Rùzāijiàng, Wàngyánsēng, and Liu Qingyan departed together.

Ban Ji was left alone in the empty cave dwelling.

His face was as dark as water, and the chill in his heart surpassed his anger.

“This Ning Zhuo is truly difficult to deal with!” Ban Ji deeply felt Ning Zhuo’s tactics.

In the past, when he faced some demonic rogue cultivators, even if their individual combat power far exceeded his, he could handle them with ease.

This was because he not only had the backing of the Ban family but also a significant advantage in the orthodox path. For example, he could stir up public opinion, leverage power, and use other such methods.

But now, facing Ning Zhuo, Ban Ji found that his previously successful methods were all ineffective.

In terms of origin, Ning Zhuo seemed no weaker than him. In terms of reputation, Ban Ji’s cultivation of demonic arts made him even worse off than Ning Zhuo. In terms of individual combat power, Ning Zhuo also possessed Golden Core-level mechanical constructs, so the outcome was hard to predict.

More crucially, it was Ning Zhuo’s methods!

“Just by spreading a few rumors, he made the demonic cultivators I hired with heavy sums voluntarily retreat. These orthodox methods are quite solid!” Ban Ji found it thorny.

Extremely thorny!

Although Ban Ji practiced demonic arts, he came from the Ban family and was well-versed in the ways of the orthodox path.

Therefore, he clearly understood that Ning Zhuo’s orthodox approach was truly seasoned, and it immediately caught his attention.

How to judge its skill?

It was simple: cost!

Ning Zhuo merely spread some rumors, yet he managed to persuade the demonic cultivators, whom Ban Ji had painstakingly hired with heavy sums, to retreat.

His cost was too low.

In this round of tactical confrontation, Ning Zhuo’s consumption was far less than Ban Ji’s, and it directly weakened Ban Ji’s forces.

“The rumors targeted Wàngyánsēng, Liu Qingyan, and Rùzāijiàng, which means Madam Panshi has fallen into Ning Zhuo’s hands and did not succumb to torture to confess!”

“Ning Zhuo’s assertiveness, demonstrating talent and prospects not inferior to mine, indeed made the remaining three voluntarily withdraw. This shows he also has a good grasp of people!”

“Alas, how should I deal with him?”

Ban Ji frowned deeply, greatly troubled.

Because he discovered that in dealing with Ning Zhuo, his past advantages had almost all become disadvantages.

Under normal circumstances, Ning Zhuo, as an outsider, would not be a problem. After all, a strong dragon struggles to suppress a local snake. But precisely because it was the Feiyun Grand Assembly, Ning Zhuo, with the help of the Wanxiang Sect, directly eliminated this greatest advantage.

“Is this my tribulation?”

“The difficulty is truly a bit high!”

“Why hasn’t the family responded yet?”

Ban Ji had already sent out a letter for help.

“I’ve already entered the final stage of Blind Elder Yu Gong’s Xingyun Trial.”

“My plan cannot change because of this!”

“I must quickly obtain the token, otherwise how can I live up to my surname?!”

But now that the three demonic cultivators had voluntarily withdrawn, and even returned their commissions, Ban Ji found it difficult to spare the energy and time to do anything to Ning Zhuo.

“The tables have turned. Now it’s my concern whether he will interfere with me!”

Ban Ji’s expression was grave.

Just then, a subordinate came to visit outside the cave dwelling. He brought a letter from the Ban family.

Ban Ji opened the letter and immediately rejoiced: “Good! The family already knows my situation and has started to deal with Ning Zhuo.”

“With the family acting, I have nothing to worry about!”

In the Cyanstone Cave Dwelling.

Chen San’s report had just concluded.

He brought Ning Zhuo good news. He had discovered that Wàngyánsēng, Liu Qingyan, and Rùzāijiàng had all visited Ban Ji and left together.

Afterward, the three jointly issued a statement, declaring that the various rumors currently circulating about them were all false, that they were not acting under Ban Ji’s instructions, and had never intended to cause trouble for Ning Zhuo.

