"See that? Such a huge thing, and I, a mere insect, took care of it." Master Lu laughed. "My Soul-Searching Insect is particularly good at finding the core of mechanical puppets. Even if the core is gone, the Soul-Searching Insect can still accurately determine its original location."
"Oh, so that hollow is where the core is placed? But... what is the core used for?" Wang Yao asked curiously, pointing to the mechanism that had been opened on the giant puppet's head.
"The core is the central hub of the entire mechanical puppet. If the core is destroyed, the mechanical puppet becomes a lifeless pile." Master Lu waved his hand and recalled the flying insect that had been crawling in and out of the giant puppet mechanism.
“Oh…” Wang Yao nodded deeply. “It seems that the Lord of Reclamation of the Sea knows very little about puppetry, otherwise, the Battle of Thousand Sails Port would not have ended in such a crushing defeat.”
"Puppetry is inherently a strange and ingenious skill, and its cultivation and advancement are extremely time-consuming and laborious. It's not surprising that the Divine Lord doesn't understand it," Master Lu said calmly, his words carrying a deep sense of loneliness.
“Master Lu, in my humble opinion, this puppetry technique seems to be about making all sorts of ingenious puppets, but how can one use it to cultivate?” Wang Yao knew that there was no point in saying any words of comfort to Lu Ban at this time, so he changed the subject and asked.
"The key lies in that core!" Sure enough, Master Lu's spirits lifted again when the topic of puppetry came up. He pointed to a giant puppet leaning against the wall, its head seemingly having a window. "Speaking of cultivation... is there anything else about this that you're curious about, Immortal?"
“The masters all say this thing is the lowest grade of puppet. I used to have a great interest in it, but now it’s completely gone,” Wang Yao said with a shake of his head and a smile.
“Excellent, excellent. Since you can see through the essence of a puppet without being affected by its appearance or function, I can finally discuss the cultivation path of puppetry with you.” Master Lu chuckled and beckoned to Wang Yao, “Please come this way with me, Immortal.”
Wang Yao followed Master Lu along the cave. The further he walked, the more he realized that what Master Lu had said was indeed true. This was indeed a canyon between two mountains. However, after being buried by mud and sand and then cleared into a cave, most of the original plants had died, making it look quite desolate.
The two hadn't gone far when the mountain walls on both sides quickly closed in. Wang Yao saw that the canyon ahead seemed to have closed up, leaving only a narrow gap, quite similar to the "One Line Sky" in some scenic spots in the human world.
The sky was not visible here. Although beams of light still shone down from the ceiling, the two places were clearly in a deep cave.
Before they even reached the narrow pass, Master Lu suddenly reached out and pushed against the left side of the mountain wall. A stone door, hidden in the mountain wall, opened instantly, and he waved to Wang Yao.
"Welcome, Immortal, to my humble cultivation chamber," Master Lu bowed to Wang Yao.
"No problem, no problem." Wang Yao laughed and strode into the door, but he was stunned as soon as he entered. Then he turned back to look at Master Lu, who was still bowing by the stone door behind him.
"Since the immortal has arrived, please come in and have a cup of tea." A voice came from inside the stone gate, and it was exactly the same as Master Lu's voice.
“This…” Wang Yao looked in and out, his face showing a hesitant expression, while Master Lu outside the stone gate remained bowed and said nothing.
"Immortal, there's no need to be surprised. The companion puppet has met with the main body, and the main body has taken over the reins. He can't speak right now," the voice from inside the stone gate said again.
"Let me, your companion puppet, return to Shuangliu City first. After the great calamity, everything is in ruins and there's a lot to do. There's no need for me to waste time here with you and me."
As the voice from inside the stone gate faded, Master Lu, still bowing, turned around and strode away on his own.
Wang Yao blinked as he watched Master Lu walk away from outside the stone gate before hesitantly stepped through it. He was greeted by a cave about twenty or thirty square meters in size, which was bright and warm, as if it were lit by electric lights. Master Lu was standing in the center of the cave.
He was surrounded by tables and chairs, with various tools and miscellaneous items scattered on the ground and tables, making the cave feel a bit crowded. A strange smell lingered around Wang Yao's nose, which was like the fragrance of wood shavings, but also seemed to have a faint smell of blood. It was hard to describe, but it wasn't too unpleasant.
"Please sit down." Master Lu in the cave pointed to the chair next to him. Wang Yao heard a soft creaking sound behind him. He turned his head and saw that the cave door had been quietly closed.
He turned around to speak, but just as the stone door behind him closed, another stone door deep inside the cave opened, and a little girl dressed in silk gauze walked out from inside the stone door, carrying a tray with a pot of tea and two teacups on it.
“Immortal, you want to understand the cultivation path of puppetry, yet you stand there with doubts. Is there something you don’t trust about me?” Master Lu frowned slightly, and Wang Yao smiled wryly before going to sit down in the chair Master Lu had designated.
“That just now…it was…it was actually your companion puppet? This little fairy…this little fairy didn’t recognize it at all, I’m quite surprised.” Wang Yao explained after sitting down.
He had previously heard from the divine generals in Shuangliu City that Master Lu had a companion puppet. Although he didn't understand what it meant, he didn't pay much attention to it. Only now did he realize that since entering Shuangliu City, he had been dealing with a puppet all along.
“Although the companion puppet and the main body seem to be two different people, they are actually one. It’s not surprising that you didn’t see it. Even a master who is well-versed in puppetry would find it difficult to see through the companion puppet of another master puppetry master.” Master Lu nodded and smiled.
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