Chapter 433: Evil Sorcery

Liu Er arrived outside the training grounds, transmitting a thought through his divine sense, summoning Guan Hong and Zhang Hei.He recounted Ning Zhuo's proposal, asking for their opinions.Zhang Hei did not hesitate: "I shall obey big brother!"Though he had only recently met Liu Er, spending time together and training frequently had forged a tacit understanding between them. The bonds of sworn brotherhood were rapidly warming.This manifested outwardly as Zhang Hei becoming increasingly compliant with Liu Er's every word and command.Guan Hong, however, pondered for a moment before speaking: "This Ning Zhuo comes from a great clan. At such a young age, he possesses Foundation Establishment cultivation, and can easily produce Nascent Soul-level treasures. His foundation is profound; he cannot be treated as ordinary.""Observing his actions, I see he acts with purpose. In his dealings with others, he displays considerable magnanimity. In managing our army's accounts, he is also meticulous and diligent.""Our army's funds are strained. Ning Zhuo manages the accounts and is far clearer on the grim situation before us than we are.""Under these circumstances, he still proposes setting up formations for divination. This shows his premonition truly is not good!""Though I do not know precisely how profound his art of divination is, judging by his temperament, he has a degree of certainty.""We face a great battle. If we can know the unfolding situation in advance, we will hold a considerable advantage."Liu Er listened intently, nodding: "I understand the thoughts of both my sworn brothers.""Even if Ning Zhuo's divination fails, it is worth a try!""I shall return now to inform the military advisor."Though Ning Zhuo was within the tent, he had continuously employed the Human Fate Suspended Silk technique, secretly listening.He had gained Guan Hong's support without using his Buddhist Heart Devil Seal.This was slightly beyond his expectations.He had initially believed that his best relationship was with Zhang Hei, and that the latter would speak up for him.Yet, Zhang Hei deferred to Liu Er, not saying a word for Ning Zhuo. Instead, it was Guan Hong, with whom he usually had a distant relationship, who spoke at length, strongly supporting Ning Zhuo.Soon, Liu Er lifted the tent flap and once again stood before Ning Zhuo."Good news, my two sworn brothers share my view and support your divination, Military Advisor.""Might I know, Military Advisor, what arrangements you have, and in what specific matters you require our assistance? You may speak freely."Seeing Liu Er's face full of smiles, incredibly cordial, Ning Zhuo couldn't help but secretly marvel at this man's masterful social skills.He shook his head slightly: "This formation arrangement for divination must be done secretly, to prevent the magical art from being leaked."Liu Er understood instantly and quickly cupped his hands: "It was I who was rash, Military Advisor, please do not take offense."Many secret magical arts are quite valuable and are not easily displayed to outsiders.Ning Zhuo indicated that since the three generals had agreed, he would act immediately. He would first procure supplies, then leave the city alone to set up the formation and perform the divination. Whether he succeeded in divining or not, he would report back to Lord Liu Er in a timely manner.At this point, Ning Zhuo hesitated, as if about to speak but holding back.Liu Er: "Military Advisor, speak freely if you have something to say."Ning Zhuo then stated that he felt uneasy. War is a matter of life and death; one should plan for defeat before seeking victory. He suggested that the three generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang train more battle formations that are quick to form and change, allowing for rapid movement on the battlefield.Liu Er's expression shifted slightly, and he nodded gently.After Ning Zhuo left the military camp, Liu Er re-entered the training grounds. He halted the entire army and announced additional training for the Single-Word Long Serpent Formation.Ning Zhuo headed straight for Canglin Immortal City.Within the Myriad Mile Roaming Dragon, Sun Lingtong, seeing Ning Zhuo act with composure, couldn't help but ask curiously: "Xiao Zhuo, your mind is sharp. Have you already thought of a way to break the stalemate?"Ning Zhuo nodded slightly: "It's not exactly a way to break the stalemate.""I have considered it. We are all bound by the divine decree.""Since we cannot seek assistance from the military of the Two Zhus Kingdom, we must act according to the divine decree.""This is actually not a problem!""We are now cultivators of the Southern Bean