: You've Worked Hard

Xuanyuan Nine Crafts Platform!

Xuan: Refers to ancient carriages with enclosures or curtains, representing nobility and high status, symbolizing a lofty destiny and the power of long journeys.

Yuan: The two straight wooden poles in front of a carriage for harnessing livestock, representing guidance and the source of power.

And Nine Crafts represent nine types of craftsmanship.

The Xuanyuan Nine Crafts Platform is a mechanism base that incorporates nine crafts to create mechanical carriage frames.

The entire base resembles a thick, elongated strip, very simple and empty, quite different from the oddly shaped mechanism bases commonly seen.

It combines both wood and metal. The wood is chosen from thousand-year-old ancient coin elms and blue sea agarwood, showcasing natural grain and an antique aura. The metal used is Tai Bai Yao Gold, ensuring stability and durability.

The platform surface is semi-transparent, containing countless talismans inside. These talismans vary in size; some are finely detailed and densely packed together, while others are large and occupy their own space.

The talismans emit a faint, mysterious glow and gradually change over time.

Ning Zhuo's eyes widened, almost shining with light.

He nearly leaped out of the stone sphere to embrace the platform passionately!

He eagerly channeled his spiritual sense, growing more and more excited.

"Just as recorded in the books, the nine crafts can each be different, arranged according to one's needs."

"Marvelous, truly marvelous."

Ning Zhuo examined closely and discovered the nine crafts were: meticulous carving, celestial fire smelting, layered forging, stardust inlaying...

"Leaning towards fine processing."

What Ning Zhuo needed was rapid production of mechanical puppets, large-scale manufacturing, or repairs.

However, even if it wasn't a perfect match, with this Xuanyuan Nine Crafts Platform, his efficiency could still increase more than tenfold.

Such an improvement was already quite considerable!

Ning Zhuo then looked at the second mechanism base.

This base resembled a miniaturized ancient palace, with a stable form and elegant, flowing cloud patterns and dragon-shaped runes on its surface.

The main body of the palace had a bronze hue, giving a sense of weathered history and profound heritage.

The beams and pillars inside the palace were thick, rounded, and unadorned yet masterfully crafted, all slowly rotating on their own.

When Ning Zhuo channeled his spiritual sense into it, he found that inside this palace-shaped mechanism base were countless gears and grooves. The structure was extremely intricate, with densely packed, layered gears.

"Xuan Palace Gear Platform!" Ning Zhuo quickly recognized it.

"Its main value depends on what the central master gear is."

Ning Zhuo's spiritual sense delved deeper and soon saw a massive gear dominating the center, slowly rotating.

"Left-Right Treading Earth Gear?"

Ning Zhuo's heart stirred; he continued observing and soon confirmed his initial judgment was correct.

The Up-Down Ascending Heaven Gear and the Left-Right Treading Earth Gear corresponded to each other, a classic pair of mechanical components in mechanism arts.

Then there was the third mechanism base.

This mechanism base was cylindrical, like a large drum.

The drum surface was painted red, while the cylinder depicted a giant deity. The deity supported the sky and trod the earth, with clouds swirling around its knees and shoulders, emphasizing its immense form. Its muscles bulged, exuding a strong sense of power.

"Giant Spirit Shaping Platform!" Ning Zhuo immediately understood.

This base was very easy to identify.

Or rather, Ning Zhuo had long coveted many such platforms. He had only been able to satisfy his eyes in books and secret records, keeping his admiration hidden in his heart.

Although mechanism bases weren't as expensive as alchemy furnaces or forging furnaces, they weren't commonly seen on the market either.

In over a decade in Fire Persimmon Immortal City, Ning Zhuo hadn't seen many mechanism bases for sale.

There was an important reason for this: Fire Persimmon Immortal City was a new city. Since its establishment, due to special reasons like the Three Sects Upper Beings, it couldn't be fully developed.

Now, although the Molten Rock Immortal Palace had emerged, Fire Persimmon Immortal City was caught in even fiercer contention, let alone rapid development.

The function of the Giant Spirit Shaping Platform was to forcibly change the shape of large materials.

It also differed from most mechanism bases.

Because it contained the Invoking God Technique.

It invoked the Giant Spirit God.

Such deities were typically massive, robust, and possessed great strength.

This Giant Spirit Shaping Platform was only at the Golden Core level, capable of invoking only one Giant Spirit God at a time. If it were at the Nascent Soul level, it could invoke two Giant Spirit Gods simultaneously, or one Giant Spirit God and one Artisan God.

Without an Artisan God, this Giant Spirit Shaping Platform had to contain arrays and talismans for auxiliary functions like heating, lubrication, scorching, and fixing.

