Zhang Zhongyi's eyes lit up slightly, and he stroked his beard with a smile, "If both parties are willing, this could indeed be a joyous occasion, hahaha."
Ning Zhuo hastily waved his hands, "I'm merely a minor Foundation Establishment Cultivator, while General Mu Lan is a Golden Core Cultivator in command of an army. For someone like me to engage in Dual Cultivation with General Mu Lan would truly be overreaching."
"Moreover, the matter of Dual Cultivation is of great importance. I must report to our clan's ancestors and obtain the family's approval before proceeding with such a significant event."
Zhang Zhongyi caught on to Ning Zhuo's evasive intentions, and his smile faded as he nodded, "Involving Origin Yang and Origin Yin, Dual Cultivation indeed is a major affair that requires careful consideration."
Just as they were talking, a Flying Message broke into the tent and landed in front of Zhang Zhongyi.
It was Jin Li's reply.
Unfolding it, Zhang Zhongyi was slightly surprised, "Brother Jin agrees, but he requests compensation in the form of Nascent Soul Level treasure materials from young friend Ning Zhuo's possession..."
This did not come as a surprise to Ning Zhuo.
He gave a wry smile and stuck to his previous explanation to Zhang Zhongyi, saying it was a clan mission to trade with a major power.
After pondering for a while, Ning Zhuo said, "The clan mission is important, but so is the removal of the Blood Trace Tracking Technique. I have decided to agree to Master Jin Li's demands and ask for his assistance!"
Thereupon, Zhang Zhongyi, Ning Zhuo, and Sun Lingtong, along with the Mechanical Dragon, went to meet Jin Li.
After discussing with Jin Li, Zhang Zhongyi combined their strengths and conceived several methods to eradicate the Blood Trace Tracking Technique.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong discussed and quickly made a choice.
They opted for the fastest method, which required a heftier price—not in terms of more compensation, but because the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon would suffer more injuries from the aggressive method.
But to quickly return to the Old Monster in Stone and avoid prolonged risks, such a decision was undoubtedly wise.
Ning Zhuo watched with his own eyes as the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon was placed into the Artifact Refining Furnace.
The furnace door closed, and flames roared upwards, igniting a fierce inferno.
According to the estimates of Jin Li and Zhang Zhongyi, it would take at least three days and three nights, and at most four days and five nights.
Without the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon wrapped around his waist, Ning Zhuo felt unaccustomed and somewhat empty inside.
Although Sun Lingtong had injuries to her right arm, she couldn't contain her excitement and temporarily bid Ning Zhuo farewell, diving into the bustling Canglin Immortal City.
Ning Zhuo returned to his tent within the Three Generals Camp alone and commenced his daily Cultivation.
He first took out his cushion.
This Magic Artifact was still effective, having been distributed by the combined efforts of three families within Fire Persimmon Immortal City.
Then, Ning Zhuo activated the Floating Cloud Handkerchief.
Since using it in Fire Persimmon Immortal City, he seemed to have developed a habit, feeling somewhat off without wrapping himself in the Floating Cloud Handkerchief.
Layers of Floating Cloud enveloped Ning Zhuo completely, cocooning him into a giant cotton ball.
Within the cotton cocoon, Ning Zhuo took out various Spirit Foods, stuffing them into his mouth one after the other.
Spirit Food, compared with Elixir Pills, had a shorter shelf life, but with no medicinal properties, it allowed Cultivators to absorb them fully.
The flavors of the Spirit Food from Canglin Immortal City were mainly sweet and spicy. Ning Zhuo was not quite used to it and choked once during the process.
He began Cultivating the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique.
Demonic light illuminated his face, turning it blood red with visible vein-like patterns.
Below, in the Lower Dantian, a vast expanse of crimson earth sprawled out, its Blood Vessels crisscrossing and interweaving, forming a net covering the entire ground.
After digesting a large amount of Spirit Food, it was refined into Essence Blood, adding to the Blood Field, and expanding the web of Blood Vessels even further.
Next, he Cultivated the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art.
He took out the Tornado Windmill Magic Artifact and placed it close to his Middle Dantian.
Inside the Five Qi Tian Shu Dantian, the Five-Colored Vortex spun like a tornado, immense and piercing the heavens. The Five Elements Mana, at times clear-cut and at times merging into one, accelerated its rotation under the boost of the Tornado Windmill, absorbing external Spiritual Energy and transforming it into personal Mana more quickly.
While Cultivating the Mirror Stand Spirit Communication Technique, he employed the Calming Bell.
The bell tones rang out, swiftly bringing him into a state of deep contemplative Spirit, continuously delving further.
