novelraw Chapter 612 - 611 - Puppets
Chapter 612 - 611 - Puppets
Both Lili and Lind observed the strange Fiend. For Lili it was a nightmare thought long dead returning to terrorize her lands, but Lind was confused.
He had met quite a few Fiends at that point and heard far more that was confirmed by his wives after becoming Heaven Realms.
No where in any of that did a Fiend calmly stand over humans working hard at simple production. Further, the fluctuations of Fiend Qi were very low.
Lind opened his senses and felt a far stronger current of Fiend Qi than he had above but it was still diffused as if coming from a natural source.
They carefully moved around the large room and found other passages. Unlike the one they entered, there was no blue mist on the floor.
The Fiend never looked at them and neither did the World Realms. It was as if nothing else existed.
Lind followed the flows of Qi but he also finally noticed something that made him sick. In the air were very fine spirit Qi threads. He would not be able to see them normally but the contrast of Fiend Qi made them stand out like a beacon.
They went right back to that Fiend!
"Puppets! The Fiend is a puppet!" The Fiend was not technically alive at all!
How had someone done that and why? Just what was going on in the Orwellia Empire?!
The passages were smooth with no doors or divergence but eventually they came to a barracks.
There were simple beds but not bad ones. Lind thought that was all there was to it until he froze looking at the far wall.
Sigils were just barely visible but that was not all, there were arrays. Weaving and formations used in conjunction!
He looked over them carefully as even Lili was amazed. Such a thing had not been done before to his knowledge but the age of the engraving was at least over 3 million years old! That was older than Suzen!
"What does this mean?" Lind knew too little about the history of the Heaven Realm and the war consumed all the rest he knew. How much was lost because of the war and the needs of it?
"The history books lied?" Lili's question made him turn but he then froze and pulled her to him.
In the shadow of the hall they left a dark shape slowly emerged. It was the same Fiend from before. He slowly looked around before a sickly fire took shape. It was imperfect but clearly Fiend fire Qi.
Lind's eyes narrowed as he found the control was telling. It was not the way a Fiend or any cultivator would wield an element they were familiar with. It did leave questions though. The life in the puppet was false yet it retained its cultivation?
What kind of technique or Art was that?
Lind then watched as the Fiend came at them but passed less than a handwidth from them before touching a sigil on the wall. It glowed weakly but a door cracked open as if it had always been there.
He realized it was a still functional weaving but only just. No one knew how to fix it and he knew why! It was not Fiend Qi!
It was Celestial Qi! He was shocked beyond belief but quickly followed the puppet. The door slammed shut and he worried about how to get out later but a massive hall greeted them in pale crystal light.
Lind almost yelped in joy at his find. Celestial Qi! It was Celestial Qi everywhere!
It was incredibly weak, but it was still working! He then froze as he recalled Fiend Qi was some kind of variant but it was not like demonic and natural Qi. It was simply a sensation of being vile versus a feeling of awe.
The cathedral style reminded him of gothic but it was much brighter to his Eyes. He saw the puppet move with confidence down the hall but LInd no longer cared. He found the surroundings much more interesting.
"What is this, why does it feel wonderful?" Lili's words drew him and he saw her wonder. For the first time, he was relaxed around her. She was under his thumb with a seal but in that moment, they both shared the experience of being in awe.
"It is Celestial Qi. I encountered it long ago in a Ruin but since then nothing. It is older than that wall too." He couldn't even remotely place the age of the place. It was so well made but it deepened the mystery.
"What did you mean the history books lied?" He recalled her words and she looked harshly at the walls around her.
"It was said there were no Ruins nor Inheritances in the land of the 6 empires. They were settled by Immortal Suzen when he erected his glorious Law Binding." Towards the end he noted her frown deepening and realized her foundation was breaking. She could no longer dismiss his words.
"They are called thralls. That is how a Supreme Lord is a Fiend. She wears the face of a human but is a Fiend beneath." He explained once more the horrific technique and she slowly nodded.