One Xuanyuan Nine Crafts Platform, one Xuan Palace Gear Platform, one Giant Spirit Shaping Platform!

"One Nascent Soul level, two Golden Core levels. Three mechanism bases in a row! Who in the army are these for?"

While overjoyed, Ning Zhuo felt puzzled.

Faced with this question, he immediately thought of Princess Shuang Ling.

Currently, in the Two Pouring Kingdom's army, only she used mechanisms, and she was at the Nascent Soul level, wealthy and capable of affording such items.

"Hehehe." Sun Lingtong also thought of this and chuckled mischievously. "Little Zhuo, these mechanism bases are probably all that Shuang Ling's."

"This time, we'll make her pay!"

"Remember how arrogant she was at the auction? What goes around comes around, hehehe! Now it's time."

Ning Zhuo nodded and continued cooperating with Sun Lingtong, controlling the stone sphere.

The "Stone Elder" kept appearing on the battlefield, making moves repeatedly. While the Thousand Peaks Forest and Two Pouring Kingdom fought fiercely and tragically, he profited greatly.

Dragon Scale Stone—jade-like in color with surface patterns resembling dragon scales.

Night Shadow Copper—deep blue or black like the night sky, leaving a shadow trail in the air when swung quickly.

Python Pattern Blood Fir—wood with blood-red marks intertwined like pythons.

Jade Sea Blue Sky—spiritual liquid, blue on the upper part and green on the lower.

Dead Owl Claw—a four-fingered bird claw, hard as cast copper.

After stealing plenty, Ning Zhuo gradually realized something.

"These platforms and precious materials seem to be a set, capable of refining some kind of mechanical creation..."

The "Stone Elder" stole from the transport team from front to back, left to right, inside and out.

The entire transport team was in despair; either killed or stripped clean, their morale collapsed.

Large-scale desertion occurred.

This reduced the military support for the Two Pouring Kingdom's Nascent Soul cultivators, immediately lowering their combat strength.

Floating Cloud Master and Mountain Peak Master decisively joined forces, continuously attacking together to hold off the decline.

"The truly valuable treasures should be in the transport officer's storage bag." Sun Lingtong looked at the high-altitude battle, still very excited.

Ning Zhuo nodded slightly. "Then let's wait and see."

Storage bags, storage rings, storage belts, etc., had different capacities. Some were strong, some weak.

The more treasures loaded and the higher their grade, the more capacity was consumed.

Hence, transport teams and merchant caravans were often necessary.

Whether teleporting or using high-grade storage equipment, the costs were higher.

The transport officer's storage bag contained the most precious military supplies. But the quantity was usually small because precious items tended to be high-grade, naturally limiting how much could be loaded.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Die...!"

"Take this move...!"

Slap! Slap! Slap!

"Such vicious spells...!"

"Villain, don't be so rampant...!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Taste our Mountain Cloud Covering the Sky!"

"Hmph, not so impressive after all."

Sun and Ning hid underground, watching the show with great interest.

The three Nascent Soul cultivators of Two Pouring Kingdom were outnumbered and gradually overpowered.

While the transport officer dodged left and right, the storage bag at his waist was struck and fell, landing right on the ground above the stone sphere.

Chen Lingfeng lunged forward, trying to grab the storage bag.

But the next moment, mysterious light flashed, and the Stone Elder appeared, sucking the storage bag inside.

Chen Lingfeng shouted, "Senior Stone, this is too much!"

Sun Lingtong nodded, voice hoarse, impersonating the Stone Elder. "Indeed, it is too much."

Chen Lingfeng was slightly stunned, a glimmer of hope rising, about to continue persuading, but then Sun Lingtong said, "You've worked hard. Keep it up next time."

"I..." Chen Lingfeng nearly cursed out loud.

Then, he watched helplessly as the "Stone Elder" submerged into the earth and disappeared again.

The storage bag had sealing measures and couldn't be opened immediately.

Sun and Ning were very patient, not in a hurry, and continued observing the intense battle.

The transport officer, having lost the military supplies, felt a sharp pain in his heart, his fighting spirit scattered. After urgent communication with Floating Cloud Master and Mountain Peak Master, they immediately began to retreat.

The Thousand Peaks Forest ambushers pursued for a short distance but didn't dare go further.

After all, they were deep in enemy territory, surrounded by foes.

Thus, the second ambush battle ended.

"Quick, find the Stone Elder!"

"He's gone too far; he stole almost all our spoils."

"We risked our lives here to intercept the transport team, only for the Stone Elder to benefit alone. I can't accept this!"

