Directly channeling the divinely protective lightning into the seal array, or channeling it during the process of inscribing and imprinting the seal array—while the former is effortless, the latter requires meticulous coordination with each step of the imprinting process, demanding an immense concentration of spirit. Could this be the reason the other party has shown him favor? Although韩立's heart was somewhat uncertain, his expression remained composed, and he readily agreed. Seeing韩立's respectful and humble demeanor, the earth-blood elder nodded in satisfaction. With a sudden movement, the elder stepped forward and ascended several steps diagonally, positioning himself beside the puppet's chest. He then shook his sleeve, and a small, pale red vial shot out. Lifting his hand, he gently flicked the vial with a single motion. Immediately, the bottle's mouth opened on its own, and a purple liquid surged forth, spiraling before hovering in the air nearby, radiating a soft glow of spiritual light. Though the elder was fully enveloped in his blood robe, his eyes grew intensely focused, and his hand gestures shifted continuously, becoming profoundly intricate. "Master Han, please observe carefully!" This seal array inscribed with the art of engraving can endow the puppets with numerous wonders. As I briefly explain it, how much of the subtle intricacies you grasp will entirely depend on your own insight. The more you comprehend, the more effortlessly you'll be able to harmonize with my seal array." A strange voice suddenly echoed from behind Han Li. Han Li was startled and turned around, only to find that a second figure in a crimson robe had appeared behind him without his noticing. The figure seemed to have been there all along, and Han Li had been completely unaware of their presence. "Thank you, elder, for teaching me the art of seal arrays. I will certainly pay close attention," Han Li said, bowing respectfully. Yet the crimson-robed figure waved him aside, gesturing for him to observe the actions of the other figure. Han Li then turned his gaze forward. He saw the second figure in crimson robes pressing hand gestures while simultaneously drawing motions with his other hand across the cluster of purple night void. "Crack!" A small piece of the purple night split off and burst into fragments, transforming into individual seal characters of fist-sized magnitude, which then shot forth toward the massive armor. A flash of inspiration caused the runes to vanish into the armor, only to reappear on its surface moments later, glowing with a low hum. With the weight of a thousand catties conveyed by a mere few fingers of the blood-robed figure, the runes began to transform and reorganize, swiftly coalescing into a crude, purple sigil array roughly a zhang in size. Some of the runes remained fluid and unstable, as though still in the process of taking form. As Han Li gazed on in deep contemplation, the blood-robed attendant beside him began to explain: "This array is known as the 'Golden Inscription.' It has no other uses, but it renders the armor exceptionally resilient—capable of withstanding ordinary法宝 attacks without sustaining any damage. The array consists of three layers, the first being..." Han Li, whose expertise in puppetry and array arts was well-established, observed the blood-robed figure's inscription process while listening attentively to the concise explanation, his eyes darting with interest. Such an opportunity to hear a fully merged being personally impart teachings and demonstrate the techniques was, naturally, exceedingly rare. Even if the explanation was only superficial, it suddenly clarified the long-standing difficulties Han Li had previously encountered in array techniques and puppetry. Within just one meal's time, the blood-robed figure had completed most of the symbol array and it was beginning to take on a solid, fixed form. "Young friend, now is the moment. Inject the Divine-Defying Thunder at the array's final layer's focal point," the blood-robed figure accompanying Han Li calmly urged. Though the voice was soft, it immediately roused Han Li from his deep contemplation. Without hesitation, Han Li flew toward the array. With a simple twist of his hands, thunder roared, and golden arcs of lightning burst forth, casting a brilliant, golden glow that illuminated the surrounding area. The blood-robed figure standing beside Han Li watched the golden lightning in his hands, his eyes briefly flashing with a subtle expression of surprise—before it faded away. ……One and a half months later, Han Li reappeared once again in the quiet chamber of the Wood-Elemental Cave. He sat cross-legged on a mat, gently handling a white jade plaque in his hands, deeply contemplative. Over the past month, he had spent nearly every day and night by the massive puppet beneath the Blood Flame Palace, finally helping the elderly monster complete the refining process without any mishaps. When the time came, Mu Qing arrived precisely as promised, bringing him back to the Blood Flame Palace. Though he had continuously drawn upon the Divine Exorcising Thunder to infuse the seal array, expending considerable mental energy, Han Li had not felt himself to have suffered any real loss. Besides the refined method of crafting spiritual attendants and the seal array techniques later explained by the elder blood monster, he had gained much from these experiences. Moreover, when departing, the elder blood monster had gifted him a batch of special puppet materials and rare herbs unique to the Earth's Deep Realm. Though he knew the elder might have other intentions, he felt thoroughly satisfied. Yet what occupied Han Li's current thoughts was not this matter, but rather the missing outer pages of the Golden Hall Jade Scroll in his hands. This outer page records several powerful scroll incantations. Among them, the "Taiyi Huaqing Scroll" he has already fully comprehended and even possesses several personally inscribed copies. The other three—specifically, the "Jiugong Tianqian Scroll" for trapping enemies, the offensive "Tiange Scroll," and the shadow puppet scroll "Jiayuan Scroll"—remain to be mastered. The "Tiange Scroll," in particular, is exceptionally profound and mysterious; despite years of study, Han Li still struggles to grasp its essence and has thus kept it on the sidelines. As for the "Jiugong Tianqian Scroll" and the "Jiayuan Scroll," through years of dedicated contemplation, he had long