Chapter 58: The Battle Begins
Chapter 58: The Battle Begins
Boom!
Like a bolt from the blue, a short, sharp, and thunderous sound rolled in, drawing the gazes of a group of five people.
Looking towards the source, they saw a wall of the Alchemy Workshop not far away. Its color turned from white to crimson, and then the center bulged out before it began to melt and crumble!
Bang!
As if a balloon had been punctured, a deep blue burst of Arcane Energy erupted from the hole in the wall, shooting diagonally into the sky. It left a lingering blue pillar of light in the heavens!
“Ugh…”
All five of them were left speechless.
He Yue, especially, was a Puppeteer who knew very well just how sturdy the Alchemy Workshop’s defenses were.
Because of frequent alchemical accidents and chemical explosions, the walls of the Alchemy Workshop were more than ten times stronger than those of ordinary houses!
The Alchemy Workshop was equipped with a level 1 magic array — the Heavenly Prison Array. This array could disperse impacts evenly across every inch of the workshop’s walls, making them as strong as an eggshell, unbreakable.
To shatter a wall and still have such power left over… He Yue silently calculated in his mind and couldn’t help but shudder!
Through the billowing dust, a jet-black water projectile shot out and extinguished a magical flame birthed by the explosion.
This water projectile reminded the others, and several more flew out. These others had much more normal colors.
“Li Yi, you have to pay for my damages!” Coughed and cursed, Zhao Xu’s voice came from the breach. “The cost of repairing and maintaining the Alchemy Workshop will be deducted from your pay!”
“What? Absolutely not,” Li Yi’s slightly raised voice also echoed from the breach. “Didn’t you tell me to test it?”
“I told you to test the ‘Five-Tone Viscera’. Who told you to test ‘that’?” Judging by a dull thud, Zhao Xu seemed to have kicked someone hard. “You knew perfectly well how powerful ‘that’ was, yet you dared to use it inside a room? Couldn’t you have found an open space?”
“You didn’t say…”
“Let’s go!” He Yue’s gaze turned dark and fierce. His mouth moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just spat out three vicious words.
“We’re not testing anymore?” Luo Yun was puzzled and asked without reading the room.
Slap!
He was answered with a heavy slap.
“I said, let’s go!”
…
The day of the final battle had finally arrived.
On the fighting stage, the stage holder had arrived early. It was a ferocious-looking blue-black puppet, pacing back and forth like a patrolling monarch, full of murderous aura.
Covered in icy, dagger-like fish scales, its body was robust, its movements agile. It moved with the imposing stride of a dragon and tiger, naturally exuding a fierce and intimidating pressure. This was, of course, the Tide-Severer Type I.
Its only flaw was that every so often, a bucket of cold seawater needed to be poured over it.
The Tide-Severer series was mainly used in wars against the Seafolk. Although it was not as adept as it was in the sea, its combat power on land was still terrifying.
Even before it began, the surrounding stands were already packed and bustling with a huge crowd.
Unlike the Martial Display of the Outer Academy, the influence of the Hundred Puppets War was at least ten times greater!
Of course, it wasn’t just for the spectacle. Many people also came with the intention of buying a puppet.
Puppets possessed formidable combat strength, could adapt to many complex environments, and were controlled by the mind, almost like a second body. For most physically weak Mages, they were extremely useful.
The Hundred Puppets War was also a stage for level 1 Puppeteers to showcase their skills. Many promising new puppets could receive a large number of orders.
In fact, for some Puppeteers, the prize was not as important as the fame.
Groups of five people entered one after another. There were about twenty-six or twenty-seven groups.
The number of Puppeteers, although not as rare as that of Dao Transformation Armament masters, was still not large.
Each group carefully and slowly walked, their puppets covered with cloth drapes.
“What’s going on? Why so secretive?” Li Yi asked curiously in a low voice.
“The big reveal, don’t you get it? It’s a rule of the Hundred Puppets War. All contestants reveal their puppets simultaneously when the battle begins.” Zhao Xu supported the leg of his “Reverse Halberd Type II.” His cautious manner was almost like cradling a baby. “Puppets are also a kind of product, just like war swords and armor. Their entrance and reveal are very important.”
Hearing this, Li Yi nodded, thinking to himself that he hadn’t expected these Puppeteers to have such a business mind.
