: A Close Call

"Ning Brother!" Zheng Jian personally came to greet Ning Zhuo at the main entrance of the Zheng family residence.

This was Ning Zhuo's first formal visit to the Zheng family.

The Zheng family had prepared a grand reception, opening their main gates wide. This gesture alone was significant, considering Ning Zhuo was merely at the Qi Refining stage.

Not only that, but the Zheng family had also sent Zheng Jian to receive him.

"Brother Zheng, I can't believe you came out to greet me yourself." Stepping down from the carriage and seeing Zheng Jian, Ning Zhuo showed a flicker of surprise before his expression melted into one of deep appreciation and excitement at being shown such respect.

Zheng Jian's injuries were still not fully healed; bandages swathed almost his entire body.

He let out a hearty laugh, "Don't let this appearance fool you. My injuries are stable now. Would a son of the Zheng family neglect a friend over mere minor wounds?"

"Come, let me take you to the forging workshop."

Since the three families had deepened their cooperation, they had opened up some of their respective facilities. For example, the Ning family's talisman-making room, several of the Zhou family's formation arrays, and the Zheng family's forging workshops.

The most popular, of course, was the Zhou family's Gathering and Scattering at Will Spirit Tide Array. Everyone who used it praised it highly. It was currently fully booked, with every cultivator applying to use it being placed on a waiting list.

Next in popularity were the Zheng family's forging workshops.

Many facilities of the Zheng and Zhou families were even better than those in the City Lord's mansion.

Back when Fiery Persimmon Immortal City was being built, the Southern Bean Dynasty covered most of the costs, but the Zhou and Zheng families also made significant contributions.

Therefore, after the city's completion, these two families were allotted two of the best plots of land, controlled two of the main array pillars of the city's grand defensive formation, and gained certain superior advantages in specific areas.

The Zhou family obtained the most spacious area for setting up arrays, allowing them greater freedom for deployment. The Zheng family, on the other hand, gained access to the most abundant and highest-quality subterranean flames, facilitating their forging work.

From a broader perspective, this was the result of bargaining between local powers and the imperial court.

On the streets, the flow of people was incessant.

Yuan Dasheng trudged along with difficulty, head bowed.

It bumped into passersby but remained immovable.

Some people knocked over by it were unwilling to cause trouble, at most muttering a few complaints before grudgingly moving on.

After all, clad in the Cangtie Han Armor, Yuan Dasheng was tall and imposing, emitting a Foundation Establishment aura. Combined with its expressionless face that radiated a strong sense of profound sorrow and listlessness, it clearly looked like someone not to be trifled with!

Led by Zheng Jian, Ning Zhuo arrived at a forging workshop.

Ning Zhuo looked around and praised it repeatedly.

The workshop was excellently equipped and complete, with many tools Ning Zhuo was seeing for the first time; he had only read about them in books before.

The Hundred Arts of Cultivation had developed to a point where each field had become highly specialized, creating deep divides between disciplines. Unlike ancient times when the barriers to entry for various arts were lower, and a single cultivator could use one alchemical furnace for both pill refining and artifact forging. Nowadays, furnaces were specialized for specific uses, dedicated to pill refining, artifact forging, and so on.

Zheng Jian handed over a jade slip: "Our Zheng family has stockpiled many materials. It would be an exaggeration to say we have everything, but our selection certainly far surpasses what's available on the open market."

"Ning Brother, you are free to use any materials listed in this jade slip."

"According to the contract between our three families, all materials used will be calculated at market price and tallied into each family's consumption quota."

Having said that, Zheng Jian took out another jade slip: "The materials listed here are from my personal family allotment. Brother Ning, you may use these as well."

This was a clear gesture of goodwill.

Ning Zhuo smiled and accepted it generously: "Thank you, Brother Zheng."

"Brother Zheng, if you're not too busy, why not stay? I plan to forge some mechanical components using your esteemed family's workshop," Ning Zhuo said.

"Here are the blueprints I designed for these mechanisms. I'd appreciate your feedback, Brother Zheng." Ning Zhuo proactively handed over a jade slip.

Zheng Jian was pleasantly surprised. Knowing that Ning Zhuo was reciprocating his family's goodwill, he immediately accepted the gesture.

"Brother Ning, you designed the mechanical Blazing Monkey. My own understanding of mechanisms is hardly worth showing off. But since you are so gracious, let me properly admire your new creation." Zheng Jian promptly took the jade slip.

He wasn't particularly interested in mechanistry himself, but given the competition for the Molten Rock Immortal Palace and Ning Zhuo's previously demonstrated remarkable talent in mechanistry, Zheng Jian felt compelled to review these new blueprints.

Unfolding them, he saw it was a mechanical monkey.

Looking closer, he realized this mechanical monkey wasn't for harvesting fiery persimmons but was clearly designed for combat.

The more Zheng Jian looked, the brighter his eyes shone. For a moment, he became immersed in the blueprints, silent.

Ning Zhuo left him to it and walked directly to a corner. Picking up tools, he began stoking the fire and fanning the flames, lighting the furnace.

