Chapter 57: Five Tones
Chapter 57: Five Tones
“Mana output, seven!”
“Good, keep it steady… six!”
“Alright, output, three!”
Li Yi issued the commands, while concentrating solely on the tip of his brush, moving it steadily.
His Demon-Sealing Brush moved with firm strokes, each line drawn strong and robust, radiating immense power.
His hand seemed as stable as if holding a colossal mountain peak; not even the slightest tremor was visible.
Beside him, a small, chubby boy sweated profusely. His fingertips touched the Demon-Sealing Brush as he followed Li Yi’s orders, releasing mana while scarcely daring to breathe.
On the Alchemy Platform, the functional module—which could be considered either a “beggar’s version” Dao Transformation Armament or a Puppet component—gradually took shape.
—This module was called “Five-Tone Viscera”.
According to Li Yi’s personal taste, he naturally preferred more outlandish names. But to keep a low profile, he decided against it.
This module incorporated far too much knowledge of Dao Transformation Armament, exceeding Zhao Xu’s capabilities, so Li Yi had to personally wield the brush.
Once actual crafting began, troubles piled up.
Drawing Dao Transformation Armament required a pair of stable yet deft hands.
After cultivating the “Mammoth Shakes the Mountain” technique, Li Yi’s hands had become as steady as rocks, capable of holding mountains.
Lacking dexterity, he compensated with stability, slowing his speed to a crawl. He took extreme care, striving to create one flawless arc after another.
However, magical control was a weakness he couldn’t solve alone.
Later, he came up with an idea: have one person solely responsible for mana output while he focused entirely on the drawing.
For this purpose, Li Yi deliberately created a mana scale, marked from one to ten, to precisely gauge the mana output.
The boy beside him, named Yuan Ang, was one of two assistants Zhao Xu had hired.
He was an Outer Manor Disciple, yet his selection indicated significant talent.
Moreover, though both were plump, Yuan Ang differed greatly from Wang Sheng. He was hard-working and uncomplaining, tackling any task without a word of grievance, truly a qualified assistant.
“That Lü Xun, one day, he’ll surely regret it so much it gnaws at him!” The chubby boy carefully controlled his mana output, stealing a glance at the mechanical assistant beside him pretending to be busy, inwardly gloating. “He hasn’t a clue what he just missed!”
Initially, this job hadn’t fallen to Yuan Ang. It was offered to the more experienced Lü Xun.
But Lü Xun, an Inner-Mansion Disciple, took one look at Li Yi’s cultivation level and dismissed him with contempt. He outright refused the job, even bragging loudly that he’d only assist genuine Puppeteers.
When Yuan Ang heard about this, he jumped for joy!
Being an Outer Manor Disciple himself, he was intimately familiar with the tales surrounding this “commoner genius.” Topping the Martial Display rankings was impressive enough, but he’d also heard how Li Yi had bested Qin Yun—Wu Yi’s top disciple!
Without hesitation, Yuan Ang accepted.
He was not disappointed.
By participating in and witnessing the creation of this “Five-Tone Viscera,” Yuan Ang gained immensely, feeling as if his entire skill level had undergone a refinement.
His emotions were a tangle: part of him hoped for an early finish to see the effect firsthand, while another part wished it would never end, allowing him to keep observing and learning.
“This Five-Tone Viscera will be the brightest, most dazzling highlight on my résumé!”
Yuan Ang knew well that for an apprentice yet to become a Puppeteer, a strong résumé was crucial.
“Who knows? Perhaps this puppet module will become a revolutionary creation! Does that mean I could be recorded in the annals of Puppetry history?”
With such wild thoughts scurrying through his mind, a ripple disturbed his mana output.
“Zhao Qin, give him a Mana-Restoring Pill!” Li Yi caught the disturbance instantly, his voice urgent.
“Understood. Why so loud? Stupid fatty, you just had one! Ran out of mana already?” Zhao Qin’s tongue was sharp, but her hands moved like lightning.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on why she felt this way.
Luo Yun, the one she’d favored, had proven himself garbage—of poor character and utterly worthless.
Meanwhile, Li Yi, whom she couldn’t stand, was gradually revealing his brilliance, becoming the core, the backbone everyone relied upon.
This stark contrast left Zhao Qin feeling unsettled, adrift.
She didn’t dislike Li Yi. Yet, whenever she saw him, an inexplicable resentment bubbled up inside her, making her want to snap at him.
Li Yi remained entirely unaware of the many distracting thoughts swirling around his two assistants.
He was far too absorbed; such trivial matters didn’t even register.
“It’s almost… finished!”
