Chapter 738: Naive

The array Pan Si Niangzi was to set up was called the Rigid-Soft Balanced Nurturing Garden.

This array was carefully selected by Ning Zhuo after considering Pan Si Niangzi's abilities.

Its main materials were: Golden Silkworm Steel Cable, Nether Moon Water Essence.

The former was a metal rope smelted from ten-thousand-year cold iron and red sun gold essence, then tempered a thousand times by a mechanism pedestal.

The latter was an extremely soft wonder produced from the depths of the Nine Nether Sea Eye, with a peculiar form, a mass of slowly flowing deep blue gel.

Pan Si Niangzi adjusted her state in advance and began to urge her life-bound demon fire, wrapping it around a mass of Golden Silkworm Steel Cable.

The Golden Silkworm Steel Cable was not easy to forge; Pan Si Niangzi burned it painstakingly for nearly half an hour before the surface of the steel cable began to melt slightly.

However, after the qualitative change occurred, the subsequent burning became easier, and more of the steel cable melted, with increasing speed.

When the mass of steel cable melted to the point where it could barely maintain its form, Pan Si Niangzi immediately began precise stretching to reshape it.

For a time, her ten fingers flew like phantoms, and while stretching and shaping, she also carved compact array patterns onto the steel cable.

The Golden Silkworm Steel Cable contained abundant Yang Gold Qi, sharp as needles. Every time Pan Si Niangzi carved an array pattern, it inevitably shot out, piercing into her fingertips, infiltrating under the skin of her arms, and invading her meridians one by one.

Pan Si Niangzi's face gradually turned pale, her ten fingers and arms pierced by the Yang Gold Qi, blood beads constantly seeping out.

She gritted her teeth and persisted, refining mass after mass of Golden Silkworm Steel Cable.

When it finally eased, she stood straight, let out a low roar, and poured all her magic power into embedding all the Golden Silkworm Steel Cable into the bulkhead of this mechanism cabin.

Thump.

She knelt halfway on the ground, her face instantly turning deathly pale, sweat pouring down like rain, gasping weakly.

Swallowing an elixir and sitting cross-legged to regulate her breath, Pan Si Niangzi adjusted her state back.

Pan Si Niangzi carefully took out a mass of Nether Moon Water Essence. This object was extremely cold and could not be shaped by conventional methods.

Pan Si Niangzi first spat out her own spider silk, hastily setting up a small temporary array, then sat cross-legged in the array, holding the Nether Moon Water Essence in her arms, and dispatching her spiritual sense.

Her spiritual sense pierced into the interior of the Nether Moon Water Essence, forcibly guiding its flow, constructing it step by step from the inside out, to obtain a new form that met the requirements.

The extreme Yin cold qi of the Nether Moon Water Essence eroded along her spiritual sense, making Pan Si Niangzi's spiritual sea feel like it had fallen into an ice prison, her soul body aching faintly.

Under her forced guidance, the Nether Moon Water Essence wove out sheets of Lesser Yin Spirit-Nurturing Talismans.

When Pan Si Niangzi finished processing the Nether Moon Water Essence, only half a cup of tea's time had passed.

But Pan Si Niangzi's mental exhaustion was immense; her eyes were tightly closed, blood drops oozing from between her brows, her whole person collapsed to the ground, sweat almost soaking her entire body, waves of intense dizziness constantly striking, leaving her on the verge of fainting.

Processing the two main materials was only the first step in setting up the array.

Next, she had to arrange the masses of Nether Moon Water Essence separately in the cabin to form the rigid-soft array base.

She had to carve the Two-Yi Spirit-Turning Talismans into the Yin-Yang dual-colored stones; this was the most critical hub rune.

She had to lay out the dry withered wood into pipes to lead in Yang fire. She had to make the Yin frost stones into fine tubes to receive Yin qi.

The biggest hurdle was the first time the array was activated, which required Pan Si Niangzi to act as a human array base, operating the Yin-Yang Guidance Technique, using her own meridians as a bridge to forcibly guide the violent Yin-Yang dual qi to initially fuse!

Pan Si Niangzi's breathing gradually adjusted, she weakly sat up her upper body, and began to recuperate against time.

According to Ning Zhuo's orders, she needed to do her best to build this Rigid-Soft Balanced Nurturing Garden as soon as possible.

No way, who told her she had already become Ning Zhuo's slave.

With strong contract constraints, Pan Si Niangzi could only obediently follow orders.

However, compared to before, Pan Si Niangzi now had much more awe in her heart.

She saw more of Ning Zhuo's background: "Where I am now should be the mechanism magic treasure—Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon!"

"This object can be big or small, can rise or fall, can be arrogant or hidden... shuttling through the void as if walking on flat ground. It is at least a Nascent Soul-level treasure!"

Pan Si Niangzi remembered very clearly that Seeing Ban Ji had once mentioned it casually, expressing envy and longing for the Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon.

"That Ning Zhuo actually has such a magic treasure on him!"

