Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

Every death is a high-stakes gamble for the Thunder Beast.

I'm betting that I can stay clear-headed, betting that I won't become a mindless puppet.

Over the years, he has seen too many people lose at gambling, and too many comrades who once fought side by side have turned into mindless zombies who only know how to obey orders.

He dared not gamble.

"Ghost Devourer, we're not here to fight to the death."

Thunder Beast tried his best to make his voice sound calm.

"We've come to find you."

"Find me?"

Gui Tun's brow twitched slightly.

Could it be that Thunder Beast and the others also have plans to break free from the Curse Binding Society?

Thunder Beast nodded eagerly, its eyes filled with longing for freedom.

"Yes. I want to know how you broke free from the control of the Great God."

After a moment of silence, Gui Tun slowly spoke.

"You want to break free from the Curse Guild?"

Thunder Beast did not deny it, but simply sighed.

"We all think so. Over the years, watching the people around us turn into puppets one by one, do you think we feel good about it?"

He pointed to the four people behind him.

“We are all the same, we were among the first to join the Curse Binding Society.”

We've lived too long and died too many times.

Every resurrection is a gamble.

I'm betting that I can stay clear-headed, betting that I won't become a mindless tool.

We're all tired.

Gui Tun looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Thunder Beast's words touched upon memories deep within his heart.

He knew better than anyone how unbearable those days of being in a daze and at the mercy of others were.

But he did not answer.

Seeing that he didn't speak, the Thunder Beast took another step forward, trying to close the distance.

"We can't rule out the possibility that they're feigning surrender. Let's take them down first."

Within the mental link, Cui Ming's instructions were transmitted.

The next moment, a flash of blue light appeared in Ghost Devourer's eyes.

He opened his arms, and his body began to change.

The mechanical parts on his body activated simultaneously, emitting a dense series of mechanical noises.

His limbs contracted, but his head swelled rapidly, turning into a giant skull in the blink of an eye.

Two pale blue flames flickered in the skull's eye sockets.

The twenty-odd cyborgs behind him also began to transform at the same time.

Their bodies twisted and reformed in a short time; some became four-legged crawling beasts, some became multi-armed humanoids, and some simply turned into a writhing mass of liquid metal.

For a time, demons danced wildly on the mountain path, as if a hundred ghosts were walking at night.

Thunder Beast's pupils contracted.

He didn't expect Oni-don to make a sudden move.

"Ghost Devourer, you—"

He was about to speak when he suddenly felt his body sink.

The ground beneath his feet seemed to have turned into a swamp, and an invisible force pressed in from all directions, slowing his movements.

He looked down and saw that a faint blue pattern was appearing on the surface of the modified human bodies.

The patterns are interconnected, forming a complex array that is constantly expanding.

Not only that, but there was also an ever-expanding formation behind them, echoing each other and enveloping the five of them.

Upon closer inspection, they saw the route the Thunder Beast and his companions had taken.

Unbeknownst to them, many hand-shaped puppets emerged from the ground.

They lined up one by one, end to end.

Pale blue patterns lit up on the surface, forming another magic circle.

"Puppets?! Formation?!"

The Thunder Beast cried out in disbelief.

Oni-don did not answer.

He opened his enormous skull mouth and took a deep breath.

A powerful suction force surged from the Ghost Devourer's mouth, enveloping the five Thunder Beasts.

Thunder Beast felt its internal energy begin to leak out uncontrollably, flowing towards Ghost Devourer along with the suction force.

"He's absorbing our Qi! No... impossible! How could it be so fast?!"

"A member of the Curse Binding Society exclaimed."

Thunder Beast's expression changed drastically.

He certainly knew about Ghost Devourer's ability to absorb the Qi of other people, causing them to lose their Qi without realizing it, thus weakening them like a frog being slowly boiled in water.

But... when did Onikiri's power become so strong?!

It should be noted that during the Curse Binding Society, although Oni-swallow's suction force was strong, it was very slow to take effect.

An ordinary superhuman would need at least fifteen minutes to be completely drained after being sucked in by him.

But now, from the moment Gui Tun started inhaling until now, only a few breaths have passed, and ten percent of the Qi in his body has already been lost.

At this rate, they'll be crippled in less than fifteen minutes.

"We can't let him keep smoking!"

The Thunder Beast roared, and blue lightning flashed from its hands.

Lightning burst forth from his palm, transforming into a bolt of lightning that struck directly at the ghost that had opened its massive mouth to devour their Qi.

But at that moment, two cyborgs beside Oni-Ton leaped into the air and used their bodies to push against him.

In an instant, the two cyborgs were struck by lightning in mid-air and flew backward, their bodies smoking.

But after falling to the ground with a thud, two red lines spread out from the Ghost Devourer's body and pierced into their bodies.

A moment later, they stood up again, albeit unsteadily.

But his body was covered in wounds that exposed bone, and smoke was still rising from his body, making him look like he was charred on the outside and tender on the inside.

However, from the red threads spreading out of the Oni-swallowing body, energy was continuously being poured into their bodies.

In the blink of an eye, their charred and raw appearance quickly returned to normal amidst a series of skin twisting and turning.

Before long, it was completely restored to its original state and returned to Ghost Devourer's side, moving as nimbly and agilely as ever.

Thunder Beast's heart sank.

These guys don't seem much easier to deal with than Onikiri.

He turned around and activated the Qi within his body, unleashing two bolts of lightning that forced back the cyborgs approaching from both sides.

However, since there were already a large number of these cyborgs, others quickly took their place.

Although their movements were slow, they stepped precisely on the nodes of the formation.

As they continued to surround them, the binding force of the formation grew stronger and stronger.

"Thunder Beast... Lord, we... can't... break through!"

One member's face turned red as he resisted the ghost's devouring energy while enduring the gravitational pressure from the formation.

If this continues, these cyborgs won't even need to lift a finger; the array and the Ghost Devouring ability alone will wear them down.

The Thunder Beast gritted its teeth.

He knew that things couldn't continue like this.

The suction force of the demons grew stronger, but their power was constantly being lost.

If this drags on any longer, they'll collapse on their own without the cyborgs even having to lift a finger.

We must interrupt Oni-swallowing!

The Thunder Beast took a deep breath, clasped its hands together, and its entire body crackled with lightning.

This is his trump card: a sudden, devastating thunderstorm.

Releasing this move requires consuming a large amount of Qi, but he had no other choice.

Lightning gathered in his palm, growing brighter and more dazzling.

The air was thick with the smell of burning, and even the cyborgs instinctively took a few steps back.

The suction power of the demon was also affected and weakened slightly.

Thunder Beast seized the opportunity, thrusting out with both hands, and a bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket shot out from his palms, heading straight for Ghost Devourer.

Wherever the lightning bolt passed, it plowed a deep trench into the ground.

Several cyborgs blocking the road were struck by the lightning bolts and instantly sent flying, their mechanical parts exploding and scattering all over the ground.

A hint of seriousness flashed in Gui Tun's eyes.

His enormous skull grew even larger, and the several cyborgs protecting him pressed themselves against the Ghost Devourer who was standing still.