: Cultivation Breakthrough

2025-09-07 Author: Gu Zhenren

: Cultivation Breakthrough

Two days later.

A stream of light flashed in the teleportation room as Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong appeared within the formation.

"Little Zhuo, come with me," Sun Lingtong said, stepping forward to lead the way.

He pushed the door open directly.

Ning Zhuo followed him into the core control room.

Sun Lingtong walked straight to the formation plate, which was as large as a millstone, placed his chubby little hand on it, and directly channeled his magic power into it.

The formation plate hummed and emitted a faint glow, obediently responding to Sun Lingtong's commands.

Sun Lingtong sighed in admiration, "The Luoshu is truly a divine artifact. If it weren't for studying it, I wouldn't have been able to solve this even in a hundred days."

In just two days, Sun Lingtong had already deciphered the cave dwelling's formation of the Shuyu Studio.

Ning Zhuo praised sincerely, "When it comes to breaking formations, you're the best, boss."

Sun Lingtong chuckled proudly, "Little Zhuo, you have talent. When we have time in the future, I'll teach you properly, and you can be as skilled as me. Of course, you might even become better!"

Ning Zhuo shook his head, "Boss, your intuition for space is extraordinary, and you always point to the right answer. That kind of talent is extremely advantageous for setting up formations. I don't have that."

"However, once I join the Wanxiang Sect, I'll definitely study the sect's texts carefully, learn well, and improve myself!"

Ning Zhuo was studious.

He had once read every book in the Ning family's library.

But in order to seize the Molten Rock Immortal Palace and travel around, he hadn't had time to read anymore.

He was still too young, only in his teens, with so many areas to grow in.

Time was truly not enough!

Sun Lingtong waved him over, "Come here, refine the formation plate too, and leave your magic power imprint first."

Ning Zhuo did as instructed, which now allowed him to move freely within the Shuyu Studio.

The two of them walked together, touring the Shuyu Studio.

Although Ning Zhuo had experienced it all through the life-thread connection, as if he were personally there adventuring with Sun Lingtong in the Shuyu Studio, now that his real body was actually here, the feeling was different, and his emotions surged unpredictably.

Sun Lingtong had already figured out the layout of the Shuyu Studio.

The Shuyu Studio was a complete palace, but after Meng Yaoyin's modifications, its true layout had drastically changed.

The core was the formation control room, where a small teleportation chamber had been added later, containing a teleportation formation connected to the stone teleportation room inside Baotengya. This was a secret route in and out.

The formation control room had six doors leading to the Paper Puppet Room, Fish Dance Pavilion, Storage Room, Shuyu Courtyard, Divination Room, and Living Quarters.

Between the formation control room and the six rooms were connecting corridors, known as the Six-Twist Corridors, formed using the advanced technique of spatial array construction.

Walking through the shimmering corridor, Ning Zhuo couldn't help but imagine his mother living here.

"The colorful fish shadows of the Biyu Lake flowed over her elegant robe, but she had no time to admire them. Without pausing, she walked straight to a certain room."

Ning Zhuo arrived at the Fish Dance Pavilion, stopping by the spring to gaze intently. On a whim, he took out some spirit food and tossed it into the water.

The red-scaled golden fish living here could absorb spiritual energy and feed on water plants. Seeing the spirit food, they scrambled for it, seemingly wanting a change of taste.

For a moment, the fish became lively, splashing in the water.

Ning Zhuo wondered inwardly, "Did Mother also feed the fish by the spring to relieve her boredom when she was upset?"

The golden fish ate the spirit food but then spat it out.

Some were choking on water, others flipped over belly-up.

"Uh..." Ning Zhuo was stunned, realizing he had used his dark cooking to feed the fish.

He quickly cast a spell to rescue them.

The fish revived and dove to the bottom of the pool, avoiding Ning Zhuo as much as possible.

Ning Zhuo went to the Paper Puppet Room.

Sitting at the table, he gently stroked the surface: "Mother must have often sat here like this, bent over making various paper puppets."

He looked up, his gaze falling on the shadow puppets of the twelve zodiac animals on the walls: "Did Mother make all these?"

Ning Zhuo went to the Shuyu Courtyard.

Looking at the jade pit, he imagined Meng Yaoyin sitting alone on the edge, forming hand seals to collect the jade.

Ning Zhuo then went to the Living Quarters.

A scene appeared before his eyes: Meng Yaoyin dragging her tired body back here. She lay alone on the large shell bed, frowning as she fell asleep.

