Chapter 156
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 156: Mechanical Puppets
This year’s debate at Sunset Peak began as a personal showcase for Zhao Huai’an.
This young cultivator, who had entered the Yunyang Sect’s inner sect through a human hunting case, shone brilliantly on the debate stage.
Not only did he defeat the chief disciple Lu Hong with overwhelming ease, securing a spot among the Top Ten of Sunset Peak, but he also knocked three challengers off the debate stage consecutively, each battle ending in just one strike!
After his stunning display, no one dared to step up and humiliate themselves, allowing Zhao Huai’an to comfortably claim the top position among the Sunset Peak disciples.
His impressive aura and remarkable victories made the following debates seem dull. Though others showcased various spells energetically, they paled in comparison to Zhao Huai’an’s astonishing performance.
By the end, Wang Chen felt like bringing out some seeds to snack on.
To be honest, if he stepped onto the stage, he wouldn’t just defeat one opponent; even more would fall before him.
No wonder people regarded Sunset Peak as a stepping stone for the less capable.
Real elite disciples would not stick around to languish here!
Fortunately, Pang Zitong, whom he had just met, was quite entertaining, preventing Wang Chen from becoming too bored while watching the show.
Pang Zitong was from the distinguished Pang family of the Purple Palace.
As a branch member, and with not particularly high root bone talent, he had been hanging around Sunset Peak for some time.
Yet, Pang Zitong was quite happy with his situation.
He had no great ambitions in cultivation, nor much interest in breaking through to open a house.
Instead, he enjoyed exploring mechanical puppets, like mechanical beasts and puppet dolls.
Mechanical puppets were also one of the arts of cultivation, and Pang Zitong’s biggest wish was to become a great puppet master!
In fact, the Pang family from the Purple Palace had a unique reputation in the field of mechanical puppets.
He could be said to have learned this knowledge from his family.
Wang Chen suddenly became interested. “Brother Pang, do you have any mechanical puppets that can cultivate spirit fields?”
Pang Zitong answered without hesitation, “Of course!”
However, using mechanical puppets for farming spirit fields was not very cost-effective.
First of all, they were expensive to make.
A humanoid mechanical puppet capable of weeding, fertilizing, watering, and pest control would require valuable materials such as hundred-year iron wood, black copper, refined silver, and beast sinew.
Secondly, using them daily required spirit stones, and like magic tools, they needed regular maintenance with frequent use.
Due to the high cost, besides a few unique spiritual plant masters, hardly anyone used mechanical puppets for farming.
Why spend so many spirit stones when hiring a few innate experts as servants would be much more beneficial?
After explaining, Pang Zitong curiously asked, “Brother Wang, are you a spiritual plant farmer?”
“Yes,” Wang Chen replied calmly. “I have an estate at the foot of Sunset Peak.”
Many inner sect disciples from prestigious families looked down on spiritual plant farmers, considering them beneath their notice and refusing to engage with them. Wang Chen had been re-establishing his place in the immortal registry at Sunset Peak for some time now, yet no one had ever approached him to curry favor. It was all because of his identity. But Wang Chen didn’t feel that being a spiritual plant farmer made him inferior in any way. Farming was a noble and honorable pursuit!
“Impressive!” Pang Zitong gave Wang Chen a thumbs-up and said, “Brother Wang, if you’re interested in mechanical puppets, I can customize one for you.” His suggestion was intriguing: to create a simplified version of a spirit plant puppet that would retain basic functionality while significantly reducing production costs. This stripped-down mechanical puppet wouldn’t be capable of sustained labor, but it could manage the spirit fields while Wang Chen was in closed-door cultivation or away on missions, ensuring that unexpected events wouldn’t disrupt the harvest. Since it was only meant for emergencies, the cost of use and maintenance would be much lower, making it a practical and economical choice.
Wang Chen’s interest was immediately piqued. “Brother Pang, how many spirit stones would such a mechanical puppet cost?” This suggestion aligned perfectly with his needs!
Pang Zitong asked, “How many acres of spirit fields do you have?” After getting the details, he did some quick calculations and then said with determination, “Brother Wang, I won’t take your Spirit Peaches for free. For a thousand spirit fragments, I’ll help you create the best one possible!” Of course, he meant the best within the budget. Though Wang Chen didn’t know much about mechanical puppets, he was aware that they were far more expensive than most magical tools. Pang Zitong’s offer was incredibly generous!
Pang Zitong added, “Brother Wang, if you can’t come up with that many spirit stones right away, you can pay in installments with spiritual rice or black sesame. No need for extra interest—just throw in some spirit fruit as a bonus.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly, “I have a big appetite and eat more than most.”
With that, Wang Chen had no objections. He nodded and said, “Thank you, Brother!” His estate produced over ten thousand pounds of spiritual rice each season, and even with Yuan Yuan, they couldn’t possibly consume it all. Trading some for a spirit plant puppet was undoubtedly a great deal!
“Hehe,” Pang Zitong rubbed his belly and smiled. “No need to be polite—we both benefit.” By helping Wang Chen create a spirit plant puppet, even at cost price, he could still find ways to turn a profit. For instance, he could use materials from his family’s allocation. More importantly, skills are honed through practice. Without crafting hundreds of mechanical puppets, how could he ever achieve mastery? Once the terms were settled, both parties were satisfied.
Meanwhile, the peak debate at Sunset Peak was drawing to a close. The elder from the Purple Palace overseeing the event saw that no more disciples were stepping forward, so he announced an adjournment, inviting everyone to return the next day. Typically, the peak debate lasted three days, with a series of contests determining the Top Ten Disciples who would represent Sunset Peak in the Nine Peaks Discussion. But this year, it seemed the debate would conclude much sooner. The reason was clear: all the true disciples of Sunset Peak had been utterly overshadowed by Zhao Huai’an. His meteoric rise had reduced the other young talents to mere supporting characters!
Sure enough, the next morning, Wang Chen returned to the venue. He barely had time to snack on a few seeds before the debate hastily resumed—and just as quickly ended. Zhao Huai’an emerged as the biggest winner, not only securing a spot among the Top Ten Disciples but also claiming the position of chief true disciple, which had previously belonged to Lu Hong. His dominance was unparalleled, leaving countless Sunset Peak disciples grinding their teeth in frustration, yet powerless to challenge him.
To be honest, Wang Chen could no longer see through Zhao Huai’an. In just a few months, his cultivation level had soared to the Qi Training ninth level, and his combat prowess far surpassed that of his peers. Pang Zitong whispered to Wang Chen, “Someone like him will either soar to unimaginable heights or crash like a shooting star.” Wang Chen couldn’t agree more. But whether Zhao Huai’an soared or fell, it had nothing to do with him!
