"Ice-jade Hands and Snow Soul Frost Spirit are innate abilities, which are essentially nascent divine skills."
"Even if these two innate abilities join forces, they can’t completely thaw the ice, so another approach must be sought."
Ning Zhuo had already come up with several related solutions at this moment.
For instance, using Nascent Soul level materials to construct new mechanical bodies could allow them to exert Nascent Soul level combat power, potentially resolving Yuan Dasheng’s dilemma.
However, Ning Zhuo’s proficiency in mechanical techniques did not reach such a level.
There are methods, but lack of ability is Ning Zhuo’s pain point.
Ning Zhuo then took out the Phantom Shadow Blade: Night Tiger, attempting to resolve the issue with the help of two mechanical puppets.
This attempt was much less effective than Yuan Dasheng.
Mainly because the issue with Phantom Shadow Blade: Night Tiger was different from Heavy Blood Ape: Dasheng. The latter was frozen; the former covered in dust.
Even Ning Zhuo’s Life Hanging Thread couldn’t connect to the spiritual nature of Phantom Shadow Blade: Night Tiger.
In the end, Ning Zhuo could only helplessly instruct Ice Maiden: Hui to freeze Phantom Shadow Blade: Night Tiger into an ice block as well.
"Hopefully, this preservation will also support the spiritual nature of Mengye Tiger!"
Ning Zhuo collected Yuan Dasheng and Mengye Tiger, continuing his cultivation.
Apart from the physical body, he constantly comprehended the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique. Among the Three Elixir Fields, the Essence Sea Lower Dantian lagged behind, progressing the slowest.
Controlling Ice Maiden: Hui and Xue Shuyu: Xie also became part of Ning Zhuo’s training.
Ning Zhuo found that controlling these mechanical puppets helped their spiritual nature more proficiently manage their bodies.
At the same time, through these exercises, Ning Zhuo could gain insights into mechanical puppets, laying a practical foundation for future improvements.
Ning Zhuo did not forget to make money.
Without enough spirit stones in hand, he felt a bit anxious.
As for how to make money, Ning Zhuo had numerous methods. He chose the fastest one—vigorously selling Ghost Dao Golden Core!
However, he did not choose to sell it within the Myriad Images Sect.
That would be too conspicuous and very likely to expose Ning Zhuo’s capabilities, attracting heightened attention and evaluation from others.
After all, Myriad Images Sect had a presence of Divinity Transformation level cultivators.
Ning Zhuo chose to sell the Ghost Dao Golden Core to his old friends.
For example, Zhu Xuanji of Southern Bean Country, Ten Thousand Medicine Sect, and also the Upper General Mansion and Three Generals Camp of Liangzhu Country. As for White Paper Immortal City, it was not included in the scope of sale.
"Though distant, it’s secretive."
"Although I cannot extricate myself from Myriad Images Sect, being busy with other affairs, I can have someone from Southern Bean Country and Liangzhu Country come over to trade!"
This large transaction allowed old friends to play the role of merchants, and it was completely reasonable!
"Trading with the Nandou Royal Family and Ten Thousand Medicine Sect, and also bring Spirit Hidden Willow along."
"Such a long time has passed; by now, this spirit plant should be well nourished?"
Southern Bean Country.
Zhu Xuanji was dealing with official duties at his desk.
There was a knock on the door.
"Enter." Zhu Xuanji didn’t lift his eyelids and continued writing something.
The subordinate kneeled on the ground, his voice raspy like grinding gravel under his mask: "Reporting to the master, the ambush was successful. Seven intruders were caught; six dead and one injured. After interrogating the captive, it is confirmed they were cultivators from the Soul Devouring Sect."
As he spoke, the subordinate presented the waist token and a jade slip representing their identity with both hands.
Only then did Zhu Xuanji slowly raise his head, and with a wave of his hand, a suction force appeared out of thin air, drawing the waist token and jade slip to the tabletop.
Zhu Xuanji didn’t look at the waist token but picked up the jade slip, infusing it with a portion of his divine sense.
The jade slip recorded the ambush’s footage.
In a nameless canyon, crossbow arrows rained down like a storm, tearing through the night, catching the Soul Devouring Sect cultivators completely off guard. After the first round of assault, three individuals were gravely injured.
The Soul Devouring Sect cultivators, their black robes fluttering, retaliated like a swarm of bats.
Ning Jiufan led the disguised Divine Hunter Office cultivators into a fierce engagement. With sufficient preparation, ultimately no one from their side perished, completely capturing this squad of Soul Devouring Sect cultivators.
"Soul Devouring Sect..." Zhu Xuanji tapped his fingers on the table, still harboring doubts in his mind.
He always paid close attention to Ning Family of Fire Persimmon Immortal City.
