These past few days, Ning Zhuo had been conceptualizing a brand-new mechanical body for Yuan Dasheng.
The tree Martial Fighting Ape he previously designed and refined had been completely destroyed in the battle against Qi Bai.
The Golden Blood Battle Ape was more suited to operations within the Magma Fairy Palace. When used outside, it simply was not up to par, especially when confronting Golden Core Cultivators; the material specifications fell short by far.
Of course, the Magma Fairy Palace provided many opportunities. The Golden Blood Battle Ape would receive upgrades in the future.
After the second Buddhist Sect's checkpoint, the next three checkpoints provided higher-grade materials specifically for processing the Golden Blood Battle Ape.
During the previous joint operation of the three families, the Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng had displayed extraordinary power based on material upgrades.
"In terms of potential, it's clear that the Golden Blood Battle Ape has much more."
Ning Zhuo had yet to fully understand the design of the Golden Blood Battle Ape. He had not even fully grasped the materials used in its structure.
The Golden Blood Battle Ape originated from the Golden Furnace. Even the mighty Three Ancestral Masters at the Cultivating the Void stage had only set up eight within the Magma Fairy Palace.
Of course, Ning Zhuo knew nothing of the Golden Furnace.
After his contact and attempts at analysis, he confirmed that the Golden Blood Battle Ape made by the Magma Fairy Palace was indeed extraordinary.
"Even if I never figured out its construction, as long as I continued to replace its materials, I could still rapidly enhance the combat power of the Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng."
The tree Martial Fighting Ape - Dasheng was strong because of its materials. Due to Zheng Jian, the material grade was far higher than that of the Golden Blood Battle Ape.
However, the design concept lacked uniqueness, and the meticulous planning was also nothing special. There was another problem: the mechanical diagrams of the tree Martial Fighting Ape had already been leaked.
Zheng Jian knew this very well.
Of course, the blueprint itself was of low value, which was why Ning Zhuo had shared it with Zheng Jian in the first place to strengthen their relationship.
Ning Zhuo wanted to replicate the success of the tree Martial Fighting Ape.
He wanted to refine a mechanical monkey with Golden Core level combat power to ensure his own safety.
Especially given the current situation: a large number of unfamiliar cultivators had flooded into Fire Persimmon Immortal City, and Ning Zhuo had become the Black Market's controller, essentially placing him in the spotlight. Thus, he urgently needed Golden Core level strength.
Qi Bai technically possessed Golden Core strength.
His Golden Core was hidden within the Underworld Envoy puppet, providing its power and more.
The materials of the Underworld Envoy puppet, Qi Bai, also needed upgrading. Forcing it to exert Golden Core level power meant the puppet's materials would likely collapse under the strain.
Since Qi Bai's spiritual nature was not yet fully developed, and even if it were, it would have to find a way to survive the Spirit Movement phase. Thus, it was not Ning Zhuo's first choice.
Ning Xie, who in life possessed the talent of Snow Soul Frost Spirit, had been refined into the Weather Balloon·Ice Crystal Snow.
Its materials were quite good and could be upgraded.
Though its spiritual nature was low, Ning Xie was a member of the Ning Family, and his relics could be collected to replenish his spiritual energy, offering hope of achieving a complete transformation and advancing to the Spirit Movement phase.
However, Ning Xie had only reached the Foundation Establishment Stage in life. The mechanical structure of the Weather Balloon·Ice Crystal Snow was vastly different from his former self. While it was not impossible for him to exhibit Golden Core strength through the quality of his materials, it was not very probable.
After much deliberation, Ning Zhuo determined that Yuan Dasheng was his best option.
Yuan Dasheng's spiritual nature required no replenishment, and he had already surpassed the Spirit Movement phase.
In life, he had quasi-Golden Core level combat power. His close-combat fighting style better allowed him to leverage the advantages provided by high-quality materials.
The most crucial point: his Righteous Golden Firmness constituted his immortal aptitude!
"In life, Yuan Dasheng mastered the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique at a high level."
"As a mechanical being, he could still employ the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique, just like Qi Bai could still use the Nine Revolutions Soul Devouring Secret."
Using the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique required essence blood.
Therefore, Ning Zhuo planned to carefully refine the Blood Conversion Pool and Blood Oil Bottle components.
And at this point, Ning Zhuo suddenly thought of himself, sparking inspiration.
Ning Zhuo once again secretly contacted Sun Lingtong.
Ning Zhuo said: "The Blood Conversion Pool consumes the bodies of other beings, transforming them into essence blood, eventually becoming Yuan Dasheng's source power."
"If Yuan Dasheng could use other people's flesh and blood to refine essence blood for his use, then why couldn't he use my flesh and blood?"
"He already mastered the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique, and if he refined essence blood from my flesh and blood, wouldn't that essence blood be mine?"
"When the time comes, if I let him infuse the essence blood back into me, wouldn't that be a shortcut in cultivation?"
Sun Lingtong nodded: "Little Zhuo, this idea is feasible, but are you sure you want to do this?"
"You'll have to keep cutting your flesh and bleeding."
Ning Zhuo showed a determined expression: "As long as I can cultivate faster, what's a little pain and suffering?"
"Elder Sun, do you remember: when I was a child, you used to train me to endure pain by constantly hitting me with iron rods and steel whips?"
"Thanks to your special training, I've never been afraid of pain since then!"
"Nowadays, cutting my flesh and bleeding is just like revisiting that childhood training."
Upon hearing this, Sun Lingtong's heart trembled slightly. He laughed heartily and patted Ning Zhuo on the shoulder: "Good kid, I didn't waste my efforts in cultivating you back then."
Sun Lingtong was genuinely gratified.
