Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master - Chapter 1511

Chapter 1511: Chapter 621: Tan Zhu’s Resolve_2

Ning Zhuo wants to take it slow.

High-ranking cultivators could see it, and Tan Zhu was among them.

“This young man is astonishingly talented, with a clever mind, capable of leveraging the Flowing Gold Guest to build momentum, using debtors to establish a village, and ensnaring five Nascent Souls, numerous Golden Cores, and genius Foundation Establishment cultivators into this newly woven web. It’s truly remarkable for someone at Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage to achieve this.”

But here is the Myriad Images Sect.

Here is Flowing Cloud Peak.

An outsider at Foundation Establishment suddenly gaining power indeed caught many off guard.

But being caught off guard doesn’t mean their reactions will remain slow.

“How could we let you take it slow?” Tan Zhu murmured softly, a touch of rough sarcasm in his voice, “You want to use the Flowing Gold Guest to understand Flowing Cloud Peak, we will use the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar to force you to act. You want to integrate Nanming Village, we will make Nanming Village rush ahead prematurely.”

The light from the copper lamp flickered softly.

Wisp after wisp of purple-black smoke emerged from Tan Zhu’s body, slowly condensing into thin threads. The threads danced in the air like tiny ink snakes.

“Over at Chun Yangzi’s side, Peak Master Wang Yu has long had influence.”

“The entire Nanming Village has already become a pawn for my Danxia Peak.”

“It’s laughable, these people still don’t realize.”

Tan Zhu suddenly began to cough again.

This time, he coughed for longer.

His lean shoulders shook slightly, purple-black smoke leaked from his fingers, landed at the edge of the Black Stone Cushion, and etched fine lines into the stone surface.

It took him a while longer to regain his composure.

He raised his hand and wiped a dark mark from the corner of his lips.

The copper lamp illuminated his face.

On his pale, dull face, there was no fear, only a kind of near-numb exhaustion.

His time is running short.

He understood this better than anyone.

His lifespan was like sand about to run out.

The remnants of poison technique were like a fire burning to its roots.

How long Tan Zhu could sustain this identity, he was uncertain. Perhaps a month, perhaps several months, or maybe right after the battle at the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar, it would all end.

“Really wish time would move slower,” Tan Zhu said softly.

As these words left his lips, the coldness, calculation, and loyalty in his eyes faded for a moment, leaving only a deep regret.

He lifted his gaze towards the direction outside the cavern, his eyes seemed to penetrate.

Beyond the sea of clouds, where the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar was located, a faint red-golden halo lay in the night, like a sunrise about to emerge from the clouds.

“At least…”

“Let me see the moment when the Nanming Fire Furnace is restored?”

Tan Zhu slowly closed his eyes, the purple-black smoke retracted beneath his robes.

Inside the stone cave, the copper lamp swayed lightly.

The next day.

At the perimeter of the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar, cloud qi was like tides, and inside a cavern temporarily reconstructed on the mountainside, the atmosphere had reached a peak tension.

Representatives from the Territorial Expansion Alliance and White Cloud Village sat on opposite sides.

From the Territorial Expansion Alliance came Qiu Lei. This person was burly, with a dark yellow complexion and square face, sitting as steadfast as a long-unmovable rock.

From White Cloud Village came You Yunshou. His hair and beard were white, clad in a wide robe, with a gentle demeanor, cloud qi coiling around his sleeves.

Qiu Lei spoke in a deep voice: “There are three cloud roots and two hidden yang fire veins beneath this place, which my Territorial Expansion Alliance has surveyed, groomed, and suppressed for years. The three Stabilizing Vein Copper Wedges within the Locking Yang Well were forged at great cost. Without our efforts here, the place would have been scattered by cloud fire, and where would be the rising sun cloud phenomenon today?”

You Yunshou laughed lightly: “Fellow Daoist Qiu, your words are mistaken. This place originally fell under the jurisdiction of Flowing Cloud Ferry in White Cloud Village. The passing cloud road, cloud boats, and cloud beasts were all under our village’s care. Your Territorial Expansion Alliance secretly occupied the land for years, taking without asking, arraying without notice, and now claims this land as yours, isn’t it rather domineering?”

Behind Qiu Lei, a Territorial Expansion Alliance Golden Core cultivator sneered: “White Cloud Village held the cloud path for years, only collecting passing spirit stones. Did you even glance at the changes beneath the earth veins? Without our Territorial Expansion Alliance, this place would remain a mere ordinary Cloud Waist Cliff.”

A white-robed cultivator from White Cloud Village immediately flicked his sleeve: “White Cloud Village defended this ferry three times, repelled beast tides and resisted cloud tides. This place remains stable today thanks to our village’s reputation and fists, not something your few copper wedges can erase.”

Qiu Lei raised his eyes: “Speaking of fists, our Territorial Expansion Alliance isn’t weak either. Spirit Locking Array, Sinking Vein Disc, Mountain Moving Earth Puppet, can’t each suppress a portion of the mountain waist? When Thunder Cloud Association attempted to break the southeastern cloud root with heavenly tribulation, who finally stabilized the earth veins?”

You Yunshou’s sleeve-coiling cloud qi rolled, his tone remained slow, but his eyes grew colder: “White Cloud Village also has Cloud Cutting Sail, Inconstant Cloud Boat, Scattering Cloud Formation. If we really strike, who will sink first, remains unknown.”

Words failed, tension rose, cultivators behind each side readied magic artifacts, spirit light flashed from sleeves.

At this tense moment, a wisp of purple-black smoke slowly descended from the sea of clouds above.

At first, no one noticed.

Because there was too much cloud qi, too many mist shadows on Flowing Cloud Peak. Yet when that wisp of purple-black smoke landed above the cloud platform, the surrounding white clouds seemed to be stained by ink, quietly clearing a circle of space. Sunlight shone down, revealing a thin silhouette standing still in the air.

Tan Zhu!

His purple-black robe was lightly stirred by the wind, his figure as frail as a scattering smoke shadow. Yet he stood in midair, with no cloud to support him, no attendant accompanying him, but that trailing poison smoke ensured the entire cavern fell quiet.

Qiu Lei’s expression darkened.

You Yunshou’s pupils contracted.

The other cultivators stirred restlessly.

Before any could speak, Tan Zhu had already opened his mouth.