: The Rod's Salvation, Who Truly is the Demon?

"Ha, ha, ha. You're lying to a ghost!" Han Ming sneered.

Ning Zhuo's voice turned cold. "Since you don't want to cooperate properly, I'll have to resort to force."

As he spoke, Ning Zhuo pulled out his tools from his robe.

They were mechanical needles of varying lengths and thicknesses.

"What are you going to do to me?!" Seeing the youth with hanging hair approach her step by step, Han Ming panicked.

Ning Zhuo spoke as gently as possible. "Endure it for a while. Some of the mechanical needles are a bit thick and might hurt."

Dozens of small mechanical puppets, each carrying several mechanical needles, climbed onto Han Ming's body.

"You old villain, just kill me... Ah!"

Han Ming's body trembled as if electrocuted, her head thrown back in a wretched scream. The piercing shriek echoed through the prison cell, sending chills down one's spine.

A moment later, needles were inserted all over her body—at every joint, vital point, and even a dozen or so piercing through her skull, front and back.

Some of the thin needles were bearable, but blood slowly trickled from the puncture wounds of the thicker ones.

Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and activated a secret technique to control these mechanical needles.

As he manipulated them, the needles, large and small, rose and fell slightly, vibrating on Han Ming's body. Some needle tips stirred inside her, while others rotated on the surface.

"Ah—!" Han Ming's screams erupted again, sharp enough to pierce eardrums.

Overwhelming pain made her twist uncontrollably. Her slender fingers clawed desperately at the cold, thick iron chains until her fingertips bled from the force.

But this pain was nothing compared to the agony the needles inflicted.

Ning Zhuo focused entirely, beginning to activate the magical treasure within his divine sea and dantian—the My Buddha, Heart Demon Seal!

The seal loomed like a mountain in his divine sea, and the demonic figure at one end began to emit a red demonic light.

The demonic light soon manifested on the mechanical needles, large and small, seeping into every part of Han Ming's body.

In the next moment, a pink heart seal shot from Ning Zhuo directly into Han Ming's heart.

Han Ming's screams gradually subsided, replaced by an intense fear that gripped her tightly.

She felt her body moving beyond her control, activating the Nine Revolutions Soul Devouring Art!

"No, stop!" Han Ming's pupils shrank to pinpricks, but she couldn't halt the process.

Soon, the technique reached a certain stage and began to draw out the foundational essence of her soul.

Ning Zhuo released his control at the right moment and opened the Soul Snatching Shuttle.

Instead of falling to the ground, the shuttle, now under Han Ming's control, floated slowly to her front.

Then, the sharpest tip of the Soul Snatching Shuttle gently pierced her chest.

The Soul Snatching Shuttle activated.

Han Ming never imagined she would face such a day!

The Soul Snatching Shuttle, the very weapon she had used to slaughter thousands and bring ruin to countless lives, would one day be turned against its master.

And the one wielding it was none other than herself!

The Soul Snatching Shuttle trembled slightly.

The soul essence Han Ming had accumulated over a lifetime was thoroughly purified and gradually channeled into the shuttle.

As the soul essence neared the shuttle's capacity, the entire tool began to emit a faint, cold light.

A moment later, the Soul Snatching Shuttle, now full, returned to Ning Zhuo's grasp.

Han Ming's face was deathly pale, her body limp as if her bones had been removed. Only the chains and hooks piercing her wrists and shoulder blades kept her standing.

"What... what did you do to me?"

"What kind of technique is this?"

Han Ming looked up, staring at Ning Zhuo in terror.

"Are you a disciple of the Phantom Shadow Sect? Was that the Soul Confusion Art?!"

"Or are you from the Bewitching Cult? Did you use a gu on me?"

"No, it's neither... it's not..."

Her entire body trembled, her heart quaking. All her previous confidence and arrogance vanished without a trace.

Beneath the Cang Iron Armor, two streams of blood trickled from Ning Zhuo's nose.

The My Buddha, Heart Demon Seal—enlightening oneself to become a Buddha, but acting as a demon to others.

Used alone, the seal could affect targets of the same level, but only for an instant. Against targets one level higher, its influence was even more limited, requiring guidance along their thoughts rather than direct alteration.

