Chapter 34: Ning Zhuo Enters the Immortal Palace

Ning Zhuo began to examine the items Chen Cha had left behind.

First was the jade slip, white as snow.

Ning Zhuo pressed it to his forehead, projected his spiritual sense, and discovered it was a collection of array techniques titled "Collection of Curved Snake Springing Arrays," authored by Layman White Scale.

Ning Zhuo browsed through it slightly, showing a hint of surprise.

"This Layman White Scale was not human, but a male snake demon."

"He suffered heavy injuries in middle age, and his snake body could not recover, so he crafted mechanisms to create replacements, striving to keep his snake body complete."

"And what is recorded in this jade slip are the various arrays laid out on mechanical snake bodies and flesh-and-blood snake bodies."

Although Layman White Scale did not leave much information, Ning Zhuo felt that this demon had at least Nascent Soul-level strength.

"Chen Cha must have obtained this jade slip and studied it diligently to earn the title of 'Living Array Master' and possess the ability to create mechanical artifacts."

"He has given me his entire foundation."

The evidence for Ning Zhuo’s judgment was that the jade slip contained a vast amount of Chen Cha’s personal annotations, insights, as well as records of his independent experiments, mechanical designs, and experiential reflections.

Knowledge is priceless.

This was Chen Cha’s livelihood; he likely would have held something back even if he had taken on an apprentice.

Yet unexpectedly, Chen Cha had given this jade slip directly to Ning Zhuo.

"This old Chen..."

Ning Zhuo sighed and opened the bag.

Inside were twenty-some wooden balls. They varied in size, the largest like an infant’s fist, the smallest like a pinky finger’s tip.

Each wooden ball was divided into two sides: one pitch-black with the character for "Dead," the other pure white with the character for "Alive."

"Half-Dead Half-Alive Beads." Having browsed the jade slip, Ning Zhuo recognized these wooden beads at a glance.

These wooden beads were Chen Cha’s original creation, designed by combining Layman White Scale’s array collection with his own experience and flashes of inspiration.

These wooden beads were basic components for mechanical artifacts, used at joints.

When the bead was flipped to the white "Alive" side, the joint would move freely. When flipped to the black "Dead" side, the joint would be locked accordingly.

The brilliance lay in the hidden connections between these beads; if array patterns were carved onto the main mechanical components, one or more "living arrays" could be formed.

By manipulating these beads—dead or alive—the mechanical artifact could perform various delicate movements.

"Good stuff."

"The application range for these Half-Dead Half-Alive Beads is very broad."

"The mechanical Fire-Exploding Monkeys could use them, and the Up-and-Down Wishful Rope seems like it could too. The actual performance should exceed what it was before."

Ning Zhuo’s face showed joy.

He loved such mechanical artifacts dearly.

To others, these wooden beads were of very low value. But to Ning Zhuo, they were rare treasures that would be of considerable help to him.

Finally, Ning Zhuo examined the heaviest bag.

He found 5,118 spirit stones inside.

The precise, odd number made Ning Zhuo fall into a moment of silence again.

"Is this likely all of old Chen’s savings?"

Ning Zhuo sighed, feeling a slight sense of guilt.

He put these items away and began to actively recuperate.

The Nourishing Pill was very effective, helping Ning Zhuo’s body quickly adapt to the brand-new Five Elements magic power.

Ning Zhuo cultivated with all his might, striving to return to the third layer of Qi Refining as soon as possible.

"When I reach the third layer, will the Dharma-Transmitting Bell continue to toll throughout the city?"

"I must race against time and give it my all!"

"Mother was right; I am just one person, ordinary, unlike others who have backgrounds and resources."

"I fear that at my current progress, I have already fallen far behind others!"

Before she died, Ning Zhuo’s mother had instructed him to strive for a high ranking and become a "mechanical seed" to receive resource allocation.

Ning Zhuo lacked key intelligence, but he chose to gamble, switching to the Five Elements Qi Law without a moment’s hesitation.

"Besides cultivating the Five Elements Qi Law, I must find a way to approach the Molten Immortal Palace."

Ever since the Immortal Palace was bombed, the volcano peak had been under complete martial law, with no idle personnel allowed.