"If Seeing Ban Ji knew about this, it would inevitably generate intense greed, making him even more determined to take action against Ning Zhuo."

Pan Si Niangzi had cooperated with Seeing Ban Ji many times and knew Seeing Ban Ji's character very well. The latter would almost always go all out for excellent mechanism creations, not hesitating to use any means to get his hands on them.

"But how should I leak this secret?"

The reason Pan Si Niangzi obeyed Ning Zhuo was firstly the slave contract, and secondly, Ning Zhuo's soul-searching ability was too strong, making her terrified and fearful, forcing her to bow her head.

But she didn't want to be like this for the rest of her life.

She soon thought of inciting Seeing Ban Ji to deal with Ning Zhuo, creating chaos, thereby allowing her to strive for a chance to regain her freedom.

"Be cautious, be careful!"

"I've already fallen once, I can't be careless again!"

"Ning Zhuo's personal strength is indeed not bad, but he is ultimately just a junior at the Foundation Establishment stage. How could he possess and control such a heavy treasure? This is definitely not his own foundation!"

"The family behind him has extraordinary strength, actually handing a mechanism dragon to a junior in the family to carry."

Pan Si Niangzi's eyes flashed with brilliance.

"Since even a Nascent Soul-level mechanism magic treasure can be bestowed, then there must be someone protecting Ning Zhuo by his side."

"According to the grade of the mechanism dragon, this protector is at least a Jin Dan-level powerhouse, and very likely possesses means to rival a Nascent Soul in a short time."

It is quite rare for a true Nascent Soul-level cultivator to protect someone personally.

In the cultivation world, great power is often concentrated in the individual.

Once a cultivator's cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul stage, they need to be supervised. Even rogue cultivators who are free to move will be watched and monitored by people and forces around them at all times.

For righteous forces, if a Nascent Soul-level cultivator wants to enter or leave the country, they must communicate in advance and get permission or be invited before they can act. Otherwise, it will be seen as spying, provocation, or even an attack.

This is a social tacit understanding formed over a long time.

In Pan Si Niangzi's view, an excellent junior like Ning Zhuo, the hope of the family, must have a protective trump card.

Within the scope of this trump card, a Nascent Soul-level mechanism dragon is normal, but a Nascent Soul-level cultivator is abnormal.

Unless Ning Zhuo reported it to the Wanxiang Sect in advance.

However, once reported, the Wanxiang Sect, out of respect (and wariness) for Nascent Soul cultivators, would inevitably hold banquets and invitations.

At least Seeing Ban Ji and Pan Si Niangzi did not detect such actions or traces.

Pan Si Niangzi dared not act rashly. "This powerhouse protecting Ning Zhuo is very likely hiding in this Ten Thousand Mile Wandering Dragon as well. Perhaps he is meditating and monitoring me next door."

Thinking of this, Pan Si Niangzi felt a chill down her spine.

When she set up the array, she dared not be the slightest bit slack, and her effort to do her best was partly because she was controlled by Ning Zhuo, and partly a "special performance" under the gaze of a "hidden expert."

"I need to be careful and more careful!"

"And I must actively perform with all my might, striving to paralyze Ning Zhuo and the hidden expert, then patiently wait for a good opportunity..."

She did not know that above her head, there was a hanging thread she could not see at all times.

One end of the hanging thread was linked to her, and the other end was straight up, disappearing halfway, but actually connected to Ning Zhuo.

Divine Ability—Human Life Hanging Thread!

Ning Zhuo was cautious by nature, and this time putting Pan Si Niangzi into the mechanism dragon, he naturally made proper arrangements.

The divine ability Human Life Hanging Thread he mastered was the most reliable precaution. This divine ability allowed Ning Zhuo to check Pan Si Niangzi's state at any time.

Through the solidity of the Human Life Hanging Thread, Ning Zhuo could "see" the loyalty of the object of the hanging thread.

Obviously, Pan Si Niangzi's was not high.

"But she is performing quite well." Ning Zhuo was on the stone platform, checking Pan Si Niangzi from time to time, finding that the latter was diligent and went all out, which surprised Ning Zhuo slightly.

Ning Zhuo's thoughts turned, and he soon understood.

"It seems she chose to endure."

"This is a smart person."

Ning Zhuo was very familiar with enduring, and had the right to speak on it. He started enduring when he was two years old.

The struggle for the Lava Immortal Palace on Fire Persimmon Mountain, where Ning Zhuo became the biggest beneficiary, was the result of his enduring for more than ten years, which could be said to be remarkable.

Evil-Slaying Hall hall, stone platform in the array.

The old cultivator nodded slightly, appreciation for Ning Zhuo flowing in his eyes, stroking his beard and saying: "Second question: The sins of the world are intertwined. Cutting off the branches and leaves is easy, but cutting off the roots is difficult."

"Some are even worse, hiding filth and dirt, using 'the law does not prohibit' as a shield, using 'willing to hit and willing to suffer' as a blade, conducting illegal trades that nourish evil spirits and disrupt the order."

