Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chi Ming and Yang Tian.

The Ghost Market in the small world where the Outer Sect of the Plague Division resided was quietly changing.

The gate of the towering Daoist temple was shrouded in faint resentment, mixed with the corpse energy emitted by the roots of the peach tree, creating a particularly pungent odor.

In just seven short years, dual cultivation with Buddhist teachings was no longer a secret.

A large number of Plague Division cultivators, in order to stabilize the immortal seeds within their bodies, chose to be parasitized by temple monks, refining ghostly creatures to condense a “Relic.”

The so-called relic was more like a strange immortal bone nurtured by ghosts, and once it coexisted with the body and soul, it could not be separated, balancing the immortal seed.

It seemed the Plague Division’s True Gods also tacitly allowed the actions of the Small Thunder Sound Temple.

For the past seven years, Plague Division cultivators had not discovered the drawbacks of the relics.

As more and more fellow cultivators advanced by dual cultivating Buddhist teachings, relics gradually became a shortcut in cultivation, even a necessary condition.

After all, everyone knew the terror of the Plague Division’s immortal seeds.

Almost upon stepping onto the path of cultivation, they were destined to become plague division Nuo Immortals, and without a relic, it was only a matter of time before they lost control.

As the Outer Sect competition approached, the temple monks were producing a large number of cultivators at the ninth stage.

“Sigh.”

Gao Qiu stood by the spiritual field, gazing into the distance at the streaks of light flying through various parts of the temple.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued to focus on operating his iron hoe-like inferior magical tool, opening up a piece of hard wasteland.

It had been a long time since Gao Qiu had been seen, and he looked like a farmer, his rough skin full of creases, with thick calluses covering his palms.

Ever since Shen Lian entered seclusion to complete his immortal seed, Gao Qiu had returned to the struggle of making a living.

The days of abundant resources seemed like nothing more than a fleeting dream.

Relying on the early days when he helped Shen Lian gather pill recipes, Gao Qiu barely cultivated to the seventh stage.

Unfortunately, his talent was limited. After Shen Lian went into seclusion, he made no progress for years, with the only benefit being that his immortal seed was not easily out of control.

Of course, at least he was better off than his peers.

Most of the senior brothers who had joined the temple with him had already gone to work in the Peach Orchard of the Tai Huang Huang Zeng Heaven. Staying in the Outer Sect meant their lifespan would eventually be exhausted.

Gao Qiu revealed a self-deprecating smile.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would struggle for another year or two before having to leave the Daohan Daoist temple.

Gao Qiu had accepted this reality, so he focused all his energy on cultivating spiritual materials, at least ensuring that he could exchange peaches for enough Tai Sui Pills.

“I wonder how Senior Brother Tianwen is doing?”

“Could it be that Senior Brother Tianwen has already dual cultivated with Buddhist teachings?”

There were all kinds of rumors about Shen Lian in the temple, some saying he had gone mad, while others claimed he had become insane like Li Liuru.

The long-sealed Old Pill Cauldron Room was gradually forgotten in the Outer Sect.

Gao Qiu noticed that among the Plague Division disciples passing by the spiritual field, one in ten had already condensed a relic, with their backs raised and resentment spreading from their bodies as clear signs.

This indicated that the infiltration of the Earth Treasury Bodhisattva into the Plague Division was deepening.

The number of offspring of the temple monks was clearly growing, and no one knew where they came from.

Gao Qiu was lost in thought for a few moments.

He did not share Elder Fengjing’s strong resistance to Buddhist teachings. If he had the choice, he would absolutely gamble for the chance to shed his mortal body and become an immortal.

Gao Qiu spent all his mana opening up the wasteland.

Unknowingly, the moonlight spread over the temple like flowing silver, and resentment surged within the mountain gate.

Just as he was about to return to his residence to rest, his expression suddenly became one of surprise. He took out the old spiritual talisman he carried with him.

The old spiritual talisman became scorching hot, and a message flashed through his mind.

“Come to the Old Pill Cauldron Room.”

Gao Qiu’s hands trembled with excitement, and he mumbled repeatedly, “I knew it.” Without even recovering his mana, he hurriedly rushed towards the back mountain of the temple.

“Senior Brother is indeed fine. With his unparalleled talent, how could he have gone mad?”

