"At least in the future, I won’t have to keep paying with Ghost Dao Golden Cores."
Ning Zhuo had made a fortune from the war in the Thousand Peak Forest, so he wasn’t surprised by the amount of Spirit Stones.
"There are low-grade, mid-grade, and top-grade Spirit Stones, and this inheritance also accounts for various dangerous scenarios during inheritance. When in distress, taking out a top-grade Spirit Stone would only invite the greedy and the wicked."
The second Storage Bag contained treasures, primarily spiritual bamboo of various types.
There was Dragon Roar Bamboo, with hollow nodes, that would howl like a dragon when the wind passed through.
There was Startled Swan Bamboo, with a slender body that, when shaken violently, produced a vibrating sound that could tear silk.
There was Ghost Cry Bamboo, whose falling leaves resembled ghostly cries, and it could capture souls during nighttime rain.
There was Golden Jade Bamboo, with a golden body and jade leaves.
There was Twisted Silk Bamboo, whose fibers were as flexible as Flood-Dragon Tendons, capable of twisting and binding the enemy a thousandfold without moving.
There was Grounded Green Python Bamboo, which didn’t grow upright but spread along the ground, with its nodes contracting and extending like a serpent’s movement.
There was also Valley Echoing Bamboo, an excellent material for making sound-transmitting treasures...
The third Storage Bag contained the fewest items, but they were the most practical for Ning Zhuo.
There were many Foundation Establishment Level Magic Artifacts, which needed no special mention.
Speaking of Golden Core Level treasures—
There was a Great Thousand Mechanism Sound Robe, a Golden Core Level long-sleeve magic robe.
There was an Azure Bamboo Armor of a Hundred Transformations, a piece of Mechanical Armor with 720 parts when scattered, which could assemble into a seamless, protective suit for a cultivator’s body.
There was a Hundred-Segment Langgan Whip, a Mechanical Treasure that could unleash a sound attack when swung, with the sound attack enhancing the whip’s momentum.
There was a Golden Core Level Spiritual Bamboo Puppet, the Humbleheart Broken-Blade Guard.
Lastly, there was a Mechanical Carriage called Green Forest Python Chariot, best suited for navigating complex forest terrains.
"There’s no Nascent Soul Level mechanical artifact," Ning Zhuo felt some disappointment, and he glimpsed the plight of the Qinghuangzi lineage from this.
"If he had such mechanical artifacts, he’d have the deterrence of the Nascent Soul Level and wouldn’t be in such straits, urgently selecting a successor during the Xingyun Trial."
Ning Zhuo experimented with these mechanical treasures in the Martial Arts Array space.
He discovered that the power he could exert with these treasures was less than fifty percent.
"Firstly, I lack orthodox mana; secondly, the Sound Control skill requires mastery of the ’Empty Valley Sound Green Mechanism Tube’ inheritance to meet the manipulation standard."
Ning Zhuo personally tested everything, finding that the mechanical vehicle Green Forest Python Chariot was the easiest to control, needing the least proficiency in Sound Control skills.
"I do need a means of transportation. Next, I’ll first master this mechanical vehicle."
"Once Qinghuangzi passes away, I’ll take over Qingzhu Peak, utilizing various spiritual bamboo on the mountain to master this ’Empty Valley Sound Green Mechanism Tube’ inheritance."
Whenever he thought of Qinghuangzi, Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but feel a bit downcast.
He fell into a moment of silence, and after a long while, he sighed deeply, filled with emotion.
"Qingzhu Peak was originally a place of inheritance, but it was absorbed by the Myriad Images Sect. As a successor, I can only lease it."
"Though Qinghuangzi’s talents may be insufficient, he has been doing his best to maintain this inheritance, not letting down the instructions of those before..."
What is the purpose of living?
What is the purpose of cultivation?
Inheritance...
This is a matter of great significance, being one of the main survival and cultivation purposes throughout the ages in this cultivation world.
There has never been someone who achieved immortality!
Cultivation to new levels does extend lifespan, but it’s never infinite.
A cultivator’s lifespan has limits, no matter how strong they are, they will eventually die.
Apart from bloodline, innovating and passing down cultivation techniques and skills to the next generation is one of the life meanings pursued by the vast majority of cultivators.
Even if I die, I have existed, and my cultivation is meaningful. Even if my improvements are minor, as long as they bless and influence future generations, they will remember me, proving the value of my existence.
Ning Zhuo naturally understood the meaning of "inheritance."
But before, he had only learned through books, and even after benefiting from the Five Elements God Master, the feeling wasn’t profound.
Now, meeting Qinghuangzi, who, although was a fleeting presence in his life, not very strong, and facing death, brought Ning Zhuo a profound sigh.
"Young master, this is the intelligence on Chen San," Gongsun Yan reported from outside the array.
Ning Zhuo acknowledged with a hum, slightly opening the Martial Arts Array with a gap, releasing an invisible pull to bring the Intelligence Jade Scroll from outside into his hand.
Thanks must be given to the Commerce Hall.
This hall is quite remarkable, capable of trading a wide range of goods, including intelligence.
Ning Zhuo, newly arrived, relied on the Commerce Hall to easily fill a significant gap in intelligence gathering.
Black Kite Chen San...
Around the year 1875 of the Feiyun Calendar: Suspected to be the descendant of a mining slave from an abandoned mine pit attached to the Qingfeng Sect.
From 1878 to 1882 of the Feiyun Calendar: Served as the lowest-level handyman in the Qingfeng Sect, responsible for sweeping the periphery. During this period, referred to by some disciples as the "Hidden Rat."
In 1882 of the Feiyun Calendar: Involved in an internal theft case within the Qingfeng Sect, ruled responsible by the sect, cultivation was abolished, and formally expelled. From then on, he became a member of the lower-level loose cultivators.
From 1883 to 1888 of the Feiyun Calendar: Frequently employed around Grey Swamp Town and Black Stone Town at low-level herb gardens and small mining points, serving as a guard or tracker.
In 1889 of the Feiyun Calendar: Established stable connections with "Old Monkey-Horse" guide in Grey Swamp Town, "Quick-Talker" waiter in Qinghe Town, and beggar leader "One-eyed Zhang" in Black Stone Town, using a specially made "Sparrowhawk Whistle" to transmit intelligence, forming the initial intelligence network.
In the same year: The rumor about the discovery of a rich red copper vein in the West Forest Gully led, in the winter of 1889, to a nearly 30% temporary surge in the price of red copper ore in the West Square, inciting minor panic buying and chaos, later confirmed to be false mining news.