Chapter 122

Luoxian Mountain had practically turned into a zoo. Puppet creatures of all sizes wandered through the forest as if attending a grand fair. From a distance, one could spot lions, tigers, crocodiles, ants, mosquitoes, and spiders—all crafted with astonishing detail.

Han Luo’s talent was undeniable. While his early studies in puppetry had required meticulous, step-by-step progress, once he laid a solid foundation, everything that followed came naturally.

“Master, the spirit tea you requested is ready.”

The speaker was a woman in a pale-white dress, tall and graceful, with curves in all the right places. She had a round face, large expressive eyes, and long black hair cascading down her back. But what drew the most attention were her legs—slightly thicker than average, yet perfectly proportioned, exuding a striking beauty.

Han Luo had named her Mao Tu—a humanoid puppet and the first of its kind he had crafted, named after the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac: the Rabbit.

“Pour me a cup,” he instructed softly.

Mao Tu knelt gracefully, raised her slender hands, and poured tea with delicate care. Throughout the process, Han Luo scrutinized every detail of her movements. Despite being a puppet, she moved like a living human. His mastery of puppetry had clearly taken a significant leap.

“Please enjoy your tea, Master,” she said, offering the cup.

Han Luo took it and sipped. Nodding in approval, he thought, She’s learned well. There’s still room for improvement, but with time, she’ll be able to brew a perfect pot.

“Come over and massage my shoulders.”

He had only taught Mao Tu a few basic habits for now.

“Yes, Master,” she replied sweetly, walking behind him.

Normally, with his cautious nature, Han Luo would never allow anyone—even a puppet—to approach him from behind. But this wasn’t his true body; he was using a substitution talisman to operate a proxy form. His real self remained safe elsewhere.

Mao Tu knelt behind him and placed her soft, jade-like hands on his shoulders. Her fingers began to move with practiced ease, pressing into the right acupoints with perfect force. Satisfied, Han Luo nodded. Everything he taught her last night had been fully absorbed.

“Time to teach something new today.”

Closing his eyes, he linked his consciousness with Mao Tu.

What a strange experience! Controlling a female body like this was oddly thrilling—far more stimulating than simply watching someone cross-dress.

He moved around in Mao Tu’s body, testing its flexibility. Then, he began to dance.

Yes, dance.

The puppet’s soul core—the spirit array that functioned like a human brain—had both memory and exceptional learning capability. To help Mao Tu achieve natural, fluid movement, Han Luo had choreographed an entire routine. Frequent repetition of the routine would gradually synchronize her body’s motions until they mirrored a real human’s.

To etch the routine into the soul array, Han Luo had to demonstrate it himself.

With elegance and focus, he danced. Every step, every movement was executed with precision. Since Mao Tu’s future training would be based on this very choreography, any mistake now would lead her down the wrong path.

He repeated the routine over and over until he was completely satisfied.

An hour later, he withdrew his consciousness from the puppet and asked, “Mao Tu, do you remember the dance I just taught you?”

“Yes, Master. Mao Tu remembers.”

“Good. Show me.”

Mao Tu stepped forward. With the breeze stirring around her, she began to move. What followed were high-difficulty poses and graceful transitions, many of which would be impossible for ordinary people—perhaps only elite yogis could pull them off.

Han Luo watched closely, adjusting his glasses like a professional engineer. Her movements were flawless—delicate and enchanting, with a blend of elegance and strength.

“Stop,” he called out. “Come here. Let me see your leg.”

Mao Tu obediently approached and extended her beautiful, well-proportioned leg.

Spiritual energy surged in Han Luo’s palm as he touched her leg, then suddenly applied pressure.

Click!

With a crisp sound, her thigh opened up to reveal a complex network of spirit inscriptions and formation lines.

Adjusting his glasses again, Han Luo took out an eraser made of spirit materials and carefully removed part of the old array. Then, using a spirit-ink brush, he redrew the lines with precision. Once done, he closed her leg and nodded.

“Now do the dance again.”

“Yes, Master.”

Mao Tu resumed the routine, her movements now even more fluid than before—like a seasoned professional dancer.

“Excellent,” Han Luo praised. He pulled out his notebook and jotted down the modification. Next time, he could implement it from the beginning.

As the session ended, he said, “Mao Tu, remember this—every morning when the sun rises, you are to perform that dance facing the sunrise.”

“Yes, Master. Mao Tu will remember.”

“Good. Let’s move on to the next stage of training.”

Han Luo once again entered Mao Tu’s body. If the first lesson was dance, the next would be combat.

The soul array's memory function meant everything he demonstrated through the puppet would be recorded and gradually refined into Mao Tu’s personal fighting style.

Combat came in two forms: close-quarters and ranged. He started with close combat.

Summoning a group of beast-type puppets—tigers, wolves, lions—all built for fighting, he dashed into their midst.

Though Han Luo had rarely displayed his close combat skills, it didn’t mean he lacked them. Quite the opposite—his foundation in melee combat was rock solid. Before entering Luoxian Sect, he had once been forced to apprentice under a powerful body cultivator just to survive.

Even now, he would occasionally revisit those old techniques.

So, while helping Mao Tu develop her own fighting style, he also took the opportunity to hone his own.

Within moments, her long legs lashed out. Bang! Bang! Bang! Dull thuds echoed as the surrounding puppets were sent flying.

Yet, being mere combat puppets, they knew no fear and kept charging forward. Still, those too damaged to function effectively would obediently withdraw—Han Luo wasn’t stingy, just practical. The materials for battle puppets were too precious to waste. Killing one only meant extra trouble in crafting a replacement.

So instead, he let the damaged ones retreat for repairs and reuse.

Mao Tu spun through the battlefield, her signature leg strikes knocking back one opponent after another. Her pale legs blurred into a flurry of motion, sending combat puppets tumbling.

Even though she could only channel a tenth of Han Luo’s actual strength, it was still enough to tangle with most early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Whether she could win, however, depended on how well she adapted in real combat.

The battle lasted for three full hours. During that time, Han Luo taught her every leg technique he knew.

And when the lesson was complete, Mao Tu leaped backward, gracefully retreating from the combat zone.