Chapter 98: Luo Qian Manipulates the Puppets

Chapter 98: Luo’s Puppet Manipulation

The entire hall fell silent.

How could a primordial spirit slay an immortal? Impossible.

And yet, it was Master Huoyun!

“Just as expected,” Luo Feng thought with a sigh.

From the very beginning, Luo Feng had kept an eye on Daoist Huoyun.

During the grand disciple selection ceremony among the Seven Sects, the top three sects—Huaqing Temple as the first, Xinghe Sect as the fifth, and Tianyi Pavilion as the seventh—each sent out Earth Immortals, while the second sect Youlong, third sect Beihe Sword Sect, fourth sect Tai’er Sect, and sixth sect Xuantian Valley, four major sects, dispatched primordial spirits.

What did this imply?

It meant that the primordial spirits sent by these four sects were all top-tier figures just below Earth Immortals.

Otherwise, they couldn’t maintain order.

If disputes arose, ordinary primordial spirits would have no confidence to confront Earth Immortals — forget about causing trouble; they wouldn’t even dare to speak.

Later, upon further interaction, Daoist Huoyun gave Luo Feng the impression of an ordinary primordial spirit cultivator.

Being excessively normal was, in fact, abnormal.

Though Luo Feng of Tai’er Sect was a puppet, he had personally crafted it; it was no mass-produced puppet.

Its quality was excellent, and ordinary immortals were no match for Luo Feng.

“Tai’er Sect hides dragons and crouching tigers; they must not be underestimated…”

Casting a glance at Daoist Huoyun, whose face still wore a sincere smile, then looking around at the young disciples whose expressions ranged from surprise to disbelief, Luo Feng sighed inwardly. These disciples were naive and simple-minded.

On the path of cultivation, there are all kinds of people, but talents like Daoist Huoyun were the most dangerous.

His conduct and demeanor could be summed up as: entering silently with the wind at night, moistening all things without a sound.

Unconsciously, he implanted the image of a kindly old man into everyone’s hearts, causing them to lower their guard.

If he had appeared shouting and fighting from the start, such cultivators were not to be feared; they were often all bark and no bite.

Their savage exterior was merely a mask for inner weakness.

All their actions stayed on the surface; once countered, they had no fallback.

Such cultivators were merely blusterers and typical cannon fodder.

As his thoughts turned over in his mind, Luo Feng outwardly followed the crowd, showing a trace of astonishment.

Then, he furrowed his brows slightly and murmured, “How could this be…”

Earlier he had remained still, now he was ready to act!

Entering the sect midway and training hard, the image of a young cultivator had been established, and he needed to bring this role to life.

He must make the immortals of Tai’er Sect believe he was just a fresh novice.

Let everyone believe that such a person truly existed. This person was Luo Feng·Tianyi.

Seeing the crowd’s disbelief, Daoist Huoyun cleared his throat, instantly drawing all eyes.

With a friendly smile, Daoist Huoyun said, “That immortal’s foundation was too weak, even worse than a scattered cultivator, and severely injured. I also had the treasure granted by the sect leader. It was merely a lucky victory…”

“If you don’t cultivate properly, you’ll only become such an immortal in the future…”

Once these words were spoken, everyone’s expressions lightened, suddenly understanding. No wonder such an immortal, weaker than scattered cultivators and heavily injured, lost to Master Huoyun, who, though kind-hearted, was a rare inner disciple with exceptional means.

Luo Feng thought to himself, I don’t believe a word of it. You old fox are quite devious.

Daoist Huoyun was just bullying these disciples who had never seen an immortal, making it seem impossible for them to become immortals themselves.

Immortal and mortal were entirely different tiers. Immortals could be defeated, but for a primordial spirit cultivator to kill an immortal—even an injured one—was extremely difficult.

Of course, none of this was known to Luo Feng, playing the part of a fresh disciple.

Standing to the side, Luo Feng gazed up at the sky thoughtfully and murmured, “I see now. The ancients have long noted in scripture that foundation is paramount on the path of cultivation!”

