“Savage Taitan! What do you think you’re doing!?” A roar filled with fury erupted over in the distance where a monstrous contraption came charging towards where Savage Taitan was.

****

A human cultivator came in riding on top of a puppet, but it was more of a mechanical beast than a puppet.

It was a heavy-set beast with two horns, similar to a rhino. Countless gears and wheels rotated and spun in dizzying ways to drive this behemoth of iron and power forward.

The cultivator himself was a skinny, practically emaciated thing of a person. His skin was pallid to the point where it was grey and his cheekbones were sunken in as if he was malnourished.

He wore the robes of the Divine Puppet Sect and apart from the puppet that he was riding on there was another one that resembled a praying mantis that stood motionless behind him.

Strangely enough, his hair was in a mess and his face had black and blue spots, as if someone or something had beaten him up.

“It’s Jixie Wudongyuzhong!”

This was the number two expert of the Divine Puppet Sect and the leader of the team this time around. He was only now arriving due to an altercation with a strange human and a demon and a horde of magical beasts and just as he returned; he came back to see Savage Taitan slaughtering one of his men.

“Do you think everyone’s afraid of your Divine Puppet Sect!? One can eat crap but can’t spew it!”

Fury was etched on Savage Taitan’s face as that expert's words insulted him. If he took it without retaliation, then he wouldn’t be Savage Taitan.

“Your demon race is filled with nothing but dogs and mongrels! You’re not even fit to carry the shoes of the Divine Puppet Sect!”

The experts of the demon race became enraged at Jixie Wudongyuzhong’s words and entered a battle-ready state as well.

“Stay yourselves!” Chen Jie yelled to keep them in check, knowing that they were no match for this expert.

However, not all of them listened. Even though he was powerful, it wasn’t like he was from a powerful great sect, so his prestige wasn’t enough to command everyone here.

Some of them charged toward the Divine Puppet Sect’s disciples, compelling the latter to attack using their puppets, and it wasn’t long before bodies began to pile up, forming a small mountain.

Most of the bodies, of course, belonged to the demon race’s side. It took more than one demon expert to overpower and destroy one puppet.

This was why puppets were so terrifying. Even if you were weak yourself, as long as the puppet you controlled was powerful enough, you can take on experts even more powerful than yourself.

“If you dare to take a headfirst strike from my Heaven Shattering Charging Rhino, then I, Jixie Wudongyuzhong will change my surname to yours!”

Savage Taitan took a good look at Jixie Wudongyuzhong’s face and, noticing the bruises asked him, “What happened to your face? I don’t have such an ugly brother!”

A vein popped up on Jixie Wudongyuzhong’s forehead, and he gnashed his teeth in anger!

Savage Taitan ignored this and circulated his blood qi. Faint runes on his body fluctuated as if they had come to life.

D-Dum!

His power exploded as he gripped his weapon. An incredible amount of bloodlust radiated from him.

Jixie Wudongyuzhong felt like a bloodthirsty beast had set its sights on him.

“If I defeat you, then you will call me father! No, wait! You’re too ugly and people may think I have poor genes! Damn you! You’re an unfilial child! How dare you be born with such an ugly face!? Come let me fix it a little!”

“Die!”

A twisted expression of rage took over Jixie Wudongyuzhong’s features as he drove his puppet towards Savage Taitan!

When was the last time he had suffered such contempt!? What was even more embarrassing was that his opponent wasn’t even from one of the ten great sects!

Savage Taitan, seeing this shot towards the Heaven Shattering Charging Rhino as well with his mighty axe in hand.

“Idiot!”

Chen Jie’s expression finally changed when he saw this while. Was this really a disciple of the Nether Immolation War Temple!?

Were they all simple muscle heads with nothing in their heads but battle!?

Jixie Wudongyuzhong on the other hand inwardly smirked at Savage Taitan’s foolishness.

‘This brute will be smashed to pieces by my beast puppet! I made this one specifically to fight against these body cultivators!’

Jixie Wudongyuzhong had fought against his fair share of demon race cultivators and he knew how terrifying the physical bodies of the truly powerful ones were.

Because of this, he created a second puppet that focused on power and little else. The materials required to build this puppet were extensive and strenuous to get ahold of, but the Divine Puppet Sect specialised in procuring these materials.

After gaining enough merits for the sect, he was able to get his hands on the items to build and wield the puppets he now had under his control.

This was the reason why he urged Savage Taitan on. If he could kill Savage Taitan here with his puppet, then there would barely be even fewer among those in the demon race who could stand up to him.

The instant Savage Taitan and the Heaven Shattering Charging Rhino were about to collide with each other, under the shocked gaze of everyone here, the former executed a deft dodge to the side, causing the rhino to only graze him!