“If it weren’t for the sudden appearance of Tianwen, Senior Brother’s position as the Daoist prodigy would have been unquestionable. If he dual cultivates with Buddhist teachings, Tianwen wouldn’t even compare!”

Gao Qiu had witnessed Shen Lian’s entry into the sect and knew all too well how terrifying his talent was.

It was said that the Fourth Nuo Immortal had descended because of Shen Lian, and when preaching the Dao, they had alarmed three Nuo Immortals, allowing Shen Lian to quickly step into the ninth stage.

“Senior Brother must be in seclusion to condense a relic.”

“Tianwen has already reached the perfection of the ninth stage, with thirty-six relics stabilizing his body, just waiting for the Outer Sect competition to shed his mortal body and become an immortal.”

“Senior Brother should be even more extraordinary…”

As Gao Qiu pondered, he arrived at the Old Pill Cauldron Room.

The Old Pill Cauldron Room was like a forbidden area. Any cultivators who tried to enter had their body and soul inexplicably injured, even having their foundations destroyed.

Only a few knew that the Old Pill Cauldron Room housed a large number of demons.

Even Elder Fengjing had to be cautious around it.

Gao Qiu was somewhat apprehensive, but there were no obstacles along the way, except for a foul stench filling the back mountain.

Upon smelling the odor, the immortal seed within him became abnormally active.

“Senior Brother… what is he doing?”

Gao Qiu was terrified. He had seen fellow cultivators practicing Buddhist teachings, but it was never this terrifying, and the immortal seed would usually fall into a slumber.

It seemed that the immortal seed had a natural disadvantage when faced with Buddhist scriptures.

This also led to the gradual mainstreaming of dual cultivating Buddhist teachings within the Plague Division.

“Heehee, big brother is waiting for you in the pill room. Just follow the passage eastward.”

A little girl’s voice sounded behind Gao Qiu, but when he turned around, no one was there. In the darkness, several eyes were watching him.

The pill room door was slightly ajar, and he immediately saw the three-legged cauldron inside.

The three-legged cauldron was covered with cracks, held together by fungi, and colorful fungal threads wriggled as if they were alive.

Buddhist teachings?

It was definitely not Buddhist teachings.

Gao Qiu’s pupils constricted, and he stood still, at a loss.

Though he lacked extensive knowledge, he could see at a glance that Shen Lian not only hadn’t dual cultivated Buddhist teachings, but had even gone in the opposite direction.

The fungal threads were filled with at least a dozen different types of pathogen immortal seeds.

Shen Lian was using alchemy to fuse all the pathogen immortal seeds together, their structure extremely unstable, as if… they were about to lose control at any moment.

“Impossible, how could Senior Brother be so reckless?”

Gao Qiu had always felt indignant about Shen Lian’s situation.

In his view, if it weren’t for the interference of the Small Thunder Sound Temple, Shen Lian was destined to become one of the True Gods of the Plague Division, a prodigy favored by the Dao.

However, the scene before him indicated that Shen Lian was on the verge of becoming a mindless Nuo Immortal.

Thump, thump, thump.

The movements of the three-legged cauldron intensified, and the aura brought by the pathogen immortal seeds became increasingly unstable.

Countless pathogens intertwined around the three-legged cauldron, transforming into an intricate Dao rhythm, and the fungal threads began to spread, covering the entire pill room.

Gao Qiu suddenly recalled the resources Shen Lian had once asked him to gather.

All of the resources, without exception, would enhance the immortal seed, and ordinary cultivators wouldn’t dare consume them. Could it be that Shen Lian was using them to assist his cultivation?

A shocking method of cultivation, the likes of which had never been seen before.

In the next moment.

The Dao rhythm abruptly contracted, and the three-legged cauldron shattered into pieces.

Gao Qiu had no time to escape and could only watch as the pathogens surged out, with a figure standing in the center of the pill room.

“Collect.”

The boundless pathogens returned to Shen Lian’s mouth and nose.

Shen Lian’s martial path golden body remained at the perfection of the eighth stage, but his martial path plague core was only half a step away from the land immortal stage. The immortal seed contained within it had already taken shape, marking the first step toward creating his own true scripture.

