: Snow Maiden and Snow Pivot

Ning Zhuo also pulled out the "Enlightenment Charts of Frost and Proud Snow."

He let out a sigh; he had never found the time to study them.

"Hopefully, there will be time in the future."

Among these, the most valuable were undoubtedly "Gao Sheng's Posthumous Writings" and the "Netherworld Punishment Book."

Ning Zhuo also found a Myriad Phenomena Cloud Seed at the bottom of the chest, something he had acquired back in the Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

As for the captives—Lin You, Wu Hen, and the Bone Tomb Daoist—they went without saying.

Oh, and there was also the Frost Ghost Mask. Used properly, it could provide combat power at the Nascent Soul level!

A strange expression crossed Ning Zhuo's face. "Strange, why didn't I think to use it during the River of Forgetfulness Prefect Lord battle?"

"Not just that, but also the Milk Butterfly Mother—I seemed to have forgotten about her too."

"Was it just because I was nervous?!"

Ning Zhuo narrowed his eyes, unable to figure out why he had forgotten.

It was truly unbelievable!

He only remembered these things now while taking stock of his possessions.

Overall, Ning Zhuo's assets were extremely substantial. While not quite "wealth rivaling a nation," they could certainly be compared to those of a prosperous village or town.

Places that formed villages or towns usually had abundant cultivation resources; otherwise, they wouldn't attract cultivators to gather.

However, at the same time, Ning Zhuo's asset distribution was highly skewed.

Many aspects highlighted this point.

For instance, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he should primarily use magical instruments. Magical treasures were difficult for Foundation Establishment cultivators to utilize to their full potential.

Even geniuses like Lin Jinglong and Shen Xi, backed by their families, only possessed two or three magical treasures.

And they seldom used them in combat, typically reserving them to turn the tide of battle or deliver a decisive blow.

After all, the mana of a Foundation Establishment cultivator could hardly sustain a magical treasure-level existence.

Ning Zhuo had far too many magical treasures, most of which were used for cultivation. He had two defensive-type magical treasures but lacked any offensive ones.

Most cultivators invested their assets in elixirs and talismans. The former was the greatest necessity during cultivation, while the latter offered excellent cost-effectiveness and were far more convenient than arduously practicing spells themselves.

Ning Zhuo had the least investment in these two areas; he hadn't even focused much on them.

He had many talismans, all gifted by others, and all were high-quality, some even possessing spiritual nature.

His need for elixirs was minimal because he had the National Power Brick! He also had a personal chef with him. Both spirit food and the National Power Brick had far fewer side effects than elixirs.

After reviewing his assets, Ning Zhuo became alert to this situation and mused to himself, "Once inside the Myriad Phenomena Sect, I need to adjust my focus, leaning more towards elixirs and talismans."

"At the very least, procuring a batch of elixirs and talismans for physical body cultivation should enhance my physical foundation and quickly resolve the issue of my soul oppressing my body."

"My spirit stone reserves are far too insufficient... I need to build them back up!"

Ning Zhuo was a man who had once possessed vast wealth, but the battle at White Paper Immortal City had left him impoverished.

After finishing his review, Ning Zhuo took out the Floating Ice White Jade Hand and the Weather Orb: Ice Crystal Snow.

The big-headed youth wore a wry smile. "My Ning family is renowned for our ice attribute prowess, but I'm rather inept in this aspect."

"I'm still too weak; there's so much I need to learn."

"To resolve Yuan Dasheng's predicament this time, I might have to rely on my own clansmen..."

The spirituality within the Floating Ice White Jade Hand originated from Ning Xiaohui and had long reached full maturity, possessing the innate talent "Ice Fat Jade Hand."

The spirituality within the Weather Orb: Ice Crystal Snow came from Ning Xie. In life, she was an elder of the Ning family; in death, a Foundation Establishment ghost cultivator, hidden as part of the Ning family's底蕴 (heritage/reserves), inherently possessing the innate talent "Snow Soul Ice Pith," her spirituality also long since fully matured.

With such conditions, they could have been made into puppet constructs long ago.

Ning Zhuo hadn't done so previously for a reason.

On one hand, they were sufficient as they were.

The Heavy Armored Blood Ape: Dasheng and the Shadow Edge Blade: Night Tiger served as the main combat forces, performing well even in the River of Forgetfulness Prefect Lord battle.

The Buddhist Physician: Meng Yaoyin was Ning Zhuo's ultimate trump card!

The Floating Ice White Jade Hand served as a healing method, and the Weather Orb: Ice Crystal Snow could assist by setting up the battlefield.

On the other hand, Ning Zhuo couldn't design them properly.

Designing a puppet construct was highly challenging.

Think back to the original Fiery Monkey construct; Ning Zhuo had spent immense time and effort privately, going through countless revisions and adjustments before producing a relatively mature design.

