Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chapter 1402: Chapter 557: Ning Zhuo Calms the Artifact Spirit?!_2

"He’s just a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, yet he can pull out such precious treasure materials?"

"Speaking of which, we have all the intelligence on Ning Zhuo from the Myriad Images Sect, but his background remains a mystery. Why is that?"

"Since the first time he made a name for himself, the Myriad Images Sect should have sent out a team to investigate. Such a talented seedling will almost certainly become the sect’s pillar in the future, taking on important roles. Yet up to now, there are no results from the Myriad Images Sect."

"Is there really no results, or is it being deliberately concealed?"

"Hmm... For the Myriad Images Sect to hide someone’s identity, it must be something of great importance. Who exactly is this Ning Zhuo?"

The lack of information from the Myriad Images Sect has led others to imagine more.

At this moment, Ning Zhuo brought out a second piece of treasure material.

It was a bottle of liquid, violet-golden in color, with a texture like flowing clouds, as light as mist but as weighty as a thousand jun. Currently, as it rested in the jade bottle, it flowed silently, like liquid stars emitting a faint glow.

"Purple Mansion Spiritual Liquid?!" Even Nascent Soul Level cultivators turned their heads.

The "Purple Mansion" refers to the upper dantian of cultivators, where divine sense resides and spiritual sense is stored. This liquid is named so because it nourishes divine sense like no other, moistens spiritual sense, and opens wisdom.

Purple Mansion Spiritual Liquid is extremely precious because it’s not produced in the mortal world.

It comes from the Purple Mansion Secret Realm. This secret realm is located deep in the starry sky, with no sun or moon, only endless stars.

Inside the secret realm, the density of starlight is more than a hundred times that of the outside world. Every drop of Purple Mansion Spiritual Liquid, condensed over a long time, is the essence of the stars, the quintessence of star power.

When used on a person, it greatly enhances the foundation of the upper dantian. When used on objects, it can increase the star attribute, spike spiritual nature. For the Nanming Fire Furnace, since the star attribute is consistent with the Nanming Vermilion Bird, the increase in spiritual nature benefits the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit. It’s an extremely suitable treasure material for repairing the furnace now.

Following that, Ning Zhuo successively pulled out Flowing Cloud Sand, Taibai Gold Essence, Heavenly Crystal, Thick Earth... Each piece of treasure material was either exceedingly rare or extremely expensive. Common cultivators would struggle to see even one of these in a lifetime, yet now they were displayed like ordinary stones, emanating various spiritual lights in the morning sunlight.

The cultivators participating in the trial couldn’t mask their surprise.

"Is Ning Zhuo really so extravagant?!"

"Just two or three pieces could match my entire fortune." A Foundation Establishment Cultivator was stunned, feeling the disparity between heaven and earth from Ning Zhuo.

Nascent Soul Level cultivators, however, responded one after another.

"Even if Ning Zhuo has a deep background and is a seed of some super power, he shouldn’t just be in the Foundation Establishment Stage, traveling with so many treasure materials."

"There is only one possibility, that he received sponsorship from some faction or peak of the Myriad Images Sect."

"Evil Slaying Hall? Could be. Even though this hall is relatively poor, it could produce these."

"It might not be so. Last night someone saw a cultivator with the surname Cao from Commerce Hall visiting Bluestone Cave Mansion, plotting for a long time..."

Ning Zhuo’s presentation of numerous treasure materials sparked heated discussions.

Soon, this wave of discussions spread outward from the core to the large crowd of spectators.

A noisy wave rose in the crowd, everyone talking about Ning Zhuo’s assets and what he intended to do this time.

Ning Zhuo had anticipated this reaction from the outside world long ago, and now he ignored it.

He took a deep breath, placed a half-open refining furnace, and took out a fire seed, starting the flame.

These refining furnaces and fire seeds were also provided by the Commerce Hall. Of course, only temporarily provided to Ning Zhuo on a rental basis.

Ning Zhuo first threw Nine Heavens Profound Iron into the furnace.

The Mystic Iron slowly turned red in the flame, changing from dark black to dark red, from dark red to bright red, and from bright red to bright white.

Ning Zhuo extended his divine sense, pulling the molten Mystic Iron into strands of spirit lines as thin as hair.

Just this scene made many cultivators behind him let out a soft gasp.

Even Wang Yu, who was hiding behind the scenes, controlling the array and maintaining constant attention, was surprised: "I didn’t expect Ning Zhuo to have such achievement in artifact refining!"

Ning Zhuo’s refining realm had reached the Master Level, and he also possessed a large amount of "Tao and principles" of refining, providing him with a strong foundation in artifact refining, far surpassing ordinary cultivators.

