After the meeting concluded, the participants dispersed; however, before Li Mu could exit the Contribution Hall, he was surrounded by various Sect Masters and Clan Chiefs.
With expressions ranging from respectful to expectant, they all conveyed their deference and a variety of requests to him.
"Elder Li, your proficiency in Formation is profound, and your Artifact Refining Skill is renowned.
If we could obtain Dao Artifacts personally crafted by you, we would surely be filled with confidence and have more assurance in confronting the Demon Abyss forces!" Sun Yuankun, the Sect Master of Lingxiao Sect, dressed in a magnificent Dao robe, smiled brightly, his eyes gleaming with eagerness as he looked at Li Mu.
"That's right, Great Master Li, I wish to commission you to refine a Dao Artifact capable of resisting demonic cultivators to enhance our combat strength; I wonder if you can…"
Before he could finish speaking, another Clan Chief interjected.
"Great Master Li, my Sect wishes to set up another Sect Protecting Formation; I trouble you to act, and the remuneration will naturally be exceedingly generous, never disappointing Great Master Li!" Yun Feiyang looked at Li Mu, afraid of being preempted by others, and quickly followed up.
...
Seeing Li Mu enthusiastically surrounded by the crowd, making it almost impossible for him to extricate himself, Qiu Yuanhong, who was observing from the side, quickly stepped forward, his expression dignified yet amiable, and said with a smile: "Sect Masters, Clan Chiefs, please calm down.
Elder Li is this Sect's Grand Elder, holding multiple positions, and his time is precious.
Those who have needs, please queue up in order!"
"Everyone, why not first record your needs and the list of Materials you can provide in detail, and hand them over to me for compilation.
Elder Li will then consider each request based on this information and formulate the most reasonable refining and Formation deployment plan.
This way, no one's needs will be overlooked, and Elder Li's Artifact Refining efficiency can also be ensured." Qiu Yuanhong stood in front of Li Mu, helping him out of the predicament.
"Indeed, Elder Li also needs to be busy with the Spirit Eye Heavenly Dipper Array matter, so everyone's requests should be temporarily postponed, so as not to delay important matters." Qi Xuanming appeared beside Li Mu, smilingly looking at the crowd, and spoke.
"Dao Lord Qi's words are very true; it was presumptuous of us!"
Everyone nodded, their expressions carrying a hint of helplessness.
Since Dao Lord Qi had spoken, they naturally dared not press further.
After all, the Spirit Eye Heavenly Dipper Array concerned the safety of the entire cultivation world, and the grand plan to combat the Demon Abyss was even more crucial.
Li Mu breathed a sigh of relief, bid farewell to everyone, and hurried back to Seven Gods Mountain.
The Formation Spiritual Materials had not yet been fully gathered, and there was still some time before the Spirit Eye Heavenly Dipper Array could be set up in the seven extreme Sealed Lands.
Li Mu planned to first refine that batch of Dragon Armor and Dragon Bones into a set of Dao Soldiers.
If he could also refine a batch of seventh-rank Battle Puppets and equip them, it would undoubtedly form a powerful combat force, serving as a deep foundation.
Upon returning to Seven Profound Sect, Li Mu immediately appeared in the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
"Master, I have finished what you instructed me to do."
Seeing Li Mu, Xiao Mingyue bounced happily to his front and said endearingly.
"Hmm, well done.
Now, I have a new task to give you." Li Mu smiled and nodded, signaling.
Mingyue blinked her big eyes, curiously asking: "What kind of task is it!
Mingyue will definitely try her best to complete it!"
"Next, I plan to refine a batch of high-rank Battle Puppets, and as the Puppet Spirit, I need you to assist me from the side!" Li Mu smiled and gestured.
As a Puppet Spirit, Mingyue not only possessed the Heavenly Talent to control Puppets but also could provide Puppet power during the refining process, effectively assisting and improving the quality of the refined Puppets.
Upon hearing this, Mingyue's eyes lit up, and she excitedly said: "Refining high-rank Battle Puppets?
That's great!
Mingyue will go all out to assist Master!"
In Mingyue's heart, Li Mu's Puppet Refining Skill was exquisite and incomparably divine; she herself was created by him.
Unfortunately, Master said that she was a Puppet with self-awareness, one in ten thousand, difficult to replicate, otherwise, she longed to have more companions.
Refining more high-rank Puppets might also lead to the birth of true Spirit Rank Puppets like her.
"Take a look.
This batch of Puppets will primarily focus on close combat.
Which of these Puppet Spiritual Materials is suitable for the Puppet Core?"
With a wave of his large hand, Li Mu took out more than a dozen high-rank Spiritual Materials suitable for refining Puppet Cores from his tian xuan spiritual ring.
The most core component for refining a high-rank Puppet was the Puppet Core.
The Puppet Core was the Soul of the Puppet; the most precise Puppet Formation needed to be inscribed on the core, as it determined the Puppet's intelligence, strength, speed, and various special abilities.
The first item was a two-zhang long, entirely dark, seventh-rank Spiritual Wood with a flowing dark glow on its surface—the Huiyin Wutan.