"Hate, I hate this!! I've seen the Stone Elder for what he is."

"This guy is usually silent, but his true nature is so despicable, utterly hateful!"

The many Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators of Thousand Peaks Forest had extremely grim expressions.

Sun and Ning had already departed via earth travel.

The urgent military report of the transport team being attacked and completely plundered was delivered to Wood Wheel Town.

Upon hearing the bad news, Shuang Ling initially couldn't believe it. "How is that possible? It can't be!"

"Of all times, such an important transport gets ambushed by the enemy?"

"My mechanism platforms, and my many precious materials!!!" Shuang Ling was filled with anger and hatred, gritting her teeth.

Gradually calming down, her eyes gleamed with malice. "Hmph, Stone Elder! If you've taken my things and are still within Two Pouring Kingdom, I can find you!"

Shuang Ling took out a large number of mechanisms and set up an altar.

The mechanisms interlocked,镶嵌, and combined to construct a mechanical altar.

She immediately ascended the altar to perform the technique.

After one incense stick's time, stars appeared in the daytime!

Divine ability activated—Stars Hidden Illumination.

The starlight would pinpoint the thief's location and direction.

Failure!

Shuang Ling's expression changed drastically; she spat a small mouthful of blood, half-knelt on the ground, her energy and spirit both wilting.

"How is this possible?"

"Has the Stone Elder already left Two Pouring Kingdom?"

The "Stone Elder" had already disintegrated; Sun and Ning were riding the Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon,穿梭 through the void.

They were about to end this穿梭 and return to the real world when Sun Lingtong suddenly shouted, "Wait!"

Ning Zhuo was controlling the Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon, while Sun was studying the transport officer's storage bag, trying to break its anti-theft seals, when he suddenly saw the storage bag radiating starlight.

Sun Lingtong immediately realized, "Someone is tracking and locating us!"

"We must not go out now."

"Quick, Little Zhuo, let's continue穿梭 the void."

Sun Lingtong stopped Ning Zhuo just in time.

Ning Zhuo's heart also skipped a beat as he continued controlling the Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon,游曳 in the void.

During this process, Sun Lingtong frequently used theft techniques on the storage bag and the many stolen precious materials and mechanism platforms.

"Not very effective."

"What method is the other party using? So powerful!"

"No, they pre-set mechanisms in these military supplies, hence the detection and tracking."

After discerning the truth, Sun Lingtong had no solution.

He was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and practicing the童子功, which wasn't even the mainstream technique of the Empty Hand Sect.

"Let's wander around more; I don't believe they can keep searching for us indefinitely."

Following Sun Lingtong's拖延 tactic, Sun and Ning kept trying and finally waited until the starlight dissipated and no longer appeared.

They游曳 in the void a bit longer, confirming the starlight didn't reappear, then left the void and returned to the real world.

"Where is this?" Sun and Ning immediately tried to identify their location.

"Jade Sky Mountain?" They quickly figured out they were within the Thousand Peaks Forest.

Specifically, at Jade Sky Mountain.

"Where are the defenders here?"

"Not a soul in sight!" Ning Zhuo was curious.

Sun Lingtong suddenly exclaimed, "Right, right, Little Zhuo, let's go to the mountaintop quickly. The Jade Sky Pond there produces Void Crystals."

"With Void Crystals, we can improve the Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon, greatly reducing our consumption during void穿梭."

So Sun and Ning carefully infiltrated the mountaintop, finding no enemies throughout the process.

How strange!

The Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon潜入 into the Jade Sky Pond, where they saw a large patch of Void Crystals凝结 at the bottom.

"These Void Crystals aren't very big; most haven't fully formed and can't be harvested." Sun Lingtong said disappointedly.

Ning Zhuo had already figured it out by now. "I think I roughly know why it's like this here."

"Our four armies are attacking Thousand Peaks Forest. I know the routes of the Three Generals Camp and Red Flower Camp."

"Although I don't know about the Barbarian Demon Camp and Golden Halberd Army's routes, I can guess based on available intelligence."

"Given Jade Sky Mountain's location, it's quite deep into Thousand Peaks Forest. It's likely on the route of one of the armies, so the defenders here withdrew early."

"The Barbarian Demon Camp suffered heavy losses and couldn't advance this deep in a short time."

"So, it's probably the Golden Halberd Army!"

"This army is likely to arrive here soon."

While listening to Ning Zhuo's analysis, Sun Lingtong observed the lake bottom crystals. "Little Zhuo, stop analyzing. Look at that patch of Void Crystals; a small section is fully formed. We can mine and collect them."

"Missing this would be such a pity!"

(End of )