Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chapter 1478: Chapter 604: Magic Pool Trial

Although Ning Zhuo is only at the Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage, with the conversion of Five Elements Magic, a single portion can expand to more than six, allowing him to deal with even more powerful adversaries with ease.

He also relied on this to defeat the Flowing Gold Guest.

However, this Magic Technique was thereby exposed.

The hidden trump card of the Flowing Gold Guest, which allowed revival even after decapitation, was revealed, so Ning Zhuo naturally suffered a similar kind of exposure in this respect.

Ning Zhuo must guard against any arrangements the opponent might make targeting this point.

He contemplated his means and realized he actually possessed two methods.

The first is the Ice Jade Wine.

This wine, once consumed, can use a Divine Treasure to drive a Qi Treasure, replenishing Qi with Divine energy, making it the best cultivation resource for practicing the Ice Heart Technique.

If others drink it, they can see their Qi Sea cultivation soar, making it easy to replenish mana on the battlefield.

But this method has a major drawback: replenishing mana means consuming Divine Sense!

For Ning Zhuo, Divine Sense is equally important, if not more so.

Because in normal combat, Ning Zhuo controls a large number of Mechanical Artifacts, and even casting Five Elements Magic requires consuming Divine Sense.

His consumption of Divine Sense is also enormous!

So, this method is not chosen.

Apart from this, the Top Wind Kite excels in prolonged combat and can ideally sustain itself indefinitely.

This Mechanical Flying Bird is currently in Ning Zhuo’s possession, as it was part of Qinghuangzi’s previous stock.

However, the problem is that the Top Wind Kite is large, moves relatively slowly, and requires escort while flying at high altitudes. This shortcoming is quite obvious, and it belongs to the tradition of the Empty Valley Sound Green Mechanism Tube.

And since the latter has already been exposed, the Top Wind Kite is also an open card.

Relying on it poses a considerable risk for Ning Zhuo. The enemy is highly likely to target this point.

After pondering for a moment, Ning Zhuo ordered Gongsun Yan to craft mechanical accessories and asked Chef to purchase Talismans and Elixirs. Then he personally set out to participate in the Xingyun Trial.

The organizer is the Artifact Refining Hall.

As one of the Sixteen Halls of the Myriad Images Sect, the Artifact Refining Hall is overseen by Tie Kuang. In each Feiyun Conference, an artifact refining-related Xingyun Trial is held.

In each round of this trial, different exam questions are presented, requiring cultivators to refine artifacts. Anyone meeting the standards receives material rewards. Those who stand out naturally gain the attention of the Artifact Refining Hall and may receive an invitation to join.

This time, the trial question from the Artifact Refining Hall is — the Magic Pool.

The Magic Pool is a type of Storage Treasure, but it stores only one kind of thing, which is the cultivator’s mana.

The Magic Pool’s particularity lies in its one-to-one match and binding with the cultivator. The user must personally take action during its refining; it cannot be done by others.

The pool embryo must be repeatedly purified by one’s mana, and the pool walls must be inscribed with Array Patterns for storage, locking, rejuvenation, and pressure relief, consuming the cultivator’s Divine Sense. Finally, to open the pool, Lifebound Essence Blood must be dripped in to make the Magic Pool recognize the owner’s aura.

The Magic Pool refined in this way is closest to the cultivator, like another organ. Only then can it store one’s mana in daily life, and when needed, the pool gate can be opened to replenish the Qi Sea, restoring crucial mana.

In battles, this is often the key to victory. In artifact refining, it can help the cultivator overcome obstacles and provide crucial endurance to eventually succeed in refining artifacts.

For Ning Zhuo, this is precisely what he most urgently lacks offline.

This Xingyun Trial is set up on the Earth Fire Square.

The square is octagonal, with the ground paved with Black Iron Bricks. Each brick has fire patterns, with dark red light seeping through the grooves, as if a dormant sea of fire lies beneath.

Around the square stand twelve Furnace Beast Bronze Statues, depicting dragons, tigers, turtles, or sparrows, from whose bronze mouths faint fire breath occasionally emits, mixing the scent of rust and charcoal fire into the air.

