: Void Tide Sound

Forming an army...

Affiliating it with an existing cultivation nation would make it easy to resolve.

If Ning Zhuo were to start from scratch and build an army, the cost would be extremely high. He would have to tackle issues like military registration, discipline, authority, structure, and morale all on his own.

"Even after going through immense hardship to form an army, the maintenance cost afterward would be enormous."

"It's not practical for me."

"So the better choice is to focus on elite puppets, like Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yehu."

The Armored Blood Ape - Dasheng had clearly fallen behind.

The main purpose of this mechanical combat puppet's design was actually to help Ning Zhuo cultivate the Demon Tainted Blood Tendon Art. Its outstanding defense was due to Ning Zhuo sparing no expense back then, leveraging various resources and using a large amount of precious materials to build it up.

In terms of actual design, it was only mid to low-tier.

On the battlefield of Liangzhu Kingdom, the Armored Blood Ape - Dasheng became a meat shield, barely able to draw enemy fire. It almost ended up scrapped every time it was deployed, earning it the title of high-grade cannon fodder.

There was no helping it; in large-scale battles of this level, the materials used for the Armored Blood Ape - Dasheng were too weak.

As for the Shadow Blade - Yehu, it had repeatedly achieved merits. After all, its design was far superior to that of the Armored Blood Ape - Dasheng.

Its different positioning also made it easier for it to earn battle achievements.

However, its shortcoming lay in its insufficiently good materials.

"I need to redesign a mechanical body for Yuan Dasheng. This time, I'll put more thought into it and aim for a top-tier design."

"Meng Yehu's design can be retained. Taking advantage of this major overhaul after it's scrapped, we can正好 use better materials for its construction."

Ning Zhuo quickly finalized his plans for Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yehu.

Although he had saved up a lot of battle merits without redeeming them, he still had plenty of precious materials on hand.

The reason for this was Tian Gui.

Under the influence of the Buddhist thoughts, Tian Gui had voluntarily given almost all of his possessions to Ning Zhuo.

This powerful Ghost Cultivation True Monarch had long been famous across various nations and possessed a very substantial wealth.

Even though the main materials were related to ghost path and soul cultivation, there were still quite a few conventional precious materials that reached the Nascent Soul level, which could be used on Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yehu.

However, even after setting the plan, Ning Zhuo first proceeded to directly repair both the Armored Blood Ape - Dasheng and the Shadow Blade - Yehu back to their original states.

Relying on the Nascent Soul-level mechanical platform, even though both puppets were scrapped, they could still be quickly restored.

The experience from the great battle in Liangzhu Kingdom had brought significant changes to Ning Zhuo, especially in terms of being prepared for danger in times of peace.

He would rather spend a bit more money to quickly repair Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yehu, ensuring his own combat strength.

Who knew if an accident might happen the next moment, and whether that accident could be fatal?

After repairing these two combat puppets, Ning Zhuo had two Golden Core level combat powers by his side again, which made him feel much more secure.

As for the ordinary mechanical puppets, Ning Zhuo didn't make any.

His military position would likely be revoked soon, and the organization of his mechanical army would be disbanded.

Under such circumstances, if he were to deploy so many mechanical puppets, it would be like a beast tamer summoning a horde of demon pets.

Ning Zhuo's Art of the Valiant Soldier's Return would hardly be effective.

So, even using these mechanical puppets as cannon fodder became a matter of extremely low cost-effectiveness.

"What lies ahead isn't large-scale warfare."

"The conflicts I'll face will mainly involve individual powerful experts. These ordinary mechanical puppets are too common; if sent out, they could easily be slaughtered by strong opponents implementing decapitation tactics against me."

"Aside from tying up my spiritual sense to control these puppets, they offer almost no offensive capability."

Ning Zhuo, being practical and flexible, immediately adjusted the main direction of his mechanical creations—shifting from previous scale and quantity to crafting elite individuals, aiming for higher standards in quality.

Ning Zhuo focused his next efforts on the Hundred-Armed Arhat Armor.

This treasure-grade mechanical combat armor had performed quite impressively in the major battle—Ning Zhuo had used it to withstand Xiang Yue's attacks multiple times.

The upper body of the Hundred-Armed Arhat Armor was already covered in scars and layered cracks, requiring meticulous repair.

"If I relied solely on my own ability, I wouldn't be able to repair the Hundred-Armed Arhat Armor. Fortunately, I have the mechanical platform."

Ning Zhuo's own cultivation was too weak, only at the Foundation Establishment stage. With such limited spiritual power, it was difficult to do anything to a Nascent Soul-level treasure.

The mechanical platform allowed him to achieve what was beyond his own capabilities.

This was the essence of the Hundred Crafts of Cultivation!

Developed to this day, the entire cultivation world was prosperous and flourishing. The intricacies of the Hundred Crafts allowed cultivators to transcend their cultivation levels and schools, accomplishing things they couldn't achieve on their own.