Kingdom. The Two Zhus Kingdom borders the Southern Bean Kingdom. If they suffer greater losses in the war against the Thousand Peaks Forest, it will also benefit our Southern Bean Kingdom.""Furthermore, before parting ways, Zhu Xuanji specifically instructed me that some forces in the Thousand Peaks Forest are funded by the Southern Bean Kingdom.""The three generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, as well as Zhang Chongyi and others, have good relations with us. When the time comes, we shall simply avoid these individuals!"Ning Zhuo was an outsider and felt no sense of belonging to the Two Zhus Kingdom.He had joined them merely to treat Sun Lingtong and to plot for the mechanism carriage for himself.Sun Lingtong breathed a sigh of relief: "Xiao Zhuo, it is good that you can be so clear-minded."Ning Zhuo continued: "The next problem is how we participate in the ambush battle.""At that time, the two of us cannot show our faces and must hide inside the stone orb.""However, the stone orb cannot move on its own. Therefore, I plan to modify it into a mechanism artifact to help us appear more convincing.""The divine decree requires us to go all out. We had best achieve this.""But do not forget, we only have Foundation Establishment cultivation. Our performance of going all out will certainly not satisfy the Thousand Peaks Forest side.""At that time, Cave Lord Moyuan and others will inevitably think we are slacking. They might even act as overseers on the battlefield and strike us down ruthlessly as a warning to others!""Therefore, the requirements placed upon us are actually very high!"Sun Lingtong's face became heavy, and she nodded in agreement: "At least we must display Nascent Soul-level combat power? This is a bit too difficult?!"Ning Zhuo corrected: "It is Nascent Soul level.""According to our current assessment, the center of the stone orb is a ten-thousand-year-old earth essence, and surrounding the earth essence are top-grade earth-attribute spirit stones.""These spirit stones contain most of the Stone Monster's spiritual power from when it was alive. This fundamental condition is present and very crucial.""Do not forget, I have already mastered the complete Earth-Cast Earth Treasure divine ability!""As long as I modify the stone orb, and if all goes smoothly, using the stone orb as a reservoir of spiritual power to help me unleash the Earth-Cast Earth Treasure divine ability will leave the people of the Thousand Peaks Forest with nothing to say."Sun Lingtong suddenly understood: "So, you are pretending to deceive Liu Er and the others, but you are actually purchasing treasures to modify the stone orb into a mechanism?"Ning Zhuo said: "I need to inform them about the ambush. After much thought, I could only use divination as a pretense. Only in this way can I avoid much suspicion and not have to explain the source of this information."Near Fire Persimmon Mountain in the Southern Bean Kingdom.Ning Jiufan watched from a distance but was not in a hurry to enter the city and return home.He was waiting.A moment later, Lin Bufan, appearing like a mortal, ascended the mountain peak on foot and met with Ning Jiufan."Senior Lin, I am indebted to you for your assistance in coming out of seclusion this time. My Ning family will certainly repay you generously!" Ning Jiufan bowed, his face filled with joy.Lin Bufan waved his hand slightly: "I arrived a little late. I sought the assistance of a friend to conceal my aura. After all, City Lord Meng Kui is a wise general of the Meng family and is skilled in divination. If he were to divine my presence from the threads of fate, he would surely take precautions."Ning Jiufan heard the implied meaning: "Senior Lin, you wish to conceal your identity, lie in wait, and only make your move at the last moment?"Lin Bufan nodded: "None of us are skilled in divination. If I were to appear prematurely, I would inevitably be divined by Meng Kui. Only by catching him off guard can I hope to disrupt his plans."Ning Jiufan sighed deeply and bowed low: "Senior Lin has greatly aided my Ning family! This kindness is etched in my heart."According to the rules of the righteous path, a Nascent Soul-level cultivator like Lin Bufan should not trespass rashly. They should send out a flying letter in advance to greet the local Nascent Soul-level cultivators before passing through the territory.After all, as cultivators' cultivation increases, their combat power soars. High-level cultivators can easily influence an entire region with their individual strength.This long-standing precaution against cultivators gradually evolved into an unspoken rule among Nascent Soul-level cultivators.However, now, Lin