: Gathering Clouds

2024-07-31 Author: Gu Zhenren

Mechanical Carriage.

Ning Zhuo was staring intently at the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng sitting beside him.

Today's results from leaving the city were far more bountiful than planned.

First, Ning Zhuo had publicly displayed the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng, showcasing the fruits of his action of collecting Yuan Dasheng's corpse.

Even though no part of Yuan Dasheng's actual corpse was used in the materials for the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng, that didn't matter.

Ning Zhuo could easily explain it to outsiders like this: the initial versions of his mechanical creations were prototypes, requiring continuous refinement. Only after obtaining a mature blueprint would he truly use Yuan Dasheng's bones as the primary material.

Second, through actual combat, Ning Zhuo tested the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng's fighting capacity and indeed discovered many areas that could be improved and optimized.

"The Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng needs more talisman inscription slots. Just six isn't enough to fully showcase Yuan Dasheng's martial prowess."

On this point, Ning Zhuo had to admit he had underestimated Yuan Dasheng!

The Tree Martial Ape already had the most flexible skeletal structure built. Because it was assembled piece by piece, basically every bone could move.

So, from the underlying design, it allowed Yuan Dasheng full freedom of movement to perform various actions.

However, in actual combat, many of Yuan Dasheng's martial techniques required relying on other components to unleash their proper power.

The design blueprint for the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng lacked array formations. Mainly because Ning Zhuo was short on time; setting up arrays was far more complex and precise.

Ning Zhuo could only try to fill the mechanical capabilities by combining talismans to meet Yuan Dasheng's martial needs.

Third, Ning Zhuo discovered a path to enhance his control over Yuan Dasheng!

That path was Yuan Er.

When Yuan Er was assassinated, Yuan Dasheng grew restless. Under Ning Zhuo's command, it participated in the rescue. This action fully aligned with its spirit!

When Ning Zhuo gave the order, over a dozen parchments were lifted away. After Yuan Dasheng killed several assassins and drove the rest away, more than thirty parchments were directly removed.

"If Yuan Er gets assassinated a few more times, and I use the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng to save him a few times, wouldn't that settle it?"

That's what Ning Zhuo thought at the time.

So, he intentionally let the remaining assassins escape.

"If these assassins don't act, I can stage a few assassination attempts myself."

"Anyway, Yuan Er is hiding in the Monkey Head Gang headquarters; he's easy to find."

"This time, he was ambushed and assassinated, so there must be a mole within the gang. He won't trust these people anymore; he'll just hide in the deepest part of the gang headquarters, living in fear, merely surviving."

"Who would have thought someone like him still holds some value."

"Hmm..."

"If rescuing Yuan Er from assassination isn't enough for me to fully master Yuan Dasheng, then what about digging up Yuan Yi's grave?"

"Grave robbing right in front of the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng, then ordering it to stop it, should also align with its spirit, right?"

"Hmm..."

"Hiring people to attack the Monkey Head Gang, letting the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng see it, then going to rescue them. After all, it was the foundation it built in its lifetime; that might work too."

Inspired, Ning Zhuo's思路 opened up, and he thought of many methods.

Feeling delighted, he couldn't help but show a pure, genuine smile.

"Actually, aligning with its spirit is quite simple."

"You just need to find the real demand."

The carriage traveled from the Monkey Head Gang headquarters towards the Ning family estate.

"Maybe I should go directly to the Zheng family? Uncle's house doesn't have a good place for crafting mechanisms."

Ning Zhuo changed his route midway, but ended up getting turned away at the Zheng family's door.

The Zheng family indicated: The entire Zheng family is currently entertaining distinguished guests, it's rather inconvenient, we hope Ning Zhuo will understand.

"Who could the distinguished guests be?" Ning Zhuo felt somewhat regretful and had to turn back home.

On the way, he made a detour to check on his small courtyard home.

Since the previous attack and explosion, his home had been reduced to ruins. However, reconstruction began that very day.

Looking now, the foundation of the house was already built. The protective阵法 for the residence was several grades higher than before. Leveraging the Ning family's connections, it could directly connect to the entire Fire Persimmon Immortal City's great array.

Ning Zhuo returned to the Ning family estate.

A family envoy had been waiting for him, instructing him to return the items issued earlier. These were the various life-preserving items the family had distributed when he previously wanted to go out. The most valuable was that Directional Escape Talisman.

Ning Zhuo sighed inwardly and returned everything.

Ning Xiaoren, upon receiving the envoy's report confirming the return of the life-preserving supplies to the clan treasury, breathed a sigh of relief.

He also received first-hand intelligence from the guards and felt somewhat复杂.

"This Ning Zhuo really is a seed for mechanisms!"

"The previous Mechanical Blaze Ape was already quite good. Now he's designed another fighting mechanism, the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng, with exceptional combat power!"

"The stronger his strength, the more help he is to the Ning family within the three-family alliance."

"But... going forward, can Ning Xiaohui keep him under control?"

Ning Xiaoren belonged to the main lineage, Ning Zhuo to a branch lineage. Naturally, Ning Xiaoren leaned more towards Ning Xiaohui.

He thought for a moment, then dispatched someone to send this news to Ning Xiaohui's grandmother.

Ning Xiaohui's grandmother was currently conducting a secret特训 for Ning Xiaohui.

