Chapter 279 - 228: Golden Wind Bone Transformation Array, Divine Splitting Technique, Leaving Behind a Tier 2 Puppet
Chapter 279: Chapter 228: Golden Wind Bone Transformation Array, Divine Splitting Technique, Leaving Behind a Tier 2 Puppet
But Zhao Xiaoshu didn’t know the Thousand Threads Technique, nor did he possess the profound Magical Power of the Foundation Establishment Stage needed to operate a Tier Two Puppet for extended periods.
Over the next half-month, Lu Zhao cleverly embedded a complex component inside the Red Feather Fire Sun Bird’s chest cavity, near the Puppet Core.
A slot was left open in the center of the component.
He took out a Middle-Grade Spirit Stone brimming with Spiritual Qi and fitted it into the slot.
As the Spirit Stone was set in place, the Spirit Patterns on the component faintly lit up, establishing a stable connection with the Puppet Core.
"There. This should be able to sustain a period of high-intensity combat." Lu Zhao nodded in satisfaction after confirming there were no issues.
Though powering it with a Middle-Grade Spirit Stone couldn’t unleash one hundred percent of the Puppet’s combat potential and the consumption was immense, it was enough to give Zhao Xiaoshu an ace up his sleeve against Tier Two Demon Beasts at a critical moment.
「Half a day later, inside the temporary camp at the Sharp Pattern Copper Ore mine.」
As Zhao Xiaoshu looked at the Red Feather Fire Sun Bird Puppet that Lu Zhao was handing him, he froze as if struck by an Immobilization Technique. His mouth hung slightly open, his eyes were wide and round, and his face was a mask of utter disbelief.
"S-Senior? Th-this... is... f-for... me?" he stammered, his voice cracking from the sheer shock.
’He had seen this very Puppet’s awesome might with his own eyes! This was a Tier Two Puppet, capable of rivaling a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!’
’In the Cultivation Realm, a Treasure of this caliber was enough to serve as the foundational heritage of a Foundation Establishment Clan—it was priceless! He never would have dreamed that Lu Zhao would actually give him such a precious Treasure to use!’
Seeing his stunned expression, Lu Zhao showed a rare, faint smile and made a joke. "It’s not for you, it’s a loan. You’ll have to return it someday."
However, Zhao Xiaoshu was completely oblivious. The immense shock had left his mind blank, filled only with boundless astonishment and a heavy sense of pressure and gratitude that nearly took his breath away.
The pressure came from knowing the weight of this Puppet; he feared he wasn’t capable enough, that he would betray this trust, or worse, misuse or even damage this precious Treasure.
The gratitude came from the fact that Lu Zhao had entrusted something so important to him. This trust was as heavy as a mountain!
"Senior!" Zhao Xiaoshu’s voice choked with emotion, and his eyes reddened. He suddenly dropped to his knees, raising his hands high above his head to accept the Red Feather Fire Sun Bird—which felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds—in the most solemn manner possible. His voice trembled, but it was incomparably firm. "This junior, Zhao Xiaoshu, hereby swears an oath! I will do everything in my power, even if it means sacrificing my life, to guard this Sharp Pattern Copper Ore mine for you, Senior! As long as I live, the mine will stand! The Puppet will remain! If I break this vow, may heaven strike me down and the earth swallow me whole!"
Lu Zhao watched his emotional, almost frantic display, and the smile on his face deepened as a flash of gratification passed through his eyes.
He nodded without another word, simply reaching out to gently pat Zhao Xiaoshu’s shoulder.
Afterward, Lu Zhao meticulously taught Zhao Xiaoshu the simplified Technique for controlling the Red Feather Fire Sun Bird and the key points for coordinating it with the Golden Wind Bone Transformation Array. He repeatedly stressed the Precautions, especially that the Red Feather Fire Sun Bird was an ace in the hole and not to be used lightly unless a Tier Two Demon Beast attacked or the mine’s very existence was at stake.
Once he had finished giving these instructions, Lu Zhao told Zhao Xiaoshu to temporarily store the excavated Sharp Pattern Copper Ore; he would come to collect it personally when he had time.
With everything settled, Lu Zhao took one last look at the mine, which had begun operations under Zhao Xiaoshu’s command, and at the faint golden chains, phantoms that enveloped the ore vein and radiated a deadly aura.
He lingered no longer. His body transformed into a streak of pale blue Escape Light, silently soaring into the sky and quickly vanishing into the horizon of the vast Wilderness.
The Sharp Pattern Copper Ore mine, this vein deep within the Wilderness, along with the Tier Two Puppet that housed his Divine Split, became a crucial cornerstone for Lu Zhao to establish a foothold in the Broken River Plains, seize resources, and advance toward a higher realm of Puppetry.
As for Zhao Xiaoshu, filled with immense gratitude and a heavy sense of responsibility, he began his new life as the guardian of the mine.