Liu Hui wanted to test the true combat effectiveness of the battle puppet, but he feared being detected by the surveillance equipment of the "Starry Sky City," which would lead to untenable explanations. Thus, he piloted the battle puppet away from Earth, accelerating rapidly into space.

In the vacuum of space, devoid of air resistance, the puppet’s speed increased further, reaching an incredible velocity of ten thousand kilometers per second. At such hyper-speed, it took only two hours for the battle puppet to arrive at the asteroid belt situated between Mars and Jupiter.

In the asteroid belt, Liu Hui’s connection to the battle puppet remained perfectly stable, indicating that the puppet’s control range was vast, with virtually no dead zones for command.

Liu Hui was acutely aware of the surveillance equipment the "Starry Sky City" had placed within the asteroid belt, allowing him to effortlessly evade all monitored areas until he reached a surveillance blind spot. This was where he intended to test the battle puppet’s true combat power. Only by clearly understanding its genuine strength could Liu Hui apply it effectively.

The battle puppet hovered in space. Directly ahead of it floated an iron asteroid spanning over two kilometers in diameter. Liu Hui decided this celestial body would serve as the benchmark for testing the puppet’s actual capability.

Liu Hui searched through the sealed cultivation spells and quickly located one of the most devastating techniques: the Myriad Destruction Art. He initiated the spell. As the formation activated, the spiritual energy within the surrounding energy matrix surged wildly into the casting array, and the battle puppet formed the necessary hand seals, immediately activating the Myriad Destruction Art.

In the void before the battle puppet, a massive, spiraling collapse vortex materialized. This vortex, shaped like a screw, began to spin rapidly, its leading edge slamming into the iron planet ahead.

The immense, rotating vortex struck the asteroid, and the point of impact disintegrated as if it were soft earth, vanishing into nothingness.

Seeing the giant collapse vortex annihilate all matter it encountered in a single blow, Liu Hui rejoiced. But just as he was about to witness the zenith of the Myriad Destruction Art’s power, the spell abruptly vanished. Not only did the external vortex disappear, but the energy matrix supplying spiritual energy to the spell also ceased functioning. After the vortex dissipated, a massive, deep crater remained on the asteroid.

Startled, Liu Hui quickly investigated, only to find that the spirit stones composing the energy matrix had all been reduced to dust, causing the matrix itself to naturally dissolve. Without the infusion of spiritual energy, the large-scale spell inevitably terminated.

At this point, Liu Hui began to understand. While the battle puppet was indeed overwhelmingly powerful, its consumption of spiritual energy was equally staggering. This explained why activating the most potent cultivation spell resulted in failure due to insufficient energy reserves.

When Liu Hui first laid eyes on the battle puppet, he had initially underestimated it, suspecting that the Old Daoist of Freedom (Xiaoyaozi) had fooled him again. Yet, the subsequent tests revealed the puppet’s astonishing combat strength.

Just as Liu Hui thought he had struck gold, he uncovered the puppet’s fatal flaw: the spiritual energy housed within its body was fundamentally incapable of sustaining the powerful spell attacks it could manifest. In essence, without solving this energy deficiency, the battle puppet could never unleash its true combat potential.

Discovering this limitation left Liu Hui deeply dejected. Moreover, the puppet’s spiritual energy core had been destroyed by the excessive load, making it impossible for him to pilot it back to Earth. He couldn't even command the battle puppet to perform a single action, as it had lost all power and was doomed to drift aimlessly in space.

Back on the "Starry Sky City," Liu Hui retracted his sensory link, finding the situation somewhat comical. He had gone out to test the puppet’s true combat power, only to fail to ascertain it and, worse, to lose control of the puppet itself.

Liu Hui sighed for a while before contacting An Qi. He instructed her to immediately dispatch a transport vessel to the asteroid belt where the battle puppet lay stranded, to retrieve this 'strong on the outside, weak on the inside' mechanism.

Upon receiving Liu Hui’s notification, An Qi felt a flicker of curiosity about what object in that location could so preoccupy him. Nevertheless, she asked no questions, personally commanding a transport ship near the asteroid belt to the coordinates Liu Hui specified. They eventually located a wooden-doll-like object floating in space. They swiftly recovered the strange device and began their return journey to Earth, delivering it to the "Starry Sky City."

