Zhang Ling's participation in the Yanhua City auction was partly motivated by the need to collect materials for repairing his puppet.
According to Puppet Spirit Old Freak, the headless puppet's other parts were mostly undamaged, only the core was broken.
As he suspected, a Core Formation-level puppet core couldn't be replaced by a regular high-level puppet core. It required special materials and dedicated refinement.
This was a closely guarded secret of the Heavenly Extremes Sect. If Puppet Spirit Old Freak hadn't been reduced to just a Core Formation spirit body and been coerced by him, he would never have agreed to help repair the headless puppet.
Even so, the old freak stalled for almost ten years before agreeing.
Ordinary puppets, even high-level ones, have their cores divided into two parts: a spiritual power core and a control core. The control core is usually refined from the essence of living beings.
However, a Core Formation-level puppet core needs to possess both spiritual and soul power to be successfully refined. Refining either the spiritual power core or the control core separately won't allow the Core Formation puppet to unleash its full power.
After traveling at full speed, Zhang Ling returned to his cave dwelling in the sect three days later.
In a vast stone chamber, hundreds of feet wide, Zhang Ling took out a set of array flags and quickly arranged them. Soon, the entire stone chamber glowed with a faint white light.
With another wave of his hand, the headless puppet was released, along with various bottles, jars, large wooden boxes, and other miscellaneous items.
Once everything was prepared, Zhang Ling held a black and white banner. This was Hundred Souls True Man's Soul Refining Banner. With a flash of spiritual light, the Soul Refining Banner floated before him, swaying slightly, as two balls of light flew out from within.
One ball of black light transformed into a black monkey, the ghost monkey he had subdued. The other ball of light contained a dejected blue Core Formation, which was Puppet Spirit Old Freak's Core Formation.
Previously, he had sealed this person's Core Formation in a Soul Restricting Plate made of Soul Nurturing Wood.
After returning to the sect, he released this person's Core Formation. At that time, Puppet Spirit Old Freak refused to help him repair the puppet and even threatened to destroy his Core Formation in a desperate attempt.
If he hadn't placed layers of restrictions on this guy, it might have ended in mutual destruction.
As for using soul-searching techniques to find the refinement method for Core Formation-level puppets from his memories,
Zhang Ling had naturally tried it, but there were powerful restrictions on this old freak's Core Formation. Forcibly searching his soul would only cause him to self-destruct. It wouldn't work at all.
This was clearly a restriction placed by the Heavenly Extremes Sect to prevent the leakage of high-level puppet techniques.
Such situations were actually quite common. Most sects had similar safeguards for their core secret techniques.
At the time, he was probably busy with closed-door cultivation to break through his realm, so he set this old freak aside.
Since this guy refused to repair the puppet, he naturally wouldn't let him stay in the Soul Nurturing Wood. He directly captured this person's Core Formation into the Soul Refining Banner.
He didn't cruelly torture Puppet Spirit Old Freak with soul refining methods, but the ghostly aura in the Soul Refining Banner wasn't pleasant either.
Moreover, the ghost monkey often frightened him. After so long, Puppet Spirit Old Freak's Core Formation hadn't collapsed, but it had weakened considerably.
It wasn't until recently that this person agreed to help him repair the Core Formation puppet. After all, if things continued like this, his Core Formation wouldn't be far from collapsing.
Puppet Spirit Old Freak naturally didn't want to die like this.
Zhang Ling glanced at Puppet Spirit Old Freak and said, "The materials you mentioned are all prepared. Now, it's up to you, Daoist friend."
Puppet Spirit Old Freak's Core Formation didn't look at the many materials on the ground and snorted in a very unpleasant tone. "Before I help you repair the puppet, you must agree to one thing. You must sign our Heavenly Extremes Sect's Soul Scattering Curse, and you cannot spread the sect's secret techniques. Otherwise, you can kill me now."
Zhang Ling frowned. The Soul Scattering Curse sounded like a soul secret technique similar to the Blood Soul Curse. This kind of curse was planted in the soul and was generally difficult to remove, or even impossible to remove.
However, he just stroked his chin and nodded, agreeing. "Alright, as long as Daoist friend helps me repair the puppet, planting a soul curse is fine."
He had sixth-grade Calamity Breaking Pills and Spirit Awakening Pills, which could just happen to dispel this kind of soul curse.
Puppet Spirit Old Freak's Core Formation immediately opened its mouth and spat out a ball of gray gas, chanting incantations. After a while, the ball of gray gas vaguely transformed into a mysterious gray spell.
