Chapter 206: Four Ways to Eat a Fish
Ning Zhuo had experience when it came to adding spirituality to other items.
The spiritual essence of Yuan Dasheng, Qi Bai, and Ning Xie had all been enhanced through the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra*.
By consuming the relics left behind by these individuals, Ning Zhuo could use the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra* to enhance their spirituality.
The effect was evident, convenient, and quick.
“However, the spirituality used by these two talismans comes from the natural world.”
“It’s not like Yuan Dasheng and the others, who were humans with frequently used items that served as fuel for the fire burial.”
“If I approach it from this perspective, I need to find the places where this spirituality once existed. Should I burn mountains and rivers there?”
As Ning Zhuo calculated, he began to feel something was off.
He wasn’t confident in this approach.
He understood why: “I only know how to use the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra*.”
“I know what it does, but I don’t know why it works.”
From Ning Zhuo’s perspective, the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra* was simply a tool.
It used mana and related relics to exchange for the corresponding spirituality.
For instance, this technique was like a crossbow.
Ning Zhuo could use the crossbow and knew that pulling the trigger would shoot an arrow.
But he didn’t understand the principles behind the crossbow.
Only by understanding the principles could he modify it—perhaps transforming the crossbow into a ballista or altering the arrows to make them fly farther and more accurately.
“I need to understand the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra*.”
“This may be a long process and a massive project.”
“I’ll have to wait until I have time in the future.”
In his current situation, Ning Zhuo was certainly unable to do that.
He had to seize every second to cultivate.
Earlier, he had practiced the *Five Elements Mutual Generation and Restriction Technique* until it became second nature, then he decisively paused.
Because, for the next stage of training, Ning Zhuo couldn’t predict or control how much time it would take.
The pressure from the outside world on Ning Zhuo was simply too great!
His current situation was like that of an egg wedged between two boulders.
The outcome of an egg hitting a stone was obvious.
Ning Zhuo struggled to survive in the cracks between the four major powers, and he hoped to break through the siege and reach the final victory—the throne of the Lava Immortal Palace!
Ning Zhuo knew he had to carefully consider how to spend every minute and second in the most correct, reliable, and fruitful way.
It was very likely that a single wrong decision would lead to his downfall, or even his death, in the near future!
“If I fully understand the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra* one day,”
“Even if it can’t enhance natural spirituality, I could modify it.”
“I could create a new technique based on it to help the *Flowing Cloud Talisman* and the *Profound Ice Pure Snow Talisman* grow in spirituality.”
Soon, Ning Zhuo left the Ning family estate.
He didn’t return to his residence but immediately took a carriage to the Complete Book Pavilion.
There, he promptly sold the follow-up techniques of the *Five Elements Qi Regulation Art* that he had just obtained.
He received a significant amount of Pavilion gold.
Since there were no books he wanted to exchange for at the moment, Ning Zhuo didn’t spend his earnings.
After leaving the Complete Book Pavilion, he sent people to invite Zhou Zhenshen and Zheng Jian to a banquet.
In a private room at a restaurant, he directly handed them two jade slips.
The jade slips contained the follow-up techniques of the *Five Elements Qi Regulation Art*, but only the opening parts of the techniques.
After scanning the jade slips, Zhou Zhenshen and Zheng Jian both showed expressions of shock.
Zheng Jian exclaimed in disbelief, “Could this be the follow-up to the *Five Elements Qi Regulation Art*?”
Ning Zhuo smiled slightly and calmly admitted it.
He informed the two of them that he had led the Ning family’s renovation team and achieved great success in exploring the Lava Immortal Palace!
Not only did they luckily repel the mechanical apes, but they also reached the second Dao Gate.
“Just by touching the Dao Gate, one can obtain the follow-up techniques.”
“Now, I want to sell these techniques to the two of you.”
Zhou Zhenshen and Zheng Jian exchanged glances.
Zhou Zhenshen was the first to react.
“Of course, this is possible!”
“Brother Ning, you could have quietly cultivated these techniques and secured an advantage for the Ning family.”
“But you didn’t do that. Instead, you immediately sold the follow-up techniques to us.”
“I, Zhou Zhenshen, will remember this favor.”
Ning Zhuo laughed and said, “I have my own selfish reasons as well.”
“You both know that my cultivation in this technique has progressed rapidly, as if my talent and physique are particularly suited to it.”
“Next, I’ll surely enter seclusion to train hard and strive to reach the peak of the sixth layer as soon as possible.”
“Only then will I be able to open the second Dao Gate.”
“Not long ago, the City Lord’s Mansion leaked information—Meng Chong and others are also training diligently.”
“Now that we have the follow-up techniques, if we seize the time, we might be able to catch up with them.”
“To be honest, I’m very curious about the rewards on the leaderboard.”
“Perhaps one of us from our three families could make it onto the Lava Immortal Palace’s leaderboard this time.”
Ning Zhuo’s words greatly stirred the competitive spirits of Zhou Zhenshen and Zheng Jian.
Their desire to buy the follow-up techniques surged dramatically.
Zheng Jian immediately said, “Brother Ning, your selflessness in selling us these key follow-up techniques is far more honorable than the likes of Ning Xiaohui!”
“I wonder, Brother Ning, what do you want in return?”
“What do you especially need? Just say it!”
“Is it still related to the Golden Core-grade mechanical apes?”
Ning Zhuo shook his head slightly.
He clarified again, “Regarding the mechanical apes, I increasingly feel I made a mistake. I moved too fast!”
“It’s had some very negative effects.”
