Night deepened.

Inside the Qing Shi Cave Abode.

Ning Zhuo set down the jade slip in his hand, looking weary and pensive.

He had just quickly skimmed through all the jade slips.

“Kong Gu Yin Jie Qing Ji Tong…” the large-headed youth murmured.

This Nascent Soul-grade legacy contained multiple cultivation method jade slips, covering various aspects.

The primary cultivation method was called the *Da Qian Ji Lai Ben Jing*, a mechanism cultivator’s method that focused on the upper Dantian. This method allowed the cultivator to perceive the rhythm of objects, granting them special divine sense to detect the unique musical scales inherent in the parts of a mechanism.

Ning Zhuo first read the *Kong Gu Qing Ji Zong Gang*. This jade slip was equivalent to a master catalog and provided guiding principles for the rest of the legacy’s content.

Besides that, there were numerous other techniques, covering many areas.

For example, *Kong Gu Hui Luan Bian*, a sound attack technique that used echoes to mimic bird calls, creating astonishing sonic attacks capable of penetrating multiple layers of heavy armor.

Another example was *Qing Huang Shai Feng Yao Zhi*, which was a principle understood by a successor who cultivated in a bamboo forest, gaining insights from countless bamboo poles swaying in the wind. It was neither a cultivation method nor a spell, but simply an understanding of heaven and earth, an exposition of principles.

There was *Qian Ji Huang She Xuan Yao*, primarily for crafting the reeds of mechanism parts. The book recorded thousands of models, enabling reeds to simulate most sounds in the world. The *Yuan Yin Huang Pian Shu* Ning Zhuo had learned, and the *Fu Yin Huang Pian Shu* he had deduced, were merely the introductory content.

There was also *Sao Xia Shi Tian Shu*. This was a martial art that used a broom as equipment. A successor, seizing an opportunity, incorporated it, thus developing corresponding spiritual bamboo puppets with unique functions.

*Sui Yu Pu* was a musical score. According to the *Zong Gang*, it had originally been lost. However, during one successor’s life journey, a fragmented version was accidentally acquired. After using it, they found it highly compatible with the legacy, and thus dedicated efforts to collect it. After the continuous efforts of several generations, this musical score was finally fully recovered.

After quickly reviewing these jade slips, Ning Zhuo gained a clearer understanding of the entire Kong Gu Yin Jie Qing Ji Tong legacy.

“To fully master this legacy, two cultivation arts are needed: mechanism arts and musical arts.”

“The practical effect of the legacy is primarily to control mechanisms with musical arts and to use mechanisms to unleash musical arts, complementing each other. Therefore, during combat, music sets the stage, and various sonic attacks create an advantage of battlefield suppression. Enemies often become flustered and overwhelmed trying to contend with both sonic attacks and various mechanical creations.”

“The most important cultivation resource in the legacy is various kinds of spiritual bamboo. From the very beginning of the Kong Gu Yin Jie Qing Ji Tong legacy, it originated from transforming bamboo forests to ward off enemies. Its foundation stemmed from spiritual bamboo. The third and fourth generations of successors also possessed profound spiritual plant and spiritual farming cultivation arts, thus setting the tone for the entire legacy.”

Therefore, the jade slips also contained many spiritual plant and spiritual farming related cultivation techniques, experience summaries, and so on.

What Ning Zhuo cared about most were the various mechanical creations recorded in the jade slips.

There were mechanical instruments, such as the Duan Jin Lie Shi Whistle, the Shai Feng Lou Yue Xiao, and the Bao Jie Shou Xin Flute. There were various automatons, such as the Qing Huang Bao Jie Sword Attendant, the Xu Huai Zhe Ren Personal Guard, the Ying Huang Tie Bi Shadow Guard, the Sao Chen Ting Feng Monk, and the Lei Mu Qing Puppet. There were also mechanical weapons, such as the Lang Gan Bai Jie Whip. Additionally, there was a mechanical carriage called the Chuan Lin Qing Mang Yuan.