He scanned his martial path plague core. Since the rupture of the disease sac, the plague core had become completely independent.

The plague core was like an organ, connected by blood vessels and meridians, becoming a part of his qi and blood circulation, inseparable from his flesh

and bones.

“Senior… Senior Brother, you’ve reached the perfection of the ninth stage!!”

Gao Qiu stared in disbelief, his expression involuntarily turning fanatical.

Shen Lian smiled without speaking, carefully sensing the martial path plague core. The integration of fourteen types of immortal seeds into the plague core had consumed 56 points.

Moreover, the torment suffered from nurturing the immortal seed made the cost far exceed that of ordinary cultivation.

Fortunately, after the immortal seeds merged into one, the martial path plague core showed no signs of losing control. Even though its aura surpassed that of his martial path golden body, there was no backlash.

Shen Lian knew he was on the right path, though the immortal seed was still incomplete.

When his primordial spirit communicated with the martial path plague core, countless characters surged, but they couldn’t form a complete sentence.

“Junior Brother Gao, tell me about the current situation in the Plague Division.”

Gao Qiu held nothing back, even sharing rumors whose truth he didn’t know.

Shen Lian’s thoughts were in turmoil. He felt that the attitude of the Plague Division’s True Gods was strange. No matter what, the Small Thunder Sound Temple was opposed to the Eight Departments’ Dao lineage. How could they allow the Earth Treasury Bodhisattva to spread his teachings?

“Junior Brother Gao, what are the requirements to participate in the Outer Sect competition?”

“There aren’t any, but for those below the ninth stage, entering the ruins of the Old Heavenly Court is a sure path to death.”

“Good, you’ll go with me.”

Gao Qiu’s mouth opened slightly, thinking he had misheard.

After Shen Lian repeated himself, Gao Qiu stammered, “Junior Brother’s cultivation has stagnated, and I’m afraid I’ll only drag you down, Senior Brother.”

“No matter.”

Shen Lian had considered that after entering the Inner Sect, having Gao Qiu around to run errands would be much more convenient.

If the Outer Sect competition became too dangerous, he could simply put Gao Qiu into the ghost gourd, and he didn’t believe that the other Plague Division disciples could pose any threat to him.

The ruins of the Old Heavenly Court themselves might pose a greater threat.

“But…”

Gao Qiu had witnessed Shen Lian suppress his immortal seed and knew how deep his foundation was. Even if he didn’t contribute in the Outer Sect competition, it didn’t matter.

He almost agreed, but then restrained his thoughts and said, “Junior Brother’s talent is poor. I fear that entering the Inner Sect will cause me to become a Nuo Immortal.”

Shen Lian sized up Gao Qiu and quietly activated his martial path plague core.

“Let’s give it a try.”

“What?”

“Do not resist, and try to calm the fluctuations of your primordial spirit.”

Gao Qiu was at a loss.

Shen Lian placed a finger on his forehead, and a disease pathogen silently entered his Niwan Palace, landing on his wounded primordial spirit.

Gao Qiu clutched his head, screaming in pain as his immortal seed underwent a massive transformation.

The martial path plague core now possessed the miraculous ability to grant martial arts, equivalent to using the true scripture’s ability to propagate and thrive, seizing control of Gao Qiu’s immortal seed.

Moments later, a subtle change emerged in the aura of Gao Qiu’s immortal seed.

Shen Lian thoughtfully stroked his chin.

“Gao Qiu’s immortal seed remains a Daohan immortal seed, but its structure is more stable. The Dao rhythm inherits part of the martial path plague core’s ‘Daohan’ pattern.”

At the same time, the immortal seed used Gao Qiu’s body and soul as a vessel, allowing Shen Lian to easily control his life, even erasing the immortal seed entirely.

Gao Qiu opened his eyes, and only reverence remained in his gaze, a feeling only experienced when one stood before the statues of the Three Pure Ones.

Had an immortal touched his head and granted him fortune?

The problem that had plagued the Plague Division for countless years had actually… been solved?

Gao Qiu sensed his immortal seed, and there was now a complicated Dao rhythm scripture in the center of his primordial spirit, stabilizing his immortal seed and preventing it from losing control.

It didn’t entirely eliminate the risk of going mad, but at least he no longer had to worry constantly.

