Chapter 429: Ning Zhuo’s New Divine Ability
“Life-Hanging-by-a-Thread!” Zhu Xuanji’s heart tightened.
If Ning Zhuo had truly mastered this kind of Divine Ability, then the Zhu Family would certainly not let him go.
However, in the next moment, Shen Lingshu’s tone shifted. “But the reason for Ning Jiufan’s fate and fortune climbing so high may also lie within himself.”
“In the realm of fortune, there exists the saying: when misfortune reaches its extreme, prosperity follows.”
“When a person’s luck falls to the very bottom, yet endures through that low point, his fortune will naturally begin to rise again.”
Shen Lingshu continued, “There’s also another possibility—the help of external forces.”
“A strong external force could also cause Ning Jiufan’s luck to surge and climb step by step.”
“For example, in Yugang Mountain Town, the way we treated Ning Jiufan with such courtesy—it naturally affected the current Lord of Yugang Mountain Town, making him warm and welcoming toward Ning Jiufan and even the entire Ning Family.”
“We also added an Official Art to his Official Seal, allowing him to draw upon the nation’s strength to assist in cultivation.”
“And there’s an even more important factor—that would be Granny Yuan.”
Ever since Ning Jiufan was rescued, Zhu Xuanji had taken the initiative to teach him the methods of demon cultivation.
Ning Jiufan then immediately passed the knowledge to Granny Yuan, and in these past days, he had been assisting her earnestly in cultivation.
Granny Yuan was originally a spirit beast. Being of the ape race, her intelligence surpassed that of most other spirit beasts, though still inferior to humans—she remained governed by instinct and emotion.
The Meng Family had hired assassins to lay ambushes, and they prepared methods specifically to target this very weakness of spirit beasts.
However, once Granny Yuan began to cultivate and transformed from spirit beast to demon cultivator, her intelligence would awaken and rise continuously, at the very least becoming equal to that of humans.
Once that happened, methods used to target spirit beasts would no longer work—this would mean an immense improvement for Ning Jiufan, and indeed, for the entire Ning Family’s strength.
From this perspective, Ning Jiufan’s flourishing fortune made perfect sense.
Zhu Xuanji looked bewildered. “But in that case, it still can’t prove that Ning Zhuo has mastered the Divine Ability—Life-Hanging-by-a-Thread, can it?”
Shen Lingshu nodded. “Do you think divination is something so easily determined? The stronger and more unique the target’s fate, the more it involves major events of their life—the harder it is to calculate accurately. In fact, the result you obtain might mislead you, prompting you into taking the wrong action and causing even worse consequences.”
“That is the backlash of divination.”
“And besides, we are trying to calculate Ning Zhuo’s hidden secrets. Our real target isn’t even in front of us, so we can only probe indirectly. That, undoubtedly, makes the task even harder.”
Zhu Xuanji was left speechless.
He looked toward the Mystic Qi-Absorbing Pouch in Shen Lingshu’s hand and asked, “When will this fortune be returned to Ning Jiufan?”
“The time limit is near. Ning Jiufan already intends to leave for Huoshi Immortal City to take part in the struggle over the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Essence.”
“The Meng Family failed to ambush him this time—they will surely prepare new schemes aimed at him.”
“In such circumstances, it’s best to let him go all out.”
Ning Jiufan was crucial—
Even more crucial than Granny Yuan!
If Granny Yuan were lost, the Southern Dou royal family would still have other ways to support their power. Of course, such methods came with costs—the Ning Family would surely have to offer more in their Contract.
The Ning Family was like a nail hammered into Huoshi Immortal City, helping the royal family to resist Meng Kui and prevent the Meng Family from annexing the youngest of all Immortal Cities.
An Immortal City always represented immense profit, and Huoshi Immortal City, sitting atop Mount Huoshi, yielded unending benefit.
Given its potential, it could become the greatest treasure-forging site in all Southern Dou Country.
Yet as of now, its development remained stagnant.
The city stood as the focal point of fierce contention between the Zhu and Meng Families.
The Zhou and Ning Families had already become extensions of the Zhu royal line. The Zhou Family, a local clan, had shown weakness during the earlier conflict over the Lava Immortal Palace.
Thus, the Zhu Family placed greater trust in the Ning Family.
To Zhu Xuanji, Ning Jiufan’s own combat power was already impressive, especially given the deep impression Ning Zhuo had left upon him.