Bufan wanted to conceal his identity and "raid" Meng Kui, so naturally, he could not send out a flying letter. To appear without greeting and actively assist the Ning family in disrupting Meng Kui's plans—this was a complete provocation to Meng Kui!Although Ning Jiufan had received Lin Bufan's promise of assistance, he did not expect Lin Bufan to be so decisive.Lin Bufan, seeing Ning Jiufan's face filled with gratitude, was secretly pleased.He had managed the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect for many years and possessed profound strategies. Since he had already secretly allied with the Ning and Zhu families, he decided to demonstrate the responsibility of an ally!"Although I have managed the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect quite successfully, it is still merely a local sect force.""Currently, if I can leverage this alliance to demonstrate my value and gain the favor of the royal family, the current invisible ceiling of the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect will be broken, and its scale will inevitably experience explosive growth, allowing it to control more areas and become a regional overlord!""As for offending the Meng family this time, that is also not a problem."Lin Bufan deeply understood that having no stance is the most dangerous stance. Since fate and opportunity had placed him and the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect on the side of the Southern Bean Zhu family, he had to do his best to seize the benefits within."Being able to stand in the midst of the struggle between the Zhu and Meng families is already a once-in-a-century opportunity for me and the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect!"Lin Bufan reached out and helped Ning Jiufan to his feet: "I have been in seclusion for a long time. This time, I come with the aspiration of obtaining the ten-thousand-year-old fire essence for you.""This fire essence is native to Fire Persimmon Mountain. If the Ning family can control it, their status and strength in the immortal city will surely greatly increase.""Coupled with your Yuan Po, you will be even better able to contend with Meng Kui!""Therefore, I suggest you do not need to return home early. You might as well stay here and await the coming days.""This period of time is sufficient for Meng Kui to make his arrangements.""As the City Lord, he will undoubtedly be even more concerned about the matter of the ten-thousand-year-old fire essence.""You might as well wait until he urges you several times, until he has no choice but to formally act against the ten-thousand-year-old fire essence. Then you can return to the city and participate in the battle in time, without breaking the agreement."Lin Bufan was an exceptional talent among men, not merely someone devoted to arduous cultivation. His mind was sharp, and he possessed considerable foresight.Ning Jiufan nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, stating that these words were very reasonable, and immediately complied, concealing himself on this mountaintop, waiting for the opportune moment.Two Zhus Kingdom, Canglin Immortal City.Ning Zhuo entered the city once again. After displaying his token, he easily met with the Grand Craftsman of the Two Zhus Kingdom, Jin Li."Master Jin, I have come this time because I previously sent a letter to my clan and received a reply, granting me greater authority to act at my discretion.""I wish to purchase some treasures from your side."Jin Li welcomed Ning Zhuo's arrival and, upon hearing his request, shook his head and chuckled: "I bear a heavy responsibility, forging weapons for many Golden Core cultivators free of charge.""Currently, the consumption of treasures is significant, and the deficit is growing. I am about to use them myself, so how can I sell them to you?"Ning Zhuo replied: "Senior Jin, do not worry. Perhaps I did not make myself clear. This is not a purchase, but rather an exchange of what we have."Saying this, he took out the treasures he had excavated from the inner core of the stone orb not long ago.Jin Li's eyes lit up again upon seeing the exquisite treasures. He reached out, and an invisible force drew the treasures from Ning Zhuo's hand, flying into his own.Jin Li examined them carefully, praising them repeatedly. Then he waved his hand, opening a hidden door: "Here are the treasures I can release. Go and choose."The materials Ning Zhuo had chiseled from the Stone Monster's corpse were all earth-attribute treasures.Master Jin Li's material庫 was naturally very comprehensive, covering the Five Elements as a basic requirement, and also including wind-attribute, ice-attribute, Qiankun, magnetic, star-attribute, and