Ning Zhuo began examining the things Chen Cha had left behind.
First was the jade slip, white as snow.
Ning Zhuo pressed it to his brow and sent in his Divine Sense. After examining it, he found that it was an array collection called the "Serpentine Dynamic Array Collection," authored by the White Scale Hermit.
Ning Zhuo skimmed through it briefly, surprise showing on his face.
"This White Scale Hermit was not human, but a male snake demon."
"He suffered grave injuries in middle age, and his snake body could not recover. So he built mechanical constructs as replacements, striving to restore his snake body's wholeness."
"What this jade slip recorded were the various arrays placed upon mechanical snake bodies and flesh-and-blood snake bodies."
Though the White Scale Hermit had left behind little information, Ning Zhuo felt that this demon had possessed at least Nascent Soul Level strength.
"Chen Cha obtained this jade slip and studied it painstakingly. That was how he earned the title Living Array Master and gained the ability to create Mechanical Creations."
"He really gave me his entire foundation."
The evidence for Ning Zhuo's judgment lay in the jade slip's contents. It contained a great number of Chen Cha's personal annotations and insights, as well as records of his own experiments, mechanical designs, and accumulated experience.
Knowledge was priceless.
This was Chen Cha's foundation for survival. Even if he had taken in disciples, he would likely have held something back.
Yet Chen Cha had unexpectedly given this jade slip directly to Ning Zhuo.
"That old Chen..."
Ning Zhuo sighed, then opened the other pouch.
Inside were over twenty wooden balls. They came in various sizes: the large ones were as big as an infant's fist, while the small ones were no larger than a pinky fingertip.
Every wooden ball was divided into two sides. One was jet-black, the other pure white. The black side bore the character for death, while the white side bore the character for life.
"Half-Dead Half-Alive Pearls." Having browsed the jade slip's contents, Ning Zhuo recognized the wooden beads at a glance.
These wooden beads were Chen Cha's own creation. Using the White Scale Hermit's array collection as a foundation and combining it with his own experience and flashes of inspiration, he had designed these mechanical wooden beads.
These wooden beads were basic components in Mechanical Creations, used at joints.
When a wooden bead turned to its white, life side, the joint could move freely. When it turned to its black, death side, the corresponding joint would lock in place.
The wondrous part was that these wooden beads shared hidden connections. If array patterns were inscribed upon the main body of a construct, they could form one or more living arrays.
By controlling whether these wooden beads were dead or alive, one could make a Mechanical Creation perform all manner of intricate movements.
"Good stuff."
"These Half-Dead Half-Alive Pearls have a wide range of applications."
"The Mechanical Fire Ape can use them, and the As-You-Wish Rope seems able to use them too. Their actual performance should surpass what it was before by a whole level."
Delight appeared on Ning Zhuo's face.
He truly loved this sort of Mechanical Creation.
To others, these wooden beads were worth very little. But to Ning Zhuo, they were rare treasures that would be of considerable help.
Finally, Ning Zhuo examined the heaviest pouch.
Inside, he found 5,118 spirit stones.
The uneven number once again plunged Ning Zhuo into a moment of silence.
"This was probably all of old Chen's possessions, wasn't it?"
Ning Zhuo sighed, feeling a trace of guilt as well.
After putting away these things, he began diligently recuperating.
The Nurturing Pill worked very well, helping Ning Zhuo's body swiftly adapt to the brand-new Five Elements Power.
Ning Zhuo cultivated with all his strength, striving to return to the Qi Refining Third Level as soon as possible.
"Once I reach the third level, will the Dharma Transmission Bell ring throughout the city again?"
"I must race against time and give it everything I have!"
"Mother was right. I'm only one person, ordinary and unremarkable. Unlike others, I have neither background nor resources."
"At my current pace, I'm probably already far behind everyone else!"
Before Ning Zhuo's mother died, she had urged him to strive for a ranking and become a mechanical seed, so that resources would be tilted in his favor.
Ning Zhuo lacked crucial intelligence, but he chose to gamble. Without the slightest hesitation, he switched to cultivating the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art.
"Besides cultivating the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art, I need to find a way to get close to the Magma Immortal Palace."