Yuan Dasheng had just passed through the western gate of Fiery Persimmon Immortal City and was heading into the wilderness.

The number of people around it rapidly decreased.

Step by step, it entered the wild forests west of Fiery Persimmon Mountain. Its背影, though burly, gave off a strong sense of loneliness and desolation.

Finally, it stopped in a desolate area of the wilderness. It sat on an inconspicuous hill, staring blankly at its surroundings, at the sky, at the clouds.

Ning Zhuo exhaled a long breath and carefully turned his wrist, pouring the molten pewter into a mold.

Zheng Jian immediately acted, using a hand seal to guide the liquid pewter, quickly spreading it flat and filling every corner of the mold.

Ning Zhuo pressed his palm against the wall, activating a formation.

Instantly, a surge of cold air poured down from the ceiling, rapidly cooling the superheated mold, freezing it into a block of ice.

Zheng Jian waved his hand, dispersing the chill, then retrieved an oddly shaped mechanical component.

This was the final piece.

With the help of the Zheng family's forging workshop and the assistance of Zheng Jian, a talented cultivator proficient in forging, Ning Zhuo had completed the crafting of all mechanical components. The time taken was far shorter than Ning Zhuo had originally planned.

The next step was to assemble and combine them.

Without any surprises, after smooth assembly, a skeleton of a monkey, eight chi tall, was revealed before the two.

Zheng Jian clicked his tongue in admiration: "Just looking at this skeleton, I can see over a hundred movable joints. The finished mechanical monkey must be extremely agile, but that also places great demands on the cultivator's control skills. Many people probably wouldn't be able to utilize this mechanism to its full potential."

Ning Zhuo said, "I designed this for myself. I intentionally made it this way to give myself plenty of room for improvement in practicing my control over mechanical creations."

"Alright, next we need to set up the formation."

"Then, install the formation disk, etc."

"Stuffing the musculature and such will come later."

Zheng Jian nodded, his face showing delight: "Let's proceed according to your plan, Brother Ning. I'll专门 assist you."

Despite his injuries, he wanted to participate fully. On one hand, it allowed him to most directly observe Ning Zhuo's skill in mechanistry; on the other hand, it provided him with excellent practical experience, improving his own understanding of mechanisms.

After two days and one night, the task was successfully completed.

"Why not stay at my place for the night and leave tomorrow morning?" Zheng Jian urged him to stay.

Having participated throughout, he had gained a lot, experiencing the brilliance and fun of mechanistry. He said frankly, "Brother Ning, I wish I could talk with you all night long!"

Ning Zhuo smiled wryly and pointed at the bandages covering Zheng Jian's body.

The previously snow-white bandages were now stained with blood in many places and covered in large smudges of black ash.

"Brother Zheng, you really should focus on recuperating."

"I'm immensely grateful for your assistance throughout this process. If I stay any longer, your family might start complaining."

"There will surely be chances in the future for us to chat to our hearts' content!"

Zheng Jian laughed heartily: "Alright, alright."

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you."

"In a few days, our three families are planning a joint operation, and we need you to lead it."

"Those of us who are injured won't be able to participate."

Although the talented members of the three families could still project their souls into the Immortal Palace, their physical injuries required their souls to remain anchored in their bodies during the recovery period.

Otherwise, the newly regenerated bodies might grow deformed and not achieve perfect alignment with the souls. This would create many obstacles for future cultivation, reducing efficiency. Over time, these cumulative losses would become unacceptably large.

Night fell. Ning Zhuo left the Zheng family by carriage.

Fiery Persimmon Immortal City had no curfew. Yuan Dasheng also entered the city.

Before Ning Zhuo reached the family estate, it had already secretly infiltrated Ning Zhuo's residence and was quietly waiting for his return.

Just as Ning Zhuo had guessed, emotions dissipate.

The more intense the emotion, the less sustainable it is.

After sitting listlessly in the wilderness for two days and one night, Yuan Dasheng's emotions had receded like a tide, and the exposed灵性 once again obeyed commands, acting according to orders.

However, a sad sorrow still remained, like a heavy gray cloth shrouding the灵性.

Ning Zhuo's control over Yuan Dasheng was no longer as obedient as before.

"According to the records in 'On Sentience,' after the 'Sentient Growth' stage comes the 'Sentient Activity' stage."

"With ten parts of sentience achieved, reaching self-sufficiency, Yuan Dasheng is no longer in the Sentient Growth stage but has entered the Sentient Activity stage."

"Is this so-called 'Sentient Activity' about such uncontrolled movements?"

"Once emotions surge again, I might lose control over it once more!"

Ning Zhuo had no desire to repeat such a糟糕 experience.

"There must be a way. The Molten Rock Immortal Palace must have a solution to this problem," Ning Zhuo said.

And this problem needed to be resolved quickly.

"I can't just project my soul into the Immortal Palace without reason on normal days; too many people are watching me."

"The best opportunity is the three-family joint operation in a few days!"

(End of )