Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

"That aura just now... was undoubtedly from Dan Shi, but why did it suddenly become... so inviting?"

"Strange! I've never heard of such a phenomenon occurring during the cultivation of the Pill Devouring Technique!"

Tang Wanru pushed up her glasses, and for the first time, a strong sense of curiosity and inquiry appeared in her usually cool eyes.

Tang Tongbi pursed his lips, his eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of recognition for the strong and a hint of unspoken competitive spirit.

Yu Huizhong stopped fiddling with her fingers and stared at Cui Ming, as if trying to see something in him.

Tang Jian, Tang An, and the others looked at each other in disbelief, shocked but even more so.

The executives exchanged glances, and Tang Jiaren suppressed the turmoil in his heart and laughed loudly.

"Good! Cui Ming, from this day forward, you are one of the inheritors of the Dan Shi technique. I hope you will make good use of this power, never forget your purpose today, and protect the Tang Clan."

"Your disciple will remember this."

Cui Ming bowed again, his tone calm, as if he himself had not just survived a near-death experience.

the next day.

The news that Cui Ming had successfully learned the Dan Shi technique was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples throughout the Tang Sect.

A disciple from another family not only passed the three trials set by the master at an astonishing speed, but also successfully learned the infamous Dan Shi technique in full view of everyone!

In the blink of an eye, apart from the sect leader Tang Bingwen, the eldest master Tang Jiaren, and Tang Houren who had been in seclusion for many years, there were no others.

Cui Ming became the fourth person to master this unique skill, and he was even a disciple from another family!

This is extremely rare in the entire history of the Tang Clan.

In an instant, the name Cui Ming became an unprecedented sensation within the Tang Clan.

Cui Ming's workshop, which was originally located in a corner and was quite deserted.

In the days that followed, the doorstep was practically worn down by the crowds.

Curious, admiring, wanting to befriend, or even suspicious and wanting to test the waters...

Endless.

Cui Ming did not keep anything to himself. Taking this opportunity, he displayed some of the weapons, equipment, and mechanical puppets that he had previously developed and improved.

This is a great opportunity to strengthen the internal power of the Tang Clan.

Among these items, the most popular were his specially modified repeating crossbow and various specially made functional arrows.

The crossbow has a compact structure, and the mechanism assists in cocking it, making it more convenient, with a longer range and extremely high accuracy.

When combined with arrows bearing the Sharp Metal Rune and the Breaking Qi Rune, they have a significant penetrating effect on the protective Qi barrier of the supernatural being.

Several inner disciples skilled in hidden weapons tried it out and were full of praise for it, so they immediately ordered a lot from Cui Ming.

The Shadow Spider puppet, on the other hand, caused an even greater sensation.

Especially those disciples who specialize in hidden line manipulation.

They discovered that the puppet could be manipulated flexibly using only basic hidden thread pulling techniques.

It's extremely easy to learn and use, and it's very useful for reconnaissance, infiltration, setting traps, or assisting in attacks.

Its excellent concealment makes it the envy of assassins skilled in stealth.

When Cui Ming announced that he would contribute his unique skill, the hidden thread technique used for precise puppet manipulation, to the sect free of charge.

When he was registered in the armory and made available for all disciples to exchange and practice, the entire Tang Sect's perception of him reached its peak.

Admiration, gratitude, and even a touch of respect replaced the previous doubts and alienation.

"Senior Brother Cui is truly righteous!"

"This technique greatly enhances our Tang Clan's methods of stealth and assassination!"

"From now on, I'll probably have to call him Senior Brother Cui Ming..."

However, amidst this turmoil...

Cui Ming did not stop.

He declined most social engagements, and the core area of ​​the workshop remained open only to a select few, including the weapon refiner Liang Wu.

Chapter 15 Experiments with Exoskeletons

Inside the Tang Clan's Litang Hall, Cui Ming's Workshop.

"Hehe, you're quite the celebrity in the sect now, how come you still have time to tinker with this thing with me?"

Liang Wu'er joked, holding a piece of specially tempered black metal in his hand, which was the base material for the Tang Clan's secret technique, Black Tail Armor.

Cui Ming remained calm as he adjusted a newly assembled mechanical arm.

"Fame is of no use to me; strength is the foundation of everything. Amidst internal and external troubles, my Tang Clan needs more things that can enhance our overall strength."

He pointed to the unfolded design drawings, which outlined a prototype of a sophisticated and lightweight suit of armor.

"The art of the black-tailed herb is easy to learn but difficult to master."

While adjusting the design on the blueprint, Cui Ming spoke to Liang Wu.

