"There's nothing special about it. Had it not been for my own knowledge of certain puppetry techniques and some subtle spiritual arts, I would have mistaken this spirit-bound puppet for a genuine human. The aura and spiritual pressure emanating from her are remarkably similar to those of our cultivators." Han Li smiled and spoke with admiration. "Haha! Han, you've noticed that! Well, among the guests from the saintly clans who have visited my abode, you're truly the first to realize this servant is merely a puppet—someone I personally crafted back then. I managed to keep that secret from countless friends." Jia Tianmu, upon hearing Han Li's words, didn't seem disappointed at all; instead, he burst into hearty laughter, clearly delighted. It seemed that Han Li's immediate recognition of the puppet's true nature had stirred a deep sense of kinship between them. "I must admit, it's all a matter of luck. However, this spirit-bound puppet appears to be of rather modest rank—its human-like details are rather exaggerated." Han Li gazed at the puppet, who was nearly indistinguishable from a real person, and offered a gentle smile. "Han, your discernment is truly exceptional!" This puppet was the very first spirit-level puppet I crafted, possessing only the strength of a third rank from the Upper Clan—entirely focused on its spiritual qualities. Yet, despite my cultivation efforts over the years, its spiritual refinement has remained unchanged." Jia Tianmu sighed, then turned to gaze at the maid-puppet, his face expressing a touch of regret. At that moment, the maid-puppet suddenly smiled warmly, as if a regular human would, only to quickly suppress the smile and return to her expressionless demeanor. Han Li found himself speechless at this sight. "By the way, Han brother, take a look at the spirit puppet inside the box. Do you find it satisfactory?" Jia Tianmu turned back, smiling warmly at Han Li. "Then I shall be quite frank," Han Li replied, nodding. With a swift motion of his sleeve, he brushed it across the desk, and a ripple of emerald light swept past. "Crack!" A clear sound followed, and the long, rectangular wooden box opened, revealing its contents. "What is this?" Han Li focused intently, his face now expressing mild surprise. A white serpent about a foot long lay inside the box, its entire body translucent, shimmering with a soft, pale glow. "This is a newly crafted spirit-linked automaton that I developed not long ago," said Jia Tianmu, with a touch of reluctance. "Its rank is roughly equivalent to your current cultivation level—around the seventh rank of our clan. Though it doesn't reach the highest echelons, it can transform into two distinct forms. I truly didn't want to bring it out unless Brother Han saved my life earlier." A sudden inspiration caused the previously still white serpent to twist and stir, and then a brilliant white light descended, instantly transforming into a beam of light that shot forth from the wooden box. A white python, stretching several zhang in length, spiraled and danced through the air above the hall. From a distance, the creature appeared with blood-red eyes, its scales gleaming steadily; as it shook its head and swayed its tail, a fierce, formidable aura surged forth, indistinguishable from a genuine giant serpent. Suddenly, Jia Tian Mu raised his hand and issued a low command, casting another spell. The white python paused, its body suddenly trembling, then instantly coiled into a compact form. As the white light expanded, the python swiftly transformed into a graceful white-robed woman with a refined appearance, though a faint sense of bewilderment lingered in her expression, as she hovered motionless in mid-air. "As for this spiritually attuned automaton, it is exceptionally suitable—whether in combat or serving as a maid within the estate. The only drawback, however, is its significantly higher consumption of spiritual stones, exceeding that of other such automata by several times." Moreover, since this puppet's body is largely composed of cold-luminescent crystal iron, it can only be activated by exceptionally rare ice-type spiritual stones. Should your lord truly wish to keep it, the cost of spiritual stones in the future will certainly be substantial," Jiang Tianmu explained. "Although ice-type spiritual stones are rare, I believe I can still gather a few. As long as the puppet proves useful, I'm quite content to take it." After gazing at the white-robed woman floating above for a while, Han Li smiled warmly. "Ah, as long as Brother Han is satisfied. Once you bring the puppet back and have it recognize your blood, no one else will be able to control it," Jiang Tianmu said with a smile, then raised one hand, forming a seal and pointing it toward the figure in the air. Instantly, the white-robed woman shimmered and transformed into a bright white glow, rushing directly toward Han Li. After a gentle spiral, she settled gracefully into a white serpent, slowly entering the box. At the same time, Han Li shook his sleeve, and a cascade of azure light swept past, sealing the box lid once again. "Master Jia, just now you mentioned that these spirit-attuned puppets are all crafted by your own hand. Your mastery of puppet-making is truly remarkable. I happen to have a batch of novel puppets, originally created by others, which are quite fascinating. Would you like to take a look?" As soon as Han Li neatly closed the wooden box, he suddenly smiled warmly at Master Jia Tianmu. "Oh, novel puppets! Master, please bring them out so I may see them firsthand." At this, Master Jia Tianmu's face