Invincible

Chapter 250: Controlling the Giant Puppets

And so, Huang Xiaolong stayed in Du Xin and Deng Guangliang’s mansion and started cultivating.

For the time being, Huang Xiaolong was in no rush to take over and control the Sky Magi Sect. At times like these, it was never a good idea to rush, even if he wanted to. Otherwise, it would only make matters worse, causing him to fall flat on his face instead.

Huang Xiaolong needed to first restore his spiritual force after branding the soul marks on Du Xin and Deng Guangliang, it had consumed most of his spiritual force.

Seven days passed quickly.

Over the last seven days, everything went on as usual within the mansion.

Due to the stern warning from Huang Xiaolong on the first day, none of the servants dared to speak of him to outsiders or have hushed discussions amongst themselves. Thus, Huang Xiaolong’s arrival escaped the attention of Chen Xiaotian and Geng Ken of the Sky Magi Sect.

This gave Huang Xiaolong time to cultivate the Ancient Puppetry Technique and Soul Mandate in peace.

Seven daysㅡit was enough for Huang Xiaolong to fully recover from his overdrawn spiritual force, and it even became stronger, which made Huang Xiaolong notice a crucial point. Cultivating to restore spiritual force after exhaustion actually helped his spiritual force to grow faster.

This discovery made Huang Xiaolong elated.

With his spiritual force abundant again, Huang Xiaolong entered the third layer of the Linglong Treasure Pagoda and approached the sacrificial altar. On the altar, the nineteen supreme looking giant puppets still remained seated in the same meditative pose.

Although Huang Xiaolong had reached the first level of the Ancient Puppetry Technique, giving him the ability to brand other living beings with a soul mark, he had yet to try manipulating any one of these nineteen giant puppets.

Now that Huang Xiaolong aimed to take over the Sky Magi Sect, it highly increased his chances if he succeeded in controlling these giant puppets as his aides.

Walking up to the sacrificial altar, Huang Xiaolong looked at the puppet in the front row that was the furthest away from him, on the left corner.

According to the ancient Linglong Tribe’s writings on the sacrificial altar, one must follow a specific order if they wished to activate and control these puppets. That puppet on the edge of the front row was the first one.

Coming to a stop in front of the first puppet, Huang Xiaolong ran the Ancient Puppetry Art. His sea of consciousness shook as he gathered spiritual force, sending out invisible waves of energy in the form of an imprint that aimed at the giant puppet from the center of its brows, penetrating straight into its ‘mind.’

When Huang Xiaolong’s soul mark entered the puppet’s mind, he was horrified at the absorption force that emerged from inside the puppet. Huang Xiaolong felt his spiritual force being drained, devoured at rapid speed and out of his control.

“This is…?!” Huang Xiaolong paled considerably.

At this rate, his spiritual force was going to be emptied out in less than two minutes. If that happened, Huang Xiaolong would be reduced to an idiot!

Huang Xiaolong ran the Ancient Puppetry Art again, planning to terminate the connection between him and the puppet forcefully, but subsequently, Huang Xiaolong found out he actually couldn’t withdraw or cut the connection using violent force!

“This… why is it like this!”

Just as Huang Xiaolong contemplated if he should strike the giant puppet away, the strong suction whirlpool vanished all of a sudden. For Huang Xiaolong, it felt like he had just gone through an arduous battle for his life. His body swayed, falling to his butt on the altar, heavily gasping for air.

Huang Xiaolong wiped his forehead and cold sweat trickled down his fingers.

Damn, that was close! Huang Xiaolong thought to himself.

While Huang Xiaolong was trying to calm down, the first puppet’s eyes snapped open, two brilliant green lights shone from their depths. Next, the giant puppet slowly got up. Even so, its every action shook the large sacrificial altar.

When these giant puppets were in a sitting posture, Huang Xiaolong had roughly estimated their height to be more than three meters, but when the first giant puppet rose to full height in front of him, it far exceeded Huang Xiaolong’s imagination!

The giant puppet’s height was close to four meters, with a body twice as big as an average human warrior, akin to a small hill.

“Ah Feng greets Master!” After the puppet stood up, it moved closer to Huang Xiaolong and knelt before him in greeting.