This Huiyin Wutan grew in extremely Yin places, enduring tens of thousands of Years, absorbing the Yin Sha Qi from deep within the earth and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, forming its unique dark glow and texture.
A Puppet Core carved from Huiyin Wutan could unleash Yin Sha power from its Puppet Formation, enabling the Battle Puppet to release Yin Sha power during close combat, causing dual pressure on the enemy's spirit and body.
It could, to a certain extent, interfere with the enemy's perception and judgment, making the Puppet more elusive in battle.
The second item was a pure seventh-rank Spiritual Mineral emitting a faint blue light—the Xuanlan Ice Crystal.
The Xuanlan Ice Crystal originated from extremely cold places, containing powerful ice-attributed Spiritual Power and a rare trace of spatial fluctuation.
If this material were used to carve the Puppet Core, combined with a suitable Puppet body, it could allow the Battle Puppet to exert powerful ice-sealing power in close combat, slowing down opponents, and at critical moments, even perform short-distance teleportation through spatial fluctuations for a fatal blow.
This teleportation ability not only enhanced the Puppet's combat capability but also provided it with unexpected means of escape on the battlefield.
The third item consisted of dozens of seventh-rank Heavenly Thunder Fruit Cores, shimmering with golden lightning.
These fruits grew in places where lightning frequently struck, absorbing the essence of lightning from Heaven and Earth, making them extremely rare lightning-attributed Materials.
They could not only provide powerful lightning-attributed Spiritual Power but also, when used to refine Puppet Cores and deploy lightning-attributed Puppet Formations, could bestow the Puppet with the attack and defense power of thunderous might, allowing it to move like lightning across the battlefield, invincible.
...
The more than a dozen high-rank Spiritual Materials for refining Puppet Cores were mostly sixth and seventh-rank; whether in quality or attribute, they were considered top-grade, each containing unique power and potential.
"So many high-rank Spiritual Materials!
Master, how do you want me to choose?"
Mingyue was slightly stunned, helplessly asking in return.
"Hmm! I also don't know which one is suitable!" Li Mu looked at so many high-rank Spiritual Materials before him, frowning, unsure which to choose.
Mingyue was a Puppet Spirit, with her unique insights into Puppet Art, especially in perceiving the essence and potential of Spiritual Materials, possessing extraordinary sensitivity.
Therefore, Li Mu entrusted the decision-making power to Mingyue, hoping she could select the most suitable core material.
Under the identification of Heavenly Talent, the attributes of more than a dozen high-rank Spiritual Materials were displayed one by one in Li Mu's eyes.
【Star Core】
【Rank: Seventh-Rank Spiritual Material】
【Characteristics: Rich Star Power, Star Transformation, Star Gathering Power, Heavy Star Domain, Flowing Starlight】
【Status: Star Essence Contained, Awaiting Star Activation】
【Originated from shattered stars, formed by the extreme energy and mysterious power in the Universe during the fall of stars, containing the endless energy of a falling star, and hiding the most profound secrets and Laws of the Universe.
Its appearance seems ordinary, yet it is like a miniature starry sky, with its Star Essence contained, quietly awaiting someone with Star Power to activate it, unleashing its mighty power capable of shaking stars.
It is an excellent Spiritual Material for refining high-rank Spiritual Artifacts and Puppets.】
【Heavenly Thunder Fruit Core】
【Rank: Seventh-Rank Spiritual Fruit Core】
【Characteristics: Thunderous Roar, Wrath of Heavenly Thunder, Exorcising Evil and Dispelling Demons, Source of Heavenly Thunder, Contained Thunder Domain.】
【Status: Electric Glow Hidden, Thunder Spirit Contained】
【The fruit core of the Heavenly Thunder Fruit, produced by the seventh-rank Heavenly Thunder Wood in places where lightning frequently strikes, condensed from the purest lightning power and the wrath of thunder between Heaven and Earth, nurtured for a thousand Years to mature, five hundred Years to blossom, and five hundred Years to bear the Heavenly Thunder Fruit.
Its fruit contains the fatal Heavenly Thunder that shakes Heaven and Earth and dispels evil and demons.
Holding this fruit core allows one to, to a certain extent, control the power of thunder, making it indestructible.
It is a top-grade Spiritual Material for refining Thunder God Soldiers and Thunder Puppet Cores.】
...
Looking at the attributes of more than a dozen magnificent high-rank Spiritual Materials, Li Mu momentarily fell into a dilemma of choice.
These high-rank rare Spiritual Materials were painstakingly accumulated by Li Mu over many Years, precisely so that on this day, he would have options and resources to utilize.
However, to choose the best one from so many Spiritual Materials, Li Mu couldn't help but find it difficult.
Xiao Mingyue stared at the many Spiritual Materials before her for a long time, sensing the attributes of various Spiritual Materials, trying to select one suitable for refining close-combat Puppets.
"Master, use the Heavenly Thunder Fruit Core!
Its thunder power can undoubtedly endow the Puppet with astonishing explosive power and speed, suitable for rapid assault or direct confrontation tactics.
But it's important to note that the thunder power is too fierce; if other parts of the Puppet are not tough enough, they might not be able to withstand it.
