Chapter 119

In cultivation, magical tools, puppets, and cultivation techniques are all vital. But for Han Luo, the most important among them wasn’t treasures or spells—it was puppets.

For most cultivators, especially at the Foundation Establishment stage, puppets were of limited use. They were notoriously difficult to craft, requiring excessive effort that many felt would be better spent forging another weapon or refining a powerful artifact.

But not Han Luo.

For him, puppets were not just a tool—they were the core pillar of his cultivation plan for the next decade and beyond.

With that in mind, he made his way to the resource exchange area, where he found senior sister Lin Xiaolou.

She had grown more mature and striking over the past months. Her confidence radiated through her daring attire, which left many male disciples flustered and stirred.

“You haven’t gone out to explore the world?” Lin Xiaolou asked in surprise.

It was expected that after reaching Foundation Establishment, disciples would set off to temper themselves through worldly experience. Seeing Han Luo still around, she couldn’t help but wonder—was he reluctant to leave her?

A strange thought crossed her mind. Wait, why ‘again’? When did I start thinking he liked me… again?

“I just completed Foundation Establishment. It hasn’t been a hundred days yet—I still need time to stabilize my cultivation,” Han Luo replied.

“Ah, that makes sense,” she nodded. “The hundred days after breakthrough are a golden period. Make good use of them, and it’ll pay off in the future. Need any help? Your senior sister has plenty of experience to share.”

She flirted openly, swaying her fragrant shoulders in a way that made Han Luo's heart skip a beat. He had to chant a calming mantra under his breath just to keep himself composed.

Looks like senior sister has been working out this past half-year... her physical prowess is nearly approaching the level of the top-tier powerhouses!

“Thank you, senior sister,” he said awkwardly. “But I can manage.”

“Oh come on, why struggle on your own?” she insisted. “Let me help you. I’d never do anything to harm you.”

She was persistent—far from distant, she seemed even more forward than before. After all, she was at her peak, in both confidence and charm.

“Ahem… actually, I came here today to purchase materials for crafting puppets.”

Han Luo quickly shifted the topic.

“You’re buying materials to craft puppets?” she echoed, stunned.

In Luoxian Sect, those who studied puppetry were extremely rare—far fewer even than those who practiced array techniques. Puppet crafting required knowledge across many disciplines: array theory, spirit patterns, soul techniques, energy flow—a complex amalgam of arts that even mastering one of would be challenging for most.

To combine them all into a single artform was an undertaking so demanding that it gave most cultivators headaches just thinking about it.

Yet here he was—Han Luo, casually discussing puppet crafting.

As expected of the man I’ve set my sights on, Lin Xiaolou thought, her steps more confident, her admiration growing. After all, it was Han Luo who had lit the way for her during her lowest point. That had to be fate… and if so, then she’d go all in.

“Come with me.”

She led him into the sect’s storage vaults and enthusiastically began introducing each material to him in detail.

But as they browsed, Han Luo’s expression grew darker.

“Senior sister, why is the quality of the spiritual wood so poor and the quantity so low? Doesn’t our Luoxian Sect have any proper forest veins?”

As a mid-tier cultivation sect, Luoxian Sect should have had multiple forested spirit veins. So where were the good materials?

Even the spiritual iron seemed scarce. Had the Foundation Establishment disciples already taken everything to forge their own treasures?

“You don’t know?” Lin Xiaolou raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Know what?” Han Luo had clearly missed something important during his closed-door cultivation.

“Several of our sect’s forest veins have been under constant trouble recently. Disciples from the Changshou Sect have been stirring up trouble around them, sparking frequent fights. That’s reduced production a lot. And to make matters worse, the forest veins themselves are entering a dormant cycle—it’ll take years before they yield high-grade spirit wood again.”

She sighed, clearly troubled.

As the person in charge of the exchange hall, Lin Xiaolou was especially concerned about such matters. Without resources, disciples had no weapons. Without weapons, how could they compete with other sects?

It was a cycle that, if not broken, could endanger the sect's strength over time.

“I see…” Han Luo nodded. “But… with geniuses like Akxiao and Li Jun around, surely even Changshou Sect’s talents can’t match them, right?”

“They’ve both returned a few times,” Lin Xiaolou said, “and every time they showed up, they gave the other side such a beating that the Changshou disciples didn’t dare step out of their sect for days. But Li Jun and Akxiao are elite geniuses—listed on the Dragon Rankings. They can’t afford to sit around guarding forest veins all day.”

“Whenever they leave, Changshou Sect sends over senior disciples, some even older than me! Though still at the Foundation level, they’re equipped with powerful tools and polished battle skills. It’s tough to deal with them, and honestly… it’s giving me a headache.”

She rubbed her temples in frustration.

Spirit wood was vital for crafting magical tools, and this was the very time when Luoxian Sect had a surge of Foundation disciples who desperately needed weapons. Yet they were being toyed with by that cursed Changshou Sect.

“Still,” she added, her tone perking up, “you don’t need to worry. Even if others lack resources, anything you want—just say the word. I’ll take care of it.”

She bumped his arm with a gold ingot, blinking at him with an ambiguous glint in her eye.

“Thank you for taking care of me, senior sister,” Han Luo said with a strained smile.

“Just words? No action?” she teased.

“Um… how about I cook you a nice meal next time as a thank-you gift?”

“Pfft! You think I’m still some little girl tempted by food? Though…” She licked her lips playfully. “If it’s something you made, I might reconsider.”

Han Luo quickly steered the conversation back.

“Let’s focus on the spirit wood, senior sister.”

As enjoyable as the flirting was, he knew better than to get too close—Lin Xiaolou was not someone he dared to take a bite of.

“Alright, alright. I’ll listen to you.”

Transforming into her softest, girlish self, she clung close to his side.

The search for spirit wood was anything but smooth. With such limited stock, Han Luo didn’t have many options to choose from. In fact, the longer he browsed, the more he worried that senior sister might actually cling onto him and never let go.

Truly... a woman in her prime was terrifying.

After finishing at the exchange hall, Han Luo returned to Luoxian Mountain.

Among all the materials he requested, only the spirit wood was available. The spirit iron would be needed later, but for now, he would start with the wood—step by step, carefully crafting his first puppet.