Chapter 342: Colorful Doll

The Mammothdagon was very reluctant to leave.

Before leaving to go after Ling'er, Wei Tiandi told the Mammothdagon to return to Thunderbolt Stronghold on its own. However, the big guy didn't really want to go, probably because it couldn't bear to part with Chu Liang's berries.

Chu Liang couldn't take the Mammothdagon with him back to Mount Shu, so he left a few boxes of berries and then flew off first.

As for how the big guy would get back to the Thunderbolt Stronghold, Chu Liang left that for the people of Thunderbolt Stronghold to worry about.

The Mammothdagon had always been Huang Ling'er's mount. Nevertheless, its massive size was too conspicuous, so Huang Ling'er hadn't been able to take it with her when she ran away from home. She had only been able to take Hua Hua with her.

Earlier, Huang Ling'er showed that she was a person with much integrity. She had ignored the risk of exposing her whereabouts and summoned the big guy for help during that critical moment. As expected, someone from Thunderbolt Stronghold had followed the Mammothdagon with the intention of taking Huang Ling'er back home.

On top of that, the Thunderbolt Stronghold and the Mount Shu Sect weren't on friendly terms. The Thunderbolt Stronghold and Taotie City, the two strongest sects in the Terrestrial Ten, had always been eyeing the Mount Shu Sect's spot in the Divine Nine, constantly wanting to take over that spot.

Nonetheless, Huang Ling'er didn't seem to care about that. She had known that Chu Liang was a disciple of the Mount Shu Sect, but she had still helped him. Chu Liang would remember that.

After returning to the Mount Shu Sect, Chu Liang told his teacher about this matter.

Di Nufeng got extremely angry and took immediate action. Those who dared to cause trouble for someone from Silver Sword Peak had better not let her catch even a trace of their tracks.

In the next three days, she wiped out all the Inferno Devil Valley's bases that she could find! In total, she took down no more than ten chambers and no fewer than a hundred disciples. Nevertheless, that was a significant loss for the Inferno Devil Valley, which didn't have many disciples.

The members of the Inferno Devil Valley were flabbergasted. At first, they thought it was because their sect's young master had killed Chu Liang, so Di Nufeng was retaliating.

However, they realized later...

Wait. That's not right. Wasn't it our young master who died?

You already killed him, yet you still want to take revenge?

...

As anguished wails rang out all over the Inferno Devil Valley, Chu Liang returned to his little cabin. The first thing he did was shut the door and launch his reward session.

Upon entering the White Pagoda's space, Chu Liang saw the Golden-Core Puppet and the Qi-Circulation Puppet. The sight of them sitting together harmoniously made him feel very content.

"I hope I can give you a new companion."

Chu Liang had once envisioned a scene of multiple Large-Headed Dolls sitting in a row, but he hadn't expected that this day would come so soon.

The iron cells contained the phantoms of hundreds of inferno phoenixes. It was inevitable, as he'd killed an excessive number of inferno phoenixes in the Phoenix Sheep Hidden Realm.

Chu Liang had already refined so many of them into rewards that he had gotten tired. Yet, there were still so many left.

So, he decided to store them there for now and take them out when he needed to use them.

Chu Liang quickly walked to the iron cell containing the phantom of the Human-Faced Xiao and pressed the "Refine" button!

Boom!

There was a burst of red light in the iron cell, followed by a white glow. Chu Liang was very familiar with the reward process for the Human-Faced Xiao's phantom.

[Five-Elements Puppet: A puppet used to cultivate the foundational qi of the five elements and assist in cultivation. The host can infuse it with treasures of nature of any attribute to activate the nurturing of that attribute's foundational qi, which will be produced continuously day and night. The stronger the spiritual energy contained in the treasures of nature, the longer the puppet will work. It consumes more resources during combat.

Please be aware that this puppet is to be used strictly as a cultivation and combat aid. There is a risk of damage if used inappropriately.]

Chu Liang frowned. "This..."

