The atmosphere among the Taishang Jialao surrounding the Zufu Shujilian had changed.

“It’s still not enough! This child’s foundation of Qiyun is far thicker than anticipated!”

“Unbelievable! The Zufu Shujilian is at the Nascent Soul level, approaching the Void Refinement stage, yet it’s having little effect.”

“We still can’t fully ascertain Ning Zhuo’s Qiyun! This can’t go on, everyone!”

The Taishang Dajialao’s expression was grave. He hadn’t expected Ning Zhuo to resist to such an extent, even with their full power unleashed!

“Who exactly is Ning Zhuo? And what power lies behind him?” The Ban family had been more proactive than anyone else in the Wuxiangzong’s main sect regarding intelligence on Ning Zhuo. Since judging Ning Zhuo to be Ban Ji’s fated human tribulation, the Ban family had already begun their investigation.

However, intelligence gathering takes time. The Ban family was merely a prominent clan in Feiyunguo; investigating across several cultivation nations was extremely difficult. Ning Zhuo himself had traveled for several months to reach Feiyunguo, and it would take Ban family operatives a considerable amount of time just to travel to Nandouguo.

Once investigation results were obtained, however, information transmission could be swift. By paying any price, the time taken would be short. Cultivation’s transmission techniques were actually capable of cross-national travel, but such matters had always been strictly prohibited by various cultivation nations. Historically, there had been many major incidents involving long-range transmissions used to cause trouble.

This level of transmission would shake the very foundation of a nation, so the Ban family couldn’t immediately reach Nandouguo. Similarly, Ning Zhuo had also undertaken a long journey to Feiyunguo. Now, before the Taishang Jialao of the Ban family, lay a huge problem. If they couldn’t fully ascertain Ning Zhuo’s Qiyun, they couldn’t grasp its foundation. Without grasping the foundation, how could they reduce his Qiyun?

If the foundation was healthy, the Qiyun would quickly grow back after the top layer was削 (reduced). This was a characteristic of Qiyun. The Taishang Dajialao couldn’t estimate how long this stalemate would last. Although the Ban family was vast and powerful, they couldn’t afford to drag this out! This full-force effort, besides consuming a massive amount of precious materials, was also depleting the Ban family’s top-tier combat strength!

This wasn’t just a simple consumption of magical power and spiritual consciousness; it concerned longevity. Including the Taishang Dajialao, everyone present was continuously consuming their lifespan! For the sake of the family, for Ban Ji, the Ban family was paying a huge price. This was also a characteristic of divination.

Truly divining with full power inevitably consumes longevity. Or rather, longevity is the best fuel for divination. Heaven and Earth prescribed this to strictly control the lifespan of diviners. Mastering divination was barely permitted, but not for too long. The Zufu Shujilian was a treasured artifact of the Nascent Soul level, and the minimum cultivation requirement to activate it was the Yuanying stage. The cultivation of the various Taishang Jialao was at least at the Yuanying level. And these people were undoubtedly the Ban family’s top combat strength! Their consumed longevity was far more expensive than that of other cultivators.

The Taishang Dajialao, experienced as he was, couldn’t help but waver at this moment: “Should we continue according to the original plan, or…” A rare hint of hesitation appeared on his aged face, and finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “Alright. Since it’s difficult to reduce Ning Zhuo’s Qiyun, then let’s give him a hand!”

The Taishang Dajialao couldn’t afford to gamble. If Ning Zhuo managed to hold out until the end, then executing the original plan would mean almost all of the Ban family’s top combat strength would be sacrificed! Such a trade was clearly too disadvantageous. Hearing the Taishang Dajialao change the plan, the other Jialao breathed a sigh of relief and immediately began to act.

The Zufu Shujilian was like an old furnace, suddenly fed a lot of dry firewood, roaring loudly. The many runes on the mechanism also became more dazzling, shimmering with various colorful lights. Since they couldn’t reduce it, they might as well assist Ning Zhuo, allowing his Qiyun to erupt intensely in a short period.

At this stage, Ban Ji was using the Bainian Jinshen Dan and was in seclusion for a period of time. This was a good time to avoid the enemy’s sharp edge! During this period, Ning Zhuo’s Qiyun would burn fiercely, consuming itself rapidly. Amidst the raging fire, things would inevitably reverse, and after prosperity came decline. When his Qiyun waned, Ban Ji would just emerge from seclusion to fight him!

Such assistance naturally didn’t require ascertaining the full extent of his Qiyun or grasping its foundation. However, even so, after operating for a moment, the Zufu Shujilian’s speed still plummeted, as if encountering some invisible, massive obstacle. Cracks appeared, and mechanical components fractured and broke.

