"Phew... finally finished."

Wang Xiu stretched lazily and slowly stood up, a satisfied smile on his face as he looked at the fruits of his labor from the past two months.

In a little over two months, he had successfully created one thousand Puppet Birds, one hundred processing furnaces, and ten large charging warehouses. The production capacity finally covered the entire Netherworld Forest. He now owned a hundred dedicated assembly lines capable of producing a continuous supply of Netherworld Incense and Soldier's Ration Pills. The efficiency was astounding. Given time, becoming a major supplier would be no problem at all.

…

But that wasn't all. He had also taken the time to construct several huge water pumps, filling them with water from the Yellow Springs, and had crafted two thousand automatic irrigation Puppets. They watered the Netherworld Trees daily at set times, promoting their growth and providing them with nutrients.

According to Wang Xiu's observations, water from the Yellow Springs was a great tonic for Netherworld Trees, which were plants from the Netherworld. With regular watering, Netherworld Leaves could grow a new crop every month, and Netherworld Fruits could grow a new wave every two months. This would maximize Wang Xiu's profits. Perfect.

…

On top of all that, there was an unexpected bonus. Two continuous months of smelting materials and crafting Puppets had caused Wang Xiu's Cultivation Level to skyrocket again. He had surpassed the peak of the Ninth Heaven of Core Formation, reaching the Half-step Golden Core Realm.

If Wang Xiu wanted, he could break through that barrier at any time, but he chose not to. Instead of actively forcing a breakthrough, he preferred to wait passively, enjoying the sensation of it happening naturally—that feeling of an eruption that could no longer be held back.

Feeling the vigorous Mana within his body, Wang Xiu's lips curled upward in a slight smile. These past two months had been truly fruitful.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Wang Xiu's eyebrows twitched. Sensing something, he turned his head to look.

On a hillside several hundred feet away, a disciple dressed in the garb of the Manipulation Sect stood blankly, staring at the scene in the Netherworld Forest as if in a trance.

Wang Xiu's brow furrowed slightly. This area is in the core depths of the Ghost Immortal Blessed Land. Shouldn't all my fellow sect members be mining in the outer areas right now? How did someone end up here?

His gaze suddenly landed on the pheasant the Manipulation Sect disciple was holding. He paused for a moment and then laughed with understanding.

…

WHOOSH!

He soared into the air, the Black Tortoise Mirror carrying him at a low altitude. In an instant, he swept across the several hundred-foot distance, arriving in front of the Manipulation Sect disciple.

"Junior Brother, stop daydreaming!" Wang Xiu patted the disciple's shoulder, laughed, and took out a Netherworld Incense stick, passing it over. "Here, try one."

The disciple was clearly in a state of profound shock. He was startled awake yet not fully conscious. He dazedly accepted the Netherworld Incense from Wang Xiu and, imitating his new senior's actions, lit it. Rich plumes of fragrant smoke instantly began to billow forth. The aroma was refreshing and delightful. The place felt like a fairyland, bathed in a mist of rosy clouds and a steaming, auspicious aura.

He drew in a sharp breath. "What is this?"

Wang Xiu explained with a smile, "Netherworld Incense. It's good stuff. Savor the sensation."

The disciple paused, took a deep sniff, and his whole body began to glow. The moment the light scent of the incense entered his body, he felt as if he were floating, weightless. His body, exhausted from chasing a golden pheasant all afternoon, seemed to relax completely. His brain, which had nearly failed to reboot after witnessing the astonishing scene before him, also became crystal clear.

It was as if he had a sudden epiphany. Many problems that had long plagued him now seemed trivial. If he returned to the Artificer's chamber in the Manipulation Sect at this moment, he felt certain he could create the Puppet that had stumped him for months.

A thought suddenly sprang into his mind. I've never been so clear-headed!

"My Divine Sense... it seems to have strengthened a bit?" he said, somewhat astonished as he looked at the burning Netherworld Incense in his hand. "This is..."

Wang Xiu said with a beaming smile, "How does it feel?"

The disciple from the Manipulation Sect's eyes gradually brightened. "It's amazing! It feels so good," he said excitedly. "My brain has never, ever been this clear, this agile."

Compared to the other sects that had to comprehend various intangible and elusive techniques, the effects on the mind from the Manipulation Sect's puppetry arts were far more direct and palpable. Some previously incomprehensible, complex structures were, at this moment, no longer complex at all.

However, the sensation came as swiftly as it faded.

The Manipulation Sect disciple paused, a look of panic on his face. He glanced at the Netherworld Incense in his hand and took another deep sniff.

In an instant, that incredibly clear and lucid feeling came rushing back.

"Ahhh..." he let out a heartfelt sigh of contentment, his face a mask of pure pleasure.

He wasn't relishing the scent of the Netherworld Incense, but rather... the breath of wisdom. Only at this moment did he realize how foolish he had been in the past. How could such simple things have been so incomprehensible?

"Fantastic!" he couldn't restrain himself from exclaiming once more.

Wang Xiu smiled, pulled out two large bundles of Netherworld Incense, and stuffed them into the disciple's hands. "You like them? If you like them, take more. Light a couple when you cultivate; they'll help with your training."

The Manipulation Sect disciple paused, looking at the incense in his hands. Each bundle contained at least twenty sticks.

Though he was of a low Realm and didn't know much about the world of cultivation, he wasn't completely clueless. As the saying goes, even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen a pig run. Of course, he knew how precious that state of profound mystery he had just experienced was.

This stuff... it's almost like achieving enlightenment!

In this world, anything remotely related to enlightenment was worth its weight in gold. And now, this senior brother whom he had just met for the first time was giving him two whole bundles of this priceless treasure? Damn, wasn't that just too generous?

"No, no..." Snapping back to reality, he jumped. "This is too precious! I can't accept it!"

Wang Xiu pushed the bundles back with a grin. "No worries, it's not that valuable. Take them and use them. If you have more than you need, feel free to share them with your fellow sect brothers and sisters so they can try, too."

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