Ning Zhuo subconsciously compared them with Yuan Dasheng, Meng Yehu, Xue Cainü Hui, and Xue Shu Yu Xie.

“The mechanical bodies these deceased individuals are currently using are all my designs.”

“Compared to the mechanical creations in the Kong Gu Yin Jie Qing Ji Tong legacy, my designs are clearly much cruder. One can immediately see a huge disparity.”

The various mechanical creations recorded in the Kong Gu Yin Jie Qing Ji Tong legacy were either time-tested or meticulously refined. Unqualified ones would not be recorded, to avoid harming future generations.

Therefore, these mechanical creations had undergone countless improvements and continuous iterations, with extremely mature designs. In Ning Zhuo’s view, there was no room for improvement.

“Can I build these mechanisms with my current abilities?” This was Ning Zhuo’s first thought.

He pondered for a moment: “I have a mechanism pedestal, so my ability to create mechanisms far exceeds that of Foundation Establishment, and even Golden Core stages.”

“Now that I have complete and detailed mechanical construction diagrams, most of them shouldn’t be a problem.”

“However, creating Nascent Soul-grade ones is still beyond me.”

“Because I lack the authentic magical power of the *Da Qian Ji Lai Ben Jing*, many steps in crafting mechanisms also need corresponding modifications.”

“Hmm—I still need to study diligently, thoroughly understand this legacy, to craft mechanisms more efficiently. Otherwise, attempting to build them immediately will likely result in more failures, waste materials, and take a long time.”

Ning Zhuo was quite confident about learning.

He had already mastered various Confucian cultivation methods and found them consistently effective.

“These jade slips are ancient artifacts, mostly from the original cultivators, with successive inheritors adding their insights and annotations.”

“If I use them for transcription, the effect should be outstanding!”

“It’s a pity that a quick glance doesn’t reveal any brilliant solutions for Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yehu.”

Ning Zhuo finally checked the three storage bags.

One contained many spirit stones: over a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones, tens of thousands of mid-grade spirit stones, and several thousand high-grade spirit stones. This resolved one of Ning Zhuo’s awkward situations.

“From now on, I won’t always pay with Ghost Dao elixirs.”

Ning Zhuo had made war fortunes in Qian Feng Lin, so he wasn’t surprised by these quantities of spirit stones.

“Having low-grade, mid-grade, and high-grade spirit stones shows that this legacy also prepares for various dangerous scenarios. If one were to take out high-grade spirit stones when in distress, it would only attract greedy individuals and malevolent intentions.”

The second storage bag contained valuable materials, primarily various spiritual bamboos.

There was Long Yin, with nodes that had holes, through which wind whistled like a dragon’s roar.

There was Jing Hong Bamboo, with a slender body that, when violently shaken, produced vibrating sounds capable of tearing cloth.

There was Gui Qi Bamboo, whose falling leaves sounded like ghost wails, and could ensnare souls during night rain.

There was Jin Yu Bamboo, with a golden body and jade leaves.

There was Chan Si Bamboo, whose fibers were as tough and pliable as dragon tendons, capable of binding enemies immovably with a thousand twists.

There was Fu Di Qing Mang Bamboo, which did not grow vertically but spread along the ground, its nodes expanding and contracting like a snake.

And there was Kong Gu Chuan Yin Bamboo, an excellent material for crafting sound transmission artifacts.

The third storage bag contained the fewest items, but they were the most practical for Ning Zhuo.

There were many Foundation Establishment-grade magical artifacts, which needed no further mention.

Among the Golden Core-grade treasures, there was a *Da Qian Ji Lai Yi*, a Golden Core-grade long-sleeved magical robe.

There was a *Qing Huang Bai Bian Jia*, a mechanical armor that disassembled into seven hundred and twenty parts and assembled into a seamless whole, protecting the cultivator’s physical body.

