Chapter 199

For the past few days, Ning Zhuo has been conceptualizing a brand-new mechanical body for Yuan Dasheng.

The Tree Martial Ape he previously designed and refined was completely written off after the battle with Lord Qi Bai.

The Golden Blood War Ape is suitable for use in the Magma Xian Gong, but it is not suitable for use outside. The main issue is that when facing Golden Core cultivators, the material specifications are far too inferior.

Of course, the Magma Xian Gong provides many opportunities. The Golden Blood War Ape will be upgraded in the future.

The three checkpoints after the second Buddha Gate have already provided higher-specification materials, specifically for processing the Golden Blood War Ape.

During the previous joint operation of the three families, the Golden Blood War Ape, Dasheng, displayed its divine might on the basis of material replacement and improvements.

"In terms of potential, it is clear that the Golden Blood War Ape has far more."

Ning Zhuo still hasn't figured out the design of the Golden Blood War Ape. Even the materials used for the Golden Blood War Ape's body are something Ning Zhuo hasn't fully grasped.

The Golden Blood War Ape originated from the Golden Furnace; the Three Sects' Ascendants, being great beings at the Void Refinement level, only placed eight of them in the Magma Xian Gong.

Of course, Ning Zhuo does not know about the Golden Furnace.

After he came into contact with and attempted to analyze it, he confirmed that the Golden Blood War Ape crafted by the Magma Xian Gong is indeed extraordinary.

"Even if I still don't understand its construction in the future, I only need to gradually replace the materials of its body to allow the combat power of the Golden Blood War Ape, Dasheng, to soar."

The Tree Martial Ape, Dasheng, was strong due to its materials. At the time, because of Zheng Jian, the material grade was far higher than that of the Golden Blood War Ape.

However, in terms of design philosophy, there was nothing unique, and the ingenuity was lackluster. There is another problem—the mechanical blueprints for the Tree Martial Ape have already been leaked.

Zheng Jian knows this very clearly.

Of course, this is also because the blueprints themselves were not of high value, which is why Ning Zhuo took them out at the time to deepen his relationship with Zheng Jian.

Ning Zhuo wants to follow the example of the Tree Martial Ape and repeat such a success.

He wants to refine a mechanical ape with Golden Core-level combat power to ensure his own safety.

Especially given the current situation, with a large number of unfamiliar cultivators flooding into Fire Persimmon Xiancheng, and Ning Zhuo having become the person in control of the black market, he is, to some extent, at the center of the storm, so he urgently needs Golden Core-level combat power.

Lord Qi Bai is actually a Golden Core-level combat force.

His Golden Core is hidden within this mechanical puppet, the Nether Envoy, providing it with power and so on.

The materials of the Nether Envoy, Lord Qi Bai, also need to be replaced. Forcibly driving out Golden Core-level power means the puppet's own material cannot withstand it and will very likely collapse on its own.

But because Lord Qi Bai's spirituality has not yet reached ten percent—and even at ten percent, one must still find a way to cross the Spirit Agility Stage—it is not Ning Zhuo's first choice.

Ning Xie possessed the natural talent of Snow Soul and Ice Spirit during his lifetime and was refined into the Weather Ball, Ice Crystal Snow.

Its material is relatively good and can be upgraded and replaced.

Although its spirituality is low, it is a member of the Ning family; one can collect his relics from his lifetime to supplement its spirituality, and there is a high hope of obtaining a ten-percent qualitative change and advancing to the Spirit Agility Stage.

But Ning Xie was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage during his lifetime, and the mechanical structure of the Weather Ball, Ice Crystal Snow, is also very different from his lifetime; relying on the material to exert Golden Core combat power is not impossible, but it is unlikely.

After careful consideration, Ning Zhuo determined that Yuan Dasheng is his best choice.

Yuan Dasheng's spirituality does not need to be supplemented, and it has also crossed the Spirit Agility Stage.

He was a quasi-Golden Core-level combat force during his lifetime. His fighting style, which excels in close-quarters combat, allows him to better leverage the advantages of the materials.

