Quick Transmigration: The Foolish Beauty Saves the World

Chapter 288 I am a little fish (43)

Since they left the snow-capped mountains and entered this area, Chun Xiaopian's situation has been getting worse and worse.

From initially being in a coma, she has now developed a fever.

Meng Li said it wasn't because she caught a cold.

The very first small piece of spring tea helped Meng Li survive her near-death experience and had been staying in her inner quarters ever since, so she was very familiar with it.

Emerging from the first formation, perhaps because Chun Xiaopian No. 2, residing in this blessed land, sensed Chun Xiaopian No. 1, or perhaps, Keisato, it merged with Chun Xiaopian No. 1 and Chun Xiaopian No. 2, transforming into a child form.

However, the blessed land has not yet closed.

Meng Li recalled the fragments of words she had heard from the immortals and naturally assumed that Chun Xiaopian was on the same side as her.

If you're on the same side as her, then you won't want the so-called "crack" to open.

A portion of Spring Fragment's power remained at the core of the formation, hindering the opening of the crack.

Now, with the opening of the blessed land and the death of some cultivators, the original closed loop has been broken, and the power of Chun Xiaopian should soon be uncontrollable.

This is also why they are pressed for time.

But the situation in the back alleys is equally important.

A powerful figure like Meng Li would not have any regrets after escaping death, especially in this blessed land where danger lurks.

She generously tossed out several simulated pupil boxes, directing them to wander through several shops in the back alley, before leading Jingli back to the main street and heading towards the main hall.

On the way, they quickly reviewed the footage recorded by the simulated pupil box.

Just as they suspected, the shelves they saw were not the entirety of the shop; there was another space inside, leading down to an even larger space.

However, it is now empty, and it is unknown what it was used for in the past.

The rouge jars were on the shelf, so why did the contents inside disappear?

Jingli kept this in mind and put it aside for the time being.

Because they had quickly arrived at the three gates of the main hall.

Compared to the palace seen in the formation, in reality... let's call it reality for now, without the influence of "memories" or "obsessions" from the formation, the main hall doesn't seem so eerie.

In the artificial rain, the arched palace gates formed a scroll, enveloping the palace. The ancient and mysterious nine-story hall was the same as the scenery seen before, also gray and black, adding to its solemnity.

If the palace within the formation felt like an invitation for Jingli to enter, then the palace in reality kept him at arm's length.

This feeling was telling Jingli that it was dangerous inside, but also very important.

Jingli did not ignore this feeling. Ever since Meng Li pointed out that he had good luck as a koi spirit, he had started to pay attention to the feeling that suddenly appeared in his mind.

He told Meng Li his feelings in detail, and Meng Li's thoughts were so brief that Jing Li only blinked twice.

"Walk."

They were originally looking for the core of the formation, and Meng Li trusted the little koi's premonition.

As for danger... this blessed land is clearly not a particularly safe place, and leaving it will inevitably involve danger.

Meng Li never boasts about her abilities, but she also never underestimates them.

Along the way, although she hadn't completely opened up to Jingli, she had already included him in her inner circle.

Therefore, she will definitely protect this little koi fish to the best of her ability.

If she can't leave this place, then everyone who came in this time will probably only lose their lives.

The two continued walking and quickly passed through several palace gates before arriving in front of the palace.

This time, there was no blood on the road, but there was still a splashing sound.

It was that false sound of rain.

Stepping onto the steps in front of the palace, Jingli couldn't help but look back to make sure there was no blood before she could relax.

The two voices shouldn't be similar, but Jingli felt they were, which made him somewhat uneasy.

Meng Li patiently waited for Jing Li to prepare herself, and fortunately, Jing Li didn't keep her waiting too long. After taking two deep breaths, the two pushed open the door.

Behind the door lies a completely different world—

There was no dimly lit hall filled with puppets within the array, nor were there any cub puppets being pulled by puppet strings.

It was as if they walked out of the door rather than walked in from outside.

How can this be explained? They entered another "Spirit Puppet Immortal Abode".

The door they just saw has disappeared. That door may have been the boundary between "life and death," and they stepped into the "reality" brought about by death.

It wasn't raining inside, but it was as dark as night.

It wouldn't be accurate to say it was dim; every so often, a pale beam of light would fall, illuminating a small area, much like modern streetlights.

But this light did not come from any lamp.

