Chapter 70: Possessing Form, Yet Lacking Spirit

Tang Ao remained silent for a long time. Finally, he drew a deep breath and waved his hand, signaling all his disciples to withdraw.

“Honored guest, please come inside for tea.” His tone had lost its former force; now it carried a trace of hoarseness and resignation.

The guest hall of Lingyun Pavilion was steeped in ancient elegance. Tang Ling personally brewed for us a pot of the finest Mengding Ganlu tea.

“Mr. Jiang,” Tang Ao composed himself and spoke in a deep voice, “I admit your strength far surpasses anything I could have imagined. If you were truly determined to seize it, perhaps the Tang Clan could not withstand you. But the Thousand Mechanism Casket is of immense significance to us. Even if it costs us the life of every clansman, we would never let you take it so easily.”

“You misunderstand, Clan Master Tang.” I lifted my cup, gently blowing away the steam. “I have never forced anyone. I said it would be an exchange. A fair exchange.”

“Fair?” Tang Ao’s face twisted with a bitter self-mockery. “Forgive my lack of perception, but I cannot see what the Tang Clan could possibly offer to someone of your caliber in a fair trade.”

“There is something.” I set the cup down, meeting his gaze. “For example, the lost ‘Soul’ of the Tang Clan.”

“What?!”

Tang Ao shot to his feet, his face displaying a shock far greater than when he had felt my oppressive aura moments before—he even lost his composure.

“You… how could you know…” For the past year, my powerful Nascent Soul had ceaselessly investigated; I could say I was familiar with every secret of the Tang Clan.

“I know far more than you imagine,” I said calmly. “I know that today’s Tang Clan, for all its outward glory and unrivaled mastery of mechanical arts, produces only intricate ‘dead things.’ You have lost the most crucial element—how to infuse your creations with a trace of ‘spirit,’ or, in other words, a ‘soul.’”

Each word struck Tang Ao’s heart like a heavy hammer.

“Today’s Tang Clan has the form, but not the essence.” I pronounced my final verdict.

Tang Ao slumped into his seat, his eyes full of struggle and pain. For generations, this had been the greatest agony and the utmost secret of every Tang Clan master. He could not fathom how this mysterious man before him had so easily seen through it all.

“It’s true…” he admitted with difficulty. “Since my great-grandfather’s time, the Tang Clan’s core mechanical manual, the Divine Mechanism Codex, has been incomplete. We can only imitate our ancestors’ blueprints, but never again have we crafted those legendary spirit beasts—mechanical constructs able to seek out enemies on their own, even possessing simple awareness. Even the Thousand Mechanism Casket has eluded us for centuries—we have never managed to open it.”

He looked at me, hope flickering in his eyes. “Sir, do you mean…”

“I can restore the Divine Mechanism Codex for you,” I said, calmly revealing my trump card. “Not only can I complete it, I can show you how to surpass it. All I want is the Thousand Mechanism Casket itself. As for its contents, I will not take a single thing—they may all remain with the Tang Clan.”

To the Tang Clan, this was not a temptation, but a blessing.

To exchange a box they could not even open for the restoration and advancement of their entire lineage—what greater fortune could there be?

Tang Ao’s breathing quickened. He stared at me intently, searching my face for the slightest trace of falsehood.

But all he found was unfathomable calm.

“How can I trust you?” he finally asked.

“It’s simple.”

I extended my hand to Tang Ling. “Lend me the ‘Flying Locust Stone’ at your waist.”

Tang Ling hesitated for a moment, but then she removed a pouch filled with tiny iron pellets from her waist and handed it to me.

I took one and placed it in my palm.

Then, under the stunned gazes of Tang Ao and Tang Ling, I closed my eyes. A sliver of my Nascent Soul’s power, fused with the artifact-forging laws I had gleaned from the legacy of Penglai—far surpassing the Divine Mechanism Codex—slowly flowed into the unremarkable iron pellet.

The whole process took less than ten breaths.

I opened my eyes and placed the pellet on the table.

“Now, try attacking it with your inner force,” I said to Tang Ao.

He eyed me with suspicion, then extended a finger, channeling a sharp burst of energy toward the pellet.

Just as his fingertip was about to touch it—

Buzz!

