Realm-Hopping Martial Master-Chapter 501 - 296: Heavenly Puppet Sect! Phoenix Nirvana Wind! Unbeatable Divine Skills! Crossing with the Physical Body!_2
But these, after all, did not touch the true core of the sect.
Among the disciples of the sect, only True Inheritors truly reflected its foundation.
And in the Divine Power Conference, those who ranked at the top were almost invariably the sect’s future True Inheritors.
Traveling by formation, he soared through the sky, swift as the wind.
In just two short months, Jiang Shu had passed through the Dan Fu Sect and the Creation Sect, arriving at the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
The mountain range where the Heavenly Puppet Sect was located was not very high, consisting mostly of continuous small hills. Compared to the True Martial Sect, the Heavenly Puppet Sect had more basins and canyons. On these hills, streaks of light rarely traversed the air; instead, various Divine Skills were more commonly used to hammer materials and refine puppets.
This also highlighted another major difference between the disciples of the True Martial Sect and those of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
Disciples of the True Martial Sect were practically left to their own devices. Few would cultivate within the sect constantly, as tempering Primordial Power and cultivating Divine Skills could not be achieved through mere closed-door cultivation.
Take the recent battle between Jiang Shu and Zhou Yan, for example. None of the disciples on the True Inheritor Seed list came to spectate.
Jiang Shu later learned that among these ten individuals, only two were still in closed-door cultivation within the sect. The other eight were all cultivating externally and would likely only return just before the Divine Power Conference was set to begin.
Since the primary combat strength of the Heavenly Puppet Sect lay in its puppets, disciples needed to undertake more sect missions to exchange for the various rare materials and resources within the sect required for refining puppets.
Almost all aspects of this, from material collection to the refining process itself, relied heavily on the sect.
This was the fundamental reason why so few Heavenly Puppet Sect disciples were found training externally.
"Who goes there!"
Before Jiang Shu had even drawn near, a consciousness surged into the sky, its voice carrying over.
A True Man of the Primordial Pill Realm, wearing the attire of a Heavenly Puppet Sect executive, stood before Jiang Shu.
Behind him were two peak Earth Rank puppets exuding a terrifying aura. Ordinary Primordial Pill Realm Loose Cultivators might not last ten rounds against them.
"I am Jiang Shu, an Inner Sect Disciple of the True Martial Sect. I have come on the order of my Peak Master of Thunder Prison Peak to pay a visit to Lord Wan Puppet," Jiang Shu declared.
With a wave of his hand, he was suddenly garbed in the long robe of a True Martial Sect Inner Sect Disciple.
In his hand, he held high the talismanic writ from Lord Zi Ji, an aura flowing around it. Even a cursory glance revealed it to be no ordinary item.
"So, you are a genius from the True Martial Sect. In that case, please follow me, Jiang Dao-friend," the executive said.
Even though Jiang Shu had not yet displayed his powerful aura, the mere presence of this special talismanic writ informed the Heavenly Puppet Sect executive that Jiang Shu was no ordinary Inner Sect Disciple.
He is either someone with a special relationship to a Peak Master or a genius capable of vying for the position of True Inheritor.
The thought flickered through the executive’s mind, but he didn’t dwell on the unfamiliarity of Jiang Shu’s name.
After all, what a sect reveals publicly is always just the tip of the iceberg. Every year at the Divine Power Conference, geniuses previously unheard of by other sects emerge. These prodigies, without exception, began their cultivation early, some even training under Vientiane Realm Lords, their Divine Skills becoming unfathomably profound. Before such truly talented individuals, veteran True Men of the Primordial Pill Realm like myself wouldn’t even get a chance to act.
Of course, even if this Inner Sect Disciple from the True Martial Sect before me wasn’t a cultivation genius, the backing of a Vientiane Realm Lord was not something a mere executive like myself could afford to slight.
"Jiang Dao-friend," the executive explained, "you surely know that our Heavenly Puppet Sect’s Inner Sect is perpetually enveloped by a Dao Formation, and the Nirvana Wind blows incessantly, day and night.
Even I must use an executive jade token to verify my identity to receive the Dao Formation’s protection and pass through the Nirvana Wind.
So, you see... why don’t you wait outside for a moment? After I have met with Lord Wan Puppet, I will return with a jade token to escort you."
The executive, intending to curry favor, led Jiang Shu through the Outer Sect, occasionally pointing out important cultivation grounds within the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
Only when they flew high into the sky and drew near the Inner Sect did they finally halt.
In the tens of thousands of years of history, there were naturally numerous records of disciple exchanges between sects.
When Inner Sect Disciples from other sects visited the Heavenly Puppet Sect, they too would halt before the Inner Sect.
One had to understand that the Nirvana Wind was, in fact, the Nirvana Wind Tribulation that True Men of the Primordial Pill Realm faced when advancing to the Nirvana Realm.
It wasn’t just Primordial Pill Realm Inner Sect Disciples who would stop; even some Loose Cultivators in the Early-stage Nirvana Realm could find themselves trapped within the Dao Formation.
Not knowing Jiang Shu’s actual cultivation realm, the executive naturally had to inquire, lest this genius disciple from the True Martial Sect meet with some mishap while attempting to enter the Inner Sect.
If that were to happen, I would truly be unable to shirk the blame, even in death.
"Wang Dao-friend, you are too courteous," Jiang Shu replied, not minding the precaution. Just as he was about to perform a salutation, a streak of light flew in from outside.
It seemed to be heading straight into the Inner Sect.
However, the newcomer, as if sensing something, abruptly halted before the Inner Sect. His gaze swept over Jiang Shu before he turned to the executive, frowning.
"Executive Wang, is this an Inner Sect Disciple from the True Martial Sect? Don’t you know that our Heavenly Puppet Sect’s Inner Sect is a forbidden and treasured land? Even Outer Disciples are not permitted to enter lightly!" he rebuked sharply.
"And now you’re casually bringing a disciple from another sect, intending to enter the Inner Sect? Isn’t this somewhat overstepping your authority?"
The man, dressed in the attire of an Inner Sect Disciple, spoke sharply, showing no deference to the executive.
In the sect’s hierarchy, some influential Inner Sect Disciples indeed held a higher status than Outer Sect executives.
