuan immediately approached Che Yucheng, who was leaning against the window with his eyes closed, and examined his body. "He's dead!"

Chen Mobai's pupils constricted involuntarily upon hearing this.

Yu Baiguang also investigated with his divine sense, discovering Che Yucheng's structure had already been refined into a human puppet. After scanning it, he sent the data to Patriarch Qianxing, the expert.

"Junior Sister, if it's convenient, could you bring him for me to examine?" Patriarch Qianxing specifically called after reviewing the data.

As a Spirit Transformation cultivator was needed to guard the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, Patriarch Qianxing could not leave if Yu Baiguang returned to the Immortal Sect.

"Do you want to come along?" Yu Baiguang asked with a hint of sympathy, seeing Chen Mobai standing blankly before Che Yucheng's corpse.

For anyone to discover that their highly respected teacher ultimately failed to preserve their integrity in their later years would be a tremendous blow to their Dao heart.

"Mmm... alright..." Only then did Chen Mobai snap back from the reality of Che Yucheng's death.

Amidst his grief, he also felt puzzled.

It shouldn't have happened so quickly!

"Then I'll stay to handle the aftermath," Elder Cheng Xuan said, secretly transmitting a message to Chen Mobai, assuring him that the matter would not be disclosed.

"Thank you, Headmaster!" Chen Mobai said gratefully. Then, he and Yu Baiguang, carrying Che Yucheng's corpse, passed through the realm gate and arrived at the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

"Quite interesting..." After reading the stack of books Chen Mobai had provided, Patriarch Qianxing injected spiritual power into thirteen key points on Che Yucheng's corpse, which lay before them in the hall.

Before long, the dry, aged skin of the corpse, which had already lost all vital signs, became transparent, revealing all its internal structures.

After a thorough inspection, Patriarch Qianxing frowned slightly, seemingly having discovered something.

"Strange!" Chen Mobai heard him, but dared not ask why it was strange.

"Don't be so cryptic," Yu Baiguang interjected, though Chen Mobai dared not.

"This human puppet method actually succeeded."

"What's strange about its success?"

"Such forbidden arts would not succeed so easily without hundreds, if not thousands, of experiments." Patriarch Qianxing glanced at Yu Baiguang and Chen Mobai, uttering words that startled them both.

"So, Che Yucheng was lying? He conducted other human puppet experiments besides on himself?"

"Not necessarily him. Perhaps Yan Xinji conducted the experiments and gave him the data, which allowed him to transform himself so perfectly and successfully!" Patriarch Qianxing, however, offered an alternative possibility.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai looked at the stack of books, which he hadn't yet read since Che Yucheng had given them to him.

"There are indeed quite a few experimental data from Patriarch Longhu within, but the quantity is still somewhat limited..." Patriarch Qianxing, understanding Chen Mobai's unspoken thought, spoke and then returned the stack of books to him.

"With your talent, you will eventually reach our level. You can decide what to do with these materials in the future." Patriarch Qianxing's words implied that as long as Chen Mobai did not violate the fundamental principles of the Immortal Sect, minor matters such as examining forbidden arts would generally not be investigated.

Chen Mobai raised both hands, respectfully accepting the stack of books. After scanning their contents with his Heavenly Computing Orb, he entered the "Square Inch Book" state and began to read.

The human puppet art was indeed a forbidden technique, requiring various experiments on human bodies to collect data and ensure that a person could be gradually transformed into a puppet while still alive.

Yan Xinji also proposed another theory within the texts: he believed that the Immortal Sprouts he had cultivated were the most perfect human puppets.

As long as these sprouts could mature, they would be capable of mass-producing Nascent Soul cultivators, and perhaps even Spirit Transformation cultivators.

"Cremate him. This matter ends here, and do not upload this forbidden art to the national library," Patriarch Qianxing said, gesturing toward Che Yucheng's corpse.

"Thank you, Patriarch!" Chen Mobai said gratefully upon hearing this.

With the Patriarch's word, Che Yucheng could be laid to rest with dignity.

After handling the matter, Chen Mobai returned to the Immortal Sect with Che Yucheng's body and, with the help of Elder Cheng Xuan, completed the funeral rites.

Once the body was cremated, all traces of the past turned to dust.

The burial site chosen was Che Yucheng's hometown, Qianshan City. Duanmu Longrong and Wang Shuye also attended, offering incense.

"Our generation is considered a failure; not one of us managed to form a Nascent Soul. Thankfully, we waited for Chunyang's generation!" Hong Mengkui remarked with emotion before Che Yucheng's tombstone, noting that he himself had at most only a few years of life left.

"Yes, fortunately, we have Chunyang!" Duanmu Longrong, equally aged, nodded in agreement. She, too, was at the end of her life, her essence, vitality, and spirit already dissipating.

Had Che Yucheng not met with this unexpected end, the two of them would likely have passed away around the same time.

"The future is in your hands!" Hong Mengkui said to his disciple, Bian Jingchun, who stood beside him, also holding the hope of forming a Nascent Soul.

Watching them grieve, Chen Mobai silently finished offering his incense, then stayed by Che Yucheng's grave for three days.

Rest in peace, Teacher!

Upon returning to Wangwu Grotto-Heaven, Chen Mobai received another piece of bad news: Duanmu Longrong had also passed away shortly after returning.

He could only sigh in response, then asked Zhuang Jialan to make the trip on his behalf.

Che Yucheng's passing left Chen Mobai in a somber mood for a considerable period.

Moreover, he was unsure how to tell Qing Nü about Yang Jing being possessed.

In Qianshan City, before Che Yucheng's grave, a puppet of Yan Xinji appeared. After scanning the surroundings, he looked somewhat disbelieving.

"He was actually cremated. Did you truly die just like that?"