Chapter 738: The Might of a Fourth-Rank Puppet!

Moments later Lu Changsheng and Shen Yiren approached the battlefield.

There a tall imposing figure wearing a ferocious crocodile-head mask just finished off a Core Formation cultivator.

He saw Lu Changsheng and Shen Yiren arriving, gave a sneering provocative look then turned to leave.

“One of the Star Sea Pirates’ Forty Great Bandits, the Sandsea Croc God!”

Lu Changsheng instantly recognized the person.

The Star Sea Pirates ran rampant across the Starry Sea, pillaging everywhere, they were no ordinary force.

Besides the numerous minor cultivators who used their name there were a total of Forty Great Bandits!

Most of these Forty Great Bandits were late-stage Core Formation cultivators.

Even the weaker ones were mid-stage Core Formation cultivators with exceptional combat prowess, the best of their peers! That’s how the Star Sea Pirates had been able to run amok in the Starry Sea for over a century! There was even a rumor that many of the Star Sea Pirates’ Forty Great Bandits were from some of the top powers in the Starry Sea! They used this method to eliminate rivals and plunder resources.

“Star Sea Pirates you’ve repeatedly ambushed our Divine Maiden Palace’s goods and disciples, now you dare cause trouble here!”

Shen Yiren saw the Sandsea Croc God turning to leave, immediately rebuked him and summoned a bracelet artifact, wanting to intercept him.

Although it was almost impossible for her to kill this Star Sea Great Bandit.

This was within the Penglai Island’s sphere of influence.

If she could stall him for a moment, she could wait for Penglai Island’s reinforcements to kill or capture this Star Sea Great Bandit.

“Whoosh!”

The five-colored spirit deer that Shen Yiren rode was extraordinary, its body intertwined with radiant light, trailing a brilliant rainbow as it closed in on the Sandsea Croc God.

“Scram!”

The Sandsea Croc God roared at Shen Yiren, his voice hoarse and grating, a strange black-yellow wind swept out from his mouth and nose toward her.

If not for the magical energy aura on him not being demonic, his ten-foot-tall imposing body and ferocious crocodile-head mask would make him seem like a demon king! Shen Yiren’s soft face turned cold, her hands formed seals, making the bracelet emit a sky-blue glow that enveloped the Sandsea Croc God.

Her five-colored spirit deer also let out a long “Yoyo” cry, forming a five-colored radiant light and sound wave attack that broke through the black-yellow strange wind.

“You ignorant girl! You think just because you have two older sisters I won’t dare touch you!”

As one of the Star Sea Pirates’ renowned Forty Great Bandits, the Sandsea Croc God’s strength was naturally extraordinary.

Seeing Shen Yiren’s persistence he roared, a crocodile-like scissor flew from his head, charging at the sky-blue bracelet.

“Clang!”

The two artifacts instantly intertwined with a terrifying magical energy undulation.

But it could be seen that the Sandsea Croc God’s attack was slightly prevailing.

However Shen Yiren wouldn’t have dared to pursue without confidence, she summoned a set of needle-like combination artifacts that suddenly shot out.

Her five-colored spirit deer also had radiant light swirling around it, using five-colored spirit light and sound wave attacks to interfere with the Sandsea Croc God.

“Boom boom boom!”

With their combined efforts the situation reversed, Shen Yiren gained the upper hand.

Lu Changsheng who leisurely arrived, summoned a wood-attribute high-grade magic staff upon seeing this.

This was one of the spoils he obtained from the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands, and also the artifact of his identity as Daoist Xu.

“Boom!!!”

The staff grew with the wind, like a divine Jianmu tree, emanating an aura of ancient times as it fell toward the Sandsea Croc God.

Already struggling against Shen Yiren, the Sandsea Croc God’s pressure multiplied, he broke through the attacks and chose to flee.

Shen Yiren immediately used her bracelet artifact to fully restrain him.

Lu Changsheng didn’t use his full strength, maintaining his persona as a health cultivation cultivator not skilled in combat, wondering what was going on.

Since a diviner was interfering with this area’s heavenly secrets, deliberately targeting Penglai Island, how could it just be the Sandsea Croc God? At least a dozen of the Forty Great Bandits should come, or one or two Nascent Soul True Lords, right? Otherwise, weren’t they just coming here to die? However, as soon as this thought crossed Lu Changsheng’s mind, he sensed something and looked to his front right.

Several breaths later, a hazy ship shrouded in black mist, as if emerging from hell, appeared on the horizon, accompanied by faint sounds of ghostly wails.

“Ghost Ship? No, this is one of the Forty Great Bandits, Ghost Ship Zhenjun!”

Lu Changsheng, upon seeing this, immediately thought of the infamous Four Great Disasters of the Starry Sea—the Ghost Ship.

