Chapter 469 - 427: Prototype

Chapter 469: Chapter 427: Prototype

The "Essentials of Refining the Soaring Snake Daoist Soldier" from Jichuan Profound Monarch’s Collection was acquired from the now-destroyed giant sect, the Taoling Sect.

This giant sect possessed powerful figures at the Primordial Spirit Profound Monarch level. The "Essentials" serves as a secret scripture of inheritance from the Taoling Sect, recording the methods for refining three types of Daoist Soldiers: Flying Snake, Ming Snake, and Soaring Snake, corresponding to the Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul levels respectively.

And now, at a cost of two hundred thousand Spirit Stones, Yunshan Sect has finally crafted its first experimental unit of the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier.

At this moment, just perceiving the Spiritual Pressure, it has surprisingly reached the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, truly worthy of being a treasure of a giant sect!

However, to truly understand its combat strength, personal testing is required.

Besides, its current state doesn’t quite match the description in the essentials...

The Daoist Soldier should possess combat instincts similar to those of a beast, along with basic Spiritual Wisdom, freely moving by absorbing Spiritual Qi from Spirit Veins.

I’ve never heard of a Daoist Soldier requiring a cultivator to enter inside to activate it?

"Sect Leader Lu, when the final spiritual infusion was to be performed the other day, you were still in seclusion," explained Tao Boliang. "According to the orthodox procedure, a cultivator with Late-Stage Foundation Establishment level Divine Sense is needed to assist. Since you were in seclusion, there was nothing we could do."

"To ensure this experimental model wasn’t for naught, I had to find another way. It was my younger brother who had a flash of inspiration and came up with a method."

"That is, connecting a cultivator to the Daoist Soldier’s Spirit Core, using a living person’s Spiritual Wisdom to control the Daoist Soldier, completing the first Meridian Passage, Power Supply, Link, Fusion Core, and Metamorphosis, thus successfully activating this Flying Snake Daoist Soldier, allowing it to come to life."

"However, this means the Daoist Soldier requires a cultivator inside to maintain a connection to the Spirit Core, and can only move under the cultivator’s control, lacking autonomous action capability."

"This is the peculiarity of this experimental model. Once testing is complete, next time during refining, please assist in the spiritual infusion, Sect Leader Lu, to avoid this issue."

"Perhaps because my younger brother performed the initial activation, he is the most adept and flexible in controlling this Daoist Soldier, so he will demonstrate this time. You may have other cultivators try to control it, but the effect would likely be significantly worse. Daoist Soldiers are encountering live activation with cultivators for the first time, something never mentioned before, and whether this results in any other acupoints remains to be studied further."

Lu Qian looked at the gigantic shadow of the snake, somewhat surprised. Essentially, the Tao Brothers transformed an originally low-intelligence robot into one manually controlled.

A mecha pilot? Even Lu Qian felt a bit eager to try it himself.

Wang Yu suddenly interjected, "Without experts with Divine Sense to refine beast essence and complete spiritual infusion activation, directly connecting humans with Daoist Soldiers — surely this intriguing thought isn’t hard to come by?"

Immersed in the masculine thrill, Lu Qian snapped back to reality, a thought sparking in his mind.

Tao Boliang paused for a moment, "I honestly do not know. This is my first time refining Daoist Soldiers. Perhaps the predecessors who invented the Flying Snake Daoist Soldiers hadn’t considered this, which is why it’s not noted in the ’Essentials’?"

Lu Qian internally shook his head; this is a giant sect, the Taoling Sect. If this method was feasible, it would definitely have been recorded. Then one wouldn’t need to undergo the cumbersome spiritual infusion process to refine Daoist Soldiers.

Nonetheless, considering whether this approach has any issues, as the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier nimbly moves in the cloud of Spiritual Qi before them, nothing seems amiss.

Since that’s the case, it’s time to give it a try.

Lu Qian led a few elders and Tao Boliang into the underground space. Tao Boliang raised his hand, unleashing spiritual power; the arrays hummed to life, drawing in vast amounts of Spiritual Qi.

In an instant, dazzling light filled the space, illuminating it, and layers upon layers of Protective Arrays began to flicker on the walls, forming a solid experiment field at once.

Just then, the Ink-Scale Python poked its head through the entrance, and after unfurling its body, it leapt down from the opening.

