Hidden Moth

Chapter 632 368: Art of Danqing—Painting Bones and Skin (Part 3)

The drawbacks of the painting technique are twofold: first, the difficulty in crafting it is equally high; second, it is a one-time consumable spell, with each use depleting a painted piece.He Kao asked with some confusion, "The Skin Painting Technique, did Mr. Pu, who wrote 'Liao Zhai', happen to witness this technique, which led him to write it into his story?"

Li Xiuyuan laughed heartily, "You've got it the wrong way around. It was that ancestor who read the skin painting story in 'Liao Zhai' and was inspired to refine the Puppet Body Technique, thus creating the Skin Painting Technique."

He Kao: "I see you often sketch on the streets and enjoy painting. Do you also plan to dual cultivate the Skin Painting Technique?"

Li Xiuyuan surprisingly did not deny it but nodded, "Of course, I want to study it. One must have hobbies. In my youth, I was fond of alchemy; now, I am fond of the arts."

He Kao: "Such a fascinating technique, why have I never seen it in person?"

Li Xiuyuan glanced at him, "When your cultivation was shallow back then, even if you saw it, you might not have recognized it. Besides, there's hardly any chance to see it; no one would casually use the Skin Painting Technique, as it's a one-time consumable..."

Since he had already started asking, He Kao naturally wanted to ask thoroughly, "Isn't there a painting that can be used multiple times?"

Li Xiuyuan: "In theory, there is, but it requires a Tier Seven cultivation to create it, and each use requires recasting and imbuing it with spirit."

He Kao: "Is Elder Kang proficient in the Skin Painting Technique?"

Li Xiuyuan: "He's a Tier Six Artifact Master for many years now, with ample time to ponder the technique. If he's not proficient, then no one in the Micro Realm Sect today would dare claim proficiency."

He Kao: "The Skin Painting Technique only emerged three hundred years ago; didn't the ancestors a millennium ago create a similar technique? It seems improbable not to have!"

Li Xiuyuan suddenly raised his hand and tapped He Kao's forehead, startling him to float several feet back, not scared by the action but by something else.

Elder Li imparted him a Divine Thought Heart Seal, and the content was surprising. He Kao just wanted to learn a similar technique, yet Li Xiuyuan straightforwardly taught it all to him, like passing on the alchemy inheritance he received before.

The Magic Sect Disciples engage in various trades in the secular world. In the past, one such trade was the Paper Mache Craftsman, using bamboo for bones and paper for skin, crafting apparitions of golden boys and jade girls, livestock houses, etc., part of the funeral industry.

Another trade was the Lantern Craftsman, essentially the same craft, able to make various palace lanterns, flower lanterns, fish basket lanterns, and zodiac lanterns, with the main difference being that candles can be lit inside the lanterns.

In ancient times, many Micro Realm Sect Disciples ran paper mache businesses, cultivating the Puppet Body Technique with paper figures, which seemed quite eerie, more like ghosts than real people.

The more skilled the artisan, the more realistic the paper figures, requiring skills in painting. But the more lifelike the paper puppets, the more eerie they feel, something that the keen-eyed could easily discern.

Three hundred years ago, that ancestor of the Micro Realm Sect improved this Puppet Body Technique, not using tangible paper puppets, but using a painting as a carrier, thus creating the Skin Painting Technique.

But besides the Illusory Body Technique and Puppet Body Technique, over the millennia, there was another forbidden technique—the Vassal Body Technique.

The paper figures are fake, with bamboo for bones and paper for skin, hence they don't deceive reality. But what if real materials were used? Human bones for bones, human skin for skin, then what?

This reminded He Kao of a terrifying story—the Human Skin Lantern.

In ancient times, some had "improved" the Puppet Body Technique, crafting puppets with human furnaces, combining secret techniques of the Alchemy Sect and Observing Body Sect, thus creating the Vassal Body Technique.

The Vassal Body Technique has two branches. One inclined towards the Alchemy Sect is somewhat like the legendary zombies, having combat strength and even serving as weapons, but their puppet features are quite evident.

The other inclined towards the Observing Body Sect, where the marvel lies in no visible flaws, even having breath, heartbeat, and body temperature, appearing indistinguishable from a living person, yet in truth, it's a controlled puppet.

The reason for its prohibition is simple: the materials for crafting a Vassal Body are human, and the fresher, the better...

He Kao exclaimed in shock, "There's actually such a sinister technique!"

Li Xiuyuan let out a cold chuckle, "The Magic Sect prohibits its teaching and cultivation. If anyone is found practicing the Vassal Body Technique, they are to be executed without mercy! Kid, are you scared?"

He Kao: "Why teach me a forbidden sinister technique?"

The Divine Thought Heart Seal imparted by Li Xiuyuan contained more than a simple introduction, but also relevant magical principles. If He Kao explores related secret techniques with his cultivation, theoretically, he could master them.

Li Xiuyuan explained, "This is a secret only the Sect Law Hall Elders can comprehend. We merely seek understanding, but must never cultivate it. If you do not comprehend its principles, you won't know how to respond when you encounter it in the future."

He Kao: "Have you seen it, old master?"

Li Xiuyuan shook his head, "I haven't. Such sinister techniques have long been banned by the Magic Sect. Crafting a Vassal Body requires at least Tier Five cultivation in either Alchemy Cauldron Skill or Observing Body Skill. Such experts among loose cultivators are rare."

He Kao: "Is there such a person in the Xiao Alliance?"

Li Xiuyuan: "Not long ago, Elder Kang and Elder Ye went on a covert investigation in North America, without discovering anything related. If you uncover something in the future, ensure it's not let off easily!"

He Kao wanted to ask more questions but suddenly exclaimed, "When did you switch to your true form?"

Li Xiuyuan laughed heartily, "You just realized? It was the moment I poked you just now, startling you and I seized the chance to retract the Illusory Body."

Your cultivation has increased, but you still need to hone your skills! The finesse of my Illusory Body Technique lies in the seamless blend of reality and illusion!"

Li Xiuyuan's true form emerged from beneath the Dragon Scale Slope! By cloaking his presence with illusions drawn from the real background, He Kao, who was distracted and unexpectant, failed to notice.

Li Xiuyuan took the opportunity to reach the Illusory Body's position, smoothly retracting the Illusory Body to reveal the true form.

He was teasing He Kao today, but in a different scenario, like during magical combat, the opponent might think they're facing an illusion, only for it to become real at an unexpected moment—what does that mean?

Li Xiuyuan was obviously using this opportunity to warn He Kao not to get too cocky even if his cultivation advances.

**

(PS: Double-length chapter, guess how many Vassal Bodies He Kao will encounter in the future?)