Seeing that his first attempt in branding a soul mark into the puppet’s mind was successful, Huang Xiaolong was greatly relieved.   

“Ah Feng?” At this point, some memories entered Huang Xiaolong’s consciousness, related to this particular puppet.

The first puppet’s strength had reached early-Xiantian Sixth Order. However, because it was refined from an ancient giant tribe, its body defense and brute strength were entirely on another level. Therefore, even though it was only an early-Xiantian Sixth Order, this puppet was stronger than two late-Xiantian Sixth Orders like Du Xin and Deng Guangliang put together.

Huang Xiaolong’s eyes lit up.

Nineteen supreme giant puppets. As the order moved towards the back, each puppet’s strength was higher than the one before!

If the first supreme giant puppet was an early-Xiantian Sixth Order, then what about the second and the third one? What extent would their strength reach?

Huang Xiaolong’s heart surged with anticipation.

“Get up.” Huang Xiaolong ordered Ah Feng. Instead of rushing to control the second puppet, Huang Xiaolong sat down and started to restore his nearly depleted spiritual force.

Three days and three nights later, Huang Xiaolong returned to peak form. Once again, he noticed that his spiritual force had grown much stronger after recovering.

The entire time he was recuperating, the first giant puppet, Ah Feng, stood close to Huang Xiaolong, safeguarding him.

After his spiritual force had recovered, Huang Xiaolong came to stand before the second supreme giant puppet. The second puppet seemed to be a female but its appearance was just as intimidating as the first one… and just as huge.

Standing in front of the second giant puppet, Huang Xiaolong once again ran the Ancient Puppetry Art. His spiritual force gathered, transforming into a soul mark as the energy swirled, entering the female puppet’s mind between the brows, just like with the first puppet.

The same strong suction force came from within the female puppet, but this time, having experienced it once, Huang Xiaolong did not panic.

Sometime later, the suction force disappeared just like it did before. However, the amount of spiritual force purloined by the second puppet exceeded the first.

Inferring the situation from this discovery, Huang Xiaolong surmised that, at most, he could control four giant puppets with his current level of spiritual force. Any more than that, his spiritual force would not be able to support if he tried controlling the fifth giant puppet as well.

Gaining the second puppet, Huang Xiaolong spent the next few days restoring his spiritual force, preparing to brand a soul mark into the third giant puppet. The process repeated with the fourth giant puppet and Huang Xiaolong stopped after that.

The first giant puppet was an early-Xiantian Sixth Order, the second puppet was mid-Xiantian Sixth Order, the third puppet a late-Xiantian Sixth Order, whereas the fourth giant puppet was peak late-Xiantian Sixth Order!

Though for the time being, Huang Xiaolong could only manage to control four giant puppets, it was sufficient for his goal.

Bringing these four giant puppets into play, Huang Xiaolong’s plan of taking over the Sky Magi Sect had just become much smoother. Initially, going up against Chen Xiaotian and Geng Ken, he did not have a full grasp of defeating them. However, with these four giant puppets, those two were no longer an issue down the road.

With that, Huang Xiaolong exited the Linglong Treasure Pagoda.

As for the four giant puppets, Huang Xiaolong left them inside the pagoda, where he could easily summon them out from if the need arose.

Appearing out from the Linglong Treasure Pagoda, Huang Xiaolong called for Du Xin and Deng Guangliang, telling them to hold a banquet tomorrow evening and invite their three Junior Brothers.

“Yes, Young Lord!” Du Xin and Deng Guangliang answered respectfully, aware that Huang Xiaolong was prepared to make his move.

Huang Xiaolong’s plan was to control Sky Magi Sect’s Elders firsthand before dealing with Chen Xiaotian and Geng Ken at the end.

When both of them and the Sky Magi Sect Elders were under his control, the Sky Magi Sect would belong to Huang Xiaolong.

Chapter 251: An Impetuous, Death Seeking Slave!

It was a beautiful sunny weather the next day!

Huang Xiaolong was nursing a cup of wine in the mansion’s main hall. Du Xin and Deng Guangliang had both gone out to invite their three Junior Brothers to the planned banquet. Huang Xiaolong believed the two of them could perform this task well.

