Chapter 9

Underground workshop.

The gentle light of the spirit lamp evenly covered the entire space.

Unlike Ning Zhuo sat at the table, checking the storage bag in his hand for the last time.

This was the spoils he obtained from the Three Ghosts of the Huang Family in the black market earlier.

Confirming safety, Unlike Ning Zhuo began to crack the micro-array on the first storage bag, then forged the aura and divine sense of the original owner, and finally successfully induced the storage bag to open.

In the first storage bag, there were a few spirit stones, a spirit pet Green Blade Mantis, and some materials suitable for ghost cultivators, such as dark essence, soul essence, and nether flowers.

The second storage bag contained hundreds of spirit stones, and the ghost cultivator materials were only a group of yin wind and a ghost cultivation technique jade slip "Yin Bone Technique," which could transform one's own bones.

The third storage bag belonged to the eldest of the Three Ghosts of the Huang Family, and there were two layers of arrays, which made Unlike Ning Zhuo's cracking difficulty and time increase sharply.

"A bit interesting." The youth's eyes shone brightly.

The higher the difficulty and the stronger the resistance, the more it stimulated his fighting spirit.

He devoted himself wholeheartedly, enjoying the fun of challenging difficult problems.

After spending nearly half an hour, he finally cracked it successfully.

Just after opening, a little ghost head pounced on Unlike Ning Zhuo's face.

Unlike Ning Zhuo snorted secretly, having been prepared long ago. At the critical moment, his My Buddha Heart Demon Seal in his sea of consciousness flashed a light, capturing the little ghost head. Subsequently, the defense array on the manual workbench was activated, instantly beating the little ghost head into soul dissipation.

The little ghost head was like the last stubbornness of the Huang family ghost eldest.

Up to this point, his storage bag had no more defenses against Unlike Ning Zhuo.

There were over a thousand spirit stones and two jade slips, which were respectively the ghost cultivation technique "Nether Heart Sutra" and the ghost cultivation spell "Detailed Explanation of Soul-Guiding Technique." There was also a large pile of cultivation materials, not just items suitable for ghost cultivation.

"Fire essence?!" Unlike Ning Zhuo's pupils expanded slightly, discovering about ten catties of fire essence.

Joy immediately appeared on his face.

Suppressing his excitement, Unlike Ning Zhuo pulled out the drawer and grabbed another handful of Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake from the drawer.

With a push of magic power, he burned the packaging paper on the surface of the cake, and some ashes flew away, just like the ashes of corpses burned in an alchemy furnace.

He opened his mouth and stuffed all the pastries in his hand into it.

Chewing.

Under the illumination of the spirit light lamp, his lips were bright red, occasionally revealing white teeth. The Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake was crushed between his teeth and lips, the filling flowed out, and they mixed together. It was as if those many cultivators who fell into his hands were screaming in the grinding, and then their flesh and blood were crushed, turning into the nutrition for Unlike Ning Zhuo's growth.

The world of cultivators is cruel; without the gray business of things like the Up-Down As-You-Wish Rope, and without the contributions of these demonic cultivators, how could Unlike Ning Zhuo afford to eat so many Golden Silk Jade Dew Cakes?

Unlike Ning Zhuo ate the Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake while happily counting the gains in the black market last night.

Selling the Up-Down As-You-Wish Rope earned him 24,000 spirit stones.

Among them, his uncle Ning Ze purchased 80 Up-Down As-You-Wish Ropes for the Ning clan, contributing the bulk.

Compared to this, the spirit stones on the Three Ghosts of the Huang Family were pitifully few.

"The Up-Down As-You-Wish Rope I made is the best down-hole rope that can be purchased on the market. Therefore, this business has always been good."

"Looking at it this way, the Ning clan is making such a big war preparation, and there will be big moves?"

"Sigh, the cultivation world is people eating people!"

"There are always people with ulterior motives, bullying a normal youth like me."

"Those three ghost cultivators went out to rob, naturally they were poor. However, the ten catties of fire essence exceeded my expectations, it was really a surprise."

"In this way, the fire essence I prepared has reached thousands of catties, enough!"

For the past few years, Unlike Ning Zhuo had been secretly accumulating fire essence. For safety, he only collected a little bit from the market every time, accumulating bit by bit. According to his speed, to prepare ten catties of fire essence, it would probably take more than a month.

Now it's good, this large batch of fire essence immediately made up for his last gap.

Counting the harvest, Unlike Ning Zhuo also calculated the losses in the black market last night.

He took out a silver-gray token from his bosom.

The front of the token was a "Cang" character, and the back was a "Han" character.

Unlike Ning Zhuo threw it lightly, and the token disintegrated, extended, and expanded in the air, radiating dazzling light. After the light dissipated, the mechanical battle armor Cang Tie Han Jia floated quietly in mid-air.

Unlike Ning Zhuo opened a section of the spine of the mechanical battle armor, where a Foundation Establishment Pill was embedded.

"The Foundation Establishment Pill only has three tenths left."

This pill is quite critical, and it is one of the elements that allows the Cang Tie Han Jia to exert Foundation Establishment combat power. Unlike Ning Zhuo himself only has Qi Refining cultivation.

"If the Foundation Establishment Pill is used up, the Cang Tie Han Jia will not be able to be used."

"Sigh, the difficulty of getting a Foundation Establishment Pill is very great." Unlike Ning Zhuo frowned.

This is Unlike Ning Zhuo's biggest loss last night.

Last night, a new scar was added.

