The formations were intricate and ever-changing. The sealing formations on the bronze scroll were likely imprinted by a cultivator using their Spiritual Power. The most direct way to break such formations was to use force.
Leo intended to break the seal on the bronze scroll using his strength. To do this efficiently, he needed to find the formation’s core, the eye of the formation, and disable it.
With the absence of external Spiritual Power input, using Spiritual Power to attack would gradually deplete the Spiritual Power within the formation. Once the Spiritual Power inside was exhausted, the formation would naturally break.
Under Leo’s control, the bronze scroll slowly floated into the air. “Spiritual Fire, come forth!” Leo commanded, forming a pale blue Spiritual Fire above his right hand.
Leo flicked his fingers, sending the Spiritual Fire beneath the bronze scroll. The intense heat began to burn away the outer layer of the bronze scroll, and the runes on the sealing formation shimmered, resisting the onslaught of the Spiritual Fire.
From the current situation, breaking the formation would take some time.
Leo continued to manipulate his Spiritual Power, maintaining the burning of the Spiritual Fire. As time passed, the sun descended, and the sky darkened. The slow crescent moon ascended into the night sky.
After nine hours of the Spiritual Fire burning, the glow of the sealing formation on the bronze scroll had become significantly dim.
During the process, Leo had consumed two Spiritual Stones to replenish his Spiritual Power.
Aware that success was within reach, Leo took a deep breath. With a forceful shout, he held a Spiritual Stone in his left hand and continuously infused Spiritual Power into it. The Spiritual Fire intensified.
“Bang!”
A crisp shattering sound echoed as the sealing formation broke, transforming into numerous green light dots that disappeared in the room.
In the first-floor living room, Irene and Michelle sat on the couch, somewhat bored, playing with their phones.
“Sis, why hasn’t that guy finished yet?” Michelle’s patience had run out.
“Give him a little more time,” Irene’s patience was slightly better.
“Both of you, have some fruit. If it gets late tonight, feel free to stay. We have plenty of guest rooms here,” Madame Godwin brought a plate of sliced fruits and said.
“Thank you, Madame Godwin.” Michelle nodded, smiling, picking up a piece of sweet apple to eat.
Just then, the door on the second floor opened, and Leo walked out of the room, looking a bit fatigued.
“Come upstairs. The bronze scroll can be opened now,” Leo said to the three women in the living room.
“Ah, really? Can it be opened now?” Michelle’s eyes lit up. She jumped off the couch excitedly, and Irene and Madame Godwin followed.
Entering the room, the three women were stunned when they saw the strange scene. The bronze scroll floated in mid-air, seemingly unaffected by gravity, emitting a peculiar glow.
“Wow, it’s so amazing. How did you do it? And what’s inside? Tell us quickly,” Michelle, after the initial surprise, turned her gaze toward Leo, feeling that this handsome young man was becoming more mysterious.
Leo shook his head. “I haven’t opened it yet. I invited you in to witness the moment together.”
To prevent the twin sisters from having any thoughts, Leo hadn’t immediately opened it after breaking the seal.
Moreover, Leo could sense that there was no danger within the bronze scroll, which is why he allowed the twin sisters and Madame Godwin to enter together.
However, as a precaution, Leo had the three women stand behind him before opening it.
Leo took a deep breath, formed a seal with his right hand, and uttered a light shout as he tapped the bronze scroll. A miraculous scene unfolded as the tightly closed bronze scroll autonomously began to unfold.
The entire room suddenly exuded a spine-chilling sensation, accompanied by a faint cyan glow emanating from the now opened ancient scroll.
The three women, full of curiosity, blinked their eyes and stared at the unfolded ancient scroll.
Once fully opened, the spine-chilling sensation vanished, and the faint cyan glow dissipated, revealing to the four a painting of a general wearing armor, holding a sword in his right hand, and a bronze scroll in his left.
“Is this… a sealed puppet general!?” Leo’s pupils first contracted, then his face showed a mix of astonishment and delight.
Upon closer inspection, the general in the painting had closed eyes, and the sword in his right hand, even as a painted object, gave off a sharp and icy feeling.
Moreover, the bronze scroll in his left hand was identical to the one Leo had just unsealed.
This… Leo felt a bit confused.
While it was normal for the painted general to hold a sword, the presence of an identical bronze scroll was somewhat unusual.
Finally seeing what was thought to be forever sealed within the scroll, Michelle joyfully exclaimed, “So, there really is a painting inside! And it’s a painting of an ancient general. This general looks so majestic!”
Leo gestured with his right hand, and the floating bronze scroll flew into his hand.
Holding it, upon close observation, one could see faint black lines resembling a spider’s web on the general’s body.
The peculiar black lines didn’t appear to be painted on; they gave the impression of being inherent in the general’s body.
The black lines converged on the general’s chest, forming a faintly visible “forgiveness”.
Seeing this “forgiveness”, Leo immediately understood. There was a spiritual imprint on the general in the painting.
The existence of a spiritual imprint confirmed to Leo that the general in the painting was indeed a sealed puppet!
On the path of cultivation, with countless techniques, Leo, who had advanced to the next realm of a Grand Spirit Master, knew that there were cultivators who specialized in puppetry. Their main means of attack or defense was through the puppets they refined.
The general in the ancient painting was likely a puppet cultivated by a cultivator in ancient times.
As for why the puppet general was sealed in a painting, that remained unknown.
Although puppetry cultivators were the ones who specialized in refining puppets, other cultivators could also control and use puppets if they successfully made the puppet acknowledge them. However, if a non-specialist used a puppet, its combat effectiveness would be slightly weaker than that of a puppetry cultivator.
Having a powerful puppet was like adding wings to a tiger for a cultivator, and this was the reason for Leo’s joyful excitement.