Under One Person: The Puppet Immortal in the Tang Sect

No...that's not right!

We must find Lady Hagoromo Gitsune quickly! We need to get her to pledge allegiance to our lord as well, or there might not be a place left!

Mad Bones thought of the little fox demon who had been saved by the Lord, and Yong En, who was now guarding Cui Ming, and felt extremely anxious!

Meanwhile, Cui Ming withdrew a wisp of his Dan Shi power, checked the progress of the runes, and nodded.

Hmm! It's mostly done, just a small part to finish.

At this moment, the Mad Bones, which was suspended in mid-air, trembled slightly.

This left Cui Ming completely puzzled.

Hmm? Does it hurt that much? The nerves are all well-protected and isolated, right? It shouldn't hurt. Could something have gone wrong?

Cui Ming then began to observe Kuang Gu.

They discovered that Kyokotsu remained completely silent, without even flinching.

This put Cui Ming's doubts at ease.

At this moment, Bai Lian gave a prompt through the mental link.

"My lord, Kyokotsu's vital signs are stable. His self-healing ability is much stronger than expected, and the runes are being accepted by his body without any rejection reaction."

Cui Ming nodded; this was the advantage of the Mad Bone ability.

His bones can grow and deform at will, and his self-healing ability far exceeds that of ordinary people.

This physique is perfectly suited to runes that can bear the power of the Dan Shi (a type of internal energy).

Just then, footsteps came from outside the cave.

Cui Ming did not look up, but the power of Dan Shi had already sensed who the person was.

Ghost Devourer, and five other unfamiliar auras. One of them had considerable cultivation; although his Qi was almost exhausted, his imposing presence was undeniable.

Yongen stood up, placed his hand on the hilt of his knife, and looked toward the cave entrance.

Gui Tun walked in first, followed by five wounded people.

The leader was an elderly man with white hair, a thin face, and tired eyes, but his posture was still upright.

The four people behind him were all pale-faced and covered in blood.

Gui Tun bowed to Cui Ming.

"My lord, the man has been brought."

Thunder Beast raised its head and looked at Mad Bone, who was suspended in mid-air, its pupils shrinking slightly.

A shimmering blue light; intricate runes covering his entire body; the mad bone being modified; the incredible feat of one man controlling dozens of mechanical arms out of thin air…

All of this far exceeded his expectations.

He originally thought that Yamashita Akira was just a nobleman with some skills, at most a cunning and eccentric person.

But now he understands that this guy is just as good as those ruthless people in the Curse Binding Society!

"Yamashita Akira?"

Seeing the scene before him, the Thunder Beast spoke with difficulty, its voice hoarse and weak.

Cui Ming did not answer.

His attention was still on the Mad Bone; he couldn't afford to be distracted by the last 30% of the runes.

Ghost Devourer walked to Thunder Beast's side and whispered.

"Wait. The Lord cannot be disturbed now."

Thunder Beast glanced at Ghost Devourer, then at Mad Bone suspended in mid-air, the mechanical arms constantly flying at the top, and the gleaming array, and nodded silently.

Time passes little by little.

The cave was so quiet that only the sounds of dozens of mechanical arms constantly waving and the subtle noise of Cui Ming controlling the flow of Dan Shi power could be heard.

About half an hour later, Cui Ming finally withdrew his hands.

He took a deep breath, and the eerie blue light in his palm slowly faded.

With the help of hidden sutures, the wound on Kyokotsu's chest was quickly stitched up.

In no time, it began to heal itself, and at an extremely fast speed, leaving only a faint red line in the blink of an eye.

After Cui Ming removed the hidden thread, the formation gradually dimmed under Bai Lian's control, and the mechanical arms that were constantly waving around it disappeared into the rock wall amidst a series of mechanical sounds.

Everything was so clean, as if nothing had ever happened; the overly futuristic scene from not long ago seemed like a dream.

Cui Ming then turned around to look at the Thunder Beast.