Ever since the Immortal Palace had been blown up, the volcano summit had been placed under complete lockdown. Not a single outsider was allowed in.
"How will the Lineage react?"
"Organizing Qi Refining Stage cultivators to collectively switch to the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art is only natural."
"If I can make good use of Chen Cha's connections, I may be able to enter the Magma Immortal Palace through the city lord's channels."
Ning Zhuo decided to wait and see, waiting for the situation to ferment until the right opportunity emerged.
His choice was correct.
Several days later, someone from the Lineage came to his small house and informed him that he had been selected to join the Ning Lineage's group switching to the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art.
Following orders, Ning Zhuo disguised himself before returning to the Lineage to attend the first group training session.
"A Zhuo, you came too?" Ning Yong was delighted when he saw Ning Zhuo.
Ning Chen also walked over and gave Ning Zhuo a slight nod.
Ning Zhuo greeted the two of them and looked around.
He discovered that most were from the Branch Family, while members of the Ning Lineage's main branch were quite scarce.
"I heard some of the lineage elders wanted Ning Xiaohui to join, but Ning Xiaohui flatly refused. She even made a huge scene over it." Ning Yong muttered into Ning Zhuo's ear.
Ning Xiaohui had been the three of their classmate. From beginning to end, she had always ranked first, even in the Grand Examination.
Ning Chen said, "She has a talent we can only envy—Ice Jade Hands. Why should she risk switching cultivation arts? I think her decision was not wrong."
"Even I would rather cultivate the 'Snowy Region Talisman Compendium' than the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art, which only has three levels!"
Ning Zhuo could hear obvious resentment in Ning Chen's words.
But there was nothing to be done. Who told them they were all small fry?
The group training was far briefer than expected. They only announced that selected Ning Lineage members were to actively switch to the new cultivation art, and that the top ten would receive various resource rewards. Then the session was dismissed that very afternoon.
From Ning Zhuo's observations, the rewards had generally given the lineage members strong motivation to switch cultivation arts.
But Ning Zhuo definitely would not claim those rewards.
No one knew that he was already at the second level of Qi Refining.
He would certainly keep that secret for now and would not reveal it of his own accord.
Just as he was about to leave the Lineage grounds, Ning Zhuo was stopped halfway by his grandfather, Ning Ze. "Cultivate well, Little Zhuo. I had to spend money to get you placed in this."
Ning Zhuo gave an "Ah," his face flushing red with shame and guilt. He bowed to Ning Ze in thanks. "Grandfather, your nephew has made you worry and toil."
Ning Ze nodded slightly. "It's good that you understand."
He had no other choice. The Young Clan Leader, Ning Xiaoren, had pressed him hard and even threatened to arrange for Ning Ji to be placed on the modification list.
Faced with such a threat, Ning Zhuo's grandmother, Wang Lan, immediately compromised and was willing to let go.
Ning Ze could only present the Young Clan Leader with a lavish gift.
The Young Clan Leader accepted the gift with his front foot, then placed Ning Zhuo on the modification list with his back foot.
For some time afterward, Ning Zhuo cultivated secretly with all his strength while making time to attend the Lineage's group training, gradually displaying his progress in the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art.
He hid his abilities deeply. His progress in switching cultivation arts remained in the middle range, utterly inconspicuous.
Yet in secret, he spared no spirit stones and used them madly. His power accumulated at astonishing speed, surging all the way from the Qi Refining Second Level to the third.
Tonight, Ning Zhuo had reached the Third Layer Peak.
"There's no further progress to be made. The Dharma Transmission Bell has been silent all this time too." Ning Zhuo sighed. "Sigh... when will the Ning Lineage's modification team be able to enter the Magma Immortal Palace?"
What he did not know was that deep within the Magma Immortal Palace, his name, Ning Zhuo, was slowly appearing upon a slowly rotating Five-Sided Stone Pillar.
Qi Refining Board, first place: Ning Zhuo!
The next moment, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit upon the throne gave a piercing cry.
Divine Power: Life Hanging by a Thread!
An invisible thread pierced through space and instantly suspended Ning Zhuo.
Before Ning Zhuo could react, his soul was drawn away by the thread, pierced through space, and entered the Magma Immortal Palace directly!
Before you continue