With just a slight tilt of the head, one can see that the dark mass in the "sky" is not a cloud at all, but a group of puppets flying above, and the light is coming from their "eyes".

These puppets are not any form we've seen before; they're more like machines, but derived from puppets.

They form countless enormous rings, rotating in a certain pattern to ensure that the light source is always present.

But Jingli was certain that they were standing on flat ground, and the area surrounded by the puppets was not that large, so that it was not impossible to tell whether they were on a spherical surface or a flat ground.

This can only mean that the ground they were on was on the diameter of the ring. What were the puppets on it doing when the ring sank into the ground?

Jingli had a not-so-good idea.

They have now clearly entered the main formation, within which the smaller, cyclical formations should be located beneath this land.

Or rather, the power of the souls and other forces obtained from the cyclical arrays lie beneath the earth.

The mechanical puppets in the main formation are driven by this power.

Now, the Ninefold Cycle Array has been destroyed by Jing Li and Lu Mingguang, leaving only one remaining to support it.

No wonder Chun Xiaopian is getting weaker and weaker.

The input has decreased, but the output has not changed much.

Jingli didn't know if the formation would collapse as a result, but the so-called "crack" would most likely be created as a result.

From the moment the scene changed, Meng Li had already taken three talismans to reduce her presence. She kept one in her own hand and stuffed the other two into Jing Li's hand. Jing Li then put one of them into Chun Xiaopian's clothes.

After entering the main formation, Chun Xiaopian's condition improved slightly, probably because she was closer to her other part of her power.

The baby had shrunk considerably, from a five- or six-year-old little dumpling to the size of a three- or four-year-old, probably because a portion of it had separated to fight against the rift.

At least now Chun Xiaopian can open her big eyes again.

"Go straight ahead, there's a small alley on your right."

It can also serve as a navigation tool.

"Do you know this place?"

“Yes.” Chun Xiaopian nodded seriously. “Part of me has been here all along. Go that way; it’s safe there.”

The two kept walking.

As the two ventured deeper, the surroundings gradually became more lively.

This should be a relatively leisurely time for the people of "Lingkui Immortal Abode". In the scene, a vegetable market can be seen, with many women carrying baskets and bargaining.

Their clothing was very different from that of the cultivators I had seen in the scenery.

Lingkui Immortal Abode is located in the southern part of the continent, isolated by mountains and miasma. It retains some ancient customs, and they prefer to incorporate wild and natural elements into their clothing.

In addition to their bond with the puppets, each of them wore some bronze ornaments, some of which were just decorations, while others were magical tools for controlling the puppets.

Furthermore, as they saw from outside the formation, the Spirit Puppet Immortal Abode had achieved a certain degree of "mechanization." Many scenes were driven by machinery, and people needed to set up machinery in many scenes. As a result, their clothes were either fitted or loose and easy to put on and take off. Combined with those wild or natural elements, they looked somewhat unrestrained and trendy, which did not conform to this era.

No one has yet noticed Jingli and Mengli, the two outsiders. It's unclear whether the talisman is working or if they are simply from different worlds.

The two soon arrived at the alleyway that Chun Xiaopian had mentioned.

The Lingku Immortal Abode inside the formation was not much different from the structure outside the formation. Jingli immediately recognized that this was the back alley street they had investigated.

"Go wait for that old beggar next to the rouge shop. Be careful of the witch doctor; he's a bit different."

Chun Xiaopian once again offered a reminder.

Meng Li simply took out a few robes, turned around the alley, found a corner, and had Jing Li and Chun Xiaopian change into them.

They had memorized this terrain while they were outside, and the location they had found now happened to be a blind spot for most people.

The robe Meng Li gave her served a similar purpose to the invisibility cloak Jing Li had previously given her, but Meng Li's was much more advanced. It didn't just make people visually invisible through technology, but it was a high-level magical artifact that could weaken changes in aura and movement, and even reduce the volume of sound to some extent.

Of course, if you bump into someone, that's a different story.

Such magical artifacts are beyond the comprehension of anyone except a powerful being at the Integration Stage.

With this layer of protection in place, the two then carried Chun Xiaopian to the rouge shop.

The back alleyway within the formation was completely different from the outside. The owner of the rouge shop, heavily made up, leaned against the doorway, waving a handkerchief. But unlike the brothel owners in the shops behind, she didn't say a word; she simply stood there.

