Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong, and Zhang Zhongyi stood behind Jin Li.
Jin Li bellowed, "Open it for me!"
Hiss——!
The furnace door slowly opened, and a large amount of hot steam immediately gushed out, filling the entire room with mist.
Jin Li cocked his little finger and waved it slightly, generating a breeze out of nowhere that swept all the mist away.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong had already sensed the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon.
In the next moment, the miniature Mechanical Dragon was gently pulled out by an invisible force.
Sun Lingtong activated his Innate abilities, his eyes emitting Spirit Light as he observed closely.
With his naked eye alone, Ning Zhuo could see—the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon was even more dilapidated than before.
Before entering the Artifact Refining Furnace, the Mechanical Dragon was already thirty percent damaged and had not been repaired. Now, the damage had increased even further, reaching at least fifty percent!
Especially the latter half of the Mechanical Dragon Body, which was covered in cracks, some dragon scales had already disappeared, exposing the Outer Armor layer.
But since they were rushing for time, shedding the mark of the Blood Trace Tracking Technique, paying this price was a choice Sun Ning had made himself.
Sun Lingtong took the dragon and, after looking over it for a moment, nodded slowly to Ning Zhuo.
Only then did Ning Zhuo take out the treasures and hand them to Jin Li.
Naturally, these treasures came from the Old Monster in Stone, of Nascent Soul Level.
Jin Li smiled contentedly and nodded at Ning Zhuo, "Young friend Ning Zhuo, I can also lend a hand in repairing your Mechanical Dragon."
Ning Zhuo gave a wry smile, indicating that he was tight on finances, and just resolving the Blood Trace Tracking Technique was already violating his family's trade mission.
In the future, when his finances improved, he would seek out Jin Li and request the master's help.
Jin Li tossed the treasures in his hand, "You don't have to be so formal, young friend Ning Zhuo. If you want to repair the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon now, that's possible too. You just need to sign a contract with me and pay me a little more for these treasures in the future."
Ning Zhuo laughed it off.
The Nascent Soul Level treasures taken from the Old Monster in Stone were of such high quality that Jin Li was very eager for them.
He was still unaware of the hidden dangers within these materials.
After several interactions with Ning Zhuo, Jin Li had a good impression of him. This cooperation had built even more trust, and he was willing to prepay and, to some extent, allow Ning Zhuo to owe him.
After discussing with Sun Lingtong, Ning Zhuo ultimately declined this tempting offer.
Having dealt with the tracking spell's threat, Sun Ning left the city without returning to the Three Generals Camp but sent a Flying Message first.
They left Immortal City and entered the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon.
Ning Zhuo went to the Active Furnace Cabin, dumped out a large number of Spirit Stones, and fed them to the Smelting Furnace within the Mechanical Dragon.
"This time, it's a desperate gamble," Ning Zhuo sighed.
The Fire Essence was running low, and the Mechanical Dragon couldn't return to Thousand Peak Forest.
Ning Zhuo could only use all the Spirit Stones he had, embarking on this adventurous journey. And that would only just afford a one-way ticket, so...
He had also embezzled company funds.
He managed the accounts of the Three Generals Camp, took a batch of Spirit Stones and, mixed with his own, poured them all into the Smelting Furnace.
Sun Lingtong licked her lips and chuckled, "Now that's what I call thrilling."
Ning Zhuo sighed again.
His financial burden was too heavy.
Just looking at the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon, with its fifty percent damage, it was clear there was no strength left for repairs.
Things were really tough for him.
On the surface, everyone thought he was a scion of a great family with astonishing wealth, casually taking out Nascent Soul Level treasures.
But in reality, these treasures were problematic, just not yet at the point of exploding.
Ning Zhuo's foundation had always been weak.
The faction behind him, which he founded himself, was just starting out, hungry for support, and could hardly provide much for Ning Zhuo.
To deal with the Six Cave Sect and reclaim the Mechanical Car, the best strategy was to join forces with Liangzhu Country and use their strength.
He was on the right track and thus had achieved a lot.
For instance, curing Sun Lingtong, removing the Blood Trace Tracking Technique—these were achieved with the help of Zhang Zhongyi and Jin Li. On his own, Ning Zhuo couldn't have managed such feats.
But at this point, he had reached his limit.
The treasures from the Old Monster were mostly spent, and there was a severe shortage of Spirit Stones. He was struggling to sustain himself, yet he might have to support the Three Generals Camp in the future!
The Three Generals Camp needed to continue operating, allowing Ning Zhuo to stay on the front line, seeking the Mechanical Car.
Investing and maintaining relationships with Liu Guan Zhang of the Three Generals seemed worthwhile for now.
Deep down, Ning Zhuo knew that Liu Er also had expectations for his investments!
But Ning Zhuo was pretty much out of money.
Without the funds, it would be difficult for him to continue participating with a high status. Without the Three Generals Camp, even if he joined the Red Flower Camp, according to Mu Lan's strict military regulations, he couldn't possibly be the Military Adviser.
Social status was crucial; it concerned the share of the spoils of war, and the extent to which he could leverage power! And that would determine whether he could achieve his goal and retrieve the Mechanical Car.
To some extent, Ning Zhuo had been driven into a corner.
The Old Monster in Stone had become an urgent lifeline within reach.
"This time, I must succeed!" Ning Zhuo psyched himself up.
He returned to the Dragon Head Cabin and, together with Sun Lingtong, officially initiated space travel.
The Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon vanished from its spot.
Amongst the darkness, countless silver rays drew straight lines, swiftly passing by the sides of the Mechanical Dragon Body.
The dragon's body, crack after crack, crept slowly. From time to time, chunks of Outer Armor split open and detached from the main body, falling into the darkness and dissipating in the void.