Chapter 34: Ning Zhuo Enters the Xian Gong

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

First was the jade slip, white as snow.

Ning Zhuo pressed it to his brow, injected his spiritual sense, and after checking, discovered it was a collection of formation techniques called "Curved Snake Spring Formation Collection," authored by Layman Bai Lin.

Ning Zhuo browsed through it slightly, revealing a look of slight surprise.

"This Layman Bai Lin was not of the human race, but a male snake demon."

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

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

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

"Chen Cha obtained this jade slip and studied it diligently, which is how he earned the title of 'Living Formation Master' and gained the ability to create mechanical artifacts."

"He has given me his entire foundation."

The evidence for Ning Zhuo's judgment was that the content of the jade slip contained a large number of Chen Cha's personal annotations, insights, and records of his independent experiments and designs, as well as his experiential knowledge.

Knowledge is priceless.

This was Chen Cha's livelihood; he likely would have hidden a trick or two even if he had taken on an apprentice.

But he hadn't expected Chen Cha to give this jade slip directly to Ning Zhuo.

"This old Chen..."

Ning Zhuo sighed and opened the bag.

Inside the bag were twenty-some wooden balls. The wooden balls were of various sizes; the large ones were like an infant's fist, while the small ones were like the tip of a little finger.

Each wooden ball was divided into two sides: one side was pitch black, the other side was pure white. The black side had the character for "Death," while the white side had the character for "Life."

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

These wooden beads were Chen Cha's original creation; he had designed these mechanical wooden beads based on Layman Bai Lin's formation collection, combined with his own experience and a flash of inspiration.

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

When the wooden bead was flipped to the white "Life" side, the joint would move freely. When the wooden bead was flipped to the black "Death" side, the joint would be locked accordingly.

The beauty of it was that there was a secret connection between these wooden beads; if formation patterns were carved onto the main mechanical components, one or more "Living Formations" could be constructed.

By manipulating these wooden beads, whether "Dead" or "Alive," the mechanical artifact could perform various delicate movements.

"Good stuff."

"The application range of these Half-Dead, Half-Alive Beads is very wide."

"The Fire-Exploding Monkey mechanisms can use them, and the Up-and-Down Wishful Rope seems to be able to as well. The actual performance should be a notch above what it was before."

Ning Zhuo's face revealed joy.

He loved this kind of mechanical artifact too much.

To others, these wooden beads would have 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 discovered it contained 5,118 spirit stones.

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

"This is probably all of old Chen's savings, right?"

Ning Zhuo sighed, feeling a slight sense of guilt.

He put these things away and began to actively recuperate.

The effect of the Nourishing Elixir was very good, 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 Condensation as soon as possible.

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

"I must race against time and go all out!"

"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 Ning Zhuo's mother died, she had indeed instructed him to strive for a high ranking and become a "Mechanical Seed" to receive resource allocation.

Ning Zhuo lacked key information, but he chose to gamble, changing his cultivation to the Five Elements Qi Law without the slightest hesitation.

"Besides cultivating the Five Elements Qi Law, I must also find a way to get close to the Magma Xian Gong."

Ever since the Xian Gong was blown up, the top of the volcano had been under complete martial law, with not a single idler allowed.

"What will the reaction be on the family side?"

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

"If I can make good use of Chen Cha's connection, it seems I might also be able to enter the Magma Xian Gong 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 become one of the Ning family members switching to the Five Elements Qi Law.

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

"Ah Zhuo, you've come too?" Ning Yong was very happy to see Ning Zhuo.

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

Ning Zhuo greeted them both and looked around.

He discovered that most were people from the 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 huge scene." Ning Yong whispered in Ning Zhuo's ear.

Ning Xiaohui was a classmate of the three of them and had been the number one 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? I think this decision is not wrong."

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

From Ning Chen's words, Ning Zhuo heard obvious resentment.

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

The collective training was much shorter than imagined, only announcing: the 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 generally had a strong motivation to switch due to the rewards.

But Ning Zhuo would certainly not go to claim this reward.

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

He would certainly keep this secret for now and would not take the initiative to expose it.

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 said "Ah," 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 either. The young clan leader, Ning Xiaoren, was pressing hard, even threatening him that he would arrange for Ning Ji to be on the list for switching cultivation.

Facing such a threat, Ning Zhuo's aunt, Wang Lan, compromised instantly, willing to let go.

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

The young clan leader took the gift with one hand and arranged for Ning Zhuo to be on the switching list with the other.

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

He hid his talent deeply, his progress in switching cultivation being in the middle, completely unremarkable.

But in secret, he did not stint on spirit stones, using them crazily, his magic power accumulating extremely fast, soaring all the way from the second layer of Qi Condensation 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 Magma Xian Gong?"

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

Qi Condensation 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 hooking onto Ning Zhuo.

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