"Fellow Daoist, you have a keen eye. Indeed, this is a first-tier low-grade enchanted artifact."

Giving an enchanted artifact as a meeting gift? How generous. I like you two already!

Murong Qinglian and Qin Liangchen watched as Luo Chen fiddled with the wooden puppet, unable to resist its charm. He tried infusing it with enchanting power, but the puppet remained motionless.

Murong Qinglian covered her mouth and laughed softly. "This is a puppet-type enchanted artifact. Ordinary traction techniques won’t work—you need a specific incantation to control it."

"A puppet enchanted artifact?" Luo Chen asked, intrigued.

"Yes, Fellow Daoist. Listen closely—'Divine with spirit, spirit resides in objects, harmony is achieved…'"

Under Murong Qinglian’s guidance, Luo Chen quickly grasped the fundamentals of puppet control techniques.

First, he infused the puppet beast with spirit power, then activated the spirit consciousness buried deep within his soul.

However, at the Qi-Refining Realm, spirit consciousness couldn’t leave the body directly—it could only be transmitted through spiritual energy as a medium.

Suddenly—

Click!

The tiny pangolin took a step forward.

Luo Chen's face lit up with joy. With a thought, the pangolin began to crawl step by step.

At first, it moved sluggishly, then steadily, and finally, it began darting swiftly around the courtyard.

"Fun! This is so entertaining!" Luo Chen exclaimed. "I used to scoff when people compared puppet techniques to the Four Arts of Cultivation. Now it seems they truly live up to their reputation! This is practically a feat of creation!"

Luo Chen kept praising it. With another thought, the tiny pangolin climbed up onto his shoulder.

When he turned his head, he noticed Qin Liangchen and his wife staring at him in astonishment.

"Impressive, boy. Your spirit consciousness foundation is unexpectedly strong!"

Once again, Qin Liangchen was amazed by his young neighbor.

First, it had been Luo Chen's extraordinary agility. Now it was his spirit consciousness foundation, which far exceeded that of others in the same realm.

Luo Chen, however, was puzzled. "Spirit consciousness foundation?"

Murong Qinglian nodded at him. "All beings possess spirit and are born with soul. When humans step onto the path of cultivation, they develop spirit consciousness. At the Qi-Refining Realm, spirit consciousness resides in the sea of consciousness and cannot extend outward. Once one reaches Foundation Establishment, the spirit consciousness can leave the body, illuminating an area spanning several li. Should one achieve the Great Dao of the Golden Core, the spirit consciousness evolves into divine consciousness, capable of reflecting the heavens and earth."

Spirit soul, spirit consciousness, divine consciousness.

Luo Chen quietly mulled over these terms.

He had heard bits and pieces before, but only now did he truly understand the intricate connection between the three.

"But how did you determine that my spirit consciousness foundation is strong?"

Luo Chen still found it puzzling.

According to them, spirit consciousness at the Qi-Refining Realm couldn't leave the body. How could they assess its strength?

This time, it was Qin Liangchen who explained.

"Indeed, the strength of low-tier cultivators' spirit consciousness cannot be directly measured, but external behavior can provide clues. The simplest way is through puppet control."

"Interestingly, we only learned this trick during our recent trip."

Qin Liangchen spoke proudly. "My son joined the Luoyun Sect, which is renowned for its puppet techniques in the Jade Cauldron Domain. They have their own methods for evaluating and training spirit consciousness. When we sent him off to the sect, my wife and I tried them out as well.

"For instance, how quickly one masters a first-tier puppet beast, the maximum control duration, and the puppet's running speed—all these can offer glimpses into the foundation of spirit consciousness."

Murong Qinglian nodded in agreement and added, "Exactly. It's said that within the Luoyun Sect, there are annual puppet beast races, with generous rewards for the winners."

Puppet Beast Races!

Luo Chen's eyes lit up as soon as he heard this.

The pangolin's running speed, which he had just tested, was nearly on par with a mid-stage Qi-Refining cultivator using the Wind-Control Seal at full force.

And that was even with his current lack of skill.

If someone designed a puppet specifically for running, wouldn't its performance rival the physical prowess of a demonic beast?

However, after the excitement, he felt a tinge of melancholy. Life in a sect was truly colorful and vibrant, but sadly, it wasn't a path he could tread.

