Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 353: Chapter 353. Legacy Treasure of a Master Puppet Maker

Yan Long’s head was hung low. He didn’t dare to speak back.

”Are you sure these are the best of the bunch?” Shi Zi asked.

”Do not worry, old Zi,” Ji Zhi said. ”They may be rough on teamwork, but they are individually competent.”

”Whatever you say, old fart,” Shi Zi said.

”Can you please stop embarrassing me in front of my students?” Ji Zhi complained. The two walked back into the mansion.

”So, is everyone ready to listen to my command?” Sima Fang asked.

”Yes, sir! I mean... Ma’am!” Wu Di exclaimed.

”All right. Now, form a single file!” Sima Fang ordered.

Everyone started arranging themselves into a file, except for Amon. He said, ”Stop wasting my time.”

Sima Fang smiled. She said, ”Friend Lin Mo. Can I trust you to follow my orders when the needs arise?”

Amon replied, ”If your orders are not dumb and don’t put me at a great risk, I don’t mind following.”

Sima Fang chuckled in response. She didn’t show any sign of getting offended. He ordered everyone to enter the mansion. Amon was the last to enter. He intentionally waited until no one was looking. He then called the Thunder Roc out of his black space ring. He entered the mansion with the Thunder Roc.

Everyone was surprised when they saw the Thunder Roc with Amon.

”Where did that come from?” Huang San asked.

”He followed behind the great eagle,” Amon lied.

”Damn! You truly tamed a higher superior spirit beast,” Sima Fang uttered.

They didn’t spend much time admiring Amon’s pet because Shi Zi and Ji Zhi were far ahead already. They resumed walking.

The mansion might look like a luxurious residence from the outside, but inside, it looked more like a factory or a workshop than a dwelling place. Each room was a giant hall with assembly lines filled with complex machinery. Looking at the place, Amon thought that perhaps this world wasn’t too backwater regarding technology.

Battle puppets operated this machinery. Considering the circumstances, it was more appropriate to call them worker puppets. Ji Zhi explained that these worker puppets were of the lowest grade. They were useful only for house chores and labor.

Shi Zi brought his guests to a giant hall that looked different. If the other halls looked like a factory, this hall looked like a laboratory. There were fewer worker puppets here. At the center of the hall was a platform. Atop the platform was a half-constructed battle puppet twice the size of a regular battle puppet.

”Let me tell you what you are all here for,” Shi Zi said.

”Damn it, Old Zi. Have you still not learned about hospitality?” Ji Zhi complained. ”Can’t you treat us with meals and tea and let us rest first? It has been a long way to get here.”

”Nonsense! Time waits for no one. We must work while we can,” Shi Zi said. He then turned to the ten students and squinted his eyes. ”You ten are not pussies who ask for meals and rest when there is work to be done, are you?”

”We are ready to go now if you need,” Sima Fang declared.

”Excellent!” Shi Zi proclaimed. ”Not bad, old fart. I see you don’t make a mistake this time.”

Ji Zhi shook his head. He gave up asking Shi Zi to call him properly.

”Now, let me explain what I need you for,” Shi Zi said. ”First, I will explain my work. I believe the old fart here has informed you about who I am. If he hasn’t, that’s okay. I will tell you now. I’m the best puppet maker in this country. I believe I should be the best in the world, but I am a modest person, so I will settle with the best in this country.”

The students glanced at each other. They were trying their best to shut up and not make a sarcastic remark.

”I have been working on my masterpiece for years,” Shi Zi said as he walked toward the half-built giant battle puppet in the middle of the hall. ”Those idiots in the palace told me it was a waste of time, but I will prove them wrong. Once this battle puppet is operational, it will elevate our kingdom to the top of the world.”

”What battle puppet is this?” Zhuan San asked. Although he knew Shi Zi was expelled from the kingdom because of a massive disagreement with other kingdom puppet makers, he didn’t know the details. Judging from Shi Zi’s words, it had something to do with this giant battle puppet.

”This battle puppet is the best there is. It is the apex of its kind,” Shi Zi answered. ”It uses the best materials this country can offer. From its material alone, it can trouble a Lord Stage cultivator.”

