Capítulo 1080: Chapter 401: The “Naive” Youth_2
The eyes of the Silk Lady glinted with a sharp light.
“Since even a Nascent Soul Level Mechanical Treasure can be bestowed, then there must be a guardian beside Ning Zhuo.”
“Judging by the quality of a Mechanical Dragon like this, this guardian must be at least a Golden Core Level expert and might even have means to temporarily match a Nascent Soul.”
To have a true Nascent Soul Cultivator as a personal protector is quite rare.
In the cultivation world, great power often concentrates in individuals.
Once a cultivator reaches the Nascent Soul Stage, they need to be monitored. Even loose cultivators, existing with the freedom of movement, will constantly be under the watch, surveillance, and inspection of those around them and powerful influences.
For the righteous path, Nascent Soul Level cultivators need to communicate beforehand to enter or exit territories, gaining permission or being invited, otherwise, they would be viewed as probing, provocations, or even as an attack.
This is a long-standing social understanding.
From the perspective of Silk Lady, such an excellent junior like Ning Zhuo, a hopeful for his family, must definitely have a protective trump card.
Within the scope of this trump card, a Nascent Soul Level Mechanical Dragon is normal, but a Nascent Soul Level cultivator is not.
Unless Ning Zhuo reported this in advance to the Myriad Images Sect.
However, once reported, the Myriad Images Sect, out of respect (vigilance) for the Nascent Soul cultivator, would surely host a banquet or make other gestures.
At least Ban Ji and the Silk Lady have not detected such gestures or traces.
The Silk Lady dared not act rashly.
“The powerful guardian of Ning Zhuo might also be hidden within this Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon. Perhaps, he’s meditating and monitoring right next to me.”
Thinking of this, the Silk Lady felt a chill down her spine.
When setting up arrays, she dared not slack off the slightest bit, striving with all her might, partly because of Ning Zhuo and partly as a deliberate display under the watchful eyes of the one in the shadows.
“I need to be exceedingly careful!”
“I also have to exert myself fully to create an impression, striving to deceive Ning Zhuo and the expert in hiding, then patiently await the right opportunity…”
Little did she know, above her, there was a thread she could not see at all times.
One end of this thread was linked to her, while the other rose straight up, disappearing midway yet actually connected to Ning Zhuo.
Divine Skill – Life Hanging Thread!
Ning Zhuo, being naturally cautious, certainly made proper arrangements when placing the Silk Lady into the Mechanical Dragon.
The Divine Skill, Life Hanging Thread, he mastered is the most reliable defense. This skill allows Ning Zhuo to check the Silk Lady’s condition at any time.
Through the solidity of the Life Hanging Thread, Ning Zhuo could “see” the loyalty of the thread’s subject.
Obviously, the Silk Lady’s loyalty was not high.
“But she performed quite well.” Ning Zhuo, in the stone platform, occasionally checked on the Silk Lady, finding her to be diligent and fully committed, which slightly surprised him.
Ning Zhuo had an insight quickly in his mind.
“It seems she chose to be patient.”
“She’s a smart one.”
When it comes to patience, Ning Zhuo was too familiar and had much to say. He started being patient when he was two years old.
In the contest at the Lava Fairy Palace on Fire Persimmon Mountain, Ning Zhuo became the greatest beneficiary, which was the remarkable result of his over ten years of patience.
Inside the Stone Platform of the Evil Slaying Hall.
The elder cultivator slightly nodded, showing appreciation for Ning Zhuo, and stroked his beard: “Second question: The sins of this world are deeply rooted. Cutting off branches and leaves is easy, severing the roots is difficult.”
“There are even some who harbor corruption and use the absence of law as a shield, and ‘mutual consent’ as a blade, engaging in illegal trades that nurture evil spirits and cause chaos in social order.”
“Such transactions are malicious and vile, eroding a person’s Dao Foundation, yet are deeply entrenched and widely connected. If encountered, how should it be dealt with?”
Ning Zhuo’s heart stirred, immediately sensing: The second question was more complex and reserved than the first. It was both a reaffirmation of a cultivator’s attitude towards sin and a test of their methods.
“But I cannot exhibit too many ‘methods’, as it would not align with my outward portrayal of a ‘young genius’.”
“I should focus more on demonstrating my attitude, that is the correct solution.”