It was the stab mark left by the eldest of the Three Ghosts of the Huang Family before he died, and Unlike Ning Zhuo was also helpless about this.

If you look closely, you will find that the surface of this mechanical battle armor is actually already covered with scars.

Some are old injuries, and some are marks left when Unlike Ning Zhuo fought after wearing it.

"Mother..." Unlike Ning Zhuo touched the old scars, his gaze becoming sad.

Fourteen years ago, he was only two years old, and his mother gave him instructions before she died.

He thus learned: There is a Molten Xian Gong in Fire Persimmon Mountain, which is a mechanical immortal city, and the city spirit secretly selects cultivators to inherit the immortal city. His mother was one of the Foundation Establishment cultivators selected. The immortal city had layers of tests, and the difficulty was extremely great. Because his mother was outstanding in strength, she was jointly targeted by other competitors and finally died of serious injuries.

"The immortal city is constantly decaying, and the selection criteria are lowered accordingly. Zhuo'er, when you are fourteen years old, the selection criteria of the mechanical immortal city will be lowered to the Qi Refining stage. This will be your greatest opportunity!"

"Zhuo'er, you must study mechanical art well, don't let others know about your investment in this area."

"You must personally design mechanical creations, personally assemble them, and personally manipulate them; these are the assessment contents of the mechanical immortal city."

"If you are among the top few among other candidates, you will be identified as a mechanical seed and will be cultivated by the mechanical city. This point is especially important for you, because you need the cultivation resources of the Molten Xian Gong more than others who have backgrounds."

"You must not use Ning clan techniques to cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage! Your mother, I, was a mechanical seed in the Foundation Establishment stage, but it's a pity that my dantian was already set, and I couldn't change my technique. Many tests in the Molten Palace were doubled in difficulty because I didn't cultivate the techniques left by the Three Sects Ascendant, and I finally had to stop helplessly."

"Cough cough cough!"

Two-year-old Unlike Ning Zhuo cried in great fear: "Mother, don't talk anymore, you are vomiting blood!"

Unlike Ning Zhuo's mother stretched out her hand, stroking Unlike Ning Zhuo's little head, her eyes full of reluctance and worry: "Zhuo'er, Mother is sorry for you, I can't protect you. You lost your father and mother, and from now on you are alone, you can only rely on yourself."

"Don't be too loyal to the family. Your father made this mistake!"

"Your father entrusted you to the young leader Ning Xiaoren before he died, asking him to take care of you. But this person, I have seen through him; he is inconsistent in word and deed, and cannot be relied upon."

"Your uncle and aunt are one who cares about face, and one who is extremely stingy; neither is a generous person, so you must also pay attention."

"Sometimes, the relatives and friends around you are often more dangerous than enemies!"

"Don't be too outstanding; Father and Mother are gone, and no one is your true reliance. You must hide yourself well, don't perform too poorly, mediocrity is enough. You must grow up plainly, accumulate quietly, and don't attract attention."

"Mother has seen too much; how many geniuses died young..."

"Mother's Cang Tie Han Jia is left to you for self-protection; it has the power of Foundation Establishment."

"And this magic treasure - My Buddha Heart Demon Seal! This was obtained by Mother by chance from the Molten Xian Gong, and it must not be exposed."

When Unlike Ning Zhuo's mother said this, her voice had already fallen to the limit.

She couldn't stop crying, staring at the two-year-old Unlike Ning Zhuo with all her might. She wanted to look at him, keep looking at him, but her vision gradually darkened.

In the last moments of her life, she fell into hesitation: "Mother doesn't know if teaching you this way is right or wrong."

"Zhuo'er, you must take good care of yourself. If it really doesn't work, give up the Molten Xian Gong."

"Life is the first priority; Mother hopes you live, live well!"

"If you live, Mother will be happy."

Two-year-old Unlike Ning Zhuo gripped his mother's blood-stained clothes tightly: "Mother, Mother, don't talk anymore. I don't want you to die, don't die, woo woo woo..."

Unlike Ning Zhuo's mother finally said: "Good Zhuo'er, don't be afraid, don't be afraid... Mother is here, Mother, Mother will protect you underground..."

The next moment, her mother's heart stopped beating, and her hand slowly slid from Unlike Ning Zhuo's head.

Two-year-old Unlike Ning Zhuo's body trembled violently as if struck by lightning; he raised his head sharply—it was already the appearance of a sixteen-year-old.

The once immature child's face, full of tears, was now replaced by the determined expression of a grown youth.

He had grown up, shouldering the instructions and expectations his mother left before she died.

"Mother, the situation has changed!"

"The City Lord and the Zhou and Zheng families joined forces to increase the suppression of the Red Flame Demon Melting Cave, which greatly reduced the defense pressure of the Molten Xian Gong and reduced the wear and tear. The Molten Xian Gong had no external pressure, the palace's condition remained good, and the palace spirit did not take the initiative to lower the selection criteria."

"This year, the Ning clan also discovered the secret of the Molten Xian Gong. If they also participate in the defense, then when will I be able to wait for the criteria to be lowered?"

"Perhaps I won't be able to wait for it in this life!"

"The major forces of Fire Persimmon Xiancheng are all trying their best to cover up the Molten Xian Gong, wanting to digest this opportunity internally; how can this be?"

"Therefore, I must do it myself!"

"Now, I have accumulated enough fire essence, absolutely enough quantity, to blow up the immortal palace and lower the criteria."

"It's just missing the Fire Explosion Monkey." ===== CHAPTER 10 =====