To show sincerity, Wàngyánsēng even voluntarily withdrew his challenge to Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo nodded: “You did well.”

He paused, then asked: “Have you found out Ban Ji’s movements?”

Chen San immediately replied: “Ban Ji is fully participating in Blind Elder Yu Gong’s Xingyun Minor Trial. This is the relevant intelligence.”

“If young master wishes to intercept Ban Ji, I believe directly approaching Blind Elder Yu Gong would suffice.”

“Given your current reputation, even participating midway would be an honor for Blind Elder Yu Gong.”

Ning Zhuo immersed his spiritual sense into the jade slip, quickly perusing the intelligence: “Blind Elder Yu Gong is holding the Xingyun Minor Trial simply to spread the teachings of a certain mountain god. Those who pass the trial will receive the Blind Fool Divine Art.”

“This is not a mechanical inheritance. Why is Ban Ji participating?”

Chen San: “Your subordinate will go investigate immediately!”

Ning Zhuo raised his hand slightly: “You and Cook Old, bring some gifts and visit Blind Elder Yu Gong on my behalf, expressing my intention to participate.”

Chen San immediately accepted the order: “Yes!”

In the Ban Family Ancestral Hall.

Many Grand Elders gathered in a circle, and one of them took out a treasure box.

Opening the heavy lid of the treasure box, a treasure material, carefully stored for many years within, was revealed.

This material was black-grey crystal, semi-transparent, varying in size. The large ones were comparable to an adult’s fingernail, while the small ones were as tiny as grains of sand.

If observed closely, one would notice that these black-grey crystals constantly emitted a faint glow. The glow was very weak, grey with a hint of purple, causing a cold and uncomfortable sensation.

Several Grand Elders cast their gazes, but after only a few breaths, their vision blurred and their minds became disoriented, so they quickly looked away.

They were all at the Nascent Soul stage, and the Grand Elder’s avatar present was even at the Soul Transformation stage, yet they all felt apprehension towards these black-grey crystals.

This was because the material was extraordinary, being a part of a ‘Declining Star’.

Among the myriad of stars, there were various kinds of celestial bodies. There were Lucky Stars, and there were Declining Stars.

What was stored in the treasure box was precisely the stardust of a Declining Star.

Its effect was obvious: it could spoil fortune and cut off destiny. Without proper storage methods, it would bring misfortune to all living beings nearby.

“Begin,” the Grand Elder’s avatar spoke.

A late Nascent Soul stage Grand Elder held his breath and performed hand seals, his finger techniques fluttering like butterflies, unleashing an invisible force that swept up the Declining Star stardust from the box.

The stardust swirled in mid-air, crushing into powder. Then, under the Grand Elder’s magical power, it merged into a grey-purple stream of light.

The stream of light drilled into a copper ring of the Clan Fortune Core Chain, transforming into a grey-purple mass that spread wildly along the chain!

The original color of the Clan Fortune Core Chain was rapidly polluted, like rusted scrap metal from a thousand years ago.

The core chain vibrated violently, emitting a creaking sound of difficult rotation. The copper rings expanded and contracted, as if struggling to digest something highly toxic.

More and more decaying filaments appeared in the gaps between the chain rings. These filaments were grey, drifting onto the jade bricks, causing the bricks to decay into powder. Drifting onto the pillars, they immediately made the beams show the color of decaying wood, with patches of fuzzy mold appearing.

“Ning Zhuo! Becoming the tribulation of my clan’s destiny is your great misfortune!”

“First, I’ll cut off your fortune, so you know what it means to be possessed by a Declining Star!!”

The Grand Elder performing the spell muttered, his face filled with determination to succeed.

The Clan Fortune Core Chain operated faster and faster, and a grey-purple aura billowed upwards, its upper half merging into the void and disappearing.

At the same time, in the Cyanstone Cave Dwelling.

Ning Zhuo was inside the martial array, attempting to control the Chuanlin Qingmang Yuan.