As a person of the Evil Sect, he enjoyed taking risks and greatly admired the strong.
Ning Zhuo's display of strength and determination left a deep impression on him.
"This is how a real man should be, daring to fight and strive, ruthless to others yet more so to himself!"
"If you need my help with anything, just say the word."
Ning Zhuo said: "Elder, I'll give you the mechanical diagrams. Please help me refine a mechanical monkey equipped with the Blood Conversion Pool and Blood Oil Bottle."
"My schedule is too tight, and I am under great scrutiny, so it's inconvenient for me!"
"No problem!" Sun Lingtong pledged confidently, patting his chest.
Thanks to Ning Zhuo, who had shared the organ technique classics his mother left him with Sun Lingtong long ago.
Although Sun Lingtong had little natural talent for mechanism artifacts, he overcame that with more than a decade of diligent practice and meticulous research, amassing substantial skill in organ technique.
In just two days, Sun Lingtong had refined the mechanical monkey.
Ning Zhuo discreetly took it and used it for himself.
In the depths of the floating clouds, he extracted Yuan Dasheng's spiritual essence and infused it into the mechanical monkey.
Then, Ning Zhuo took out a sharp dagger, first drawing his own blood, then cutting flesh from his own arm, thigh, and abdomen.
Waves of pain constantly assaulted his mind and body, yet Ning Zhuo remained silent, merely furrowing his brows as his face grew somewhat pale.
Yuan Dasheng did not disappoint, using his ninth-level Demon-infused Bloodline Technique to refine the flesh and blood, producing essence blood.
Ning Zhuo received the essence blood infusion, rapidly enhancing his cultivation level in the Essence Sea!
Three days later.
Ning Zhuo went to the underground base to see Sun Lingtong and shared the good news with him.
Sun Lingtong was shocked: "Little Zhuo, I knew your previous Essence Sea cultivation level. How did you so quickly reach the sixth-level pinnacle?"
"Though you provided Yuan Dasheng with flesh and blood, you also had to heal your injuries. That takes time too."
Ning Zhuo smiled: "Elder, after cutting myself a few times, I suddenly came up with a better method."
"I realized that constantly cutting myself for flesh not only required me to heal but also slowed my cultivation speed significantly."
"Why not ask my family members for help?"
Sun Lingtong: ?!
Ning Zhuo then explained how he did it.
Many of the Ning Family members had cultivation levels, most of them in the Qi Refinement Realm.
Living in the Immortal City and making a living was tough; they could only do menial labor for low wages. Jobs included weeding, blacksmithing, tending fires, and preliminary herbal processing.
Thus, most of the Ning Family members preferred to rely on the family and work in family businesses.
But the scale of the family businesses was limited, and so were the job positions.
With their limited cultivation, most Ning Family members could only engage in menial labor.
Ning Zhuo knew this and ordered his Foundation Establishment Cultivators to screen out some of the poorer family members, arranging for them to donate essence blood.
In return, Ning Zhuo would give each person a sum of Spirit Stones after each session of blood and flesh extraction.
Ning Zhuo said: "I've done the math on this."
"Although they would be injured, they would receive a sum of Spirit Stones. By using these Spirit Stones to buy the cheapest medicinal potions, they would still have a good deal leftover."
"They are profiting!"
"So, upon implementing this, it was very well-received. Many family members who weren't chosen voluntarily signed up."
With the help of this flesh and blood, Yuan Dasheng cultivated the ninth-level blood power of the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique.
When this blood power was channeled back into Ning Zhuo, it would be purified by him, retaining what suited his constitution, and the remainder would be returned to Yuan Dasheng as his backup source of power.
"With this method, my cultivation difficulties in the Essence Sea are resolved. Hahaha." Ning Zhuo was delighted.
Sun Lingtong was the person he trusted most.
Whenever he had breakthroughs and developments, he immediately shared them with Sun Lingtong.
But Sun Lingtong's next words seemed somewhat unappreciative.
He pondered for a moment, then suddenly said: "Isn't your method still just exploiting your kin? Treating them as cultivation materials. Fundamentally, it's not much different from those demonic practices."
Ning Zhuo: ...
"Cough, cough, cough!" He coughed violently a few times, "Elder, you can't put it that way."
"I'm helping my family, giving them work. Their income has increased because of me."
"You didn't see the genuine smiles on their faces when they received the Spirit Stones."
"Seeing their smiles warms my heart too."
Ning Zhuo stressed: "I'm helping them make a living and improving their quality of life."
"And with their help, I can cultivate faster and achieve greater results. This is mutually beneficial, a win-win situation, a successful model of cooperation on the righteous path!"
After a pause, he added: "I am fundamentally different from those demonic practices!"
"They are ruthless and cold-blooded, harming their own kin for personal gain. Such people are terrifying!"
"But my family members are all willing."
"Our cooperation does not harm their lives at all!"
"Although it injures them, these wounds can heal with some medicine after a while."
"Once healed, they can collaborate with me even more…"
Sun Lingtong clapped his hands: "I get it."
"Those demonic cultivators consider slaughtering their kin a one-time deal. But you, my little brother, intend to harvest flesh and blood continuously."
"Cough, cough, cough!" Ning Zhuo started coughing violently again.
"Elder, I am having difficulty talking to you."
"I am righteous!"
"Righteous!!"
Sun Lingtong shrugged: "All right, say whatever you want."
Ning Zhuo sighed, sincerely and earnestly saying: "Elder, you can't think like that. Even though you come from a major Evil Sect, you need to open your eyes and mind. Don't view everything so darkly."
"You've known me for over ten years. Do you think I'm that kind of person?!"
Sun Lingtong: ...