But seeing the general shape of the ship and the magical energy, he instantly realized it wasn’t the legendary Ghost Ship, but a Star Sea Great Bandit!

Shen Yiren saw the Ghost Ship, her beautiful eyes narrowed, realizing this was a premeditated ambush, she immediately transmitted, “Fellow Daoist Xu, stall for a moment, Penglai Island’s reinforcements will arrive soon.”

“Alright!”

Lu Changsheng didn’t mind taking this opportunity to show off a little.

His hands formed seals, activating the high-grade artifact [Ironwood Staff] to its fullest, suppressing the Sandsea Croc God.

Howling with sinister winds and ghostly wails, the black mist-shrouded Ghost Ship arrived in an instant, charging straight at Shen Yiren.

“Old Croc, you’re not doing so well.”

At the same time, a tall, thin old man, resembling a matchstick, appeared on the deck of the Ghost Ship.

He had an ugly, vicious face, holding a black smoking pipe, spitting out a dark, ghostly mist, his voice was hoarse as he spoke.

However, Lu Changsheng could tell that this person’s appearance and aura were disguised by some artifact, just like the Sandsea Croc God, making it hard to see through.

“Boom!”

Before the Ghost Ship could collide, Shen Yiren patted her Storage Pouch, releasing a ten-zhang-long, shark-like, third-rank top-tier puppet.

As the Third Palace Master of the Divine Maiden Palace, she not only possessed many artifacts but also had a third-rank top-tier puppet as a means of protection.

One must know that third-rank top-tier puppets were not only difficult to create, but the materials required could be used to refine one or even multiple top-tier artifacts, making them extremely valuable!

Under Shen Yiren’s control, this giant shark puppet collided fiercely with the Ghost Ship, creating a terrifying, breathtaking clash.

The two sides clashed, forming ocean-like energy waves, neither side yielding.

“Looks like I’m not needed here at all.”

Lu Changsheng, observing Shen Yiren’s methods, thought to himself.

According to the divination, he wouldn’t even have a chance to show off his stronger abilities.

She usually seemed gentle and soft, so delicate and kind.

But with these methods, she was probably at the peak below the Nascent Soul stage! Unless a Nascent Soul True Lord attacked her, few could be her match.

“Old Croc, take this woman down first!”

The tall, thin old man on the Ghost Ship shouted to the Sandsea Croc God, then took a deep puff from his pipe, exhaling a snake-like black mist.

At the same time, a swarm of sand-like insects flew out from the snuff bottle hanging on the pipe.

“Little girl, you really think I’m easy to bully!”

The Sandsea Croc God, hearing this, suddenly expanded a few sizes, black mist swirling around him, emanating a terrifying-inducing aura of blood and physique, activating his Croc Shears while charging directly at Shen Yiren.

“Tsk tsk tsk, using such large artifacts and cultivating both body and magic, these Star Sea Forty Great Bandits are really something, no wonder some suspect they’re from some top powers in the Starry Sea.”

Lu Changsheng, observing the situation, thought to himself as he activated the [Ironwood Staff] and threw out a shield-shaped artifact, blocking it in front of the Sandsea Croc God.

Currently, Shen Yiren could handle the situation without him needing to go all out.

Besides, if he were to act, he needed to do so in a manner befitting the identity of “Daoist Xu”.

Of course, the main reason was that Lu Changsheng sensed that this ambush was not so simple!

The battle intensified, unleashing wave after wave of magical energy.

Although Lu Changsheng’s combat performance was unremarkable, with Shen Yiren’s five-colored spirit deer and third-rank top-tier puppet, they had the upper hand.

It was just that Shen Yiren cultivated a health preservation technique, and neither she nor her spirit pet were the fierce, battle-hardened type, otherwise, they could have quickly repelled one of them.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh—”

Before long, reinforcements from Penglai Island arrived, one mid-stage Core Formation cultivator and two early-stage Core Formation cultivators.

They couldn’t be of much help in this level of battle, only able to harass from a distance, assisting in suppression.

However, with three more Core Formation-level combatants, Shen Yiren’s side instantly gained a significant boost in suppressive power, yet the Star Sea Great Bandits showed no sign of retreat.

Just as Lu Changsheng was puzzled, a massive fluctuation suddenly came from afar.

This fluctuation swept through, shaking the heavens and earth, stirring up endless waves, directly impacting hundreds of miles around Penglai Island.

Nascent Soul!

This was a Nascent Soul True Lord making a move!

“Heavens, what’s going on?”

“Which Nascent Soul True Lord dares to provoke Penglai Island!”

Not only Lu Changsheng, but all the cultivators in Penglai Immortal City sensed this terrifying fluctuation, their hearts gripped with fear.

They couldn’t fathom who would dare to attack Penglai Island.

One must know that besides the renowned Divine Maiden Palace, Penglai Island also had two Nascent Soul True Lords, making it one of the top powers in the Starry Sea!