But with the assistance of other mechanical needles, as done now, the degree of influence could be greatly enhanced.

Just moments ago, Ning Zhuo had used the heart seal to command Han Ming—activate the Nine Revolutions Soul Devouring Art and transfer her foundational essence to the person before her.

With the help of the mechanical needles, Han Ming had complied, even though she was utterly unwilling!

"In the secret mechanical records left by my mother, there are rod heads like cross-shaped, T-shaped, and even king-shaped rod heads. Unfortunately, my cultivation isn't sufficient to use the more powerful ones yet."

"For now, I can only use this single-line rod head."

Ning Zhuo's mother had been a mechanical cultivator. Most of his mechanical prowess came from her secret records.

Rod heads and control lines were two of the mainstream methods for manipulating mechanical constructs.

Just now, Ning Zhuo had treated Han Ming as a mechanical construct and controlled her accordingly.

Of course, relying solely on rod heads, even king-shaped ones, wouldn't achieve this level of control unless Ning Zhuo's cultivation far surpassed Han Ming's or his mechanical skills improved hundreds of times over.

What truly caused the qualitative change was the My Buddha, Heart Demon Seal!

Ning Zhuo had gradually discovered this combination through experimentation.

The benefit was obvious, but the drawback was that the target would not live long, becoming a consumable item.

Ning Zhuo wasn't in a hurry to absorb the soul essence. Instead, he carefully examined Han Ming's injuries.

"Your supplementary cultivation techniques are quite good. Many parts of your body have successfully undergone corpse transformation. This will allow you to endure longer. Excellent, excellent." Ning Zhuo praised repeatedly.

Hearing this, Han Ming could endure no more and fainted from sheer rage.

Meanwhile.

Meng Chong rushed back to the city lord's manor.

He went straight to the training room, not wanting to waste a single moment, and began dissipating his cultivation immediately.

Supreme-grade talent—Rampant Sprinting Thunder!

Electric light flickered around him as his essence, energy, and spirit rapidly declined.

The thunderous energy accelerated his dissipation, producing astonishing results!

Meng Chong's eyes sparkled with electric light as he exclaimed in delight, "At this rate, by tomorrow, I'll have completely dissipated my法力 and can start cultivating anew!"

"I've learned it, I understand now!"

"Rampant Sprinting Thunder is my greatest asset. From now on, I must be brave and fearless, giving my all, charging forward without hesitation!"

Meng Chong immersed himself in the joy of his breakthrough.

He realized that the more single-mindedly he charged forward, the more effective Rampant Sprinting Thunder became, and the better he could control it.

"Indeed, the more I express my innate nature, the more my talent manifests and strengthens!"

"Old Sun, you're truly remarkable. Hahaha!"

Underground prison cell.

Ning Zhuo ignored the unconscious Han Ming.

He went to the adjacent room, opened his armor, held the Soul Snatching Shuttle, and gently touched its other tip to his skin.

In the next moment, a cool, gentle stream of pure soul power flowed from the shuttle into his soul.

Ning Zhuo took a step back, his pupils dilating abruptly as an extreme sensation of pleasure filled his entire being.

It felt like diving into a lake for a refreshing swim on the hottest day of summer.

His soul foundation rapidly soared, soon surpassing the accumulation of his sixteen years of growth, doubling in an instant!

Yet, only half of the soul essence in the Soul Snatching Shuttle had been consumed.

After a few breaths, the shuttle was empty, and the faint cold light it had emitted earlier completely vanished.

"Comfortable, so comfortable." Ning Zhuo felt invigorated, better than ever before.

Then, he noticed something unusual.

He felt a slight warmth in his left arm.

"What's going on?"

Like Meng Chong, he was both surprised and delighted. "Is my left arm warming up because my talent has been triggered? Is it beginning to manifest?"

Ning Zhuo grew eager.

If he could identify the triggering condition, he could repeatedly enact it to nurture and enhance his talent until it fully manifested.

"What caused it?"

"Was it absorbing the pure soul essence?"

"Or was it because I dealt with a demonic cultivator, punished evil, and upheld righteousness in the world?"

(End of )