After Faceless fused with the body of the Puppet God, he still needed to remain in the puppet graveyard for a long time. This different space invisibly protected his body. If such a powerful divine frame appeared in the outside world, it could trigger heavenly tribulation at any moment.
No matter how mighty the Puppet God frame was, enduring uninterrupted heavenly tribulation attacks would likely cause severe damage.
Ye Chui learned some details from Faceless God about events at the birth of the puppet graveyard.
Five thousand years ago, shortly after Faceless and the devil perished together, sealed in the puppet graveyard, the gods and devils worshipped by the Church, in order to fully control this world, established forbidden rules. Anyone whose strength reached a certain realm would face heavenly tribulation and annihilation. The boundary was sword saint and saint magus.
At that time, the Puppet God’s divine frame was truly formidable. Even within the different space, it still suffered rule attacks. However, the Puppet God frame was the culmination of many great gods’ powers from the Gods race. It possessed extremely strong defensive mechanisms designed to resist heavenly tribulation. The giant power within the Puppet God frame activated, making the divine frame enormously huge. This dispersed the immense power contained within, thus preventing terrifying thunder tribulation from descending upon the puppet graveyard.
The Eternal Heart, as the power source of the Puppet God frame, was the strongest part of this body. To avoid triggering heavenly tribulation, it was rejected from the body, forming the Eternal Volcano.
“I have now fully mastered this frame. I can restore it to normal size at any time, but that remains too dangerous. The heavenly tribulation triggered in that state would be extremely powerful. For now, it is better to maintain this current form,” Faceless’s illusory projection said to Ye Chui as his group prepared to leave the puppet graveyard. “However, if you need me, you can summon my power at any time. Though appearing outside would subject me to heavenly tribulation attacks, I can hold out for a period.”
The giant frame of the Puppet God still contained power reaching sword saint level, but this level was insufficient to draw heavenly tribulation into the puppet graveyard. Yet if the giant puppet appeared on the Castro continent, it would still summon thunder descent.
“Yes, I know. My magic book can summon you,” Ye Chui said with a smile. In his mind, he already imagined the scene during battle: summoning a terrifying palm descending from the sky. It was exactly like the Tathagata Divine Palm in films.
He really wanted to try it soon.
Finally, he glanced once more at the black earth of the puppet graveyard. In the distance, some puppet little people gathered. They watched here in fear and trepidation. These were the little people from the waist tribes. Previously absorbed by the devil into the land angel’s body, when Ye Chui defeated the land angel, some puppet little people escaped again. This foolish race now held god-like reverence for Ye Chui and his group.
As Ye Chui’s party left, the old puppet master and his eternal puppets, who had stayed to guard the Eternal Heart, now that everything was settled, naturally followed Ye Chui. Only Faceless remained in this lonely, dark world, though for him it was not lonely.
“Perhaps I can try taming them,” Faceless had once said with a smile.
Though these puppet little people were quite stupid, each possessed a puppet body and swift speed. If turned into warriors, they would certainly have considerable combat strength.
“Then, let us leave,” Ye Chui said to his companions.
Faceless waved his hand, and a passage out of the puppet graveyard appeared before everyone.
The puppet graveyard itself formed from the explosion of Faceless’s divine power, so he had strong control over it. The power he granted to ancestors and witches came from this control. Opening a passage was effortless.
At this time, the outside world was early morning. The puppet army and Mad Dragon Academy city guards tensely guarded outside the Ancestral Temple. Worry filled every face, especially Sheras. He had not slept for three days. Fatigue covered his features. Just now, his younger son had urged him to rest, but after lying down for mere minutes, he got up again.
With the empire in great chaos, how could he sleep?
Sheras opened his weary eyes wide. In the morning light, he looked towards the Apex Palace, fists clenched tightly. Faint dragon shapes flickered around him.
“That rebellious son!” he muttered coldly.
The rebellious son was his eldest, Dallas.
Days ago on the street, when Ye Chui disguised as Archbishop Siss was about to kill the Emperor, Sheras arrived to stop it. Dallas stood beside him. Unexpectedly, to pledge loyalty to Archbishop Siss, Dallas directly ambushed Sheras. In the end, Ye Chui saved him.
His own son attempting patricide filled Sheras with anger and desolation.
Dallas fled then. For days, no trace. Until last night, Dallas suddenly allied with remaining Church believers and launched an assault, besieging the Apex Palace.
The Church had over a thousand believers in the Tidal capital, originally missionary pirate group members. After Siss vanished, due to Ye Chui’s disguised framing, capital citizens erupted in frenzied attacks on believers. These days, remaining believers hid everywhere. They were fanatically loyal to their gods, greatly disrupting capital security.