"Repairing the upper body of the Hundred-Armed Arhat Armor shouldn't be a problem."

"But its lower body needs better completion!"

The current lower body of the Hundred-Armed Arhat Armor was just a shoddily made imitation by Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo was also lucky.

During the previous battle, this weakness wasn't discovered. Most cultivators were caught up in their own chaotic fights, too busy to notice.

Ning Zhuo had also chosen a very good time to enter the battlefield, never drawing too much targeted attention.

After joining forces with Mu Lan and Liu Guan Zhang, they also maintained a local advantage for a long time.

The mechanical roaming dragon穿梭 through the void.

"What's that sound?" Sun Lingtong suddenly perked up and urgently contacted Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo, buried in his work at the mechanical platform while meticulously repairing the Hundred-Armed Arhat Armor, immediately looked up upon receiving the message.

The big-headed youth listened carefully for a moment, then showed a puzzled expression: "I didn't hear anything."

Sun Lingtong exclaimed, "You didn't hear it? How strange! The万里游龙 hasn't detected anything either. But I really heard a hissing sound, like the surge of tidewaters."

"This sound has been continuous and is getting louder. You really can't hear it?"

Ning Zhuo subconsciously rubbed the mechanical ring on his finger, which showed no reaction.

But Ning Zhuo didn't let his guard down, frowning slightly: "Boss, our understanding of the void is limited. My mechanical ring only inherited a certain aptitude."

"To be safe, let's return to the mortal world first."

"We're not in a hurry; there's no need to take risks unnecessarily."

Sun Lingtong nodded: "You're right, Xiao Zhuo. Let's slip away first."

Thus, the万里游龙 exited the void and returned to the present world.

In the present world, it was morning.

A light snow had just stopped not long ago.

The uninhabited mountain range was draped in an elegant white veil. The distant peaks, silver-clad and distinct in outline, resembled a beautiful painting frozen in time, serene and profound.

Pine trees stood tall, icicles hanging from their branches. Sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting dappled shadows.

The surroundings were quiet, with only occasional birdsongs echoing in the empty valleys, like clear notes flowing,反而 highlighting the winter's stillness.

Seeing this beautiful scene, Sun and Ning exchanged a glance, both leaving the万里游龙 to step outside.

Although the interior space of the万里游龙 wasn't cramped, it was still enclosed. Staying inside for too long could easily make one feel stifled.

The two brothers, once outside, both took deep breaths, feeling refreshed and cheerful.

"According to our route, we should be at the border of North Wind Kingdom now," Sun Lingtong said.

Ning Zhuo nodded: "Probably."

The万里游龙 was produced by the Molten Immortal Palace and had no travel records. Although Ning Zhuo had been careful to collect maps during his time in Liangzhu Kingdom, the maps he had often differed from the actual terrain.

The more detailed the map, the higher its value, and the less it circulated on the market.

Moreover, Liangzhu Kingdom and North Wind Kingdom were two different cultivation nations.加上 Sun and Ning had been traveling through the void most of the time, they had very few references in the present world.

Therefore, they could only roughly estimate their location based on climate and topography.

This awkward situation was mainly because they had just started traveling the world. Once they visited more places and the万里游龙 had precise records, they could also calculate the positions of many unfamiliar locations.

"North Wind Kingdom..." Sun Lingtong gazed at the snow-capped peaks in the distance and said, "Xiao Zhuo, your Ning family originated from this kingdom, right?"

Ning Zhuo nodded: "It's our hometown. Many elders in the family often reminisce about their lives in North Wind Kingdom."

"But for me, I was born during the migration and lived in Fire Persimmon Immortal City. I can't really relate to their homesickness."

"Speaking of which, we've been traveling for several months now."

"But it feels like we just left Fire Persimmon Immortal City yesterday," Ning Zhuo sighed.

This snowscape actually stirred a faint hint of nostalgia for Fire Persimmon Immortal City within him.

Their stay here wasn't long; after just two hours, they set off again, boarding the万里游龙 to enter the void.

"The sound is gone," Sun Lingtong listened carefully and gradually relaxed. "Maybe it was just my auditory hallucination."

Ning Zhuo frowned slightly and shook his head: "Boss, don't forget, you absorbed the marrow of the Void Evil God. The reason you can hear sounds I can't might be because of that."

"In short, we must be cautious about everything."

Sun Lingtong nodded: "Mm! If any sound appears next time, I won't notify you first. I'll immediately control the万里游龙 to return to the present world."

"Alright," Ning Zhuo agreed, and the two reached a consensus.

After this incident, the division of labor between Sun and Ning changed again.

Previously, they split time equally, with one keeping watch while the other cultivated.

Now, Sun Lingtong primarily stationed himself at the dragon-head cabin, while Ning Zhuo focused on his own cultivation.