At merely the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Stages, he had dared to covet the Lava Immortal Palace, scheming for over ten years for his mother’s sake—patient, calculating, and at the final moment, fearless enough to stand forth, disregarding life and death. Such loyalty and wisdom spoke volumes of the Ning Family’s virtuous upbringing!
Zhu Xuanji’s view reflected that of the entire Zhu Family.
The Southern Dou royal line generally believed that the Ning Family’s conduct was upright and just—they were the best choice to oppose the Meng Family’s encroachment on Huoshi Immortal City!
“Was the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Essence truly self-emergent? Could it not be Meng Kui’s secret ploy?”
“Even if it just happened by chance, he would surely design a trap to ensnare Ning Jiufan.”
“Ning Zhuo has gone abroad, and his cultivation remains weak—his future may be bright, but as of now, Ning Jiufan, as a Golden Core Cultivator, is the key player.”
Zhu Xuanji explained Ning Jiufan’s importance to Shen Lingshu.
Shen Lingshu nodded. “Rest assured, Xuanji.”
“How could I not know the value of Ning Jiufan?”
“Yet, I will still keep his fortune withheld for now, not releasing it.”
“On one hand, it allows me to further divine the depth of his fortune—and also determine whether Ning Zhuo truly possesses the Divine Ability—Life-Hanging-by-a-Thread. On the other, it serves as a stratagem against Meng Kui.”
“Meng Kui too is skilled in divination. Before the battle, he will certainly divine Ning Jiufan’s fortune.”
“When he finds it lacking, he’ll underestimate him.”
“And at the critical moment, when I suddenly release that fortune, coupled with my spell, Ning Jiufan’s fate will soar tenfold or more!”
“At that time, Meng Kui will be caught completely off guard.”
Upon hearing this careful scheme, Zhu Xuanji instantly understood—Shen Lingshu had planned this all along—and his heart settled.
——
Liangzhu Kingdom, Canglin Immortal City.
The blazing flames gradually subsided.
Jin Li’s face was full of exhaustion.
He sat cross-legged before the artifact-forging furnace for several days straight, without rest or sleep, forming hand seals from time to time, casting spells with his mind wholly absorbed.
Behind him stood Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong, and Zhang Chongyi.
Jin Li barked sharply, “Open for me!”
Chi——!
The furnace door slowly opened. A surge of heat burst forth, turning instantly into mist that filled the entire chamber.
Jin Li raised his little finger and made a slight flick—at once, a gust of wind manifested out of thin air, sweeping all the steam away.
Both Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong could already sense the Wanli Dragon.
The next instant, the miniature Puppet Dragon was drawn out by an invisible force.
Sun Lingtong activated his innate talent; spiritual light shone within his eyes as he examined it closely.
Even to Ning Zhuo’s naked eye, it was clear—the Wanli Dragon was in worse shape than before.
Before entering the furnace, the Puppet Dragon had already sustained thirty percent damage and had yet to be repaired. Now, the degree of damage had risen again, at least to fifty percent!
Especially the rear half of its body—cracks ran everywhere, and many dragon scales had fallen off, exposing the outer armor layer beneath.
Still, since they had to race against time to dispel the effects of the Blood Mark Tracking Art, these sacrifices were the choice that Sun and Ning themselves had made.
Sun Lingtong took the dragon with both hands, examined it for a while, and then gave Ning Zhuo a slow nod.
Only then did Ning Zhuo take out the treasured materials and hand them to Jin Li.
These materials, naturally, had come from the Stone Dwelling Old Monster—each one of Nascent Soul level.
Jin Li smiled in satisfaction and nodded at Ning Zhuo. “Little friend Ning Zhuo, if your Puppet Dragon requires repair, I can lend my hand.”
Ning Zhuo gave a bitter smile, explaining that he was short on funds. Simply resolving the issue with the Blood Mark Tracking Art had already violated the family’s trade commitments.
He planned to seek Jin Li’s help again once he became more financially stable.
Jin Li tossed the materials in his hand and said, “Little friend Ning Zhuo, no need to be so reserved. If you wish to repair the Wanli Dragon now, we can simply sign a Contract between us. Later, you can repay me a bit more than these materials’ worth.”
Ning Zhuo laughed lightly, deflecting the offer with polite words.
