Chapter 1: The Young Guest

The Ning Clan.

The Assembly Hall.

Spirit lights emitted a radiant glow.

The Ning Clan Patriarch, Young Clan Leader, and a host of Elders gathered here.

Several jade slips were passed amongst them, each recording the entire process of the Ning Clan's recent Grand Examination.

The Patriarch stroked the jade slip in his hand, his eyes slightly closed. The scenes within the jade slip played back in his sea of consciousness, replaying without end.

Unlike previous years, this time his focus was on the Artificing subject.

This year, the content of the Ning Clan's Grand Examination in Artificing had changed, becoming the manipulation of marionettes.

Young cultivators infused their magical power, transmitting it through the strings, directly into the wooden puppets.

Through the dual effects of divine sense and magical power, the puppet golems were brought to life, performing various actions.

However, even the best-performing young cultivators in this Grand Examination had only managed to make the puppet golems walk, somersault in the air, and roll on the ground.

The overall situation was a woeful sight.

The Patriarch slowly opened his eyes, withdrawing his divine sense from the jade slip, and gently placed it on the table beside him.

"In this Grand Examination, there are no seeds of Artificers among the younger generation," sighed the Ning Clan Patriarch.

The Hall Elder felt the pressure and hurriedly spoke, "Patriarch, esteemed Elders, our Ning Clan excels in Talismans. Among the hundred arts of cultivation, Artificing is a niche skill. Our clan has very little foundation in Artificing, and the teachers who teach Artificing in the academy are all half-baked. How can we cultivate seeds of Artificing?"

The Ning Clan Patriarch reassured him, "Rest assured, I do not blame you. It's just that Lava Palace is an Artificing Immortal City. In the past, the Immortals of the Three Sects buried it within Fire柿 Mountain in order to suppress its eruptions. If we want to obtain the Immortal Treasures and Artificing inheritance of Lava Palace, the best way is to start with the Artificers."

"We of the Ning Clan only discovered Lava Palace this year. The other two great families and the City Lord's faction have been ahead of us for a long time. They have had time to secretly cultivate Artificing seeds, but we do not."

"We are latecomers, it is too late. Only by recruiting outsiders with great wealth, to act as guest elders of our clan, can we have a chance to compete."

The Ning Clan Patriarch took out a jade slip, "This contains a list of famous Artificers in Fire柿 Immortal City and its surroundings. Pass it around for your perusal."

After the Elders had all seen it, the Ning Clan Patriarch said, "We must contact all the Artificers and strive to win them over. Especially the 'Topknot Artisan'! He is an Artificer in Fire柿 City, with considerable strength, and should be our primary target."

The Young Clan Leader said, "The Topknot Artisan's identity is mysterious, and he has never appeared in public. The gadgets he creates sell very well, but they are all sold through the black market once a month."

"The black market is controlled by Sun Lingtong. This person is an outer disciple of the Unshackled Sect, it is difficult for us to truly contact the Topknot Artisan."

The Ning Clan Patriarch frowned, "Xiaoren, I don't want to hear you describing the difficulties, I need you to solve this problem."

Young Clan Leader Ning Xiaoren's forehead dripped with sweat, and he quickly assured, "Yes, Father. I have already sent people to find ways to contact him directly, and there will definitely be results soon!"

Only then did the Ning Clan Patriarch stroke his beard, "Good. I will await the results."

……

After the meeting, the Ning Clan Young Leader immediately summoned his subordinate, Ning Ze.

"Ning Ze, you, the Ning Clan's procurement steward, were promoted by me. I asked you to contact the Topknot Artisan, but you have made no progress. What have you been doing?!" The Young Clan Leader frowned deeply.

Ning Ze was a middle-aged man, his face full of bitterness. If he could, he wouldn't want to touch this kind of task at all.

"Young Clan Leader, your subordinate is ashamed of your entrustment. My work has been ineffective, I deserve to die."

"But this Topknot Artisan is really difficult to communicate with. I have repeatedly traded with him in the black market, and persistently tried to persuade him when buying the 'Up-Downs as You Wish Cord', but he has remained unmoved. He refuses to talk about anything outside of the transaction."

"The Topknot Artisan is too mysterious. I have tried every possible way to find out more about him, but I ended up angering the black market owner, Sun Lingtong. Not only did I lose men, but I was also framed and had to pay a large sum of spirit stones. To this day, I am still covering the cost..."

"Enough!" The Young Clan Leader interrupted displeased, "You were tricked, that is shameful enough. You want the clan to bear the cost of your mistakes?"

"This time, our clan needs to purchase eighty Up-Downs as You Wish Cords, you go and do it."

Ning Ze was astonished, "Eighty cords? That's so many!"

The Young Clan Leader said, "Take advantage of this big deal, and try your best. You have contacted the Topknot Artisan many times, but you have not been able to promote cooperation."

"Your performance really makes me doubt your abilities, Ning Ze."

Ning Ze felt the pressure and repeatedly assured that he would do his utmost.

……

Ning Ze came to the southeast area of Fire柿 City.

In Fire柿 Immortal City, this area was the most dangerous place, filled with all sorts of mixed elements, rampant theft, and the worst security.