There was a *Lang Gan Bai Jie Bian*, a mechanical magical treasure that unleashed sonic attacks when whipped, with the sonic attacks aiding the whip’s movements.

There was a Golden Core-grade spiritual bamboo puppet, the Xu Huai Zhe Ren Personal Guard.

Finally, there was a mechanical carriage called the Chuan Lin Qing Mang Yuan, most adept at traveling through complex forest terrain.

“There are no Nascent Soul-grade mechanical creations,” Ning Zhuo was somewhat disappointed, and from this, he could glimpse the predicament of the Qing Huangzi lineage.

“If he had such Nascent Soul-grade mechanical creations, he would possess Nascent Soul-level deterrence and wouldn’t have fallen into such disrepair, resorting to the Xing Yun Small Trial to hastily choose a successor.”

Ning Zhuo tried using these mechanical magical treasures within the space of the Martial Arts Array.

He found that these magical treasures, in his hands, could only unleash less than fifty percent of their power.

“Firstly, I lack authentic magical power. Secondly, the sound control technique requires mastery of the Kong Gu Yin Jie Qing Ji Tong legacy to meet the manipulation standards.”

Ning Zhuo personally tested them and found that only the mechanical carriage, the Chuan Lin Qing Mang Yuan, had the lowest control difficulty and required the least amount of sound control technique.

“I happen to lack a means of transportation. Next, I will first master this mechanical carriage.”

“Once Qing Huangzi passes away, I will take over Qing Zhu Peak and utilize the various spiritual bamboos on the mountain to cultivate the Kong Gu Yin Jie Qing Ji Tong legacy.”

Thinking of Qing Huangzi, Ning Zhuo’s mood inevitably grew a little somber.

He fell into a period of silence, and after a long while, he let out a deep sigh, filled with emotion.

“Qing Zhu Peak was originally a place of legacy, but it was incorporated into the Myriad Manifestations Sect. As his successor, I can only rent it.”

“Although Huang’s talent is not bad, he has fully maintained this legacy and has not failed to live up to the previous instructions.”

What do people live for?

What is cultivation for?

Legacy—

This matter holds significant meaning; it is one of the mainstream purposes of survival and cultivation in this cultivation world, from ancient times to the present.

No one has ever achieved immortality!

While cultivating to new major realms indeed extends lifespan, it is never infinite.

A cultivator’s lifespan always has limits; no matter how powerful, everyone eventually dies.

Aside from bloodlines, innovating and passing down cultivation methods and techniques to the next generation is one of the life meanings pursued by most cultivators.

“Though I die, I have existed, and my cultivation has meaning. Even if my improvements are just a tiny drop, as long as they bring blessings and influence to future generations, there will be descendants who remember me, and my existence will be valuable.”

Ning Zhuo naturally understood the meaning of “legacy.”

However, previously, he had only understood it through books, and even benefiting from the Five Elements Divine Lord had not given him a deep impression.

Now, Ning Zhuo had met Qing Huangzi. Although the latter was just a fleeting visitor in his life, not powerful, and facing death, he left Ning Zhuo with a profound sense of awe.

“Young master, this is the information regarding Chen San,” Gongsun Yan reported from outside the array.

Ning Zhuo hummed, opening a small gap in the Martial Arts Array. An invisible suction force gently drew the intelligence jade slip from outside the array into his palm.

He had to thank the Commerce Hall.

This hall was quite remarkable, capable of trading a wide variety of goods, and information was one of them.

As a newcomer, Ning Zhuo easily compensated for his significant lack of information by relying on the Commerce Hall.

Black Kite Chen San—

Around Fei Yun Calendar 1875: Suspected to be a descendant of a mining slave from an abandoned mine affiliated with the “Qing Fu Sect.”

Fei Yun Calendar 1878-1882: Served as the lowest-grade handyman at the “Qing Fu Sect,” responsible for perimeter cleaning. During this period, some disciples called him “Cang Haozi.”

