167: Chapter 167 The Thousand-Machine Puppet Technique

"Dad?"

Xuan Ming held a Jade Slip in his hand that emanated a ghostly light and a dense Devilish Qi, but his father's figure was nowhere to be found before him.

It was very sudden; his dad had tossed him this Jade Slip, hurriedly left a message to keep it secret, and then vanished.

With his powerful Divine Soul, Xuan Ming sensed faint spatial fluctuations at the spot where his father had departed.

He immediately put away the Jade Slip and opened the door, intending to investigate, only to see his brothers all looking over at once.

"Hmm? Where is your dad?" Shi Kui was very surprised, not sensing Luo Yunkai's presence.

Xuan Ming spread his hands. "Dad seemed to be in a real hurry just now. He tossed me a Jade Slip and left."

Chu Feng's expression tightened. "Those spatial fluctuations just now... was Dad using Space Teleportation? What happened to make him so anxious that he even..."

He glanced at Xuan Ming, who returned a smile, but Chu Feng's brow remained locked. "He could even leave behind the biological son he just recognized?"

Shi Kui also recalled that trace of spatial fluctuation from a moment ago, and her childish face darkened. "Is he... hiding from me?"

Xiao Tian suddenly stood up and teleported in front of Chu Feng. "The old man must have sensed that one of our brothers is in danger! Brother Chu Feng, you can sense where the old man went. Let's go together!"

Xuan Ming's eyes widened in surprise as he rubbed his chin. "Interesting. Does this brother and I count as being born on the same year, month, and day?"

Shi Kui floated up and smacked Xuan Ming on the head. "You and your clever mouth!"

Couldn't he see how much the others loved their brothers? They were all rushing to save someone.

Shi Kui was worried!

They had already reunited so late, and she herself wasn't favored by that man. If her son didn't show some promise, that man might just forget them, mother and son, at the ends of the earth.

Xuan Ming found it funny. "Mom, even if your son is more likable, with you looking like this, Dad wouldn't be able to bring himself to 'eat' you. You should just give up on that idea!"

After speaking, Xuan Ming flickered away, dodging another slap his mother tried to land, and cleverly blended in among his brothers.

Xuan Ming gave his mother a triumphant wink and smilingly approached the other brothers. "I'm the oldest here; everyone follow my arrangements."

His words left several of them speechless.

Chen Xuanfeng toyed with the first-grade wooden sword he used for decoration, a dangerous aura emanating from him.

Xuan Ming's spiritual senses were sharp; he immediately turned into a breeze and drifted behind Xiao Tian, clinging to Xiao Tian's back like a boneless mollusk.

The sharp Sword Qi on Chen Xuanfeng's body paused.

Having found himself a protective shield, Xuan Ming rested his chin on Xiao Tian's shoulder with a very punchable expression.

"You, and you, can go. As for him... forget it, better stay behind. The three of you, plus me—there's no telling if we'll be selected for the Soul Stone Arena later. We absolutely cannot leave now."

Xuan Ming's expression was annoying, but his words made sense.

Xiao Tian was the first to speak up. "Brother Xuan Ming has a point. Brother Chu Feng, Brother Fan, you two go and take a look. If you need help, send a message back."

Even though they knew their father was powerful and they wouldn't be a match for him even if they joined forces, if it was a trouble their father couldn't solve, they wouldn't be able to solve it together either.

But the brothers didn't retreat in the slightest.

Chu Feng had long been impatient. He hadn't moved only because he was communicating with the blood soul shadow his father had left in the blood river to sense the direction of the Space Teleportation.

Less than thirty breaths after the brothers reached their decision, Chu Feng suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed Ye Fan beside him.

The blood river rippled, and a blood shadow emerged.

In the next instant, Chu Feng and Ye Fan vanished from the spot.

Shi Kui had observed Chu Feng's Space Teleportation closely at short range, and the shock in her heart was beyond words.

"Xuan Ming, does he have..."

Xuan Ming raised an eyebrow, wearing an "I've got this, don't worry" expression.

Shi Kui felt relieved, then ignored her son and went to find her lover.

Only a single transmission quietly entered Xuan Ming's ear: "If you dare to look down on the Cultivation Technique your father gave you again, I won't care about you anymore."

