Acting without acting

At this moment, the people standing before Cao Xueyan were all top-level elders of the Qingyun Sword Sect.

These were figures of true prestige — first-class great masters.

The Dan Peak Master, Zhao Yunlu, was an old man with an immortal-like bearing.

He always carried an air of calm detachment, as if nothing in the mortal world could stir him.

In his hand he held a fly-whisk, clearly not an ordinary item.

From it came faint waves of fragrant medicinal scent, refreshing and soothing to the spirit.

The Artifact Peak Master, Qiu Qiandao, looked far more bold and straightforward.

His body was large and imposing, standing before others like a great brown bear in clothes.

Perhaps because of his cultivation method, a fiery aura constantly surrounded him.

Even from several steps away, Cao Xueyan could feel the heat in the air.

The last was the Array Peak Master, Lu Jiansheng.

Cao Xueyan had seen him not long ago — and their last meeting hadn’t been pleasant.

But no matter what, within the sect he was her senior, her martial uncle.

So even if she held resentment in her heart, she couldn’t show it.

Lu Jiansheng was what people called a literal “flower-like beauty.”

He was tall and slender, his skin pale beyond reason, his figure delicate and frail.

He looked as though a light breeze could make him collapse.

When Cao Xueyan had met him that day, his voice was not sharp, yet his aura was cold like solid ice, chilling the bones.

But today, his temperament was completely different.

He held a folding fan, was surrounded by a faint floral fragrance, his face glowing with charm and a gentle smile.

If another woman were here, she might have fainted from admiration on the spot.

In his eyes there was no trace of the hostility from before — only gentle concern for a junior.

Cao Xueyan almost thought what happened last time had been her imagination.

Zhao Yunlu laughed heartily and said:

“Hahaha, that day when Peak Master Xiao visited, I happened to be in seclusion. Today, I take this chance to offer my apologies.”

He smiled kindly, holding his whisk in one hand.

With the other, he flipped his sleeve and took out several small jade bottles filled with pills.

Even without knowing what was inside, it was clear that each bottle was extremely valuable — forged from rare materials.

Cao Xueyan had heard that truly priceless pills were stored in special containers, unlike ordinary ones.

Zhao Yunlu said gently:

“This is just a small token of my regard.”

He waved his hand, and the bottles floated through the air, landing steadily in Cao Xueyan’s arms.

She couldn’t open them to see, but beside her stood Xiao Menglan, who only needed one glance to recognize the contents.

Xiao softly reminded through sound transmission:

“Quick, thank your Martial Uncle Zhao. These pills will all be useful to you — one of them is a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, exactly what you need now. Since he’s giving it to you today, it saves me a future trip.”

Hearing that there was a Foundation Pill among them, Cao Xueyan’s heart leapt with joy.

Such a pill was extremely rare for a cultivator still in the Qi Refining Stage.

It could greatly improve the chance of successfully forming one’s Foundation.

The higher the pill’s grade, the greater the improvement, and it could even refine the very quality of one’s foundation.

Ordinary disciples could only get low-grade pills that gave a small chance of success — no guarantee at all.

So to receive one of this level was a true blessing.

Cao Xueyan bowed deeply.

“Disciple Cao Xueyan thanks Martial Uncle Zhao for the gift.”

Zhao Yunlu stroked his beard with a laugh.

“No need for so much courtesy. If you have time, visit Dan Peak more often. Sometimes I enter closed-door alchemy and forget the passage of time, but my Fire Refining Palace has many fine disciples. You may interact with them, and if you need any pills, just tell them.”

At the mention of Fire Refining Palace, Cao Xueyan suddenly thought of Senior Sister Dan Yao.

Ever since Xiao Menglan had told her about the mysterious Heavenly Deficient Pill, she had wanted to see one with her own eyes.

Now that her disciple had received such a grand gift, Xiao Menglan, as the master, naturally had to respond politely.

Today was a joyous occasion, and she was beautifully dressed — her lips bright red, a vermilion mark on her forehead, pink blush on her cheeks.

Her presence was radiant and charming.

She said softly:

“Peak Master Zhao, I thank you again for your generous gift. I shall surely visit another day to express our gratitude.”

“Hahaha! Then I shall await your visit,” Zhao Yunlu replied cheerfully.

At that, Qiu Qiandao stepped forward, his face glowing red with excitement.

“Hahaha! Peak Master Xiao, I told you I’d prepare a fine gift for your disciple. Now, behold — this is my gift!”

He slapped the storage pouch at his waist, and suddenly a towering figure over three meters tall appeared.

It was humanoid, clad head to toe in armor that shone with divine light, its face hidden behind a mask.

The armor was clearly a spiritual artifact, powerful and extraordinary.

Qiu Qiandao said proudly:

“This Iron Armored Xuan Puppet is something I obtained long ago from the ruins of the ancient Yan’ou Puppet Sect. I spent years studying ancient texts to repair it. Though some materials and techniques are now lost, I managed to restore it to the Foundation Stage level. It will serve perfectly as your disciple’s bodyguard.”

He added with a hearty laugh:

“And since the Sect Master is coming soon — she’s a sword fanatic — her gift will likely be a sword. I’ll leave the sword-giving to her, lest I steal her glory! Hahaha!”

It was true — the ancient Yan’ou Sect was famed for creating and controlling powerful puppets.

The puppet talismans Xiao Menglan knew were only a simplified imitation of that lost art.

Though this puppet’s strength was limited to the Foundation level, for Cao Xueyan, it was already a precious treasure.

Any stronger, and she wouldn’t even be able to control it safely.

Qiu Qiandao handed her a command token engraved with the character “傀.”

“This token controls the puppet. Drop a bit of your blood on it and refine it with your spiritual power. From then on, it will obey your thoughts, and when danger arises, it will automatically protect you.”

The token felt heavy and cold, like holding a piece of solid ice.

Cao Xueyan bowed again, thanking him sincerely.

Qiu laughed and told her to visit Artifact Peak often, while secretly glancing at Xiao Menglan — clearly hoping for more puppet talismans.

Xiao Menglan sighed inwardly.

Was he already asking for benefits, even now?

Still, she couldn’t deny — this puppet was a rare treasure, far more valuable than the pills from Zhao Yunlu.

She resolved silently that after the ceremony, she would enter seclusion to refine a few more talismans.

Cao Xueyan stored the puppet and the token in her upgraded storage pouch, which now had the size of a small room.

Even so, the puppet took up nearly a whole corner the moment it went inside, and she could swear the bag felt heavier than before.