since achieved a deep understanding of their principles, though a few key aspects remained elusive. However, after a month of intensive guidance from the elder earth-blood sage—renowned as a master of puppetry and array arts—and further dedicated study over the past few days on the spiritual ritual of incantation and alchemy, he has now finally resolved these lingering issues, achieving a sudden and complete understanding, enabling him to successfully create both types of scrolls. The materials required for these two talismans are naturally exceedingly rare, though fortunately not something that is priced high but unavailable. While serving in Tianyuan City, he had already gathered multiple batches of these materials. Now, he could finally attempt to proceed. Originally, the crafting of such talismans required further refinement through deep understanding and practical experience before the rare materials could be formally employed. However, under the watchful eyes of several fully-merged-level beast kings, he simply could not afford to delay any longer. Although, at present, the divine immunity from the pestilential divine thunder seems to ensure his safety for several years, who could say whether these beast kings might suddenly change their minds for other reasons? Since his journey in cultivation, every step of his advancement—his ascent to the spiritual realm and his current achievements—has been solely driven by his own strength. He would never rely entirely on others for his survival. Therefore, completing the creation of these two talismans would naturally provide him with several additional means of preservation. After a period of fluctuating expressions, Han Li finally regained his composure. He slowly closed his eyes, channeling his spiritual awareness into the jade plaque, carefully reviewing the two incantation techniques from beginning to end. After a while, only after confirming there was indeed no issue, did he reopen his eyes! Suddenly, his wrist flicked upward in the air, and a surge of luminous light erupted, sending a cluster of jade-green light spiraling through the lower air. It was precisely the storage bracelet of Han Li. Han Li swiftly pointed his finger at the object. A soft "pffft" sound followed, and a wave of azure light surged forth, scattering dozens of vases, jars, and several wooden chests and jade boxes across the floor. He then reached out and grasped one of the white wooden boxes at random. As he flipped open the lid, a gleaming silver object shot out. Han Li then curled his fingers, and the object instantly hovered before him. It turned out to be a finely crafted animal hide, smooth as silk. Not only did it shimmer with a bright silver luster, but its surface also bore evenly spaced, naturally formed patterns resembling incantation characters, making it exceptionally elegant and vibrant. This is precisely the ideal material for crafting shadow puppets—a rare ancient beast known as the Wind-Fire Beast. This ancient creature masters both wind and fire techniques, possessing power comparable to that of a Dao Immortal. Moreover, it prefers cold, damp, and shady environments and remains dormant for long periods in such marshy, dark, and moist habitats. Only when it ventures out to hunt and feed does it occasionally reveal itself. Shadow puppet seals crafted from its hide not only increase the success rate but also enhance the seal's power by an additional degree, making them exceptionally valuable. Han Li had to exert considerable effort, ultimately exchanging several thousand-year-old medicinal herbs with a reputable materials shop in Tianyuan City to secure just a few such seals. Initially, Han Li had planned to create the Jia Yuan Seal. Like other shadow puppet seals, this type, once activated, can manifest a shadow puppet capable of replicating certain techniques and levels of cultivation from the summoner. The exact effectiveness, however, depends on both the quality of the seal's craftsmanship and the summoner's own cultivation level. However, ordinary shadow puppet scroll seals only replicate about two to five tenths of the driver's strength and a limited number of abilities. It is said that perfect shadow puppet scrolls capable of fully replicating a driver's strength exist only among the human race's Tianling realm cultivators, though no one has ever witnessed such a scroll. These shadow puppet scrolls are not unlimited in their replication—they are only effective for cultivators at the Hua-lian Xū initial stage and below. Moreover, they are one-time consumables; once their power is expended, the shadow puppet vanishes as well. In contrast, Han Li's Jia Yuan Scroll, drawn entirely from the outer pages of Jin Que Yu Shu, possesses a natural power far exceeding that of ordinary shadow puppet scrolls. Depending on the skill level of the caster, the shadow puppet not only effortlessly supports the driver with over seven-tenths of their strength and most of their abilities, but can also replicate the full capabilities of cultivators up to the Héti stage and below. Thus, the Jia Yuan Scroll's value becomes truly evident. Of course, this also means that in terms of materials consumed and the craftsmanship involved, the Jia Yuan Scroll is significantly more refined and costly than ordinary shadow puppet scrolls Had it not been for the Spirit-Siphoning Heavenly Fire within him—a true flame embodying both extreme cold and extreme heat—even after fully mastering the crafting method, the process would have remained difficult to achieve. Han Li gazed at the fur skin before him, gathered his scattered thoughts, and then opened his mouth. A soft "pffft" sound followed, and a bright silver orb of flame burst forth. This was the Spirit-Siphoning Heavenly Fire now imbued with life. As the silver flame resonated, it emitted a clear, bird-like call, then instantly transformed into a large fire bird, measuring a foot in size. The bird spread its wings and circled the fur skin repeatedly. Han Li silently chanted a series of incantations. After dancing several circles, the silver bird dove headfirst into the fur skin. A sharp "crack" sounded, and the silver flame surged, completely enveloping the fur skin. Yet, instead of being scorched and destroyed, the fur skin remained intact. The patterns and motifs etched upon it began to ripple and move within the silver glow, as though they had come to life. The scene was profoundly mysterious! (Second update!)