Among the silver automata present, Xiao Yan was likely the one most familiar with them, as he himself had crafted one. Indeed, this earth-dragon automaton had now evolved into a heavenly-dragon automaton. The automata outside the stone gate were uniformly radiant silver, still firmly at the level of earth-dragon automata. According to Xiao Yan's assessment, these ten earth-dragon automata should possess peak peak cultivation realm strength—already a quite formidable achievement. Yet, at present, relying solely on them to withstand so many elite cultivators from the Central Plains seemed somewhat inadequate. "It appears that beyond this stone gate lies the true heart of the ancient site," said Xiao Yixian, gazing at the imposing gate with a soft tone. "Agreed. However, the gate remains firmly closed, with subtle spatial ripples emanating from its surface, indicating it cannot be forced open. Therefore, the method for opening it is likely encoded within these ten automata." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the crowd and noticing that most people were fixated on the puppets—clearly aware of the situation in their hearts. "We should hold off on stepping in for now. This matter will naturally be resolved by someone else," Tian Huo Master smiled. Hearing the seasoned, cunning chuckle of Tian Huo Master, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile and nod in agreement, standing casually with the others in a quiet corner of the plaza, observing the actions unfolding on the field. As soon as Xiao Yan and his companions had finished speaking, a murmuring and hesitation spread through the crowd, and then a gray-robed elder slowly stepped forward. From the vast aura emanating from him, it was evident that he was a powerful Douzun-level master; yet upon a quick glance, Xiao Yan and his companions immediately recognized that this elder was merely a one-star Douzun. The sect to which the gray-robed elder belonged, Xiao Yan had never personally encountered, though he didn't dwell on it either. The Central Plains was so vast, brimming with hidden talents and powerful figures; many modest forces actually held strength comparable to the more renowned ones on the surface. Under the collective gaze of the onlookers, the elder stepped forward steadily, his vast aura of combat energy swirling around him, and immediately walked right into the midst of the encircling ten earth-ghost puppets—his boldness and skill standing out remarkably. "Haha, mere broken automatons—hoping to stop me?" Seeing this, the gray-robed elder burst into laughter, stepping into the midst of the automatons with just his hands. As his vast aura surged forth, each punch he delivered sent a puppet staggering backward. Watching the gray-robed elder, who remained undefeated despite facing ten automatons, Xiao Yan couldn't help but shake his head. The gap between a Dou宗 and a Dou尊 truly was immense. Though the ten automatons had successfully halted the elder, the current situation clearly indicated they wouldn't last long. "Clang!" In the midst of the arena, silver light danced as the gray-robed elder's palm successively drove back three automatons, leaving deep palm imprints—nearly half an inch deep—on their bodies. "Roar!" "Consecutive retreats, the ten Earth Spirit Automata suddenly halted. Silver flashes danced in their eyes, and a deep, resonant roar emerged from their throats. Then, in unison, they shifted their steps, forming an unusual array. Waves of silver energy, like serpents, surged forth from their bodies and interconnected them, weaving into a circular loop. 'Roar!' As the loop solidified, the leading Automata emitted another roar. Instantly, under Xiāo Yīn's stunned gaze, the silver glow dimmed, and golden light began to emerge gradually. A moment later, the golden radiance completely replaced the silver shimmer." "Actually evolved..." Seeing this scene, even Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. He was well aware of just how difficult it was for an ordinary yao gu to evolve into a heavenly yao gu. Back then, the ground-level yao gu had absorbed countless Dan Lei to finally evolve at the very last moment. Now, however, these ground-level yao gu had accomplished the evolution in mere moments. "It must be the effect of that array. Truly, no wonder it was left behind by a Dou Sheng-level master. With these ten ground-level yao gu and that unique array, they can easily match a two-star Dou Zun. This old man is going to have it tough!" After a moment of shock, Xiao Yan quickly regained his composure and murmured to himself. "Ssssh!" On the field, the golden-bodied heavenly yao gu stomped the ground with his foot, and as cracks spread, his form materialized before the elderly man, whose face had turned pale. The golden-flecked fist then slammed down with tremendous force. "Boom!" Faced with that powerful blow, the elder hurried to meet it with all his might, yet at this moment, his grace was gone. The evolved Tian Yao Puppet now far surpassed his capabilities. A low, resonant sound emerged, and a deep gasp escaped his throat, a trace of blood appearing at his lips. His steps wavered as he staggered backward. After retreating ten paces, the Tian Yao Puppet retracted its fist, shifted position with a swift movement, and materialized outside the stone gate. The golden light faded, and the Puppet once again transformed into a Di Yao Puppet, standing guard there. This development on the field also caused many to pale. While they might not fear ten Earth Deity Peak Earth Spirit Automata, they had to respect these Heaven Spirit Automata at the level of two-star Battle Sovereigns. Lacking sensation or pain, these beings were no different from a relentless killing machine. Indeed, there were some strong contenders among the present who could defeat them, yet even after victory, they would inevitably suffer significant personal tolls. Yet who would willingly endure such heavy losses—without even having seen the ruins? The people here simply didn’t possess that kind of patience. For a moment, the plaza fell into an awkward silence—everyone wanted to enter, yet none were eager to engage in a fierce battle with these automata. Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze steadily on the ten puppets, a hint of yearning flickering in his eyes. If these puppets were merely at the peak of Douzong level, he might not have been particularly interested. But if they were capable of reaching the level of two-star Douzun cultivators—true celestial beast puppets—then his interest would be certain. Moreover, Xiao Yan had always been fascinated by the unusual array techniques of the terrestrial beast puppets. Should he incorporate his own celestial beast puppets into this setup, the celestial puppets' strength would undoubtedly see a significant boost over the coming period. His current celestial beast puppets were already capable of matching three-star Douzun cultivators. With the addition of these ten terrestrial beast puppets and the supporting array, he would likely be able to challenge even five-star Douzun cultivators. Such allure was already sufficient to prompt Xiao Yan to personally intervene. "Please keep an eye on the others," Xiao Yan said softly to the young physician and others, then lightly tapped the ground with his foot, his form soaring like a great pheasant over the heads of the people ahead, landing steadily ten zhang beyond the stone gate. "Since no one has stepped forward, I shall take the lead." At the sudden emergence of Xiao Yan, everyone was taken aback. Some who had long held grievances against him furrowed their brows—based on their knowledge of him, he was typically shrewd and cautious, so how could he now willingly step in to confront these troublesome automatons? "This young man's initiative surely has a purpose!" Feng Qing'er's brows slightly furrowed, and she murmured softly. The white-haired man glanced at Xiao Yan's back, then smiled, slowly stepping forward. "With your current Star-Dominant strength, even the Grand Elder of Tu Xuan Sect falls short. I think we should just leave it at that. By the way, I've always been quite interested in these puppets. If I bring them back to serve as gatekeepers, it would surely be impressive." His eyes were sharp—right away, he sensed that Xiao Yan was eyeing the puppets with intent. As the gust of wind swept past him from behind, Xiao Yan's back seemed to have eyes—his body merely twisted slightly, and he effortlessly sidestepped it. With a subtle thought, the vast soul energy swirling at his brow surged forth in waves, then branched out into countless threads, rushing toward the automata that had once again burst with silver light. Xiao Yan had previously crafted earth-dwelling spirit automatons, and thus was well aware of their vulnerabilities. A direct confrontation would only result in their complete disintegration—something he did not wish for. Instead, he sought control, the kind of mastery seen in celestial spirit automatons. Within each earth-dwelling automaton lay the soul imprint of its creator. By erasing that imprint and replacing it with his own, he could effortlessly command the automata. However, this imprint was usually deeply concealed, and unless Xiao Yan himself had personally forged such automatons, it would remain invisible. "Hmph! This youngster truly intends to control the automatons!" As Xiao Yan's spiritual power expanded, the man with white hair also became aware of it. Though he didn't understand the art of puppet control and thus couldn't compete with Xiao Yan, he wasn't a passive observer either. When he realized he couldn't block Xiao Yan, he flashed forward and materialized before a terrestrial spirit puppet, delivering a powerful punch that struck the puppet squarely. Since he couldn't have it, he would simply destroy it! "Crack!" The devastating blow landed, instantly causing fine cracks to spread across the puppet's body. As the white-haired man's smile began to form, it momentarily froze—because upon observing the silver glow re-emerging from within the puppet, those cracks rapidly vanished. "I won't believe it yet," he declared, "that this puppet can't be broken!" The white-haired man's eyes flashed with fierce intensity, and with a sharp cry bursting from the tip of his tongue, a terrifying gust of wind rapidly spiraled around his clenched fist. As he was about to deliver the punch, a sudden surge of golden light shot forth, the sharp tearing sound of the wind causing him to wince and step back. As he retreated, he glanced around and noticed the golden light had manifested as a fully dark-golden automaton—this one seemed far more threatening than the earlier golden automaton. "This young man must also possess such a construct; that explains why he intervened!" Upon seeing the dark-golden Tian Yao automaton, the white-haired man suddenly realized. With this thought forming, he quickly raised his head and just in time caught sight of Xiao Yan slowly opening his eyes. The latter gave him a cold, steady glance before lifting a hand, and with a soft hiss, the ten automata were neatly stored within his storage scroll.