Yuan Dasheng's puppet construct didn't appear out of thin air. When Ning Zhuo designed his mechanical body, he already had the foundation of the Fiery Monkey and the construct templates from the Molten Rock Immortal Palace.

Even so, Yuan Dasheng's mechanical version underwent multiple improvements before finally becoming the Heavy Armored Blood Ape type.

Just designing the puppet construct was difficult enough. The harder part was continuously modifying and refining the mechanical body through use and practice to make it increasingly mature.

The Buddhist Physician: Meng Yaoyin utilized the construct templates from the Molten Rock Immortal Palace, essentially standing on the shoulders of the Three Sects' masters.

The Shadow Edge Blade: Night Tiger was somewhat special. During that period, Ning Zhuo had a stroke of luck; his scattered design schematics accidentally combined into one design plan.

It turned out this design was truly excellent.

Ning Zhuo had used this Meng Night Tiger model ever since.

Now, Ning Zhuo wanted to upgrade both of these to puppet forms, facing the same design challenges.

Compared to before, he had more confidence!

There was only one reason—the Luoshu Page.

This Dao artifact was the source of all calculations in the world. With its help, Ning Zhuo could save vast amounts of time and effort. In terms of computation, it would surely provide the correct answers!

"I need to design and create these two puppets."

"Perhaps with their help, I can rescue Yuan Dasheng from the ice."

"Even if it fails..."

Even if it failed, they could still replenish Ning Zhuo's mechanical combat power promptly.

With the Buddhist Physician: Meng Yaoyin, the Heavy Armored Blood Ape: Dasheng, and the Shadow Edge Blade: Night Tiger all absent, Ning Zhuo needed other puppet constructs to step up.

The Netherworld Envoy: Qi Bai wouldn't do.

Although his mechanical body was strong, possessing magical treasure-grade components, and he still had his Golden Core from life along with innate talents, his spirituality hadn't reached full maturity.

Moreover, because Ning Zhuo had been traveling, his spirituality had diminished somewhat.

Full spirituality was a qualitative turning point.

Before reaching that point, spirituality could be eroded by time. Once achieved, even if spirituality was damaged, it could recover on its own.

"Boss, help me!" Ning Zhuo immediately sent a mental message via the Thread of Human Fate to contact Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong was immersed in studying formation paths using the Luoshu Page. Disturbed by Ning Zhuo, he felt a bit helpless. "What is it now?"

Ning Zhuo didn't immediately bring up the puppet construct plan but mentioned something else first: "Boss, I just reviewed my assets and made a shocking discovery."

"Remember the Frost Ghost Mask and the Milk Butterfly Mother?"

"During the River of Forgetfulness Prefect Lord battle, I actually completely forgot about such valuable combat assets. That's very unusual!"

The Netherworld Envoy: Qi Bai was one thing.

His insufficient spirituality meant Ning Zhuo would have to control him directly if used.

Moreover, his combat power was focused on soul techniques; using him against the River of Forgetfulness Prefect Lord or the Guard Army would be like showing off one's incompetence.

Sun Lingtong's expression turned serious, his eyes flickering. "Little Zhuo, you're right!"

"That's a bit frightening."

"I knew about both of them too, but I also forgot! I couldn't remind you at all."

"Strange, this is really strange."

"Do you think it could be due to being misled by fate/luck?"

Ning Zhuo nodded slightly; Sun Lingtong had hit upon his suspicion—he thought the same.

"I was the savior of White Paper Immortal City, arranged by Yang Tian."

"Perhaps these two were more harmful than beneficial to me, so, under the operation of fate, I forgot all about them."

The two discussed it further but reached no conclusions.

Instead, it only intensified their strong desire for the art of fate calculation and divination!

"I really want a legacy like that."

"But my mother told me obtaining one is very difficult... Sigh."

Sun Lingtong: "Alright, what did you come to me for?"

Ning Zhuo stated his purpose.

Sun Lingtong agreed immediately without hesitation. He had some skill in mechanics himself, though not as much as Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo was also less proficient in formations compared to Sun Lingtong.

Working together and utilizing the Luoshu Page, they quickly produced a draft design.

Ning Zhuo proceeded as if following a prescription, sending Chef Lao and Gongsun Yan out to purchase the necessary materials.

Lacking sufficient spirit stones, Ning Zhuo first took out three Ghost Path Golden Cores and traded them at the Commerce Hall for enough funds.

Seeing Ning Zhuo purchase so many materials, Gongsun Yan guessed his intention and proactively said to Ning Zhuo, "Young Master, are you planning to forge artifacts? Though my abilities are meager, I wish to contribute my humble efforts."

Seeing Gongsun Yan volunteer, Ning Zhuo thought for a moment and nodded lightly. "Very well, I'll assign you some tasks to forge."

Gongsun Yan received some blueprints and showed a surprised expression, thinking, "So the Young Master wants to forge mechanical components. Does he also study mechanics?"

"This cultivation art isn't common; it's hard to achieve results. Why would the Young Master be interested in it?"