Three hundred and sixty dream-wandering pearls floated silently around her, emitting a soothing glow, yet they couldn't dispel the weariness and hidden worries between her brows.

Even in her dreams, Meng Yaoyin was training herself.

Finally, Ning Zhuo came to the Divination Room.

Standing before the water vortex, watching it constantly change, and scanning the severely damaged room, he seemed to see Meng Yaoyin here, struggling to perform divinations with the Luoshu page.

The glow of the spells made her figure appear especially small and lonely, like an ant exploring heaven and earth, seeking answers to her own fate.

Sun Lingtong sighed at the water vortex: "This problem is too hard to solve; it changes constantly."

"The formations in the corridors use external cloud patterns as references for random changes. But this water vortex uses the Luoshu page for calculations."

"To quickly obtain the Luoshu, we'd have to violently destroy the water vortex. This formation is quite complex, but its actual scale isn't large enough. If we prepare well, we can still destroy it directly."

"But doing so would create a huge commotion. The entire Shuyu Studio might not even survive."

Sun Lingtong sighed repeatedly.

His nature made it hard for him to bear having a treasure right in front of him yet only being able to watch. It made him itch with frustration!

Ning Zhuo remained as steady as ever: "No rush, boss."

"I've already stabilized Niu Cheng."

"Let's move all the items from the cave dwelling into the Wanli Youlong first."

Sun Lingtong nodded: "Let's go, we'll do it together."

Before, he couldn't easily act.

But now it was different; the entire cave dwelling's formations were under their control, so moving these items wouldn't trigger alarms or defensive mechanisms.

After much effort, almost all items were moved into the Wanli Youlong.

Ning Zhuo checked them over and gradually felt more at ease.

With this, he had successfully completed one of the tasks mentioned in the jade slip left by the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin.

"According to Mother's instructions, once the Great Snake Scythe vibrates, I can burn all these to replenish her spirit."

"I just wonder... how much spirit energy would burning a cave dwelling like the Shuyu Studio yield?"

"And then there's the Yunlu Liucheng Workshop. Inside the workshop is the talisman-making room, where Mother often stayed. According to intel, my mother personally participated in the construction of many buildings in the talisman workshop."

Ning Zhuo had originally included the Taixi Spiritual Boat, but the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, specifically mentioned in the jade slip not to burn this quasi-spiritual treasure, strictly forbidding Ning Zhuo from doing so.

Ning Zhuo was an obedient child and would, of course, listen to his mother.

After finishing the move, Sun Lingtong clapped his hands as if dusting them off: "Little Zhuo, next you're planning to reclaim the Yunlu Liucheng Workshop, right?"

"According to the intel, that won't be easy."

Deputy Workshop Master Jin Zi had long taken control of this talisman workshop. He showed great respect for Meng Yaoyin, often mentioning her publicly and frequently assigning tasks to send many cultivators out to search for her whereabouts.

Even though Meng Yaoyin's soul lamp in the sect had extinguished and the Shuyu Studio was sealed, Jin Zi acted as if he didn't believe it.

Since taking charge of the talisman workshop, he had been diligent and meticulous, managing the entire workshop flawlessly and making the business increasingly prosperous.

Despite their young age, both Sun and Ning had experienced the冷暖 of the world and recognized the true nature of people's hearts. They saw through Jin Zi's intentions.

His relationship with Meng Yaoyin wasn't close; he was just one of the subordinates she recruited. Yet, he put on a show of not forgetting his former master, using minimal effort to win people's hearts and "legitimately" control the entire talisman workshop.

He cared deeply about the workshop, clearly treating it as his private property in secret.

Sun Lingtong thus judged that if Ning Zhuo went to claim the workshop directly with the deed, he likely wouldn't succeed and would only alert the enemy.

Ning Zhuo smiled calmly: "No rush, no rush."

With the relics secured, he truly wasn't in a hurry.

Ning Zhuo had his own plan: "Once Wen Ruanyu finishes his report and my background is revealed and acknowledged, reclaiming the talisman workshop will be much easier than now!"

Sun Lingtong chuckled: "Seems my worries were unnecessary. Little Zhuo, as long as you're clear about it."

That evening, Wen Ruanyu sent a flying letter.

In the letter, he updated Ning Zhuo on his progress: firstly, he had been stationed in White Paper Immortal City for too long and had much to report, causing delays.

Because the Feiyun Grand Assembly was approaching, most cultivators were busy with this major event, so few were inquiring or recording Wen Ruanyu's report.