Ning Zhuo’s political acumen far exceeds his apparent age, incredibly mature. In Fire Persimmon Immortal City, even Zhu Xuanji was once fooled by him temporarily, and deceiving these people now is naturally not an issue.
Immediately, Ning Zhuo pondered for a few moments, then slightly hardened his expression, drawing a hint of a sharp cold curve at his mouth: “‘Absence of law’? Evil thoughts are filthy earth! Where filthy earth grows, thunder must plough!”
“‘Mutual consent’? It’s merely a trap bait for wolves to deceive naive sheep into the net! All such things are demonic barriers and must be eradicated!”
“No matter how deep the roots, how wide the connections, once seen, the root must be severed, the nest burned, the vein cut!”
“Even if there are myriad ties, a sword must be wielded to sever it! Such decay attached to the bone, allowing it for a day harms another a day. Indecision leads to chaos!”
No trade, no slaughter.
The high-level cultivators of the Evil Slaying Hall listened to Ning Zhuo’s answer, many raising their brows, sensing the sharpness and determination of the youth.
The elder cultivator again stroked his beard, assessing in his heart: “Though the methods lack, the understanding isn’t deep, but isn’t this exactly the image of a young lad?”
“To never tolerate any sin, what a good young man.”
“If only everyone thought like this, would there be so much hidden illegal trade in the darkness?”
“Even if most people thought like this, the world would be full of light, and the righteous path would flourish!”
“What a pity.”
“Worldly people are often sophisticated, yet they lack the youthful spirit and this ‘naivety’!”
In an instant, the elder cultivator and the others grew ever more fond of Ning Zhuo, who displayed “naivety”.
Meanwhile.
At the main mountain gate of the Myriad Images Sect, Thousand Furnace Peak.
Yu Heye led Sun Lingtong, descending Flowing Clouds silently, saying as they moved: “This is Thousand Furnace Peak.”
Sun Lingtong looked down at the mountain.
Unlike most Immortal Mountains shrouded in clouds and mist, with strange rocks, the mountain body of Thousand Furnace Peak was relatively thick, with a gentler slope. Countless cave mansions were densely and layeredly carved out on the mountain.
The entrances of some of these cave mansions were of varying sizes, crude and unrefined, lacking the tranquility and elegance of celestial cave mansions, instead resembling mundane cave dwellings. The entrance often had hanging dried spiritual beast meat, aired Spirit Grain, repaired Magic Artifact farming tools, full of the smoke of daily life.
Yu Heye sighed: “This is considered one of the largest gatherings of loose cultivators in the sect, and I once lived here for a time.”
“We’re not here at the right time. During meal times, the Mountain Protection Array here activates, and thousands upon thousands of furnace mouths light up across the mountain. Countless streams of steam from Spirit Food rise, and in half the time it takes, tens of thousands of servings of Spirit Food can be produced.”
“These Spirit Foods are extremely important to the bottom loose cultivators, providing the cheapest and most stable supplies daily for three meals, helping replenish vital energy for cultivation, much more cost-effective than using Spirit Stones themselves.”
Sun Lingtong remembered the information, nodding slightly, silently transmitting thoughts: “I know, the Mountain Protection Array of Thousand Furnace Peak is primarily supervised by Gan Douding, the Hall Master of Spirit Chef Hall, with several cultivators from the Heavy Array Peak working together to set it up.”
“Its main miraculous use is the timed large-scale production of Spirit Food.”
Yu Heye: “That’s right… this way.”
He led Sun Lingtong to a marketplace.
On Thousand Furnace Peak, several flatter mountain hollows or in front of larger cave mansions formed spontaneous marketplaces. Items for sale included mainly low-level elixir pills, talismans, spirit plant seeds, second-hand magic artifacts, culinary insights, and even some mundane tools.
The two walked through the marketplace.
Hawking voices, haggling, and exchanges of cultivation insights filled the air, interspersed with the clang of pots and pans and the low growls of spiritual beasts, noisy yet full of vitality.
This was a giant “shanty town” established on an Immortal Mountain.
Yu Heye led the way, Sun Lingtong followed behind, and the two walked silently, traversing through a few increasingly deserted narrow alleys, arriving at a dilapidated house.
Yu Heye, familiar with the place, pushed open a decaying small wooden door and entered the courtyard.
The courtyard was desolate, devoid of human presence.
Yu Heye did not enter the inner house; instead, he directly jumped into the only dry well in the courtyard.