Chapter 78: Corpse Puppets!

The sudden arrival of two unfamiliar women on the Life-and-Death Stage made the scalps of many onlookers go numb.

“Heavens, who are they? What terrifying physical strength!”

“There is not a single ripple of spiritual Qi coming from them. Furthermore, their expressions look incredibly strange: what is going on?”

“Ever since Liu Ruyan arrived, these two women have been by her side. They are not from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect: could they be from the Blood Moon Holy Land?”

“To crack the surface of the stage with pure physical power alone… their combat strength must be horrific! Are they body-tempering cultivators?”

The crowd engaged in a flurry of startled discussions, their eyes fixed on the stage as they speculated about the women’s identities. Right then, a sharp exclamation rang out from the crowd, sounding particularly jarring.

“It is actually… they are Corpse Puppets!”

As the voice rang out, many eyes turned toward the source. The speaker was none other than Wang Min.

For the past several days, Wang Min had remained within the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. She had completely broken ties with Elder Chi Yu and stood as an irreconcilable enemy to Yang Dianfeng and Liu Ruyan. After secretly joining the Holy Tabernacle, she had been cultivating and healing her wounds.

After having an arm severed by the combined efforts of Liu Ruyan and Yang Dianfeng, her combat strength could no longer return to its peak. Especially after killing Ji Yaoyue, she had not dared to show her face much. But seeing the two women on the stage now, she immediately recognized them as Corpse Puppets: combat machines refined by Elder Chi Yu herself.

“What? Those two women are actually Corpse Puppets?”

“So that is it! No wonder their movements are so stiff: they are not even human!”

“To crack the stage with a single step… the combat power of these puppets must be comparable to the peak of the Jindan Realm!”

Even the high-ranking officials of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect felt a surge of shock in their eyes.

“Liu Ruyan, I did not expect Elder Chi Yu to actually give you puppets she refined herself!” Wang Min stepped forward, her voice carrying across the entire plaza. “The combat power of these two puppets is enough to match the peak of the Jindan Realm! And if the two of them join forces, they can likely contend with an expert at the first transformation of the Purple Mansion Realm!”

This revelation sent a wave of shock through the entire audience! Even Lu Jin’s expression turned somewhat surprised. He looked at Liu Ruyan, his brow furrowing as he let out a cold laugh.

“I did not expect you to bring back two non-human things from the Blood Moon Holy Land. However, Liu Ruyan, do you truly think these toys can save you from your fate?”

A thick wave of murderous intent surfaced in Liu Ruyan’s eyes. With these two Corpse Puppets, her confidence was absolute. “These puppets are enough to turn the entire Ten Thousand Swords Sect upside down! Lu Jin, today is the day you die. Even the Sect Master cannot stop me!”

Lu Jin smiled. With his current combat strength, fighting an early-stage Purple Mansion Realm expert was not a problem. He simply wondered if a frantic battle against these tireless war machines would be more troublesome.

“Liu Ruyan! Who permitted you to use such things within my Ten Thousand Swords Sect!” Chu Tianxiong suddenly let out a thunderous roar. Fury surged in his eyes, yet he showed not a shred of fear.

“Sect Master!” Liu Ruyan’s voice was freezing, carrying a tone of decisive dominance. “I have already said that on today’s Life-and-Death Stage, I will kill Lu Jin! Even if you intervene, you cannot stop me!”

Boom! Boom!

As Liu Ruyan’s voice fell, the two Corpse Puppets each took several steps forward. Facing Chu Tianxiong, they looked ready for a fight to the death.

“Today, anyone who dares to block me from killing him: I will kill them too!”

Liu Ruyan made her intentions crystal clear. In this life-and-death duel, her only goal was to slay Lu Jin. As for the rebellion of the Peak Masters, she did not even mention it. Perhaps she understood that even with the puppets, she could not yet shake the entire sect. Seeking a secondary goal was a wise move.

“Liu Ruyan, your actions today have already betrayed the sect. Do you think I will spare you?” Chu Tianxiong said with narrowed eyes. These two puppets were not yet enough to threaten him.

“I am now a personal disciple of Elder Chi Yu! If Sect Master Chu does not know better and chooses to openly oppose the Blood Moon Holy Land, I fear you will lead the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to ruin!”

“So, is the Sect Master certain he wishes to interfere?”

Liu Ruyan’s posture was arrogant and resolute. She actually dared to openly challenge the Sect Master!

“Are you threatening me?” Chu Tianxiong raised an eyebrow, a cold laugh escaping his lips. He never expected that Liu Ruyan, who had only been rising for a few years, would dare to speak to him in such a manner.

“It is simply the reality. I ask the Sect Master to weigh the consequences for himself!”

Liu Ruyan’s attitude remained icy, her words carrying an undisguised threat.

“Hahaha… Liu Ruyan, you truly are arrogant! To speak to the Sect Master this way: you truly do not know how the word ‘death’ is written!”

Lu Jin suddenly let out a loud laugh. “Do you truly think that because you are Chi Yu’s disciple and have these two puppets, you are invincible? Since you are so conceited, I ask the Sect Master to give her a chance: let this disciple personally send her to the Yellow Springs!”

Lu Jin’s voice was filled with disdain. Since Liu Ruyan was so ignorant of the height of the heavens, he did not mind letting her experience the taste of being trampled before he finished her off.

Chu Tianxiong nodded upon hearing this and said no more.

“Hmph. Lu Jin, even without using the Corpse Puppets, I can still kill you! Go to hell!”

Liu Ruyan wasted no more words. As her voice fell, her aura exploded. The black sword she had used previously condensed once more. A horrific aura swept out in waves as she lunged forward with a sudden thrust!

The spiritual Qi rolled like a gale; the sword strike surged like a dragon! Many disciples felt their scalps tingle once more.

“This move is still not enough!”

Lu Jin watched the incoming black sword with an indifferent gaze. Previously, against the same attack, he had feigned retreat. But now that Peak Master Pang and the other traitors had been captured, there was no longer any need to act.

However, he did not counterattack immediately. Instead, he stood his ground, crossing his arms with a gaze full of contempt. A thin, cicada-wing layer of dragon scales appeared on the surface of his body.

“What? Senior Brother Lu Jin isn’t dodging or counter-attacking?”

“He is being too careless! You cannot underestimate the enemy!”

“That thin defense: it probably won’t even withstand a single sliver of sword Qi!”

Seeing Lu Jin’s actions, many disciples let out cries of alarm. The contrast between the two sides was stark: one was like a raging tidal wave, while the other was like a solitary boat. It was truly impossible to fathom.

In the crowd, Long Xiwei had already moved to the edge of the stage, watching closely and prepared to strike at a moment’s notice.

Boom!

In the next second, before the stunned gazes of the crowd, Liu Ruyan’s massive black sword hacked down with a frantic, destructive force that made everyone’s skin crawl.

However, what happened next left everyone speechless..

Footnotes:

Corpse Puppets: These are essentially biological golems. The fact that they can threaten a Purple Mansion Realm expert suggests they have been refined with extremely rare materials or high-level corpses.