At the Spirit Growth stage, Yuan Dasheng needed to increase his Spiritual Nature until it reached ten completions.
Ten completions meant a qualitative change!
After reaching it, Spiritual Nature would recover by itself, endlessly regenerating. Otherwise, however much Spiritual Nature was used would be deducted, which was a significant disadvantage.
This was exactly Yuan Dasheng's situation.
Originally possessing eight completions of Spiritual Nature, after wear and tear, it left him with only seven-point-nine, unable to recover on his own.
Unless one day, he reached ten completions, causing a qualitative change. Only then could he begin to self-recover!
After reading this Jade Slip, Ning Zhuo's first thought was: "Choosing Yuan Dasheng's corpse was indeed the correct decision."
"According to the information given by the Magma Fairy Palace, choosing any corpse would only result in a Spirit Rhythm level mechanism. This was merely the first stage of the Dead Spirit Stage."
"But using Yuan Dasheng's corpse, I obtained the Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng, whose Spiritual Nature crossed seven stages, reaching the Spirit Growth stage."
Previously, Ning Zhuo knew the quality of Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng was highly superior, but now, after reading 'On Spirits,' he truly understood the extent of its superiority!
"So, how to increase Spiritual Nature?"
'On Spirits' did not record relevant content on this.
"Perhaps it's there, just not accessible to me."
"I am an outsider, and the only reason I could see this text from the Zhou Family was due to the alliance of the three families."
Although 'On Spirits' did not provide detailed methods, it did record related history.
In the Cultivation World, there was once a notorious Demon Sect named Burial Spirit Sect, which shook the world.
This sect had a spell called the Three Lives Sacrificial Spirit Technique.
The so-called Three Lives did not mean three lives, but rather the idea of "Three Lives creating all things."
The real meaning was to sacrifice all things, after Burial, to obtain Spiritual Nature.
Using this spell, the Burial Spirit Sect slaughtered countless beings, acquiring a massive amount of Spiritual Nature, mass-producing Spiritual Treasures to strengthen their sect's power.
Countless righteous paths, evil sects, and other demon sects recognized the threat posed by the Burial Spirit Sect and united to attack, wiping out this superpower that endangered the entire Cultivation World.
"Three Lives Sacrificial Spirit Technique..." When Ning Zhuo read this, he suddenly thought of a reward in the Magma Fairy Palace.
By passing the three trials of the Buddhist Sect, he would receive a reward.
He had obtained the Illusion True Lotus Seed from it. Among the many rewards, he clearly remembered one, a spell named 'Cremation Prajna Spirit Liberation Sutra.'
"This might be the secret method to increase Spiritual Nature," Ning Zhuo thought.
His guess was not entirely groundless.
He had reasons to think so.
Previously, while he was choosing a corpse from a coffin during his first trial of the Buddhist Sect, he received related information. One piece of information read: "Choose one, send for cremation, and obtain a Spirit Rhythm Mechanism Artifact."
Cremation...
Can obtain a Spirit Rhythm Mechanism Artifact...
These clues directly linked to the 'Cremation Prajna Spirit Liberation Sutra.'
"Next time I venture into the Magma Fairy Palace, I'll choose this reward." Ning Zhuo had a feeling that this was the correct choice!
However, venturing into the Magma Fairy Palace was not easy.
The circumstances had changed.
Now, Ning Zhuo was guarded by four cultivators from the Ning Family, and those four were not fixed; they rotated shifts periodically.
If Ning Zhuo entered the Immortal Palace, the chances of being discovered greatly increased.
He also worried about another possibility—what if, once inside the Immortal Palace, he ran into the three family talents or Meng Chong?
Meng Chong's situation was unclear to him.
The three family talents all had the Ning Family talisman for body protection. To enter the Immortal Palace, they only needed to remove the talisman. This was highly unpredictable!
"There are two options."
"One, I stay outside the palace and remotely control Yuan Dasheng, directing it into the depths of the Immortal Palace. Since it is my mechanism artifact, it can be considered part of me."