Xuan Ming rubbed his nose and asked Xiao Tian, whom he was using as a human cushion, "Unknown-number-brother, arrange a cultivation room for your elder brother. I need to check out the Cultivation Technique Dad gave me."

Black lines appeared on Xiao Tian's forehead. 'Unknown-number-brother,' what kind of title was that?

You couldn't say it was wrong, as he wasn't technically incorrect.

"Brother Xuan Ming, you can call me by my name Xiao Tian or just Brother Tian."

Xuan Ming smiled. "Alright, temporary Eighth Brother, quickly arrange a cultivation room for your brother."

Chen Xuanfeng's sword was itching to move.

Ah, this person was so obnoxious!

His sword really wanted to have a go at this jerk!

Xiao Tian was truly afraid that Xuan Ming, this loose-tongued prankster, would be taught a lesson by Brother Xuanfeng, so he hurriedly dragged him away.

He didn't forget to send a transmission to Su Xin, asking him to hold Brother Xuanfeng back.

Unfortunately, Xuan Ming loved to provoke. Clinging to Xiao Tian's back, he didn't forget to turn his head and give Chen Xuanfeng and Su Xin a punchable grin.

"Temporary Fourth Brother and Ninth Brother, see you later."

Xiao Tian's figure immediately turned into a bolt of lightning.

But it was too late.

A pitch-black vine drilled out from the floorboards beneath their feet, shattering the sturdy floor directly.

Sword Qi crisscrossed behind them.

A successful smirk flashed in Xuan Ming's eyes. He instantly turned into a wisp of clear wind, drifting away from Xiao Tian's back just as the two attacks were about to land.

Xiao Tian felt the weight on his back lighten, and his heart skipped a beat.

Oh no!

"Brother Xuan Ming, come back!"

However, it was already too late.

The two attacks about to hit Xiao Tian actually vanished instantly, and four streaks of Sword Qi struck at Xuan Ming from all sides.

From above and below, an inescapable net woven by the spirit devouring vine pressed down.

Xiao Tian flickered over, a heaven-shattering hammer appearing in his right hand as he slammed it fiercely toward the spirit devouring vine net.

The spirit devouring vine could not absorb the lightning power carrying the force of Heavenly Tribulation; it took the hit head-on and shattered.

Xiao Tian's large spiritual energy hand reached into the broken vine net and grabbed Xuan Ming, who had already been wounded by the Sword Qi.

Tossing out the heaven-shattering hammer to block the Sword Qi, Xiao Tian grabbed Xuan Ming and hurriedly turned into lightning, entering the cultivation room and slamming the door shut with a 'bang'.

Chen Xuanfeng gave a light click of his tongue and leisurely withdrew his Sword Qi. "Brother Tian is just too kind-hearted."

Su Xin nodded silently in total agreement.

Inside the cultivation room, Xuan Ming looked quite miserable. Sword Qi was rampaging through his body, and since a good deal of his magic power had been drained by the spirit devouring vine, he couldn't even suppress the Sword Qi himself.

Even like this, Xuan Ming was still laughing. "Interesting, truly interesting. Little Eight, your lightning seems unusual too. Try striking me with it."

Xiao Tian was speechless. So this brother of his was a masochist!

Xuan Ming chuckled. "Little Eight, don't look at your brother like that. I was just curious about your strength."

Xiao Tian was both annoyed and amused. "Look at the Cultivation Technique Dad gave you before being curious!"

Xuan Ming raised an eyebrow. "It seems Mom guessed right. You all are so powerful because of Dad's Cultivation Techniques."

He stopped pursuing his curiosity for now and took out the Jade Slip emitting a ghostly blue glow.

Suddenly, his face froze.

"Why is it also a Puppetry Art?"

Xiao Tian had heard the brief conversation between Xuan Ming and Shi Kui and knew of his disdain for Puppetry Art, so he couldn't help but find it funny.

You like being a prankster? This time the old man made a prank out of you!

Luo Yunkai: It's all the System's fault!

Glancing at the Jade Slip, Xiao Tian suppressed his laughter and reminded him, "Brother Xuan Ming, what the old man gave you isn't an ordinary Puppetry Art. It's the Thousand Mechanism Puppetry Art!"

Xuan Ming looked like he had lost all will to live.

What's the difference? Isn't it still just Puppetry Art?