Qin Liangchen’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"With the speed at which you just mastered control and the pace at which the pangolin puppet ran, Fellow Daoist your spirit consciousness foundation far surpasses what my wife and I demonstrated back in the day.

"It's said that Foundation Establishment cultivators typically extend their spirit consciousness about two li at the early realm."

Murong Qinglian added with a tone of respect, "If you advance to Foundation Establishment, your initial spirit consciousness range might reach four or five li."

I'm actually this amazing?!

Luo Chen chuckled sheepishly, already guessing the reason in his mind.

Either it was the perks of being a transmigrator. Or perhaps it was because he had overcome a Heart Tribulation recently, which had significantly improved his mental clarity.

Now, even refining two batches of pills a day didn't leave him feeling drained.

Luo Chen asked curiously, "You mentioned that the Luoyun Sect not only evaluates spirit consciousness but also has methods to train it. How exactly is that done?"

"We're not sure about that," Murong Qinglian said with a helpless shake of her head. "We've only heard that the stronger someone's spirit consciousness, the more and stronger puppets they can control. Maybe the training method involves controlling more puppets."

Qin Liangchen pouted. "Puppet beasts are ridiculously expensive. We bought a few first-tier ones to bring back as special gifts, and even that cost us a fortune in spirit stones."

"You've gone to such trouble." Luo Chen said as he reluctantly handed the pangolin back.

"Ah, we don't need it back. No need to be so polite," Qin Liangchen said as he waved dismissively. "When my son becomes a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I'll have as many as I want."

Whenever this rugged man mentioned his son, Xiaohu, a proud glint always appeared on his face.

Murong Qinglian was no different, her expression radiating maternal pride.

She smoothed out her skirt and rose gracefully. "I’ll head back and clean up first. You two chat. I’ll call you for dinner later."

Another free meal?

"That's a bit much. I've got some braised powder boar legs simmering in my pot," Luo Chen said shyly.

Qin Liangchen burst into laughter. "Didn't expect you to cook, boy, though I bet it doesn't taste great. Don't be shy with my wife; bring over your braised powder boar, and we'll eat it together."

"Well, It'd be impolite to refuse," Luo Chen said.

After Murong Qinglian went inside, Qin Liangchen stayed in the courtyard, chatting with Luo Chen.

Qin Liangchen was an open-minded and talkative person, his years of cultivation having broadened his horizons. After a trip to the culturally distinct Luoyun Sect, he had even more stories to share. Fortunately, Luo Chen's curiosity made him the perfect listener.

The two exchanged words and laughter, feeling like kindred spirits who had met too late in life.

"If not for Old Man Mi’s urgent letter, we’d have toured Huyun Mountain at least once. But now, this nonsense about a life-and-death battle? Are these people just too full and bored?"

Qin Liangchen grumbled and cursed as he talked about the reason for their return, sparing no mercy for the so-called Old Man Mi, who became the target of his colorful tirade.

To someone unfamiliar, he might have sounded like he was ranting about an ordinary nobody. However, Luo Chen knew better. The Old Man Mi he was talking about was, in fact, a genuine Foundation Establishment powerhouse and the current leader of the Poshan Gang.

Surprised, Luo Chen asked, "Brother Qin, are you going to fight on behalf of the Poshan Gang?"

Qin Liangchen snorted in annoyance. "Of course, I have to help! Back when I didn't even have enough to eat, Old Man Mi gave me a warehouse guard job out of kindness. I was only at the second stage of Qi-Refining then. Now that he's in trouble, I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Luo Chen hadn't expected this at all. It was bad enough that his own big brother, Wang Yuan, was participating in the death match.

And now even Brother Qin, whom he had just started getting close to, was joining the fight.

What kind of mess is this?!

After thinking for a moment, he decided to give a small warning.

"Brother Qin, I fear the Poshan Gang might find it hard to beat the Dajiang Gang this time. The dangers involved—please consider them carefully."

Qin Liangchen glanced at Luo Chen and fell silent for a moment.

Then, with a dismissive wave, he brushed off the concern.

"It's just how things are. No danger is worse than when I went into the mountains to hunt demonic beasts at the fourth stage of Qi-Refining. Old Man Mi explained this death match clearly. Isn't it just the Lianyun Trade Alliance pulling strings behind the scenes?

"No more talking. We'll crush them, and that'll be the end of it."