At the same time, this was also the location of the black market.

At one of the entrances to the black market, Ning Ze displayed a token.

A cultivator with a sinister expression glanced at Ning Ze, carefully checked the token, threw it back to Ning Ze, and said coldly, "Follow me."

He led Ning Ze into the small house behind him, and then in the small house, he lifted the floor, revealing an opening.

He led Ning Ze into the opening, twisting and turning through the tunnel, eventually arriving at an underground trading space.

This place was like a small market.

Ning Ze glanced around and saw his target.

"Master Topknot Artisan, we meet again." Ning Ze came to the Topknot Artisan's side, his face full of enthusiasm.

The Topknot Artisan was an old man, extremely hunched over, leaning on a cane, his entire body bent like a shrimp. His face was weathered, his eye bags were dark purple, and his wrinkles were so deep that they could trap mosquitoes. His long hair was black and messy, spreading from the top of his head to his shoulders, reaching to the floor, like a wide black cloak.

The Topknot Artisan stood behind the machine cart, only glanced at Ning Ze indifferently, and did not speak.

The Topknot Artisan always had this attitude, Ning Ze was helpless, but his heart was constantly accumulating anger.

He was a cultivator of the Ning Clan, but the Topknot Artisan did not give him any face!

Helplessly, the Ning Clan Young Clan Leader had always wanted to win over the Topknot Artisan. Ning Ze felt aggrieved, but smiled, "Master Topknot Artisan, I have brought a big deal this time."

"A full eighty Up-Downs as You Wish Cords!"

"You see, such a big deal, can your price be a little more preferential?""Esteemed artificer, I am a frequent patron, consistently supporting your craft. Surely, such continued patronage deserves greater consideration. To perpetually offer the Ruyi Lasso at a fixed price of two hundred spirit stones seems, well, somewhat ungenerous," Ning Ze remarked.

The Grey-Haired Artificer, his voice a raspy echo of time, offered a slight nod. "You speak true."

"Then, perhaps two hundred and fifty spirit stones per Lasso?"

Ning Ze blinked, a wry smile twisting his lips. "Venerable Grey-Haired Artificer, surely you jest. Price reductions are not typically executed in such a manner."

A chilling snort was the Artificer's reply. "For each superfluous word, the price ascends by fifty spirit stones."

Ning Ze's eyes widened, momentarily paralyzed.

A tempest of rage brewed within his gut, a primal urge to flatten the aged artisan beneath his palm. Yet, with immense effort, he subdued his fury, muttering, "Very well, your price it is."

"However, my clan desires certain enhancements, features to better harmonize with our cultivation arts. The specifics of this modification..."

The Grey-Haired Artificer cut him short, his tone unyielding. "No modifications. Buy it or leave it. Depart at once if you desire neither."

Ning Ze choked on his retort.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, he finally nodded, a bitter smile etching his features as he conceded to the terms of the transaction.

The Grey-Haired Artificer remained motionless, yet upon the clockwork contraption before him, miniature automatons descended from the vehicle's roof.

Suspended by gossamer threads, these clockwork figures possessed an uncanny lifelike quality, emitting high-pitched, gleeful chortles.

They tumbled, they leaped, even feigned quarrels, playfully shoving one another before jointly opening the circular hatch upon the contraption's frame.

One by one, they vanished into the aperture beneath the hatch, returning moments later, dragging forth the Ruyi Lasso as if it were a captured serpent.

Each time Ning Ze witnessed this spectacle, he was filled with awe.

The mastery of puppetry displayed was absolute, the marionettes seemingly imbued with genuine life.

If even a fraction of this control were present amongst the junior cultivators of the Ning Clan's upcoming trials, their performance in the artifice segment would undoubtedly be exceptional!

"The Art of Crafting is often relegated to the bottom rung of the hundred arts of cultivation, burdened by numerous weaknesses. Foremost among these is the method of control!"

"Take these wooden dolls, for example. Sever the threads, and they become inert in an instant."

Having paid the exorbitant price, Ning Ze claimed the Ruyi Lasso and departed the black market, only then allowing a mask of venomous rage to settle upon his face.

"Grey-Haired Artificer! To treat you with respect and courtesy has been a grave mistake, a kindness you clearly do not deserve."

"This time, I have specifically engaged the Three Fiends of the Huang Clan for you! And prepared a 'gift' with utmost care!"

"If you refuse the offered wine, then you shall be forced to swallow the bitter draught of punishment."

Ning Ze had been driven to desperation, forced to gamble.

His plan was simple: employ the Three Fiends of the Huang Clan to subdue the Grey-Haired Artificer, then dramatically intercede, ostensibly to aid him. If the Artificer were severely wounded, Ning Ze would not hesitate to coerce him into compliance.

Above all, he had to ensure the completion of the task assigned to him.

The fates of the others within the Ning Clan, that was their concern!

As the black market concluded, the Grey-Haired Artificer, laden with his profits, traversed the shadowy labyrinth of the alleys.

Suddenly.

A Spirit-Sealing Talisman!

A symbol of power activated, locking the surrounding space.

The Grey-Haired Artificer halted, rooted to the spot.

