Underground workshop.

The gentle light of the spirit lamp evenly filled the entire space.

Ning Zhuo sat at the table, giving the storage pouch in his hand one final check.

This was the loot he had obtained from the Three Huang Ghosts at the black market.

Confirming it was safe, Ning Zhuo began cracking the miniature formation on the first storage pouch. He forged the original owner's aura and spiritual sense, finally tricking the pouch into opening successfully.

Inside the first storage pouch were a few spirit stones, a spirit pet Green Blade Mantis, and some materials suitable for ghost cultivators, such as Dark Essence, Soul Shards, and Netherworld Flowers.

The second storage pouch contained several hundred spirit stones. The ghost cultivation materials consisted only of a wisp of Yin Wind and a jade slip for a ghost cultivation technique called "Yin Bone Art," which could transform one's own bones.

The third storage pouch belonged to the leader of the Three Huang Ghosts. It had a dual-layered formation, drastically increasing the difficulty and time required for Ning Zhuo to crack it.

"Interesting," the young man's eyes sparkled.

The higher the difficulty and resistance, the more it fueled his fighting spirit.

He immersed himself fully, enjoying the thrill of tackling the challenge.

After nearly half an hour, he finally succeeded.

As soon as it opened, a small ghost head lunged at Ning Zhuo's face.

Ning Zhuo snorted softly, having been prepared. At the critical moment, the My Buddha Heart Demon Seal in his consciousness flashed, capturing the ghost head. Then, the defensive formation on the worktable activated, instantly annihilating the ghost head into nothingness.

The ghost head seemed like the final stubborn act of the Huang Ghost leader.

From then on, his storage pouch was completely defenseless against Ning Zhuo.

It contained over a thousand spirit stones, two jade slips—one for the ghost cultivation technique "Netherworld Heart Sutra" and the other for the ghost spell "Detailed Guide to Soul Summoning"—as well as a large pile of cultivation materials, not all of which were exclusively for ghost cultivators.

"Fire Essence?!" Ning Zhuo's pupils dilated slightly as he discovered about ten jin of Fire Essence.

Joy immediately spread across his face.

Suppressing his excitement, Ning Zhuo pulled out a drawer and grabbed a handful of Golden Thread Jade Dew Cakes.

With a surge of magic power, he burned away the wrappers on the cakes. The ashes drifted away like the dust from burning corpses in a pill furnace.

He opened his mouth and stuffed all the cakes in.

Chewing.

Under the spirit lamp's glow, his lips were strikingly red, occasionally revealing his white teeth. The Golden Thread Jade Dew Cakes were crushed between his teeth and lips, the filling oozing out and mixing together. It was as if the many cultivators who had fallen into his hands were wailing in agony, their flesh and blood ground into pulp, becoming the nutrients for Ning Zhuo's growth.

The world of cultivators was cruel. Without gray businesses like the Up-Down Ruyi Rope and the contributions of these demonic cultivators, how could Ning Zhuo afford to eat so many Golden Thread Jade Dew Cakes?

As he ate, Ning Zhuo happily tallied the profits from last night's black market.

Selling the Up-Down Ruyi Ropes had earned him 24,000 spirit stones.

His uncle, Ning Ze, had purchased 80 Up-Down Ruyi Ropes for the Ning family, contributing the bulk of the earnings.

In comparison, the spirit stones from the Three Huang Ghosts were pitifully few.

"The Up-Down Ruyi Ropes I make are the best cave-descending ropes available on the market. That's why business has always been good."

"It seems the Ning family is preparing for something big with such extensive war preparations?"

"Ah, the cultivation world is a dog-eat-dog place!"

"There are always those with ill intentions who bully ordinary youngsters like me."

"Those three ghost cultivators were out robbing people, so naturally, they were poor. But the ten jin of Fire Essence was unexpected—a real surprise."

"With this, the Fire Essence I've accumulated has reached over a thousand jin. It's enough!"

Over the years, Ning Zhuo had been secretly stockpiling Fire Essence. For safety, he only purchased small amounts from the market at a time, gradually accumulating more. At his usual pace, gathering ten jin would have taken over a month.

Now, this large batch of Fire Essence had immediately filled the final gap.

After counting his gains, Ning Zhuo calculated the losses from last night's black market.

He took out a silver-gray token from his chest.

The front of the token bore the character "Cang," and the back, "Han."

Ning Zhuo gently tossed the token. It disassembled, extended, and expanded mid-air, radiating a dazzling light. When the light faded, the mechanical armor—Cang Tie Han Armor—hovered quietly in the air.

Ning Zhuo opened a section of the armor's spine, where a Foundation Establishment Pill was embedded.

"The Foundation Establishment Pill is only thirty percent left."

This pill was crucial, as it was one of the factors enabling the Cang Tie Han Armor to exhibit Foundation Establishment-level combat power. Ning Zhuo himself was only at the Qi Refining stage.

"If the Foundation Establishment Pill is used up, the Cang Tie Han Armor will become unusable."

"Sigh, obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill is extremely difficult." Ning Zhuo frowned slightly.

This was his greatest loss from the previous day.

There was also a new scar added last night—the stab wound left by the desperate struggle of the Huang Ghost leader. Ning Zhuo was helpless against it.

