Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 93 Seeking a Way for Old Servants—The Secret of the Creation Lotus and the Physical Body

In the study of the Deep Water Bay villa, the light was soft. Lin Yan sat alone on the sofa, his thoughts drifting to the earliest figures who had followed him—Lin Yi, Lin Er, Lin Gang, and Wang Yuling.

Unlike the Golden Core puppets that were unlocked later and crafted by real cultivators, Lin Yi and his companions were the most basic puppets, crafted by the ancestor using special materials and imbued with sentience. Although their strength was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, they were his most capable assistants, accompanying him through the initial difficult stages. They had long since transcended being mere tools and developed a bond like that of partners.

"The puppets at the Golden Core stage can cultivate on their own, so their future is promising. But Lin Yi and the others... are they destined to remain at the Foundation Establishment level forever?" Lin Yan frowned slightly. He wasn't one to fickle over new things; if he had the ability, he would naturally want to continue the path of evolution for these old subordinates as well.

With a thought, he summoned Lin Er through his divine sense.

"Young Master, you wanted to see me?" Lin Er arrived quickly and stood respectfully to the side.

"Sit down, Lin Er." Lin Yan gestured to the sofa opposite him, his tone calm. "I have a question for you. You... well, I mean, the puppets who initially followed me, like you and Lin Yi, what exactly is your physical structure? Do you have your own inherited memories? In the future, is it possible for you to increase your strength, or even... like those later Golden Core puppets, possess a true human body and be able to cultivate autonomously?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Er was slightly taken aback, and then a complex emotion flashed in his eyes—gratitude and a faint hope. He hadn't expected that his young master, so busy with affairs of state, would still be thinking so deeply about the future of them, his "creations."

He pondered for a moment, organized his thoughts, and answered truthfully, "Young Master, our bodies are indeed different from our later Golden Core colleagues. They are not made of flesh and blood, but were formed by our old master using supreme divine power, taking 'Five Elements Spiritual Mud' to shape them, fusing 'Hundred Refined Star Iron' to forge their bones, and then nurturing them in a spiritual vein with the 'Nine Nether Soul Gathering Array' as the core. After a long period of time, by chance, a unique wisp of intelligence was born."

He paused, then continued, "We possess the basic operational logic and some inherited knowledge bestowed upon us by our old master, but we lack a complete cultivation technique. To improve our strength, the primary condition is that you, young master, must master the profound 'Puppet Creation Technique,' understand our core array patterns and structural principles, and then find higher-grade spiritual materials to recast our bodies and upgrade our core array, thus breaking through our current limitations."

Lin Yan tapped his fingers lightly on the sofa armrest: "Materials aren't a problem; the Wanyan Mountains have everything. I can also learn puppetry. But... what about the physical body? Is there a way to free you from these puppet bodies and give you a physical body that can cultivate and grow on its own like a normal person?"

Upon hearing this question, Lin Er's body seemed to tremble almost imperceptibly. He remained silent for a long while, as if searching for the vast and complex legacy information left behind by his ancestor, buried deep within the core of his being.

After a long silence, he raised his head, his eyes gleaming with disbelief, his voice tinged with excitement and awe: "Young Master... we are deeply grateful for your kindness. Deep within our inherited memories, there is indeed a vague record concerning a near-legendary innate spiritual root, which may be able to resolve the predicament of our physical body!"

"Oh? What is it?" Lin Yan sat up straight.

"Its name—'Nine Apertures Heavenly Lotus'!" Lin Er's voice carried a solemnity akin to reciting an ancient proverb. "This lotus is no ordinary species. It is a supreme sacred object born from a wisp of primordial creation energy that fell into the endless void at the dawn of the world. By chance, it absorbed the chaotic energy and the essence of stars, and only after countless years could it be nurtured!"

He described it in detail: "This lotus is entirely a chaotic azure, with nine petals, subtly embodying the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. Its leaves are as large as canopies, and their veins are not ordinary patterns, but rather naturally formed, incomparably profound Dao runes, capable of gathering the spiritual energy of the universe and transforming it into chaotic essence. Within its lotus pod are not ordinary lotus seeds, but nine 'Dao Source Immortal Seeds,' each containing a trace of the most primordial vitality of creation and fragments of laws. And its lotus root is an even more wondrous object, a creation of heaven and earth—pure white as jade, translucent at every segment, with nine orifices within, perfectly mimicking the meridians and acupoints of the human body, perfectly harmonizing with the soul and true spirit. It is an unparalleled treasure for refining external avatars or reshaping the physical body, its effects far surpassing any known material in the world!"

Lin Yan was stunned. After a long while, he murmured, "Nine orifices... lotus root... reshaping the physical body... This, this sounds so much like... Nezha's lotus root body?"

A bizarre yet heart-pounding thought suddenly flashed into his mind: "Could it be that *Investiture of the Gods*... is not entirely a mythological novel? But rather, to some extent... a vague record or biography based on certain prehistoric extraordinary events?!"

This idea is too shocking, but considering my own existence in a time-traveling and cultivation space, it doesn't seem entirely impossible!

Lin Er had obviously heard of the legend of Nezha as well, and nodded, saying, "What you say, young master, may not be unfounded. Folk legends often have their most original origins. If the lotus root used by the immortal Nezha was indeed a sacred object like the 'Nine Apertures Heavenly Lotus,' which could reshape a perfect physical body and even surpass its previous potential, then it makes perfect sense."

A brief silence fell over the study. Lin Yan was processing this astonishing information.

"Nine-Aperture Heavenly Lotus..." He chewed on the name repeatedly, a determined light shining in his eyes. "No matter how rare it is, it is still a definite hope. The Myriad Evolution Mountains are full of mysteries, and there may be a chance to find clues in the future. Even if we can't find the complete one, if we can find its degenerated subspecies or spiritual plants with similar characteristics, it may still be of some use."

He looked at Lin Er and solemnly said, "I have remembered this matter. Once my cultivation is higher, I will study the 'Puppet Creation Technique' and do my best to enhance the strength of your existing puppet bodies. At the same time, I will also keep an eye out for any information about such sacred objects. If the opportunity arises in the future, I will definitely reshape your physical bodies and open up a true path of cultivation for you!"

Lin Er bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly: "Thank you, young master! Lin Er and his brothers will do everything in our power, even at the cost of our lives!"

Although the road ahead is long and the hope is slim, the fact that the young master has this heart and is willing to work hard for it is already a great blessing and comfort to those of them who were born from puppets.

Lin Yan waved for Lin Er to leave, then leaned back on the sofa, gazing at the endless night sky outside the window, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

Nezha from the Investiture of the Gods... a lotus root incarnation... the Nine-Aperture Heavenly Lotus...

The veil of this world seems even more mysterious than he imagined. And his path of cultivation, besides his own growing strength, seems to carry an additional heavy responsibility—to find a true future for his earliest and most loyal "family."