The most important point—his righteous bones are firm as gold, which is an Immortal Talent!

"Yuan Dasheng mastered the Demon-Dyed Blood Tendon Art during his lifetime, and at a very high level."

"He has become a mechanical creation, yet he can still operate the Demon-Dyed Blood Tendon Art, just as Lord Qi Bai can still use the Nine-Turn Soul-Devouring Art."

Executing the Demon-Dyed Blood Tendon Art requires essence blood.

Therefore, Ning Zhuo intends to carefully refine the two mechanical components: the Blood Transformation Pool and the Blood Oil Bottle.

And on this point, Ning Zhuo suddenly thought of himself, thereby triggering inspiration.

Ning Zhuo quietly contacted Sun Lingtong again.

Ning Zhuo: "The Blood Transformation Pool consumes the bodies of other lives, transforming them into essence blood, which ultimately becomes Yuan Dasheng's source power."

"Yuan Dasheng can use the flesh and blood of others to refine essence blood for his own use. Then, why can't he use my flesh and blood?"

"He himself has mastered the Demon-Dyed Blood Tendon Art, and if he uses my flesh and blood, wouldn't the essence blood and blood energy refined be mine?"

"When the time comes, if I let him infuse the essence blood back, wouldn't that be a shortcut to cultivation?"

Sun Lingtong nodded: "Little Zhuo, there is no problem with this line of thinking, but are you sure you want to do this?"

"You will have to constantly cut your flesh and bleed yourself."

Ning Zhuo revealed a resolute expression: "As long as I can cultivate faster, what do these pains and hardships amount to?"

"Boss Sun, do you still remember: when I was a child, you constantly used iron rods, steel whips, and the like to beat me to train me to adapt to pain?"

"Thanks to your special training, I have never feared pain since!"

"Nowadays, I am just cutting my flesh and bleeding myself; I'll just treat it as revisiting the special training from my childhood."

Upon hearing this, Sun Lingtong's heart shook slightly; he laughed heartily and patted Ning Zhuo on the shoulder: "Good lad, it was not in vain that I painstakingly cultivated you back then."

Sun Lingtong was very gratified.

As someone from an evil sect, he likes to take risks and admires the strong.

Ning Zhuo's display of a powerful temperament made him admire him greatly.

"A real man should be like this, daring to fight and work hard, ruthless to others, and even more ruthless to himself!"

"Whatever you need me to help you with, just say it."

Ning Zhuo then said: "Boss, I will give you the mechanical blueprints; you help me refine a mechanical ape, equipped with the Blood Transformation Pool, Blood Oil Bottle, and so on."

"My time here is too tight, and I am also widely watched, so it's not very convenient!"

"No problem!" Sun Lingtong patted his chest and gave his word.

Thanks to Ning Zhuo sharing the mechanical classics his mother left him with Sun Lingtong a long time ago.

Although Sun Lingtong does not have much mechanical talent, he could not withstand the hard practice and careful research over the past ten years, and the mechanical attainments he accumulated were completely sufficient.

In just two days, Sun Lingtong had refined the mechanical ape.

Ning Zhuo took it away secretly to use for himself.

Deep within the floating clouds, he extracted Yuan Dasheng's spirituality and used it on the mechanical ape.

Then, Ning Zhuo took out a sharp dagger, first bleeding himself, then cutting the flesh on his own arms, thighs, and stomach.

Bursts of severe pain constantly assailed his body and mind, yet Ning Zhuo did not make a sound, only furrowing his brows tightly, his face becoming slightly pale.

Yuan Dasheng did not fail the trust, refining flesh and blood with the ninth layer of the Demon-Dyed Blood Tendon Art to obtain essence blood.

Ning Zhuo received the essence blood infusion, and his Essence Sea cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds!

Three days later.

Ning Zhuo came to the underground base, met Sun Lingtong, and reported the good news to the latter.

Sun Lingtong was surprised: "Little Zhuo, I know your previous Essence Sea cultivation. How did you cultivate to the peak of the sixth layer so quickly?"

"Although you bleed and cut your flesh to supply Yuan Dasheng, you still have to heal your wounds. It also takes time for the injuries to heal."