Upon closer inspection, the surface of the mechanical armor was already covered with scars.

Some were old wounds, while others were marks left from battles Ning Zhuo had fought while wearing it.

"Mother..." Ning Zhuo stroked the old scars, his eyes turning sorrowful.

Fourteen years ago, when he was only two years old, his mother had given him her final instructions on her deathbed.

From her, he learned: Within Fire Persimmon Mountain lay a Molten Rock Immortal Palace, a city of mechanisms. The city spirit was secretly selecting cultivators to inherit the city. His mother was one of the selected Foundation Establishment cultivators. The trials within the immortal city were extremely difficult. Due to her outstanding strength, his mother was targeted by other competitors and ultimately succumbed to severe injuries.

"The immortal city continues to decay, and the selection standards have been lowered accordingly. Zhuo'er, by the time you turn fourteen, the selection standard for the Mechanism Immortal City will have dropped to the Qi Refining stage. This will be your greatest opportunity!"

"Zhuo'er, you must study mechanism arts well. Don't let others know about your efforts in this area."

"You must design mechanical creations yourself, assemble them yourself, and control them yourself. These are all part of the immortal city's assessment."

"If you rank among the top few selected, you will be recognized as a Seed of Mechanisms and receive focused cultivation from the city. This is especially important for you because, compared to those with backgrounds, you need the cultivation resources of the Mechanism Immortal Palace even more."

"You must never cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage using the Ning family techniques! I, your mother, was a Seed of Mechanisms among Foundation Establishment cultivators. Unfortunately, my dantian was already fixed, and I couldn't change my cultivation technique. Many trials within the Molten Rock Palace became exponentially more difficult because I hadn't cultivated the technique left by the Three Sects Sage, forcing me to stop helplessly."

"Cough, cough, cough!"

The two-year-old Ning Zhuo cried in terror, "Mother, stop talking! You're coughing up blood!"

Ning Zhuo's mother reached out, stroking his small head, her eyes filled with reluctance and worry. "Zhuo'er, Mother is sorry. I couldn't protect you. Without your father and me, you'll be alone from now on. You can only rely on yourself."

"Don't be too loyal to the family. Your father made that mistake!"

"Before your father died, he asked the young clan leader, Ning Xiaoren, to take care of you. But I've seen through that man—he's duplicitous and unreliable."

"Your uncle and aunt are no better—one is obsessed with face, the other extremely stingy. Neither is kind-hearted. You must be careful around them."

"Sometimes, the people closest to you—family and friends—can be more dangerous than enemies!"

"Don't stand out too much. Without your parents, no one is truly your support. You must hide yourself well. Don't perform too poorly either—just be average. Grow up ordinarily, accumulate strength quietly, and avoid drawing attention."

"I've seen too many talented youths die young..."

"I'm leaving you the Cang Tie Han Armor for protection. It has the power of the Foundation Establishment stage."

"And this treasure—the My Buddha Heart Demon Seal! I obtained it by chance from the Molten Rock Immortal Palace. You must never reveal it."

By this point, Ning Zhuo's mother's voice had weakened to a whisper.

Tears streamed down her face as she strained to keep her eyes on the two-year-old Ning Zhuo. She wanted to keep looking at him, but her vision gradually darkened.

In her final moments, she hesitated. "I don't know if teaching you this way is right or wrong."

"Zhuo'er, you must take good care of yourself. If it really doesn't work out, just give up on the Molten Rock Immortal Palace."

"Your life is what matters most. I want you to live, to live well!"

"As long as you're alive, I'll be happy."

The two-year-old Ning Zhuo clutched his mother's blood-stained clothes tightly. "Mother, Mother, stop talking. I don't want you to die. Don't die, wu wu wu..."

Ning Zhuo's mother said one last time, "Good Zhuo'er, don't be afraid, don't be afraid... Mother is here. I... I will protect you from underground..."

The next moment, his mother's heart stopped beating, and her hand slowly slid from Ning Zhuo's head.

The two-year-old Ning Zhuo trembled as if electrocuted. He looked up—now a sixteen-year-old youth.

The once childish face, streaked with tears, had been replaced by the resolute expression of a grown teenager.

He had grown up, carrying his mother's final wishes and hopes.

"Mother, things have changed!"

"The city lord, along with the Zhou and Zheng families, has joined forces to intensify the cleanup of the Blazing Flame Demon Molten Cave. This has greatly reduced the defensive pressure on the Molten Rock Immortal Palace, lowering its depletion significantly. Without external pressure, the palace's damage has been maintained well, and the palace spirit hasn't actively lowered the selection standards again."

"This year, the Ning family also discovered the secret of the Molten Rock Immortal Palace. If we wait for them to join the defense, when will I ever get to see the standards lowered?"

"Perhaps I'll never get the chance in this lifetime!"

"The major powers of Fire Persimmon Immortal City are doing everything they can to conceal the Molten Rock Immortal Palace, wanting to keep this opportunity within their own circles. How can that be allowed?"

"So, I must take action myself!"

"Now, I've accumulated enough Fire Essence—absolutely sufficient to blast the immortal palace into disrepair and force the standards lower."

"All that's left is the Blaze Monkey."

(End of Chapter)