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“This spar is rather dull.” Ning Zhuo allowed the Thunder寂 Birds above him to be mostly destroyed, feeling rather bored deep down.

“Zhou Zeshen actively proposed this spar, intending to get closer to me.”

“In the first exchange, he deliberately lost, intentionally holding back to let me gain the upper hand, giving me face.”

“In the second exchange, I should reciprocate his kindness and allow him to showcase his talents.”

“Oh?”

At this moment, Ning Zhuo’s eyes lit up as he saw Zhou Zeshen take out the White Tiger Automaton Beast.

“So, Brother Zhou, you also find it boring, so you’re adding some fun, are you?”

“Very good!”

“Now is the perfect time for him to shine!”

Ning Zhuo touched his storage belt.

A flash of fire appeared, and a serpent appeared before him.

The serpent was about five zhang long, about one and a half chi in circumference, fiery red all over, made of wood, with red crystal eyes, coiling like a giant tree, awe-inspiring.

Zhou Zeshen raised an eyebrow, a joyful feeling in his heart: “Excellent, this is more like it.”

Zhou Zeshen’s fighting spirit continued to rise.

Ning Zhuo then transmitted his voice, his tone gentle: “Brother Zhou, take a look, this Fire Bamboo Serpent is a new automaton that I recently created, intended for use as an elite.”

Zhou Zeshen’s pupils constricted slightly, “Brother Ning’s newly created automaton? Interesting, you have successfully piqued my interest.”

“But please be careful, Brother Ning!”

“My White Tiger Ramming Chariot is a classic automaton of the Mudslide Sect, well-tested and equipped with three types of heads.”

“If Brother Ning suffers defeat, don’t blame me for not warning you beforehand!”

Ning Zhuo laughed heartily, saying no more, manipulating the Fire Bamboo Serpent with his magical power, sending it toward the front.

The White Tiger Ramming Chariot, commanded by Zhou Zeshen, also moved its limbs, running wildly through the forest for a while.

Then, it suddenly leaped, its figure graceful and extended in mid-air, directly crossing more than ten zhang, jumping onto the opposite mountain.

Bang…

The automaton tiger and serpent collided solidly on the mountainside.

The snake’s head and tiger’s head clashed head-on, emitting a loud bang.

The snake’s head rose high, while the tiger’s head, in response to the impact, deformed, directly retracting into its neck.

Internal gears of the tiger slid around and when extended again, it had changed from a beast head to a ramming head.

Although the ramming head was engraved with the patterns of a tiger’s head, it was a seamless whole, made of solid material, extremely hard.

The White Tiger rammed over, stirring up a gust of wind.

Under Ning Zhuo’s control, the Fire Bamboo Serpent dodged nimbly.

Suddenly, white light bloomed on the White Tiger, shining on the Fire Bamboo Serpent, actually rendering the serpent’s skin transparent, revealing the internal mechanical structure of the latter.

It could be seen that at intervals along the Fire Bamboo Serpent’s skeleton, there were huge spheres connecting its parts.

One side of the sphere was jet black, while the other side was pure white.

On the black side was the character “Death,” while on the white side was the character “Life.”

With each movement of the Fire Bamboo Serpent, the spheres rotated from time to time, pausing, some stopping on the black “Death” side, and others on the white “Life” side.

When a sphere flipped to the white “Life” side, the joint would move freely.

When a sphere flipped to the black “Death” side, the joint would be locked in place accordingly.

What was even more ingenious was that the spheres and the serpent bones were arranged with arrays, forming a closely integrated whole.

“Interesting mechanical components!”

Through the White Tiger Ramming Chariot, Zhou Zeshen saw this scene up close, instantly understanding part of the reason for the Fire Bamboo Serpent’s agility.

This spherical mechanical component was precisely the Half-Dead, Half-Alive Bead.

Back then, Chen Cha felt guilty, and in order to compensate Ning Zhuo, he gave the latter all of his life savings.

The Half-Dead, Half-Alive Bead was Chen Cha’s original creation.

In addition, there was also a compilation of formations called “Curving Serpent’s Flicking Formation Collection,” an opportunity Chen Cha had encountered in his early years.

Relying on these two items, coupled with his own automaton skills and a flash of inspiration, Ning Zhuo finally created the Fire Bamboo Serpent.

The serpent and tiger clashed, banging loudly, trees breaking one after another, smoke and dust billowing in the battle area, the two sides evenly matched for a time.

Zhou Zeshen’s ten fingers twitched, constantly extending and retracting.

