“We won!” Su Lingkou cheered joyfully.

“The combat power of this mechanism puppet is formidable!” Shen Xi’s heart was shaken.

He had observed the entire battle process, so he knew it very well: this tiger demon was a cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, with combat power far exceeding that of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

His true form was a fierce tiger, and his physical qualities were superior. Although his magical artifacts were somewhat lacking and did not match his cultivation and combat power, considering his background as a rogue cultivator and a demon cultivator, this situation was quite normal.

This was a golden age of cultivation, a world dominated by humans.

The two demonic talismans that Pi Fuzhen gave to the tiger demon increased his combat power by at least five times his original level!

The Qianchong Linpi Talisman could be entirely regarded as an excellent defensive magical treasure. The Ranxue Benteng Talisman made the tiger demon like a tiger with wings, dramatically increasing his speed. This speed was not just about footwork and movement, but also included speed of punching, turning, and even the speed of blood and qi circulation within his body, a comprehensive increase in speed.

The Shen family and the Pi family were mortal enemies, so Shen Xi was most aware of the power of the *Qifu Mopi Jing*.

Therefore, at the beginning of the battle, Shen Xi was worried and specifically reminded Ning Zhuo to pay attention to this point. During the battle, when he saw the tiger demon, relying on the two demonic talismans, gaining the upper hand against Xuecai Nü Hui, he was not surprised at all.

“But in the end, the tiger demon was completely suppressed by this mechanism puppet!”

Shen Xi marveled in his heart.

The final freezing attack fully demonstrated Xuecai Nü Hui’s overwhelming combat power. This was genuine Golden Core level combat power!

Shen Xi couldn’t help but guess, “Which force is behind Ning Zhuo? To have left him with a Golden Core level mechanism puppet.”

He also couldn’t help but think of the forces in Feiyun Guo that excelled in mechanism arts.

“Is it the Ban family? Xuanji Jianmen? Juzi Tang? Or perhaps Zhixia Jicheng?”

Pi Fuzhen’s face was ashen.

He stared intently at the upward-looking Xuecai Nü Hui, painfully realizing that if he were to fight, he too would be drawn into a bitter struggle.

“Fortunately, this person’s ability to control the mechanism is poor. The early stage of the battle was quite smooth, but in the later stage, when the tiger demon used the two demonic talismans, he became flustered and made major mistakes.”

“But even so, this mechanism puppet is by no means insignificant!”

“Damn it.”

Pi Fuzhen secretly gritted his teeth.

Although he believed that Ning Zhuo, as the controller of the mechanism, was the weakest link, and that if he were to fight him in the future, he would definitely prioritize attacking Ning Zhuo. He also had to admit that Ning Zhuo was a formidable enemy!

Ning Zhuo put away Xuecai Nü Hui but did not leave the arena. Instead, he looked at Pi Fuzhen outside the ring, “Come, your subordinate is dead. Now, it’s your turn.”

Ning Zhuo once again provocatively challenged him with force.

Pi Fuzhen’s eyes flickered, and his fighting spirit dropped significantly again.

In his opinion, Ning Zhuo did not personally engage in combat and was clearly not skilled in controlling mechanisms. He was obviously using Xuecai Nü Hui to wear down the enemy and scout their intelligence.

In fact, Pi Fuzhen had the same intention—he sent the tiger demon to fight to probe Ning Zhuo’s true capabilities.

As a result, the tiger demon could not defeat Xuecai Nü Hui and was directly killed in battle.

Pi Fuzhen knew in his heart: it was not that the tiger demon was useless, but that the mechanism puppet brought out by the opponent was simply too strong!

“If I accept the challenge, I will first have to deal with this mechanism puppet, which will undoubtedly be a bitter fight, and my true capabilities will be exposed.”

“Even if I win, what will I use to deal with this big-headed cultivator?”

“A wise man would not do it!”

Thinking of this, Pi Fuzhen immediately sneered, “I do not accept your challenge.”

Ning Zhuo laughed loudly, his face full of sarcasm, “Is this the style of the Pi family? Are you the Foundation Establishment facade of the family? You’re simply a disgrace to your family!”

“Don’t worry, I will widely publicize your cowardice.”

Pi Fuzhen shook his head, his face ashen, but his refusal to fight was quite firm, “A true man can bend and stretch, advance and retreat. You can slander me however you like. How can the prestige of my Pi family be shaken by one or two rumors?”

Ning Zhuo was not surprised to see that Pi Fuzhen did not take the bait.

He had already grasped the other party’s temperament and deliberately appeared strong to make him retreat in the face of difficulty.

Ning Zhuo turned to Shen Xi, “Brother Shen, this tiger demon has two of the Pi family’s demonic talismans planted on him. I’ll give him to you. If you study him, you will surely uncover the secrets of the *Qifu Mopi Jing*.”

Pi Fuzhen remained unmoved, showing strong confidence, “Go ahead and dissect him. If you can easily uncover the profound mysteries of my clan’s foundational cultivation method, my Pi family wouldn’t have prospered for so long!”

After saying this, he turned and left, quite decisively.