It's best to choose Spiritual Materials that match this core to refine the Puppet's torso!" Mingyue pondered for a long time, looking at Li Mu and signaling.
"The Heavenly Thunder Fruit Core, which contains the source of thunder, is undoubtedly the best choice for crafting Puppets into powerful close-combat or long-range output types; their speed and destructive power are not to be underestimated.
However, Puppets refined with them might not be compatible with the Dao Artifacts and Dao Soldiers they are equipped with.
Li Mu frowned, rejecting Mingyue's suggestion.
Li Mu planned to prepare a set of Dao Soldiers and defensive Dao Armor for this batch of seventh-rank Puppets to significantly enhance their combat power.
If the Puppets could not perfectly adapt to these armaments, then their overall combat power would be greatly reduced.
Although the Heavenly Thunder Fruit Core was powerful, its characteristics were too distinct and extreme.
If suitable equipment could not be found to match it, the Puppet's practical combat effectiveness would be severely limited.
"I wonder, Master, what kind of Dao Soldiers do you plan to refine for them?" Hearing Li Mu's plan, Mingyue was slightly stunned, and quickly asked with concern.
Li Mu immediately informed Mingyue of his plan in detail.
"Master, you can make a decision based on the characteristics of these Spiritual Materials, combined with the type of Puppet you wish to create," Mingyue suggested.
"For example, if you want the Puppet to have powerful close-combat abilities and a certain degree of mental interference, then Huiyin Wutan is undoubtedly the first choice; its Yin Sha power can perfectly meet this demand.
And if you value the Puppet's flexibility and adaptability on the battlefield more, the spatial fluctuation characteristic of Xuanlan Ice Crystal can allow the Puppet to strike unexpectedly at critical moments."
Upon hearing this, Li Mu's eyes flickered, seemingly pondering Mingyue's suggestion.
A moment later, Li Mu hesitated: "You have a point, but focusing solely on the power of a single attribute seems somewhat lacking.
What if we could comprehensively consider the Puppet's overall balance and combat style, creating a batch of all-rounder Puppet teams?"
Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in Mingyue's eyes, and she quickly said: "Master, you want an all-rounder Puppet team!
This is not simple, but it's not impossible either.
Perhaps, we can try an innovative method—composite core."
"Composite core?" Li Mu was slightly startled, then showed an interested expression.
"Yes, Master.
We can try to fuse the essences of several Spiritual Materials with different attributes to create a brand new core material.
This way, the Puppet can simultaneously possess the abilities of these attributes, and through precise Puppet Formation regulation, it can also achieve flexible switching and cooperation between different abilities." Mingyue explained.
After listening, Li Mu's brows gradually relaxed, and he praised with interest: "This idea is bold and novel, worth a try.
However, the difficulty of refining a composite core is extremely high, and the design difficulty of the Puppet Formation will also be much greater."
"Yes, Master.
But precisely because it's difficult, it's more challenging, isn't it?" Mingyue smiled slightly, reminding him with a smile.
This plan sounded both bold and challenging; Li Mu's heart stirred, deeply moved by Mingyue's courage and creativity, and he couldn't help but be excited.
In his previous life, Li Mu was engaged in R&D work for intelligent projects in a large factory, proficient in various mechanical designs and automation technologies.
These experiences greatly benefited him in the process of refining Puppets.
Puppet Art, one of the hundred arts of cultivation, had similarities with modern intelligent machinery.
If modern technological knowledge were combined with the Puppet Art of the cultivation world, powerful and efficient Puppets could certainly be created.
The Puppet Formation, one of the key elements of Puppet Art, was the foundation for the Puppet's Formation.
It was the key to bestowing life and power upon the Puppet, similar to electronic circuits; various combinations and arrangements could stimulate different functions and efficiencies.
Li Mu was well-versed in this Dao, and a preliminary concept had gradually formed in his mind.
"Mingyue, your composite core idea is indeed worth a try!"
Li Mu's eyes sparkled with joy; with his Artifact Refining Skill at Major Achievement, refining multi-core type core Materials was not a problem.
"A new Puppet Formation will be inscribed on the basis of the multi-core type core, and at the same time, the Puppet Formation will be designed as multiple independent functional modules, with each module responsible for a specific ability of the Puppet, such as movement, attack, defense, perception, and so on, many functions.
Then, by adjusting the combination and arrangement of different modules, rapid switching and adaptation of the Puppet's combat style can be achieved."
...
However, this would make the difficulty of refining a seventh-rank Dao Realm Puppet extraordinarily high.
Thinking it, Li Mu immediately took out a piece of parchment and, using his Divine Thought as a pen, began to draw the Puppet's design, including defense modules, perception modules, and other functional modules, to ensure the Puppet could handle various complex situations in battle, boldly attempting new Puppet Formation designs.
"Master, your concept is truly brilliant!
Designing the Puppet Formation in this manner, and then combining it with a re-check, this is simply a revolutionary innovation!" Mingyue watched the design drawing Li Mu was creating from the side, her eyes gleaming with excitement, knowing that once this concept was realized, it would have a profound impact on Puppet Art. (End of this chapter)
