Zhoutian Puppet

The sun hung high in the sky, and the flowers laughed with joy.

Once again, Silver Sword Peak greeted a beautiful morning, its mountains and waters pristine, birds singing, and the air fragrant with blossoms.

Chu Liang stepped out of his wooden cabin, stretched lazily, and loosened his limbs. For the past couple of days, with his master away, he was acting as the head of Silver Sword Peak, wielding considerable authority. Of course, even if Lady Feng returned, he would still be just the deputy peak master.

After basking for a while in the sunlight, he returned to his room, carefully closing the door behind him.

There was still work to be done.

Last night, after returning from the Southern Domain mountains, it was already late. He parted ways with the disciples of Jade Sword Peak and made his way alone back to Silver Sword Peak, where he immediately rested.

Now, it was time to reward himself.

He sank his consciousness into the White Tower. Inside, the golden spectral head of the humanoid demon hovered within an iron cell. Chu Liang approached and pressed his palm on the inscription for “Refine.”

Boom—

A flash of crimson light.

He caught the gleaming radiance floating out, and immediately received its intent in his mind.

[Zhoutian Puppet]:

A puppet crafted to facilitate auxiliary cultivation through Zhoutian cycles. By feeding it one Qi-Gathering Pill during the day and two at night, it can cultivate continuously without rest. All cultivation gains are transferred entirely to its master. Note: this puppet is solely for auxiliary cultivation; any improper use may result in damage.

“Hm?”

Holding the three-foot-tall big-headed doll in his hands, Chu Liang suddenly felt a surge of delight.

Its appearance closely resembled the humanoid demon—an ivory-like small body with a large head devoid of facial features.

Perhaps because it had no expression, it looked somewhat cute.

But Chu Liang’s excitement was not because of its cuteness.

Rather—it was a cultivation assistant that could work around the clock, three hundred sixty-five days a year, with all gains credited to him. Didn’t this mean his cultivation speed could double?

No, it would be more than double.

Among the Three Gates and Nine Realms, the three Heavenly Gates depended on sudden enlightenment, where a single insight could surpass decades of hard training; the three Earth Gates rely mainly on resources, with personal cultivation being secondary; but in the foundational Human Gates, diligent self-cultivation remains paramount.

The Body Tempering Realm refines the flesh, the Qi Condensation Realm expands the dantian and sea of qi, and the Divine Intent Realm hones spiritual awareness… Advancement in these stages depends on meditation, internal focus, and channeling energy through Zhoutian cycles.

Yet everyone’s time for cultivation is limited. After accounting for eating, drinking, and daily routines, one can cultivate a maximum of eight hours a day. Besides, one cannot just focus on refining qi—they must also devote time to learning divine techniques. Shushan disciples, for instance, need time for completing tasks and exchanging for artifacts and pills.

So, in general, a diligent cultivator who maintains four or five hours of Zhoutian training per day is already considered hardworking. For someone like Chu Liang, who frequently undertakes missions, the average may be only two or three hours daily.

It must be understood that cultivation requires real, focused effort; idly sitting and slacking off does not count.

But—

With this big-headed puppet, he could add twelve hours of cultivation every day.

His cultivation gains could increase four or fivefold!

This would allow him to devote more time and energy to slaying demons and monsters, perfect for his current needs.

Thinking thus, Chu Liang eagerly placed the big-headed doll on the ground, sat cross-legged before it, and fed it a Qi-Gathering Pill.

He then pressed his palm onto its large head.

He began the Zhoutian cycle.

Chu Liang practiced the most orthodox Shushan technique, “Nine Heavens Profound Heart Formula: Divine Intent Chapter.”

Shushan’s methods were notorious in the cultivation world for lacking distinctive features, but they were steady and reliable. When cultivated diligently to the same realm, Shushan disciples often surpassed others in overall strength.

As Chu Liang ran the Zhoutian cycle, the doll's body turned transparent, with white lines tracing complex paths, glowing as they moved.

When he finished and withdrew his hand, the doll’s face, previously featureless, had transformed to mirror his own! Its body still shimmered with light, indicating it had entered a state of cultivation.

Chu Liang understood—the puppet had now taken on his likeness, inside and out.

Three Qi-Gathering Pills per day—this consumption was considerable, but not excessive. Compared to the yield from nonstop cultivation, it was an absolute bargain.

He resolved privately: he must never let the big-headed puppet stop.

If needed, he’d hunt lantern monsters to feed it.

Yet it was curious—the Zhoutian puppet had no intelligence, only functioned as an emotionless training machine. Still, it required different amounts of Qi-Gathering Pills for day and night.

Daytime one, nighttime two… Apparently, overtime required double compensation.

Ah, truly a violation of all rules.

As he thought about it, he suddenly wished the big-headed puppet were a real person…

That way, he could set it an unattainable performance goal, like reaching the Golden Core Realm in three days or else lose Qi-Gathering Pills. If it failed, it would have to work overtime on its own initiative, making all extra work self-driven and unrelated to him.

Then not only would he not have to pay double, he wouldn’t even need to pay single wages—just one Qi-Gathering Pill for twelve hours of work.

If it failed to meet its target, he could dock it further.

In the end, after toiling so hard for him, it might even owe him Qi-Gathering Pills.

…

Chu Liang left the big-headed puppet inside the White Tower’s space to work for him.

The thing looked odd, and it wouldn’t do for others to see it, so he decided to leave it there.

The space inside the White Tower was mysterious, still not fully understood by Chu Liang. All he knew was that, like a storage artifact, items could be kept there, but only those obtained from the White Tower could enter or leave.

Afterward, he set out for Tongtian Peak.

After completing the mission in the Southern Domain mountains, the disciples of Jade Sword Peak thought Chu Liang had suffered a loss, but in truth, he had profited greatly.

Though the Spirit Cat Leaping Talisman he used was precious, it had cost him nothing. In exchange, he acquired several packets of Hundred Flowers Powder capable of dispelling all poisons, and an incredibly practical Zhoutian puppet. It was, unquestionably, a huge gain.

Additionally, he received a reward of fifty Sword Coins.

Normally, his pay for a single mission was about ten Sword Coins, but since the others gave him all their share, he ended up with much more than usual. Never before had Chu Liang held so much money in his hands.

Suddenly wealthy, he naturally had to indulge.

He first visited the Pill Cauldron Hall, purchased a gourd of Qi-Gathering Pills—enough to sustain the big-headed puppet for some time. Then he turned left as he exited, heading to the Sword Transmission Hall.

The Sword Transmission Hall managed Shushan’s magical items and flying swords. Chu Liang entered and went straight to the area dedicated to sword sales.