Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

A Japanese infiltration squad of about fifty men, including more than ten superhumans, attempted to bypass the main security zone and advance directly to the rear of the leyline village.

They acted cautiously and were even equipped with military radios.

During the period of war with the Eastern Kingdom, they gradually accepted the combination of tradition and technology.

However, just as they entered what appeared to be an ordinary woodland, the ground suddenly trembled violently without warning, and dozens of sharp stone spikes burst forth from the earth, instantly breaking up their formation.

Immediately afterwards, the surrounding trees seemed to come alive, their branches twisting and whipping, and fallen leaves turning into sharp blades that swept in.

A faint, illusory image of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) appeared in the air, distorting the light and instantly disrupting one's sense of direction.

It's the Qimen Formation of the Wuhou School!

The Japanese soldiers and the strange men hurriedly used various methods to resist and tried to break the formation.

But the formation changed much faster than they had anticipated.

The stone spikes on the ground are not fixed, but rather move and thrust out as if they were alive;

The trees' attack trajectories are unpredictable and elusive;

Even more troublesome was that some thin, almost transparent threads had somehow become entangled around the ankles and wrists of some soldiers, disrupting their balance or interrupting their movements with the slightest pull.

Amid the chaos, six figures clad in light blue Xuanji armor emerged from different directions outside the formation.

It was the Wuhou faction squad led by Zhuge Yunhui.

Instead of launching a close-quarters attack, they each took their positions, their fingers flying as they manipulated the several metal discs floating in the air and the ubiquitous transparent threads.

The runes on the Xuanji Armor shimmered with light, helping them to quickly calculate the evolution of the formation and the enemy's reactions.

A Japanese soldier roared as he broke through the stone spike blockade and swung his sword at the nearest disciple of the Wuhou Sect.

The disciple neither dodged nor avoided, but simply flicked his fingertip.

The rubble on the ground suddenly gathered together, forming a thick rock shield in front of the disciple, easily blocking the blade.

At the same time, the silk threads wrapped around the trees on both sides suddenly tightened, temporarily binding the Japanese alien.

Another disciple of the Wuhou Sect raised his hand, and a scorching stream of fiery energy shot out along the silk thread, striking the enemy.

The battle rhythm was completely controlled by the Wuhou faction.

The formation traps the enemy, the silk thread distracts and harasses them, and the Xuanji Armor provides protection and computational support, while traditional Qimen magic serves as a means of delivering a fatal blow.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, this Japanese infiltration squad was defeated one by one while they were disoriented and exhausted, and the entire squad was wiped out.

Zhuge Yunhui dismantled the formation, inspected the battlefield with his companions, and gave a brief report to the command center through the communication built into the Xuanji Armor.

Beneath the mask, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

This entirely new fighting style made him see the possibility of the rise of the Wuhou School.

This is just the beginning of cooperating with the Divine Machine Alliance and obtaining the Mysterious Machine Armor and some technical support.

The significant changes in Tiangongtang and Wuhoupai were like two pebbles thrown into a calm lake, causing a rapid spread of repercussions throughout the entire Eastern Kingdom's world of extraordinary individuals.

This is especially true for small and medium-sized sects that lack a deep foundation and have limited resources.

The "attack and defense alliance" agreement of the Divine Machine Alliance is almost an irresistible temptation.

This not only provides a way to obtain the Xuanji Armor, but also means that a stable alliance can be established with the currently powerful Shenji Alliance.

In these times of Japanese invasion and political turmoil, this undoubtedly guarantees a bright future for the sect.

A number of small and medium-sized sects, such as Qingyang Temple, Baiyuan Tongbeiquan, and Xiangxi Yan Family, took the lead in following suit, sending representatives to negotiate with the Shenji Alliance. After carefully studying the terms, they successively signed alliance agreements.

For them, this cooperation was entirely beneficial, as it allowed them to leverage the technology of the Divine Machine Alliance to enhance the combat power of their disciples without incurring significant costs.

The obligations in the agreement, such as intelligence sharing and coordinated action under certain circumstances, are seen by them as reasonable and reciprocal exchanges.

For a time, the offices of the Divine Machine Alliance in several important strongholds in and around Hunan were bustling with activity.

In contrast, the long-established and profound sects such as the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain, the Sanyi Sect, and the Shangqing Sect have adopted a more cautious attitude.

They advocate the cultivation of their own Taoist traditions, emphasizing personal cultivation and the inheritance of techniques as the foundation, and hold reservations about excessive reliance on external tools and equipment.

A high-ranking priest of the Celestial Master's Mansion once said in private.

“Weapons can be used, but they should not be relied upon. Cultivating our minds and refining our Qi is the fundamental way.”

Although the Sanyi Sect has a history with the Divine Machine Alliance and some of its members are interested in it, the overall atmosphere still leans towards tempering one's own life and improving the three levels of reverse life.

However, prudence does not equate to rejection.

After a detailed evaluation of the agreement's contents, most of these major factions also chose to sign it.

They value the intelligence sharing and potential strategic cooperation in the agreement more, regarding the Xuanji Armor as an optional tool rather than a standard feature that must be widely adopted.

The Celestial Master's Mansion applied for a limited number of rentals only for a select group of its disciples who needed to perform high-risk field missions;

Only a few disciples of the Sanyi Sect who were interested in mechanical arts or who frequently needed to go out on business attempted to learn about them.

Just as various sects were actively or cautiously integrating into this emerging alliance network, Cui Ming's attention had already turned to another large and loosely organized group—the independent cultivators.

Chapter 180 The Development of True Nature

The land of the Eastern Kingdom is vast, and the lineages of extraordinary individuals are diverse. Apart from those with clear lineages and sects, there are also a considerable number of independent cultivators who roam the land.