"Hee hee hee..."

Whispers of airy laughter echoed as three wraiths materialized from the shadows, converging upon the artificer.

The Grey-Haired Artificer remained as still as stone until the phantoms drew near, at which point his body quivered.

A handful of clockwork avians were dislodged from his frame, launching forth with the speed of lightning.

Clockwork – Thunder-Silencing Birds!

In the darkness, a series of electric arcs briefly illuminated the scene, erupting in silent bursts of thunderous light.

In a heartbeat, the Thunder-Silencing Birds pierced the three wraiths.

"How could this be?"

"With the Spirit-Sealing Talisman active, you should be unable to manipulate your constructs with spiritual sense!"

"Something is amiss. They are undeniably automatons, yet we have not seen him employ any threads."

"No matter, attack!"

The Three Fiends of the Huang Clan burst forth, simultaneously unleashing their skills, surrounding the Grey-Haired Artificer.

A swarm of spectral beings poured forth, the air thick with grotesque visages, gnashing fangs, and a palpable aura of malice.

The Grey-Haired Artificer remained unyielding, his wild, unkempt black hair, cascading to the ground, suddenly coalescing into whips.

The ebony tendrils writhed like serpents, yet not a breath of wind stirred. A silent dance of death, promising only annihilation.

Clockwork – Hanging-Hair Soul-Reaping Whips!

The whips struck with ferocious power, as if capable of consuming all in their path, leaving only nothingness in their wake.

The eyes of the Huang Clan Fiends shone with manic rage, ready to meet his assault.

Within the sea of the Grey-Haired Artificer's consciousness, a magical artifact, as vast as a mountain, both Buddha and Demon, released a strange light.

Magic Artifact – The Buddha-Devil Seal!

The three paused simultaneously, revealing fatal openings. Struck with terror, they frantically retreated, yet it was far too late.

With two agonized cries, two Fiends fell dead.

The elder, his eyes bloodshot, his rage reaching a fever pitch, desperately squeezed the essence of his Foundation Establishment core, launching a desperate counterattack against the Grey-Haired Artificer.

The magical dagger, upon which he had placed his hopes of revenge, flew as fast as lightning, piercing the space between the eyebrows of the Grey-Haired Artificer.

*Ting.*

A crisp metallic clang.

The Huang Clan elder froze, disbelief etched upon his face.

*Pfft pfft pfft.*

In the next instant, the Hanging-Hair Soul-Reaping Whips concentrated their assault, piercing him from all directions.

The elder's eyes widened, his body impaled, hanging suspended in the air, his blood raining down, splattering upon the ground and walls, concealed by the heavy darkness of night.

By the time nearby cultivators, alerted by the unusual commotion, investigated the alley,

"What has transpired?" the cultivator asked.

No corpse, no drop of blood was to be found.

Ning Ze, growing increasingly anxious as he awaited news, felt a chill creep into his heart. "Why has there been no word? It has been long enough; they should have succeeded."

"The Grey-Haired Artificer is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the Three Fiends of the Huang Clan are as well. Even if their combat strength is suppressed within the borders of Fire Persimmon City, there is no reason they should fail against a single opponent." He attempted to reassure himself.

"I provided them with the Spirit-Sealing Talisman and the spirit beast Green Blade Mantis, capable of severing the threads. With such preparations, the artificer would be severely hampered!"

"I must await further news."

Such waiting was doomed to be futile.

The Grey-Haired Artificer strode through the underground passage.

The Hanging-Hair Soul-Reaping Whips dragged behind him, each bearing the corpse of a cultivator. With each step, they cast monstrous, terrifying shadows upon the walls of the passage.

Ahead, a crimson glow grew, and the temperature rose.

Rounding a bend, a colossal alchemical furnace appeared before the Grey-Haired Artificer.The furnace door creaked open, and the youthful-looking elder, despite his childish hairstyle, tossed three corpses into its fiery maw with practiced ease.

He sealed the furnace shut and moved to the adjacent storehouse.

Into this chamber, he poured several jins of Fire Essence, purchased this time from the shadowy Black Market.

Years of accumulation had transformed the Fire Essence within the storehouse into a veritable mountain of incandescent power.

"Just the final ten jins remaining..."

The ageless youth then strode to the teleportation chamber and activated the arcane formation.

In a flash, he was back within his subterranean workshop.

The youthful elder's form began to shift and distort.

The bizarre, floor-length black hair rapidly retreated, and the stooped posture straightened, the aged body beneath the black robes dissolving in a play of light and shadow, reverting to its true form—

It was a suit of gleaming, silver-gray Mechanized Battle Armor.

The armor's surface shimmered with a faint, precious light. Runes and array patterns covered its every inch. Upon the helmet was newly etched a scar, a testament to the dying struggles of the eldest of the Yellow House's Three Devils.

The breastplate, abdominal plates, and leg armor of the battle suit symmetrically opened to either side.

From within stepped forth a young man.

His complexion was fair and flawless, his eyes clear as pristine water, and his aura tranquil and serene.

The battle armor was named: Azure Iron Guardian.

The youth: Ning Zhuo, by name.