Chapter 7: The Child-Like Guest

Ning clan.

Discussion Hall.

The spirit light lamp emitted a bright light.

The Ning clan leader, the young clan leader, and a group of clan elders gathered here.

Several jade slips rotated in their hands, and what was recorded in the jade slips was the entire process of this Ning clan big exam.

The clan leader rubbed the jade slip in his hand, his eyes closed slightly, and the scene in the jade slip appeared in his sea of consciousness, playing back continuously.

Unlike previous years, this year he focused on the assessment of the mechanical subject.

This year, the content of the Ning clan's big exam in the mechanical subject changed, becoming the manipulation of hanging-thread puppets.

The young cultivators input magic power, which was transmitted through the hanging threads into the puppet.

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Through the dual action of divine sense and magic power, the puppet was made to generate action power and perform various movements.

However, even the best-performing young cultivators in this big exam only successfully made the puppet perform a few movements: walking, flipping in the air, and rolling on the ground.

The overall situation was too horrible to look at.

The clan leader slowly opened his eyes, withdrew his divine sense from the jade slip, and slowly placed the jade slip on the table beside his hand.

"In this family big exam, there is no seed of a mechanical master among the younger generation." The Ning clan leader sighed.

The school clan elder felt the pressure and quickly spoke: "Clan leader, fellow clan elders, our Ning clan is good at talismans. Among the hundred arts of cultivation, mechanical arts are originally a biased subject. Our family has very little foundation in mechanical arts, and the teachers who teach mechanical arts in the school are also half-baked; how can they cultivate a seed of mechanical arts?"

The Ning clan leader comforted: "Calm down, I am not blaming you. It's just that the Lava Palace is a mechanical immortal city, buried in the mountain by the Three Sects Supreme Person in the past to suppress the eruption of Fire Persimmon Mountain. The best way for us to obtain the immortal treasures and mechanical art inheritance of the Lava Immortal Palace is to start from the mechanical masters."

"Our Ning clan only discovered the Lava Immortal Palace this year. The other two major families and the city lord's side have been ahead for a long time. They have had time to secretly cultivate mechanical seeds, but we don't."

"We are latecomers, too late. Only by recruiting outsiders with heavy money to serve as guests of our clan can we have the possibility of contending."

The Ning clan leader took out a jade slip: "Here is a list of famous mechanical masters in Fire Persimmon Immortal City and the surrounding area; you all should pass it around and read it."

After the clan elders had seen it, the Ning clan leader said: "We must contact all mechanical masters and try our best to win them over. Especially the Child-Like Guest! He is a mechanical master in Fire Persimmon City, and his strength is not bad; he should be the primary target to win over."

The young clan leader said: "The Child-Like Guest's identity is mysterious, and he has never appeared in public. The machines he makes sell very well, but they are all sold through the black market once a month."

"The black market is controlled by Sun Lingtong. This person is an outer disciple of the Empty Gate, and it is very difficult for us to truly contact the Child-Like Guest."

The Ning clan leader frowned: "Xiaoren, I don't want to hear you describe the difficulties; what I need is a solution to this problem."

The young clan leader Ning Xiaoren had sweat dripping from his forehead and quickly guaranteed: "Yes, father. I have already sent people to find a way to contact him personally, and there will definitely be results in a few days!"

The Ning clan leader then stroked his beard: "Good. I will wait for the results."

After the meeting, the Ning clan young clan leader immediately summoned his subordinate Ning Ze.

"Ning Ze, you are the procurement manager of the Ning clan, and I supported you. I asked you to contact the Child-Like Guest, but you have had no progress. What exactly are you doing?!" The young clan leader frowned.

Ning Ze was a middle-aged man with a face full of bitterness; if possible, he wouldn't want to touch this kind of task at all.

"Young clan leader, the subordinate is ashamed of your entrustment, and I have failed to handle the matter well; I really deserve to die."

"But this Child-Like Guest is really difficult to communicate with. I have repeatedly tried to persuade him in the black market when trading for the Upper-Lower Wishful Rope, but he has never been moved. He refuses to talk about any topic other than the transaction."

"The Child-Like Guest is too mysterious. I have tried every possible way to inquire, but I ended up angering the black market owner Sun Lingtong, not only losing men but also being framed and losing a large amount of spirit stones. Up to now, I have had to pay for this money myself..."

"Enough!" The young clan leader interrupted unhappily, "You were played by someone, and that's already embarrassing enough; you still want to find someone in the clan to bear the cost of your mistakes?"

"This time, our clan wants to purchase eighty Upper-Lower Wishful Ropes; you go and handle it."

Ning Ze was surprised: "Eighty? So many?!"

The young clan leader said: "You use this big business to try your best. You have already contacted the Child-Like Guest many times, but you have never been able to befriend this person."

"Your performance like this really makes me doubt your ability, Ning Ze."

Ning Ze felt great pressure and repeatedly guaranteed that he would do his best.

Ning Ze came to the southeast area of Fire Persimmon City.