"Two, I venture into the palace with Zheng Jian and others. This depends on Zhou Zeshen's cultivation progress."
Previously, Ning Zhuo and others had agreed in Ciyou Garden that they would venture into the Immortal Palace together once Zhou Zeshen reached the peak of the third layer.
After pondering, Ning Zhuo felt that the second option was better.
Before leaving the Zhou Family's precious book library, he asked the cultivator beside him: "Do you know what stage Fellow Daoist Zhou Zeshen's cultivation has reached?"
"Currently at the late stage of the third layer," the Zhou Family cultivator replied.
Ning Zhuo frowned.
Seeing Ning Zhuo's reaction, the Zhou Family cultivator, out of a sense of defending his family, quickly explained: "Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo must know that our Zhou Zeshen has upper-class talent of 'Water Accumulates into an Abyss.'
"As they say, 'Piling up earth into a mountain, wind and rain arise; accumulating water into an abyss, and a dragon is born.' This talent requires continual accumulation of Water Element force to eventually manifest the great power of an abyss."
"Because of this, our Zhou Zeshen's Mana accumulation is slower in the early stages and requires more resources, time, and patience compared to others."
"But there are compensations! Zhou Zeshen will certainly experience a leap in cultivation level in the later stages!"
Ning Zhuo nodded slightly: "So, roughly how long will it take?"
The Zhou Family cultivator gave a bitter smile: "Please don't make it hard for me, why not ask Zhou Zeshen yourself?"
So, Ning Zhuo went to find Zhou Zeshen and inquired personally.
With his current status, reputation, and relationship with the three family talents, it was easy for him to achieve this and receive Zhou Zeshen's personal response—
"At most, it will take seven days."
"This time frame is acceptable," Ning Zhuo thought.
If he forcibly used the Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng alone without entering the field himself, even if Yuan Dasheng cleared the trials, it would be severely damaged.
Currently, Ning Zhuo's research on Yuan Dasheng's mechanism body was not thorough enough, and the difficulty of repairing it in the Magma Fairy Palace was also very high.
Ning Zhuo was most worried that such high-intensity use of the Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng would cause its Spiritual Nature to drop again.
And the extent of the drop could be predicted; it would definitely be much more than when Yuan Dasheng fought Meng Chong!
However, after he returned home and started his daily cultivation, he made a startling discovery.
He found that the Buddha Heart Devil Seal in his Divine Sea had been activated once again.
Though it happened just once, the timing coincided with his decision at the Zhou Family to wait for Zhou Zeshen!
"When luck is low, one's mind becomes clouded."
"But the Buddha Heart Devil Seal can suppress luck, allowing me to maintain mental clarity."
Based on this reverse reasoning, Ning Zhuo quickly realized that his decision to wait had been influenced by luck.
"Does this mean that the first option was actually the correct one?" Ning Zhuo pondered deeply.
"According to 'Theory of Luck, Volume 1,' as long as Meng Chong and I are competing against each other without a definitive victory, our luck is in constant conflict."
"So, my luck is not as strong as the combined luck of the three families, leading to this moment of mental cloudiness?"
Ning Zhuo was taken aback.
"Indeed, I am racing against time now!"
"Why delay seven days just for Zhou Zeshen?"
Immediately, Ning Zhuo made up his mind—to use the Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng and undertake the trials!
He hid in the cultivation chamber within his bedroom and activated the Floating Cloud Handkerchief.
He first retrieved the Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng.
The transmission ring silently transported Yuan Dasheng.
Ning Zhuo then activated the "Trial Disciple" seal and entered the Immortal Palace, bringing in the Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng with him.
Only by doing this would it be considered a new attempt at the trials.
Just like before, he appeared in Room No. 1.
Ning Zhuo didn't even touch the first door, immediately leaving and returning to his body.
The Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng replaced him, touching the first door, claimed the reward, and entered.
The next moment, Yuan Dasheng saw Zhou Zhu and Zhou Zeshen!