Success or failure hinged on this single stroke!
A flicker of excitement rose within him, yet his expression turned even more grave, as if facing a formidable enemy.
His brush strokes became heavier, slower, imbued with a feeling like a serpent gliding and a dragon coiling.
“Mana output, ten!”
At his command, tendons bulged on his fingers. He swung the brush with fierce power, tracing a vast shape that was nearly circular yet not quite—a prolonged, writhing curve that snaked through several Energy Nodes, igniting them one by one before looping back in an even larger ring to finally return to its origin.
In an instant, a sense of transcendent perfection, round and seamless, radiated right off the parchment!
“That’s it…”
Li Yi lifted his brush, breathing slightly quickly. That final stroke seemed to drain more energy and focus than unleashing forbidden magic.
“Is it… done?” Yuan Ang’s voice was hoarse as he whispered, eyes wide.
Before Li Yi, catching his breath, could answer, brilliant light surged upward from the Alchemy Platform, like a dragon taking flight!
Under the shimmer of five-colored light, the Five Tones—Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi, Yu—sounded simultaneously!
A symphony of beastly cries followed: the roar of dragons, the cry of phoenixes, the bellow of lions, the snarl of tigers, the howl of apes, the howl of wolves—rising and falling endlessly.
Then came the sounds of nature: the sigh of wind, the patter of rain, the rush of rivers, the crash of tides, the rustle of bamboo, the rustling of forests—drifting and echoing.
Countless sounds merged like an orchestra, distinct yet harmonious, swirling within picturesque radiance, intoxicatingly beautiful.
After just a few breaths, all the sounds faded, the light subsided, leaving the impression that it had all been an illusion.
“What was… that?” Zhao Qin covered her small mouth, a look of astonishment on her face.
“Was it a ‘Sacred Phenomenon’?” stammered the chubby boy, unable to hide his excitement.
“Who knows? Doesn’t really seem like it…” Li Yi shook his head.
Many powerful pieces of equipment, even Dao Transformation Armaments, could resonate with the Laws upon creation, triggering wondrous phenomena known as “Sacred Phenomena.” Exceptionally potent items that challenged the Laws might even provoke terrible Lightning Tribulations—the origin of “Heaven’s Retribution”-level items.
However, Sacred Phenomena usually lasted around half a minute. Very few vanished after mere seconds.
“So? Shall we test its effect?”
Somehow, Zhao Xu had walked over. He had clearly seen the earlier spectacle too, his expression as intensely eager as a bear starved all winter.
“Alright!” Li Yi agreed. Truthfully, he was also burning with anticipation.
He flipped open the puppet’s back, revealing a specially designed recess prepared for the “Five-Tone Viscera.”
The module slotted securely, rivets fastened. Instantly, a faint golden light spread along the puppet’s pathways, shimmering with a subtle glow.
…
While Li Yi and his group were hard at work, not far from their Alchemy Workshop, a group of five strolled over, chatting and laughing with apparent ease.
The two at the rear struggled to carry an object shrouded in black cloth, its shape distinctly humanoid.
Had Li Yi seen them, he would have recognized two familiar faces in the group.
One was the verbose Yan He.
The other was the betrayer—Luo Yun.
Yan He walked alongside the leader, talking non-stop, projecting an air of authority.
Luo Yun’s status was clearly lower; he was one of the two carriers.
“Let’s conduct the last test over there…”
The leader scanned the surroundings, pinpointed his target, and lightly tapped a finger toward a patch of empty ground.
“Right here? Seems… maybe not ideal…” Luo Yun’s eyes darted, his voice turning ingratiating. “Zhao Xu’s Alchemy Workshop is nearby. Master He Yue, our ‘Dragon-Blooded Mark I’ has remained completely concealed until now. If he catches a glimpse, spies on its secrets…”
“Have no fear!” He Yue waved a dismissive hand, arrogance unconcealed on his face. “Zhao Xu? I know him well. He has a solid grasp of the basics but precious little talent. That’s why he resorts to these underhanded tricks. My ‘Dragon-Blooded Mark I’ operates entirely on legitimate principles. Even if he sees it, he’d never be able to replicate it.”
“So true! How could he ever compare to you?” Luo Yun stuck up a thumb, then his face darkened with remembered resentment. “His judgment is lousy too! He hired this kid, Li Yi, as a consultant. The guy’s all talk, absolutely zero real skill! In every possible way, he’s light years behind Master Yan He!”
His flattery flowed smoothly, failing to notice that Yan He’s expression had abruptly stiffened.
As they spoke, a sound like an exploding powder keg erupted from nearby—a dull explosion tearing through the air!