Chapter 311: Implanting a Bean Into a Puppet

"The construction of this immortal puppet is more complex than I anticipated. I thought that I would be able to forcibly alter its internal makeup with the assistance of the lightning array, but it didn't quite work out that way," Daoist Xie sighed.

"Don't worry about it, it was just an idea, and there's no need to try and force the issue. If the opportunity arises, I'll be sure to find you a suitable puppet in the future," Han Li replied with a shake of his head.

"I suppose we have no choice but to accept this outcome. Having said that, this was not an entirely fruitless endeavor. Even though I wasn't able to modify the puppet, I've examined every single part of it in meticulous detail during the past 200 years.

“If you so wish, you can spend 1,000 years or so cultivating a suitable earth-attribute cultivation art, and I'm confident that I can make it so that you can use 60% of the puppet's power. It won't be its full mid-Golden Immortal Stage power, but it'll definitely be more formidable than the average early-Golden Immortal cultivator," Daoist Xie said.

"You were a complete immortal puppet in the past, so I naturally trust your expertise in the art of puppetry, but let's discuss this matter another time," Han Li replied in an ambiguous manner.

While it was true that being able to control an early-Golden Immortal Stage puppet would've been a great asset, he didn't have time to consider this matter for the time being.

Even though he was in the Blaze Dragon Dao, his safety wasn't guaranteed, so he couldn't just go into seclusion for thousands of years at a time like other immortals. On top of that, the Mantra Axis Scripture and the Great Universe Origin Arts were more suitable cultivation arts for him to pursue, so he naturally had to prioritize them.

"Also, during this process, I discovered a hint of origin lightning power in the clam bead, so I attempted to refine it, and it replenished quite a bit of the energy in my core," Daoist Xie continued.

"That's fine, that thing wasn't very useful to me anyway. In that case, there's no longer any need for this array to continue to function, right?" Han Li asked as he cast his gaze toward the lightning array on the ground.

Daoist Xie shook his head in response, and Han Li swept a sleeve through the air to release a burst of azure light that disassembled the entire array.

Meanwhile, Daoist Xie raised its pair of pincers before crossing them in front of itself, and a bolt of purple lightning instantly shot forth to strike the yellow-robed puppet.

A crisp crack rang out from the puppet, and it reverted back into a yellow ball amid a flash of dazzling yellow light. Immediately thereafter, Daoist Xie also reverted back into a golden ball, and both balls were promptly stowed away by Han Li.

……

Around two hours later.

A streak of azure light descended onto a white stone plaza on a mountain near the High Profound Palace, then faded to reveal none other than Han Li.

He made his way to the end of the plaza, and a large expanse of courtyards appeared before him. On the plaque that hung above the large red gate at the center were inscribed the words "Hundred Wine Cottage" in free-flowing characters, and he couldn't help but be amused whenever he saw the wobbly characters on the plaque.

No matter how he looked at them, they always resembled a bunch of drunkards leaning on one another for support.

Before he reached the entrance of the cottage, the gate was opened from the inside, and a pair of azure-robed servants emerged, carrying a large black urn between them.

The two of them were familiar with Han Li, and they immediately set down the large urn before extending a collective respectful salute to him.

Han Li could smell a faint sour odor coming from the black urn, and he asked, "What is it that you're carrying?"

"These are some distillers grains that have gone bad, and Elder Hu Yan instructed us to tip them into a creek in the mountains," one of the azure-robed servants replied.

Han Li nodded in response, then stepped around the pair of servants and made his way into the cottage.

He had only just passed through the corridor in the front yard and made his way into the main hall when he spotted Elder Hu Yan emerging from the inner courtyard.

To his surprise, Elder Hu Yan's hair was impeccably groomed, and his clothes were also in pristine condition. Even his stride lengths had increased slightly compared with before, and he couldn't help but wonder what could've happened in the past 200 years that had brought on these changes.

"You must have the nose of a dog! I only just finished brewing several jars of Hundred Flower Wine, and you've already sniffed it out! You came at just the right," Daoist Hu Yan declared with a wide smile.

"Are you celebrating something, Senior?" Han Li asked.

Daoist Hu Yan faltered slightly upon hearing this, then scoffed, "Why do you think that? Are you thinking to yourself that there's no way someone as stingy as me would offer you wine unless there's something I'm celebrating?"

Han Li merely smiled and offered no response.

Daoist Hu Yan also smiled as he gestured for Han Li to come in. "Take a seat."

After both of them had sat down, Daoist Hu Yan swept a hand through the air, and a white jade flagon and a pair of peony cups appeared on the table.

He picked up the flagon and tipped it slightly to the side, and a stream of light azure wine instantly came flowing out of the spout and into the cup, while an intoxicating floral aroma began to waft through the air.

Han Li's eyes immediately lit up upon catching a whiff of this aroma, and Daoist Hu Yan was very pleased to see this reaction.

"Give it a taste."