They either encountered incomplete inheritances, awakened their innate abilities, or left their original sects to go their own way.

Their strengths vary, and their circumstances differ.

Among them were many passionate individuals willing to resist foreign aggression.

However, they often struggle to achieve anything due to a lack of organization and resources, and are even easily deceived and exploited by Japanese or traitorous forces.

Cui Ming was naturally unwilling to let go of this seemingly loose but actually surprisingly large group of independent cultivators.

Through the channels of the Divine Machine Alliance and its contracted allied sects, a new recruitment message has quietly been released.

Any independent cultivator from the Eastern Kingdom who is not affiliated with any sect or faction and is willing to join the fight against the enemy may choose to join any faction that has formed an "offensive and defensive alliance" with the Divine Machine Alliance.

Or they could directly join the "True Nature" organization, which had broken away from the original nature and was dedicated to serving the country and its people.

Once approved, you will receive a basic exoskeleton armor set free of charge, and you will have the opportunity to accumulate merits to obtain the right to rent a customized, higher-level exoskeleton armor.

As the influence of the Divine Machine Alliance has expanded, the name "True Nature" has become quite familiar in the circle of independent cultivators.

It is described as a loose alliance dedicated to uniting like-minded people, resisting enemies and humiliations, and exploring new directions for the development of extraordinary individuals.

The structure is flexible and does not force members to leave their original lifestyles or social circles, but only emphasizes cooperation and mutual assistance in fighting against the Japanese invaders and related evil forces.

This is quite attractive to many independent cultivators who want to contribute to their country but are unwilling to be bound by the strict rules of traditional sects.

Once the news spread, countless people responded.

In just a few months, hundreds of independent cultivators applied through various local strongholds, with about one-third of them choosing to join "True Nature" directly.

This series of review procedures, on the surface, does not seem complicated.

Register basic information, briefly describe your heritage or abilities, and have your identity and wishes verified by members of the Divine Machine Alliance or affiliated sects. Also, measure your body data for custom-made exoskeleton or Xuanji armor.

However, behind this seemingly routine procedure, Cui Ming had devised a covert plan.

All the rogue cultivators who choose to join "True Nature" will encounter objects influenced by the power of Dan Shi within Cui Ming's body after the interview and registration process.

These items are all imbued with a Dan Shi power that is difficult for ordinary people to detect.

When these independent practitioners confirm their identity using their own Qi or blood (through hand seals, etc.), the mark will quietly merge into their bodies.

This power of alchemy will not directly harm the human body, but will instead penetrate deep into the body.

And over time, without affecting their subjective consciousness and thinking, their sense of identity and belonging to the concept of "authenticity" will gradually increase.

This makes them more inclined to adhere to organizational principles and safeguard the group's interests regarding Cui Ming.

More crucial and detailed screenings take place when measuring detailed physical data for members who have achieved sufficient merit and are qualified to have their custom-made Xuanji armor.

The measurement process was conducted by technicians from the Divine Machine Alliance, using specially designed devices with attached runes to perform the measurements.

Cui Ming, on the other hand, remotely controlled the process through a pre-set program, embedding a portion of his soul into it.

When the subject's full-body data is meticulously collected, Cui Ming's perception will also act like the most precise probe, subtly scanning the subject's body.

In this way, the opponent's Qi circulation pattern, the characteristics of soul fluctuations, and even the memories in the depths of consciousness will all be displayed before Cui Ming's eyes.

Cui Ming's ultimate goal is to identify Japanese spies or other individuals with ulterior motives from other factions.

It is highly likely that the Japanese or the traitorous forces supported by the puppet Manchukuo regime would send people to disguise themselves as independent cultivators in an attempt to infiltrate the True Nature sect.

Through this in-depth investigation, Cui Ming was able to easily distinguish spies and agents who had undergone rigorous training and possessed superb psychological qualities by examining their memories.

The Japanese and other factions probably never dreamed that any spy would be exposed in front of Cui Ming.

Even if Cui Ming identified these people, he wouldn't take action against them directly.

Instead, they were marked with the power of Dan Shi, a mark that only Cui Ming could discern.

Those who are marked will be placed on a secret surveillance list.

Alternatively, puppets controlled by Cui Ming could further probe and manipulate the situation in a more covert manner to ensure the purity of the "True Nature" core team.

A simple and honest man who claimed to be from beyond the Great Wall and who practiced the ancestral "Earthly Earth Technique" was found to have a trace of cold, yin energy residing in his body during the measurement. This energy was of the same origin as the cultivation method of the Japanese supernatural beings.

Despite his excellent outward concealment, Cui Ming still managed to dredge up those memories in his mind.

In a subsequent "accidental" mission, he was assigned to travel with several puppets who had been completely controlled by Cui Ming.

His attempt to transmit intelligence to the outside world was recorded in its entirety, but he was ultimately "accidentally" ambushed by a Japanese squad and never heard from again.

Another woman, of ordinary appearance and who claimed to be a wandering cultivator, was found to have a deeply hidden fluctuation under the skin at the back of her neck during the measurement.

This matches the control methods of a certain traitorous and extraordinary organization mentioned in the Jianghu Xiaozhan intelligence report.

She was subsequently taken over by Cui Ming himself, who directly usurped these control methods.

Now, under the strict surveillance of the true nature, he has not been able to access any valuable information and is living a peaceful and stable life.

Through these methods that combine light and shadow, Cui Ming gradually built and solidified the framework of "authenticity".

On the surface, it appears to be an open, progressive organization dedicated to uniting scattered cultivators to fight against the enemy;

Inside, a system of loyalty screening and protection is quietly being woven, based on the power of Dan Shi and the detection of the divine soul.

The independent cultivators who joined gained the security, a certain degree of support, and a sense of belonging that they craved.