After folding the bamboo scroll, Han Li stayed for nearly half an hour at the Yin Fire Hall, warmly received by the enthusiastic host, an elder beast-wizard of Congealed Earth Blood. Then, under the guidance of a spiritual attendant behind him, he was settled in a quiet chamber beside the main hall for rest. As soon as the door of the quiet chamber closed, Han Li swiftly produced a stack of array flags with a single hand movement. Raising his arm, several beams of light shot out and vanished into the air, leaving a shimmering, five-colored light curtain floating gently on the walls of the chamber. Only then did Han Li exhale in relief, sitting cross-legged on a mat within the chamber and closing his eyes to meditate. The elder beast-wizard’s courtesy, given at the level of a fully evolved beast-king, was truly unusual—something that felt strangely out of place. Could it be that the task of assisting in crafting the puppet had proven exceptionally difficult, prompting such thoughtful attention from the elder? Han Li shook his head slightly, finding it unlikely. Yet even if the elder had not made these gestures, Han Li would have made every effort himself. Moreover, aside from the enigmatic figure named Liu Liu, it seemed that the blue-clad beautiful woman who had been with Mu Qing had been actively courting him. Mu Qing even went so far as to deliberately prevent him from coming into contact with the white-haired beautiful woman. It appeared that besides breaking the Minghe seal, there must be other reasons—most likely tied to the Divinely Purifying Thunder he possessed. In a brief moment of thought, Han Li had pieced together the connections with remarkable clarity. After a while, he sighed softly and reopened his eyes. Though he didn't yet know what the underground demon kings intended, as long as he maintained the right balance, his own safety would be secure for now. His gaze flickered several times, and then he shook his sleeve slightly, launching dozens of wooden puppets of varying colors that spiraled out and hovered before him, suspended in mid-air. With a single hand motion, one of the puppets landed directly into his hands. A flash of blue light passed through his eyes as he began to carefully examine each of the puppets. Perhaps from a distance, the subtle intricacies of these spiritual attendants' automata remained elusive. Yet, upon direct contact—channeling his divine awareness through his fingers into the figures—he found no difficulty at all. After a moment, Han Lin tossed the figure he held into the air, then grasped another firmly in his hands. He repeated this process continuously, meticulously inspecting each automaton. After a full minute, he had examined every single one. Though the internal magical array within the figures was exceedingly intricate and complex—beyond what his current understanding could fully grasp—he sensed no signs of tampering, only faint residual imprints. Of course, he could not yet be entirely certain. After all, the art of automaton craftsmanship employed by the spiritual attendants far surpassed what he had learned during his years on the mortal plane. Fortunately, the elder earth-blood immortal had fully entrusted him with the complete methods of crafting these figures. With patient study and dedication, he could gradually come to understand this advanced technique. Then, whether or not these figures truly harbored any issues would become clear. Previously, he would never have drawn upon these items, carefully preserving them to guard against any unforeseen mishaps. With this thought in mind, Han Li brushed his hand over the storage bracelet, and a pale golden box appeared in his hand. The box's surface bore unusual patterns, with faint, flowing runes shimmering subtly—clearly no ordinary object. He lifted the lid and then gestured toward the floating puppets suspended in the air. Instantly, a wave of azure light surged from the box, enveloping all the puppets and drawing them closer to the golden box. After closing the lid and turning his hand once more, Han Li now held several scrolls of varying colors. In a flash of inspiration, he arranged them across the box, sealing it firmly in place. Only then did Han Li feel truly at ease, retrieving the bamboo tube inscribed with the spiritual attendant's alchemical method. He gently infused his awareness into the tube, carefully studying and absorbing its profound secrets. Soon, he became deeply immersed in the wonders of a new, previously unknown technique. Only after a few gentle knocks at the gate of the stillness chamber did Han Li suddenly awaken from his meditation, reluctantly placing the bamboo tube into his sleeve and rising to his feet. As the gate opened, a spiritual attendant standing outside was veiled in gray mist. Though unable to speak, the attendant raised one hand, and at that moment a surge of bloodlight erupted from within the palm, carrying the steady voice of the Earth-Blood Elder through it. "Young friend, please join this spiritual attendant to the Hall of Blood Refinement. We shall formally discuss the matter of puppet crafting." With that brief utterance, the Earth-Blood Elder's voice suddenly ceased, and the bloodlight faded away. "Lead the way!" Han Li said without hesitation. The attendant bowed slightly and then drifted silently, turning gracefully as if weightless, making no sound at all. Had Han Li not meditated on the Earth-Blood Elder's secret puppet technique yesterday, he might have found this scene intriguing. Now, after merely glancing at it, he showed no interest whatsoever. After a cup of tea's worth of time, Han Li appeared at a hidden location beneath the Blood Flame Palace. Surveying the surroundings, he could not help but be utterly astonished. The so-called