The following few days.
Since Qing Jun had awakened, Chen Ye didn’t delay and continued to Tianhua Peak to start crafting puppets.
"Instructor Chen!"
"Good morning, Senior Chen!"
Just as he stepped onto Tianhua Peak, the disciples of the Lingyin Sect he met along the way, whether from the Outer Sect or the Inner Sect, all stopped and saluted him with exceptional respect as soon as they saw him.
One Guardian even came specifically to greet him, with a broad smile, to lead the way:
"Instructor Chen, the Earth Fire Room you usually use has been thoroughly cleaned by the disciples. The earth fire is at its peak, please proceed!"
Chen Ye nodded slightly, responding with a calm demeanor.
Such a change in treatment would have been unimaginable a few months ago.
Back then, although he was somewhat known, due to Bai Susu’s influence, many thought he was merely currying favor with those in power, so naturally, they couldn’t have had a good attitude towards him.
Even if it wasn’t evident on the surface, there was always a sense of distancing towards him.
But all of this dissipated completely after Chen Ye’s magical battle with Zhao Shan.
His crushing victory over a Sixth-Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator represented his true strength, ranking him among the top within the Lingyin Sect—after all, Late Period Foundation Establishment cultivators were few and far between, already considered high-ranking members of the sect.
In the Cultivation Realm, ultimately, strength is paramount.
If your fists are hard and your skills impressive, you can earn respect.
In the eyes of these disciples now, this Instructor Chen not only had an influential background, but his magical battle techniques were also unfathomable, leaving no room for any scorn.
"Tsk tsk, Master is so majestic."
Following behind Chen Ye, Qing Jun looked at those who were extremely respectful towards her master, couldn’t help but tug Chen Ye’s sleeve, her little face filled with pride,
"Just like the shrimp soldiers and crab generals worshiping the Dragon King!"
"What kind of analogy is that?" Chen Ye was taken aback. Are you saying he, Chen Ye, has become the Dragon King?
The little girl pouted: "Qing Jun is a dragon, so doesn’t that make Master the Dragon King! Otherwise, how could Master dare to ride on Qing Jun’s head!"
"When did I ever ride on your head?" Chen Ye glanced sideways at the little girl.
"Damn! Master, are you an idiot? Riding on my head doesn’t mean Master actually rides on Qing Jun’s head; it means Master is domineering towards Qing Jun!"
The little girl suspected her Master had become a big fool.
"..."
The master was speechless.
How had he been domineering towards Qing Jun?
He had only forcibly touched Qing Jun’s tail, and this little girl was still holding a grudge.
Chen Ye, in a not so good mood, knocked lightly on her little head, not wanting to argue with this willful child, he led her into the specially cleaned Earth Fire Room.
...
The stone door fell, and the restrictions were activated.
Inside the Earth Fire Room, waves of heat rolled over.
Above the central fire eye, the dark red earth fire blossomed like a red lotus.
And suspended quietly above the flames was a slender humanoid puppet, emanating a cold sheen.
This puppet had been basically completed.
Therefore, it no longer needed today’s Divine Fire to temper it.
"It’s just missing the final step of spirit fusion."
Sitting cross-legged, Chen Ye showed a solemn expression.
To endow this Qingzhi with great combat power, this final step was crucial and required undivided attention.
He was fully focused, his hands casting gestures, guiding the earth fire to temper the puppet’s core bit by bit.
"It’s a pity... this puppet core was once Qingzhi’s core, but it’s only Second Tier Lower Grade. Even though I dismantled the core of the bronze Warrior Puppet and melted it into Qingzhi’s core, it only allowed it to advance to the Foundation Establishment Middle Period."
Chen Ye silently sighed in his heart.
Previously, the greatest advantage of Qingzhi was its core, but now, it had become its shortcoming.
Fortunately.
He had already transferred the remnant soul of a Nascent Soul into the core. Although the puppet core was only Second Tier Middle Grade, the aid of the Nascent Soul’s remnant soul gave it ample spirituality, with formidable magical battling ability, rivaling any Foundation Establishment Stage puppet.
And Qing Jun, was obediently sitting on a meditation mat nearby.
She was originally bored counting her fingers, but her eyes couldn’t help but start examining the puppet.
"Eh? Qingzhi looks much better than before! Plus, it carries my scent!"
The little girl was astonished.
She discovered that the puppet actually used her scales!
But after a closer sense, she realized these were her shed scales.
"Phew—"
Qing Jun patted her small chest, letting out a sigh of relief, she almost thought her master had secretly plucked the scales from her tail while she was asleep to refine an artifact!
"Oh my... Master wouldn’t do such a thing!"
Qing Jun blinked her big eyes, scrutinizing Qingzhi.
A strange sense of kinship arose in her heart.
This puppet was personally crafted by her Master.
It used to be her good friend, and now it even used her scales...
"But, it’s as if it’s feeling a bit hungry? Just like Qing Jun feels hungry."
As a True Dragon, and since this puppet was crafted using her scales, Qing Jun found that this puppet, although made of exceptional materials, always seemed to be lacking a breath, like a rootless tree, missing a true vitality.
The little girl looked at her Master, as focused as an old monk in meditation, then back at the icy puppet.
Taking advantage of Chen Ye’s full exertion in the spirit fusion, with his back facing her.
Qing Jun, like an agile little cat, stealthily slipped under the puppet.
She raised her fair little hand, revealing sharp little canine teeth, fiercely biting down on her own fingertip!
"Ouch—"
Even though fingers are connected to the heart, and despite her thick skin, the girl frowned in pain.
A drop of crimson tinged with pale gold blood oozed from the wound.
This was no ordinary blood.
This was Qing Jun’s vital essence blood!
"For you to eat! Quickly get stronger!"
Qing Jun stood on tiptoe, enduring the pain, and pressed that precious drop of blood onto the puppet’s drooping finger.