Perhaps the original purpose of the Hundred Puppets War was similar to a promotional market event, meant to attract customers and eyeballs…
…
Right in front of the stage, at the spots with the best view, three chairs were placed, and they were all occupied.
Even high-level Puppeteers could gain new knowledge and spark new inspiration by observing the Hundred Puppets War. It was very beneficial.
On the left was a one-eyed old man. A badge was pinned on his shoulder, engraved with a wooden ox and a gliding horse, with the character for ‘six’ in the center.
This person was precisely the level 6 Puppeteer — Lu Yin.
Behind him stood a huge shadow wrapped in black robes. It had not yet fully appeared, but it emitted a continuous, bone-chilling cold that covered the ground with a layer of frost.
— “Winter Night Watcher Type III,” a level 6 puppet, was Lu Yin’s famous creation.
On the right was a person wearing an iron mask. His shoulder also bore a Puppeteer badge, but the character in the center was ‘five’.
Level 5 Puppeteer, Iron Face (Tiemian).
Behind him was his level 5 puppet, the “Rock Hammer Skullcrusher Type IV.” It belonged to the same lineage as the “Frostland Skullcrusher” from the Divine Mechanism Abode, but many of its attributes were already quite different.
In the very center was actually a refined, jade-like young man. Looking at his badge, he was only level 4.
The puppet behind him wasn’t outstanding either, just a standard “Mountain Breaker.”
However, judging by the expressions of the other two, neither had any objections.
The reason was simple. This young man, Chen Deng, represented a person.
His teacher, the only level 7 Puppeteer at Dawn Cliff, Fan Wen.
Of course, even though they dared not openly object, in their hearts, they naturally looked down on him and would not deign to speak with that inexperienced youth.
Lu Yin smiled arrogantly and struck up a conversation with a scar-faced, sturdy man who was casually sitting cross-legged beside him.
This big fellow was actually the youngest of the nine Great Elders, Qin Yue, who had tamed the Transcendent Behemoth — the “Bountiful Tusk Boar.”
For some reason, he had appeared here, and he didn’t even sit on a chair, choosing to sit cross-legged on the ground instead.
“Qin Yue, I remember you’re skilled in beast taming and magic forging, and you always looked down on the path of puppetry…” Lu Yin and Qin Yue seemed to be acquainted, so he spoke without much restraint. “This time, is it for your younger brother Qin Yun? Truly deep brotherly affection!”
Qin Yue didn’t confirm or deny it, just chuckled. “Aren’t you, a dignified level 6 Puppeteer, showing up here also for your son?”
“I heard your younger brother recently suffered a setback and has been depressed for a long time.” Lu Yin’s eyes shifted, and he struck another unkind blow. “It seems he even lost that Crane-Luan Brush you bought from me to someone else… What, not planning to get revenge for your brother?”
“Young people can’t grow without experiencing some setbacks,” Qin Yue said with a scoffing smile, not bothered at all. “That kid, relying on his status as my brother, got a lot of attention and really started thinking he was a genius, becoming arrogant beyond measure! To be honest, I’m quite thankful to that person. A Crane-Luan Brush in exchange for my brother turning over a new leaf is a very fair deal!”
“Besides,” he continued, seeming to imply something, “besides, I could never do something like an adult helping out in a fight between kids…”
Hearing this, Lu Yin’s old face flushed red.
Could it be that he knew there was something inside that “Snake-Hair Hunter Type II”…
Lu Yin calmly brushed away his stray thoughts and smiled. “This time, with your brother Qin Yue and Cao Guihai teaming up, two powerhouses joining forces, they must be determined to win, right?”
“Them? Not very likely…” Qin Yue’s evaluation of his own brother was not polite at all. “Those two little ones do have good talent, but they lack experience and a broader perspective. Their puppets definitely won’t be bad, but they won’t be top-tier either…”
“Their group is considered the strongest one by everyone!” Lu Yin’s eyes flickered, as if thinking about something. “So you’re saying you think no one can win?”
“That’s not it… I think there’s one group that might just give us a surprise.”
His voice was meaningful as his gaze pierced through the crowd and settled on a person who seemed very out of place.
Amidst the tense atmosphere where some were eager and others were on guard, this person seemed detached, lazily looking around. Sometimes he would sneak a good look when he spotted a pretty girl.
…
“The Hundred Puppets War begins!”
Lu Yin stood up and shouted loudly.
At his command, the grand reveal began. Countless cloth drapes were pulled away simultaneously