"Where is the puppet going?" Lind nodded and tabled further questions as they explored. There were barren rooms off the hall but they held nothing of interest. They were not dusty either, but cleaned out. Someone had taken everything from them.
The hall descended only a little more but they were now well beyond the wall Lind had seen on the surface.
He finally saw a faint glow ahead. He paused as his Touch and Eyes looked around but he felt nothing. He then chanced weaving and still found nothing.
"Be prepared to run." Lind did not like the feeling. His draconic instincts were silent but his human side was extremely distrustful of an easy time.
They carefully turned the corner and saw a scene most science fiction shows would be proud of. Rows of tubes at 45 degrees lined the walls of a massive chamber with what looked like cables coming from them but inside each were Fiends, humans, and a few aether children.
Lind's eyes shot wide as his senses told him souls were swirling in the room ahead. He could not pinpoint the source but he noticed the cables again and the now dense air of spirit Qi strings made it clear it was a room of puppets!
The cultivation of all of them were not easy to sift out but the lowest was a World Realm.
He also noted the elaborate arrays on a stone table and felt his blood go cold. He had been wrong. They were not dead at all, they were alive!
Their souls were kept here, in the caskets to ensure the control of the bodies was smooth. The Soulless were child's play compared to what he looked at now.
Further, he recalled Shi's brother Linghu. He was alive but also a puppet in a way. He observed the various functions of the table and saw how the removal of the soul was simply efficient for control but not necessary.
It also sparked a few ideas in his mind about how Linghu could be freed. Still, he needed to study it more but right then they had greater issues.
The Sky Realms monitoring the puppets for instance. They were dressed in dark robes like before. Unlike anyone they had met, there was no sign of bland faces nor of spirit Qi strings.
"No issues with production. We are in time for the next caravan. Make sure the leader has good memories of the brothel like before." A man spoke from one of the crystal pedestals in the room.
The slow nod gave chills to them both as a wave of Qi washed over them. Lind quickly made sure they were safe but also pulled back. His actions were wise as 2 of the Sky Realm auras swept where they had just been.
"What are you doing?" The same voice spoke harshly.
"I thought I felt resistance but there was nothing. Likely another array failure." Lind could understand that. The moment the wave went out all the Celestial Qi weakened further.
What was that formation?
Lind was about to head back when he froze. He pushed his artifact to its limit as the feeling of danger returned from last night!
"Report!" A voice boomed in the room. The 3 Sky Realms at the pedestals instantly bowed low but no one else was there.
"Supreme Immortal, we have had no further issues this evening. The current batch of traders are leaving in the morning as planned. A patrol will return as well with news of the fallen Dar Empire issues." Lind's eyes narrowed. He had not seen nor felt a patrol on their journey at any point.
There was not even a whisper.
"So, you are saying all is well?" The dark tone was not missed by anyone in the booming voice. The Sky Realms trembled but they confirmed no issues in any report. Their silence seemed to displease the presence.
"Please explain why 2 visitors are missing! A man and a woman entered yesterday and now they are nowhere to be found!" Lind felt Lili tense but he actually smiled. It could work to his advantage!
The Sky Realms quickly examined the reports and Lind could almost see their eyes bulge in shock.
"CONFIRMED! Hawks End is missing 2 visitors. Their wagon and horses are there but they are not! Check all the streets now!" As they worked, Lind carefully found the source of the voice to be a man on a floating platform.
Despite his title, he was only a peak Sun Tier. Anymore and LInd was afraid he would be revealed. He had Lili stay still and neither felt the need to move.
"Nothing! There is nothing. Not a single street array is triggered and no sign of any extra bodies in the homes. The wall is not breached either. No sign of flight nor a breach of the common barrier cage." Lind was suddenly glad he had not flown too high.
"Find them and bring them to us. None can escape our mighty will!" The Sky Realms bowed and puppets began to fly out of caskets as the Sky Realms dropped to only a few.
Lind and Lili quietly sat in the nearest room as the horde moved by and he smiled. The presence left and only 1 Sky Realm remained.
Their chance had come!