so on.Ning Zhuo primarily selected Five Elements treasures. After carefully choosing, he emerged from the secret room with a pile.Upon seeing this, Jin Li's expression was startled, and then he shook his head, stating that Ning Zhuo could not take so many.Ning Zhuo smiled slightly and produced even more treasures from the Stone Monster.Jin Li was overjoyed, his pupils slightly contracting, feeling a small shock."Does your esteemed clan perhaps have a rich production of high-grade earth-attribute treasures?""Have you discovered some kind of ore deposit?""No, that's not right. These treasures are categorized into many types. How can they be covered by one or two ore deposits?"Ning Zhuo smiled without speaking.Jin Li reacted, actively apologizing and stating that he had not intentionally inquired about the private matters of others' clans.Ning Zhuo shook his head: "This matter is not merely the business of my Ning family alone; the Zhu family is behind it. Senior Jin, this junior can only speak this much. Please do not casually reveal this matter.""Southern Bean Kingdom's Zhu family? The royal family!" Jin Li's expression immediately became solemn, stating that he would strictly guard this secret.Involuntarily, his attitude towards Ning Zhuo became even more cautious.Ning Zhuo purchased enough Five Elements treasures and then entered the Myriad Mile Roaming Dragon, quietly leaving the city.Arriving in a remote valley, he stopped the Myriad Mile Roaming Dragon, plunged into the cabin, measured the stone orb repeatedly, studied the Five Elements treasures in his hand, and pondered how to modify it.The reason he chose Five Elements treasures was naturally because he had a strong advantage in the realm of the Five Elements.As expected, after some research, he had a thorough understanding of the properties of the Five Elements treasures.How to modify the stone orb?Ning Zhuo's initial idea was to replicate the Myriad Mile Roaming Dragon in a spherical shape.Of course, Ning Zhuo had little understanding of the principles of emptiness and could not make the stone orb traverse through emptiness.However, the Stone Monster was extremely skilled in earth escape techniques during its lifetime.Therefore, Ning Zhuo planned to recreate the earth escape technique and add the escape techniques of the other four elements.In this way, he could at least use the Five Elements escape techniques to have some ability to flee on the battlefield.Ning Zhuo buried his head in thought, pondering intensely.Sun Lingtong once again entered the Embryonic Breath Spirit Vessel, pressing against the stone orb to rapidly increase the foundation of her physical body.With the great battle imminent, the situation of Sun and Ning was awkward and perilous. Their mental pressure far exceeded that of the three generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang.In the Upper Dantian Sea of Consciousness, various thoughts rose and fell, fiercely colliding, occasionally generating inspiration or sparks.Suddenly, a flash of inspiration erupted, like a startled swan, streaking across the sky of the Upper Dantian Sea of Consciousness, causing a huge crack to appear in the massive mirror serving as the sky.Ning Zhuo suddenly opened his eyes, extremely excited: "I've thought of it!""I didn't expect it would be the Five Viscera Temple Spiritual God Technique that played the most crucial role.""Hahahaha!""If I can successfully implement it, we can not only better impersonate the Stone Monster but also boost my Qi Sea cultivation.""Boss, boss."Ning Zhuo eagerly asked Sun Lingtong."Do you have any cultivation methods for cutting flesh and offering sacrifices? I need them urgently."Sun Lingtong was stunned for a moment: "Are you talking about things like the Blood Demon Disintegration Art, or the Bone Sacrifice Skull Seat?"Ning Zhuo nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes."Sun Lingtong was surprised: "These are all demonic arts that harm oneself and others, leaving behind disaster for all living beings."Ning Zhuo's expression changed slightly, and he said solemnly: "Boss, do you still not trust me? I am a person of the righteous path, with a righteous spirit in my heart, loyal, filial, kind, and benevolent. Heaven and Earth can bear witness. How could I possibly go astray?"Sun Lingtong was silent for a moment: "My master instructed me when I was young, so I do not touch these demonic arts. This is because cultivating these techniques will also exert a strong influence on the cultivator's temperament and thoughts.""Xiao Zhuo, be careful.""If you really want them, you might as well buy them at the Complete Book Tower."Please note: m.badaoge.info