Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chapter 1592: Chapter 661: Victory Before Battle

Although Chun Yangzi is established with Pure Yang Dao Skill, after hundreds of years of cultivation, he has dabbled in Mechanism, Artifact Refining, and Formation, far from being superficially learned. He merely touched the cultivation technique and quickly scanned it with Divine Sense, noticing that it had solid foundations, balanced in attack and defense, particularly adept at close-range protection and blade interception.

In the contention for the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar, a Golden Core Level trusted aide cannot change the overall situation, but can block a crucial strike at a critical moment.

This compensation from Ning Zhuo is not insignificant.

Chun Yangzi’s expression slightly relaxed.

He knew that Ning Zhuo’s arrangement had both regret and calculation.

The return of the Yang Fish indicated that Ning Zhuo had no intention of keeping the Pure Yang Palace’s Sect’s Spiritual Treasure. The temporary retention of the Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill was to continue comprehending Yang Dao and fulfill the duel agreement in the future. The lending of the Humbleheart Broken-Blade Guard was to tell Chun Yangzi that the plan of Nanming Village to contest for the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar was still progressing; though Ning Zhuo was trapped, he hadn’t forgotten Chun Yangzi’s objective.

The young man spoke beautifully and acted comprehensively.

Chun Yangzi still felt uneasy inside, yet found it hard to seize upon these matters to erupt.

The sound of the bell in No Retreat Square still echoed in his mind.

But it was suppressed by a group of old fellows.

Chun Yangzi suddenly sighed.

In that sigh, there was anger, annoyance, and also a touch of inexplicable fatigue.

"Alright." He withdrew his hand and said indifferently, "For now, the Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill shall remain with Ning Zhuo. For now."

Chun Yangzi still harbored a plan in his heart.

In a short time, the outcome of the Five Battles Martial Arts will come out.

Ning Zhuo won’t take much time; it won’t affect the essence of the Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill.

If Ning Zhuo absorbs too much of the Pure Yang True Intent, affecting his mind, then he might have to switch to cultivating the Pure Yang Pill Scripture.

Chun Yangzi made up his mind, put away the Humbleheart Broken-Blade Guard, and turned to leave.

Let Ning Zhuo be trapped then.

The situation in Nanming Village cannot be stalled together with Ning Zhuo inside Xingyun Trial.

He must contest the Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar.

And he must be quick!

This place itself forms a world.

Ning Zhuo is seated cross-legged on the red-black earth, with no mountains, trees, or the sea of clouds and long winds around, only a vast field illuminated by forging fire.

Above his head is a yellow-hued dome, heavy as if a mountain is overturning, where the outline of the Divine Statue of Earth Guardian True Monarch faintly emerges in the dome’s depth.

The statue sits with eyes closed, face obscured, but thousands of chains hang beneath its knees. One end of the chains merges into the void, while the other end is embedded into the ground, seemingly nailing the entire world here.

Beneath the earth, the furnace fire is flowing.

Red, dark gold, and iron-black fire lines slowly traverse along the earth veins, sometimes merging into hammer patterns, other times dispersing as furnace smoke. Every so often, a low hammer sound echoes in the void.

Dong.

As the hammer sound falls, the earth slightly quakes.

Ning Zhuo’s bones, flesh, mana, and Divine Soul are all subtly numbed by the vibration. The hammer sound doesn’t harm him directly, but as if testing the material, texture, flaws, and tolerance limit before an artifact refiner strikes the hammer.

This is the Divine Domain of Earth Guardian True Monarch.

Also the Forging Technique of Tie Kuang.

Moreover, the power of the Hundred Tempering Thousand Weight Hammer’s Spiritual Treasure.

The combination of the three forms this world of Xingyun Trial.

With the Divine Domain mainly suppressing, Thick Earth like a prison, cutting off Ning Zhuo’s access to external power. Tie Kuang’s Forging Technique mainly smelts, turning everything around into a furnace, bellows, and anvil. The Hundred Tempering Thousand Weight Hammer mainly tests, one hammer, one question, one shock, one refinement, as if to knock out the most true sound from Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo exhaled a turbid breath.

The moment the turbid breath left his lips, it was rolled into gray-white smoke threads by a red gold fire line in mid-air and then dissipated.

The young man felt a little apprehensive, yet harbored a certain expectation.

The Yang Fish must be returned.

This is the rightful thing to do.

That Chun Yangzi was willing to lend the Yang Fish to him was a tremendous support. Now that he’s trapped in Xingyun Trial and cannot engage in combat with the Three Brave of Xiang Sect in a short time, keeping the Pure Yang Palace’s Sect’s Spiritual Treasure with him makes no sense.

But the Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill...

Ning Zhuo’s fingers slightly curled.

He really doesn’t want to return it.

That gray, stone-like Elixir Pill still resides in the depths of his Divine Sea. It seems simple and serene on the outside, but contains an immense sun of Yang Dao within. Every observation allows Ning Zhuo to absorb vast True Intent.

Absorbing True Intent feels incredibly exhilarating!

Ning Zhuo has tasted the sweetness, unable to extricate himself.

Yet if Chun Yangzi insists on taking it back, he will certainly return it.

"If for mere momentary cultivation, one destroys trust and reputation, that is self-destruction of foundation."

The thought had barely settled when a subtle tremor emanated from his Divine Sea.

It was information relayed by Tie Kuang from outside.

Ning Zhuo’s eyes lit up slightly.

Chun Yangzi unexpectedly agreed for the young man to temporarily borrow the Pure Yang Ancestor Master Pill!

"Great."

The sunlight within the pill suddenly expanded widely.

Ning Zhuo resumed his comprehension.

But this time, it was different from before.

A vermillion hemp rope flew out from his Storage Bag, as lively as a snake, straight up into the sky. There being no beam here, it circled a few rounds in the air and firmly bound Ning Zhuo’s hair.

His scalp immediately experienced a subtle and clear pulling pain.

This pain was constant and fine, like a fine needle constantly pricking at laziness. As soon as a trace of distraction emerged, that slight pain would sweep it away, making his Divine Sea instantly clearer.

Hanging by the hair! This is to remind of laziness and self-reflection.

Ning Zhuo then took the Yellow Willow Wood Cone and held it in his palm.

He looked down at his left leg without hesitation, his wrist steadily descending.

The Wooden Cone pierced into the flesh, about an inch deep.

The sharp pain shot straight into the Divine Sea.

Ning Zhuo’s throat tightened, and a fine layer of sweat immediately appeared on his forehead. Yet his eyes instead became brighter, his thoughts like the sharpened edge of a cone, piercing towards the threshold of Yang Dao that refused to be penetrated.