"Currently, only Senior Brother Li Ding has mastered it within the sect."

Even Senior Brother Li could only cover his entire body with the Black-Tailed Armor, which was barely passable in terms of defense, but its flexibility and adaptability were too poor.

Once separated from the body, manipulating it consumes a huge amount of Qi energy and is difficult to control precisely.

Liang Wu held the carving knife and carefully carved runes on the metal sheet, answering the question without looking up.

So what are your thoughts?

"I want to combine mechanical arts and runes, and then combine them with the technique of black-tailed armor to create an exoskeleton armor."

Cui Ming's eyes were frighteningly bright; he had no ability to create any heaven-defying techniques.

However, using this advanced knowledge, creating objects that can achieve a dimensional reduction attack is still not a problem.

"Exoskeleton?"

Liang Wu raised an eyebrow; just from the name, he had a general idea of ​​what this weapon refiner was like.

"good."

Cui Ming explained.

"It is not a full-coverage armor, but rather a lightweight and tough material with a framework and reinforcement runes added to key nodes."

Wearing it can enhance the user's strength, speed, and endurance, while also preserving the agility of Tang Sect's movement techniques.

In particular, it can carry small mechanisms, such as grappling hooks, and even the mechanical arm we recently developed.

Liang Wu wasn't stupid; upon hearing Cui Ming's words, his eyes practically popped out of their sockets.

"Brilliant! This idea is quite wild! Provide the Black-tailed Armor with a mechanical skeleton as support. If it is not easy to deform, then it will not deform. It can be directly attached to the mechanical skeleton as flesh."

With the addition of rune enhancements, and preferably some special materials to increase the upper limit of the Black-tailed Armor... but, won't wearing this thing really affect your movement?

Our Tang Clan values ​​agility and unpredictability.

"Therefore, an ingenious mechanism is required."

Cui Ming then took over and demonstrated a multi-axis linkage joint model by manipulating the mechanical arm.

"You see, we use a special structure. The main body is made of lightweight, high-strength alloy, and the key stress points are embedded with shock-absorbing mechanisms."

This not only avoids being bulky, but also enhances the user's physical fitness through the use of mechanical power.

Some highly difficult maneuvers that were previously impossible due to human anatomy can now be achieved with the aid of armor.

Liang Wu stopped carving, picked up the arm armor, weighed it in his hand, put it on his arm and moved it around a few times, a look of surprise in his eyes.

"Hey! This is actually quite interesting! The linkage design at the joints is ingenious, and it definitely feels much more flexible."

But Cui Ming shook his head.

"This is not enough. At present, it is only a physical enhancement. You must know that the essence of Wushao Armor is the application of Qi. We cannot put the cart before the horse."

He walked to the workbench and spread out another design drawing filled with intricate lines and rune sketches, his tone becoming excited.

"My next idea is to combine the techniques of earth and wood flow with runic arts to inscribe a self-operating Qi circulation enhancement system inside this suit of armor."

"Earth and Wood Flow?"

Liang Wu was taken aback; this was a desperate technique used only in critical moments.

It can comprehensively enhance the user's strength and Qi power, but the side effects are extremely severe. If it is kept on for a long time, the user will basically become a living dead person.

"You want to have this engraved on your nails?"

"Not all of them, and we can't replicate them all."

Cui Ming pointed to the core area on the blueprint.

"However, we can design a system that conforms to the rune array and draws on the operating principle of the Earth and Wood Flow."

Once the user dons the armor, this array can passively absorb the Qi of heaven and earth in the surrounding environment, and slightly improve the user's Qi circulation efficiency and recovery speed.

He further explained.

"Imagine that in a battle of equal strength, your Qi recovery is always 10% faster than your opponent's, and the difference in endurance is like night and day."

Moreover, this system can be combined with the armor's own mechanical power system.

When needed, the stored Qi can be released instantly, assisting the mechanical structure in generating stronger power.

Liang Wu was stunned and speechless for a long time before he finally clicked his tongue.

"You little rascal...how did you even get into this? This idea is... absolutely brilliant!"

"Turning recovery techniques into runes and engraving them on equipment? And making them assist in Qi recovery and burst damage? If this can really be done, it won't just be a simple mechanical armor, it'll be... a prototype of a magic weapon!"

"This is just the most perfect idea; we have to take it one step at a time."

Cui Ming said calmly.

"Let's start with the simplest Qi-gathering rune experiment to find a rune combination and engraving method that perfectly matches this alloy material."

"Senior Brother Liang, you're an expert in this area."