In the Bright Mirror Spirit Light Dantian, thoughts surged and proliferated. Extraneous thoughts were discarded, voluntarily extinguished, unique Mirror Intents coalesced and formed various flat mirrors. At the extremities above and below, two vast mirror surfaces acted as the heavens and earth within the Dantian.
In the Dantian, the most conspicuous was indeed the Buddha Heart Demon Seal.
Besides that, there was the Divine Power Life Thread, symbolized by the pink lotus and verdant leaves.
"According to common knowledge, there are mainly six stages at the Foundation Establishment Stage, corresponding to the early, middle, and late phases of the period."
"They are respectively Unobstructed Field Opening, Treasure Medicine Generation, Dantian Shines, Abnormal Phenomenon Seed Talisman, Inner Golden Light, and Transforming from Void to Real."
"The Three Superior Sect Techniques are considered Upper Methods. The content of the Foundation Establishment Chapter indeed contains these six stages."
Had it been an earlier technique, it might not have included these six stages.
New techniques are superior and compared to old, out-of-date techniques, they can better strengthen a cultivator's foundation and more comprehensively enhance a cultivator's power.
Throughout history, accordingly, junior Foundation Establishment Cultivators following new techniques are often much stronger than their predecessors from the same era.
Ning Zhuo held the Five Organs Temple Spirit Divine Skill in his hands, a technique so ancient that the stages of early, middle, and late Foundation Establishment scarcely differed at all.
If forced to make a distinction, there was only the final "Transforming from Void to Real" stage, which was also mixed with the final Crossing Tribulation and Refining Pill.
Unlike current techniques, which distinguish the two and refine them further, allowing for more precise sculpting.
"Every day, I invest three times more time into cultivation than ordinary people do."
"Normally, the daily cultivation cost for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, if converted into Spirit Stones, is about 1,500 Low Grade Spirit Stones."
"The various Spirit Foods I consume and the cost of using Magic Artifacts translate to a daily consumption of 5,000 Low Grade Spirit Stones."
"Even so, I have not yet reached the stage of Unobstructed Field Opening, not even a trace of a sign."
"Sigh..."
Ning Zhuo traveled the world, encountering more and more powerful adversaries.
Sometimes he even had to directly face threats at the Nascent Soul Level!
Situations like a Foundation Establishment Cultivator meeting an opponent of similar strength, or at most slightly higher, mostly exist only in stories.
Reality is cruel; it does not treat you kindly because you are weak. On the contrary.
Ning Zhuo yearned for his cultivation level to increase rapidly.
He had once consulted Sun Lingtong about this matter, only to be persuaded by the latter.
Ning Zhuo knew that Sun Lingtong's words were reasonable and that his own progress was already quite fast. A 16-year-old Foundation Establishment Cultivator was an exceptional achievement in the entire Cultivation World.
But Ning Zhuo still wished for a surge in his cultivation!
Especially after Zhang Zhongyi suggested that he perform Dual Cultivation with Mu Lan, it further ignited this thought.
"I really want my cultivation level to skyrocket!"
"Being only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, there's so much I can't do. It's really frustrating."
"Dual Cultivation..."
Though Ning Zhuo declined Zhang Zhongyi, he was indeed secretly tempted.
Once he performed Dual Cultivation with Mu Lan, his cultivation would skyrocket due to the Dual Cultivation itself. Coupled with Mu Lan's special circumstances, a substantial amount of cultivation would be infused into him, causing his increase to be even more explosive!
"Losing Origin Yang is not a concern, but the significance of a Dual Cultivation partner is extremely great."
"The merging of Origin Yang and Origin Yin in Dual Cultivation only happens once in a lifetime. Therefore, the choice of a Dao Companion is critical, with only one slot available."
"After Dual Cultivation, the two individuals will share an exceptionally close bond, with their subsequent Dual Cultivation effectiveness far surpassing that of ordinary people, making them even closer than husband and wife."
"Should I, the Clan Leader of a branch of the Ning Clan, become Dao Companions with the daughter of the Upper General Mansion of Liangzhu Country?"
Ning Zhuo was acutely aware of the disparities between them.
If Lin Shanshan harbored affectionate feelings for Ning Zhuo, and Hua Guzi's fondness arose from desire, then Mu Lan's attitude toward Ning Zhuo was entirely a cold calculation of interests.
Ning Zhuo was not at all averse to this; he had witnessed plenty in Fire Persimmon Immortal City and learned much from books.
"This is how the Righteous Path operates," mused Ning Zhuo, merely unable to judge whether this Dual Cultivation deal would be a gain or a loss for him.
Would he have better options in the future?