Tianyuan World, Ghost Ridge Palace.
In front of Puppet Hall, the scene here was bustling with activity.
Disciples lined up in long queues before several tables, collecting their monthly salary.
"Zhang Wu, assembly worker, 18 low-grade spirit stones this month."
"Xu Hao, formation worker, 35 low-grade spirit stones this month."
One by one, the Puppet Hall disciples looked at the wages they received, which varied according to their job duties.
Those with only a dozen or so low-grade spirit stones were basically disciples engaged in the most basic repetitive assembly work, mostly at the second or third level of the Yunling Realm.
Those who earned dozens, even hundreds of spirit stones were mostly disciples skilled in certain fields. For example, those old disciples who worked in Puppet Hall before Su Jie took over; they mastered the skills of puppet crafting and mostly engaged in research work. Their monthly salary was much higher than that of ordinary disciples in Puppet Hall.
Nearby, many Outer Disciples lingered. The days when Puppet Hall issued monthly salaries also tended to be recruitment days, bringing in new personnel to expand production. Many disciples came in hopes of catching a lucky break.
Nowadays, Puppet Hall has become one of the best places for disciples in Ghost Ridge Palace; they can earn at least a dozen spirit stones monthly without risking their lives outside.
Besides frequent overnight work, even the disciples cultivating at the first or second level of the Yunling Realm had a high adaptability to overtime work, and sudden death was impossible.
Chen Yun approached from the back of the crowd, and as she passed, the Puppet Hall disciples nearby greeted her warmly.
Over the years, Chen Yun, the chief manager of Puppet Hall, had diligently managed its affairs. Her cultivation had also seen breakthroughs; her aptitude wasn't the best, but Su Jie did not treat her poorly. Good cultivation resources were awarded to her, so now Chen Yun has reached the eighth level of the Yunling Realm, being a well-known figure among the Inner Sect disciples.
More importantly, everyone knew Chen Yun shared a deep friendship with Elder Su. Before Elder Su rose to prominence, Chen Yun was already his teammate, witnessing his rise firsthand.
Elder Su, known as the Immortal Seed of Ghost Ridge Palace, was reputed as the most powerful Secret Realm Elder under Sect Master Zhang Junwei.
With Su Jie establishing such connections, not only ordinary Secret Realm Elders in Ghost Ridge Palace but even Inner Sect disciples dared not provoke Chen Yun, treating her with respect.
As Chen Yun entered Puppet Hall, several female disciples came running over.
"Sister Chen, here are the expenditures for this period. The majority is spent on purchasing various materials, totaling 383,747 low-grade spirit stones."
"The number of Puppet Hall disciples has surpassed 3,000; currently, the rocket artillery we produce and the specialized puppets and equipment demanded by the Hall Master occupy most of our personnel. The rest are engaged in research work, with some repairing the Flying Magical Boat."
"Brother Zhu recently requested a lot of spiritual materials, saying the Flying Magical Boat's repairs are nearing completion."
These female disciples were financial personnel recruited by Chen Yun to manage Puppet Hall's finances; a hall this large could not be handled by her alone.
Chen Yun nodded, her gaze shifting to the Flying Magical Boat placed on Puppet Hall's open ground.
On the boat, many Puppet Hall disciples could be seen busy working. When this Flying Magical Boat was initially brought back, it was in complete disrepair.
Yet now, after years of continuous resource investment and repairs by Puppet Hall, the damages of this Flying Magical Boat have been completely restored. It lay quietly on the ground, its enormous size and faint formation fluctuations evoking a chilling feeling.
Just as Chen Yun was observing, sudden commotion erupted outside Puppet Hall.
Amidst countless disciples exclaiming in astonishment, a massive shadow cast over the Sky Dome, the terrifying pressure even causing the Outer Disciples' legs to weaken, while the Inner Sect disciples swallowed nervously, sensing an unspeakable fear akin to facing a natural predator.
Above the Sky Dome, a gigantic Flying Centipede arrived, with numerous pale corpse hands twisting and moving, its head's hideous mandibles, and the bluish chitinous insect shell gleaming with metallic luster, giving off a sense of indestructibility.
This powerful Top Grade Seven Refinement Thousand-Handed Centipede was widely known within Ghost Ridge Palace, recognized everywhere as Elder Su's signature Lifebound poisonous insect.
After reaching above Ghost Ridge Palace, the centipede's enormous body descended, causing nearby disciples to retreat while gazing reverently at the man stepping down from the centipede's head.
The man stood tall in a flowing purple robe, simple yet commanding respect.
His eyes were deep and tranquil, yet carried an inexplicable aura that awed and intimidated, appearing profound and unapproachable.
"Is this Elder Su? He seems so young."
"Such strong aura; no wonder he's one of our sect's top formidable beings."
"Immortal Seeds are terrifying; I heard that a few years ago, Elder Su was an Outer Disciple like us. Now he has ascended to Secret Realm, becoming a great power. I still have no clue when I can reach the third level of the Yunling Realm. Honestly, sometimes the gap between individuals is greater than between humans and dogs."
The gathered disciples whispered among themselves; many had only recently joined Ghost Ridge Palace. Because Ghost Ridge Palace won the sect war, numerous newcomers joined the palace each year now.