"But it seems his life-bound magic fan uses some mechanics?"

Gongsun Yan was somewhat puzzled. In his view, Ning Zhuo's attainments in the Five Elements were profoundly deep—that was the bright path forward.

Mechanics seemed too niche.

However, these doubts didn't stop Gongsun Yan from giving his all.

"This is the first task the Young Master has assigned me. I must exert my full strength and achieve perfection!"

He reviewed the mechanical blueprints multiple times and first chose to forge the Warm Jade Wheel.

Gongsun Yan's forging process differed slightly from the norm.

He first created a rough blank and then placed it inside a furnace-type magical instrument.

Pressing his palm against the furnace wall, Gongsun Yan channeled his mana and innate talent, transforming it into a Heart Flame that gently enveloped the jade wheel blank.

The Heart Flame excelled at delicate work. Under Gongsun Yan's skilled control, the Warm Jade Wheel blank was meticulously carved and refined.

Gongsun Yan took out Cold Steel and tossed it into the furnace. Then, he pointed like a sword, swiftly pointing through the air.

The Cold Steel melted, embedding into the Warm Jade Wheel to form a honeycomb-like grid pattern.

The Heart Flame continuously enveloped the Warm Jade Wheel; any excess Cold Steel was precisely melted away.

Gongsun Yan successively added three types of precious materials.

The materials melted within the furnace, blending into a mixed color. This mixed color settled onto the grid, forming tri-colored enamel.

Gongsun Yan directed the Heart Flame, drilling it into the Warm Jade Wheel, burning three hundred and sixty microscopic pores inside.

After this step, he infused his spiritual sense, pulling vigorously to draw the enamel color through the pores deep into the jade wheel.

Finally, the Warm Jade Wheel was complete.

It floated in the air, slowly rotating. The outer ring had tri-colored enamel flowing with frost patterns, while the inner ring's three hundred and sixty pores emitted warm mist.

After finishing the forging, Gongsun Yan looked utterly exhausted.

"This is the most refined piece I've ever forged."

"I wonder what kind of mechanism the Young Master will assemble with it?"

Gongsun Yan had rich artifact forging experience. Even without understanding mechanics, he had some insight. He knew such finely crafted mechanical components were uncommon. Using two Golden Core-level precious materials as the main components meant the assembled mechanical creation should be at the Golden Core level!

"Both the Young Master and I are Foundation Establishment cultivators. Trying to assemble a Golden Core-level mechanism... Can it really be done?"

"Regardless of success or failure, the scale of this endeavor is truly grand!"

Gongsun Yan rested for over an hour, restoring his condition to peak.

He began forging the next mechanical component, named the Cold Sundial Pillar.

Three days later, Gongsun Yan brought five mechanical components to report to Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo inspected them and showed a satisfied smile.

Looking up at the utterly exhausted Gongsun Yan, he said warmly, "As expected of the Heart Flame, it's very suitable for such refined forging. Thank you; you've saved me a lot of effort."

Gongsun Yan hurriedly expressed humility, saying he was happy to contribute.

Ning Zhuo nodded, instructing him to rest well.

Gongsun Yan didn't get to see Ning Zhuo assemble the mechanism and felt somewhat disappointed, but he obediently withdrew.

During these three days, Ning Zhuo had used the three major mechanical workbenches to create the remaining mechanical components.

Inside the "Wandering Dragon," two puppet prototypes were already formed. They only lacked the assembly of key components.

Soon, the assembly was complete. Ning Zhuo used the Thread of Human Fate to extract two clusters of spirituality and inserted them into their respective mechanical bodies.

The next moment, the mechanical components activated one after another, and the two puppet constructs... came to life.

The puppet on the left stood six chi and three cun tall, with a tall and slender figure and graceful posture, in a female form.

Her surface was covered in tri-colored enamel armor, her faceplate made of snow porcelain, and her hair woven primarily from ice silkworm silk.

Besides her main pair of arms, she had two additional pairs of auxiliary hands.

Snow Maiden: Hui!

The puppet on the right was also six chi tall but slightly shorter than Snow Maiden: Hui.

She was also in a female form, wearing an ice mirror helmet with reconnaissance functions. Her body was clad in hexagonal profound ice armor, the plates interlocking like hexagonal honeycombs. The shoulder guards featured roaring ice dragon heads, with eyes inlaid with polar light glass that could emit cold light when attacking.

Around her floated six mechanical spheres at all times. The spheres were cold steel in color, covered in ice crystal spiderweb patterns, capable of spewing cold currents and creating blizzards.

Snow Pivot: Xie!

Snow Maiden: Hui looked down at her hands, first the main hands, then the two pairs of auxiliary hands, moving them alternately.

Snow Pivot: Xie glanced around, finally settling her gaze on Ning Zhuo.

She slowly bowed, speaking in the voice of an older woman, "Greetings... Clan Leader."

(End of )