Puppet Army

"Go forth and sweep them away." Zheng Donglin gently stroked his chin, the corners of his lips curling upward.

The ten individuals led by Chen Jian, together with Huang Fang, originally numbered eleven. In other words, Zheng Donglin possessed eleven obedient puppets. Under his command, the eleven acted in perfect unison, lifting their feet to begin their conquest of Secret Realm No. 12.

...

In the other secret realms, the battles grew increasingly fierce.

Crimson flames mingled with ash-gray smoke erupted. Numerous youths pinched their noses or strove to hold their breath for as long as possible. Some failed to react in time; their faces turned pale, and their bodies went limp, losing all combat capability, leaving them unable to prevent Hong Jiuyuan from seizing their points. Foaming at the mouth, their eyes rolling wildly, they appeared to be heavily poisoned.

"Hong Jiuyuan, you are at the Peak of the Ninth Grade, yet you resort to poison! What a petty scoundrel!"

"If you have the ability, do not use poison! Fight us one-on-one!"

"Indeed, if you have the guts, do not use poison! How despicable!"

Hong Jiuyuan held his token. Hearing the youths' curses, he cast his gaze over and slowly walked toward them. Seeing him approach, the youths retreated in terror.

"Poison?"

"My element is Poison Fire, a fusion of the Fire and Poison elements. Failing to defeat me only proves your own incompetence. But if you wish for me to refrain from using Poison Fire, so be it," Hong Jiuyuan said coldly. As his voice fell, the Poison Fire extinguished.

Seeing the Poison Fire die out, the youths' eyes lit up. Not only Zheng Donglin, but anyone with high points would always be targeted. However, Hong Jiuyuan's strength was universally acknowledged to be greater than Zheng Donglin's, so fewer people targeted him. Great strength brought fewer troubles.

"Charge!" With gleaming eyes, twenty youths ranging from the Seventh to the Eighth Grade swarmed Hong Jiuyuan. Their weapons were diverse and ever-changing—sabers, swords, and chains—each radiating a fierce light. They coordinated seamlessly; first, a chain shot forward, binding Hong Jiuyuan's arms. The youth holding the chain pulled tightly, preventing Hong Jiuyuan from moving. The chain creaked, constricting his arms. The youths rejoiced; seeing Hong Jiuyuan bound, they knew their opportunity had come and struck without holding back.

"Hmph!" A cold snort echoed, and the iron chain binding Hong Jiuyuan's arms shattered with a loud blast. The chain was easily flung aside, leaving the youth controlling it wide-eyed with shock.

"Not good!"

"Stay away from him!"

No one knew who shouted first, but their weapons had already been swung; how could they retract them in time? Hong Jiuyuan glared, his grip tightening on the Dog Beating Staff. Time seemed to slow down due to his incredible speed. He did not employ true qi, relying solely on raw physical strength to weave through the narrow gaps. He flickered like a ghost, appearing behind one person and then instantly behind another.

The Dog Beating Staff struck with a sharp crack, hitting the vital joints of the youths, causing them bone-deep pain as their eyes rolled back. This man was too ruthless; with a single strike, their bones felt disconnected, as if they no longer belonged to their bodies.

"Ah!" The youths shrieked, their legs turning to mush, unable to stand. The joints connecting their legs had been shattered by the Dog Beating Staff.

"No, do not come near!" The youth controlling the chain waved his hands in panic, the chain falling wildly toward Hong Jiuyuan without rhythm. Hong Jiuyuan shifted his body, evading at the narrowest angle, and effortlessly closed in on the youth. Seeing his attack fail, the youth threw the chain at Hong Jiuyuan, abandoned his weapon, and fled.

Hong Jiuyuan was surprised and dodged the chain. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the fleeing youth. Taking a deep breath, his muscles bulged as he gripped the Dog Beating Staff.

"Swoosh!" The sound of tearing wind echoed. The fleeing youth suddenly let out a wretched shriek like a slaughtered pig. The sound reverberated through the forest, rustling the trees and scattering countless birds. The youth's face turned pale as the Dog Beating Staff pierced through his calf, blood dripping continuously, causing him agonizing pain.

"You are too cruel!" The youth crawled on the ground, staring hatefully at Hong Jiuyuan, who was slowly walking over. Hong Jiuyuan spoke not a word, pulling the Dog Beating Staff from the youth's leg. The wound jolted violently, making him cry out in pain.

"Lacking strength yet harboring greed—this is the end for those like you!" Hong Jiuyuan seized the youth's points, left him with those words, and turned to depart.

...