Jiang Qingfeng gently gasped, just as she thought the giant snake body would heavily smash onto the ground, the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier’s seven-zhang-long body spread out in the air. With a muffled rustling sound, enormous membrane wings suddenly extended from either side of the snake body, broad at the front, narrow at the back, semi-transparent, and layers of array light started to light up upon the membrane wings!

Amid the flowing light, intense gusts filled the entire underground arena, as the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier let out a sharp whistle, maneuvering agilely and fluttering across the air.

The Flying Snake, Ming Snake, and Soaring Snake, all three Daoist Soldiers, possess the ability to fly!

"Let me try!" Yang Jiye shouted, reminding Tao Zhongxian to prepare, then sprang up. The Purple Qi Celestial Net slightly slowed, the Crystal Sword, Bone-Transforming Sword, Star-Breaking Hammer, and Wind-Chasing Hammer turned into four streams of light, shooting straight towards the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier.

The Flying Snake Daoist Soldier’s wings flapped heavily!

With a loud explosive sound, hundreds of pale cyan Wind Blades rolled up suddenly, pouring down like a torrential rain.

The initial momentum exceeded everyone’s expectations; Yang Jiye had to get serious, Dao Patterns activating, as the twin hammers and swords lightly glistened, appearing at various parts of the snake body, striking heavily.

At the same time, a milky white jade ring rose from his bosom, a resilient barrier enveloping him, weaving through the dense Wind Blades.

After years of diligent practice, Yang Jiye had improved significantly, and under the Fourth-Grade Cultivation Technique and his Dao Patterns’ assistance, he was now able to simultaneously wield five Spiritual Artifacts; the Purple Qi Celestial Net had reached a new realm.

Lu Qian focused intensely, fully extending his Divine Sense, carefully observing the changes on the field. All that was audible was a clanging resound, twin hammers and swords striking heavily upon the snake body. Hexagonal scales surfaced with a wide array of talismans, and in the areas where each strike landed, the entirety of scales in those areas vibrated simultaneously, as if numerous plates were collectively fending off the attack.

"This is the Regional Linked Defense Technology," Tao Boliang remarked with obsession. "As long as the attack isn’t strong enough to instantly dismantle the entire defense of the scales in the region, it can be easily deflected."

After a few crisp sounds, the twin hammers and swords were deflected, but only a few shallow dents were left on the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier’s body!

Yang Jiye was not to be dissuaded; emerging from the swarm of Wind Blades, the Purple Qi Celestial Net danced, Dao Patterns fully activated. The twin hammers and swords glinted momentarily in the air, the two swords thrusting respectively at the Flying Snake’s two fiery red Snake Pupils, the Wind-Chasing Hammer aimed at the seven-inch mark of the snake body, the Star-Breaking Hammer pounded heavily toward the snake’s head.

But with a buzzing explosive sound, just as the Crystal Sword and Bone-Transforming Sword pierced the Snake Pupils, the two fiery red Snake Pupils suddenly radiated intensely, blazing, sharp beams shot out, blasting the twin swords away, their trajectory heading straight towards Yang Jiye!

"Laser?" Even Lu Qian was taken aback at this.

Fortunately, as the twin hammers simultaneously descended, striking the snake head heavily to one side, two crimson beams narrowly passed by Yang Jiye, melting a small hole in his defensive Spiritual Artifact, startling him with its frightening power.

Regrettably, his twin hammers’ heavy strikes didn’t achieve the expected effect, merely causing a few scales to dent, posing little issue for the Flying Snake.

"Laser? A simple, apt name," Tao Boliang said. "But on the blueprints, it’s termed as Blazing Fire Bright Light."

Just at that moment, the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier spread its wings and lunged at Yang Jiye’s head.

Having exchanged several blows, the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier’s performance had been mostly displayed; whether in defense, area attacks, or single-target attacks, it reached the level of an ordinary Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

The most crucial point is that the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier is powered by Spirit Vein Spiritual Qi. As long as the Spirit Vein flows, energy remains unending. Continuing to grapple would likely wound Yang Jiye.

Lu Qian was about to call a stop when suddenly the Flying Snake Daoist Soldier shook heavily, ceasing its attack, its membrane wings drooping, its seven-zhang-long body slithering, landing unsteadily, cracking the ground with a large split.