On the high platform, several stewards of the Artifact Refining Hall were seated.

"Wait, look who’s coming?"

"It’s actually Ning Zhuo!"

"Isn’t he organizing Nanming Village and about to challenge Flowing Cloud Peak? Why is he here participating in the trial?"

Ning Zhuo’s arrival quickly stirred up waves of commotion.

His reputation has been quite prominent lately.

With the founding of Nanming Village, the inclusion of five Nascent Soul cultivators, and the feat of defeating the Flowing Gold Guest, these achievements set Ning Zhuo apart from other young talents.

"Hmph!"

"A duel is a duel, mechanisms are mechanisms, and refining is refining."

In the crowd, a young cultivator cast a sharp gaze at Ning Zhuo.

This person was tall and slim, with a slightly red complexion, a fire mark at the center of his brows, large hands with rough joints, and palms burned dark red near purple by long exposure to fire poison.

He wore a black robe with red patterns used for artifact refining, with a small hammer pouch hanging at his waist. The pouch’s opening subtly pulsed, faintly circulating an air of fire.

His name was Tie Yanyu, a young artifact refining genius of the Artifact Refining Hall, with considerable fame.

It is said that at ten, he could discern thirty-six types of fire attribute, and at fifteen, he independently repaired a Foundation Establishment Magical Artifact. After reaching Foundation Establishment, he stayed in the Earth Fire Room for seven days, refining a "Red Gallbladder Furnace," earning widespread approval from the elders of the Artifact Refining Hall.

He was not very familiar with the specific situation of the Nanming Fire Furnace, as he was always cultivating in the artifact refining workshop. The reason he participated in this trial was also because he lacked a Magic Pool.

His Magic Pool was destroyed in a recent artifact refining attempt due to his mistake.

To quickly replenish a Magic Pool, participating in this Xingyun Trial is naturally the first choice.

The first trial is identifying materials to determine the pool.

With a wave of the Artifact Refining Hall steward’s sleeve, an iron case rose before each person. The case was filled with dozens of materials: Black Patterned Copper, Mica Silver Sand, Red Furnace Fire Crystal, Green Wood Charcoal Marrow, Profound Water Moist Copper, Thick Earth Pottery Mother, Cold Iron Shavings, Gold Essence Powder, Flowing Cloud Sand, etc.

Participants must select materials suitable for their Cultivation Technique within thirty minutes and determine the type of Magic Pool.

Some chose the Fire Pool.

Some chose the Thunder Pool.

Some chose the Water Element Pool.

Tie Yanyu acted without the slightest hesitation.

He took Black Patterned Copper as the backbone of the pool, Red Furnace Fire Crystal as the core, and selected a small amount of Gold Essence Powder to stabilize the pool walls.

He was going to refine a "Red Gold Rejuvenation Pool" where fire and gold elements complement each other. This pool has strong explosiveness, and when opened, mana surges back rapidly, making it perfect for fire and gold attribute cultivators to sustain power at key moments.

His movements were crisp and clean, selecting materials as if plucking the strings of a zither, seemingly casual but each piece was chosen perfectly.

Many cultivators in the Artifact Refining Hall nodded quietly.

Tie Yanyu’s artifact refining prowess was already recognized internally in the Artifact Refining Hall, and his performance matched his reputation.

"Originally, Tie Yanqiu was the assured first place, but unexpectedly, Ning Zhuo emerged as the competition was about to start."

"So this Xingyun Trial becomes even more exciting."

"Ning Zhuo is strong, but his strength lies elsewhere, he is a mechanism cultivator. How could he be a match for our Yanqiu in artifact refining?"

"Not necessarily! He has considerable skills in refining, you probably don’t know the specific situation during the Nanming Fire Furnace trial."

The crowd inevitably looked towards Ning Zhuo during their discussion.

Ning Zhuo separately took Mica Silver Sand, Green Wood Charcoal Marrow, Red Furnace Fire Crystal, Profound Water Moist Copper, and Thick Earth Pottery Mother, along with a small amount of Flowing Cloud Sand for blending.

All five elements were included.

Some cultivators immediately furrowed their brows.