He could even take pills with serious side effects, and perhaps his cultivation speed might catch up to his peers, offering a future where he could shed his mortal body and become an immortal.

Gao Qiu didn’t know what to say. He wanted to kneel but was stopped by Shen Lian.

“Enlightening you is but a small matter. Whether you reach that step in the future depends on you.”

Shen Lian was treating Gao Qiu as an experimental subject. The martial path plague core could sense the state of Gao Qiu’s body and soul, helping him adjust the process of granting martial arts.

Some martial artists had already reached the eighth stage of roaming the spirit, so preparations for the ninth stage needed to be made in advance.

“Thank you for your great kindness, Senior Brother. Junior Brother Gao Qiu is willing to serve you like a dog or horse.”

“We’ll talk during the Outer Sect competition. It should be held soon.”

Gao Qiu performed a Daoist salute and didn’t disturb Shen Lian any further, leaving the Old Pill Cauldron Room slowly.

Shen Lian spread his palm, and the pathogens poured out like extensions of his limbs.

Perhaps there were still flaws in the immortal seed after becoming an immortal, but for now, he was on the right path. The next step was to continue perfecting the plague core, waiting for the immortal seed to be flawless before merging it with his martial path golden body.

“The martial path plague core’s ascension to the land immortal stage should be a natural progression, but the true process of shedding mortality and becoming an immortal depends on the Longevity Stake and the Immortal Mysterious Art.”

Shen Lian took a deep breath. Simply focusing on cultivation wouldn’t work.

The cultivation process after becoming an immortal remained unclear. So far, only the names of the realms were known, and it was hard to imagine how immortals and Buddhas used the true scriptures within their bodies.

Shen Lian took out a spiritual talisman, and Elder Fengjing’s message mentioned that the Outer Sect competition would be held in six months.

He stabilized his martial path plague core’s cultivation and took out an object from his dantian.

It resembled the head of a Buddha, with skin, flesh, bones, and brain vividly depicted. It gave the eerie sense that its eyes could open at any moment.

The spiritual nature of the dragonfish robe crawled out from the robe and lay on Shen Lian’s shoulder, looking up eagerly.

“It’s finally done.”

The mid-level Buddhist scripture, the *Sutra of the Tathagata*, had taken nearly ten years to bear this fruit. No wonder Brother Sha had mentioned that the true scriptures suppressed in the Green Wave Pool were very close to the Great Vehicle Buddhist teachings.

If the banyan tree hadn’t advanced to the sixth stage, it might have taken fifty more years.

Shen Lian looked at the appraisal information and couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.

“Mid-level Tathagata Fruit.”

“Born from the banyan tree, the Tathagata Fruit contains the Eight Characters of Loving Light, each representing a Tathagata’s four aspects.”

“Consuming the Buddha flesh will refine a strand of the Tathagata’s Buddha blood.”

Just the Buddha flesh alone made the long wait worthwhile.

Before Shen Lian could peel away the Buddha flesh, the profession panel displayed a notification.

“Triggered [Eightfold Shakyamuni] profession. Consume 20 points to take the position.”

“True Suchness Tamachán—Eightfold Shakyamuni compatibility: 96.3%.”

This was the opportunity for the lotus platform to ascend to the seventh stage, falling into his lap without any effort.

Eightfold Shakyamuni was clearly connected to the Buddha himself. Shen Lian even felt the urge to take the profession. After all, *Journey to the West* was ultimately centered around Buddhism.

He had also been unconsciously paying attention to a fifth profession lately, giving it some thought.

But the karma behind Eightfold Shakyamuni was definitely unspeakably profound.

When he had taken the Blood Spirit Child profession, it had caused all sorts of strange events. And Eightfold Shakyamuni? It was likely that even the entire Western Ling Mountain would come out to pay homage to the Buddha.

“Let’s think about it. The fifth profession needs to be approached with the utmost caution.”

“The first four professions already involve strange monsters or spiritual plants. The lotus platform is so exaggerated that it triggered a Buddha profession just to ascend.”

“For the fifth profession, maybe I should choose something from the Dao Gate to switch things up.”

“Refining the Buddha skin can transform it into a cassock blessed by the Buddha.”

“If my skin becomes a cassock, won’t I look like a flayed monk?”