Blood Refining Hall was actually a vast hall formed entirely of crystal, excavated separately within the underground molten rock. Spanning approximately three to four hundred zhang in width, the walls shimmered with a soft, pale glow. Looking outward through the transparent crystal walls, he saw the surrounding molten rock swirling in vibrant crimson, yet the crystal walls remained perfectly still and the hall itself felt neither warm nor hot. Yet this was still not what amazed Han Li most. What left him speechless, his eyes wide with wonder, was a colossal automaton submerged in the molten rock beneath the crystal hall. This automaton stood a thousand zhang tall—towering like a mountain—dressed in dark battle armor, with arms extending past the knees and a deep, lustrous purple skin adorned with large, bowl-sized scales. But as he gazed upward at its head, Han Li felt a sudden chill. This puppet's head not only bears a white, single horn growing from its crown, but also features a tiger's mouth and a lion's nose. Remarkably, it also hosts four strange blood-colored eyes—two of which are ordinary, located on the cheeks, while two others have emerged from the back of the skull. Each of these blood eyes slowly rotates on the head, radiating a cold, eerie glow that creates a profoundly unsettling sensation. "This is the elder's purple-blooded puppet. Yet it seems to have developed a sense of spirit—has the elder mastered the secret technique of merging spirit into the body?" After carefully observing the massive puppet for a long time, Han Li finally spoke, after taking a deep breath. "Heh, it appears that the young friend truly studied the puppet technique I provided last night. Indeed, this purple-blooded puppet has successfully merged spirit into its body. However, the spirit infused within is not the weak spirit typically found in spirit attendants. It is, in fact, a fragment of my own consciousness." In the crystal hall, only one figure in a crimson robe appeared. Upon seeing Han Li's expression of astonishment, he chuckled and said. "Indeed, I too find it astonishing—ordinary spiritual essences are utterly incapable of maneuvering such a puppet with ease. Yet, with the strength of your divine consciousness, even a partial diversion of attention would be entirely manageable." Han Li finally shifted his gaze from the purple-blooded puppet, offering a wry smile. "My young friend, having seen this puppet, you now understand why I require you to remain at the Blood Flame Palace for such an extended period, correct? I shall not ask you to undertake any other tasks—only that you channel a few divine protective lightning strikes into that armor. As I monitor the changes in the divine lightning, I will adjust the corresponding seal patterns in real time. Throughout this process, you must remain fully focused—any lapse, and all efforts will be wasted." The earth-blood elder's tone grew serious. "At all times, I shall follow your superior's instructions and do my utmost!" Han Li felt a sudden sense of urgency, and promptly agreed. "Excellent. My young friend, rest assured—I will not leave you to toil in vain. After completing this puppet, in addition to the original method employed by the spiritual attendant, I shall..." "The elder has some other things to offer my friend," the earth-blood monster said, clearly delighted, and laughed heartily. Immediately, the blood-robed figure pressed his palms together in a gesture, murmuring incantations continuously. As Han Li's body moved swiftly, he landed at a height nearly equal to that of the purple-blooded automaton's head. As he passed by one of the blood-eyes, the eye suddenly rotated, its deep red orb instantly fixing upon him. A cold draft surged from Han Li's back, causing his form to momentarily stiffen, as if enveloped by an invisible, immense force. In that instant, his face turned pale, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Fortunately, the colossal eye flashed with an unusual radiance and quickly returned to normal, shifting its gaze elsewhere. Only then did Han Li exhale deeply, gently wiping the sweat from his brow. Now he fully understood why the earth-blood elder placed such great importance on this automaton. This purple-blooded automaton's strength likely surpassed that of the elder himself—otherwise, it would not have exerted such a profound impression upon him at first sight. Just moments earlier, Han Li had nearly been compelled to activate his Merged-Extinction Eye to counteract that formidable gaze. Fortunately, under the sustained support of the Daxian Technique, he managed to hold on. It thus became evident that this puppet not only possessed an immense stature, but also seemed to have some profound subtleties in its divine awareness. Though startled, Han Li dared not linger near the puppet's head and swiftly descended downward. In a short while, he reached the puppet's chest. There, the blood-robed figure had already been waiting. Han Li glanced over the dark battle armor and was momentarily taken aback, his eyes expressing a hint of curiosity. Up close, the armor appeared smooth and mirror-like, with not a single trace of spell array visible. "Perhaps this old master intends to..." Han Li mused to himself. "Han brother, since your Divine-Purifying Thunder is essential to this process, I will briefly explain to you how the spell arrays will be inscribed upon the armor. Then, when we begin the inscription, you will simultaneously channel your Divine-Purifying Thunder with me. Only after completion will I seal both the power of the spell arrays and the Divine-Purifying Thunder together. Should there be any issue or inconvenience, I will inform you promptly." The Earthblood Elder spoke words that surprised Han Li somewhat.