The Nascent Soul–level treasures from the Stone Dwelling Old Monster were of such fine quality that Jin Li coveted them greatly—unaware that each carried hidden dangers.
After several dealings with Ning Zhuo, Jin Li had grown fond of him. This collaboration deepened his trust—so much so that he was even willing to let Ning Zhuo owe him temporarily.
After discussing it with Sun Lingtong, Ning Zhuo ultimately declined the enticing proposal.
Having dealt with the tracking spell, the two left the city without returning to the Three Generals Camp, instead sending out a flying message.
They distanced themselves from the Immortal City and entered the Wanli Dragon.
Ning Zhuo went to the engine compartment and poured in a large quantity of Spirit Stones, feeding them to the Puppet Dragon’s furnace.
“This time, we’re truly taking a dangerous gamble,” Ning Zhuo sighed.
The reserves of Fire Essence were nearly exhausted—the Puppet Dragon could no longer return to Thousand Peaks Forest.
He had no choice but to commit all the Spirit Stones he possessed to this perilous journey. And even then, it was barely enough for a one-way trip, so…
He had also embezzled public funds.
Managing the accounts of the Three Generals Camp, he had taken a portion of Spirit Stones from there, mixed them with his own, and poured them all into the furnace.
Sun Lingtong licked his lips and chuckled. “Now that’s what I call excitement.”
Ning Zhuo sighed again.
He was under tremendous financial pressure.
Just by looking at the Wanli Dragon, it was clear—half of it was damaged, and there was simply no way to afford repairs.
He truly had it hard.
Outwardly, he appeared glamorous—everyone believed he was a young master of a great family, wealthy beyond measure, capable of casually taking out Nascent Soul–level materials.
But in reality, all those materials carried problems—they simply had not yet reached their “explosion” deadline.
Ning Zhuo’s foundation had always been thin.
The branch family power behind him was founded by his own hands. It was still in its infancy, crying for nourishment, and could hardly offer Ning Zhuo much support.
To confront the Six Caves Sect and retrieve the Mechanical Carriage Compartment, his best strategy was to join the Liangzhu Kingdom’s side—using borrowed strength to fight strength.
He was walking the right path, and thus had achieved much.
For instance, he had healed Sun Lingtong and dispelled the Blood Mark Tracking Art—each of which had only been possible through the help of Zhang Chongyi and Jin Li. If Ning Zhuo had acted alone, such feats would have been impossible.
But now, he had reached his limit.
Most of the materials from the Stone Dwelling Old Monster had been spent, and his Spirit Stones were running dangerously low. He could barely sustain himself, yet in the future, he might even have to fund the Three Generals Camp!
The Three Generals Camp had to be maintained so that Ning Zhuo could remain on the front lines, searching for opportunities to reclaim the Mechanical Carriage Compartment.
The three generals—Liu, Guan, and Zhang—still seemed worth investing in and maintaining.
Ning Zhuo knew well that Liu Er secretly had high hopes for his investment!
But Ning Zhuo was already nearly broke.
Without money, it would be difficult for him to continue participating in this stage with high status. If he left the Three Generals Camp and joined the Red Flower Camp, under Mu Lan’s strict military code, it would be impossible for him to serve as the Military Advisor and Sacrificial Wine.
Status mattered—it determined how the spoils of war were distributed, and how much strength he could borrow and leverage! It ultimately determined whether he could achieve his goal—to retrieve the Mechanical Carriage Compartment.
In a sense, Ning Zhuo had been driven to a dead end.
Thus, the Stone Dwelling Old Monster had become the life-saving straw right before his eyes.
“This time, I must succeed!” Ning Zhuo silently encouraged himself.
He returned to the Dragon Head Cabin and, together with Sun Lingtong, formally initiated spatial traversal.
The Wanli Dragon vanished instantly.
Within the shroud of darkness, countless silver streaks stretched into straight lines, flashing rapidly past the sides of the Mechanical Dragon’s body.
Cracks slowly spread along the dragon’s body; from time to time, pieces of outer armor split apart and detached from the main body, falling into the darkness and then vanishing into the void.
The void itself was perilous for all tangible things.
Even Nascent Soul Cultivators found it hard to traverse the void with their physical bodies.
A Nascent Soul–level body could barely withstand the corrosion and erosion of the void.
Only the Nascent Soul itself could endure—barely.