Ning Zhuo then smiled and said: "Boss, after I cut myself a few times, I suddenly reacted and thought of a better way."

"I found that just cutting my own flesh, while having to heal myself, greatly drags down the speed of cultivation."

"Why don't I ask my clansmen for help?"

Sun Lingtong: "?!"

Ning Zhuo then explained how he operated.

Many of the Ning family clansmen have cultivation, and the vast majority are at the Qi Condensation Stage.

It is very difficult for these people to make a living in the Xiancheng; they can only engage in bottom-layer labor, and the pay is very low. For example, weeding, blacksmithing, stoking fires, preliminary processing of medicinal materials, and so on.

Therefore, the vast majority of Ning family clansmen tend to rely on the family and work in family industries.

But the scale of family industries is limited, and the number of positions is fixed.

Most of the Ning family clansmen have limited cultivation and can only engage in bottom-layer labor.

Ning Zhuo knew this situation and ordered the Foundation Establishment cultivators under his command to screen out some of the poorer clansmen and arrange for them to contribute essence blood.

And as a reward, Ning Zhuo would give each of them a sum of spirit stones after each blood draw and flesh cutting.

Ning Zhuo said: "I have calculated this account."

"Although they are injured, they have obtained a sum of spirit stones. They use these spirit stones to purchase the cheapest medicine to heal their wounds, and they will still have more than half left."

"They have money to earn!"

"Therefore, once this matter was implemented, it was widely welcomed. Many clansmen who were not selected by us also took the initiative to sign up."

It was precisely by relying on so much flesh and blood that Yuan Dasheng cultivated the blood power of the ninth layer of the Demon-Dyed Blood Tendon Art.

In the process of back-infusing Ning Zhuo, this blood power would be purified by Ning Zhuo, leaving behind what fits his constitution, while the rest would still be passed back to Yuan Dasheng to serve as his backup source energy.

"With this method, my cultivation problem in the Essence Sea has been solved. Hahaha." Ning Zhuo was very happy.

Sun Lingtong is the person he trusts most.

When he had a breakthrough and progress, he immediately took it out to share with Sun Lingtong.

But Sun Lingtong's next words were a bit ungrateful.

He frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly said with realization: "Doesn't your method still utilize your own clansmen? Treating them as materials for cultivation. In essence, there is no difference from those evil sect practices."

Ning Zhuo:...

"Cough, cough, cough!" He coughed violently a few times, "Boss, you can't put it that way."

"I am helping the clansmen, giving them work to do. Their income has increased because of me."

"You haven't seen it; whenever they receive spirit stones, a sincere smile appears on their faces."

"Seeing their smiles, my heart also feels warm."

Ning Zhuo emphasized: "I help them solve their livelihood and improve their standard of living."

"And with their help, my cultivation has accelerated, and I have achieved higher results. This is a mutually beneficial good thing, a win-win, and a successful model of righteous cooperation!"

After a pause, he added: "I am fundamentally different from those evil sects!"

"They are cruel and cold-blooded, and for their own selfish interests, they do not hesitate to attack their own clansmen. Such people are too terrifying!"

"And my clansmen are all voluntary."

"Our cooperation does not harm their lives at all!"

"Although it will cause them to be injured, these injuries will heal after taking some medicine and a period of time."

"After they recover, they can cooperate with me many more times..."

Sun Lingtong clapped his hands: "I see."

"Those evil sects slaughtering their clansmen is a one-off deal. And you, my little brother, you intend to let the stream flow long and constantly obtain flesh and blood."

"Cough, cough, cough!" Ning Zhuo coughed violently again.

"Boss, I can't keep talking to you."

"I am righteous!"

"It is righteous!!"

Sun Lingtong spread his hands: "Fine, say whatever you want."

Ning Zhuo sighed and said sincerely and earnestly: "Boss, you can't be like this. Although you come from a major evil sect, you must also broaden your horizons, open your mind, and not always look at things so darkly."

"You have known me for more than ten years; tell me, am I that kind of person?!"

Sun Lingtong:...