The witch doctor named by Chun Xiaopian was right across from the rouge shop. His face was covered with a burlap cloth, and when a slight breeze blew by, Jingli could see that his face was covered with pustules.

He sat cross-legged, with some strangely colored pills and medicinal soup in front of him. The small space was filled with the bitter smell of medicine and the sweet fragrance of rouge, making people feel nauseous.

Fearing discovery, Jingli didn't use spiritual power to conceal the scent, but instead used a prop card to limit the range to in front of the three of them.

He wondered what was going on beneath the rouge shop, since the back alley was clearly dominated by men's businesses.

His question was quickly answered.

Several men walked toward the rouge shop, their purpose so clear that Jingli thought they were going to cause trouble for the shop owner.

But they didn't. After exchanging a brief greeting with the owner, the group went inside.

Meng Li also brought Jing Li and Chun Xiaopian along, following behind like a gust of wind as they entered.

The staircase behind the shelves wasn't as open and obvious as it appeared from outside the formation; it required the rouge shop owner to activate a hidden compartment to reveal it.

As you descend the stairs, what lies below is finally revealed.

They are neatly arranged puppet remains.

The group started whispering amongst themselves, their language obscure and difficult for Jingli to understand. He only knew that the rouge shop owner had been handling things with ease, and the men eventually quieted down in the back.

Finally, the men took a puppet leg, a puppet arm, and a round bead, about the size of an apple.

You could tell the value of the beads from the man's face, because it was clear that he was very distressed when he paid for them.

While they were making their transaction, Meng Li had already left with the adult and the child.

Before Meng Li or Jing Li could ask any questions, Chun Xiaopian had already taken the initiative to explain what had just happened at the rouge shop.

It's obvious that the woman is ostensibly selling rouge, but what she's actually profiting from are the puppet parts sold underground.

"These puppet parts are defective products salvaged from the military, namely those puppets that use the souls of cultivators as fuel."

"It is said that these parts can be well integrated with the human body to treat some physical ailments, or can be used directly as part of the human body to make it more resistant to blows."

"That leg was used to treat one of the people's leg ailments, the arm was to be replaced, and the Puppet Heart, that last round thing, was something that person wanted to use to save his life."

Jingli suddenly realized.

No wonder everyone in the Spirit Puppet Immortal Abode knows how to make puppets, yet these people insist on buying them from the Rouge Shop.

Combining one's own physical body with that of a puppet—isn't that just a cybernetic version of cultivation?

Jingli shook her head, trying to shake off the jumbled thoughts in her head.

Meng Li pondered for a moment and said, "Is this kind of thing common in the Spirit Puppet Immortal Abode?"

Chun Xiaopian thought for a moment, nodded and then shook her head: "To be honest, most people here have their own external devices to enhance themselves."

Lingkui Immortal Abode is located in the mountains and forests, with little communication with the outside world, so the chances of conflict are naturally low.

Although the people here are cultivators, their own strength is not as strong as that of people outside. They often rely on puppets.

If you are weak but your puppet is strong, then to compensate for your weakness in melee combat, some people will naturally think of using puppets to enhance themselves.

“But if we’re talking about rare ones, this kind of puppet is the only one.” Chun Xiaopian pointed to the rouge shop, referring to this special puppet that uses divine souls as fuel. “It’s forbidden to circulate openly, and there’s only one of its kind.”

"The rouge shop and the witch doctor may seem unrelated on the surface, but they are in cahoots because only a witch doctor can make such a combination; the shop owner is just the supplier."

The two were involved in shady dealings; the witch doctor had the skills, and the rouge shop owner had the connections, so they hit it off immediately.

Meng Li fell silent, resting her chin on her hand as she pondered all the clues she had gathered over the years.

Just then, a large, fat figure staggered out from the depths of the alley.

He is a beggar.

The madam in front of him pinched her nose and chased him away, but he didn't flinch. His eyes were fixed blankly on the rouge shop, and he pointed to his mouth, making noises.

The shop owner, who was counting money, glanced at him, went back into the shop, and came out again a moment later with a huge package in his hand.

The package was about half the size of the shopkeeper, but it looked tiny in the beggar's hands.

The beggar took it, and like a child who had just received candy, happily ran to a corner.

The package was opened, revealing unsightly puppet parts inside.