The Lord Stage was the closest to the Demigod Realm. Those who managed to enter the Demigod Realm transcended to the upper world. This meant in the mortal world of Aetheria, Lord Stage cultivators were the strongest. Only a handful of Lord Stage cultivators were publicly known. One of them was the king of Echos, Huang Ti. His cultivation was at the Beginning Lord Stage.

Considering the circumstances, if Shi Zi truly completed this giant puppet and it truly had the power of a Lord Stage cultivator, his claim of elevating the kingdom of Echos was not a boast. It would mean the kingdom instantly gained another cultivator who was among the strongest in this world. Furthermore, if Shi Zi could build one, what would stop him from building more?

”Master Shi Zi, if this is true, you have the Royal Academy’s full support,” Huang San declared.

Shi Zi didn’t know Huang San’s true identity. He was confused as to why this student made such a declaration. He interpreted it as Huang San being a very nationalist citizen. He said, ”Succeed in your mission, and you will have given me all the support I need.”

”Do you wish us to help you build this battle puppet?” Wu Di asked. ”Not all of us are knowledgeable in building battle puppets.”

”Hahaha, very funny,” Shi Zi laughed before spitting on the floor. ”Pah! Who needs you, greenhorns, to help me build battle puppets? You are insulting me by saying that! No, what I need is your brawn and courage. You pathetic rookies don’t have enough qualifications to touch my battle puppets!”

”Dude... You can just say no. No need to go into an insulting rant,” Wu Di complained.

”What I need to complete my apex battle puppet is a power source,” Shi Zi resumed without addressing Wu Di. ”A power source is the main part of the battle puppet that houses its core, which is composed of a series of interconnecting talismans. Normal power sources are not strong enough to generate enough power to move the heavy materials used on this battle puppet. I need a power source strong enough to contest against Lord Strange cultivators.

”I have experimented for decades to produce such a power source but never achieved a breakthrough. My peers said that such a power source is impossible to create. They claimed that I was wasting the kingdom’s resources for unrealistic goals. Well, I say they are a pile of horseshit!”

”Master Shi Zi, can you please speed up your explanation to the part where it has to do with our mission?” Amon said.

When Shi Zi glared at Amon, Amon added, ”As you said, time waits for no one.”

”Hm... I suppose I can’t argue with that,” Shi Zi said. ”Very well! Long story short, I may still not be able to create the power source, but I learned that such a power source existed in the distant past.”

”You want us to look for this power source for you?” Tuang Yin asked.

”No, I have already found it,” Shi Zi answered, which drew questioning eyes from everyone.

Shi Zi gestured for everyone to follow him. At one corner of the hall was a table. On the table was a strange-looking metal box. He twisted a contraption on top of the metal box, and the box opened. The opened part emitted light that coalesced into a portal.

”Oh... I thought the power source was in that box,” Wu Di remarked.

”If he already has it, he won’t be needing us anymore,” Sima Fang said.

”That’s right. I’ve found the power source but haven’t had it,” Shi Zi said. ”This box was a legacy treasure left behind by a master-grade puppet maker. It took me a hell of a long time and great wealth to locate and secure this box. I thought at first I was going to find some precious materials or manuals for puppet making inside, but it turned out the box contained a passage to a sealed pocket world. Inside this pocket world, you will find either a working or a defunct high-tier runic-grade battle puppet.”

”How can you be so sure?” Yan Long asked.

”Because of the notes and records I found in the same room I found this box,” Shi Zi answered.

”I see. So, you want us to go inside this pocket world to fetch this battle puppet for you,” Wu Di said.

”Bring me the battle puppet or its power source,” Shi Zi nodded. ”But I need the high-tier runic grade one. Anything below that will not be enough to power up my apex battle puppet.”

”Why don’t you go in yourself? Or hire someone with high cultivation to fetch the power source?” Wong Cou asked.

”Because there are restrictions for entering this portal,” Shi Zi answered. ”Only those with cultivation at the Intermediate Transformation Stage may enter, and only ten people may enter at a time.”