Longevity: My Talents Are a Bit Abundant

The heavy Profound Iron door of the Earth Fire Chamber slowly opened.

Shen Xuan stepped out, the searing heat swirling around his body had yet to dissipate, and his robe hem billowed though there was no wind.

On the stone steps outside the door, a Direct Disciple of True Master Shou Yang had been quietly waiting for a long time.

Seeing Shen Xuan appear, he immediately bowed respectfully.

"True Master Guo, my master asks when you might have leisure—there is an important matter to discuss."

Shen Xuan raised his eyes and looked at the sky.

It was just after noon, the sun slanting westward, shedding dim yellow light from behind the clouds.

"Two hours from now."

His tone was calm.

"Yes, this disciple will immediately report back to Master."

The disciple bowed and withdrew.

Shen Xuan watched him leave, his expression unruffled.

Even when True Master Zhi Yang, Sect Leader of the Bright Flame Sect, extended an invitation, it still had to fit his schedule.

Such was the confidence that strength bestowed.

Shen Xuan turned into Escape Light and, moments later, descended before the cave mansion on Tiger Roar Peak.

The restriction silently dispersed, revealing the tranquil courtyard within.

"Master has returned."

The maid Xiangcao had been waiting there; she lowered her head and spoke softly.

Her fair hands held a stack of Jade Scrolls.

"The recent Sect and frontline intelligence, this servant has already organized properly."

Shen Xuan gave a slight nod and took the Jade Scrolls.

His Divine Sense swept over them, and the contents were clearly reflected in his mind.

Xiangcao’s work was growing ever more meticulous; not only had she read everything, she had also categorized it by degree of urgency, battlefield trends, fluctuations in resources, and so on, all in clear order.

"Well done, you may go."

Xiangcao bowed with a formal salute and quietly withdrew.

Shen Xuan paced to the Jade desk by the window and sat down, beginning a careful review.

Within the Jade Scrolls, streams of intelligence flowed; the scenes of battle seemed to unfold before his eyes.

A month ago, the main forces of the Bright Flame Sect and the Demon Race army clashed head‑on on the Cai Xia Plains.

High above, True Monarch Wan Huo and the Three-Eyed Thunder Peng Emperor tangled in combat, thunder and fire interwoven, visible for a thousand miles.

On the ground, however, the battlefield situation shifted like storm clouds.

The Human Race battle array had originally been on the brink under the fierce assault of the Demon Race.

At the critical moment, two thousand new‑type Puppet Beast battle arrays stepped forward, driving back the flock of demon birds.

The Demon Race army’s offensive suddenly fell into disarray, their formation in chaos, and they retreated in rout.

Shen Xuan put down the Jade Scroll, a faint smile rising at the corner of his lips.

As expected, just as he had foreseen.

In half a year, over two thousand Puppet Beasts were投入战场, equivalent to abruptly adding two thousand fearless, absolutely obedient Foundation Establishment combat forces.

They needed no rest, knew no fear, and formed slaughter formations according to orders.

The Demon Race, though numerous, were mostly a disorderly rabble, relying on individual ferocity and numerical advantage.

Among themselves, they lacked coordination.

Once subjected to dense Thunder Technique strikes they had never before encountered, their ranks immediately fell into chaos.

High Tier demon generals might protect themselves, but Low Tier Demon Beasts could only flee in panic.

As for Transformed Great Demons...

They prided themselves on status and feared the karmic consequences of Celestial Punishment, seldom personally involving themselves in the mêlée between Low Tier Cultivators and Demon Beasts.

Thus, the Bright Flame Sect’s frontline pressure lessened greatly; they could defend their cities and even push the border back in small areas.

...

Two hours later, True Master Shou Yang arrived punctually.

When this Sect Leader of the Bright Flame Sect stepped into the cave mansion, his face bore a spring breeze he could not quite conceal.

Seeing no outsiders present, he was the first to clasp his hands, adopting a rather low posture: "Shou Yang pays respects to True Master Guo."

Shen Xuan had already reached the Body Refining Divine Realm, a whole Great Realm higher than him; proper courtesy could not be neglected.

"Fellow Daoist Shou Yang, you are too polite. Please, sit."

Shen Xuan gestured with a raised hand, his expression serene.

True Master Shou Yang sat down as invited, his face full of smiles: "I’ve come specially to share good news! The Puppet Beasts created by True Master Guo displayed unmatched might on the Cai Xia Plains, slaying the Demon Race till they cast away helms and armor and fled a hundred miles! The chief credit for this battle belongs to True Master Guo!"

Seated upright in the main position, Shen Xuan only gave a faint smile upon hearing this.

"So long as they are useful, that is enough. Otherwise, Guo would have consumed so many of your Sect’s resources only to see no results, and would surely become a laughingstock."

"True Master Guo, you speak too harshly!"

True Master Shou Yang hurriedly adopted a solemn tone.

"Within the Sect, there were indeed a few shortsighted types who voiced minor complaints about the Sect supporting the refining of Puppet Beasts. Yet Ancestor Hong Lian, with high and far‑seeing vision, gave her full support, allowing Shou Yang to push this matter through. Now that the battle results are glorious, those stray noises naturally vanish into smoke."

There was an easy note in his words.

Clearly, he had used this battle to consolidate his own position and had reaped no small profit.

Shen Xuan saw through it as though looking into fire, yet did not expose him, quietly waiting for what would come next.

Sure enough, after a brief pause, True Master Shou Yang leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and his eyes carried fervent expectation.

"True Master Guo, if our Sect were to fully commit its support, could you perhaps develop a similar new‑type Tier Three Puppet?"

If Foundation Establishment Cultivators could pilot Tier Three Puppets, even if only of the Early Stage, the Bright Flame Sect’s combat strength would be utterly transformed.

In the Cultivation Realm, Qi Cultivation Cultivators were as numerous as crucian carp in the river; Foundation Establishment Cultivators were one in a hundred miles.

Inner Core Cultivators were even rarer.

Within the Demon Race army, Tier Three Demon Kings were likewise limited in number.

If they could truly develop a new‑type Tier Three Puppet Beast that was cheap yet fine, capable of contending with Tier Three Demon Kings...

The situation on the Demon Beast frontline battlefield would be completely overturned.

Meeting the expectant gaze of True Master Shou Yang, Shen Xuan slowly shook his head.

"It would be very difficult."

The light in True Master Shou Yang’s eyes dimmed.

Shen Xuan’s tone remained even: "For these new‑type Tier Two Puppets, Guo devoted decades of focused research and went through countless rounds of trial‑and‑error refinements before achieving today’s results. To develop new‑type Tier Three Puppets would require not only a complete upgrade in materials and Arrays; the driving core, Spiritual Power conduction, and operational intelligence would all have to be re‑constructed. The bottlenecks are many, and the manpower, resources, and time required are by no means something that can be accomplished in the short term."

He paused slightly, and seeing that True Master Shou Yang’s expression could not conceal his disappointment, he shifted his tone: "However, if your Sect truly has the resolve, Guo can still spare some time to attempt deductions. But whether this will succeed, and when it might succeed, cannot be guaranteed."

Upon hearing this, True Master Shou Yang’s smile returned to his face, but the fervor in his eyes had already cooled somewhat.

"I must trouble True Master to take this to heart."

True Master Shou Yang’s tone remained courteous, yet was no longer as enthusiastic as before.