Ming Zhitian nodded, "Begin, and do not let anyone disturb me."
Dongfang Min'er nodded, "I will set up the Seven-Colored Flowing Light and the Eight Directions Grand Array here."
Ming Zhitian cast an extra glance at her before focusing, pulling the residual soul fragment from Zhuge Shenhou's head within the coffin into the Heavenly God Puppet.
The process consumed an extreme amount of immortal spiritual energy, mental effort, and skillful technique. Every movement was perfect and precise. Especially with such a high level of mechanical art, not a single mistake could be afforded, or all would be for naught. The puppet body could be repaired, but a shattered soul could not be saved even by a Great Luo Golden Immortal.
...
Zhuge Shenhou opened his divine eyes, a silver light flashing, filling the entire valley with an aura of wisdom.
"It's successful?!" Dongfang Min'er shed tears, a feeling long absent bursting forth from the depths of her heart.
Zhuge Shenhou emerged from the stone coffin, his mind racing. He looked at Ming Zhitian, "Did you revive me with the puppet technique?"
Ming Zhitian nodded, "A former acquaintance wished to see you."
Saying this, he brought him before Dongfang Min'er. If not for fear of disturbing Ming Zhitian's spellcasting, she would have rushed forward immediately.
"Min'er?" Zhuge Shenhou thought it over countless times but never expected it to be Dongfang Min'er.
Ming Zhitian said, "You two talk, I'll step aside."
"No need," Dongfang Min'er looked at Zhuge Shenhou, her eyes unblinking, her head unmoving, "I only have one question."
Ming Zhitian watched them from the side.
Zhuge Shenhou said, "Ask."
Dongfang Min'er held back the tears in her eyes, "Did you ever love me?"
Zhuge Shenhou said, "Is the answer really that important?"
Dongfang Min'er was very sure, "Yes."
Zhuge Shenhou did not evade, "I did."
Dongfang Min'er turned her face away, tears streaming from her eyes, "That's enough."
Zhuge Shenhou wanted to say more, but Dongfang Min'er gently waved her hand, "Lord Ming, please trouble you to escort him back."
Ming Zhitian was stunned. Zhuge Shenhou also froze slightly. Neither of them expected Dongfang Min'er to revive him only for a question she had always been fixated on, just a single question.
"Min'er..." Zhuge Shenhou didn't know how to speak.
Dongfang Min'er, however, cruelly rebuffed him, "Let him go!"
Ming Zhitian understood. With a light snap of his fingers, Zhuge Shenhou's soul returned to its origin, and the puppet body collapsed to the ground.
"Thank you," Dongfang Min'er wiped away her tears.
Ming Zhitian looked at her with confusion, "You could have stayed together forever, why were you so cruel to yourself?"
Dongfang Min'er said, "Having the answer after a thousand years is enough. I don't like to associate with men or things that do not belong to him, and he wouldn't like it either."
The implication was clear: the soul was Zhuge Shenhou's, but the puppet body was ultimately just a puppet, not his true self.
Ming Zhitian found them strange, but he understood. This was why Ming Zhitian sought a perfect Jade Body to replace the mechanical puppet body. He wanted to revive the women in this manner, not with a simple, durable puppet body, but an eternal form. This reignited his purpose.
"Wait," Dongfang Min'er called out as Ming Zhitian prepared to leave.
Ming Zhitian turned, "Is there anything else?"
Dongfang Min'er said, "I know your mind holds an encyclopedia of his life's work. Can you replicate a copy for me? As a memento."
Ming Zhitian nodded, "Yes."
With a pointed finger, an immense amount of information was transmitted into Dongfang Min'er's mind, slowly integrating.