While Huang Xiaolong was taking pleasure from the wine in his hand, sounds of footsteps and laughter were heard outside the main hall.

“Eldest Senior Brother, you’re too kind to invite us several Junior Brothers personally. Sending a servant to inform us would’ve been enough. Do you think the three of us would dare refuse an invitation from you?”

Listening to these voices, Huang Xiaolong knew Du Xin and Deng Guangliang had returned. The one who had just spoken was one of their Junior Brothers.

“What is Junior Brother saying? Amongst so many disciples, Master favors Junior Brother Lin the most, us two Senior Brothers still need your help to say some good things in front of Master for us!” It was Du Xin who spoke.

“Hehe, no problem.”

Just as that voice ended, Huang Xiaolong saw Du Xin and Deng Guangliang leading three young men wearing Sky Magi Sect Elder’s robes, stepping into the main hall.

Upon entry, the trio saw Huang Xiaolong sitting in the hall, leisurely sipping on wine and could not help feeling dumbfounded.

After a brief moment of gaffe, all three regained their reason.

“Which dog cojones of a slave dares to sit in the master’s main hall drinking wine!” One of them bellowed with anger.

Apparently, he had mistaken Huang Xiaolong for an audacious mansion servant.

“Eldest Senior Brother, isn’t that slave acting too fearlessly? He dared to saunter into the master’s place and drink wine when you were out!” Another one seconded.

“Since it’s like this, this Junior Brother shall teach this impetuous death seeking slave on behalf of two Senior Brothers!” The last of the trio exclaimed righteously and his body blurred away in the next moment, striking a punch towards Huang Xiaolong.

A fist imprint shattered the void, emanating a burst of nauseating smell like that of a rotting corpse that spread inside the hall.

This was the same move that Du Xin and Deng Guangliang had tried to attack Huang Xiaolong with before, on the hill, the Sky Corpse Fist. But this person’s attack power paled significantly compared to Du Xin and Deng Guangliang.

Watching that person aim a punch his way, Huang Xiaolong snickered coldly. According to Du Xin’s description, this person should be Lin Yu, Chen Xiaotian’s most favored disciple.

Lin Yu, a peak-late Xiantian Fifth Order.

Huang Xiaolong watched without moving, waiting until the fist got closer, then he simply lifted a hand and countered with a casual palm strike, clashing against the opponent’s fist head on.

From Huang Xiaolong’s palm strike, a myriad of Buddha statues emerged beneath the floorboards in various appearances. A pure aureate light shone as Buddhism energy brightened the entire hall space, and at the same time, a great spiritual pressure enveloped everyone in the main hall, flooding the four directions.

This was Huang Xiaolong’s self-created battle skill, Earthen Buddha Palm.

The space high above shook violently all of a sudden.

The rest found it hard to believe as they watched the Sky Corpse Fist being crushed under Huang Xiaolong’s palm, and the golden palm, which embodied the multifarious Buddha statues, slamming hard into Lin Yu’s chest.

Lin Yu screamed, his body spun around, crashing into one of the main hall’s stone walls, but not before shattering the wooden door, scattering wood pieces all over the floor.

A deathly silence filled the messy main hall.

The other two, Gao Qing and Wu Honggang’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets watching their Third Senior Brother Lin Yu being smashed to the floor with a blood-stained body.

Third Senior Brother Lin Yu was defeated so pitifully by just one palm strike from a slave?! Their first natural reaction was disbelief, how could a slave be this powerful!

Their subsequent reaction was: this black-haired young man was probably not their Senior Brothers’ mansion slave. It was impossible for a slave to have that kind of strength.

The two couldn’t help but seek confirmation from Du Xin and Deng Guangliang.

“Big Senior Brother, who is this person? Is he also a guest of yours? How dare he injure Senior Brother Lin Yu so heavily!” Gao Qing sounded shocked and angry at the same time.

Before Gao Qing’s words could finish, both of them saw Du Xin and Deng Guangliang approach the black-haired young man with respect, bowing their upper body in salute, greeting: “Young Lord!”

“Young Lord?!” Gao Qing and Wu Honggang were dumbfounded as they stared at Huang Xiaolong.

What did Du Xin and Deng Guangliang call this young man? Young Lord?!

