Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master - Chapter 1353 - 533: Nascent Soul Assaults the Sect Gate (Part 2)
Outside the Myriad Images Sect’s mountain gate.
“Why hasn’t Qin De appeared yet?” Xiao Juxia was lurking at the other end of the small Transmission Array.
There was no need for Xiao Juxia to inquire, as the cultivators on this end of the Transmission Array had already sensed something was amiss. Particularly, the cultivators responsible for receiving people who were waiting here had started to ask questions.
Through their conversations, Xiao Juxia quickly grasped the situation.
“What? The Transmission Array suddenly collapsed, and everyone and everything within it were swept into the Shattered Void Turbulence?!”
“Was this accident caused by the Void Demon God again?”
“Not good, not good!”
Xiao Juxia felt a tremor in his heart, immediately sensing an ominous premonition. He quickly performed a calculation with his fingers and discovered Qin De was still within the Wanxiang Sect’s Main Mountain Gate.
He also calculated that if he didn’t rush to assist Qin De now, he would miss the last opportunity.
“But how do I enter the Wanxiang Sect’s Main Mountain Gate now?”
The Transmission Array before him could no longer be used.
The nearest Transmission Array was located ten thousand miles away.
But what filled Xiao Juxia with despair was that he had already deduced that since this Transmission Town had experienced a collapse, causing significant losses to people.
The Myriad Images Sect had already reacted and temporarily shut down all Transmission Arrays, deploying corresponding cultivators to delve into the nearby void for active inspections and clearances.
In other words, unless Xiao Juxia found another path, he simply wouldn’t be able to enter the Wanxiang Sect’s Main Mountain Gate.
“In fact, if I were to teleport in independently, I would be immediately detected and hunted down by the Myriad Images Sect.”
Since the Myriad Images Sect had identified the problem with the Transmission Arrays, they would undoubtedly utilize the full strength of the sect for a thorough investigation.
At such a crucial moment of the strictest scrutiny, for Xiao Juxia to act under their watchful eyes would be incredibly foolish!
Xiao Juxia restrained his inner impatience and chose only to endure and wait.
He had just begun to wait, and the waiting of the Huazhang Country Lord had already ended.
The entanglement of Qi Fortune had completely vanished, leaving the Huazhang Country Lord unable to sense the outcome of his final strike.
He looked at the King’s Seal in his hand. Originally glowing with a jade light due to the last strike, it had now dimmed.
With a soft sigh, the Huazhang Country Lord summoned the Imperial Ancestral Temple Director, Zhou Zheng, from outside the hall to come in and tidy up the aftermath.
This clash of Qi Fortune would undoubtedly lead Huazhang Country to conduct a vigorous investigation. However, discovering the actual results would require a long wait.
Bluestone Cave Mansion.
Cultivation Room.
Ning Zhuo sat cross-legged on a cushion with a bronze pill furnace in front of him.
The pill furnace was not large, only about two feet tall, with three legs and two ears. It was purchased by his subordinates from the Commerce Hall. Though it appeared worn, it was solidly built.
Of course, it was not cheap.
The price of alchemy furnaces was never cheap.
Beside the furnace, dozens of medicinal ingredients were neatly arranged: Centennial Ganoderma, Snow Mountain Fuling, Red Flame Grass, Cold Pond Lotus Heart, Golden Wire Vine…
These were all ingredients for the Strengthening Foundation and Nourishing Essence Pill.
The quality of this pill was not high, only considered mid-grade, yet it was the most commonly used auxiliary elixir pill for Foundation Establishment Cultivators. It uses Ganoderma as the main ingredient, Fuling as the minister, Red Flame Grass as the assistant, and Cold Pond Lotus Heart as the envoy to harmonize Yin and Yang and replenish Vital Energy. The elixir recipe is simple, the ingredients common, and the refinement method not complex, making it the best choice for beginners.
Ning Zhuo ignited the furnace fire, placing his hands on the sides of the furnace, slowly infusing Mana.
The flames rose, licking the bottom of the furnace.
The temperature inside the furnace began to rise, and Ning Zhuo’s Divine Sense probed inside, sensing the subtle changes in the flames.
His technique was not skilled, one might even say clumsy.
He first added the initial ingredient—Centennial Ganoderma—and roasted it gently with a soft flame. As its surface in the furnace slowly oozed fine juice, it emitted a delicate medicinal fragrance.
“The heat is too high,” Ning Zhuo frowned, quickly withdrawing some Mana. The edges of the Ganoderma were slightly charred, not completely ruined but diminished in quality.