“As expected!”

Lu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, realizing that it would only be normal for a Nascent Soul True Lord to be involved in such a setup.

However, he was also puzzled as to which power would go to such lengths to attack Penglai Immortal City.

If it were merely to damage Penglai Island’s prestige, it didn’t quite add up. After a moment of thought Lu Changsheng’s gaze returned to the battle before him, realizing that the two were likely stalling for time.

However he wasn’t too concerned, he continued to suppress them as normal.

After all he was just a guest elder of Penglai Island and the Divine Maiden Palace, schemes at the Nascent Soul level had nothing to do with him.

“Boom boom boom!!!”

Under the seemingly evenly matched bombardment, the Ghost Ship’s light gradually dimmed, its aura beginning to decline.

Of course, Shen Yiren, controlling multiple artifacts and the third-rank top-tier puppet, also began to breathe heavily, her fair, beautiful face showing signs of strain, her magical energy not as smooth as before.

Seeing this, Lu Changsheng exerted a bit more strength, wanting to end the battle quickly.

However at this moment a ghostly figure suddenly darted out from the ghostly mist surrounding the Ghost Ship, charging at Shen Yiren.

“Be careful!”

On 69 please take a look!

Lu Changsheng quickly warned, placing the shield artifact in front of Shen Yiren, but she still stumbled, her face paling, blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.

“Poison!”

Then, Lu Changsheng detected a deadly poison spreading in the air.

His Chaos Body possessed effects like the Calamity Poison Body and the Immaculate Heavenly Fragrance Body, making him extremely sensitive to poisons.

Although this poison was colorless and odorless, able to evade the eyes and divine sense of many cultivators, Lu Changsheng detected it instantly.

“Watch out, there’s poison.”

Lu Changsheng immediately warned Shen Yiren and the three Core Formation cultivators nearby.

Shen Yiren’s spirit pet, the five-colored spirit deer, also sensed something amiss, letting out a cry as five-colored light enveloped Shen Yiren, isolating her aura.

But the Sandsea Croc God seized this opportunity to launch a powerful attack on Shen Yiren.

Not only did he have a giant croc-like scissor hovering above his head, but his hands also wielded a chain artifact, powerful and ferocious.

“Pfft!”

Already injured from the previous attack, Shen Yiren turned pale, spitting out blood, stumbling backward.

“Third Palace Master!”

In a moment of urgency, Lu Changsheng disregarded propriety, rushing forward to embrace the lithe Shen Yiren, then summoning two third-rank top-tier talismans to counter the Sandsea Croc God.

Shen Yiren’s hair was disheveled, her face pale, with the support of the arm around her slender waist, she used her azure magical energy to barely steady herself, smelling a very pleasant, faint medicinal fragrance.

Then, a warm, azure energy, like the morning sun, surged into her body from the arm around her, nourishing her injuries and fatigue.

This intimate contact, the comforting, steady arm, and the almost womb-like nourishing magical energy, made her feel a blush of shyness, while also increasing her trust and reliance on Lu Changsheng.

“Third Palace Master, are you alright?”

Lu Changsheng immediately looked at Shen Yiren with concern, catching a whiff of her elegant fragrance.

“Fellow Daoist Xu, Penglai Island’s reinforcements must be tied up by other attacks, let’s retreat quickly!”

The distant Nascent Soul battle had yet to see any reinforcements from Penglai Island or the Divine Maiden Palace, Shen Yiren realized that the others were held back, unable to arrive anytime soon.

In this situation, continuing to fight was pointless, they might not even be a match for them.

“Third Palace Master, shouldn’t we hold on a bit longer, once the Great Palace Master arrives, the crisis will naturally be resolved?”

Although Lu Changsheng didn’t mind retreating, the current situation was quite suitable for him to show off.

“My sister is in the midst of cultivating a secret technique, even if notified, it will take time for her to arrive, moreover, for them to dare attack with a Nascent Soul, they must be prepared!”

Shen Yiren, seeing Lu Changsheng struggling to hold on while still nourishing her body, felt a warmth in her heart.

As a guest elder of the Divine Maiden Palace, his willingness to exert himself like this greatly increased her goodwill toward him.

However, she knew why he was working so hard and didn’t want him to take risks.

“Alright.”

Hearing Shen Yiren’s words, Lu Changsheng didn’t insist, switching from offense to defense, preparing to retreat with Shen Yiren.

“Hmph, trying to run!?”

The Sandsea Croc God, seeing this, roared, his surging blood and magical energy howling, the scissor above his head attacking the two like a croc-flood dragon.

At the same time, the ghostly figure that had appeared earlier suddenly materialized near the three Core Formation cultivators, a spike-shaped artifact piercing through one of their chests, blood splattering!

“Junior Sister Huang!”

