Inside the Craftsman Well, the hammering stopped—and an ecstatic yell split the air.
"It's done! Hahaha—we finally finished!"
Song Yingxing and Young Master Bai turned just in time to see two sculptors burst out of the workshop, hauling a life-sized statue of Dao Xuan Tianzun.
The figure stood about one-point-eight meters tall—neither bulky nor thin, robed in flowing Daoist silks, sword in one hand, whisk in the other. The likeness was perfect; anyone from Gao Family Village would have recognized him instantly. After all, who in the village hadn't watched Dao Xuan Tianzun Vanquishing Demons projected on the temple wall every festival?
Song Yingxing tilted his head. "Another statue? Where's this one going—new grotto, maybe?"
One sculptor laughed. "Not this time! This material was personally bestowed by Dao Xuan Tianzun himself—something from the Immortal Realm. He ordered us to shape it according to his form. We've no idea where it'll be placed; we just obey the decree."
"Material from the Immortal Realm?" Song Yingxing's eyes gleamed. He loved strange substances more than wine. The mysterious 'plastic' Tianzun had gifted months ago still haunted his thoughts. Now there was something new? He couldn't resist.
"Pardon me," he murmured, reaching out to touch the statue's sleeve.
The instant his fingers brushed it, he froze.
The texture was uncanny.
"Ah! Truly a thing of the Immortal Realm—skin-soft!"
The sculptors chuckled. "Scared us too! Regular chisels ruined it; we had to shave tiny layers with knives until Dao Xuan Tianzun's features appeared."
Song Yingxing nodded, awestruck. "Celestial craftsmanship indeed—"
Then the statue's eyes moved.
He staggered backward—but the statue reached out and caught him.
Every jaw in the workshop dropped.
Anywhere else, half the crowd would've died of fright. But this was Gao Family Village—the capital of divine absurdity. After three heartbeats of silence, everyone straightened, bowed, and shouted:
"Greetings, Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
Li Daoxuan—now inhabiting the silicone body through the Co-sensing Function—blinked once, still getting used to the rubbery sensation. His hand, which had caught Song Yingxing, felt springy, almost bouncy.
So this is what being a 'gum-man' feels like, he thought. Flexible, yes… dignified, maybe not.
The body had no skeleton at all—just solid silicone—but at least it didn't crumble like clay.
Dao Xuan Tianzun smiled; his voice rolled out deep and resonant, like wind across mountains.
"No need for such formality."
The crowd bowed deeper.
He turned to the two sculptors. "Excellent work."
They looked ready to ascend on the spot.
Young Master Bai composed himself enough to salute. "Has Dao Xuan Tianzun truly descended into this statue to walk the mortal realm?"
Dao Xuan Tianzun chuckled. "Indeed. Merely a short visit. Pretend I'm not here—carry on."
Right. Pretend the celestial patriarch himself wasn't standing beside them, blinking. Impossible. The entire Craftsman Well moved as if underwater, reverent and terrified.
Dao Xuan flexed his fingers. Something tugged—the sword was carved into his palm.
"Oh, heavens," he muttered. "The sword's stuck."
He wiggled it; the soft blade flopped like wet tofu.
"Remove it," he told the sculptors. "It's inconvenient."
They blanched. "Tianzun, if we remove it, we'll have to re-carve your fingers!"
"Then re-carve." He settled into a bamboo chair, extending his hand like a noble at a salon.
Sweat trickled down the artisan's face. Does he mean right now?
He began slicing carefully at the connection. "Forgive my boldness, Tianzun—will this cause pain?"
"No," said Dao Xuan Tianzun serenely. "Proceed."
He lifted his left hand. "And the whisk—remove that too. Same problem."
Two sculptors now worked in tandem, blades whispering against the silicone. Each scrape echoed like a prayer. Dao Xuan Tianzun mused inwardly, So this must be how mortal ladies feel getting their nails done.
By now, half the workshop was kneeling outside, and someone had run to fetch Gao Yiye. Within moments, she burst in, Qiu Ju and Dong Xue panting behind.
She saw him—froze—and fell to her knees. "Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
He raised a hand. "No need for more bows. Speak normally."
Gao Yiye rose, eyes wide. This was the first time she'd seen Dao Xuan Tianzun life-size—no giant face in the clouds, no projection of light. He looked real. The silicone's lifelike sheen made him seem to breathe.
Her heart thumped wildly.
For an instant, the divine felt human.
Then the sculptors resumed trimming his palms, and reality returned. Gao Yiye remembered this was only divine will moving a statue. The fleeting warmth in her chest, she pressed down with effort.
Still, the image of the soft-skinned Tianzun lingered in her mind like a dangerous prayer.