This mechanical mount was made primarily from thousand-year-old Fudi Qingmang bamboo, with ninety-nine bamboo segments interlocking, and dragon tendons embedded in the gaps, allowing it to stretch and move like a living python or giant boa.

The python’s head was cast in the shape of a jade Chilong, with its eyes inlaid with Youtan魄晶, emitting a three-chi green light at night, illuminating ten li of miasma.

The python’s bamboo-green skin was inscribed with wind-thunder rotating talismans. When it moved swiftly, the talismans would float and swirl, shredding obstructing vines. Embedded beneath its belly were seventy-two Xuan Kong wheels, neither metal nor jade, but refined from spiritual bamboo root nodules, making no sound upon contact with the ground, and rotating like lotuses on steep slopes, climbing cliffs as if treading on flat ground.

The python’s seven-inch mark opened abruptly, revealing a coiled dragon bamboo chair, crafted from thousand-year-old Coiled Dragon bamboo. The chair surface was intricately carved with a dust-repelling swirling wind array, causing fallen leaves within three inches to be swept away by the vortex.

The python’s tail featured a bamboo whistle structure that, during rapid transit, could draw in strong winds to produce sound waves, propelling the body and further increasing its speed.

Ning Zhuo sat on the bamboo chair, his magical power and spiritual sense flowing through the chair into the entire Chuanlin Qingmang Yuan. The python’s body moved as his will commanded, like an arm directing a finger.

As the speed increased, the strong winds that rushed at him were immediately weakened by the dust-repelling swirling wind array behind the chair, allowing Ning Zhuo to breathe normally.

No matter how quickly the body shifted and turned, Ning Zhuo’s body, seated on the bamboo chair, only swayed slightly at most.

The more Ning Zhuo manipulated it, the more joyful he became.

He had loved mechanical arts since childhood, and controlling the Chuanlin Qingmang Yuan was like getting a new large toy, which he adored and played with endlessly.

Suddenly, Ning Zhuo’s expression changed, his mind stirred, sensing an invisible enormous crisis crashing down upon him.

He subconsciously commanded the Chuanlin Qingmang Yuan to immediately leave its original position, but still felt an attack striking him directly.

“What’s going on?!”

As Ning Zhuo wondered in surprise, he discovered that in his Upper Dantian Divine Sea, the ‘Myriad Buddha Demonic Heart Seal’ suddenly erupted, unleashing a boundless and profound aura that swept across his surroundings, instantly enveloping Ning Zhuo’s body and mind.

In the Ban Family Ancestral Hall.

“Pfft!” The Grand Elder, who had been maintaining the spell, spurted blood as if struck by a heavy hammer.

Subsequently, the several Grand Elders controlling the Clan Fortune Core Chain trembled violently. In the blink of an eye, their hair turned completely white, and vertical cracks appeared directly on their foreheads, bleeding incessantly.

“What’s going on?!” Everyone was greatly shocked.

Crack!

Even more horrifying to everyone was that a huge copper ring on the Clan Fortune Core Chain suddenly broke apart.

Boom boom boom—

Following this, a series of collapses occurred in the Clan Fortune Core Chain. Copper rings, chains, tracks, and everything else disintegrated, and fragments and debris shot out like sharp arrows.

“Not good!” The Grand Elder’s avatar’s eyes were splitting with rage. “Quickly interrupt the spell!”

But the Grand Elders controlling the Clan Fortune Core Chain were heavily wounded, their minds shaken, making it difficult to salvage the chaotic situation.

At the critical moment, the Grand Elder’s avatar, disregarding his own safety, directly jumped in front of the Clan Fortune Core Chain, extending his arms and forcefully inserting them into the mechanism.

The collapse of the Clan Fortune Core Chain was forcefully halted!

The Grand Elder’s avatar became very dim, his entire being like smoke, ethereal and powerless.

The cost was immense!

The other Grand Elders finally gathered their strength at this point and quickly manipulated the Clan Fortune Core Chain, changing its form to no longer target Ning Zhuo, thus stabilizing the situation.

