Chapter 324: Mother and Son Rely on Each Other (Requesting Monthly Tickets)
One year, two years, three years.
The intervals between when the Buddhist Doctor, Meng Yaoyin, regained consciousness grew longer and longer.
Previously, she could see Ning Zhuo several times a year. Gradually, it became only once every two or three years.
Ning Zhuo was engrossed in studying the Puppet Arts, working tirelessly without sleep. Ning Ze and others tried to dissuade him, and the elders at the academy told him to balance his efforts, but he brushed them all aside and pretended to agree—what could be more important than his mother?
One late night, the Buddhist Doctor, Meng Yaoyin, appeared.
After examining Ning Zhuo’s foundation in the Puppet Arts, Meng Yaoyin smiled in relief, “My son has been diligently studying. Your foundation in the Puppet Arts is incredibly solid. Though your cultivation is low, it’s already enough to help your mother.”
“Mother, what should I do?” Ning Zhuo asked eagerly.
Meng Yaoyin said, “I am already dead, and only my spirit remains. Now, my spirit is fading due to a Dao injury. Only by sealing myself can I extend my time.”
“Normally, with your early Qi Refining Stage cultivation, you wouldn’t be able to control a Golden Core-level puppet.”
“But my Buddha Heart Demon Seal can break this norm!”
“You will use the Heart Seal, combined with the puppet parts I modified in my role as a Buddhist Doctor, and my spirit’s natural affinity with you, to barely control the puppet.”
Meng Yaoyin then taught Ning Zhuo the method to control her.
Ning Zhuo mastered it at once. His eyes gleamed with a faint light, and he could influence the Buddhist Doctor’s actions.
Meng Yaoyin was relieved and gave a final instruction, “Zhuo'er, I’ve modified the Buddhist Doctor puppet to ensure it won’t completely return to the Immortal Palace.”
“After I seal myself, the Buddhist Doctor will act according to its own restrictions and my lingering spirit. It will linger in Huoshi Mountain, constantly slaying Flame Beasts to maintain the Immortal Palace.”
“I will no longer be able to regain consciousness on my own, and you will need to awaken me from outside. For this, I’ve already thought of a solution.”
“I am from the Feiyun Kingdom and have improved the sealing technique, laying down arrangements... using the cultivators exploring Huoshi Mountain... selling the Wishful Silk Ropes... once you need me to act, mix in a special cloud thread...”
Ning Zhuo listened attentively, not daring to miss a single word.
In the end, Ning Zhuo asked, “Mother, I recently re-read *Essentials of the Lava Immortal Palace*, and whether it’s the Great Serpent Sickle or you, you both went through the Golden Furnace. Why can the Golden Furnace refine spiritual essence? Does the restriction come from a particular scripture? If I obtain it, could I help you regain more spiritual essence?”
Meng Yaoyin smiled faintly, “I’ve already considered that possibility. It’s indeed possible.”
“When you enter the palace in the future, perhaps you can give it a try.”
“However, spiritual essence is one thing, and memory is another. Much of my memory has already been lost, with only the most critical parts remaining.”
“Though I’ve sealed my spirit, I can’t stop the Dao injury from eroding my memory.”
“Zhuo'er, I...”
Meng Yaoyin choked up, her voice trembling slightly, “I... may not remember you in the future. I’ll only act based on my spirit, so please, don’t be sad!”
Ning Zhuo’s eyes immediately reddened, his voice hoarse but firm, “Mother, I will definitely find a way! Don’t worry, I’ll take the Immortal Palace, I will definitely save you!”
Meng Yaoyin reached out, stroking Ning Zhuo’s face, her eyes full of affection, “Of course, I believe you. Zhuo'er, how fortunate I am to have a good child like you.”
“After being with you for so many years, I’m already content.”
“Seizing the Immortal Palace isn’t important.”
“Neither is your mother.”
“You will have your own life, and your own path...”
Ning Zhuo interrupted, “Mother! Don’t say any more...”
He hugged his mother, and for the first time since growing up, he wept.
...
Sixteen years old.
“Mother, things have changed! The Lava Immortal Palace has lowered its standards to the Qi Refining Stage... Perhaps I’ll never have the chance again in this lifetime!”
Ning Zhuo decided to destroy the Immortal Palace.
He “accidentally” encountered Ning Chen and Ning Yong.
