Hao Ziyue sat in the lotus position again, cultivating with Xiao Bai. Li Shen was fascinated to see their cultivation progress.
He stepped into the sect's main building to fetch a scroll of 2nd level techniques for them to learn.
Previously, the two had learned the first level technique and had understood it well. Now, there was no harm for the two to practice the 2nd level techniques since their abilities were already much more advanced than before.
Ziyue learned leaf element techniques while Xiao Bai learned fire element techniques. Both of them seem to be able to use both techniques well. However, 1st level techniques would not be enough if they had to defeat other cultivators.
At least, if Ziyue and Xiao Bai wanted to defeat cultivators in the same realm, they would have to learn second or third level techniques.
"This seems suitable for them," Li Shen explained.
He picked up a scroll of a light element technique, the Hun Mountain Light Sword. That technique was a third-level ultimate technique, Li Shen planned to tell Ziyue to learn that technique and mix and match with the leaf dance technique.
Not only did he take that technique scroll, but Li Shen also took another technique from the wind element.
He took the technique scroll from the top shelf, with a third-level inscription on the technique scroll.
It was the God Tree Slashing Wind technique, one of the wind element techniques that relied on agility and body speed.
Xiao Bai was the perfect person to learn this technique, especially since he had mastered the basic fire technique before.
Li Shen picked up the technique scroll and strode away to the front yard of the sect, right in front of Ziyue and Xiao Bai.
Li Shen's sudden arrival was quite surprising to them. They clearly saw that Li Shen came carrying two different colored technique scrolls floating above his hands.
"Yue'er, Xiao Bai," Li Shen called out.
The two rose, standing tall before Li Shen. Slowly, the man handed the light element technique scroll to Ziyue, while Xiao Bai got the wind element technique scroll.
The two reached out, accepting the technique scroll from Master Li Shen. The moment was noticed by the workers of the Forest Leaf Sect.
They were envious, grasping their tools while grumbling in annoyance. They cursed the elders and leader of the Forest Leaf sect for putting them in this situation this time.
If they had the chance to turn back time, they would never want to join the Forest Leaf sect.
"When should we learn this, Master Li Shen?" asked Ziyue.
"Right after you become adept at using the flying sword. Then you can learn the scroll technique," Li Shen replied.
Ziyue smiled, she looked at Xiao Bai and nodded slowly. They then nodded as they put their technique scrolls into the magic bag.
Ziyue and Xiao Bai became very excited to complete the flying sword training soon.
While Li Shen was talking with his two disciples, he heard a shout coming from the back of the Azure Pillar Sect.
In a flash of blue light, Li Shen left the place. The sound of the woman screaming was enough to attract the attention of many people, including Ziyue and Xiao Bai.
"It's Mei Yuan," explained one of the Forest Leaf Sect's female disciples.
Mei Yuan, a girl with back-length navy blue hair. The girl had been the worker assigned to look for fruits and berries in the forest, along with three other cultivators. However, only Mei Yuan was seen by them.
"Master Li Shen! Help me!" shouted Mei Yuan, panicking.
Li Shen appeared in a flash of blue qi light. He stood right in front of the girl, to which Mei Yuan immediately hid behind Li Shen's back.
"Why?" asked Li Shen, flatly.
"T-There are cultivators aiming for me over there."
Li Shen squinted. From his aura detection, he did sense that there was an evil aura appearing behind the Azure Pillar Sect. However, Li Shen didn't see anyone there.
Both of the man's eyes sharpened. He emitted qi energy in his hand and started swinging it behind Mei Yuan's back.
From Li Shen's eyes, he saw that there were magic threads locking Mei Yuan's meridian joints, as if she was moved by someone else.
"Meridian Thread Technique?" asked Li Shen, shocked.
When the red thread was released from Mei Yuan, the girl immediately fainted limply. Some of her friends brought Mei Yuan inside, while Li Shen was still there.
Although Li Shen couldn't use the Meridian Thread technique, he often fought with those people. The man still couldn't believe that a technique that had existed 5,000 years ago was still being used by cultivators nowadays.
"Isn't it bad to keep hiding?" asked Li Shen, the disciples of the Forest Leaf sect began to pay attention.
"HAHA!"
"You are indeed talented, no wonder you can reach the Nascent Soul realm in an outcast like this," explained a man, floating in the air in a strange outfit, a mix of red and black colors, with two humans behind him, bandaged all over.
From Li Shen's eyes, the man was also in the same realm as him, Nascent Soul. However, his strength was still on par with the early Nascent Soul.
"Meridian Thread Technique, human puppet, red and black uniform color. Let me guess, you're from the Blood Puppet Sect, am I right?" asked Li Shen.
"Pavilion! We are no longer a sect like you people. We're the Blood Puppet Pavilion!" said the man, pointing roughly forward.
Hearing the name Blood Puppet Pavilion shocked everyone. They knew little about the difference between the Pavilion and the Sect. A pavilion was a much higher cultivator group compared to a sect.
A sect could be promoted to a Pavilion if its status reached 10th level, with the special condition that they had a large territory, thousands of disciples, and several cultivators of a certain realm.
Previously, the Blood Puppet Pavilion was still a small sect in Qing Yan Kingdom, but 5,000 was a long time.
They managed to cultivate their disciples to the point of raising their sect's status to a pavilion.
"Blood Puppet Pavilion? Hmm, it seems that you are progressing well after my leaving," Li Shen explained.
"What do you mean?! You dare to compare our achievements with yours?" the man asked.
He removed the bandages on his two puppets, showing everyone that he had dead human puppets that still held cultivation realms.
The Meridian Thread Technique forced one's meridians open, so that they continued to receive a supply of spiritual energy.
Even so, the two were corpses moved by the Meridian Thread Technique. Their strength dropped by one level, nor could they break through.
From the look in Li Shen's eyes, the two human puppets were two Golden Core stage cultivators.
It seemed that the man caught them when they were at the Early Nascent Soul realm, after dying and becoming puppets, their cultivation dropped to Golden Core.
Even so, their abilities remained strong. The puppet master knew all the techniques the two cultivators had learned, so the battle this time was like three against one.
"You won't be able to win against me!" the man declared, haughtily.
"It's easy for me to defeat you," Li Shen said, flying into the sky accompanied by a powerful boom of qi energy.
The man in front with the human puppet smiled a wide grin, "After I defeat you and kill you. You will become my third puppet!"
"Try it if you can!"