Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Chapter 202: The Missing Elder Thalnor (5)

Elder Feris leaned forward, his expression stern but filled with conviction. "Now that we've agreed to work together, Velkar, there's something else I need to show you," he said, his voice low but authoritative.

With a swift motion, he reached inside his robe and carefully pulled out a manual, placing it deliberately on the stone table between them.

Velkar's eyes immediately fixed on the book, his brow furrowing in curiosity. He reached for it without hesitation, flipping it open with precise fingers.

As his eyes scanned the pages, his expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief, his sharp features growing tense with every line he read.

"This... this is…" Velkar's voice trailed off, the disbelief evident in his tone.

Elder Feris observed the reaction calmly, giving a slight nod. "Yes," he said, his voice firm but cautious. "This manual was found near the site where we discovered the blood we suspect to be Elder Thalnor's. It's unlike anything we've seen before. "

"That's why I wanted to bring it to your attention and ask for your permission to study it further. There's no doubt this could hold important clues—perhaps even leading us to what really happened to Thalnor."

Velkar's grip on the manual tightened slightly, his face still betraying his shock. He stared at the pages for a long moment before slowly lifting his gaze to meet Elder Feris's. His silence was thick with tension, the weight of the discovery visibly unsettling him.

"Velkar?" Elder Feris asked gently, his brow arching in concern. "Is something the matter?"

Velkar blinked, as if pulled back to reality, and shook his head, trying to regain his composure. "Sorry," he muttered, his voice strained. "I'm just… surprised. This manual... it's unlike anything I've ever seen. I never expected something of this caliber."

His hand still resting on the manual, Velkar reached into his own robe with his free hand and produced another, older-looking manual. He laid it beside the one Elder Feris had given him.

"This one," Velkar began, his tone growing more serious, "I found in Thalnor's lab before he left the Malachor Clan. At the time, I didn't give it much thought. I assumed it was just another of his experiments."

The elders leaned in, their attention sharp as Velkar continued. "But now… seeing these two manuals together…"

As if on cue, a faint glow began to emanate from both manuals. The elders, their curiosity quickly turning to awe, watched as the two books seemed to react to each other. The glow intensified, and the once separate texts began to merge, their covers slowly fusing into one.

Velkar's eyes widened, his voice dropping to a hushed whisper. "What... is happening?"

The elders stood speechless, mesmerized by the phenomenon. As the glowing subsided, a new title appeared on the front cover of the now single manual. The letters shimmered with a soft, eerie light:

Nether Puppet Body Cultivation Manual.

The title shimmered ominously on the cover, and the elders exchanged tense glances before eagerly flipping open the pages. Silence fell over the room as they scanned the contents, their eyes growing wider with each passing moment.

Elder Feris, who had been skimming quickly, suddenly stopped and muttered under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper. "Damn it... To think such a manual could exist..."

His words caught the attention of the others, and they looked up from the pages. Elder Feris's normally calm and collected expression was filled with disbelief and something close to awe.

"This is far stronger than the original Nether Puppet Manual," Elder Vorn added, his voice laced with both admiration and unease.

The new manual was more than just an improvement; it was a revolutionary breakthrough. It didn't just fuse the Nether Puppet Cultivation Manual with a traditional Body Strengthening Manual—it introduced an entirely new concept, one that had the potential to transform their approach to cultivation entirely.

"This..." Elder Sylra began, her voice barely a whisper, "this allows the user to enhance their physical body to a level nearly equivalent to that of a Nether Puppet. But that's not all…"

Elder Mirra, scanning further, finished her sentence. "It also grants the ability to control up to three Nether Puppets at once. Something we've never been able to do before."

The room buzzed with quiet murmurs of astonishment. The weight of the discovery pressed down on them as they realized the magnitude of what they had found.

This manual had the potential to shift the balance of power in their favor, not just within the academy, but in the entire cultivation world.

"This could change everything," Elder Vorn whispered, his tone filled with awe. The usually composed elder had a glimmer of excitement in his eyes, something rarely seen.

Velkar remained quiet for a moment longer, still carefully studying the contents of the manual. His expression was stern, calculating, as if he were weighing the potential of this newfound power. Finally, he looked up from the pages, his voice sharp and authoritative.

"You can learn this manual," Velkar said, his words slow and deliberate.

The other elders paused, sensing there was more to his statement. Velkar's gaze hardened, and he added, "But I have one condition."

The elders exchanged glances before turning back to Velkar, who continued without missing a beat.

"Since Thalnor was a member of the Malachor Clan, and it's because of him that this manual even exists, I want 70% of the loot obtained from the war with Celestial Academy to be given to me and my clan. Thalnor's knowledge belongs to us, and I won't see his legacy used without compensation."

His voice held a firm, unyielding tone, and the air grew thick with tension. Elder Feris, the strategist of the group, didn't hesitate, seeing the logic in the request.

"Agreed," Elder Feris said, his voice steady. He leaned back slightly, the tension in his face easing. "We're more interested in claiming the title of the best academy than in the loot. That will suffice."

The other elders nodded, murmurs of agreement rippling through the room. They, too, understood the value of the manual lay not in material wealth, but in the power it could bring them as an academy.

Velkar, satisfied with the response, gave a curt nod. "Good," he said, his voice firm but devoid of hostility. "Then we move forward with this agreement."

Elder Feris's gaze sharpened as he regarded the manual once more, his mind already spinning with the potential this new power held.

"With this manual in our possession," he said thoughtfully, "we can elevate Necrovauld Academy to the top. The Celestial Academy will have no choice but to acknowledge our superiority."

The other elders agreed, their faces lighting up with anticipation. The Nether Puppet Body Cultivation Manual was now in their hands, and with it, they knew they had an unparalleled advantage.

Velkar, though still deep in thought, couldn't help but smirk slightly. "With this... we might just change the entire balance of power in the world of cultivation."

As the realization of what they had discovered fully settled in, the elders knew one thing for certain: this manual was a game changer, and the Necrovauld Academy was about to rise to a level of dominance no one had ever imagined.