Ning Xiaohui still had layers of gauze绑 around her throat. Her gaze was steady as she stared at the basin of water filled with ice in front of her.

Her hands were plunged into the ice, and this had持续 for the time it takes an incense stick to burn!

A bone-piercing chill followed her hands,侵蚀 her entire body.

At first, she was shaking all over, her face covered in frost.

Afterward, her hands turned blue-purple, her body frozen to the point of numbness.

And now, at this final stage, she actually felt a trace of warmth emanating from her numb, frozen hands!

It was like a seed of life stubbornly sprouting a green shoot within the extreme cold of a frozen wasteland, buried under ten thousand zhang of solid ice.

Ning Xiaohui had a sudden flash of insight, an immediate enlightenment on the spot.

Her hands also began to glow with a jade-like radiance, instantly absorbing all the frostbite and chill from her entire body, then transforming it into a vibrant vitality that反馈 back.

The next moment, Ning Xiaohui was radiant, all her injuries, major and minor, completely healed!

Including her damaged throat, it was restored to its original state.

"Grandmother, I succeeded!" Ning Xiaohui tore off the gauze from her neck, cheering and laughing joyfully.

Her grandmother stood to the side, having witnessed her granddaughter's breakthrough with her own eyes. Her heart was comforted, her eyes rimmed red: "Good, good, good. Grandmother saw. Truly worthy of being my beloved granddaughter."

"You should have comprehended the essence of the Icy Jade Hands now."

Ning Xiaohui carefully phrased her words: "It's like a tiny strand of vitality beneath extreme冷酷, a transformation born from reaching the极限."

Her grandmother nodded and said slowly, "All things between heaven and earth possess spirit."

"A cultivator's innate talent is the spirit they are born with. Spirit is innumerable, and innate talents are also countless."

"The reason grandmother had you plunge your hands into ice was to use this arduous cultivation to help you experience that even beneath extreme冷酷, there is still vitality."

"As the saying goes, heaven never seals off all exits! There is no situation in this world absolutely impossible to escape from. Even in the most hopeless circumstances, there exists a sliver of渺茫 hope."

"This is the principle of how heaven and earth operate, the truth we cultivators seek, and also the meaning contained within the Icy Jade Hands."

"Here is a message just sent by the young clan leader. Take a look."

Ning Xiaohui glanced at it: "I didn't expect this Ning Zhuo to truly have talent. The previous Mechanical Blaze Ape wasn't his limit; he created another excellent mechanical ape so quickly."

"However, this is nothing much."

Ning Xiaohui's grandmother nodded: "Yes."

"Xiaohui, now that you have初步 mastered the Icy Jade Hands, your strength will advance by leaps and bounds from now on."

"Although you switched to cultivating the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art, the Five Elements法力 includes the Water Element, which can coordinate with your innate talent."

"Additionally, the Earth Element法力 and Wood Element法力 are also good matches for the Icy Jade Hands."

"If you obtain the subsequent功法 of the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art in the future, surpassing the上限 of our clan's main cultivation method, the 'Ice Heart Art,' then switching paths is a superior route for you."

"That Ning Zhuo cannot compare."

"Even if he has innate talent, our clan will not test him for it now."

"Even if it's tested out in the future, he will hardly have good strategies to develop his talent."

"For example, take your current arduous cultivation. Grandmother特意 helped you封锁 the information. Actually, the essence of the Icy Jade Hands has long been recorded in the clan's treasured classics and secret manuals."

"If you had read it提前, it would have been a significant obstacle to truly comprehending through arduous cultivation."

"Only by truly experiencing the vitality beneath despair amidst bitter cold can you further master your innate talent."

"This is the底蕴 of a family!"

"Ning Zhuo's talent is clearly not common within our Ning family bloodline. He won't receive the guidance and leadership of the clan's past sages. He will inevitably walk many弯路 in the future."

"The future is yours, Xiaohui."

Ning Xiaohui nodded: "Not just the future, the present is also mine!"

"Once I熟练 master the Icy Jade Hands, I will return to the cultivation modification team and let everyone see the风采 of the Ning family's main lineage!"

Accompanied by Wang Lan, Ning Zhuo entered Ning Ze's talisman-making room.

He looked around and sighed: "It can still be used with some modifications."

Wang Lan felt inwardly resentful but wore an apologetic smile on her face: "Xiao Zhuo, I'm glad if it can help you."

"It's a pity I'm just a woman who doesn't understand anything about mechanics. Your uncle is much better than me in this aspect."

"If he were home, with him here, he would certainly help you more."

Wang Lan was indirectly reminding Ning Zhuo that his uncle was still detained in the private prison.

Ning Zhuo acted as if he didn't catch the hint. He took out various mechanical crafting tools from his storage pouch, cleared out some of the facilities in the talisman-making room, and temporarily converted it into a crude mechanical workshop.

Wang Lan witnessed and even participated in the entire process, feeling increasingly that the servants were bullying their masters, that villains were in power. She was full of心酸 and anger, but could only endure it.

Ning Zhuo asked Wang Lan to leave, wanting to be alone. He set up the Tree Martial Ape - Da Sheng and began disassembling it.

The main modification was to increase the number of talisman inscription slots.

After some hammering and adjustments, he increased Yuan Dasheng's talisman slots from the previous six to ten.

"Next, refining the various talismans and adjusting their combinations should basically meet the needs of expressing Yuan Dasheng's martial techniques."

(End of )