Shen Lian directly peeled off the Buddha skin. The structure of the Tathagata Fruit was exactly like a human head, with the skin even slightly adhered to the Buddha flesh.

He carefully separated the Buddha skin and, while it was still full of vitality, threw it to the dragonfish robe.

Munch.

The dragonfish robe swallowed it in one bite, and immediately, rays of light burst forth as it began to undergo its metamorphosis into a supreme treasure, with intricate spiritual patterns appearing inside and out.

“Consuming the Buddha bones will allow the entire skeleton to achieve the Seven Treasures Buddha Bones over 456 years.”

Shen Lian hesitated slightly

. The Seven Treasures Buddha Bones seemed to be an extraordinary type of immortal bone, and facing the unknown always brought some apprehension.

He scrutinized the head bone for a few moments, then dug out a fingernail-sized piece of bone.

Shen Lian swallowed the piece of bone in one gulp, and as soon as it entered his throat, it turned into a seven-colored liquid, flowing through his bloodstream and settling in his brow bone.

His brow bone absorbed the seven colors, and his skeleton began to subtly transform.

Shen Lian activated his food-supplementing divine ability, directing the nourishment of the Buddha bone to his stomach. If something went wrong, he could immediately halt the transformation of the immortal bones.

“With my current body, even if I swapped out my entire skeleton, there wouldn’t be a problem.”

Shen Lian ground the Buddha bones into powder, mixing them with medicinal wine and pouring it into his stomach. The transformation of the Seven Treasures Buddha Bones accelerated, though it was clearly a process measured in centuries.

“Refining the Buddha brain will imprint the Eight Characters of Loving Light upon the golden body. Take heed, those who bear the scriptures must journey west!”

Shen Lian placed the crystalline Buddha brain at the center of his lotus platform.

After finishing with the Tathagata Fruit, the time for the Outer Sect competition drew closer, and the cultivation of his martial path plague core, now at the perfection of the ninth stage, had stabilized.

Shen Lian looked out the window and saw glimpses of Nuo Immortals at the foot of the mountain.

The ruins of the Old Heavenly Court were usually located in a crevice of the Ghost Market and could only be traversed by using the bodies of Nuo Immortals. It was odd that the Outer Sect competition would be held in the Prison Immortal Room.

The copper bell at the mountain’s peak rang, signaling that the Outer Sect competition was about to begin.

“Speaking of which.”

“The Nuo Immortals of the Plague Division should resist the cultivators who dual cultivate with Buddhist teachings, right? In recent years, the probability of something going wrong during preaching has clearly increased.”

Shen Lian muttered to himself, “If the entire Plague Division dual cultivates with Buddhist teachings, the Nuo Immortals will definitely lose control. How will the True Gods handle that?”

Boom!!!

A loud noise erupted from the residence of the elders in Daohan Daoist Temple.

Shen Lian’s expression turned serious, and he immediately sent a mental message to Elder Fengjing.

Elder Fengjing replied in a solemn tone, “It’s not me. Elder Qiuyang… he’s gone mad. His immortal seed has lost control and he’s gone mad.”

“Elder Qiuyang had already dual cultivated with Buddhist teachings. How could he lose control?”

“The inevitable course of events.”

Before Elder Fengjing finished speaking, the doors and windows of Elder Qiuyang’s residence burst open.

Distorted scriptures spilled out like mayflies, though they also bore traits of corpse maggots, causing the ground and walls to rot wherever they touched.

“Elder Fengjing, is he becoming a Nuo Immortal?”

“Yes.”

The temple disciples turned their heads away, for upon looking directly at the scriptures, corpse spots appeared on their internal organs, and they vomited pieces of flesh.

Only Shen Lian kept his eyes fixed.

The Nuo Immortal formed by Elder Qiuyang was different from the usual ones, but it exuded a strange beauty, especially when observing the trajectory of the mayflies.

“Triggered [Tai Shang Dao Gut] profession, but lacks the necessary conditions for employment.”

The scriptures gathered in mid-air, and the scene resembled the summer nights of Shen Lian’s past life, with countless insects chasing after a streetlight.

Slowly, the scriptures formed a section of intestines.

