Chapter 144

"Wow... this feels amazing!"

At Luoxian Mountain, Pang Hu swung his arms, marveling at how much stronger he felt—many times more powerful than before.

"It really is incredible," Shou Hou agreed, running his hands over his new body. Though they were no longer human, the sensation was still novel and thrilling.

"Boss, now that we’re puppets... does this mean we’re essentially immortal?" Pang Hu asked excitedly, showing no discomfort—if anything, he seemed even more enthusiastic.

"You could say that," Han Luo replied. "As long as you periodically replace your components and ensure your core energy array remains active, you’ll live on. But one condition: if I die, the contract dictates you’ll follow me in death."

"Then here’s wishing you eternal life, Boss! May you become a supreme existence!" Pang Hu grinned and offered a slick compliment. Han Luo couldn’t deny—it did feel good to hear it.

"For now, go get used to your new bodies," Han Luo instructed.

At the foot of Luoxian Mountain, Pang Hu and Shou Hou sparred against several combat puppets to acclimate themselves.

Han Luo watched from above.

He had to admit—soul puppets had a clear advantage over spirit puppets.
Spirit puppets required constant learning to develop combat skills, whereas soul puppets could immediately wield the abilities their original souls possessed—and even amplify them.

Of course, spirit puppets were more flexible; they were a blank canvas, ready for anything. Soul puppets, meanwhile, were more like adding paint to an already drawn picture. Both had pros and cons—it all depended on the user.

Both Pang Hu and Shou Hou had originally been mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Now, in their puppet bodies, they displayed late-stage Foundation Establishment strength. Working together, they might even take down a late-stage Foundation cultivator.

After a full day, the two had completely adapted to their new forms.

Han Luo summoned them to his second secure house. After sealing the area with all available formations, they entered the mirrored realm.

"What I’m about to tell you is the mission you’ll carry out. If you complete it, I’ll reward you with even more powerful bodies. Though you’re puppets, you’ll be able to stand toe-to-toe with others," Han Luo began, offering a carrot to motivate them.

Sure enough, the two looked thrilled.

"Here’s the plan..."

Han Luo laid out his scheme in full detail—every step, every contingency, leaving nothing out.
Since they were bound by contract, they couldn’t resist or betray him—even if they wanted to.

After hearing the entire plan, Pang Hu’s eyes widened. "Boss, you seriously want to do this?"
He couldn’t believe anyone would even consider such an insane plan.

"It’s too wild... too wild... too wild..." Shou Hou shook his head in disbelief.

Compared to this, Mo Jiu’s scheme to control the immortal sword and destroy Luoxian Sect was child’s play.

Han Luo wasn’t surprised by their reactions.
He’d been startled himself when he first conceived the plan. And the more he refined it, the more he realized just how audacious it was.

"I’ve prepared for this a long time," Han Luo said calmly. "It’s foolproof. You only need to follow the plan exactly—no improvising. One mistake, and I can’t save you. But if we succeed, I’ll take you to the heavens themselves. You might even regain human bodies."

It was the classic stick-and-carrot approach—reinforcing the importance of the mission.

The two exchanged glances and nodded.

Normally, they wouldn’t believe such talk about ascending to the heavens—after all, no one in the Eastern Domain had ascended in nearly a thousand years.

But after hearing this plan... if anyone could pull it off, it was Han Luo.

And if he succeeded, they’d benefit too.

Besides, they had no choice—their lives were now tied to Han Luo’s will.

For the next month, Han Luo personally drilled them on every aspect of the plan inside the mirrored realm.
He made sure they understood it completely—how to handle dangers, obstacles, and unexpected situations.

By the end of that month, Pang Hu and Shou Hou had gained a new level of respect for Han Luo.

Now, it made perfect sense why Mo Jiu had lost to him—and they wouldn’t be surprised if Han Luo captured Mo Jiu’s main body soon.

One month later, Pang Hu and Shou Hou quietly left Luoxian Mountain.
From that moment on, only Han Luo knew their whereabouts.

"I hope your team succeeds," Han Luo murmured.

Even now, recalling the plan still felt surreal.

Calling it crazy didn’t do it justice—bold and imaginative were more accurate.

If it worked, it would give him the foundation to pursue true immortality.
And that, in turn, would bring him one step closer to achieving an even grander goal.

But for now, he had other matters to attend to.

From his bronze ring, he retrieved the five pieces of Xian Iron that Hei Feng had coughed up.

The five pieces ranged in size from a thumb to a pinky finger—and they were all oddly shaped and rough.

According to Hei Feng, he had pecked them off some unknown artifact—only a corner of it had been visible, embedded in the chaos.
Thinking it valuable, he’d taken the pieces.

Much to his frustration, his ability to absorb spirit iron had failed against these—hence he called them Xian Iron, since it was the first metal he couldn’t digest.

But after over a hundred careful examinations, Han Luo found they lacked any spiritual essence—worse than weeds on the roadside.

What they did have, however, was incredible hardness—even tougher than the ten-thousand-year Underworld Tree.

Han Luo tried refining them with his colorless qi.
After several hours, he’d only managed to melt a tiny bit—not very effective.

Still, he wasn’t in a rush.

Patience was one thing he had in abundance.

He transformed his qi into spirit fire and began a slow refinement in the sealed chamber.

Once the process was underway, he left the chamber.

Time to conduct a phase review of everything he had done so far.