"He wants to create a Five Elements Magic Pool?"

"Refining pools should avoid greed. Many times, we prefer pools with a single attribute over having complex properties."

"Ning Zhuo’s Qi Sea cultivation is based on Five Elements Mana."

"Can’t he activate his Lifebound Magical Artifact to quickly convert mana? Refining a pool with a single attribute wouldn’t be bad either."

The crowd was puzzled.

The first round ended, the second round began, which was blending materials into a pool embryo.

Earth Fire rose beneath the iron case, the flames splitting into red, yellow, and white, each with different fire attributes. Participants need to use their own mana to control the fire, smelting materials into a pool embryo.

Tie Yanyu’s artifact refining skills were immediately revealed!

With a press of his hands, the flames seemed like tamed beasts, slowly swirling around the materials. Black Patterned Copper softened first, Red Furnace Fire Crystal melted next, and Gold Essence Powder was sprinkled last. Each step was neat and impressive, fire control as steady as an invisible balance swinging in the furnace.

Soon, a fist-sized red gold pool embryo formed before him.

The pool embryo resembled a small cauldron, like a heart furnace, with red light flowing on the surface, gold patterns hidden within, faintly exuding a sharp and hot energy.

"Good!"

A low cheer came from a disciple of the Artifact Refining Hall.

Tie Yanyu’s expression was unchanged, but he slightly lifted his chin.

He looked at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo was not as imposing, his flames were very calm.

The Red Furnace Fire Crystal was enveloped by fire, not rushing to melt.

Profound Water Moist Copper was first warmed, forcing out its cold and damp energy.

Green Wood Charcoal Marrow was placed on the outermost, fire did not burn wood, but used wood attribute to guide fire.

Thick Earth Pottery Mother sank to the bottom like ballast. Mica Silver Sand was intricately drawn into silver lines by Ning Zhuo’s delicate mana, weaving between the five materials.

Beads of sweat formed on Ning Zhuo’s forehead.

The Five Elements Qi Regulation Art operated slowly within him, the principle of the five elements’ creation and destruction was gradually integrated into the pool embryo.

Half an hour later, a small pool embryo with five-colored light swirling above floated above his palm.

The pool embryo was not as dazzling as Tie Yanyu’s red gold pool embryo, but more gentle.

The five-color brilliance flowed slowly within the pool walls, neither mixed nor torn apart, like five streams separately entering a channel, eventually merging into the same lake.

Seeing this, Tie Yanyu’s expression subtly changed, his heart filled with shock: "Wood does not suppress fire, fire does not offend water, earth occupies the center, gold forms veins, water qi moistens the edge. He has actually achieved such a balance among the five elements, neither surplus nor deficiency. Everything is just right! How did he do it?"

The third round, engraving patterns and opening the pool.

The Artifact Refining Hall presented four array maps for the magic pool, involving storage, locking, rejuvenation, and pressure relief.

Tie Yanyu dismissed distracting thoughts, suppressed his emotions, picked up the engraving knife, his expression intensely focused.

His Red Gold Rejuvenation Pool was known for its rapidity, so he engraved the rejuvenation array patterns deeply, suppressing the pool bottom with locking array patterns to prevent premature mana leakage. At the end, he bit his fingertip, dripping a drop of lifeblood essence into the pool.

The essence blood fell into the pool.

The red gold pool embryo immediately trembled, emitting a faint hum.

Pool formed!

Many stewards present nodded slightly upon seeing this.

Tie Yanyu’s magic pool was indeed of quite good quality. After being opened, it could gush out reserved mana in a short time, capable of turning the tide in critical moments during spells.

Tie Yanyu regained some confidence in his heart.

He put down the engraving knife, looked at Ning Zhuo.

The latter was still engraving patterns, and engraving them very slowly.

The bystanders transmitted thoughts with their divine sense, exchanging privately.

"Isn’t Ning Zhuo a bit too cautious?"

"The five-element pool embryo is too complex. Even if it were me, it would be difficult to start engraving."

"Alas, having all five elements, ultimately it’s asking for trouble."

But the few stewards hosting this refining trial, their expressions became increasingly solemn.