Bang!

Even though it was only a slight graze, the power behind the charge was enough to send Savage Taitan flying!

Rumble!

He landed not far away, his body laying listless there and unmoving.

“I-Is he dea-”

“Moan…”

A guttural moan escaped the immobile body until the movement of its arms removed this status.

On shaky legs, slowly but surely, Savage Taitan stood up, and the scene presented caused everyone to suck in a cold breath of air.

A glaring wound was present on his chest. It was its severity that caused everyone to react the way they did.

A huge portion of his chest was dug out, giving everyone a clear view of his chest plate not excluding his sternum and rib cage.

Even his beating heart was in full view.

“Grkh!” Savage Taitan fell to his knee as cold sweat washed him. This manoeuvre of his was beyond risky!

Jixie Wudongyuzhong commanded his puppet to turn around and face this titanic demon once more.

“Hmph! You truly thought yourself a worthy enough challenge!? You overestimate yourself!

Savage Taitan lifted his head, but his wild unkempt hair shielded his face from view.

Laboured breathing filled the air as Savage Taitan’s body began to wobble.

Chen Jie slightly frowned in the face of this as he watched how easily the number one expert of one of the ten great sects was able to reduce the normally fearless Savage Taitan to… this.

Inversely, Jixie Wudongyuzhong was elated at Savage Taitan’s current state.

“Do you regret it now!? Know yourself dog!” Jixie Wudongyuzhong sneered.

The shaking of Savage Taitan’s body increased as a faint muffled sound came from him.

“Reciting your last words?” he asked.

“Ha…” Savage Taitan’s body spasmed at Jixie Wudongyuzhong’s question.

“What are you saying? Speak louder!” Jixie Wudongyuzhong yelled at the seemingly broken demon. As far as he was concerned, this fight was over.

“Haha… hahaahahaha… hahahahahaahahhhhaa!” A peal of raucous laughter erupted as Savage Taitan lifted his head to the heavens cackling away.

Upon seeing this, Jixie Wudongyuzhong scoffed at Savage Taitan, believing he had lost his mind.

He raised his hands with unusual finger movements compelling his puppets to cut down this nuisance.

D-D-D-Dum!

A series of detonations went off as nine cauldrons broke out into existence behind the laughing madman.

Two of them housed a core marking him as a two-core martial adept.

The runes that covered him began to glow red, starting from the gaping chest wound! As the glow spread, the cauldrons shuddered as Savage Taitan’s aura spiked.

Instantly, a feeling of danger welled up in Jixie Wudongyuzhong’s heart, so he refused to waste any more time.

D-Du-D-D-Du-Dum!

He summoned his own cauldrons, calling upon his two-core martial adept strength and after a quick succession of hand signs, the praying mantis puppet behind him crackled to life.

Schwing!

The bladed appendages it sported rang through the air as they flashed with a dangerous glint.

Bam!

Savage Taitan shot towards Jixie Wudongyuzhong with a powerful charge, and the praying mantis with its insane speed took the lead!

Boom!

A powerful shockwave rippled from the point of impact that blew everyone away. Only those on the level of Chen Jie were able to keep their footing in the midst of the turbulence.

It took more than a while for calm to descend upon the now-ruined plains. Once the dust cleared up, not just the demons and humans, but even the other races who gathered here were surprised by the scene before them.

Savage Taitan and Jixie Wudongyuzhong never touched. Instead, what stood between them was a handsome tri-horned demon with a smile on his face.

His body was silver in both colour and hue. It was obvious this wasn’t his natural colour, but was the result of some sort of cultivation technique.

Nine orange cauldrons spun behind him quietly their pressure surging forth with every rotation.

His hand held Savage Taitan’s axe with cracks spreading from the section his grip clamped down on.

There were few people in the world who Savage Taitan paid heed to and even fewer whom he acknowledged. The demon before him was one of the exceedingly rare few that he more than acknowledged.

“Y-You’re here…” was all that Savage Taitan managed to say.

The demon didn’t respond to this save for the smile he wore. His other hand was used to shield against the blades of the praying mantis puppet.

The spot was certainly cut by the praying mantis puppet, but only two white marks were all the blades inflicted, not even properly breaking the skin.

“Young master Jixie Wudongyuzhong is indeed merciful to reign his attack in at the last moment,” the new arrival said with that same smile.

Jixie Wudongyuzhong’s eyes narrowed in the face of this demon. The latter’s smiling face didn’t put him at ease in the slightest. In fact, it caused him to put his guard up even more.

This was the Iron Body Forge Sect’s number one expert Full Metal Er Jinshu.