Zhang Ling calmly watched all of this, sensing a special soul power within the spell. It was more powerful than the Blood Soul Curse he had cast before.
The binding force of this kind of soul curse was generally more binding than a Heart Demon Oath.
"The Soul Scattering Curse is complete. We only need to separate a portion of our divine sense power and make an oath."
As Puppet Spirit Old Freak spoke, a flash of blue light emanated from his Core Formation spirit body, and a vague divine sense avatar separated, directly merging into the spell.
Zhang Ling immediately sensed the change in the spell. Without hesitation, he moved his mind, and the Core Formation in his body also separated a ball of yellow light, which flew out from between his eyebrows and merged into the spell.
Instantly, the gray spell underwent a series of bizarre changes, presenting two dusty, evil ghost faces, which emitted a burst of ghostly laughter.
The two ghost faces devoured each other, then transformed into a ball of blood-red curse seal, which then split into two streams of blood light, merging into Zhang Ling and Puppet Spirit Old Freak respectively.
Only then did Puppet Spirit Old Freak reveal a smile. "Daoist friend Zhang is willing to sign our sect's Soul Scattering Curse, which actually means you are already considered an elder of our Heavenly Extremes Sect."
"Oh, there's this relationship too?"
"Don't be afraid to tell Daoist friend Zhang that the Soul Scattering Curse is actually a soul contract secret technique passed down by our sect's founder. It is said to have been passed down from the Spirit Realm." Puppet Spirit Old Freak laughed again and flew to the headless puppet, examining it.
Hearing this, Zhang Ling's heart sank. A Spirit Realm secret technique? No wonder he felt a slight discomfort in his Core Formation spirit body at this moment.
He didn't know if the Spirit Awakening Pill could dispel the binding force of the Soul Scattering Curse. He wasn't sure. However, he had never thought of spreading high-level puppet techniques without reason. It wouldn't matter if it couldn't be dispelled. It wouldn't affect him.
Puppet Spirit Old Freak examined the headless puppet and then looked at the materials on the ground, shaking his head.
"White Zero Soft Jade, Black Jade Silk, Cyan Yellow Stone... Daoist friend has collected all the required materials in such a short time. And this is actually a piece of Geng Metal. You even collected this material. This old man really can't imagine it."
Suddenly, the old freak saw a fist-sized dark golden stone in one of the jade boxes and immediately flew over to examine it carefully.
Zhang Ling also smiled and walked over. This piece of Geng Metal was specially reserved for emergencies.
He had collected a lot of Geng Metal ore from that demonic spring and smelted a lot of Geng Metal. Only a small portion was used to re-refine the Black Bone Giant Claw.
The remaining Geng Metal was mostly put into the Golden Essence Calabash, turning into Sharp Metal Qi, which was used to continuously train the seven flying swords.
Geng Metal was originally a top-grade Sharp Metal spiritual ore. As long as they absorbed those Sharp Metal Qi, the power of his seven flying swords would definitely reach another level.
"These materials are enough to repair this puppet, and the missing head can also be replenished. But Daoist friend Zhang, haven't you collected the most important spirit eye treasure and the Core Formation-level essence soul? Without these two things, a Core Formation-level puppet core can't be refined." After examining the materials on the ground for a moment, Puppet Spirit Old Freak frowned and asked.
"Don't worry, Daoist friend. How could I forget these two most important things?" With a flash of yellow light in Zhang Ling's hand, a five-colored jade box and a Soul Restricting Plate made of Soul Nurturing Wood appeared.
The jade box was opened, and inside was a white jade-like stone. This was a top-grade Spirit Eye Jade, smaller than the Spirit Eye Stone he originally had, but it was definitely enough.
In fact, this Spirit Eye Jade was also the final treasure at the recently concluded auction. However, this final item was not auctioned. Instead, Senior Brother Tianfeng learned about this final item in advance and used the city lord's authority to seize it.
Afterward, Zhang Ling specifically met with the original owner of this item and exchanged it for three three-thousand-year-old spiritual herbs and two million spiritual stones.
"It's actually a top-grade Spirit Eye Jade. Although it's a bit small, it's definitely enough. With this treasure, there's no need to worry about the puppet's power." Puppet Spirit Old Freak's eyes flashed with golden light as he looked at the Spirit Eye Jade, revealing a look of excitement. His gaze then swept towards the Soul Nurturing Wood Plate in Zhang Ling's hand.