He had already lost one battle, why stay? To let the other party continue to verbally humiliate him?

Seeing him leave, neither Shen Xi nor Ning Zhuo had any recourse.

After all, this was the main mountain gate of the Wanxiang Sect, and everyone wanted to join this super-sect, so they naturally had to abide by the sect rules.

The Wanxiang Sect’s rules governed disputes between cultivators, stipulating that they should be resolved through martial contests.

But since Pi Fuzhen refused to accept the challenge, disregarding his reputation, Ning Zhuo could not force him.

Pi Fuzhen exited the training hall, walking like the wind, radiating killing intent, and exuding an aura that warned people to keep their distance.

With the tiger demon’s death and Ning Zhuo’s assertiveness, he had an explanation for his family.

However, having lost the first battle, losing a second would be troublesome.

Next, he had to find a way to regain his standing.

“The family supports me, so I have an advantage against Shen Xi, as I have more subordinates.”

“But I didn’t expect Shen Xi to form such a strong alliance.”

“If I have to deal with two people, I’ll be a bit outnumbered.”

“Hmph! If Shen Xi can befriend experts, why can’t I?”

“This time, the Ban family of mechanisms also sent outstanding young talents to join the Wanxiang Sect. The Ban family has always been extremely eager for excellent mechanism creations, especially Ban Ji, who is greedy by nature and best at collecting powerful mechanisms.”

Pi Fuzhen began to plot his counterattack. In the training ground, Ning Zhuo once again offered the tiger demon’s corpse to Shen Xi; he was not just making idle talk.

Shen Xi waved his hand, cupped his fists, and bowed, “Thank you, Brother Ning, but this is your spoils of war, what you gained from your arduous battle. How can I possibly accept it?”

Out of self-interest, since Ning Zhuo had already made an enemy of Pi Fuzhen, Shen Xi would not accept the tiger demon’s corpse.

The tiger demon was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, so its value was not great.

If he were to accept it, the nature of this martial contest would change. It would go from Ning Zhuo and Pi Fuzhen forming an enmity to Ning Zhuo standing up for Shen Xi and the Shen family.

Pi Fuzhen’s主动退走 (active retreat) already showed his apprehension towards Ning Zhuo. If Ning Zhuo were to publicize the matter of Shen Xi accepting the tiger demon’s corpse in the future, Pi Fuzhen would very likely use that as an excuse, having a legitimate and honorable reason to abandon dealing with Ning Zhuo and focus on Shen Xi and his group.

These were the rules of the righteous path.

Shen Xi continued to explain, “Brother Ning may not know, but what Pi Fuzhen just said indeed has its reasons. My Shen family and the Pi family have been feuding for a long time, with countless casualties between us. The number of Pi family cultivators’ corpses collected by my clan is not small.”

“My clan has long studied the *Qifu Mopi Jing*. This tiger demon’s corpse can indeed offer a glimpse into the secrets of the *Qifu Mopi Jing*, but it no longer holds value for my clan.”

“Brother Ning might as well study it. With your comprehension and knowledge, you will surely gain enlightenment.”

These explanations alone were not enough.

Shen Xi was indeed a genius of a great clan, having received elite-level education since childhood. He then took out a jade slip, “Brother Ning is interested in the Jiugong Array. Although I have not known Brother Ning for long, we are extremely congenial. Brother Ning has also stood up for me, your friend, this time. Please allow me to present you with this academy notebook, and I earnestly ask you not to decline.”

A glimmer of intelligence flashed in Ning Zhuo’s eyes, and he immediately understood Shen Xi’s underlying intention.

He promptly praised the Shen family’s attainments in the Jiugong Array, affirmed the friendship between himself and Shen Xi, and finally accepted the jade slip.

With this matter settled, both Shen Xi and Ning Zhuo felt that their friendship had deepened.

Shen Xi invited Ning Zhuo to accompany him to observe others’ martial contests.

This was originally Ning Zhuo’s purpose for coming here, but encountering Pi Fuzhen was an accident, and Xuecai Nü Hui’s performance in battle was even more unexpected.

This disrupted Ning Zhuo’s original plan, so he politely declined Shen Xi’s invitation, saying that he couldn’t wait to study the academy notebook Shen Xi had given him.

Shen Xi naturally would not force Ning Zhuo to stay and could only reluctantly bid farewell.

Watching Ning Zhuo leave, Su Lingkou expressed some concern, “Cousin, you gave Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo the academy notebook. Won’t that reveal the Shen family’s profound secrets of array dao?”

Shen Xi smiled faintly, “Naturally, there are some exclusive profound secrets of my Shen family, but not many.”

“Cousin, don’t worry, I thought it through carefully before giving it to him.”

“Ning Zhuo could have conceded a bit and avoided this battle. Because I would definitely not back down, and I had expressed my intention to fight to the death even earlier.”

“But he still boldly stood up, showing his sincerity in wanting to be close to me through his actions. How could I keep my distance?”

Shen Xi’s gaze was profound, “And to express my gratitude, I must show my sincerity.”