In Fire Persimmon Immortal City, this area is a mix of dragons and snakes, theft is rampant, and the public security is the worst.

At the same time, this is also where the black market is located.

At one of the entrances to the black market, Ning Ze showed a token.

A cultivator with a sinister expression glanced at Ning Ze, carefully checked the token, threw it back to Ning Ze, and said coldly: "Follow me."

He led Ning Ze into the hut behind him, then lifted the floorboards in the hut, revealing a hole.

He took Ning Ze into the hole, turned left and right in the tunnel, and finally arrived at an underground trading space.

This place is like a small market.

Ning Ze's gaze swept over, and he saw his target.

"Master Child-Like Guest, we meet again." Ning Ze came to the Child-Like Guest, his face full of enthusiastic smiles.

The Child-Like Guest was a senile old man, his waist and back were very hunched, he leaned on a cane, and his whole posture was bent like a lobster. His face was weathered, his eye bags were black and purple, and the wrinkles were deep enough to pinch mosquitoes. His long hair was black and messy, spreading from the top of his head to his shoulders, hanging down to his feet, like a wide black cloak.

The Child-Like Guest stood behind the mechanical cart, just glanced at Ning Ze lightly, and didn't speak.

The Child-Like Guest always had this attitude; Ning Ze was helpless, and his anger was constantly accumulating in his heart.

He was a cultivator of the Ning clan, but the Child-Like Guest didn't give him any face at all!

However, the Ning clan young clan leader had always wanted to win over the Child-Like Guest, so Ning Ze felt aggrieved in his heart, but his face floated with a smile: "Master Child-Like Guest, the big business I brought this time is a big one."

"A full eighty Upper-Lower Wishful Ropes!"

"Look, with such a big business, can your price be a little more favorable?"

"I am your old customer, taking care of your business so much, and there will be more such business in the future. Every time it is two hundred spirit stones for one rope, this price has always been like this; it's a bit unreasonable, isn't it?"

The Child-Like Guest nodded slightly, his voice hoarse and weathered: "You are right."

"Then it will be two hundred and fifty spirit stones each."

Ning Ze was stunned for a moment and laughed: "Master Child-Like Guest, don't tease me. That's not how you lower the price."

Who knew that the Child-Like Guest snorted coldly: "For every extra word of nonsense, the price will increase by fifty spirit stones."

Ning Ze stared, frozen in place for a while.

His stomach was full of anger, and he really wanted to slap the old man in front of him to the ground. But in the end, he suppressed his anger and said sullenly: "Fine, I'll agree to your price!"

"It's just that my clan wants to add some other functions so that it can cooperate with our clan's techniques. The specific modifications..."

The Child-Like Guest interrupted firmly: "No modifications, take it or leave it, if you don't buy it, get out."

Ning Ze choked.

After taking a deep breath, he smiled bitterly and nodded, agreeing to this transaction.

The Child-Like Guest didn't make any movements, but on the mechanical cart in front of him, several small mechanical puppets hung down from the roof.

These mechanical puppets were driven by hanging threads, each one laughing like a real person.

They rolled, jumped, and even fought and pushed each other, finally opening the round lid inside the mechanical cart.

They crawled into the hole under the round lid one by one, and then, like dragging out pythons, dragged out the Upper-Lower Wishful Ropes.

Every time Ning Ze saw this scene, he was amazed.

This ability to manipulate mechanical hanging threads was skilled to the extreme, and the puppet dolls seemed to have truly come alive.

If the young cultivators of the Ning clan in this big exam had one percent of this manipulation ability, their grades in the mechanical subject would definitely be top-grade!

"Mechanical arts are the bottom of the hundred arts of cultivation. It has many weaknesses. The most obvious weakness is the method of manipulation!"

"Take these puppet dolls, for example; as long as the hanging threads are cut, they will be paralyzed in an instant."

Ning Ze handed over the spirit stones and left the black market with the Upper-Lower Wishful Ropes, and only then did a trace of sinister and angry expression appear on his face.

"Child-Like Guest! Every time I talk to you gently, I'm really giving you face."

"This time, I specifically invited the Three Ghosts of the Huang family for you! And I also carefully prepared a 'gift' for you!"

"Since you don't want to drink the toast, then eat the punishment."

Ning Ze was also forced to have no other way, so he could only take a risk.

His plan was very simple: first ask the Three Ghosts of the Huang family to deal with the Child-Like Guest, and then he would come out to save the situation, so as to show favor. If the Child-Like Guest was seriously injured, then Ning Ze's action of forcing him to submit would not be ruled out.

In short, opening up the situation and completing the task assigned to him was the top priority.

As for other problems, that was the business of other people in the Ning clan!

After the black market closed, the Child-Like Guest, fully loaded, walked in the dark alley.

Suddenly.

Town God Talisman!

A talisman was triggered instantly, sealing the surrounding space.

The Child-Like Guest stopped in place, motionless.

"Hee hee hee..."