Zhang Ling was not polite and tapped the Soul Restricting Plate a few times, and three balls of gray gas emerged. In one ball of gray gas, there was a vague shadow of a giant octopus. In another ball of gray gas, there was a shadow of a snake more than ten feet long. The last ball of gray gas was wrapped in a crab phantom.
Sensing the soul power on the three beast souls, Puppet Spirit Old Freak exclaimed, "Essence souls of transformed demon beasts? No, they are ancient beast essence souls."
"That's right. Although the essence souls of ancient beasts are weaker than those of demon beasts, these three are all ancient beasts comparable to transformed demon beasts. Especially this one, it's even the essence soul of a ninth-order ancient beast," Zhang Ling also replied.
These three essence souls were precisely the essence souls he had collected from the ancient beasts he had killed in the sea.
At that time, under the Blue Sparrow's spiritual power infusion, his strength reached the late stage of Core Formation, and he hunted five ancient beasts comparable to transformed demon beasts.
However, two of them were very difficult to kill, and he could only use thunderous means to destroy them. Therefore, he did not collect their essence souls.
"With these three essence souls, it's enough to refine the puppet core." Puppet Spirit Old Freak nodded repeatedly in response. Looking at Zhang Ling, he also had a bit more respect.
This Daoist friend Zhang collected so many rare materials in such a short time, and at once he took out three essence souls comparable to transformed demon beasts. He was shocked.
"Good, let's start refining. First, refine the missing head of this puppet."
For a long time afterward, Zhang Ling and Puppet Spirit Old Freak stayed in the stone chamber, repairing the headless puppet.
Time passed little by little. This day, Zhang Ling spat out Nascent Soul Fire, wrapping a ball of black and white spiritual light. Puppet Spirit Old Freak's Core Formation also danced beside him, forming seals with his hands, which entered the black and white spiritual light.
This scene continued for an unknown amount of time, until Spirit Old Freak roared, "Soul Fusion!"
Zhang Ling quickly withdrew the Nascent Soul Fire, and with a single hand, he threw out a gray-green orb. The orb rushed into the spiritual light, and the black and white spiritual light was immediately dyed gray-black, like a strange mist.
At the same time, Puppet Spirit Old Freak also took out a small jade figure, an inch in size, carved from white jade in a cross-legged position. A series of spells were cast on the small figure.
Dense runes lit up on the white jade figure. These spiritual patterns transformed into white silk threads, like spider silk, which had become a web, covering the gray-black mist.
The white silk web contracted little by little, imprisoning the gray-black mist, and gradually pulling it into the white jade figure.
After a few breaths, the mist was completely absorbed, and the white jade figure was also dyed gray-black.
This small jade figure, an inch in size, was the Core Formation-level puppet core.
Zhang Ling's eyes lit up, and he shot out a ball of yellow light, instantly wrapping the small jade figure, and directly flying into a tall figure next to him.
Immediately, the figure shone brightly, emitting an aura no weaker than a Core Formation cultivator.
The figure, more than ten feet tall, was clad in golden-black armor, wearing a black mask on his face, holding a giant axe in one hand and a wooden shield half a foot in size in the other. He was majestic, like a golden-armored general.
This was the completely repaired headless puppet.
Zhang Ling flashed and arrived next to the puppet. With a single hand, he pointed at his brow, and a ball of gray light flew out from between his eyebrows, merging into the puppet.
In an instant, he could control this puppet. With a thought, the puppet shook its body and began to move.
The puppet took a few steps forward, and its figure shrank, shrinking to the height of an ordinary person in the blink of an eye. It was impossible to tell that this was a puppet.
Immediately afterward, the puppet's body made a series of cracking sounds, and its size swelled, suddenly growing to more than ten feet tall. A flash of spiritual light flashed across its body, and it flew up. The giant axe in its hand shook gently, and a three-foot-long red light slashed out.
The red light cut through the air and instantly struck the wall on the other side. With a loud bang, the entire stone chamber shook.
The stone wall on that side also immediately lit up with a thick layer of yellow light, resisting the attack. But the red light also simultaneously dispersed into hundreds of blood lights, scattered around with a clanging sound, like countless wind blades, sweeping across the entire stone wall.
After a few breaths, the power of this attack dissipated.
"The power of this strike is already no weaker than my full-strength strike. To be able to unleash such an attack, this puppet can be considered completely repaired." Puppet Spirit Old Freak, who saw this scene, breathed a sigh of relief and said.