His expression unchanged, he continued by adding the second ingredient—Snow Mountain Fuling.
Fuling prefers the cold and likewise requires gentle simmering with a soft flame, avoiding any rushed or harsh heat.
Ning Zhuo was much more cautious this time, utilizing the insights gained from earlier practice to sense Fuling’s changes with his Divine Sense, controlling the heat with precision.
But upon adding the third ingredient, Red Flame Grass, he encountered issues once more.
The Red Flame Grass, being fiery by nature, needed to be urged with martial fire to unleash its medicinal properties.
Ning Zhuo stimulated Mana, causing a surge of flame within the furnace. The Red Flame Grass tumbled inside, its properties activated, yet spillage occurred, wasting much of its efficacy.
The fourth ingredient, the fifth, the sixth…
The addition of each ingredient presented a test. Ning Zhuo’s technique evolved from unfamiliarity to proficiency, from clumsiness to fluidity, with visible progress.
His control over the flames grew increasingly precise, and his timing in merging ingredients became more fitting.
This was not talent.
This was memory.
The memory of Jia Luanzhen—that Demon Alchemist, with numerous years of alchemical experience. His understanding of ingredients, mastery over heat control, and comprehension of elixir recipes were etched deeply within Ning Zhuo’s Divine Soul.
Ning Zhuo was not learning alchemy; he was reviewing it. Those experiences were already his, merely needing to be reawakened.
Then, through practice, he conducted the final calibrations and adjustments.
An hour later, all ingredients were within the furnace. Ning Zhuo formed seals with his hands, urging the flames within the furnace to commence the final pill condensation.
Within the furnace, dozens of medicinal essences intertwined, slowly merging under the refinement of the flames.
The medicinal aroma grew increasingly potent, the furnace began to tremble slightly, and the runes on the lid started to glow.
Holding his breath, Ning Zhuo maintained his Divine Sense within the furnace, sensing every slightest change of the elixirs.
Finally—
Boom!
The furnace shook, the lid flew off. Three round pills emerged from within the furnace, landing in Ning Zhuo’s palm.
They were pale yellow throughout, with fine lines on the surface, emanating a gentle medicinal fragrance. The quality wasn’t top-tier, but still mid-grade. For someone making this type of pill for the first time, it was already an excellent result.
Ning Zhuo looked at the pills in his palm, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: “Success.”
He stored the pills in a jade bottle and was about to continue refining the second batch when the jade token at his waist suddenly vibrated.
The token was palm-sized, a deep azure throughout, it was both the key to control the Bluestone Cave Mansion and the credential for leasing it. Ning Zhuo sent his Divine Sense inside, and the external scene of the cave mansion immediately surfaced before him.
He was stunned.
Outside the cave mansion, a fist-sized entity was attacking the cave’s protective array.
Ning Zhuo could hardly believe his eyes: “A Nascent Soul? This seems like… a Nascent Soul?”
Ning Zhuo found it puzzling.
Firstly, Myriad Images Sect strictly prohibited internal conflict. Even with life-and-death disputes, both parties had to resolve them within the Martial Arts Hall.
Therefore, being directly attacked at the Bluestone Cave Mansion was something Ning Zhuo never anticipated.
It was too audacious!
Moreover, violating this sect rule would undoubtedly result in extremely severe punishment.
Indeed, there was an enemy attacking his Bluestone Cave Mansion, blatantly disregarding the sect’s rules.
Not only that, this enemy was actually a Nascent Soul!
How could a Nascent Soul Cultivator use a Nascent Soul form to fight solo?
Under normal circumstances, when a cultivator forms a Nascent Soul, they would never use it directly for combat.
The Nascent Soul is the foundation of a cultivator, the culmination of their lifelong cultivation, fragile and invaluable. When releasing a Nascent Soul, it is either for escaping, wielding a Magic Treasure, or dodging a Heavenly Tribulation, and certainly not used alone in battle.
This was too irregular.
“Could it be a trap?” Instantly, Ning Zhuo’s heart rang with alarms.
Then, he heard the Nascent Soul shouting.
“Ning Zhuo, come out.”
“I know you’re inside, stop hiding.”
“Come out quickly, I’m looking for you!”
Ning Zhuo was utterly perplexed.
How did this Nascent Soul seem to know him so well?
And why were they so eager to see him?
A normal visit would suffice—why the urgency to attack his cave’s protective array?
What on earth was going on!