Thus, the true value of the Wanli Dragon revealed itself once again!
The darkness dissipated; light burst forth, and the Wanli Dragon emerged directly within the cavern’s depths—before the Stone Sphere.
The large map within the Puppet Dragon was not precise, yet every path it had traveled was recorded, each with the most accurate coordinates.
With those coordinates, it could traverse the void and arrive directly at its destination.
“We’re back! Hahaha, your Sun Lingtong has returned!” Sun Lingtong stood with his hands on his hips, his expression full of vigor and pride.
Ning Zhuo’s eyes burned with determination.
He had already mastered the method of healing Dao Wounds and had succeeded once—he no longer feared the “trap” within this place.
Before coming, he had also sought out Zhang Chongyi, who had prepared medicinal herbs in advance.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong smeared the herbs all over their bodies, turning into two pitch-black, mud-coated herbal figures.
According to the Wanli Dragon’s detection, only the two of them were inside the cavern—no other living beings.
The pair then flew out of the Puppet Dragon, each wielding a pickaxe, and began fiercely mining at the Stone Sphere at the bottom of the cave.
During their absence, the Stone Sphere had already “grown” back to its original state.
Its outer layer was still fragile and easily broken—large sections of stone shell shattered and peeled away, once again revealing the inner layer.
Brilliant treasure light overflowed!
Piles upon piles of precious materials dazzled their eyes and quickened their hearts.
With so many treasures, they would suddenly become rich, freed from poverty—their future gleaming with promise!
The Stone Sphere trembled slightly, as though stripped bare, beginning to absorb the surrounding Earth-element Spiritual Qi.
The Qi condensed upon its surface, solidifying into a new stone shell that enveloped the inner core.
Naturally, the two would not allow that to happen. They immediately swung their pickaxes, scraping the stone shell away.
Yet, when striking the inner layer of the Stone Sphere, neither pickaxe nor magical instrument could make a dent. Even when Sun Lingtong used a dagger to perform a blade technique, the inner core remained utterly unmoved.
Needless to say, they couldn’t extract any of the precious materials embedded within.
Still, Sun Lingtong remained brimming with enthusiasm.
They had, after all, come prepared.
“Xiao Zhuo, the next part’s up to you,” Sun Lingtong said, stepping back slightly.
Ning Zhuo smiled and nodded. “Boss, just watch.”
He brought out his staves.
More than twenty staves were arranged over the Stone Sphere, fixed in place by the newly grown stone shell.
Ning Zhuo then moved around them, drawing talismans and designing a formation.
At the side, Sun Lingtong assisted him, preventing the Earth-element Spiritual Qi from forming more stone shell and covering Ning Zhuo’s formation.
Moments later, Ning Zhuo completed his work.
After a careful inspection, he extended both arms, fingers spread wide, as fine threads of Life-Hanging-by-a-Thread extended from his fingertips.
The life-threads connected to the ten most critical staves.
As Ning Zhuo slowly infused his mana, the staves activated one after another, serving as Formation Nodes and the Formation Core. They drew upon the surrounding talismans and gradually activated the entire formation.
The array radiated with the light of the Five Elements.
Thanks to Ning Zhuo’s mastery of the Five Elements Realm, he could design such a formation in so short a time.
Naturally, the mana cultivated through The Five Elements Qi Regulation Art was a perfect match.
His earlier insight—gained when Zhang Chongyi’s silver needle let him comprehend the principle of petrification—was invaluable experience, granting Ning Zhuo tremendous enlightenment.
Closing his eyes, Ning Zhuo fully attuned himself to the essence within the Stone Sphere’s inner layer.
Divine Ability—Stone-Forged Earth Treasure!
The reason the Stone Sphere was so difficult to mine was precisely because this Divine Ability, Stone-Forged Earth Treasure, continually released its power.
Ning Zhuo immersed himself in deep comprehension.
Even though it was a Divine Ability, he faced no barriers in understanding it.
There was no helping it—his profound mastery of the Earth Element made understanding Divine Abilities effortless.
He understood the principle: Divine Abilities and spells were applications of fundamental truths—subtle combinations of mana and principle.
“I’ve learned it! I’ve learned it!”
The joy of comprehension made the corners of Ning Zhuo’s lips rise.
Within his mind, the embryonic form of the Divine Ability Stone-Forged Earth Treasure had already taken shape—and was rapidly growing!