Although the azure-robed prodigy still had some trump cards hidden away, faced with over a hundred black-armored puppets at the Nascent Soul level—plus Fang Hao, who watched him intently with unpredictable depth—he had no absolute confidence in winning. Besides, seeing no clear benefit to sticking around, he deemed it a waste to use up any precious last resorts here. So he decisively chose to give up and left. After his departure, only Fang Hao and the horde of murderous black-armored puppets remained in the spacious chamber. By rough count, there were at least a hundred such puppets. Even though Fang Hao's physical body was comparable to a body cultivator at the Nascent Soul level and unaffected by the anti-magic formation, it was still a case of two fists being no match for so many opponents. Fang Hao pulled out a simple, ancient yellow bell and enveloped himself in its protective aura to fend off the incoming attacks. This bell was a damaged Saint-grade weapon. Its power had fallen below a tenth of its original strength; otherwise, a cultivator at the Manifestation Realm like Fang Hao wouldn't have been able to activate it. Even in its broken state, it was forged from Saint Gold and remained incredibly durable—more than capable of defending against blows for a while. Earlier, among the thirty-odd young prodigies, many likely had similar treasures. Unfortunately, with their true essence sealed, even if they had pulled out such artifacts, they wouldn't have been able to use them. Had Fang Hao borne them any grudges—or been less wary of drawing unnecessary trouble—he could've intervened and wiped out most of them. But that would've led to complications. That's precisely why he held back. Only the azure-robed prodigy in the end—he had no choice but to offend. "Clang, clang, clang!!" The attacks of the black-armored puppets were blocked entirely by the yellow bell, while Fang Hao's counterattacks struck solidly. He forcefully knocked the puppets back, carving out a path through their ranks. Just like that, Fang Hao advanced toward the central hall with the yellow bell shielding him. He reached out his hand; a massive dark palm materialized above the altar and snatched up an unassuming box. Seeing no further abnormalities, Fang Hao finally relaxed. He brought the box over and opened it directly. There weren't many items inside—just three: a jade talisman, a storage ring, and a jade slip. Fang Hao first examined the jade slip—and his eyes instantly lit up. "With this jade talisman, I can refine and control these puppets? I didn't expect this! What an incredible bonus!" Fang Hao had previously brought back similar puppets to the Tianyuan Realm and auctioned them off for a handsome price. And those had only been at the Manifestation Realm! These were Nascent Soul level puppets—if sold, the price would skyrocket. Even if he didn't sell them, they'd still be immensely valuable for the Fang family. After all, Nascent Soul puppets were formidable enough to rampage across the Great Qian Dynasty without fear. Fang Hao didn't hesitate. Following the method recorded in the jade slip, he refined the jade talisman—instantly taking full control of the puppets. With a casual wave of his hand, the surrounding black-armored puppets froze on the spot, all motionless like drained machines. With another flick of his sleeve, he stored them into the storage ring. Inside the ring were more than just the puppets. There were: The puppet refinement methods, A legacy inheritance, Spiritual stones, martial techniques, Materials for crafting puppets… And most precious of all—a Saint-level puppet clad in golden armor! Although the golden-armored puppet was of the True Saint Realm, its mastery over laws was somewhat flawed—meaning it was still slightly weaker than most cultivators of that level. However, beneath the True Saint Realm, 99% of cultivators were no match for it. Only those peerless prodigies with extraordinarily powerful physiques might stand a chance against it at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. "This is a real treasure!" Fang Hao was overjoyed. This was exactly what he needed at the moment. After all, his Manifestation-level cultivation was somewhat inadequate in this place. If he were surrounded by several Nascent Soul prodigies, he'd have to burn through his trump cards just to escape. And if that happened, how could he fight for treasures and opportunities? Fang Hao immediately refined the golden-armored puppet and claimed it as his own. Then, pointing to four side halls lining the main temple, he gave an order: "Tear down those four annexes." The golden-armored puppet threw out four punches—shattering all four side halls. They were completely empty. With their destruction, the space's binding formation and anti-magic array also collapsed and disintegrated. Fang Hao was sorely disappointed. "So the side halls were just there to support the array formations. Not even as valuable as the lofts earlier…" Worried that the prodigies who had left earlier might double back and lay in ambush, Fang Hao didn't dare linger. He had the golden puppet escort him underground and tunnel away. Only after traveling over a thousand miles did he return to the surface. In the days that followed, with the golden-armored puppet by his side, Fang Hao became unstoppable in the small world. Even though only Nascent Soul cultivators were still active in the realm, with the power of a near–True Saint puppet backing him, Fang Hao could trample all but the most monstrously gifted of them. And even if he did meet one of those rare monsters, the golden-armored puppet could still escort him to safety. Still, despite this mighty helper, Fang Hao—disciple of Fang Chu—remained low-key and steady in his actions. He traveled and treasure-hunted alone. When he encountered danger, he first scoped out the surroundings before calling forth the puppet to clear the field. The source of thɪs content is novelFɪre.net Put simply: he hid his strength and bided his time. This strategy earned him massive gains. In just over a year, he broke through again—reaching the sixth stage of the Manifestation Realm. Not long after this breakthrough, while treasure-hunting, he ran into an old acquaintance: the azure-robed prodigy from the puppet ruins. The man hadn't expected to run into Fang Hao and was instantly delighted. "So you're still alive? Good! Let's settle our score today!" He stood tall, robes fluttering, emanating the powerful aura of a fourth-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. His pressure came crashing down like a mountain range. Fang Hao was forced to retreat step by step—he was clearly no match in terms of raw cultivation, even if he fully activated his Sacred Physique and forcefully boosted his level with secret arts. The azure-robed prodigy looked down at him with icy disdain. "Kneel now and beg, and I'll grant you a swift death." Fang Hao merely grinned. The gap was too wide to bother struggling. So he simply raised his hand. A towering figure appeared beside him—clad in gold armor, holding a massive golden blade, radiating killing intent. The moment it appeared, the azure-robed prodigy froze. Something was very wrong. This aura… this pressure… this was clearly not at the Nascent Soul level! "What?! Impossible!!" He recognized the puppet. It was like the black-armored ones from the ruins—but far stronger. But how could this be? Where had it come from? How had Fang Hao gained control over it?? Fang Hao didn't bother explaining. He just gave a flat command: The azure-robed prodigy shuddered violently. Eyes filled with disbelief, he hurriedly took out a teleportation talisman to flee. The gap in strength was too great. The golden-armored puppet swung once. The prodigy didn't even have time to activate the talisman—he was cleaved in half. He never dreamed he would die . Fang Hao calmly collected the body, turned, and left—efficient and silent, wasting no words. This kind of thing had become routine for him. Whenever he accumulated enough loot, Fang Hao would find a secure place and return to the Fang family through the dual-passage gate. There, he would sort through his spoils: Keep what was useful, Sell the rest at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, And hand anything especially valuable directly to Fang Ting. These prodigies were all extravagantly wealthy, so Fang Hao had amassed a tremendous fortune—and greatly benefited the Fang family. He now waited eagerly for the next major auction at Myriad Treasures Pavilion—another windfall in the making. Even if this trip through the small world ended without him making the top ten or earning a spot in the Ancient Battlefield… He had already gained more than enough.