In over a month of Church presence in the Tidal Empire, they had recruited many followers. The Church was adept at bewitching minds, otherwise it could not have controlled the entire Castro continent for five thousand years. Now those ignorant followers, incited by remnants, guarded Apex Palace surrounds in near-suicidal fashion: ordinary powerless civilians granted evil power by believers, allowing short-term life-burning transformation into mad beasts for attack.
After a night of standoff, city guards and puppet army failed to eliminate them completely.
“Is the Tidal Empire truly doomed this time?” Sheras sighed, watching the rising red sun. Thinking of Ye Chui’s group, anger flashed in his eyes. “It is because of these people, because of their arrival that the Tidal Empire has fallen into calamity!”
Sheras was no fool. Though somewhat reckless and impulsive, reflecting these past days, he quickly realised the Archbishop Siss who killed the Emperor on the street was Ye Chui in disguise.
Words from witch attendants confirmed this guess, as days earlier, the real Archbishop Siss had been captured by Ye Chui and imprisoned in the Ancestral Temple. chapter_content();
However, the truth was known only to a few. Tidal citizens now hated the Church. Rashly revealing it would likely worsen chaos.
As Sheras brooded, a puppet master’s loud cry interrupted his thoughts. He turned quickly. The puppet master shouted in joy, “Teacher Fazer is back. It is Teacher Fazer.” His voice changed. “And Ye Chui!”
The Ancestral Temple had become flat ground. Amid dazzling white light, a spatial passage opened. Ye Chui, Fazer, and others emerged one by one, followed by over a hundred oddly shaped puppets. These puppets differed vastly from Tidal ones, appearing more refined and lifelike.
These were actually living puppets.
After initial shock, Mad Dragon Academy and puppet army prepared for battle, warily watching the group. Sheras immediately spotted Fiorre in the centre, easing his heart somewhat. Fiorre was not dead.
With the Emperor dead and Empress likely so, only Fiorre with Witch clan blood inheritance could quell internal chaos.
As current Witch clan leader and a man, Fiorre was perfect to succeed as new Emperor.
But…
“Something seems off?” Fiorre now wore male attire, hair tied in male style. Though always known for feminine features, looking like a girl, were certain traits this obvious?
“Teacher Fazer, are you alright?” the puppet master said excitedly, approaching while eyeing Ye Chui’s group cautiously.
“Yes, I am fine,” Fazer said calmly. These days had been stifling, so he intended to display his authority fully. Eyes coldly sweeping surroundings, he said gravely, “What are you doing? All of you, put away your weapons!”
Clatter.
Fazer’s authority was immense. All puppet troops uniformly sheathed weapons.
“Laigen,” Fazer turned to the puppet master. “What has happened in the empire these days?”
“Teacher Fazer, we failed in our duties. Remaining believer remnants now control the Apex Palace. We attacked multiple times but could not annihilate them. Many citizens were implicated,” the puppet master named Laigen said fearfully, bowing deeply. He prepared for scolding.
Everyone knew Teacher Fazer was extremely strict with subordinates.
“Those believer remnants are indeed causing trouble. Well, you have worked hard,” Fazer said calmly, even patting Laigen’s shoulder lightly.
Laigen shuddered violently, nearly kneeling. How could this gentle speaker be Teacher Fazer?
Perhaps Teacher Fazer meant the opposite?
“Please punish us severely. We were truly useless and shamed you,” he said quickly.
“How could you shame me? You are all my good students. Heh heh, though sometimes a bit naughty, I know you try hard. It is fine, it is fine. Now that we are back, the Apex Palace matter will be easily resolved,” Fazer said cheerfully.
“Te, teacher…” Laigen’s legs buckled. He knelt directly. “Teacher, please punish me. I will accept without complaint!”
“You child, are your ears deaf? Why kneel? Get up quickly,” Fazer said, pulling him.
Yet Laigen clung to the ground, refusing to rise. Other puppet masters now knelt in terror, trembling.
Fazer looked helpless, hands on hips, face stern. “All get up. If you do not, I will really get angry!”
The puppet masters: “”
This, this was absolutely not their Teacher Fazer.
How could their Teacher Fazer be this gentle?
Ye Chui’s group nearby could hardly watch. Kerrygan, in hooded robe concealing identity, whispered, “Fazer usually seems unapproachable. No wonder these people fear him so.”
“It is all the power of love,” Debbie said, arms folded, poking Ye Chui’s chest and winking playfully. An old man in love is so gentle.
At this moment, Sheras suddenly approached Ye Chui. His rugged body trembled slightly. Coldly, he said, “What exactly have you done?”
Give us back our cruel, merciless, unsmiling, overwhelmingly powerful Teacher Fazer!!