"This business is insidious and filthy, eroding the foundation of the human path, yet it is deeply rooted and involves a wide range. If you encounter this matter, how should it be handled?"

Ning Zhuo's heart moved, and he immediately felt: The second question was more complex and introverted than the first. It was not only confirming the cultivator's attitude toward evil again, but also testing the cultivator's means.

"But I cannot show too many 'means', which is inconsistent with the 'young genius' I show outside."

"I should focus more on the display of attitude, which is the correct answer."

Ning Zhuo's political attainments far exceeded his age and appearance, and he was extremely mature. In Fire Persimmon Immortal City, even Zhu Xuanji had been deceived by him for a time, so fooling these people now was naturally a piece of cake.

Immediately, Ning Zhuo thought for a few breaths, then his lips sank, outlining a cold arc: "'The law does not prohibit'? Evil thoughts are filthy soil! When filthy soil breeds, it needs thunder to plow the courtyard!"

"'Willing to hit and willing to suffer'? It's just poisonous bait for jackals to lure foolish sheep into the trap! All such things are demonic obstacles, all in the category of being executed!"

"No matter how deep the roots are, no matter how wide the connections are, once seen, you must cut off the roots, burn the nest, and sever the pulse!"

"Even if there are thousands of threads, you should swing your sword and cut them! Such attached sores, if you allow them for one day, you harm one more person. If you don't cut when you should, you will suffer chaos instead!"

Without trading, there is no killing.

The high-level cultivators of the Evil-Slaying Hall heard Ning Zhuo's answer, many of them raised their eyebrows, feeling the sharpness and determination of the youth.

The old cultivator stroked his beard again, evaluating in his heart: "Although the means are lacking, and the understanding is not deep, isn't this exactly what a young boy should look like?"

"Never condone any sin, what a good youth."

"If everyone in this world thought this way, how could there be so many sinful trades hidden in the dark?"

"Even if most people thought this way, the human world would be full of bright light, and the righteous path would be prosperous!"

"What a pity."

"People in the world are often sophisticated, but they lack the spirit of youth, and this 'naivety'!"

For a time, the old cultivator and others became more and more fond of Ning Zhuo, who showed "naivety".

At the same time.

Wanxiang Sect main mountain gate, Thousand Stove Peak.

Yu Heyue led Sun Lingtong, while low-key descending the clouds, saying: "This is Thousand Stove Peak."

Sun Lingtong overlooked this mountain peak.

Unlike most immortal mountains shrouded in clouds and mist with craggy rocks, Thousand Stove Peak's mountain body was relatively thick, the slope was relatively gentle, and there were countless caves excavated on the mountain body in dense layers.

The entrances to these caves varied in size, simple and rough, without the quiet elegance of immortal caves, but more like mortal kiln caves. Often, dried spirit beast meat, dried spirit grain, and repaired magic tool farm tools were hung at the cave entrances, full of fireworks.

Yu Heyue sighed: "This can be considered one of the largest gathering places for rogue cultivators in the sect, and I once lived here for a period of time."

"We didn't come at the right time. Every meal time, the mountain-protecting array on the mountain will be activated, and thousands of stove mouths will light up all over the mountain body. Countless strands of spirit food cooking smoke will rise, and in half a moment, tens of thousands of portions of spirit food can be made."

"These spirit foods are too important for the rogue cultivators at the bottom. Three meals of spirit food a day can provide them with the cheapest and most stable materials, helping them supplement their vitality and aid their cultivation, which is much more cost-effective than using spirit stones themselves."

Sun Lingtong remembered the intelligence and nodded slightly, secretly transmitting: "I know, the mountain-protecting array of Thousand Stove Peak is mainly set up by Gan Douding, the main hall master of the Spirit Kitchen Hall, in coordination with many cultivators of the Heavy Array Peak."

"Its main power and wonderful use is to produce spirit food on a large scale at regular intervals."

Yu Heyue: "That's right... come this way."

He led Sun Lingtong to a market.

On Thousand Stove Peak, spontaneous markets formed in front of several slightly flatter mountain hollows or larger caves. The items sold were mostly low-level elixirs, talismans, spirit plant seeds, second-hand magic tools, cooking insights, and even some mortal utensils.

The two walked through it.

The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and exchanging cultivation insights were endless, mixed with the clashing of pots and pans and the low chirping of spirit beasts, noisy but full of vitality.

This was a huge "shantytown" built on an immortal mountain.

Yu Heyue was in front, Sun Lingtong was behind, the two were silent, walking all the way. Passing through several increasingly deserted narrow alleys, they came to a dilapidated house.

Yu Heyue pushed open a decaying small wooden door familiarly and entered the courtyard.

The courtyard was desolate, with no people.

Yu Heyue did not enter the inner room, but jumped directly into the only dry well in the courtyard. ===== CHAPTER 739 =====