The other two Core Formation cultivators, seeing this, were horrified, desperately using their abilities and activating talismans to protect Junior Sister Huang, but her fair face instantly turned black, indicating that the attack was highly poisonous.

“Junior Nephew Huang!”

Shen Yiren, seeing this, also cried out in grief, activating a third-rank top-tier talisman, wanting to rush over and save her.

But the Sandsea Croc God and Ghost Ship Zhenjun’s goal was precisely this, to disrupt her focus and find an opening, the two continued to attack Shen Yiren.

“Third Palace Master, go save Fellow Daoist Huang, I’ll handle them.”

Lu Changsheng saw that Junior Sister Huang’s injuries were severe, if not treated immediately, she would likely perish within minutes.

If Shen Yiren later learned that he had the ability but chose not to act, letting Junior Sister Huang die, it would definitely create a rift, so he decided to intervene.

Also taking this opportunity to show off his exceptional abilities, to see if he could, as the divination suggested, attract the opposite sex and perhaps find a romantic opportunity!

“Fellow Daoist Xu, you?”

Shen Yiren, hearing this, was surprised and doubtful.

Based on previous information, she knew that Lu Changsheng also had a third-rank roc spirit pet.

But even with another third-rank roc, could he really handle these two?

However, the next moment.

“Shua!”

A tall figure appeared, exuding a cold metallic quality, like a war machine made of steel.

Qian Zhuyan, possessing only a fourth-rank puppet body, might not be comparable to a Nascent Soul True Lord, but dealing with Core Formation cultivators was more than enough!

“Boom!”

Without using the puppet battle formation.

With just a wave of her arm, the ghostly energy-infused yang-force broke through the layers of attacks, then slammed into the Sandsea Croc God’s protective barrier, causing it to dim, crack, his face to pale, his magical energy in disarray.

“This is…a fourth-rank puppet!”

The cultivators present, seeing this, were all shocked and moved, as if they had seen a ghost! Third-rank and fourth-rank techniques seemed like just a single step, but it was like a chasm! Not only did it require extremely high talent, but also sufficient resources to research and practice! But fourth-rank materials were incredibly rare and precious! Even Nascent Soul True Lords might not have so many resources to invest.

This also made any fourth-rank pills, talismans, puppets, etc., extremely valuable.

Even Shen Yiren’s third-rank top-tier puppet was crafted by someone her sister, Shen Jianjia, had hired.

For Lu Changsheng, a Core Formation cultivator, to possess a fourth-rank puppet was simply shocking.

“Third Palace Master, please rest assured.”

Lu Changsheng released Shen Yiren’s soft, supple waist, speaking gently, then throwing out a stack of talismans, his hands forming seals, beginning to arrange them.

His identity as Daoist Xu cultivated a health preservation technique and was not skilled in combat, but as a talisman master, being proficient in talisman arrays was perfectly normal.

So, Lu Changsheng planned to use a talisman array and the fourth-rank puppet to elevate his status, making him a worthy competitor for Shen Yiren among her many suitors.

Ideally, the Divine Maiden Palace would see his potential, encourage a match between him and Shen Yiren, then help him obtain a Huaying Pill.

“Quick battle!”

Ghost Ship Zhenjun, seeing the situation, quickly piloted the Ghost Ship toward Lu Changsheng, the shadowy figure in the distance also silently concealing itself in the void, approaching Lu Changsheng.

“Hehe.”

Lu Changsheng remained calm, arranging the talisman array around him like a wall, intricate patterns flowing, signaling Qian Zhuyan to quickly deal with the Sandsea Croc God.

“Whoosh!!!”

Although Qian Zhuyan’s fourth-rank puppet body wasn’t perfect, being somewhat crude, with Lu Changsheng’s assistance, it had integrated several artifacts, making it incredibly powerful.

As she continued to attack the Sandsea Croc God, a law-breaking arrow suddenly shot out from her left arm, completely piercing his protective barrier.

At the same time, a talisman from the array around Lu Changsheng flew toward the Sandsea Croc God.

A third-rank Soul-Shaking Talisman! It could cause one’s soul and consciousness to sink into a stupor.

Even if the Sandsea Croc God didn’t completely succumb, he still faltered slightly.

In that instant, Qian Zhuyan struck again with a blow far exceeding that of a Core Formation cultivator, sending the Sandsea Croc God flying, coughing up blood.

“Whoosh!”

However, the next moment, another black-gold crossbow bolt shot out from Qian Zhuyan’s left arm, piercing the Sandsea Croc God’s large, imposing body, turning into threads that tightly bound him.

“Retreat!”

Ghost Ship Zhenjun and the shadowy figure, seeing this, knew that they were no match for this fourth-rank puppet.

Besides, their goal this time was to stall for time and, if possible, capture a few important figures. But now, let alone capturing anyone, if they delayed any longer, they’d be the ones to fall here!