“Is this the human tribulation that Heaven arranged for the King’s Mandate?!” The Taishang Dajialao’s face was ashen. Everyone’s lifespan was being severely consumed, but with things having progressed this far, stopping now would only mean all previous efforts were in vain.

He could only grit his teeth and persevere!

Wuxiangzong Main Sect.

Qingshi Dongfu.

Within the space of the Yanwu Fajian, Ning Zhuo’s face was solemn, his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes closed, sitting motionless on a meditation cushion. His entire mind was immersed in his spiritual sea.

The Wofo Xinmoyin had never vibrated with such intensity! “This is a Qiyun treasure, capable of protecting my Qiyun and even that of my Ning family branch. But its current state suggests someone is secretly trying to harm my Qiyun!”

“The Ban family is the prime suspect!” Ning Zhuo, being well-informed, naturally knew that the Ban family possessed a clan- trấn family’s core treasured mechanism—the Zufu Shujilian.

“I can’t hold on much longer…” Ning Zhuo felt anxious and uneasy. He knew clearly that once this protective umbrella was shaken open, his Qiyun would be severely affected.

“I definitely can’t let the enemy succeed!” However, Ning Zhuo alone certainly couldn’t help. His cultivation was too low, only at the Foundation Establishment mid-stage, making it difficult to assist the Wofo Xinmoyin significantly. But this was a golden age of cultivation, with all kinds of cultivation arts flourishing, so Ning Zhuo naturally had other methods.

The next moment, he took out a mechanical component from his懷 (bosom)—a Wuxing Lunpan. This was a new lunpan, capable of simultaneously holding three Golden Cores. Currently, three ghost-path Golden Cores were embedded in the lunpan, which Ning Zhuo immediately put to use. The lunpan slowly rotated, drawing the power of the Golden Cores, converging them into a single stream, which poured into Ning Zhuo’s spiritual sea, directly into the Wofo Xinmoyin.

The Wofo Xinmoyin vibrated fiercely, absorbing the power of the Golden Cores. Its aura immediately surged, and it quickly stabilized. At this moment, thousands of miles away, in the Ban family ancestral hall.

Bang, bang, bang—

A series of muffled thuds, and a small part of the Zufu Shujilian’s body exploded. Its tracks were disarrayed and broken, and several Taishang Jialao immediately spat blood, their vitality weakened. At this critical juncture, the Taishang Dajialao shouted, disregarding his own lifespan consumption, and stepped forward to stabilize the situation. Only then was the situation barely maintained. The Taishang Dajialao’s hair, which was originally half black and half white, was now visibly turning white, as if covered in a layer of frost.

However, even so, the Zufu Shujilian was being crushed by an invisible immense force, and mechanical components were still breaking down, though at a much slower pace than before. The Taishang Jialao couldn’t help but show panic. If this trend continued, not only would the Zufu Shujilian be destroyed, but they would also suffer from the backlash, either dying or being severely injured.

Wuxiangzong Main Sect.

Jigua Dongfu.

Ban Ji, completely naked, floated in mid-air. He was manipulating a Jindan, which was rolling all over his body. The Jindan was about the size of an adult’s fist, and as it rolled over Ban Ji’s skin, it left a faint golden powder in its wake. The golden powder quickly merged into Ban Ji’s body within a few breaths, disappearing without a trace.

Ban Ji felt increasingly light. The principles of monstrous dao, mechanisms, and demonic sects contained within him were like unruly, messy hair. But under the effect of the golden powder, these principles combined and became much more coordinated. This was reflected in Ban Ji, not only in his physical lightness but also in the calming of his inner self.

Just as he was controlling the pill, the jade pendant around his neck suddenly erupted with a burst of emerald light. The emerald light was incredibly dazzling, filling the entire cultivation chamber for a moment. Almost simultaneously, in the Ban family ancestral hall, a certain component of the Zufu Shujilian also emitted a blinding emerald light. The emerald light immediately alleviated the pressure on the many Taishang Jialao. The entire Qiyun mechanism also slowly began to operate again, and the stagnant situation almost disappeared.

“What is going on?!” Everyone was astonished. The emerald light came fiercely and departed just as quickly.

“No good!” Seeing this trend, the Taishang Jialao immediately grew anxious. One of them suddenly looked up, his gaze firm.

“For the Ban family!” He took a few steps forward, stood before the Zufu Shujilian, and slammed his hands onto a crucial mechanical component. In the next three breaths, this Taishang Jialao rapidly aged, wrinkles appearing, his back hunched, and the breath of life quickly dissipated. At the critical moment, he sacrificed himself, exhausting his lifespan.