Half a month later, Liu Hui finally got the battle puppet back. Gazing at the immobile automaton, a profound sense of frustration washed over him. He repeatedly tried to contact the Old Daoist of Freedom, but the latter seemed to have vanished, ignoring all his calls.

Liu Hui began to worry, not just that the Old Daoist of Freedom might have been assassinated by assassins from the Heavenly Demon Race, but also that this once formidable battle puppet would become permanently useless, leaving Alexander vulnerable without aid.

Unable to rely on the Old Daoist of Freedom, Liu Hui shifted his focus back to the Starry Sky Science Academy. After all, the battle puppet was still a valuable asset; only its energy core technology was flawed. If the "Starry Sky City" could resolve this major issue, the puppet would retain immense combat capability.

Consequently, Liu Hui stealthily made his way to the Starry Sky Science Academy, showing An Qi the battle puppet and thoroughly explaining its operational status.

An Qi was astonished by Liu Hui’s briefing. She could hardly believe that this seemingly ordinary, doll-like object could fly into the cosmos and possess such formidable power.

However, An Qi did not inquire about the puppet’s origin. She immediately began a detailed scan and study of the battle puppet.

The Starry Sky Science Academy had been researching formations, True Essence, and other cultivation-world concepts for over a decade. Though they still didn't grasp the underlying principles of these cultivation formations, it didn't impede their application of them. Over the years, they had achieved mastery in utilizing these artifacts from the cultivation planes.

Under An Qi’s scans, every detail of the battle puppet was mapped out.

Upon viewing the internal schematics, An Qi marveled at the exquisite artifact craftsmanship. The complexity of the embedded components and technology surpassed even the current advanced state of the "Starry Sky City’s" engineering capabilities, making the replication of such a powerful combat tool impossible.

However, when An Qi examined the completely destroyed spiritual energy matrix, she found it irreparable. If this matrix could not be fixed, the battle puppet could never wield its original power, truly relegating it to being merely a puppet.

Liu Hui had once proposed rearranging the matrix using a God-level Magic Beast Crystal Core to serve as the battle puppet’s new spiritual energy source. An Qi was tempted, but after running simulations on the supercomputer, she found that Liu Hui’s suggestion was fundamentally misguided.

In the simulation, An Qi discovered that no external spiritual energy source could be absorbed or utilized by the battle puppet.

Since the God-level Magic Beast Crystal Core could not be implemented immediately, the spiritual energy matrix could not be restored, and An Qi’s research into the battle puppet ground to a halt. Liu Hui, meanwhile, grew increasingly dejected watching this powerful puppet remain unusable.

As Liu Hui wallowed in frustration, an opportunity presented itself.

The Zerg of the Insectoid Race contacted him again. Liu Hui had previously given the Zerg some Level Eight Magic Beast Crystal Cores, asking them to create an energy being—an entity without a soul, fashioned from energy—to see if it could be traded to Earth via the planar exchange device.

The Zerg contacted Liu Hui this time to inform him that the energy being he requested had been manufactured and was ready for transfer.

Liu Hui watched the energy being, modeled after a Protoss soldier, placed onto the planar exchange device. Excitement surged through him as he clicked the trade button. The Protoss soldier-shaped energy being instantly materialized before him.

Liu Hui was overjoyed. The manufactured energy being could indeed be traded. While it possessed all the external characteristics of a human, it lacked a soul or life force, leading the planar exchange device to classify it as a non-biological entity—a tradable commodity.

The energy being stood expressionlessly before Liu Hui, emanating a dense white light that exuded a powerful sense of pressure. Liu Hui instantly recognized this white light as spiritual energy leaking from the being’s body. Since the energy being lacked any conscious thought, it could not control the internal spiritual energy, allowing it to dissipate uselessly.

Liu Hui could sense the incredibly potent spiritual fluctuations within the energy being—created from multiple Level Eight Magic Beast Crystal Cores. If unleashed, this energy would be capable of causing immense external destruction. However, being an inert object, the being could neither utilize nor control its internal power.

Seeing the lifeless construct, Liu Hui's mood shifted from excitement to disappointment. He stored the energy being in his spatial storage. It was at this moment that An Qi sought him out again, eager to update him on the battle puppet’s research progress.

Further examination of the battle puppet by An Qi revealed another critical weakness: not only was the spiritual energy core alarmingly fragile, but the sealed cultivation spells exhibited highly inefficient energy consumption, resulting in massive spiritual energy wastage during use.