Fei Yun Calendar 1882: Involved in an internal theft case at Qing Fu Sect, deemed responsible by the sect, his meager cultivation abolished, and formally expelled from the mountain gate. From then on, became a member of the bottom-tier rogue cultivators.

Fei Yun Calendar 1883-1888: Frequently hired by low-grade medicine gardens and small mining sites around Hui Zhao Town and Hei Shi Town, serving as a guard or tracker.

Fei Yun Calendar 1889: Established stable contact with “Old Ma Hou,” a guide from Hui Zhao Town, “Fast Mouth,” a tea server from Qing He Town, and “One-Eyed Zhang,” a beggar leader from Hei Shi Town. Used special mechanical “Kite Whistles” to send and receive information, forming the initial intelligence network.

Same year: Rumors spread about the “discovery of a rich chalcopyrite vein in Xi Lin Gully,” causing the price of chalcopyrite ore in the Western Market to skyrocket by nearly thirty percent in a short period during the winter of Fei Yun Calendar 1889, triggering small-scale panic buying and chaos. Later, the mineral vein news was confirmed to be false.

Fei Yun Calendar 1891: Hired by “Zhu Shan Hall” to participate in their struggle with the “Hei Shui Gang” over a small refined iron mining point in Ye Gou Forest—

Yun Calendar 1893: Confirmed through multiple channels that the “Kite Whistle” information network stably covered the three towns of “Hui Zhao,” “Shi,” and “Qing He” and their surrounding fifty-li radius. Chen San became a key node for bottom-tier information flow in the area, capable of effectively providing clues for ruin perimeters, movements of low-level demonic beasts, and small-scale factional conflicts. His charging model was clear (small amounts of spirit stones or equivalent goods), and the timeliness of information delivery was recognized by the lower strata.

Fei Yun Calendar 1894: “Toad Casino” Special Spirit Fraud Case. Fei Yun Calendar 1895: Mid-spring, “Broken Tooth” Sun Biao, hired to hunt down a young rogue cultivator carrying a “Warm Jade Marrow,” entered Chen San’s primary activity area. Three days later, Sun Biao suffered multiple mundane poisons, severe leg injuries, and clear bite marks from mechanical rats and birds, fleeing in disarray, not mentioning the target, only roaring, “Kites! Kites everywhere!” The target safely appeared in Qing He Town, the Warm Jade Marrow still intact.

Fei Yun Calendar 1896:—

After a quick read, Ning Zhuo fell into contemplation.

He didn’t know much about Chen San; Chen San’s public declaration of allegiance was already beyond Ning Zhuo’s expectations.

But Ning Zhuo knew that this matter could not be dealt with simply.

Therefore, he neither agreed nor refused, but instead asked Chen San to send Ah Huo a spiritual meal, which was essentially still a delaying tactic.

After Ning Zhuo left the tavern, he immediately sent a flying message to Gongsun Yan, asking him to gather intelligence on Chen San.

Only with this crucial information could Ning Zhuo make the correct decision.

Reading through the entire report, Ning Zhuo found that Chen San was not a demonic cultivator. He came from the bottom, was a rogue cultivator, drifted between the orthodox path, and survived in the gray areas.

“So, should I use this person or not?”

In Fei Yun Kingdom, the Ban family.

Ancestral祠堂.

A gathering of the Grand Elders, the core members of the Ban family’s power, were almost all present, their faces ashen, or cold, or grimly staring at a massive mechanical creation before them.

The Clan Fortune Pivotal Chain!

This uniquely shaped giant mechanism involved destiny and could constantly monitor the Ban family’s fortunes.

“The Clan Fortune Pivotal Chain shows such abnormality because of Ban Ji’s current tribulation? If not handled properly, our clan could be in crisis?!”

“What kind of tribulation is so terrifying? You know Ban Ji has a King’s Mandate!” “No, his King’s Mandate hasn’t fully awakened yet.”