A youth with a solemn countenance gripped his sword tightly. At this moment, his appearance was extremely disheveled, his hair messy, losing his usual heroic image. This youth was named Ji Yu, the young master of a great clan within a city belonging to Lianzheng. Unlike other young masters who stayed in the city, his heart was entirely devoted to the martial path. From the moment he gained awareness, he had not let go of his sword for even a single second. Thus, Ji Yu was known as the Sword Gentleman. The Sword Gentleman was single-mindedly devoted to the sword, possessing extraordinary talent and a handsome appearance. He was the ideal figure in the hearts of countless young maidens.

The Sword Gentleman's cultivation was as high as the Mid Eighth Grade. Normally, unless he encountered top figures like Hong Jiuyuan or Ma Teng, he would not be reduced to such a disheveled state. No one expected that his opponent would be a sword cultivator whose cultivation had only just reached the Late Seventh Grade.

The Sword Gentleman held his longsword horizontally, closing his eyes to sense his opponent. He was in a highly perilous situation. His opponent's sword techniques were incredibly profound, and his footwork was even more terrifying. Every corner of the world seemed to hide sword qi. If he made a single careless mistake, the hidden sword qi would attack in unison, leading to a miserable end. The Sword Gentleman was extremely grave; the sword qi hidden by his opponent was too vast. A single misstep would trigger endless sword qi to instantly shred him.

The Sword Gentleman concentrated and held his breath, his body moving as light as a feather among the countless invisible strands of sword qi. His longsword slashed, its powerful force shattering a strand of sword qi that was about to form.

"You are strong," Su Dongliu said seriously. With the Liuhe Sword Art, he used clever, swift, and unpredictable angles to tap against the Sword Gentleman's longsword, neutralizing the force of both sides. However, in a head-on clash, Su Dongliu was no match for the Sword Gentleman, whose cultivation was, after all, higher. Yet, Su Dongliu possessed the Spiritual Star Sword Art and the Heaven-Plundering Sword Footwork. With these two profound martial skills, he was qualified to contend with the Sword Gentleman and even gain the upper hand.

"I am a realm higher than you; it is nothing to boast of," the Sword Gentleman shook his head. Winning by relying on a higher realm was not the pride of a true sword cultivator. A sword cultivator relied on sword skills and the sword to make a name, not on overpowering others.

"Watch out!" His words were cut short as Su Dongliu's figure vanished. At that moment, strands of sword qi erupted simultaneously. A sharp aura capable of severing all things emanated from the numerous strands of sword qi, making one's skin crawl, yet the Sword Gentleman did not flinch. He and his sword understood each other better than anything else; the sword was like a part of his body.

Countless strands of sword qi stabbed toward the Sword Gentleman from all directions. It seemed impossible for him to block them all, but to everyone's shock, the Sword Gentleman made a move. He leaped at the exact moment the sword qi converged into a single point. Stepping on the sword qi, he soared into the sky, then shot down like an arrow, his longsword tearing through the wind to stab straight at Su Dongliu.

"Not yet!" The sword qi split, and a barrage of sword qi shot skyward, meeting the Sword Gentleman head-on.

"Excellent move!" the Sword Gentleman praised sincerely, his longsword clashing directly with the sword qi. The sharp aura pierced through his skin, and drops of fresh blood fell. The Sword Gentleman narrowed his eyes, converging his sword qi onto the tip of his blade, and his overbearing longsword blew away the sword qi from the Heaven-Plundering Sword Footwork.

Su Dongliu showed no surprise; he knew the Sword Gentleman would counterattack. A sword cultivator's intuition regarding another sword cultivator was never wrong.

"Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!" The Spiritual Star Sword Art's sword qi surged. The sword qi of both sides clashed and roared, making one's scalp tingle, until one side gradually faded. The Sword Gentleman landed on the ground and said softly, "I lose."

"Thank you," Su Dongliu said in a deep voice. The Sword Gentleman was a sword cultivator devoted entirely to the sword. Sensing his sincerity, Su Dongliu showed him the utmost respect.

The points on the board constantly shifted. Hong Jiuyuan, Ma Teng, Meng Yansheng, Hou Xiaomei, Su Dongliu, Ding Boling—a succession of geniuses shone brightly, shocking all who observed the situation.

...

"Boom, boom, boom!" The sound of synchronized footsteps echoed. The number of people under Zheng Donglin had grown to twenty. Relying on his initial force, Zheng Donglin continued to expand his ranks.

"Conquer!" Zheng Donglin waved his hand, and the crowd could now be considered an army, their powerful aura striking terror into hearts. The people within Area 12 were plotting against Zheng Donglin, entirely unaware that what they were about to face was a heartless, fearless puppet army that would crush them completely.