immediately brightened with delight. Han Li smiled and, with a single hand motion, suddenly produced a jade chest from his palm. The chest shimmered with luminous energy and bore several seals and incantation symbols. After gently lifting the seals, he lightly tapped the lid. Instantly, the lid shot upward into the air, and a dozen humanoid figures, each about an inch tall, burst forth from the chest. These were precisely the spirit attendants' puppets that Han Li had obtained from the earth-deep demon king's blood robe servant. As soon as these figures flew to the center of the hall, a swirling mist of five colors suddenly burst forth. After rolling and dissipating, twelve beautiful women in robes of five hues appeared at once, each graceful and alluring, exuding a delicate charm. At the sides of the hall, twenty-four young men with clear features appeared simultaneously, each holding various musical instruments and seated cross-legged. Han Li did not activate any spell or technique, yet a pleasant melody began to fill the hall, instantly lifting the spirits of all present. As the women moved with the rhythm of the music, their bodies swaying gently, they began to dance in unison throughout the hall. Their slender waists resembled willow branches, and their robes of five colors fluttered and spun, releasing阵阵fragrant scents throughout the space. For a moment, the hall was filled with captivating silhouettes, each one more enchanting and mesmerizing than the last. Jia Tian Mu, at the very moment these figures appeared, widened his eyes, gazing at them without blinking. After an indeterminate length of time, the enchanting melody suddenly ceased, and the twelve dancing maidens halted mid-dance, standing still with hands raised. "Indeed, there's something noteworthy—these figures seem to possess a vital essence of flesh and spirit that is not quite your friend Han's." Tian Mu exhaled deeply, his eyes gleaming as he murmured. "Your observation is accurate. These puppets are known as Ling Shi—semi-spiritual, semi-material constructs. Unlike ordinary spirit-linked puppets, they are formed by fusing the refined spirit and essence of a specific spiritual creature with the physical form of the puppet. In fact, there's a certain similarity to your spirit-linked puppets. Both operate primarily on instinct, lacking any significant spiritual intelligence, and neither holds the potential for further spiritual development." Han smiled and said. "Fusing the spirit body with the physical form of the puppet—this concept I've long harbored, yet despite experimenting with numerous spirit-beings, I've never succeeded in achieving a successful fusion. What kind of spiritual essence is embodied within these Ling Shi?" Upon hearing Han Li’s words, Jia Tianmu’s eyes lit up with surprise and excitement, and he couldn’t wait to ask further. “These spiritual attendants I’ve obtained by accident—exactly what kind of spiritual essence has been integrated into them, I’m still not entirely clear. However, with these attendants at your disposal, I believe it should not be difficult for you to separate them and reveal their true forms.” Han Li stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That’s true. Indeed, what’s more—would Master Han be willing to gift these attendants to me?” Jia Tianmu was initially puzzled, but then suddenly gasped in astonishment. “Though these attendants are quite interesting, they don’t serve me much at the moment. On the other hand, your mastery of puppetry is truly remarkable. With these attendants, you might even advance further in this field.” Han Li spoke calmly. “Indeed, these attendants are of great use to me. Yet, such a precious offering—I cannot possibly accept them lightly. How about this? My finances are still quite stable. I’ll pay you a generous price for them.” "Jia Tianmu shook his head repeatedly. "As for the spiritual stones, that's nothing. If Master Han truly believes in the principle of 'no reward without merit,' then I have a few questions I'd like to ask you. If you can answer any of them, I shall be most satisfied." Han Li's gaze flickered, and finally stated his purpose. "Questions? Master Han, please go ahead and ask. However, if any of them pertain to our family's confidential matters, I might not be able to answer them fully." Upon hearing this, Jia Tianmu was momentarily stunned, but after blinking thoughtfully, replied cautiously. "Of course. My questions will absolutely not involve any of our noble family's secrets." Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled gently. "Then, Master Jia, please go ahead and ask." Jia Tianmu's expression softened, and he nodded. "During my stay in the city, I've heard people mention that Tian Yun appears to have a super transmission array capable of crossing entire continents. Is this true? If so, which family currently holds this array?" Han Li asked seriously. "The transcontinental teleportation array? Indeed, there is one. But this array isn't held solely by any one clan—it is jointly maintained by several of our thirteen clans." Jia Tianmu seemed pleasantly surprised by Han Li's inquiry, responding with ease. "Which clans specifically are responsible for its upkeep?" Han Li pressed further. "Since the array requires careful preservation and frequent maintenance, it is jointly managed by our Crystal Clan, Stone Cocoon Clan, Multi-Hand Clan, and our Wangu Clan. Han, are you particularly interested in the layout of this array, or would you like to use the teleportation array itself?" Jia Tianmu replied casually while appearing to ponder thoughtfully.