Light laughter echoed, and three little ghosts emerged from nearby, attacking the Child-Like Guest.

The Child-Like Guest remained silent like a stone, until the little ghosts approached him, and then his body shook.

Several small mechanical birds were shaken off by him and shot away.

Mechanism—Thunder Silence Bird!

In the darkness, several electric lights suddenly lit up, bursting out clusters of thunder light, but it was silent.

In an instant, the Thunder Silence Bird killed the three little ghosts.

"How is it possible?"

"Clearly used the Town God Talisman, you should be unable to use divine sense to manipulate the mechanism!"

"There is something strange. Clearly it is a mechanical puppet, but I didn't see him use hanging threads at all."

"Forget it, let's go together!"

The Three Ghosts of the Huang family jumped out, attacking at the same time, each showing their means, surrounding the Child-Like Guest.

For a time, more than a dozen ghosts poured out, and there were evil ghosts in all directions, baring fangs and brandishing claws, gloomy and cruel.

The Child-Like Guest remained motionless like a mountain, and his messy black hair, which hung down to his feet, suddenly condensed together, forming long whips.

The pitch-black long whips danced like dragons and snakes, but there was not a trace of wind, and in the silence, there was nothing but terrifying killing intent.

Mechanism—Child-Like Fishing Death Whip!

The whip momentum was incomparably fierce, as if it could swallow everything, and wherever it went, souls were scattered.

The fierce light in the eyes of the Three Ghosts of the Huang family soared, and they were about to take the move.

In the sea of consciousness of the Child-Like Guest, a magic treasure seal, as huge as a treasure mountain, Buddha and Demon in one, suddenly bloomed with strange light.

Magic Treasure—My Buddha Heart Demon Seal!

The three ghosts paused at the same time, revealing fatal flaws. Terrified, they hurriedly retreated, but it was too late.

Two screams, two ghosts died.

The eldest was furious, his anger rushing to the sky, trying his best to squeeze his Foundation Establishment dantian, launching a desperate counterattack against the Child-Like Guest.

The magic tool dagger, which carried his hope for revenge, was as fast as lightning, instantly hitting the middle of the Child-Like Guest's forehead.

Ding.

A crisp sound of metal clashing.

The eldest of the Huang family was instantly stunned, unbelievable.

Pu pu pu.

The next moment, more than a dozen Child-Like Fishing Death Whips gathered, piercing him from top, bottom, front, back, left, and right.

The eldest of the Huang family widened his eyes, his body was pierced by the fishing death whips, hanging in mid-air, blood like rain, spraying from the wounds, splashing on the ground and walls, but was covered by the heavy night.

When nearby cultivators heard the strange movement and came to this alley to check.

"What happened?" The cultivator was puzzled.

In the alley, not a single corpse, not a single drop of blood could be found.

Ning Ze, who had been waiting for news for a long time, felt his body and mind turn cold: "Why is there still no news? It's been so long, it should have been successful."

"The Child-Like Guest is at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the Three Ghosts of the Huang family are also at the Foundation Establishment stage. Even in Fire Persimmon Immortal City, combat power is suppressed. Three against one, there is no reason to fail." He was still comforting himself.

"I gave them the Town God Talisman, and I gave them the spirit pet Green Blade Mantis, which can cut hanging threads. With such preparations, the mechanical master will be severely restrained!"

"Wait a little longer."

This kind of waiting was destined to have no results.

The Child-Like Guest walked in the underground secret passage.

Three Child-Like Fishing Death Whips hung behind him, each hanging a cultivator's corpse. As he walked, he cast monster-like terrifying shadows on the walls of the secret passage.

Red light appeared in front, and the temperature became scorching.

Turning the corner, a large alchemy furnace appeared in front of the Child-Like Guest.

The furnace door opened, and the Child-Like Guest threw the three corpses into it, his movements extremely skilled.

Closing the furnace door, he came to the storage room on the side.

He threw the several catties of fire essence he had purchased from the black market into the storage room.

Years of accumulation made the fire essence in the storage room pile up into a small mountain.

"Still missing the last ten catties of fire essence."

The Child-Like Guest came to the teleportation room and opened the teleportation array.

The next moment, he returned to his underground workshop.

The Child-Like Guest's body began to change.

The strange black hair that hung to the ground quickly retracted, the hunched posture gradually stood up, and the old man's body under the black robe underwent a change of light and shadow, gradually restoring its original appearance—

This was a silver-gray mechanical battle armor.

The surface of the armor flowed with faint treasure light. There were runes and array patterns all over the armor. On the helmet of the armor, a new scar was added. This was the result of the eldest of the Three Ghosts of the Huang family's desperate counterattack before he died.

The chest armor, abdominal armor, and leg armor of the armor opened symmetrically to the left and right.

A youth walked out from it.

The youth's face was white, his eyes were as clear as water, and his temperament was calm and peaceful.

The armor was named: Cang Tie Han Armor.

Youth: Surname Ning, given name Zhuo. ===== CHAPTER 8 =====