“That’s not right. We arranged for Ban Ji to join the Myriad Manifestations Sect after multiple divinations. As long as he joined the Myriad Manifestations Sect and subsequently acquired the several mechanism legacies we planned, his King’s Mandate would gradually activate. Why is there such a huge deviation now?!”

“The current situation is this: Ban Ji’s human tribulation is named Ning Zhuo, now confirmed to be a foreigner from another country. His specific origin and background are still under investigation. All current signs indicate that this person’s background is absolutely not simple, and he is a talented junior on the same level as Ban Ji.”

“Currently, he has already seized two opportunities from Qing Huangzi and Che Zhuzi, forcing Ban Ji to take only the third one in the plan.”

“Is it fine? Even if the King’s Mandate hasn’t awakened, and he’s in a latent dragon state, he shouldn’t be easily suppressed by outsiders.”

“During the latent dragon period, he is indeed weak. Don’t forget, for our own selfish reasons, soon after Ban Ji’s birth, we used the Clan Fortune Pivotal Chain to completely link his fate with our clan’s fate. That is to say, Ban Ji is being dragged down by the entire family.”

“How can you say dragged down? He is surnamed Ban, he is a blood descendant of our family. How many resources have we secretly funded for him? This is to escort him!”

The Grand Eldest Elder interjected at this point: “That’s right, we must once again escort him this time.”

“Activate the Clan Fortune Pivotal Chain, and through Ban Ji’s fate, connect to Ning Zhuo. I want to see this person’s current fate status.”

The others quickly obeyed, activating this clan-鎮壓 mechanical fortune-telling treasure.

The Clan Fortune Pivotal Chain immediately began to turn its various components, including sliders, chains, and rotating wheels, causing its entire appearance to undergo significant changes.

The Grand Eldest Elder was the first to frown, keenly sensing the difficulty in the Clan Fortune Pivotal Chain’s operation. After the upper half deformed, the lower half struggled to move.

A Grand Elder’s eyes flashed sharply: “This child indeed has an extraordinary background. He must have a magical treasure protecting his own fate, or his family has a clan-鎮壓 fortune-telling treasure. Our Clan Fortune Pivotal Chain surprisingly cannot calculate it.”

Another said: “Even calculating half of it can reveal many details. Hmm?”

As he spoke, the upper half of the mechanism began to deform again.

Such an unusual change attracted the close attention of many Grand Elders.

After a dozen breaths, the changes in the Clan Fortune Pivotal Chain finally ended. The new mechanical structure caused many Grand Elders’ expressions to change.

“Not good, Ning Zhuo has another opportunity now!”

“His fortune suddenly increased dramatically. Did he obtain some valuable treasure?”

“It’s not just treasure fortune, but also human fortune. More precisely, this human fortune accounts for the most! This indicates that Ning Zhuo will encounter a talent who will be important throughout his life and bring him great help.”

The Grand Eldest Elder reached out, stopping the increasingly anxious discussion among the others: “Calm down.”

“The mechanism is still slowly changing.”

“The form has not been truly finalized, which means Ning Zhuo has not yet obtained the person, and he is still in his choices and hesitation. Nothing is set in stone yet.”

The Grand Elders couldn’t help but hold their breath, looking slightly nervous.

This human fortune was truly strong. If Ning Zhuo obtained it, it would cause an even stronger blow to Ban Ji.

And Ban Ji’s King’s Mandate had not yet fully awakened; being suppressed meant the entire Ban family was being suppressed!

This would be a very serious loss to the Ban family’s future.

Night was deep. Chen San arrived in front of the Qing Shi Cave Abode.

He landed gently, his hands clasped, observing the entrance of the cave abode, nervously pursing his lips.

He silently bowed, his demeanor humble, and then sent a flying letter, indicating that he had completed what Ning Zhuo had asked him to do and wished to request an audience to report.