In his hand was a puppet that had the same form as the Large-Headed Dolls but with five colors on its body. These colors were currently dull. They would probably light up when the puppet was activated.

The Human-Faced Xiao phantom did not disappoint him. It produced a new puppet. Moreover, it was a fifth-realm Colorful Doll.

However...

It consumes treasures of nature...? That's ridiculous!!!

The Qi-Circulation Puppet, Chu Liang's first puppet, had only consumed Qi-Gathering Pills, so he'd already found it expensive that the Golden-Core Puppet consumed Spirit-Concentration Pills. However, the Five-Elements Puppet actually consumed treasures of nature...?

What kind of concept is this?

To break through each level of the Five-Elements Realm, a cultivator needed a treasure of nature with an attribute that corresponded to the respective level. The sheer amount of resources required to break through this realm had many cultivators gritting their teeth in exasperation.

Now, Chu Liang had to provide for himself as well as the Five-Elements Puppet.

It was like when he formed a core for the Golden Core Puppet.

I need treasures of nature for my breakthrough, and now, I need to give them to this thing to let it break through too...?

This means the resources I need for cultivation will be twice as much as everyone else.

Fucking hell. Is there any justice left?

It's just helping me cultivate, but I have to pay it to help me...? Isn't this daylight robbery?

Placing the Colorful Doll next to the other two Large-Headed Dolls, Chu Liang suddenly felt very fortunate that the Large-Headed Dolls wouldn't jump ship.[1]

The salary inversion among his puppets had reached a ridiculous level. If running the Golden-Core Puppet was quantified as requiring ten times the resources it took to run the Qi-Circulation Puppet, then running the Five-Elements Puppet would need hundreds or even thousands of times that!

The salaries of new employees had to keep up with societal standards and costs of living. If the salaries of existing employees were not raised accordingly, then it would inevitably lead to situations like this, where the employees who had been with the company the longest would earn the lowest. At this point, if the senior employees wanted income that matched their efforts, the only thing they could do would be to change jobs.[2]

Hmph.

Fortunately, it can't leave.

Chu Liang knew that it was definitely worth it to supply the puppets with the resources they demanded, but he couldn't help but feel a bit aggrieved.

I need employees. They need a job. We've been working together from the start.

This is already an equivalent exchange. Why do I still have to pay them?

...

Buzz.

While Chu Liang was lamenting the decline of morals in the White Pagoda, he suddenly felt a vibration he hadn't felt in a long time.

"The Soul Subjugator Token?"

Chu Liang withdrew his divine sense from the White Pagoda and redirected it into the Soul Subjugator Token.

[Eastern-Route Guider]: "I heard that you have now become a chamber master of the White-Bone Hall. Well done."

[Fifty-Ninth]: "Sir, it's all thanks to yours and the Marquess' brilliant guidance that we were able to escape death on the battlefield of Mount Shu! In the future, we will definitely continue to follow the Marquess' leadership without the slightest hesitation! By the way, sir, didn't you mention previously that the Marquess would be giving out rewards..."

[Sixtieth]: "Yes."

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

[Eastern-Route Guider]: "Rest assured. There will be no shortage of benefits for you. The Taotie Pavilion has sent out the treasures of nature. Wait for the delivery."

[Fifty-Ninth]: "Wow! Many thanks to the Marquess! Many thanks to you, sir! Our admiration for the two of you is as endless as the surging river—"

[Eastern-Route Guider]: "That's enough."

[Eastern-Route Guider]: "I also want to tell you that the Marqess has almost recovered from his injury, and he will return soon. The Four Halls of the Dark King Sect suffered heavy losses this time, and it's hopeful that the Marquess will regain power in the sect. However, the Four Halls will not sit idly by, so keep an eye on their movements."

[Fifty-Ninth]: "What? What? The Marquess is finally coming back? Heavens, we've waited so long for this day! Hurry and let him return! We can't wait any longer!"

[Fifty-Eighth]: "Understood."

[Sixtieth]: "Understood."

1. Lmao, they probably would if they could. ☜

2. Author be spitting facts as usual. ☜