The new bodies for Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yehu were still under consideration, but the upper body of the Hundred-Armed Arhat Armor had already been properly repaired.

Back in Liangzhu Kingdom, he had mainly used the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat to increase his physical foundation. Now, Ning Zhuo shifted his cultivation focus to the Three Ancestral Superior Methods.

With the help of the Three Enclosures Exchange Treasure Talisman, the rate at which treasure medicines generated in Ning Zhuo's three dantians was extremely fast.

"At this incredible speed, the treasure medicine generation phase will soon come to an end."

"After this phase, I'll enter the mid Foundation Establishment stage."

Ning Zhuo estimated his progress with a calm heart.

There were no qualitative changes in the early, mid, and late Foundation Establishment stages, so Ning Zhuo didn't have much expectation.

But the essence of cultivation was daily accumulation—without taking small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles.

Without the journey and accumulation through the early, mid, and late stages, how could one condense their own Golden Core in the future?

Besides mainly advancing the progress of the Three Ancestral Superior Methods, Ning Zhuo also didn't forget to accumulate his physical foundation.

He still primarily relied on the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat.

Having experienced the offensive battles in Liangzhu Kingdom, Ning Zhuo had gained a deeper understanding of physical cultivation. A solid physical foundation was very important, providing a relatively high baseline and greatly increasing survival probability on the battlefield.

And powerful existences like Long Ye and Xiang Yue, who could easily stir up the battlefield, all possessed extremely strong physical foundations.

But for Ning Zhuo, reaching the level of Long Ye or Xiang Yue would be very, very difficult.

It required opportunities and the use of treasures like the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat. Compared to Long Ye and Xiang Yue, he would need to pay a higher price!

This was because Long Ye and Xiang Yue's cultivation techniques focused on physical training, primarily advancing the lower dantian, the essence sea.

Ning Zhuo's Three Ancestral Superior Methods cultivated all three seas equally, and the Demon Tainted Blood Tendon Art was stronger in control rather than the accumulation and enhancement of the physical foundation, unlike Long Ye and Xiang Yue's techniques.

"Although the effects of physical cultivation are still significant now, the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat can't last forever. Eventually, its cultivation effects will decline until they reduce to zero."

Using techniques to cultivate the body was, on one hand, cheaper, and on the other, more stable than using precious materials or treasures.

The Fetal Breath Spirit Boat had been a great help to Ning Zhuo!

In the second major battle, the Fetal Breath Spirit Boat was one of the biggest幕后 contributors to Ning Zhuo leveraging such high combat power.

Moreover, after the battle ended, Ning Zhuo didn't even need to heal himself; relying solely on his body's self-recovery, he was fully healed within a few days.

In addition to advancing his techniques and physical cultivation, Ning Zhuo embarked on a third aspect of cultivation: soul cultivation.

The battle against Heaven and Earth Ghosts made Ning Zhuo deeply aware that his insufficient soul foundation was a major weakness. Once targeted, his situation would be extremely dangerous.

Speaking of which, Ning Zhuo had previously experienced a period of growth in his soul foundation back in Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

He first utilized the Soul Devouring Art, and later cultivated a technique himself called the Ghost Warrior Soldier Training Method. This technique consumed soul power to cut off a part of the soul and forge ghostly divine weapons.

So, when Ning Zhuo left Fire Persimmon Immortal City, his soul foundation was nearly two hundred times that of an ordinary person, and he had forged a door-plate-sized ghost axe, considered a companion soul weapon.

Such a soul foundation was quite impressive among his peers or at the Foundation Establishment stage.

But at the Golden Core level, it was completely inadequate.

Facing Heaven and Earth Ghosts, it was practically no different from having none.

Tian Gui's storage pouch contained his and Di Gui's main cultivation techniques. The two came from the Soul Devouring Sect, one of the holy lands for soul and ghost cultivators. Their techniques were naturally excellent.

In his spare time between arduous cultivation, Ning Zhuo would browse and contemplate these techniques.

It was impossible for him to cultivate them.

The Three Ancestral Superior Methods already covered the three major dantians. Cultivating other techniques would be nothing but asking for trouble, even self-mutilation or suicide.

Ning Zhuo contemplated the essentials and secrets of soul cultivation, which would greatly help him in the future when using certain treasures or materials for soul cultivation.

"Speaking of which, Blackwater Mountain's White Paper City is a city of soul cultivators."

"When we get there, besides obtaining the divination from the Mourning Music幽伶, I'll also buy some soul cultivation materials or treasures to compensate for my soul weakness," Ning Zhuo planned privately.

Tian Gui's possessions were too high-end. Ning Zhuo was only at the Foundation Establishment stage and needed many basic soul materials.

One day later.

Sun and Ning proactively exited the void, returned to the present world, and patrolled the nearby area, successfully finding their target.

Frost Roar Valley!

Like the Blazing Star Pit, it was also one of the world's wonders.

(End of )