“I don’t know the force behind Ning Zhuo, but from this battle, it must be significant, with profound foundations.”

“Therefore, only by offering something he surely lacks can it be foolproof.”

“At present, only the academy notebook is the most suitable.”

“With my Shen family’s unique insights into the Jiugong Array, as long as Ning Zhuo studies it, he will surely crave more.”

Su Lingkou clapped her hands in praise, “I see, Cousin, this is our bait!”

Shen Xi laughed heartily, “Haha, that’s right.”

“Among the ten classic tranquil arrays, the Jiugong Array is particularly complex. My academy notebook is my three years of records. For an ordinary person to study it without family scriptures, it would take even longer.”

Su Lingkou smiled, “Cousin, I can already imagine Ning Zhuo eagerly holding the academy notebook and asking you for guidance.”

Shen Xi laughed heartily again.

Ning Zhuo returned to his rented cave dwelling and immediately released Xuecai Nü Hui.

Divine ability—Renming Xuansi!

He directly used his strongest manipulation method, forcefully connecting with Xuecai Nü Hui’s spirituality.

At the same time, he extended both hands, and five-element threads shot from his fingertips, connecting to the joints of the mechanism puppet’s body.

Xuecai Nü Hui immediately struggled a bit, but did not truly break free.

Through Renming Xuansi, Ning Zhuo immediately felt her impatience.

A glimmer of brilliance flashed deep in Ning Zhuo’s eyes, and he immediately made a judgment: “She has no perception of Renming Xuansi and does not want others to control her.”

“Her spirituality has indeed reached the Lingdong Stage.”

Ning Zhuo had read the *Youling Shuo* and knew that spirituality was divided into four major stages: Siling Stage, Shengling Stage, Zhiling Stage, and Shenling Stage.

Each stage, in turn, was divided into five smaller stages.

Previously, Xuecai Nü Hui and Xue Shu Yu Xie were both in the Lingzhang Stage of the Shengling Stage, with their spirituality fully perfected and continuously vibrant.

After the Lingzhang Stage was the Lingdong Stage.

At this stage, spirituality would exhibit clear and strong emotions, act on its own, and break free from the cultivator’s control.

Ning Zhuo had experience in this area.

Previously, in Huoshi Xiancheng, Yuan Dasheng had fallen into this stage. At that time, he went out of the city and sat silently at his old master’s secret burial ground for two days and one night.

“In this stage, one must act in accordance with the spirit’s emotions, and not forcibly control it.”

“Only by stroking its fur in the right direction can the spirit acknowledge its master and truly be controlled by me!”

Regarding this point, Ning Zhuo harbored secret worries.

After all, Ning Xiaohui died because of him.

Ning Zhuo had no choice.

At that time, it was either you die or I die.

“Xuecai Nü Hui’s spirituality comes from Ning Xiaohui. By conventional wisdom, spirituality should not retain memories from life. But Yuan Dasheng was able to ‘remember his old master’s secret burial ground.’ Will Ning Xiaohui still consider me an enemy?”

It was precisely because of such worries that Ning Zhuo had previously limited her to the mechanism component Fubing Baiyu Shou, rather than the mechanism puppet itself. Therefore, after Ning Xiaohui exhibited the characteristics of the Lingdong stage, Ning Zhuo, with a knot in his heart, did not remain in the martial arts hall but hurried back to confirm the situation.

“Renming Xuansi is a divine ability; it’s impossible for her to resist it, she didn’t even detect it. There’s no killing intent or hatred towards me in her emotions, but she is indeed impatient to be controlled by me.”

The reality was not the worst-case scenario, which made Ning Zhuo secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

“Since she’s impatient, then I should reduce my control over her during this sensitive stage, and even give her complete freedom temporarily.”

“But how should her emotions be satisfied?”

Ning Zhuo fell into deep thought.

He had three mechanism puppets in his hands. However, the spiritual levels of Fo Yi Meng Yaoyin and Meng Ye Hu had surpassed the Lingdong stage from the beginning. Only Yuan Dasheng’s case had important reference value.

But Yuan Dasheng had gone to his old master’s secret burial ground by himself to vent his sorrow and nostalgic feelings.

Yuan Dasheng was very proactive, but when applied to Xuecai Nü Hui, she remained motionless.

Ning Zhuo retracted the Five-Elements Threads, leaving only the Renming Xuansi secretly in control. The mechanism puppet still remained stationary.

Thoughts surged in Ning Zhuo’s mind: “There’s actually a clear pattern here. Yuan Dasheng’s loyalty to his old master, that was his nature, hence the strong nostalgic emotions of sorrow and lament.”

“What was Ning Xiaohui’s temperament like in life?”

Ning Zhuo gradually found the answer.

The battle with the tiger demon reappeared before his eyes. His memory froze on the proud look of Xuecai Nü Hui, head slightly tilted, after the tiger demon was frozen to death and she moved freely.

Thus, the answer in Ning Zhuo’s heart received powerful confirmation.

Ning Zhuo interrupted his thoughts and looked around: “I need to re-rent a cave dwelling.”