Only then did Liu Hui grasp the real reason why the puppet's energy reserves were depleted so rapidly during their first test.

An Qi informed Liu Hui that she had conceived a solution: installing the latest smart optical computer inside the battle puppet. This computer would house a powerful Artificial Intelligence. Under the control of this AI, the puppet’s activation of formations during combat would become swifter and more coherent, and the mobilization and distribution of spiritual energy within those formations would be far more rational. The smart optical computer could even analyze battlefield dynamics to determine the most efficient spell attacks, controlling the battle puppet to fight autonomously and secure victory.

Liu Hui instantly understood: An Qi was essentially installing a super-intelligent brain into the battle puppet. Under this hyper-intelligent control, the puppet would transform from a thoughtless automaton into a high-tech robot capable of precise calculation. This upgrade immediately boosted the battle puppet’s combat effectiveness by over twofold while simultaneously causing energy consumption to plummet. With the assistance of the smart optical computer, the battle puppet was no longer just a puppet; it had become an agile 'person.'

An Qi concluded with a note of regret: while she had solved the puppet’s intelligence issue, the spiritual energy source problem remained intractable.

No external energy source installed onto the battle puppet could integrate with its internal systems.

Liu Hui felt a renewed sense of despondency as the issue reverted to the power core. The Old Daoist of Freedom had been missing since his assassination attempt, leaving Liu Hui with no means to repair the shattered spiritual energy matrix. At that moment, a spark ignited in Liu Hui’s eyes. He remembered the energy being in his spatial storage. With a surge of inspiration, he immediately retrieved the energy being and placed it before An Qi.

An Qi was already aware of Liu Hui’s possession of items like spatial storage, so she felt no curiosity about his ability to conjure objects from thin air. What intrigued her was the energy being standing before her, radiating intense spiritual energy fluctuations.

Liu Hui said, "An Qi, I have an idea. Can you evaluate if it's feasible?" An Qi kept her gaze fixed on the energy being, replying, "Tell me what you're thinking." Liu Hui explained, "The entity before you is not truly alive; it was artificially constructed from energy. However, it is an inert object, lacking consciousness, unable to mobilize its powerful internal spiritual energy—making it useless. The battle puppet you are studying, while immensely powerful, lacks a stable energy source, rendering it equally useless. Separately, both are waste. Can you attempt to fuse this energy being with the battle puppet, allowing the puppet to utilize the energy being's potent reserves and unleash their combined fighting power?" Hearing Liu Hui’s proposal, An Qi’s prodigious mind immediately began a feasibility analysis. After a moment, she responded, "Liu Hui, your associative power is surprisingly rich; you've conceived quite a method…"

Liu Hui scratched his head sheepishly. "So, do you think my idea has any possibility of realization?"

An Qi replied, "Theoretically, your concept has no flaws. However, the physical fusion process will likely encounter considerable difficulties. But rest assured! I will begin verifying your idea immediately. Honestly, hearing your proposal has made me quite eager. If this new battle puppet can be created, what might its power become once it gains a stable energy source complemented by the powerful smart optical computer?"

~~ Upon receiving the energy being from Liu Hui, An Qi launched a thorough investigation. The deeper she delved, the more fascinated she became with the energy technology capable of creating such beings. This energy technology currently stretched far beyond the limits of her understanding.

Yet, precisely because of this energy being, An Qi began to gain insight into the technology of energy materialization. Combining her knowledge with that of the battle puppet, after half a year of dedicated research, she actually found a method to seamlessly link the energy being, the battle puppet, and the smart optical computer.

Once the integration method was secured, An Qi spent another month completely fusing these elements, forging an entirely new battle puppet. When An Qi summoned Liu Hui to her secret laboratory, he stared at the revamped battle puppet with utter disbelief.

"Liu Hui, what do you think? Does this meet your requirements?" An Qi asked proudly, gesturing toward the newly constructed battle puppet.

Liu Hui observed the finished product. The battle puppet now assumed the physical appearance of the energy being, with the powerful chassis of the original puppet perfectly integrated within it.

With the vast external spiritual energy acting as the core power source and the integrated, powerful smart optical computer, this new battle puppet could now fully demonstrate its formidable combat strength.