Compared to ordinary Nuo Immortals, Elder Qiuyang’s transformation into the Stomach of the Daoist Deity was gray-black like a corpse, with a stench of rot emanating from it.

Within the Daoist Deity’s Stomach, human-shaped flesh squirmed.

“It seems.”

Shen Lian squinted, watching the various expressions of the temple disciples.

“Either the True Gods of the Plague Division are all dead, or they’re fully committed to the Small Thunder Sound Temple, without even considering turning back.”

The Daoist Deity’s Stomach took the form of a cassock, and inside, the human-shaped flesh grew to a hundred meters in size, turning the Nuo Immortal into a monk wearing a cassock.

In fact, it would be more appropriate to call it a *Nuo Monk.*

The Nuo Monk’s cultivation exceeded ten thousand years, and its aura was even stronger than the temple monks.

Several Nuo Immortals showed signs of rebellion, but ultimately did not attack the Nuo Monk, allowing it to descend upon the market, its stomach-cassock wrapping around buildings.

Elder Fengjing’s pupils contracted. The moment the Nuo Monk appeared, he received a message from an Inner Sect elder and had to speak up, “All disciples, listen.”

“Those participating in the Outer Sect competition can reach the Prison Immortal Room through the newly-ascended Nuo Immortal.”

The cultivators hesitated, and some approached the market.

The relics within their bodies actively communicated with the Nuo Monk. Not only was there no danger, but their Buddhist cultivation was also strengthened by the Nuo Monk.

In the future, the Nuo Monk would dominate the transmission of teachings in the Outer Sect.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

More and more cultivators rode their flying swords into the market.

Because of the sudden rise of Buddhist teachings, there were now more than twenty ninth-stage cultivators. Including all the Daoist temples, the total was at least two or three hundred.

According to the usual proportions of the Inner Sect, land immortals would be produced in abundance in the future.

Ninth-stage cultivators who hadn’t dual cultivated with Buddhist teachings found themselves in a dilemma. Under the current circumstances, they, as normal people, would instead become the target of everyone’s ire.

The wind howled.

A gap opened in the thick fog of the back mountain.

After seven years of silence, Shen Lian soared into the sky, the pure aura of his plague core clearly indicating he hadn’t dual cultivated with Buddhist teachings.

“Buzz~~”

The Nuo Monk suddenly raised its arm, but before it could reach Shen Lian, it was blocked by the Nuo Immortals.

Shen Lian smoothly entered the semi-real, semi-illusory stomach of the Nuo Immortal, as if he were inside a flesh cave connected to endless voids.

The temple fell silent, and not a single person followed Shen Lian.

Elder Fengjing sighed repeatedly.

“The entire Plague Division is cultivating Buddhist teachings. How can Tianwen fight against the tide?”

“True Gods, if you could delay your collaboration with the Earth Treasury Bodhisattva by a hundred years, perhaps Tianwen would have a chance to improve the Plague Division’s situation.”

Elder Fengjing’s mind flashed with Shen Lian’s words, where he had firmly stated his intention to deal with Tianshou during the Outer Sect competition.

If Tianshou died, the Plague Division would surely descend into chaos.

At this moment.

Gao Qiu gritted his teeth and left the temple, using a clumsy secret technique to enter the stomach.

No one cared about a seventh-stage cultivator. They were more interested in seeing the outcome of the Plague Division’s great struggle for the Dao and whether Tianwen was merely making a final stand.

Shen Lian and Gao Qiu, one after the other, moved towards the end.

Though it was only a few minutes of walking, it felt like traveling through a teleportation tree, and the end of the stomach was pitch black, where not even a hand could be seen.

Shen Lian was about to summon the ghost gourd when he suddenly realized that by sneaking into the Outer Sect competition, Gao Qiu was unlikely to receive a position afterward.

“Junior Brother Gao, no matter what danger we encounter, remain calm. We’ll regroup and decide from there.”

Gao Qiu nodded in response.

Without hesitation, Shen Lian stepped into the darkness, which swallowed him whole.

He vaguely heard voices speaking outside the darkness.

“How many plague immortals will go mad at the Queen Mother’s Peach Banquet?”

“Not sure, twenty or thirty?”

“Hope they don’t imprison them in the southern corner of the Prison Immortal Room under our jurisdiction.”

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