Beside him, Daoist Shunfeng sighed, “If we could become immortals, we would never become such weak immortals. How pitiful.”

Daoist Xuanyi nodded in agreement, “Exactly so.”

The crowd bustled and chattered for a while.

Then Daoist Huoyun said leisurely, “Selected disciples, come to my gourd.”

He pulled out a red gourd from his waist and tossed it into the air. It immediately grew with the wind, transforming into a massive gourd, like a giant ship on the sea.

One by one, the disciples entered, flying toward the red gourd.

Among them were three Foundation Establishment disciples, all male; three Golden Core disciples, one female and two males; three Nascent Soul disciples, two females and one male; and the primordial spirit was the young cultivator from before.

Just as everyone thought everything had concluded smoothly, a discordant voice arose.

“All of you have won the selection by competing, so what merit does junior brother Tianyi have to bypass the competition and be directly selected?”

“I wonder what tricks he used to sneak in.”

Luo Feng focused his eyes and almost laughed out loud.

The speaker was a gray-robed man, a Nascent Soul cultivator.

But the key point was not this—it was that this gray-robed cultivator was not human!

He was a puppet!

Luo Feng was about to retort sharply to maintain his character as Luo Feng·Tianyi.

Suddenly, a clear, sharp voice sounded from the side, “Senior brother, you lost yourself; do not vent your anger on others.”

“Junior brother Tianyi cultivates the Sublime Water Sutra, an ancient water immortal technique and a superior Dao foundation.”

“No one among the Foundation Establishment disciples can compare to him, so naturally he need not compete.”

Luo Feng focused on the speaker.

At this sight, the smile he nearly suppressed finally appeared.

The speaker was a fairy-like maiden, a Golden Core female cultivator who had succeeded in this competition.

She had a rosy, egg-shaped face, flowing black hair styled elegantly with wind-blown ornaments, and wore a Water Moon Dao robe, exuding grace and unparalleled dignity.

More importantly, she carried a subtle aura Luo Feng was intimately familiar with.

Earlier, she had passed by his room without speaking, seemingly just passing through, so he hadn’t paid much attention.

“Number twenty-four… Heh, I say, countryman, you really have no shame.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, cross-dressing… Before transmigration… maybe he was a novelist…”

The gray-robed puppet senior brother who had doubted Luo Feng looked shocked, saying, “Junior sister Yun Ruo, you actually defend him, you…”

Yun Ruo replied coldly, “I speak only for the facts, nothing more.”

What a just and righteous white lotus junior sister.

Luo Feng silently gave her a thumbs up.

Now it was his turn.

Since we’re acting, I’ll play along!

Luo·Diligent Cultivator·Determined Youth·Feng·Cold-faced but Warm-hearted·Great Fortune Disciple·Tianyi, reporting!

Luo Feng’s expression was stern. First, he bowed slightly to Yun Ruo and spoke gently, “Thank you, senior sister, for speaking on my behalf.”

“However, junior brother feels senior brother’s words have some merit…”

Suddenly turning, he bowed deeply to Daoist Huoyun with resounding force, “Disciple Tianyi, blessed by the sect’s grace, admitted to the outer sect, knowing well my shallow cultivation and average talent.”

“Therefore, I have cultivated cautiously, never daring to slacken for a single day.”

“Others may doubt my other shortcomings, and I accept that, knowing my own lack of virtue.”

“But if senior brother suspects me of trickery and deceit, I cannot agree!”

“I respectfully ask Master Huoyun to bear witness, allowing me to battle senior brother on equal footing—or fight one of the two Foundation Establishment senior brothers selected!”

“To prove my innocence!”

As he shouted, Luo Feng’s face was resolute, though the corners of his eyes reddened with shimmering tears.

After all, he was just a boy in his early teens.

The onlookers below, though unfamiliar with Luo Feng, were moved: “Truly the heart of youth, devoted to cultivation solely to prove himself.”

“Senior brother’s words ring true. Didn’t you see? He almost cried. Ah, it must be years of effort denied, unable to bear such humiliation.”

“Reasonable, very reasonable…”

(The End of This Chapter)