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The demon took us to a different region. Currently, Bloodmoon is in a different pagoda, and the demon is setting up defensive formations inside. I thought about her plan, and I’m not sure why I have to be included. Bloodmoon is the one who obtained the legacy, the people from the seven great sects know that. Announcing my location is completely unnecessary. Also, why does Bloodmoon get to stay in the pagoda? The demon put me in a dungeon and told me to stay put. It’s a shame I’m not in any position to question her.
The door creaked open. A silhouette appeared at the entrance, and a stream of light entered the prison.
The demon’s finally showing her face after finishing with Bloodmoon’s defenses. As expected, a corpse walked into the…. A corpse!? Of the seven great sects, there aren’t any that control corpses. Could some of the corrupt sects have caught wind of this lower dimension? Even though the demon hasn’t set up any defensive formations, I’m still capable of defending myself against a lowly corpse puppet. Hmm? What is this intense feeling of dread I’m experiencing? The instant I thought of attacking the corpse puppet, a feeling of death washed over me.
“Calm down. It’s me, Ilya.”
The demon? She’s controlling a corpse puppet? I wouldn’t put it past her to do something like this. I’ve seen some of her subordinates around the library. The stench of blood lingers on their bodies, and it’s evident they’ve killed many people. “No wonder why it felt like I was going to die. If I attacked your puppet, the choker would’ve detonated, right?”
“Yep.” The corpse puppet had a blank expression on its face. It wasn’t too different from the demon’s normal countenance. The puppet shambled across the room and took a few items out of a pouch by its waist.
“You’re setting up a formation with a corpse puppet?” Perhaps she didn’t want to enter this place herself? Maybe she has a history of failing to establish formations, and they have a high chance of exploding during the creation process. If that’s the case, shouldn’t she put me into the prison after she’s done setting them up? I don’t want to die due to an accident. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you were here in person?”
“Thanks to your Ten Thousand Thoughts technique, there really isn’t a difference between personally establishing a formation and commanding a puppet instead.”
The demon already reached an attainment in the Ten Thousand Thoughts technique? It hasn’t even been that long since she started practicing it! How strong is her willpower? What kind of experiences must she have gone through to be so mentally tough? “How many thoughts can you split off from yourself?”
“Nine.”
The puppet wasn’t the one that answered my question. It was a new corpse puppet that entered through the door. The first stage of the Ten Thousand Thoughts technique is largely dependent on one’s willpower. Achieving nine different thoughts at once is the peak of mastery of the first stage. However, she has to achieve immortality before advancing in the technique. This demon is quite surprising. With every passing day, I’m realizing I’ve underestimated her more and more. When I think I know all there is about her, she brings about a new surprise. Surely someone this talented has a master. Perhaps he or she has already ascended to the immortal realm. There’s even a chance I may know him or her. “Who’s your master?”
“My master? It’s Ilya.” The corpse puppet stared at me. Even though it’s face was expressionless, I could tell it was looking at me with a hint of pity. “I told you I could split my thoughts into nine. Why would you assume this puppet had someone else for a master?”
I wasn’t referring to the puppet! “Perhaps I could’ve said that differently. Who is your, Ilya Pentorn’s, master?”
The puppet shambled next to the previous one and took out supplies for formation building. “I don’t have a master.”
“You’re self-taught?”
The corpse puppet grunted. “For a very short period of my life, I had a teacher.”
“He must’ve been impressive.”
A third corpse puppet stepped into the prison. All three of the puppets spoke at the same time. “He was a drunkard. The things he taught me, I could’ve learned them from a book. The only impactful thing he did was discard me and pass me on to Lucia.”
That’s not the image I had of this demon’s master. If that’s really the case, isn’t she even more incredible? To become a quasi-immortal without anyone’s guidance, even in the immortal realm, there are very few who can make that claim. “Aren’t you curious about how it would feel to have a master, to have someone who can guide you along the path of cultivation? With your talents, if you enter the immortal realm through that door in the sky, I’m sure the moon race will send experts to receive you after they learn about your existence. Perhaps you could even become their holy child.”
“Not interested.”
“Why not?”
“They’ll conduct a thorough background check, and quite frankly, I’m aware many of the things I’ve done are frowned upon by cultivators.” The corpse puppets were setting up an elaborate formation at a dazzling speed. Over half of the room was already covered in golden lines. I could only recognize a few of the formations, but the majority of them had effects unknown to me. “I’ll likely be classified as a demon instead of someone from the moon race. Who’s to say I won’t be killed instantly upon exiting through that door?”
“If you let me recover from my injuries, I can exit with you and vouch for you. The seven great sects will give me some face considering the things I’ve done for them.”
The three corpse puppets didn’t even bother to look at me. “Why would I put my life in the hands of the seven great sects and grovel underneath their feet when I can create an army of immortals capable of crushing them?”
…She has a point.