Ning Chen provoked him, “If I were your uncle and aunt, seeing you living miserably in an insignificant workshop, how would I feel?”
“Perhaps thinking: Look, this Ning Zhuo doesn’t know his limits. Without our help, he can only live in hardship, gradually sinking to the bottom tier of cultivators!”
Ning Zhuo’s heart was alert, “Something’s off about Ning Chen!”
Outwardly, he frowned and his expression darkened as if his defenses had been shattered.
Ning Chen smirked inwardly and pressed harder, unaware that Ning Zhuo was merely playing along.
Ning Zhuo later met with Ning Zhanji. He and the family cultivators ventured deep into Huoshi Mountain.
Ning Zhanji advised, “You’re still young. Don’t focus solely on making money. Remember, investing in yourself is the best path to success.”
“Once you reach the Foundation Establishment stage, your life will change drastically.”
Ning Zhuo confirmed his suspicions, “It’s Ning Zhanji who’s plotting against me. Though there are others behind him... hmph, trying to trick me? I might as well take care of this one first.”
After entering Huoshi Mountain, Ning Zhuo used his Heart Seal to contact the Buddhist Doctor puppet.
His eyes gleamed with a faint light, controlling the puppet as it slaughtered Flame Beasts while setting up a simple formation as bait.
The Ning family cultivators soon fell into the trap—
“There's a Fire Fusion Demon Ape ahead!” Suddenly, a scout in the group shouted in alarm.
The Ning family’s team ventured deeper, surrounded by beasts, and had to form a defensive formation.
Meanwhile, the Buddhist Doctor puppet approached the Lava Immortal Palace, drawing Zheng Shuanggou’s attack.
“Scoundrel, how dare you covet the Immortal Palace? Leave your life here!” Zheng Shuanggou roared.
The shadowy demon-cultivator Buddhist Doctor, under Ning Zhuo’s control, cackled with an elderly voice, “The treasures of the cultivation world belong to those destined for them. You think your Huoshi Immortal City’s clans can monopolize the Lava Immortal Palace? Dream on!”
In the ensuing battle, the shadowy demon-cultivator casually struck down Ning Zhanji.
“Lord Ning Zhanji!” the Ning family cultivators cried out. But Ning Zhanji fell to the ground with wide eyes, dying with unresolved grievances.
...
The Immortal Palace’s explosion brought it out into the world, and the sound of the teaching bell echoed throughout the city, greatly surprising Ning Zhuo.
He, along with the other Ning family cultivators, were taken back to the prison for interrogation.
Ning Zhuo, to be safe, controlled the Buddhist Doctor puppet to follow him. If he were exposed, he’d use the puppet to rescue himself.
Ning Zhuo passed the interrogation smoothly, but something unexpected happened as he left the prison.
Chi Dun’s Alert Bell sensed something and led Chi Dun to find the Buddhist Doctor puppet.
The two Golden Core cultivators fought.
The Ning family cultivators, fearing collateral damage, fled in panic.
Ning Chen and Ning Yong also tried to pull Ning Zhuo along to escape.
But Ning Zhuo said, “Why run? Let’s go back to the prison. It’s safer there!”
The two were stunned.
Ning Zhuo grabbed their hands, “Trust me, it’s the right move.”
The three of them returned to the prison.
Ning Chen and Ning Yong were restless.
Ning Zhuo pretended to be at ease, eating fruit and drinking tea, while secretly focusing his mind to control the Buddhist Doctor, fighting and retreating.
In the moment of crisis, he thought of Fei Si and boldly controlled the puppet to dash into Huoshi Forest.
Fei Si acted as Ning Zhuo expected, stopping Chi Dun in his tracks.
...
Ning Zhuo, under the alias Chuitaoke, gathered Sun Lingtong and Han Ming and successfully robbed the Ziyang Courtyard of its medicinal pills.
Ning Zhuo managed to outwit Han Ming.
Sun Lingtong suggested testing the pills and keeping them.
Ning Zhuo shook his head, “I strongly advise against it.”
“This time, we accidentally encountered Meng Chong. He’s the grandson of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Our actions could easily be interpreted as plotting against him.”
Ning Zhuo snorted, “Isn’t it simple? Just toss them into Huoshi Forest.”
