Underground Workshop.
Ning Zhuo slowly opened his eyes and raised a hand to wipe away his nosebleed.
The power within his body was no longer the pale-blue Frost Power.
It was Five Elements Power!
Five Elements Power possessed the white of metal, the green of wood, the black of water, the red of fire, and the yellow of earth. The five colors—white, green, black, red, and yellow—twined together without blending into one another, distinct and orderly as rivers divided by clear boundaries.
"In heaven and earth, the spiritual energy of the five elements generated and restrained one another. For them to maintain a stable balance and coexist over time was exceedingly difficult."
"But through the cultivation art known as the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art, spiritual energy could be converted into Five Elements Power, allowing them to coexist peacefully in clearly defined layers."
"As expected of something left behind by the Three Sects Forefathers!"
"Qi Refining Second Level..."
Previously, Ning Zhuo had been at the Qi Refining Third Level. After completely converting his power, he only remained at the Qi Refining Second Level.
Converting power also came with consumption.
That was only natural, and Ning Zhuo had expected it long ago.
Next, he simply needed to continue cultivating, accumulate power, and return to the Qi Refining Third Level.
"I wonder when I'll hear the Dharma Transmission Bell again."
Having completed the conversion, Ning Zhuo was exhausted in both body and mind. He decided to rest and conserve his strength.
He took out several Nurturing Pills and swallowed them, helping his body adapt more quickly to the brand-new power.
Nurturing Pills had many advantages. For example, their medicinal power was gentle, they took effect slowly, and they placed next to no burden on the human body. Their greatest flaw was probably their price. A single pill cost more than a hundred spirit stones.
Ding ding ding.
Ning Zhuo had just finished taking the pills when he heard a crisp, wind-chime-like ringing.
A suspicious person had appeared near his residence and triggered this alarm mechanism.
He walked over to the worktable and lightly kicked one of its legs. The wall directly before him began to creak as its bricks slid sideways, revealing a mirror.
Within the mirror, Ning Zhuo saw the "suspicious person"—Chen Cha.
Chen Cha stood outside Ning Zhuo's courtyard gate with his hands behind his back, pacing and looking around. He looked down at the road, his face full of difficulty.
A sharp glint flashed through Ning Zhuo's eyes. "Chen Cha? Why had he come looking for me on his own?"
"Looks like there's been further progress regarding the Mechanical Fire Ape."
At that thought, Ning Zhuo felt a flicker of delight.
Chen Cha paced outside the courtyard gate, his mind filled with what had happened earlier.
Fei Si had summoned him and informed him that the Mechanical Fire Ape had already won the City Lord's approval. The City Lord intended to mobilize all the city's mechanism workshops to mass-produce this Mechanical Creation, using it to harvest Fire Persimmons on a large scale during this year's Fire Persimmon Festival.
Fei Si encouraged Chen Cha. "You're someone I recruited into the city."
"Work hard and give it everything you've got! If you make it through this, your life will become completely different."
Chen Cha was stunned. Hearing the implication in his words, he hurriedly explained, "Lord Fei Si, you've misunderstood me."
"I came to report this Mechanical Monkey mainly because I hoped you could arrange some preferential policies and reduce some taxes for the Flying Disc Workshop."
"In truth, I didn't design this Mechanical Monkey. Someone else developed it."
Chen Cha was skilled in formations and Mechanism Art. People like him, who devoted themselves to technical study, endured loneliness, and lived in hardship, often disliked deception and fraud.
Claiming another person's work as his own was something he detested and disdained to do.
When he had spoken with Ning Zhuo before, he had even suspected for a time that Ning Zhuo had falsely claimed ownership of the mechanism creation.
Fei Si froze for a moment. "It wasn't your work?"
He truly hadn't known that.
He gave an unconcerned laugh. "That's no big deal. You're the workshop master. Whose credit it is comes down to what you say."
Chen Cha had his own principles in this regard. He decisively shook his head. "My lord, my talents are shallow. I do not possess the ability to design such an exquisite Mechanical Creation."
"A mechanism creation like this must have endured countless failures and hardships, from design to completion. How much painstaking effort and thought must its inventor have poured into it?"
"What difference is there between taking someone else's mechanism work and killing someone to seize their child?"
"I beg you, my lord, to see clearly!"
A cold gleam flashed in Fei Si's eyes. He was somewhat angered.
In his view, this mechanism work had to belong to Chen Cha! Chen Cha was his subordinate. If Chen Cha had merit, then he had merit as well.
Yet a smile appeared on Fei Si's face. He reached out and patted Chen Cha's shoulder, praising him instead. "It is precisely this kind of character that I admire."
"Though this work isn't yours, I believe that in the future, you'll surely be able to design Mechanical Creations even better than this one."
Chen Cha's face was filled with emotion. "Thank you for your appreciation, my lord!"
Many years ago, he had moved to Fire Persimmon Immortal City to seek his fortunes precisely because Fei Si had recruited him.
Who could have known that living in an immortal city was no easy task? He had painstakingly managed the Flying Disc Workshop, only for it to reach a precarious state this year.
Still, it was true that Fei Si had given him an opportunity back then. Chen Cha had always been deeply grateful for that.