He focused mainly on controlling the White Tiger Ramming Chariot.

The remaining energy was focused on the Ground-Drilling Rat.

After the unfavorable first exchange, the retreating Ground-Drilling Rat did not return to Zhou Zeshen’s side, but instead burrowed into the ground, sneaking all the way towards Ning Zhuo’s location.

Although there were more Night Sky Bats in the sky, and they had the ability to fly, allowing them to attack Ning Zhuo faster.

But Zhou Zeshen also had his pride.

He thought: Since Ning Zhuo deliberately conceded in the aerial combat, he would be too embarrassed to seize this advantage that someone else had deliberately given him and make a fuss about it.

Therefore, he chose the Ground-Drilling Rat.

The Ground-Drilling Rat was discovered by Ning Zhuo when it was ten zhang away.

Ning Zhuo always maintained a spell for reconnaissance.

After discovering the Ground-Drilling Rat, Ning Zhuo did not change his position, but instead took out a new automaton, the Fireblast Monkey, to protect himself.

Zhou Zeshen’s pupils constricted when he saw this scene.

Ning Zhuo’s control ability was clearly a notch higher than his.

At this moment, he had to control the Fire Bamboo Serpent on one hand, and control the first wave of five Fireblast Monkeys, sending them towards Zhou Zeshen.

At the same time, he added five more Fireblast Monkeys.

Under Ning Zhuo’s command, the second wave of Fireblast Monkeys was also agile and dexterous, like real monkeys.

Zhou Zeshen could definitely not achieve this level of control.

His current limit of control was close to thirty.

But this number came with two prerequisites.

One was that it only counted Night Sky Bats or Ground-Drilling Rats, which were easier to control.

The second was that Zhou Zeshen took pills such as Mind-Splitting Powder.

The White Tiger Ramming Chariot that Zhou Zeshen was currently controlling required more control to unleash its true power.

This single automaton occupied most of Zhou Zeshen’s attention.

He also controlled three additional Ground-Drilling Rats.

The few remaining spare energy he had to reserve for his own spellcasting in critical moments.

It could be said that Zhou Zeshen had pushed his control to the maximum under normal circumstances.

But his opponent, Ning Zhuo, without changing his expression, took out five more Fireblast Monkeys.

Controlling them effortlessly.

If Zhou Zeshen wanted to increase his control, he would have to take medicine.

“Sure enough, Ning Zhuo’s talent lies in his mind!”

“This allows him to have a control ability that far exceeds others under normal conditions!”

“What percentage of his strength is this level? Eighty percent? Or ninety percent?”

Zhou Zeshen pondered secretly, constantly analyzing.
Ning Zhuo employed five mechanical monkey sentinels as a protective circle, leaving the Burrowing Rat no opportunity to strike.

He further utilized a potent Mechanical Fire Bamboo Serpent to thwart the White Tiger Ramming Chariot’s aggressive charge.

Finally, upon witnessing the five fiery mechanical monkeys encircling him, Zhou Zeshen exhaled a breath of stale air, broke into a hearty laugh, and conceded defeat.

The sparring match concluded, and the observing members of the Ning Clan engaged in lively discussions, marveling at the mechanical constructs and the techniques employed in their control.

The most prevalent topic of conversation was Ning Zhuo’s newly unveiled Fire Bamboo Serpent.

Before the assembled crowd, Zhou Zeshen presented Ning Zhuo with the Willow Nail Firing Crossbow and the corresponding schematics.

Ning Zhuo’s esteem for Zhou Zeshen deepened considerably. He mused, “Zhou Zeshen proposed this exchange, displayed the *Celestial Artisan’s Compendium* in its entirety, deliberately held back, and actively conceded defeat – all to bolster my prestige and reputation!”

“This is the true gift he offers!”

“He understands that I am newly risen and in dire need of recognition. Therefore, he sacrifices his own honor to facilitate this!”

“Such magnanimity far surpasses the ordinary!”

Zhou Zeshen, observing Ning Zhuo and discerning his reactions, perceived a marked increase in Ning Zhuo’s affability.

He thought to himself, “A passionate battle often speaks volumes, rivaling the sincerest of confessions!”

“Though this all-out exchange may not have reached the level of heart-to-heart, it sufficed to reveal the genuine nature of both parties.”

“The only regret is that I failed to ascertain the upper limits of Ning Zhuo’s standard combat abilities!”

“Unless I were to ingest Spirit Severing Powder or similar elixirs…”

But that was clearly out of the question.

Resorting to such measures would imply a loss of amicable intent, signaling a desperate and fervent desire for victory.