The result of this sacrifice was that the Zufu Shujilian’s operation reached its end, completing the transformation of Ning Zhuo’s Qiyun—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The Taishang Jialao were all panting, covered in sweat, and looked disheveled. The light on the Zufu Shujilian gradually dimmed, with only thirty percent of its entire body remaining, its state of disrepair breaking historical records. Gradually, everyone’s gaze focused on their clan member who had voluntarily sacrificed himself. In the solemn atmosphere, everyone was silent.

A Yuanying cultivator had been sacrificed! This was a loss they had not anticipated. “Will there be such significant sacrifices again?” A shadow hung over everyone’s hearts.

The Taishang Dajialao boosted morale, generously rewarding the sacrificed cultivator’s lineage, and then singled out several individuals, ordering them to thoroughly investigate the cause of this unusual phenomenon. Ning Zhuo was also covered in cold sweat, looking disheveled.

“It’s finally quiet.” He looked at the gradually calming Wofo Xinmoyin in his spiritual sea, feeling a lingering fear. During this period, he had consumed more than twenty ghost-path Golden Cores, completely exhausting all their magical power, rendering them useless.

“Fortunately, I prepared multiple Golden Core lunpan, otherwise I might have truly fallen to this tribulation.” “This is the price of standing out.” “The Ban family is the most suspect, but whether it’s truly them remains to be investigated.”

Being famous draws trouble. There’s no way around it. Ning Zhuo had anticipated this. With a cautious mind, he began to rest.

Half a day later, the Wofo Xinmoyin remained still, which brought Ning Zhuo some peace of mind. He hadn’t told anyone about this startling change, keeping it hidden deep within his heart. Ning Zhuo didn’t even plan to investigate, as there were no clues. Rashly investigating would inevitably consume a huge amount of time, energy, material resources, and manpower. After careful consideration, Ning Zhuo decided to hold back.

Patience. He had endured for more than ten years in Huoshi Xiancheng and was quite familiar with such actions.

Half a day later, Chef Lao returned. He had contacted the cultivators of Danxia Feng, explained their identity, and stated their intention to purchase Xuanhuang Muqi. The other party didn’t directly refuse but instead informed Chef Lao of several Xingyun Xiaoshi.

Chef Lao: “The other party means for Young Master to choose one of these Xingyun Xiaoshi, participate fully, and ideally win first place.” “But after that, you should not participate in any other Xiaoshi.” “He will secretly arrange for you to stay at Danxia Feng until the Feiyun Dahui stage.”

Ning Zhuo listened, but said nothing, only shaking his head. Danxia Feng’s intention was clear: for Ning Zhuo to join Danxia Feng directly through the Xingyun Xiaoshi. Ning Zhuo coveted the Xuanhuang Muqi in their possession, while they coveted Ning Zhuo himself, wanting to recruit him.

Ning Zhuo’s reputation as a genius had already spread. Due to his conflict with Ban Ji, his fame had spread even wider. “Although Xuanhuang Muqi is precious, to give up other Xiaoshi just for it would be an enormous loss!”

“The problem with Meng Yeh Hu has actually been resolved.” “Because of its ten-tenths spirituality, it has its own regenerative power. However, relying on it to recover by itself would take a long time, likely too long to catch up with the Xingyun Xiaoshi stage.” “It seems my weight isn’t enough; let’s halt the negotiations for Xuanhuang Muqi for now.”

Ning Zhuo’s perception of the situation was quite clear. The other party, upon learning of Ning Zhuo’s trade proposal, had never explicitly agreed from beginning to end. They merely asked Ning Zhuo to abandon other forces and fully join Danxia Feng first, showing his sincerity. This arrogance was almost overflowing.

However, Ning Zhuo could also understand. “In every Xingyun Xiaoshi, genius cultivators like me emerge.” “And in this round of Xiaoshi, there are twenty to thirty outstanding individuals who emerged in the first wave.” “Cultivators like Ban Ji are strong enough themselves, but they were unlucky and didn’t catch the first wave.” “From Danxia Feng’s perspective, they have many genius cultivators to choose from. I’m not particularly eye-catching among them.”

Ning Zhuo had known the difficulty of the Xuanhuang Muqi transaction from the start, and his expectations were not high. With no expectations, there was naturally less disappointment. What he truly anticipated now was another transaction. And quietly acting for this transaction was Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong arrived at the black market and met the cultivator who had taken his previous order. “Where are the souls of the demonic Confucian cultivators I ordered?” Sun Lingtong cut straight to the chase, asking directly. The cultivator looked troubled and spread his hands: “I’m sorry, esteemed customer, I couldn’t get them!”

Sun Lingtong was momentarily stunned. After all, the cultivator had been absolutely confident when he previously agreed, exuding nothing but self-assurance. Yet now, he was met with failure. Sun Lingtong immediately lowered his voice, his expression displeased: “You made me wait for so many days, and this is the result? What are you trying to do, deceiving me like this?!”