Fei Si casually probed, "Let me ask you: which cultivator invented this Mechanical Monkey?"
Since Chen Cha refused to do it, Fei Si decided to intervene in secret and "help" Chen Cha resolve this trouble.
In the vast Fire Persimmon Immortal City, what did it matter if one or two obscure mechanism masters disappeared?
Chen Cha harbored no suspicion and gave him a simple introduction to Ning Zhuo.
"Merely Qi Refining Third Level..." Fei Si sneered inwardly, only to hear the rest of Chen Cha's words. "Hm? A member of the Ning family?"
Fei Si's brow furrowed slightly.
This would be difficult to handle.
He immediately discarded his earlier dark thoughts.
This involved the Ning family, a Golden Core Level power. Provoking them would be extremely troublesome.
Among the Four Great Powers of Fire Persimmon Immortal City, the Ning family was publicly acknowledged to be the weakest in scale and overall strength. The Ning family also had only one Golden Core cultivator.
However, the Ning Family Old Ancestor's combat strength had been proven in actual battle.
Sixteen years ago, while the Ning family was migrating, they had encountered a fierce battle. The Ning Family Old Ancestor had fought one against two, repelled the ambushing enemies, and saved most of the clan members. His combat prowess was quite extraordinary.
It was precisely because of this that the other three parties had watched as the Ning family settled in Fire Persimmon City. Though conflicts between the four powers were unavoidable in daily life, they all exercised restraint and did their utmost to avoid intense clashes.
Moving against Ning Zhuo could mean confronting the Ning family, confronting the Ning family's Golden Core cultivator. Fei Si would never willingly bear such an enormous cost.
It simply wasn't worth it for such a tiny bit of credit!
When that plan failed, Fei Si's thoughts turned, and another scheme arose.
He sighed. "Chen Cha, you've harmed me!"
Chen Cha immediately became alarmed and uncertain. "My lord, you are my benefactor. It was only through your promotion that I was able to cultivate in Fire Persimmon Immortal City. Why do you say this?"
Fei Si said, "When you made your report, you spoke vaguely and led me to believe this was your mechanism work."
"I have already guaranteed it to the City Lord, and even specifically sought a share of merit for you."
"Ah, I had always trusted you."
"Now the boat has sailed and the wood has become a boat. If the truth is exposed, how do you think the City Lord will deal with you and me?"
"I'll be fine. What worries me is you. For you, this would be the crime of falsely claiming merit!"
Chen Cha's face turned pale, and panic seized him. "What should I do? Please save me, my lord!"
Fei Si remained silent, stroking his beard in an appearance of deep thought. Only after a moment did he say, "How about this? Go discuss it with Ning Zhuo and see whether you can persuade him to transfer this Mechanical Monkey to you. You're far older than he is, while Ning Zhuo is only sixteen. What could a cultivator from a great clan's academy possibly have experienced? Heh, have a good talk with him. Discuss it properly."
Chen Cha was deeply troubled. "This..."
From the bottom of his heart, he was utterly unwilling to do such a thing.
Fei Si snorted coldly inwardly, but sighed aloud. "Chen Cha, this is for your own good! If you refuse to make the best of a bad mistake, then when the City Lord discovers it in the future, you'll be the one punished! Falsely claiming merit and receiving rewards is no minor crime."
Fei Si casually gave several examples, making cold sweat break out across Chen Cha's body.
"Ah, things have come to this. I can only persuade Ning Zhuo. No, I must persuade him successfully!" Chen Cha sighed mournfully in his heart. He could only be forced to change his mind.
Though he greatly admired Ning Zhuo, regarded him as a fellow traveler, and had even faintly come to consider him a kindred spirit—
This concerned his life and reputation. It might even implicate Lord Fei Si, who had once helped him. He could only do this!
Fei Si's strength and authority far surpassed his own. Fei Si knew that Chen Cha had no way to reach the City Lord and was unfamiliar with the internal affairs of the City Lord's Mansion. With a few casual words, he had Chen Cha completely in the palm of his hand.
Chen Cha had never intended to oppress or target Ning Zhuo, but before the Golden Core Level Fei Si, a mere foundation establishment cultivator like him was nothing but a small fry.
Small fry were always at the mercy of circumstances.
After making some inquiries, Chen Cha arrived at Ning Zhuo's residence.
He did not knock directly on the gate. Instead, he lingered outside the courtyard entrance, sighing again and again in his heart.
"Old Chen, why have you come here?" The courtyard gate opened, and Ning Zhuo had changed into a clean set of clothes.
Chen Cha turned around and saw a young man dressed in a snow-white robe, with clear eyes and an extraordinary bearing.
The youth stood tall and straight. Sunlight poured down from the high sky, illuminating his outline with exceptional clarity. Together with the few flowers and plants in the small courtyard, he appeared so vibrant, brimming with purity and beauty.
Seeing Ning Zhuo's fresh, unspoiled appearance, Chen Cha's guilt intensified tenfold in an instant!
He had immersed himself in technical research for many years and harbored resentment toward the injustices of the cultivation world.
Yet today, he had to play the role of one who pressured a junior, passing on the darkness of the world and the cruelty of reality.
Chen Cha felt incomparably heavy and miserable!
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