Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chapter 1401: Chapter 557: Ning Zhuo Calms the Artifact Spirit?!

The Host Cultivator announced, "The rules for the fourth round are as follows: all Daoist fellows may step forward in turn, directly come into contact with the main body and fragments of the Nanming Fire Furnace, and face the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit head-on. Each person’s time is limited to 30 minutes. The final result will be determined by each one’s performance. The specific order is determined by the results of the third round."

"The first participant—Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo!"

The order of the fourth round was determined based on the results of the third round.

Among the cultivators tied for first place, Ning Zhuo was the first to display outstanding performance, so he was placed first in the fourth round. The subsequent ranking also followed this rule.

Through Cao Gui of the Commerce Hall, Ning Zhuo had once suggested changing the order of the fourth round, but was refused.

This actually did not exceed Ning Zhuo’s expectations—this Xingyun Trial concerning the Nanming Fire Furnace carried too much weight. From before it even began, it had already stirred up huge waves; up to now, it remained the most closely watched contest of this Feiyun Conference.

It could even be said that it stood out particularly among previous conferences as well.

In such circumstances, Wang Yu of Danxia Peak, as one of the leaders deeply versed in the Righteous Path, would absolutely never do something as muddleheaded as changing the rules midway.

Under the gaze of all, Ning Zhuo walked forward at a measured pace, leisurely took out a Cushion, and sat down cross-legged.

The broken main body of the Nanming Fire Furnace before his eyes was simply too miserable to look at. Countless charred cracks extended down from the furnace mouth, spreading like a spiderweb. The entire furnace body had less than twenty percent left.

As for the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit, it was hiding deep within the furnace body, curled up into a ball, trembling in fear.

"Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, little cutie, I’m here." Through the Life Hanging Thread, Ning Zhuo first communicated in secret, his voice very gentle.

At the sudden sound of this voice, the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit abruptly stiffened, and then was about to let out a shrill scream of terror.

But Ning Zhuo had long anticipated this and directly used the Life Hanging Thread to forcibly control it.

The Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit was rendered motionless in an instant.

Having finished this "soothing" work targeted at the Artifact Spirit, Ning Zhuo did not rush to make a move. Instead, he first used Divine Sense Control to draw over many furnace shards and fragments that had already separated from the main body.

He extended his palm, gently stroking these fragments with his palm and fingers, feeling the delicate texture within them and the rough edges.

He was carefully selecting.

Just choosing these fragments alone cost Ning Zhuo more than two hours.

Most of the competing cultivators behind him revealed looks of impatience, especially the Nascent Soul Level existences among them.

But there was nothing they could do.

This Xingyun Trial placed no restriction on how long cultivators could operate. When this Xingyun Trial was first designed, it was precisely to increase the possibility of saving the Nanming Fire Furnace and the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit. So, from Wang Yu of Danxia Peak’s perspective, even if a cultivator took a very long time, as long as it was beneficial for saving the furnace, he could accept it!

Therefore, Ning Zhuo was in no hurry at all at this moment.

Unhurried and composed, he finished examining all the shards and fragments, then carefully selected a few pieces and arranged them around the Cushion within easy reach of his hand.

Only then did he rise to his feet, take a few more steps forward, and walk up to the furnace.

He stretched out his hand and gently touched the furnace body: the charred scars, the ruined edges, and so on.

His Divine Sense spread out like ripples, bringing every fragment, every crack, and every distortion into his Perception.

His fingers moved slowly along the furnace wall, from the mouth to the belly, from the belly to the base, inch by inch, stroking with meticulous care.

He felt the thickness of the furnace wall, sensed the depth of the cracks, and ascertained the degree of distortion in every area.

The Nanming Fire Furnace was truly in terrible condition: the Array Patterns were shattered beyond recognition, the furnace flame had long since gone out, with not even a trace of residual warmth remaining. The furnace body was open more than halfway, as if someone had split it open and laid its insides bare.

But fortunately, the core of the Array was at the bottom of the furnace and had been miraculously preserved, not destroyed.

"Why hasn’t he made a move yet?"

"What on earth is this kid doing?"

"He’s so young—what insight could he possibly gain? Heh, even Tie Kuang was helpless, yet judging from the looks of it, he actually intends to do Artifact Refining?"

"A newborn calf not afraid of tigers, indeed."

"Hmph, one could also call it a lack of self-awareness, wanting to treat a dead horse as a living one?"

Everyone had already discerned some clues, especially the Nascent Soul Level existences among them. Their years of cultivation were far longer than Ning Zhuo’s current lifetime.

Their life experience was too rich; they had already seen through some of the signs in Ning Zhuo’s current performance.

They naturally did not wish for Ning Zhuo to take such a risk. Tie Kuang, as the current Hall Master of the Artifact Refining Hall of the Myriad Images Sect, absolutely ranked among the top in Artifact Refining ability within the entire Myriad Images Sect and the entire Flying Cloud Country—saying he was in the top ten would not be an exaggeration.

Since Tie Kuang had already issued his diagnosis of the Nanming Fire Furnace, and even he did not dare to make a move, for fear of frightening the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit to death, now you, Ning Zhuo, actually want to do Artifact Refining and walk this path?

How do you even dare?

Isn’t this far too reckless and audacious?!

Some Nascent Soul Level cultivators furrowed their brows, wanting to step in and stop him. What they feared most was—if Ning Zhuo really insisted on taking this risk and ended up scaring the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit to death, then this rare Spirit Treasure Level Alchemy Furnace would have its value slashed by more than half!

They believed more in themselves, that they could save the Artifact Spirit and win the furnace.

However, when Ning Zhuo brought out the first piece of Treasure, their attention was immediately drawn away.

"Nine Heavens Profound Iron! That’s Spirit Treasure Level material!"

This piece of Nine Heavens Profound Iron was dark black in color and heavy as a thousand jun; it was the core material for refining Spirit Treasure Level Pill Furnaces. This iron was produced above the Nine Heavens, the core left behind when a falling star crashed down. An ordinary cultivator could spend a lifetime and still never obtain a single piece. The one in Ning Zhuo’s hand was the size of a fist, a cherished treasure that the Commerce Hall had transferred from its vault overnight.