319: Puppet Master

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam" is a Mortal Foundation Cultivator.

When he died in his previous life, he was only a Mortal Foundation Cultivator, so he didn't get many reincarnation points, and the Golden Fingers he could choose from were pitifully few.

Basically, once he reached the Mortal Foundation Realm again, the benefits from his starting Golden Finger would gradually diminish to zero, and any subsequent promotions would rely on effort and Opportunity.

However, by not choosing an Immortal Foundation and settling for a Mortal Foundation, outsiders clearly saw him as having abandoned his Dao, with no hope of reaching the Golden Core. This life would just be like this.

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam" didn't think that way.

He discovered that while cultivation was indeed the most important thing in the Xuanhuan World, the means to improve combat power were not limited to personal cultivation alone.

Various combat tools, whether the lowest Rank nine Spiritual Artifacts or the Rank five Magic Treasures currently considered "endgame gear," could all significantly enhance a player's combat power.

Additionally, Talismans, Medicinal Pills, Formations, divination, and other methods could further boost combat power.

A regular Mortal Foundation Cultivator, relying solely on his cultivation Realm, naturally couldn't defeat an Immortal Foundation Cultivator.

But what if he had other means?

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam" researched many "life professions." He felt these shouldn't be called life professions, but rather, the term used by the natives of the Xuanhuan World would be more appropriate:

The Hundred Arts of Cultivation.

Though called the Hundred Arts, their number was certainly far more than a hundred, vast enough to be astonishing.

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam" decided to cultivate a skill that could not only be used to earn money but also enhance his combat power.

The skill he chose was the Dao of Puppets.

One could use various Materials to refine Puppets, apply special methods to continuously strengthen them, and then control them with Spiritual Sense.

It is said that when the Dao of Puppets is cultivated to a higher Realm, it no longer relies on Spiritual Sense for control. Instead, the Puppet becomes an external part of oneself, a Domain involving the Soul, which is truly astonishing.

As for the Puppet Materials themselves, spiritual wood is generally used, but spiritual ore is also common.

Recently, with the defeat of the Yao Race, using Yao Race corpses as Puppet Materials has become a trend.

However, "I Want to Pilot a Gundam" was contemplating an even bolder, more unsettling idea... "Is the boss here?"

At this moment, "I Want to Pilot a Gundam" heard a query.

He looked up towards the entrance of his shop and, sure enough, a man dressed in simple gray clothes walked in.

His appearance seemed unremarkable, and the aura he exuded was slightly stronger than his own, but only marginally so; he should also be at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

"I'm here. What can I help you with, customer?"

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam" smiled as he rose from his grand chair.

His shop was neither big nor small, with an interior space of about a few dozen square meters. Beyond the counter, upright Puppets were displayed, mostly wooden, some made of metal. In the back, there were a few Puppets refined from Yao Race corpses.

Ye Chun scanned the area, confirming that the combat power of these Puppets wasn't too strong. The strongest could probably only contend with a Mortal Foundation Cultivator, which was nothing to a Golden Core like him.

But considering this Puppet Master was merely a Mortal Foundation Cultivator, it made it somewhat impressive.

"How many Puppets can you control simultaneously?"

"That depends on the individual."

The smile on "I Want to Pilot a Gundam's" face grew brighter. He thought Ye Chun wanted to buy several Puppets at once, which would be a big deal.

At this moment, a wooden Puppet nearby brought a chair over, placed it in front of Ye Chun, bowed, and then retreated to the side.

Ye Chun took a seat, waiting for the other party to explain.

"The number of Puppets you can control is linked to the strength of your Spiritual Sense. The stronger your Spiritual Sense, the more Puppets you can control.

"Of course, if it's just for simple actions like the one just now, or having Puppets handle daily chores, Spiritual Sense isn't necessarily required. They can complete tasks autonomously; all you need to do is give commands.

"But if you want Puppets to perform complex tasks, such as fighting strong opponents of the same Rank, or even fighting above their Rank, then you absolutely must expend Spiritual Sense to control them. Only then can the Puppet's full strength be unleashed.

"Based on experience, a typical Mortal Foundation Cultivator can control about three Mortal Foundation-Rank Puppets simultaneously.

"If it's an Immortal Foundation Cultivator, they can control about twelve Mortal Foundation-Rank Puppets simultaneously.

"Naturally, if one's Spiritual Sense is powerful, the number of Puppets that can be controlled will also increase."

Ye Chun was somewhat surprised now: "So, if one uses Puppets, a Mortal Foundation Cultivator can easily achieve a four-on-one advantage in battles of the same Rank?"

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam" smiled confidently: "Exactly. That's why my Puppet business is growing bigger and bigger, with more and more orders.

"Furthermore, according to records, when a Puppet Master cultivates to a higher level, they can even refine high-Rank Puppets that don't require Spiritual Sense control and can fight autonomously, or Puppets that can merge with the Soul, almost becoming an Incarnation of the Cultivator.

"One could say the Dao of Puppets is profound and has a bright future. If you purchase Puppets now, it's equivalent to funding my research. When I can create high-Rank Puppets, you'll also receive priority purchasing rights."

Ye Chun chuckled: "Just priority purchasing rights? What if I invest directly in you? What would I get then?"

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam's" eyes lit up. He realized that the person in front of him wasn't here to buy Puppets; he was here for him.

He quickly said:

"If you want to invest, I currently have a big project that requires some combat power assistance. After its success, you can obtain an extremely powerful Puppet.

"At that time, we can use this Puppet to explore Secret Realms or contend for resources, and the profits gained will be divided according to our contributions."

Ye Chun picked up on the subtext in his words and asked: "Have others already agreed to help you?"

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam" displayed a confident smile: "I am currently the most formidable Puppet Master among the player community. Everyone who has expectations and needs in this area hopes that I achieve my goals quickly, so naturally, many are willing to lend a hand."

Ye Chun was genuinely curious now.

He thought for a moment. What a Puppet Master would need should be a Legacy of the Dao of Puppets or precious Materials.

Perhaps it was to explore a certain Secret Realm to obtain a Legacy? Or to search for Materials?

He simply asked directly: "Tell me, if I'm willing to invest, what do you need me to do?"

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam" smiled mysteriously:

"The matter is simple, and in fact, many people already know about it, so there's no need for secrecy.

"We are going to hunt a Golden Core. A Demon Body is fine, or a Dou Huang. In terms of Rank, it would be Rank five, right? We're going to use his body to refine a Puppet.

"A Puppet with Rank five combat power that obeys the Puppet Master."

Ye Chun was somewhat dazed by this audacious proposal. He couldn't help but ask:

"You are a Mortal Foundation Cultivator, and those you can likely recruit are also Mortal Foundation Cultivator, at most Immortal Foundation Cultivators. How do you plan to hunt a Golden Core?"

"I Want to Pilot a Gundam" smiled even more confidently: "That's simple. Our team is full of talent. We have Alchemists, Talisman Makers, Artifact Refiners, and most importantly, Formation Masters.

"We have made thorough preparations. We only need an Immortal Foundation Cultivator to act as the sharp blade, and we will have the confidence to contend against a Golden Core!"