The technique Wang Xiu had planted on Shi Ming came from the Ming Emperor's Town Prison Scripture. It was called the Soul Chasing Curse.

This allowed him to sense his opponent's presence and track their movements within a certain range, enabling him to make preparations in advance. More than half a month had passed since his last encounter with Shi Ming and his group. It was only today that the mark finally reacted, lighting up.

Wang Xiu sensed Shi Ming's movements; he was not far from here, moving at high speed.

He pondered for a moment before summoning a brand-new puppet. It wasn't holding a Bone Rod, but a gun made entirely of gold!

This was a secret creation of Wang Xiu's, made using the art of puppetry with dragon bone as the primary material. It was engraved with an abundance of Formations capable of drawing upon the vestige of spiritual power within the bones. By gathering Spiritual Energy from all directions, it could launch a devastatingly powerful strike.

Wang Xiu named the puppets holding Bone Rods the Earth Fiend Guards and those holding the Golden Dragon Spear the Heaven Firmament Guards. They were designated A, B, C, and D based on their creation time. For instance, the previous one with the Bone Rod was called Fiend A. The one before him now was named Gang Armor.

Imagine assembling an entire reinforced regiment one day. The sight would be truly spectacular.

In the Dragon Scale Space, the mountain-sized dragon skeleton was more than enough to support this vision. Of course, this was only the beginning.

"Go!" Wang Xiu ordered, sending Gang Armor deep into the forest to find Shi Ming's whereabouts. He first needed to test Gang Armor's combat strength.

"As you command, Master!" Gang Armor received the order and, turning into a beam of golden light, vanished into the depths of the Ancient Forest.

...

The Ancient Forest was still bustling with activity. The struggle among the various prodigies had reached an intense phase. As more and more heavenly materials and earthly treasures were unearthed, the frequency of clashes between the major powers increased, and fierce battles could be seen everywhere.

Following the information transmitted by the Soul Chasing Curse, Wang Xiu controlled Gang Armor to give chase.

Along the way, he passed many battlegrounds and overheard many conversations.

"I heard our Eldest Senior Brother went to cause trouble for Saint Heir Xuanji today!"

"It wasn't just him. Many other high-ranking Saint Heirs from the Cave Heavens, unparalleled prodigies on the Golden Core Ranking, went together. With such a massive lineup, they intended to pressure Saint Heir Xuanji into backing down!"

"And what was the result?"

"The result was that Saint Heir Xuanji is as unyielding as they say, with his pride soaring to the clouds. He was challenged one after another by the Saint Heirs and Saintesses but always held back, refusing to use that golden puppet!"

"Whoa! Is he saying that those Saint Heirs and Saintesses aren't worthy of him using his strongest technique? That's just blatant humiliation!"

"I've long heard that Saint Heir Bei Tangfeng of Xuanji was proud and arrogant, but now I've truly seen it all! He'd rather get beaten black and blue than fight back..."

"Impressive, very impressive... Hey, what was that thing that just flew past? It was golden and fast as lightning!"

"Must've been a hallucination, right?"

...

Saint Heir Xuanji? Bei Tangfeng?

Wang Xiu furrowed his brows slightly. He had heard of this name—a young man who had become a grandmaster Artificer, a rarity seen only once in several hundred years. He hadn't expected him to be so extraordinary. To stand against so many Saint Heirs and Saintesses from the Cave Heavens and not even deign to fight back, his pride remained unyielding. This land of Nanzhou is truly full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Remarkable.

I'll have to get to know him if I get the chance! Hmm... I have a golden puppet too. We should have something to talk about!

...

Gang Armor suddenly entered an extraordinarily quiet area. It was dark and utterly soundless, silent as a grave.

Wang Xiu's instincts told him something was wrong. He controlled Gang Armor, putting it into stealth mode. The glyphs on its body glowed faintly before vanishing as the Green Lotus Sky-covering Array, which Wang Xiu had carved into the puppet's core, activated. Instantly, its entire aura vanished, as if it had never been there. Then, it cautiously moved forward.

On a hillside, a figure in black stood with his hands behind his back, waiting. It was Shi Ming.

Strange... he seems different somehow. Wang Xiu frowned as he observed the images sent back by the puppet, but he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. He just had an instinctive feeling that this Shi Ming was a completely different person.

He stood in place with his back to Gang Armor, seemingly waiting for someone.

"Come out!" Shi Ming suddenly spoke, as if talking to the air.

My heart just skipped a beat, Wang Xiu thought. Have I been discovered? Or is he bluffing?

Gang Armor was engraved with the Green Lotus Sky-covering Array, meticulously arranged by Wang Xiu and difficult for ordinary prodigies to detect. Confident in his work, Wang Xiu kept Gang Armor perfectly still, choosing to continue lying in wait.

"If you don't come out, I'm leaving!" Shi Ming spoke again.

Wang Xiu narrowed his eyes, remaining patient and keeping Gang Armor hidden.

After a long silence, a murky gray light finally surged from the darkness, converging into a hazy figure that stood before Shi Ming. The figure was enveloped in the light of glowing glyphs, making it hazy and difficult to see clearly. It appeared to be just a projection.

"You really are cautious!" Shi Ming said, looking at the vague figure with a hint of amusement on his lips.

Wang Xiu felt it even more strongly now: this Shi Ming was a completely different person from the one he had encountered before!

"How could I not be cautious when dealing with your people?" The blurry figure's voice had clearly been altered by some method; it was coarse, like gravel, making the tone impossible to discern.

Shi Ming smiled, staring at the figure before him. "You really don't need to do all this. The great Demon God never harms his own followers..."

Demon God?

Hearing this term, Wang Xiu, who was controlling the puppet from afar, felt his pupils contract as he instinctively sat up straighter.

"Who?" the blurry figure suddenly roared, staring intently toward Gang Armor's position.

His power was terrifying, and his senses were extremely sharp. He had captured the fluctuations in the spiritual connection between Wang Xiu and the puppet. With a sweep of his palm, a terrifying force instantly erupted, transforming into a sky full of glyphs. Law's Light circulated within them, forming a massive hand that sought to suppress everything.

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