On one hand, Ning Family and the Nandou Royal Family and Ten Thousand Medicine Sect were secret allies; on the other hand, if Zhu Xuanji didn’t want Fire Persimmon Immortal City and Lava Fairy Palace to fall into the hands of Meng Family, he had to rely on Ning Family to counter Meng Family’s aggressive posture.
Due to his close attention, Zhu Xuanji had previously discovered that someone was secretly infiltrating to gather intelligence on Ning Family, Ning Zhuo, and related matters.
Initially, Zhu Xuanji held back from acting, then secretly investigated, discovering that the entity probing Ning Family and Ning Zhuo’s affairs was none other than one of the super sects, the Soul Devouring Sect.
"Han Ming and Qi Bai both lost to Ning Zhuo... But just based on this, it’s insufficient for Soul Devouring Sect to make such a bold move, is it?"
"This time the unfavorable team targeting Ning Family includes five Golden Core cultivators."
"Since it’s about probing Ning Zhuo, perhaps our Son of Destiny has inflicted even greater losses upon Soul Devouring Sect!"
Thinking of Ning Zhuo, Zhu Xuanji couldn’t help but complain: "This troublesome kid, he’s already gone, but still doesn’t stay quiet, leaving me to clean up after him."
"Fortunately, he has already reached White Paper Immortal City, which is separated from our country by the North Wind Country and Liangzhu Country."
The intelligence network in the Cultivation Kingdom is naturally quite extensive.
It’s not surprising that Southern Bean Country’s intelligence reaches the Yin Tide Black Swamp.
Otherwise, Zhu Xuanji wouldn’t have guided Ning Zhuo back then to find Sang Le Youling in White Paper Immortal City.
"Troublesome kid, you owe me a favor this time." Zhu Xuanji thought, suddenly sneezing.
A sense of unease welled up from the depths of his heart.
"Ha, why am I thinking about him? Better not to think about him."
"Son of Destiny... Keeping a distance from him is safer the further away."
"It seems someone in Soul Devouring Sect got too close, and now they are indeed unlucky!"
Soul Devouring Sect.
Around the White Bone Altar, soul mist swirled and churned incessantly.
Flying Message hovered at the outskirts of the soul mist, hesitant to delve deeper.
On the altar, Tian Shuang and Earth Ghost sensed Flying Message and gradually ceased their efforts. Both soul cultivators wore expressions of fatigue.
Tian Shuang waved his sleeve, opening up an empty path in the soul mist.
Flying Message swiftly traversed this temporary passage, arriving before the Heaven and Earth Ghosts.
Both focused their divine sense on the message, their faces darkening.
"What? A team composed of five Golden Core and two Foundation Establishment elites was entirely wiped out?!"
"How is this possible?"
Their astonishment was palpable, as this situation wasn’t anticipated.
They had suffered a significant defeat to Ning Zhuo in the Two Peaks Forest battlefield of Liangzhu Country.
The Heaven and Earth Ghosts missed the chance to attend the second major confrontation, and after regrouping, started their revenge-driven campaign.
But by that time, Ning Zhuo had already left Liangzhu Country.
Utilizing Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon to traverse the void, they lost track of him as soon as they were about to initiate.
In the ensuing period, they actively sought intelligence, issuing tasks within Soul Devouring Sect, enlisting others in the search.
Unfortunately, the Heaven and Earth Ghosts never found Ning Zhuo.
This drove Tian Shuang to a frenzy!
In the previous battle, Tian Shuang suffered immensely. Not only did he lose nearly all his fortune to Ning Zhuo, he also lost face in front of his old partner Earth Ghost.
What to do if Ning Zhuo couldn’t be found?
After consideration, the Heaven and Earth Ghosts thought of a solution: return to Soul Devouring Sect’s Main Mountain Gate and utilize the White Bone Altar there to divinate with Heavenly Frost Ghost Mask.
Once Ning Zhuo used Heavenly Frost Ghost Mask, the divination would take effect, exposing his exact location.
The Heaven and Earth Ghosts guarded the White Bone Altar, alternately presiding, nearly day and night, enduring significant hardship.
Yet the Heavenly Frost Ghost Mask remained silent.
"Impossible!"
"The Heavenly Frost Ghost Mask possesses Nascent Soul level combat power; that brat Ning Zhuo can’t possibly not use it all the time!"
With such thoughts, the two forced themselves to maintain the ritual for over a month, exhausting themselves.
Unable to sustain, they resolved to offer substantial rewards, issuing tasks, directing sect members to target Ning Family, hoping to force Ning Zhuo into the open.
Unbeknownst to them, Ning Family was backed by the Nandou Royal Family.
The promising squad they counted on was utterly annihilated!