"What will the family’s reaction be?"

"Organizing Qi Refining cultivators to collectively switch to the Five Elements Qi Law is the expected course of action."

"If I can make good use of my connection with Chen Cha, it seems I might be able to enter the Molten Immortal Palace through the City Lord’s channels."

Ning Zhuo decided to wait and see, waiting for the situation to ferment into a suitable opportunity.

His choice was correct.

A few days later, someone from the family came to his small room to inform him that he had been selected to be one of the members of the Ning family switching to the Five Elements Qi Law.

Ning Zhuo followed orders, disguised himself, returned to the family, and attended the first collective training session.

"A-Zhuo, you’re here too?" Ning Yong was very happy to see Ning Zhuo.

Ning Chen also walked over and nodded slightly at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo greeted them both and looked around.

He discovered that most were from branch families; members of the Ning family’s main line were quite rare.

"I heard that an elder in the clan wanted Ning Xiaohui to participate, but she flatly refused and even caused a scene," Ning Yong whispered in Ning Zhuo’s ear.

Ning Xiaohui was a classmate of the three of them and had been the top student from beginning to end, even in the grand examinations.

Ning Chen said: "She has an aptitude we can only envy—Ice-Fat Jade Hands; why would she risk switching cultivation methods? I think her decision was not wrong."

"Even I would rather choose to cultivate the 'Snow Domain Talisman Canon' than the Five Elements Qi Law, which only has three layers!"

Ning Zhuo heard clear resentment in Ning Chen’s words.

But there was no help for it; who told them they were all small fries?

The training was much shorter than expected, only announcing: selected Ning family members were to actively switch to the new cultivation method, and the top ten would receive different resource rewards. Then, that afternoon, they announced the dismissal.

According to Ning Zhuo’s observation, he found that the clansmen had developed a strong motivation to switch because of the rewards.

But Ning Zhuo would certainly not go to claim these rewards.

No one knew he was already at the second layer of Qi Refining.

He would definitely keep this secret and not expose it voluntarily.

Just as he was about to leave the family grounds, Ning Zhuo was intercepted halfway by his uncle, Ning Ze: "Cultivate well, Little Zhuo. I spent money to arrange for you to get in."

Ning Zhuo gasped, his face flushing red, both ashamed and guilty, and bowed to thank Ning Ze: "Uncle, I have... I have caused you trouble."

Ning Ze nodded slightly: "As long as you know."

He had no choice. The young clan leader, Ning Xiaoren, was pressing hard, even threatening to arrange for Ning Ji to be on the list for the cultivation switch.

Facing such a threat, Ning Zhuo’s aunt, Wang Lan, immediately compromised and was willing to let go.

Ning Ze could only offer a heavy gift to the young clan leader.

The young clan leader took the gift and immediately arranged for Ning Zhuo to be on the list.

In the days that followed, Ning Zhuo secretly cultivated with all his might while taking time to attend family training, gradually revealing his cultivation of the Five Elements Qi Law.

He hid his talent deeply, his progress in the switch being average and entirely unremarkable.

But in secret, he did not stint on spirit stones, using them crazily, his magic power accumulating rapidly, soaring from the second layer of Qi Refining all the way to the third.

Tonight, Ning Zhuo reached the peak of the third layer.

"There is no further progress to be made. During this time, the Dharma-Transmitting Bell has also been completely silent." Ning Zhuo sighed, "Sigh... when will the Ning family’s switching team be able to enter the Molten Immortal Palace?"

He did not know that deep within the Molten Immortal Palace, on a five-sided stone pillar slowly rotating on its own, his name, Ning Zhuo, was slowly appearing.

Qi Refining Ranking, First Place, Ning Zhuo!

The next moment, the Dragon-Turtle Fire Spirit on the throne let out a high-pitched cry.

Divine Ability—Human Life Hanging by a Thread!

Invisible threads pierced through space, instantly hanging onto Ning Zhuo.

Before Ning Zhuo could react, his soul was pulled away by the threads, pierced through space, and entered the Molten Immortal Palace directly! ===== CHAPTER 35 =====