As the spirit lines in the furnace began to take shape, Ning Zhuo decisively poured the Purple Mansion Spiritual Liquid into the furnace, which turned into a purple mist, filling the furnace.

Ning Zhuo formed finger techniques, causing the spirit lines to absorb the surrounding purple mist quickly.

Flowing Cloud Sand, Taibai Gold Essence, Heavenly Crystal, Thick Earth... These treasure materials were also handled appropriately and efficiently. They were successively integrated into the spirit lines, expanding them tenfold in thickness, and they sparkled with radiant and colorful light.

Shen Yaohong, Jiang Ping, and others couldn’t conceal their complex expressions.

"Ning Zhuo is somewhat lacking in alchemy, but he’s quite skillful in artifact refining."

"This wasn’t revealed in the intelligence. How did this kid cultivate? He has such accumulation in refining!"

"No wonder his cultivation level is only at Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage. It turns out he has invested his energy and time into array formation and refining. So, his alchemy is relatively weak."

"But... even if weak, he still surpasses ordinary cultivators in alchemy, leaving almost all his peers far behind."

"How does a young man achieve this? So outstanding in these cultivation techniques?"

"Do you think he’s hiding his real age, maybe he’s actually in his seventies or eighties?"

Chun Yangzi and Cang Yazi had grim expressions.

Red Robe Guest and Nine Fire Dragon Lord constantly glanced at the cultivator presiding at Danxia Peak.

They already guessed that Ning Zhuo was refining these treasure materials to repair the Nanming Fire Furnace, thereby obtaining more closeness and favor from the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit.

But such actions are very risky. Tie Kuang from the Artifact Refining Hall had previously judged that the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit was on the edge, any slight action could frighten it to death.

And repairing the Nanming Fire Furnace is far more than just a minor action.

The injured were already terrified beyond belief, feeling as though a simple breath could harm them. Now, repairing the Nanming Fire Furnace is no less than pressing the injured down for a major operation.

Fears are that once they start, the injured will roll their eyes, die of fright on the spot, and exhale their last breath.

The Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit is clearly only left with its last breath.

These Nascent Soul cultivators are experienced with broad horizons, and have already discerned Ning Zhuo’s intentions, but haven’t intervened, only feeling restless because they’ve guessed that the Commerce Hall sponsors Ning Zhuo, and one of the backgrounds of the Commerce Hall is Danxia Peak.

Moreover, they saw that the guardian cultivators and host cultivators were silently watching Ning Zhuo’s actions without stepping in to stop him.

This certainly seemed unusual.

"The time is about right," Ning Zhuo silently calculated.

His divine sense wandered, and he surely noticed the expressions and concerns of Cang Yazi, Chun Yangzi, and others.

He also knew that in the upper echelons of Danxia Peak, even Wang Yu, were nervously watching his every move.

If he directly repaired the Nanming Fire Furnace next, he would surely be stopped instantly, forced to cease his actions.

No one would simply watch Ning Zhuo take reckless risks. The Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit, although only left with its last breath, still has immense utility value!

Thus, Ning Zhuo’s mind shifted, and he retrieved his Lifebound Magical Artifact—the Spirit Communication Mirror—from his upper dantian.

Ordinary magical artifacts cannot enter the dantian, but lifebound magical artifacts can. High-spec treasures like the Buddha Heart Demon Seal can as well.

The Spirit Communication Mirror was small, silver-white throughout, with a smooth mirror surface, and the frame was engraved with ancient runes, which radiated a faint spiritual light.

Ning Zhuo directly activated the Spirit Communication Mirror, cautiously communicating with the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit.

At that moment, Wang Yu and others almost had their hearts in their throats.

Previously, Ning Zhuo, separated by the array, could not possibly communicate with the submerged-in-dream Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit with just one magical artifact.

But now, with the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit right before his eyes, the Spirit Communication Mirror could finally serve its purpose.

The most crucial aspect was that Ning Zhuo had long placed the Life Hanging Thread, leaving no space for failure whatsoever.

"Come, little darling, quickly respond to my mirror," Ning Zhuo gently commanded secretly.

The Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit trembled, but under the control of the Life Hanging Thread, it displayed a series of behaviors as if it was being perceived, touched, and communicated with through the Spirit Communication Mirror.

"What’s happening?!"

"Is the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit being communicated with by Ning Zhuo? Is it being soothed?!"

At once, the entire scene was filled with shock!

Even beings of Nascent Soul Level were moved.

Though Ning Zhuo had his back to them, at that moment, he heard the collective, uncontrollable murmurs of surprise from everyone.