Han Li did as he was told, picking up his cup before taking a small sip, and his mouth was instantly filled with a sweet and aromatic flavor that wasn't harsh on the mouth in the slightest.

"This is exceptional wine!" Han Li praised after swallowing the wine in his mouth, and a proud smile appeared on Daoist Hu Yan's face upon hearing this.

"This is indeed a fine wine, but its flavor is lacking compared with the Red Mulberry Wine and the Fire Drop Wine, so it's rather unlike the wines that you normally enjoy," Han Li remarked.

"This wine was brewed for someone else, not for me to drink," Daoist Hu Yan explained with a smile.

"Oh? Is it for Dao Lord Yun?" Han Li asked in a seemingly casual voice.

Daoist Hu Yan's smile stiffened slightly upon hearing this, and he put on an angry façade as he stowed the flagon away. "Just keep your mouth shut and drink your wine!"

Han Li smiled and offered no response.

All of a sudden, Daoist Hu Yan's expression changed ever so slightly, and he remarked, "I didn't notice it earlier, but your aura has become a lot more powerful than before. It seems like you've been working hard!"

"I just so happened to encounter some strokes of fortune, and I went into seclusion for a while as well. I came to visit you as soon as I came out of seclusion," Han Li replied with a smile.

"It must've been quite a significant stroke of fortune for you to have made such significant progress in just a few centuries! Also, why have you come to visit me? You're not the type to do things that won't work to your benefit, so you must have something to ask of me, right?" Daoist Hu Yan asked.

"You know me very well, Senior. I came to you because for some reason, the primary bean that I planted produced two primary bean flowers, which is at odds with what's stated in the book that you gave me, so I decided to come and consult you about it," Han Li replied with a serious expression.

"Two primary bean flowers?" Daoist Hu Yan exclaimed with an incredulous expression.

Han Li's brows furrowed slightly at the sight of his reaction, and he hurriedly asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Wrong? Things couldn't be less wrong! Generally speaking, a Dao Warrior Tree will only have a 50% chance of sprouting a primary bean flower, but not only has yours sprouted a primary bean flower, it's sprouted two! It's not that this has never happened before, but it's extremely unlikely. How are you so lucky? I'm beginning to get a little envious of you," Daoist Hu Yan said as he picked up the red wine gourd strapped to his waist before taking a swig of its contents.

Han Li was quite relieved to hear this. He had already guessed that this was most likely a positive development, and he was completely reassured after receiving confirmation from Daoist Hu Yan.

He knew that this was most likely a result of the spirit liquid that had been used to water the primary bean rather than just a matter of dumb luck, but he naturally wasn't going to reveal that to Daoist Hu Yan.

All of a sudden, a thought occurred to him, and he asked, "If a Dao Warrior Tree doesn't sprout a primary bean flower, doesn't that mean it won't be able to produce another Dao Warrior Tree?"

"That's right. Do you think primary beans are that easy to obtain? In the field of Dao Warrior planting, the continuation of primary beans has always been a major problem. Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I explained this to you," Daoist Hu Yan harrumphed.

"In that case, it looks like I'm in luck," Han Li chuckled.

Daoist Hu Yan rolled his eyes at Han Li before taking another swig of wine.

Han Li paid no heed to Daoist Hu Yan as he mused in an excited voice, "If I plant both primary beans, after a couple of centuries, I'll be able to develop twice the number of Dao Warriors!"

"If I were you, I definitely wouldn't waste those primary beans by simply planting them," Daoist Hu Yan interjected.

Han Li faltered slightly upon hearing this, then asked, "Why would that be a waste, Senior?"

"If you can maintain this streak of luck, then just a single primary bean would be enough for you to nurture more Dao Warriors. As for the other one, you may as well keep it, and if you ever come across a high-grade puppet, you can implant it into that puppet," Daoist Hu Yan explained in a meaningful voice.

"Primary beans can be implanted into puppets?" Han Li asked with a surprised expression.

"Some Dao Warriors are puppets to begin with. As long as the attributes are matching, a primary bean can be integrated into a puppet, and after that, the puppet will gain many characteristics of Dao Warriors, such as the ability to regenerate severed limbs.

“As long as the core remains intact, the puppet will be virtually indestructible, and due to the fact that these puppets will have runes inscribed upon them from the primary bean integration process, even if it they fall into the hands of others, no one else will be able to use them," Daoist Hu Yan explained.

Han Li immediately thought of the yellow-robed immortal puppet upon hearing this, and he said, "That sounds incredible! Would you be able to impart the integration method upon me, Senior?"

"Why? Could it be that you already have an immortal puppet in your possession?" Daoist Hu Yan asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Han Li's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Of course not, but it can't hurt to be prepared. What if I am fortunate enough to come into possession of an immortal puppet in the future?"

"You sure do like to cover all of your bases. The integration method isn't exactly a secret, so I can bestow it upon you, but... I can't just let you have it for free," Daoist Hu Yan said as a sly gleam flashed through his eyes.