“In fact, I only borrowed the strength of our three families to forge the exoskeleton and framework of the mechanical ape. It’s still a long way from being functional.”
“Right now, what I want more is resources that will benefit my own cultivation.”
“Especially things that can purify mana!”
Upon hearing this, both Zheng Jian and Zhou Zhenshen revealed thoughtful expressions.
Zheng Jian clapped his hands and said, “That’s easy. My family has a special tool for purifying mana. I can sell it to Brother Ning.”
Zhou Zhenshen, however, pondered more deeply.
“According to Ning Zhuo’s description, when he reached the second Dao Gate, he wasn’t alone. Other members of the Ning family were with him.”
“I don’t need to buy the follow-up techniques from Ning Zhuo. Maybe I can approach other members.”
“Forget it, there’s no need for that.”
Zhou Zhenshen quickly realized: Ning Zhuo was a man of strategy, just like him.
“Ning Zhuo must have instructed the renovation team members to strictly keep the follow-up techniques confidential.”
“If I do this, it may not succeed.”
“Even if it works, it would sour my relationship with Ning Zhuo.”
“It’s obvious that maintaining a good relationship with Ning Zhuo is more important.”
Thoughts flashed through Zhou Zhenshen’s mind, and soon he said, “Our family can send several array masters to set up a formation at Brother Ning’s residence.”
“Brother Ning can use the formation to purify mana efficiently.”
Ning Zhuo had long planned how to utilize the follow-up techniques of the *Five Elements Qi Regulation Art*.
Within a single day, he sold the technique to four parties.
By selling to four, Ning Zhuo maximized his own benefits.
“Meng Chong is continuously breaking through, and the *Five Elements Qi Regulation Art* is bound to be leaked.”
This was unlike the *Demonic Blood Tendon Technique* and the *Mirror Platform Spirit Technique*, which Ning Zhuo had concealed by raising a stone wall. Everyone was kept in the dark.
If Ning Zhuo didn’t sell, the City Lord’s Mansion would have leaked the techniques anyway.
Now was the most valuable time for the fourth to sixth-layer techniques of the *Five Elements Qi Regulation Art*.
Ning Zhuo seized the opportunity to sell them and indeed sold them at a high price!
He traded for the cultivation resources he most needed to purify mana.
As a branch member of the Ning family, Ning Zhuo wasn’t favored by the main branch.
He had no background or support. If he wanted to cultivate better and faster, he could only rely on his own hands to seize and plan for opportunities.
Not long after Ning Zhuo returned to his residence, a family messenger delivered the *Profound Ice Pure Snow Talisman* to him.
This talisman was pure white, resembling high-quality silk
.
When Ning Zhuo held it, he felt a slight chill.
The talisman’s rune lines were smooth, with sharp strokes, reflecting the unique style of the talisman maker.
Ning Zhuo faintly sensed that the talisman maker’s attainments in talismans were profound. But to what extent, he couldn’t immediately tell.
Ning Zhuo placed the talisman on his palm.
After leaving it there for a while, a thin layer of radiance covered its surface.
Within this radiance, the air temperature dropped, and tiny snowflakes quickly formed.
Each small snowflake was incredibly tiny, as if made of delicate mosquito silk, crystalline and transparent.
“It really has spirituality!”
Ning Zhuo had used the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra* to create many spiritual mechanisms, so he was quite familiar with this feeling of spirituality.
Ning Zhuo began cultivating.
He used the *Profound Ice Pure Snow Talisman* to freeze himself in ice.
When the ice melted away, Ning Zhuo couldn’t suppress his look of delight.
The effect of the *Profound Ice Pure Snow Talisman* was astonishing, far exceeding Ning Zhuo’s highest expectations. The *Dragon Tornado Windmill* couldn’t even compare.
“By using it to purify my three dantians and supplementing it with other methods, I can completely purify myself within seven days, eradicating all foreign energies.”
“The only drawback is the limited spirituality. Every time I use it, its spirituality will deplete!”
“And, I only have fifteen uses.”
Although Ning Zhuo had temporary usage rights, the Ning family patriarch had also imposed strict regulations to prevent Ning Zhuo from overusing the talisman and exhausting its spirituality.
Ning Zhuo thought of the *Flowing Cloud Talisman*.
After using the *Profound Ice Pure Snow Talisman*, he could infer the benefits of the *Flowing Cloud Talisman*.
“No wonder Ning Xiaohui quickly reached the third layer of Qi Refining back then.”
“I’ll urge them tomorrow.”
“The *Flowing Cloud Talisman* should no longer remain in Ning Xiaohui’s hands!”
Even if Ning Zhuo might not need it himself, he had to show urgency.
Besides, taking the *Flowing Cloud Talisman* from Ning Xiaohui would also deal a heavy blow to his competitor.
The former Ning Zhuo was merely a fringe member of the branch family. When he once asked Ning Xiaoren for the *Flowing Cloud Talisman*, Ning Xiaoren had sneered at him, calling it wishful thinking!
Now, through his strategy and methods, Ning Zhuo had risen to a high position in the power struggle among the four major forces.
Even Ning Xiaohui, a member of the Ning family’s main branch, had to willingly offer the treasure to him.
His reputation had spread so far that even Golden Core-level ancestors had heard of him and discussed him.
Others sought the Lava Immortal Palace and the Three Sect Lords’ legacies. Ning Zhuo, however, used the Lava Immortal Palace to play the major powers against each other, extracting countless cultivation resources from them for himself.
Without the resources of these other forces, how could Ning Zhuo have cultivated to this level so quickly?