Secondly, the Wanxiang Sect placed great importance on White Paper Immortal City. With such a significant event occurring there again, they needed high-ranking sect elders qualified to personally handle the matter.

But the selection of the elder was taking longer than expected.

Wen Ruanyu keenly sensed that the Wanxiang Sect's higher-ups were already coveting the interests of White Paper Immortal City, with various forces competing behind the scenes to secure the position of the lead investigator.

This way, a particular faction could directly intervene in White Paper Immortal City's affairs through the investigator.

He shared this speculation with Ning Zhuo in the letter.

Wen Ruanyu also mentioned that he hadn't yet informed the higher-ups about Ning Zhuo's situation but asked Ning Zhuo to prepare quickly.

"The Yin Tide Black Marsh is located between Feiyun Kingdom and Beifeng Kingdom, a very delicate position that indeed needs control."

"Moreover, it has extremely rich resources for ghost and soul path cultivation. Even the two neighboring kingdoms rarely have such a treasure trove."

"In that case... this might not be bad."

Ning Zhuo needed time to adapt to the new environment.

The identity of Meng Yaoyin's son was advantageous for him. For one, the inheritance was quite substantial. Being the descendant of a sect's Golden Core True Inheritor gave him a legitimate and recognized status among fellow disciples.

But once this identity was exposed, Ning Zhuo would lose his covert advantages. For instance, Jin Zi would definitely focus his attention on him.

This was something Ning Zhuo didn't want to see.

Over more than a decade, Ning Zhuo had become adept at patience and operating discreetly. It was only after he started traveling that he began to change, adopting a more direct and assertive approach.

"Staying in the shadows makes it easier to see things clearly."

"The identity of Meng Yaoyin's son is also quite significant in White Paper Immortal City. Not to mention, I still hold the deputy city lord position. In the eyes of the higher-ups, I should be a pawn worth contending for."

Ning Zhuo already anticipated that he would come under the scrutiny of the higher-ups and become a target for many factions.

But for now, Wen Ruanyu was deliberately looking out for Ning Zhuo by not reporting about him yet, indirectly buying him some time to act freely.

Ning Zhuo felt grateful and focused on cultivation.

The Three Sects' Superior Methods had reached the stage of comprehension and cultivation, but the "Demon-Stained Blood Tendon Art" was still a hindrance.

Ning Zhuo's main focus was on the Five Elements Golden Core Wheel.

The previous Golden Core Wheel could only accommodate one Golden Core of a five-element attribute. Then, through the wheel's formation, one element would generate the other four, providing five-element magic power.

The new wheel designed by Ning Zhuo was slightly larger and featured a distinct triangular array pattern compared to the old one.

At the three corners, there were circular slots that could hold any three Golden Cores of the five elements.

Yes, the new Five Elements Wheel could simultaneously hold three Golden Cores of five-element attributes. This increased the magic power output scale by at least three times, and the elemental rotation became much faster.

Ning Zhuo took out three Golden Cores that met the standards and tested the operation, finding the results aligned with his design.

Design successful!

The inspiration came from Yu Heye's Reverse Five Elements Golden Core. After attempting to control it, Ning Zhuo gained a deeper understanding of the five elements.

The biggest help was the Luoshu page.

It was through the deduction ability of this Dao artifact that Ning Zhuo, after extensive calculations, obtained the new five-element formation.

The five-element formation was carved into the formation plate and refined several times, integrating the plate and the formation into one, achieving completion.

The art of formation setting is widely applied in cultivation, as seen in the Five Elements Golden Core Wheel. Otherwise, formation setting wouldn't be recognized as one of the four great arts of cultivation.

After successfully developing it, Ning Zhuo showed off to Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong was genuinely happy for Ning Zhuo, his eyes shining: "This means our Cangtie Han Armor will be even more powerful! Let me try it quickly."

Ning Zhuo smiled and handed the Five Elements Wheel to Sun Lingtong, instructing, "Boss, you should use it like this..."

Halfway through his explanation, Ning Zhuo suddenly froze and stopped talking.

Sun Lingtong was about to ask what was wrong but, seeing Ning Zhuo's expression, kept silent.

Ning Zhuo was urgently trying to capture the fleeting spark of insight in his mind.

He caught it!

Once captured, it was like piercing through a layer of paper; his understanding of the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art more than doubled instantly.

Ning Zhuo immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and fully reviewed the contents of the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art.

In his energy sea, his dantian glowed, producing a phenomenon that condensed into a talisman seed.

With this, Ning Zhuo's energy sea also reached the stage of phenomenon condensation into talisman seeds!

(End of )