"Thunder Beast, an elder of the Curse Binding Society, a natural-born lightning-type ability user, has lived for over four hundred years."

He spoke slowly, his tone as calm as if he were reading a resume.

"You came to me because you want to break free from the control of the Great God?"

Thunder Beast did not deny it: "Yes."

Cui Ming walked up to him and looked him up and down.

This white-haired old man did indeed possess an aura reminiscent of that purple energy.

However, unlike Oni-Swallow, the Thunder Beast's mark is still intact and has not been touched.

"Do you know the price?" Cui Ming asked.

Thunder Beast was taken aback: "The price?"

Cui Ming glanced at him strangely.

“Severing the connection with the sacred pool means you can no longer be resurrected. To die is to truly die.”

Thunder Beast remained silent. Of course, he had considered this price.

For four hundred years, the reason he has clung to life is simply because he doesn't want to die.

But now, which is better: to continue being the Great God's dog, or to gamble on freedom?

He glanced at his four companions behind him, then at Oni-Ton.

Gui Tun stood there, his eyes clear and his posture upright.

This person was once the most loyal puppet of the Curse-Binding Society, but now he is free.

"I'll take the bet!"

Thunder Beast's eyes were filled with determination. Just the fact that Ghost Devourer had regained his senses was enough for him to take the gamble!

"Rather than not knowing when you will die and become a mindless puppet, it's better to take a gamble."

Cui Ming smiled and said, "Okay."

He reached out and placed his hand on the Thunder Beast's forehead.

A deep blue light seeped in, beginning to probe the contract mark within his body.

A moment later, Cui Ming withdrew his hand, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

“Your mark is much shallower than the one the ghost swallowed, so cutting it off won’t require a complicated surgery. But I need your cooperation—I want you to be completely relaxed and not offer any resistance.”

Thunder Beast nodded: "Okay."

Cui Ming turned around and gestured for Bai Lian to prepare.

Soon, Bai Lian took the modified Kuang Gu away and placed it on a prepared platform. He then activated the gravity control array again.

"Go inside."

Cui Ming nodded in acknowledgment.

The Thunder Beast took a deep breath and stepped into the formation.

As soon as he stepped into the formation, he felt a pulling force. He did not struggle, but simply closed his eyes and let the force lift him up and suspend him in mid-air.

Cui Ming stood outside, and with his hands pressed down lightly, many hidden lines appeared again.

The power of Dan Shi surged from his palm, following the hidden lines into the Thunder Beast's body.

Those fine threads travel along the meridians, avoiding vital points, and heading straight for the contract imprint deep within the soul.

The mark was a purple light, like a sleeping insect, curled up deep within the Thunder Beast's consciousness.

Cui Ming's Dan Shi power transformed into a blue hand, gently grasping the ball of purple light.

Thunder Beast trembled, cold sweat beading on its forehead.

The feeling was like someone reached into his brain and grabbed a nerve.

Cui Ming did not rush to cut off the mark, but first explored its structure.

This mark is extremely complex, like a tree, its roots deeply embedded in the soul of the Thunder Beast.

If the main root is cut off roughly, the side branches will directly harm the soul itself.

These roots must be found one by one using the power of Dan Shi, and then covered and wrapped.

While thinking, Cui Ming's hands kept moving.

One, two, three...

The four members of the Curse Binding Society stood to the side, watching the Thunder Beast's expressionless face, but their expressions became tense instead.

There's been no news for so long, could it be that it failed?

Half an hour passed before Cui Ming withdrew his hand.

The purple light hidden deep within the Thunder Beast's body had been completely stripped away and was now suspended in his palm.

Countless roots twisted and turned in the air like living creatures, a scene so Cthulhu-esque it was almost unbelievable and would make anyone lose their mind.

Meanwhile, the Thunder Beast opened its eyes, its gaze clearer than ever before.

He felt that the mark that had followed him for four hundred years had disappeared.

"How are you feeling?" Cui Ming asked.

Thunder Beast sat up and looked down at his hands.