The little iron pellet floated up of its own accord, a sheen of light glimmering across its surface. Then, in a flash, it dodged Tang Ao’s strike with agility far exceeding his own, hovering in midair.

It was as if it had… come alive!

“This… how is this possible!” Tang Ao cried out, leaping from his chair, eyes riveted on the floating Flying Locust Stone, his expression wild with disbelief and awe.

This was the highest realm described in the remnants of the Divine Mechanism Codex—the Tang Clan’s ultimate art: “Spirit Infusion.”

To bestow lifeless objects with spirit, granting them the ability to evade, seek out targets, even protect their master—this was the dream of generations: his, his father’s, his grandfather’s. Yet it had always remained out of reach.

And now, this legend had come true before his very eyes. An outsider, with a single ordinary Flying Locust Stone, had achieved in ten breaths what the Tang Clan had failed to accomplish in centuries.

He reached out, trembling, to touch the pellet.

It dodged him nimbly, always keeping three inches from his fingertip, no matter how he moved.

“It… it’s avoiding me…” Tang Ao’s voice trembled.

“It recognizes only me as its master now,” I explained calmly. “I inscribed in it only the simplest commands—to protect its master and evade attacks. If I wished, I could even order it to attack you.”

As I spoke, the pellet instantly spun around, its tip aimed at Tang Ao’s forehead, a faint but unmistakable killing intent radiating from it.

Tang Ao froze, sensing that if he made the slightest move, the tiny pellet would unerringly pierce his skull.

“Return.”

With a thought, the killing intent vanished, and the pellet obediently flew back to my palm, resuming its ordinary appearance.

The hall was so quiet, one could hear a pin drop.

Tang Ao and Tang Ling stared at the pellet in my hand as if witnessing a miracle. Their gaze toward me had utterly transformed.

No longer did they look at me with fear or helplessness in the face of a powerful foe. Rather, it was the awe and reverence one feels before a sage who holds the highest truths.

“Now, do you believe I can restore the Divine Mechanism Codex?” I asked.

“I believe! I believe!” All doubt vanished from Tang Ao’s face. He straightened his robes, and with great solemnity, bowed deeply to me in the most ancient and respectful of ceremonies.

“Tang Ao, the forty-seventh master of the Tang Clan, pays homage to Master Jiang! Please accept my obeisance!”

“As a wayward descendant of the Tang Clan, I humbly beg Master… to restore the soul of our legacy!”

His voice shook with emotion, pleading, and even a hint of tears.

I accepted his bow unflinchingly.

For what I was about to impart to him was worthy of any ceremony.

“Please rise, Clan Master Tang.” I made a gesture of support. “An exchange is an exchange. I will teach you the complete Divine Mechanism Codex; you will hand over the Thousand Mechanism Casket. Nothing owed between us.”

“No!” Tang Ao straightened, his gaze resolute. “Master, this is a kindness beyond measure. If you do not object, from this day forth, the Tang Clan would serve as your honored guest-elder for all time, obeying your commands without fail!”

He was wise. He understood that, compared to restoring their legacy, forging a bond with someone as unfathomable as myself was of even greater significance for the Tang Clan’s future.

I pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Very well.”

Upon my agreement, Tang Ao was overjoyed. He turned at once to Tang Ling. “Ling’er, hurry to the forbidden vault and bring out the Thousand Mechanism Casket!”

“Yes, Father!” Tang Ling, her face alight with joy, hurried away.

Soon, she returned, carrying with utmost care a box crafted from millennium-old agalloch wood. She opened it, revealing a square cube about a foot on each side, forged from some unknown metal. Its surface was a dark gold, covered with countless intricate patterns and tiny holes that could make one dizzy to behold. This was indeed the vessel for the third spirit stone—the Thousand Mechanism Casket.

I reached out and drew it into my hand.

It was cold to the touch. Probing it with my spiritual sense, I immediately felt the familiar, vast energy of the spirit stone within.

“Good.” I nodded, satisfied.

The exchange was complete.

Turning to Tang Ao, I said, “Prepare a quiet chamber, and summon all the clan’s elders in the mechanical arts. I will spend three days explaining to you the true mysteries of the Divine Mechanism Codex.”

“Yes, Master!” Tang Ao responded, overcome with excitement.