With this realization, Zhou Zeshen felt a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.

He couldn’t help but probe verbally, subtly transmitting his voice, deliberately employing provocation: “Brother Ning, this time I merely played around and lost to you. But in our next exchange, I shall be slightly more serious, unleashing at least fifty percent of my power.”

Ning Zhuo’s heart stirred. “Indeed, Zhou Zeshen didn’t even unleash half of his true strength.”

He smiled gently, responding with frankness, “If Brother Zhou is in the mood, I shall endeavor to accompany you. Next time, I will exert myself more, committing at least forty percent of my power.”

Zhou Zeshen clapped Ning Zhuo on the shoulder, roaring with laughter, “You!”

Simultaneously, he inwardly scoffed, “What bluster!”

“Knowing that I am testing you, you resort to such a tactic to parry me?”

“Heh!”

“As expected, I shouldn’t have harbored the vain hope that I could simply extract your secrets with a few words!”

Zhou Zeshen felt that Ning Zhuo was a kindred spirit. Ning Zhuo, in turn, sensed a certain understanding with Zhou Zeshen.

They exchanged knowing glances, both sensing that the other was a man of intelligence, with many matters tacitly understood.

Re-entering the small courtyard, the group engaged in further exchanges for a brief period.

Zhou Zeshen seized the opportunity to propose to Ning Zhuo: to lend his aid to the Zhou Clan’s restructuring team, to challenge the rankings within the Lava Immortal Palace, striving to dislodge some of the City Lord’s Manor’s cultivators from the top ten.

“Of course, if we could advance all the way and surpass the entry standard, that would be ideal!”

Ning Zhuo shook his head. “Brother Zhou, such lofty aspirations are admirable.”

“Surpassing the entry standard?”

Ning Zhuo sighed. “That is beyond my capabilities! Please forgive my inability to agree. Alas, I am constrained by circumstances and find it difficult to extricate myself!”

Zhou Zeshen did not relent. “Brother Ning, why not first hear the assistance conditions that our Zhou Clan is willing to offer?”

Zhou Zeshen recited a lengthy list of resources, leaving Ning Chen, Ning Yong, and the others in stunned silence.

Upon recovering, their breathing grew heavy, allured by the immense and generous reward.

Ning Zhuo, however, shook his head, wearing a smile, his demeanor polite, gentle, and resolute, remaining steadfast in his refusal.

Conversely, Ning Zhuo proposed a new collaboration: “The Lava Immortal Palace is a legacy of mechanical arts. We are currently all stuck at the peak of the third level, only able to accumulate some rudimentary mechanical skills.”

“Since the three families are allied, why not establish a joint academy, dedicated to the instruction of mechanical arts?”

“Let the various mechanical artisans serve as teachers in the academy!”

“In my opinion, the guest elder that your esteemed clan employs, Chu Xiyao, would be well-suited.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zeshen’s eyes flickered, and he secretly mused, “Of the three families, the Ning Clan possesses the weakest foundation in mechanical creations and the thinnest accumulation of mechanical artisans.”

“If a joint academy were to be established, it would primarily benefit the Ning Clan.”

“However, this is indeed a beneficial proposal, one that would also be of assistance to my Zhou Clan.”

With this in mind, Zhou Zeshen declared that this proposal was excellent, that he admired it, and that he would support it.

However, such a decision was not his to make and would require reporting back to the family.

Ning Zhuo expressed his agreement.

Upon departing, Zhou Zeshen transmitted a secret message, offering a piece of intelligence as a gesture of goodwill: “Search for Delightful Flavors Bookstore for *Celestial Artisan’s Compendium* complete edition. The three family heads have almost finalized their plans, preparing to gather the elite of the three families for another all-out exploration of the Immortal Palace. They seek to encounter the mechanical ape and defeat it.”

“Many speculate that the mechanical ape may be a trial set by the Immortals of the Three Sects. Victory may grant a significant reward from the Three Sects.”

“If we can truly slay the mechanical ape, we can dissect its internal structure, allowing us to develop countermeasures in the future.”

Ning Zhuo was taken aback. “Is that so? Thank you for the information. I wonder when this will begin.”

Zhou Zeshen: “The implementation should commence within the next few days. Prior to the full-scale exploration of the Immortal Palace, everyone will be assembled for a unified, secret, special training.”

“Brother Ning, you might as well make some preparations!”

Ning Zhuo revealed a solemn expression, nodding deeply with profound meaning. “Indeed, preparations must be made!”

End of Chapter.