What is happening here?! Neither one of them could figure out the situation fast enough.

“Both of you did well.” Huang Xiaolong spoke a word of praise to Du Xin and Deng Guangliang.

Joy spread across Du Xin and Deng Guangliang’s face hearing Huang Xiaolong’s praise. Quickly bowing again in gratitude, “Many thanks for Young Lord’s praise, this is something we subordinates should do.”

Something we subordinate should do?! Gao Qing and Wu Honggang finally understood what was going on. Both were spitting fire from their eyes as they glowered at Du Xin and Deng Guangliang. Their faces distorted horribly with anger. If they still could not figure out what happened by now, they should just end their lives by jumping off a cliff.

“Du Xin, Deng Guangliang, both of you actually betrayed the Sky Magi Sect, submitting to another master?!” Gao Qing pointed a finger at Du Xin and Deng Guangliang’s noses in an admonishing manner.

These words made Du Xin and Deng Guangliang snicker in satire.

“Young Lord will take over the Sky Magi Sect sooner or later. Not only the Sky Magi Sect, in fact, the entire Black Demon City will soon fall under Young Lord’s hands!” Du Xin sneered, “I advise you three Junior Brothers to kneel down and submit to Young Lord now, swear your allegiance. Otherwise, it would be too late to feel regret later.”

Gao Qing burst into a manic laughter hearing this. A finger pointed at Huang Xiaolong with a face full of contempt, “This little colt wants to take over our Sky Magi Sect? Control the entire Black Demon City?” His laughter reverberated as if it was the funniest joke in the world.

Not only Gao Qing, even Wu Honggang smirked at Du Xin’s proclamation.

The truth was, they couldn’t be blamed for suspecting Huang Xiaolong’s chances in the matter. Their Master, Chen Xiaotian, had sat in the position of Sky Magi Sect’s Sovereign for more than a hundred years and yet had never been able to fully control the sect in his hands. They dared to claim a mere young man could achieve what their Master couldn’t?

As for taking over the Black Demon City, that was akin to an impossible fantasy.

Watching the two snickering in mockery, Huang Xiaolong paid no heed and walked towards them at an unhurried pace.

Noticing Huang Xiaolong coming towards them, Gao Qing and Wu Honggang were startled. It finally dawned on them at this very moment the most crucIal point of all, regardless if Huang Xiaolong could control the Sky Magi Sect and Black Demon City, for now, if Huang Xiaolong wanted their lives, neither one of them was capable of escaping.

As if by agreement, both Gao Qing and Wu Honggang each flicked out a poison pellet in Huang Xiaolong’s direction, and skidded backward, turning into two groups of yellow mist, wanting to escape. But, just as both of them leaped back, they caught sight of Huang Xiaolong, who blurred into multiple images, with numerous illusionary arms coming out of his back.

Two miserable screams echoed as the two were slapped to the ground.

Poof! Blood spurted from their mouths as they raised their heads, looking fearfully at Huang Xiaolong.

What was that battle skill just now?!

Gao Qing and Wu Honggang were not the only ones shocked, Du Xin and Deng Guangliang watching from the side felt cold shivers down their spine.

“I’m giving you one last chance: die, or swear allegiance to me.” Huang Xiaolong’s cold voice rang.

At this moment, Lin Yu, the first person struck by Huang Xiaolong, got up slowly from the floor. Rage colored Lin Yu’s eyes as he glared at Huang Xiaolong and spat the blood in his mouth at him, “Pehh, want us to submit to you? Little punk, who do you think you are, do you dare to kill us off? Don’t expect to leave Black Demon City alive if you lay a finger on us!”

Lin Yu’s fearlessness stemmed from having support behind him, he truly believed that Huang Xiaolong didn’t dare to kill them.

“Really?” A strong killing intent exploded in Huang Xiaolong’s pupils. In one swift action, he had moved beside Lin Yu, two cold lights glinted and vanished just as fast.

Lin Yu clutched at his throat, turning slowly sideways, a finger numbly pointed at Huang Xiaolong. Red, warm blood spurted endlessly out from his throat.

“You, could, could it be…” He still refused to believe, Huang Xiaolong dared to kill him in Black Demon City!