An Qi laughed, "Liu Hui, equipped with the smart optical computer, this battle puppet now possesses the capacity for independent movement. Watch…" An Qi manipulated controls on a nearby computer, and the new battle puppet launched into a flawless breakdancing routine. Its movements were precise, indistinguishable from a living dancer. Even while performing, the new puppet’s spiritual energy remained perfectly contained; it had mastered the art of internalizing its energy.

Liu Hui watched the dancing puppet, momentarily stunned, then asked, "An Qi, can the battle puppet freely draw upon the energy from the external energy being?"

An Qi beamed victoriously. "Naturally, the battle puppet can command the energy from the external being at will. The energy source issue that plagued me has been resolved in the most perfect manner possible. The external energy being now serves as the puppet’s spiritual core. I’ve studied it closely: the spiritual energy within the energy being possesses different attributes that interact—some generating, others depleting—which paradoxically creates new spiritual energy. As long as the battle puppet doesn't draw upon the energy faster than it is being regenerated, theoretically, this energy being can sustain the battle puppet indefinitely." Liu Hui asked, "This battle puppet can be used forever?"

An Qi sighed. "Yes, under specific conditions, it can indeed operate eternally. I never imagined anything in this world could last forever. The massive energy confinement array that perpetually supplies us with electricity was one such thing, and now this composite energy battle puppet is another."

Liu Hui chuckled. "They are both extraordinary, but you created them all! In truth, you are even more formidable than they are."

An Qi blushed slightly. "Liu Hui, as we researched the battle puppet, we discovered a core force residing within its primary formation. This force controls everything about the puppet. I later theorized this must be the master-recognition power you imprinted upon the original battle puppet."

Liu Hui did not conceal the truth from An Qi, nodding, "Yes, the force you speak of is indeed the master-recognition imprint I left." An Qi continued, "Although this new battle puppet is vastly different from the previous one, its control core remains rooted in the original puppet. If you can control the old puppet, you can control this new one and unleash its greatest potential. In the current configuration, the external energy being is the puppet's power source, and the smart optical computer embedded in the puppet functions as the precision regulator for combat actions." Liu Hui felt a surge of delight. "Does this mean I can control this thing with relative ease?"

Angie smiled. "Indeed. With the help of the Energy People and the Super Quantum Brain, your command over this combat puppet will become far more fluid and satisfactory. If you choose not to control it directly, allowing the intelligent Quantum Brain to manage its actions, it can still autonomously complete any task you assign." Liu Hui’s mind immediately seized on a crucial detail, and he inquired, "Can this new combat puppet execute the most potent spell sealed within that formation—the Myriad Things Annihilation Technique?"

Angie replied, "I studied the sealed cultivation spells within that formation and discovered a peculiar phenomenon: these techniques have no inherent upper limit on spirit energy capacity. In other words, as long as sufficient spiritual energy is supplied to drive them, the same spell executed with different magnitudes of power will yield vastly different results. With the spirit energy input from the external Energy People, the Myriad Things Annihilation Technique has already met its minimum activation threshold, meaning it is now viable."

"This spell consumes an astonishing amount of spirit energy. Although the intelligent Quantum Brain will significantly reduce its consumption rate, even triggering the lowest power setting of the Myriad Things Annihilation Technique will still damage the fundamental spiritual core of the Energy People. If it is used more than twice, the spirit energy within the Energy Person's body will be completely depleted, leading to catastrophic collapse." Liu Hui's initial elation immediately faded into disappointment; ultimately, the core issue of the combat puppet's energy supply remained unresolved.

Noticing Liu Hui's look of regret, Angie said, "Actually, the spirit energy currently contained within that Energy Person is already powerful enough to satisfy the majority of your needs. However, if it could be made slightly stronger, it should be entirely sufficient for the combat puppet's fighting requirements!"

Liu Hui suddenly slapped his forehead, cursing his own denseness. That Energy Person was manufactured using only a little over a dozen Level Eight Demon Beast Cores. If God-Tier Demon Beast Cores were used to create the Energy People instead, wouldn't the resulting spirit energy be more than enough for the combat puppet's use?

With this realization dawning, Liu Hui declared, "Angie, I've figured out a solution: manufacturing a significantly more powerful Energy Person. Once we can create this caliber of Energy Person, the combat puppet will be able to unleash its full combat potential."