Sun Lingtong was momentarily stunned, but his eyes soon gleamed with excitement, clapping his hands in praise, “Brilliant, brilliant indeed!”
It truly
was brilliant.
The medicinal pills were openly delivered to the Buddhist Doctor, significantly reducing any link between Chuitaoke, Sun Lingtong, and the shadowy demon-cultivator.
With the Buddhist Doctor’s purifying Buddha light, even if the Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pill or Foundation Establishment Pills had tracking techniques planted by Foundation Establishment cultivator Sun Lie, they would be thoroughly cleansed.
...
The Huoshi Festival.
Chen Cha sighed with admiration for Yuan Dasheng’s reliability.
Ning Zhuo remained silent, a faint glimmer swirling in his eyes.
Inwardly, he sneered, “Reliable?”
“I’ve plotted all this time, waiting for this very moment.”
Suddenly, a dozen puppet monkeys broke free from the cultivators’ control and attacked Yuan Er.
The assassination failed.
Yuan Dasheng turned back and continued picking persimmons.
On the mountainside, the gleam in Ning Zhuo’s eyes reached its peak.
“Come, come.” He whispered in his heart.
The earlier assassination had already attracted the attention of the Golden Core cultivators. The following explosion further diverted almost everyone’s focus.
Taking advantage of this, the Buddhist Doctor shrank and slipped into the storage array of a Fire Burst Monkey.
Once the puppet monkeys had gathered enough persimmons, they were remotely controlled by the Foundation Establishment cultivators to return.
They would stand in a large circular formation and spit out the persimmons from their storage arrays, piling them on the ground.
Whenever the pile reached a height of one zhang, the formation would activate, teleporting the persimmons directly to the city lord’s granary.
In this way, the shadowy demon-cultivator mysteriously disappeared!
A group of Golden Core cultivators looked grim.
The ancestor of the Zhou family questioned Zhu Xuanji’s Golden Eyes talent.
Zhu Xuanji responded proudly, “I can only tell you this: I’ve mastered the Celestial Golden Eyes to the point of nearly developing a divine ability. In my ten-plus years in the Detective Division, only three Golden Core cultivators have ever withstood the gaze of my Golden Eyes. Below the Golden Core stage, no living being can escape my sight!”
...
Ning Zhuo’s soul entered the Immortal Palace, and during the reward phase, he directly chose the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra*!
The Buddhist scripture swiftly transmitted into Ning Zhuo’s mind.
“Just as I thought!” Ning Zhuo was first excited, then stunned.
The content of the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra* moved him deeply!
At that moment, he nearly wept with joy.
“Mother, the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra* can refine spiritual essence and help you regain your essence.”
“It must be the restriction from the Golden Furnace.”
“Mother, I’ve found it!”
...
The city lord’s mansion dispatched assassins to attack the geniuses from three families.
Ning Zhuo sat in a secluded cultivation chamber, surrounded by floating clouds, obscuring the view.
He turned to stare in a certain direction, his brows furrowed, his eyes flickering with a faint light.
The Buddhist Doctor hid nearby, constantly protecting Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo used the Buddhist Doctor to instantly kill the assassin. His heart stirred, “Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to help Mother regain her spiritual essence?”
The Buddhist Doctor collected the assassin’s corpse and hid inside a carriage.
Clip-clop!
A series of rapid hoofbeats approached.
A carriage seemed to lose control, charging toward the small courtyard.
Boom!
The carriage exploded, flames engulfing the area.
Under the cover of the hidden clouds, the *Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra* refined the courtyard.
It extracted specks of spiritual light and infused them into the Buddhist Doctor.
The Buddhist Doctor regained vitality.
Its spiritual essence increased and it could now wield its innate celestial abilities and divine powers, with its strength further restored.
“Mother!” Ning Zhuo choked up as he reunited with his mother in the sea of flames.
“Who... are you?” The Buddhist Doctor, Meng Yaoyin, asked.
Ning Zhuo froze completely.
The Buddhist Doctor, Meng Yaoyin, spoke softly, “Why do I feel so close to you? You must be someone very important to me, right?”
Ning Zhuo’s eyes reddened, his voice trembling, “Mother, I’m your child. I’m Ning Zhuo.”
“Ning... Zhuo?” The Buddhist Doctor, Meng Yaoyin, looked confused.
She couldn’t remember.
(End of this chapter)