Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

[Fourth Layer: Penis Bone Strengthening Technique]

The technique of strengthening the foundation does not involve creating new puppets, but rather forging hidden bones for existing core paper puppets.

It requires the powder of yin-attribute beast and bird bones, mixed with one's own essence and blood, to draw enhanced runes on the paper puppet.

Upon success, the paper puppet's texture reveals a subtle jade-like luster and bone-like light, its toughness and strength increase exponentially, and its ability to resist ordinary physical attacks and the erosion of Yin energy is greatly enhanced.

[Fifth Level: Paper Kite Wind Riding Technique]

The secret method for creating a flying swift puppet requires finding extremely light and tough materials such as Yunmeng reed paper, cutting them into the shape of eagles and kites, dotting the eyes with wind spirit stone dust, and using essence blood mixed with hyacinth pollen and floating grass juice to draw wind-riding and air-breathing runes.

Once transformed into a puppet, it can be controlled by the wind spirit of the talisman array and the caster's mind to achieve high-speed and flexible flight and gliding, with a limited shared field of vision.

However, the puppet's body is fragile and vulnerable to strong winds, thunder, rain, and sharp weapons. It continuously consumes the controller's spirit and life essence during flight, making it easily damaged and lost.

[Sixth Layer: Teleportation Puppet]

The secret technique for saving one's life and taking someone else's place involves fate and is extremely dangerous. It requires the practitioner to take hair, nails, and blood from between the eyebrows to create a burial figurine of that person's fate at a specific time.

After successful refining, it is necessary to connect it with one's own destiny using a secret method.

In the event of a fatal crisis, a secret technique can be triggered passively or actively to transfer most of the damage to the paper puppet. The paper puppet will then be reduced to ashes, and the caster will suffer some of the backlash.

This technique can only be effectively refined once in a lifetime. If one encounters a calamity that exceeds their tolerance limit or is caused by a mastery of the art of cause and effect, it may become ineffective or even result in a more severe backlash.

After reading the last three layers of spells, Chen Mo was honestly a little disappointed, feeling they were rather useless.

Since the first half of the book only records the techniques and lacks the general outline and conditioning methods of the second half, it can only be forcibly driven by one's own essence and blood.

And essence and blood are linked to lifespan.

Repeated use will not only deplete one's vital essence and blood, but also greatly shorten one's lifespan.

Especially the last three levels of the technique, all of which require a large amount of essence and blood to perform, are simply a trap.

"Fortunately, I can now use the Yin energy to manipulate and refine paper figures, otherwise even if I obtained the complete first half of the scroll, I wouldn't be able to use it."

While secretly rejoicing, Chen Mo focused his attention on the final visualization diagram.

The background of the visualization is not pure darkness, but a dark, gloomy void with flowing bluish-black hues, in which tiny, dark silver specks of light, like stars or eyes, rise and fall.

In the center of the void, a paper figure sat cross-legged.

His body proportions are almost lifelike.

The paper figure's face was a blur, devoid of features, consisting only of a slowly rotating bluish-white vortex.

The person sits cross-legged in the "Five Hearts Facing Heaven" posture, with both hands palms facing upwards and resting lightly on their knees. A miniature paper puppet of a sword and weapon faintly appears in the left palm, while the outline of a paper kite with outstretched wings appears in the right palm.

The interior of the phantom was not hollow, but rather connected by dark golden veins.

These meridians originate from the Baihui acupoint on the top of the head, branching into main trunks and several branches, connecting the entire body, limbs, and bones.

"I have finally obtained the complete visualization method."

"Even if the latter three levels of the technique are too taxing on lifespan and would be of no use being passed down, why isn't this visualization method passed on either?"

Chen Mo thought for a long time but still couldn't figure out his biological grandfather's intentions.

The visualization diagram preserved by Chen Dachuan only contained a paper figure phantom, lacking the crucial internal structure, which is why Chen Mo made no progress after reaching the third level.

The latter three levels of secret techniques not only require profound Yin energy, but also place extremely high demands on the practitioner's mental strength.

Especially the Shadow Puppet, which involves the connection of destiny and instantaneous substitution, will result in the backlash of the runes if the mind wavers even slightly.

The mental strength of an ordinary person is like a candle flame in the wind, utterly powerless to sustain themselves.

This paper figure visualization method is the supreme method for tempering spiritual power and strengthening the Yin spirit.

By visualizing the illusory paper figure of one's own soul that is connected to one's own soul, one can gradually cleanse the impurities of the soul and condense the Yin spirit, making it, like the illusory paper figure, gradually become solid from illusion.

When the Yin Spirit is strong, the mind is stable, insight is keen, and control is greatly enhanced, allowing one to draw high-level runes with ease.

Moreover, after cultivating to the sixth level of "Understanding the Netherworld and Seeing the Gods," the paper figure phantom will completely transform into one's own natal paper god dharma form.

Not only can it protect one's own spirit, but it can also help one to communicate with the spirits through the eyes of the Dharma.

It's incredibly useful.

Thinking of this, Chen Mo shook his head to clear his mind and calmed his thoughts completely before attempting to construct the meridians within the paper body.

...!

Outside the window, the moonlight, as red as blood, enveloped the No. 7 courtyard in Renshou Lane, coating the blue bricks and gray tiles with a thick, dark red.

On the blue bricks surrounding the well, a pair of dark footprints formed from viscous water stains suddenly appeared.

The footprints were small and damp, with the unique dampness of water stains. They didn't seem like physical objects, but rather like the manifestation of some kind of obsession.

Then it started moving again.

Silently, it slowly circled the well opening that was sealed with a wooden cover.

At first, the area was just close to the stone base of the well platform, circle after circle.

But gradually, the range of the circle began to expand.

First, they moved half a foot away from the well platform, then a foot, their footprints tracing the blue bricks and leaving two winding, dark water stains.

As the area expanded, the color of the footprints seemed to deepen, and the damp, cold aura emanating from them became even stronger.

. . . . . .

The next morning, the sky was gray and white, and Renshou Lane gradually awoke.

Chen Mo looked at the dark red footprints on the ground that had not yet disappeared, his face extremely grim.

He crouched down and slowly touched the dark red water stain with his fingertips.

The moment they touched it, an extremely cold sensation traveled up their fingertips; it felt not like touching water, but like touching a block of ice.

"It's not just ordinary water stains; it's more like a manifestation of resentment and malevolent energy."

He carefully observed the path the footprints had taken.

At first, it was limited to the edge of the well, but it has spread more than a foot away, and the direction it eventually points to seems to be faintly towards the main house where he lives.

What made Chen Mo's heart sink even more was that he hadn't noticed anything unusual last night, and the paper figure that left the warning hadn't sensed any obvious fluctuations in yin energy.

This discovery sent chills down his spine.

If one were attacked by this evil spirit while cultivating, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"We can't wait any longer."

Chen Mo stood up, looking grimly at the ancient well that was tightly sealed. "At this rate of expansion, in three to five days, it will be able to reach the door. At that point, it probably won't just be circling around outside anymore."

He originally thought they were just ordinary evil spirits, and that with the strength of the paper puppets, dealing with them would not be difficult.

In hindsight, that was perhaps too optimistic.

"Find a few craftsmen to clean the well, and I'll go find that broker and ask him for details."

Chen Mo stood up, gave a few words of advice to Chen Dachuan, whose expression was equally solemn, and then walked towards the door.

His own cheap father must have been scammed.