“How could this happen?!”

“We tried to diminish Ning Zhuo’s fortune, and we suffered such a backlash? Unbelievable! We are at least at the Nascent Soul stage, and the Clan Fortune Core Chain is our family’s treasure!”

The Grand Elders were shocked and puzzled.

They had diminished others’ fortunes more than once or twice, and had never encountered such a situation.

The Grand Elder’s avatar’s voice was hoarse: “It’s a treasure that suppresses fortune!”

“The power behind Ning Zhuo also possesses a treasure that suppresses fortune.”

A deathly silence fell upon the ancestral hall.

A power possessing a fortune-suppressing treasure must be extraordinary. And in this confrontation, it was clear that the Clan Fortune Core Chain was utterly defeated by the opponent’s fortune-suppressing artifact.

Which power exactly was behind Ning Zhuo?

The cultivators’ faces were ashen, and a tempest raged in their hearts as they struggled to process and accept this cruel outcome.

The Grand Elder finally broke the silence, with a bitter smile: “I forcefully interrupted the operation of the Clan Fortune Core Chain, enduring a huge backlash. I must return to my main body immediately, otherwise this avatar will be difficult to preserve.”

“Next, you will handle this matter. Remember, you must properly grasp the nuances!”

With that, his avatar transformed into a wisp of smoke and drifted away on the spot.

The Grand Elders looked at each other.

They all understood the Grand Elder’s meaning and approved of his decision.

The half-destroyed Clan Fortune Core Chain and the severely wounded Soul Transformation stage avatar had thoroughly intimidated them.

“This Ning Zhuo has a significant background, not to be lightly offended.”

“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have become Ban Ji’s human tribulation. This is a human tribulation aimed at a king’s destiny; how could it be simple?”

“If we can’t diminish his fortune, yet we must help Ban Ji overcome his human tribulation, what should we do?”

“It wasn’t a complete failure. Halfway through the spell, Ning Zhuo’s fortune was indeed diminished somewhat. We suffered a mutual loss. Things must not be easy on his side either!”

In the Cyanstone Cave Dwelling.

Ning Zhuo sat blankly on the bamboo chair, his expression surprised and puzzled.

He had never seen such a massive and intense reaction from the Myriad Buddha Demonic Heart Seal.

But this boundless aura appeared quickly and disappeared just as quickly, lasting at most three breaths of time.

Ning Zhuo waited for a long time, but saw no further unusual movements from the Myriad Buddha Demonic Heart Seal. It hung quietly in the Upper Dantian Divine Sea, having returned to its original state.

“What exactly attacked me?”

Ning Zhuo touched his body, his spiritual sense scanning his body and mind repeatedly, but he couldn’t find any problems.

He was completely unharmed.

Upon closer inspection of the Myriad Buddha Demonic Heart Seal, there was no damage, not even a scratch.

“This is probably some kind of black magic. Some distant enemy secretly cast a curse on me!” Ning Zhuo’s expression was stern.

“The Myriad Buddha Demonic Heart Seal was passively triggered, which likely means the other party didn’t get off lightly either.”

“Are they still going to target me?” With a heavy responsibility protecting him, Ning Zhuo, after realizing his safety, couldn’t help but feel a flicker of expectation.

After all, such spells were not common, and he might be able to find some clues.

After waiting for a moment, still no anomaly appeared.

Ning Zhuo secretly lamented, his vigilance heightened: “This is not unexpected. My high-profile actions and taking first place have indeed attracted much envy and many hidden enemies.”

“Alas, how despicable! I walk the orthodox path and am not skilled in such dark schemes and covert attacks. I don’t even know who my enemy is.”

“Ultimately, it’s still a lack of external deterrence!”

The Qing Huangzi trial, while making Ning Zhuo’s reputation well-deserved, did not necessarily command the respect of others.

“Ban Ji!” A sharp glint flashed in Ning Zhuo’s eyes. “This person is perfect for me to establish my authority! Dealing with him will severely deter others.”