The puppet's target was clearly the soul fragment clutched in Song Zongwu's hand, it wanted to prevent him from accessing its memories.
Ren Qing's expression flickered between shock and suspicion, his right hand gripping the greatsword tightly.
His double pupils rotated, revealing countless flaws in the puppet's form. Its physicality seemed even weaker than when it had been alive.
The puppet closed to within half a meter of Song Zongwu, its right arm feebly reaching out to grab him.
Clang!!!
Ren Qing drew his greatsword, its cold edge flashing through the room.
His footwork accelerated, but he deliberately held his speed at an ordinary Martial Practitioner's level.
Large stride. Slash. Retreat.
His movements were precise and economical, as if every action had been pre-planned. Even as he swung, he maintained distance.
The puppet's arm was severed at the root, collapsing into mud-like sludge upon hitting the ground.
...Is it really this harmless?
Ren Qing found it hard to believe, but he pressed the attack, his blade dancing as he weaved through the cramped space.
Soon, the puppet was dismembered into chunks.
Yet Ren Qing didn't sheathe his sword. Instead, his expression darkened further.
The sludge reassembled itself, now mimicking Ren Qing's movements with eerie accuracy, though the effect was almost comical.
To make matters worse, a deafening crash echoed from outside the Reflection Chamber. The Restraint Officers had arrived, but something was blocking their path.
"Either end this before they break through... or interrupt Senior Song."
Since the puppet still posed no real threat, Ren Qing adjusted his grip to two-handed, dragging the blade across the ground with a screech of metal.
The sword lanced through the puppet like a spear.
But the puppet was undying. Each time it reformed, its appearance grew more like Ren Qing's, and its combat prowess sharpened.
"Dammit! What kind of techniques has that Forbidden Zone absorbed?! Why is this combination so fucking bizarre?!"
Ren Qing didn't hesitate. He chopped the puppet apart again and again.
Their battle became a whirlwind of slashes and reassembly. On the surface, the puppet remained outmatched, but its recovery speed kept accelerating.
Ren Qing faced an enemy that never tired, one that seemed to grow stronger indefinitely. The difficulty was beyond unreasonable.
Soon, wounds began appearing on his body.
Most would lose composure under such pressure.
But Ren Qing only grew more focused. His double pupils spun faster than ever, and wolf fur sprouted along his legs.
He'd realized something: this fight was tempering him too.
The Divine Leg Sutra was becoming second nature.
If things get dire, I'll just interrupt Senior Song. For now, I'll cut without restraint.
Ren Qing lost himself in combat. The sensation of improving every second was intoxicating, even the pain of his injuries faded from awareness.
As time passed, though the greatsword could no longer damage the puppet, his precognitive reflexes kept him undefeated.
But he failed to notice: the puppet was mutating.
ROAR!!!
The puppet became a werewolf, radiating terrifying pressure.
Ren Qing leapt back, finally realizing: it had copied his Divine Leg Sutra, and surpassed it.
He moved to interrupt Song Zongwu, but his double pupils caught a critical detail.
The puppet's aura peaked at the Half-Corpse Realm's limit, yet its body was like kindling fueling a fire;
It would collapse within ten breaths.
Ren Qing raised his blade, standing between it and Song Zongwu.
BAM!!!
The puppet blurred into motion, its claws smashing into Ren Qing's chest.
Ribs cracked. He was sent flying.
The puppet lunged for Song Zongwu.
Logically, Ren Qing knew: Song Zongwu couldn't be harmed. The puppet only sought to destroy the memory-laden soul.
Yet his body acted against reason.
Midair, Ren Qing twisted into a controlled posture.
His legs kicked off the wall, wolf-transformation surging below his waist. The greatsword slid back into its scabbard.
Seven breaths left.
Outside, heavy footsteps grew louder, the Restraint Officers were breaking through.
Ren Qing had one strike left. If he failed, severe injury was guaranteed.
No hesitation.
A simple wind-up, then-
An Explosive release!
He shot toward the puppet.
Through his double pupils, time slowed to a crawl. He could see every strand of fur on the puppet's body.
The greatsword left its sheath.
They passed each other.
Ren Qing landed ten meters away, back turned as he wrapped the blade in cloth and stanched his wounds.
Behind him, a massive head soared skyward, rolling across the floor.
The puppet still tried to reform, but its body crumbled into ash.
Moments later, the wall shattered. A three-meter-tall muscle giant stomped inside.
Song Zongwu opened his eyes, his face shadowed with grim realization.
Before Ren Qing could react, Song Zongwu knocked him unconscious, to keep him from further danger.
The muscle giant scanned the room, ignoring Ren Qing to focus on Song Zongwu.
"Old Song, all this fuss... and not even a Supernatural Remnant to show for it-"
Whoosh!!!
A sword struck from a lethal angle, gouging the giant's throat. Blood fountained out.
The wound healed in seconds.
"Did I hear... Supernatural Remnant?"
Miss Bai stepped through the hole, plucking her sword from the wall and sheathing it.
The muscle giant shut his mouth, waiting for Song Zongwu's orders.
After a pause, Song Zongwu spoke: "How many Restraint Officers remain in Sanxiang City?"
The giant counted: "Aside from those guarding the four districts, the yamen still has..."
He froze.
"The numbers... don't match."
Song Zongwu's voice was icy calm: "Seven died in the Forbidden Zone."
"How long ago?"
"At least a month."
Miss Bai, unusually vocal, asked: "Shall we prepare to retrieve the bodies?"
Song Zongwu exhaled heavily: "First, seal the Forbidden Zone's perimeter. Then we extract its core Supernatural Remnant or the consequences will be catastrophic."
The giant nodded: "Does the yamen's archive name this Forbidden Zone?"
"No. But I've identified its core technique."
"Disaster Relief Method. This is the Disaster Relief Forbidden Zone."
Miss Bai repeated the name softly, as if recalling something.
[Disaster Relief Method]
[Created by ****. To cultivate this, one must be a born with a fated misfortunate star, born to kill their parents at birthh. All who grow close die tragically. Mastery erases the cultivator's existence, thus averting disaster.]