Immortal Creation.

Chapter 703 How many Golden Cores does Ning Zhuo possess?

Su Lingkou was puzzled and wondered, "My cousin and Lin Jinglong are vying for the second position. It is a very serious matter, and both sides are taking it very seriously."

"How come the moment Ning Zhuo intervened, it turned into a game of rock-paper-scissors to decide the winner? How can this be so childish?"

Why did Shen Xi agree?
Because at that very moment, he suddenly awoke—the situation had completely changed!

He had initially thought that Ning Zhuo, by forming an alliance with him and supporting each other, would at least be a capable lieutenant for him this time. However, Ning Zhuo's actions never went according to his plan.

Ning Zhuo went directly to Lin Jinglong and successfully hosted a banquet. Judging from the atmosphere, they might have already reached a private agreement!
Under these circumstances, if he continues to be tough and expresses his desire for second place, he may very well provoke a joint attack from Ning Zhuo and Lin Jinglong.

Therefore, he readily agreed, which was a concession to give himself room to maneuver.

There's no need to tough it out!
Even if we lose the second position, it will only be a loss, far from being a serious blow.

Ning Zhuo didn't just greet them casually; he stood up and took the initiative to greet Shen Xi and Su Lingkou.

Seeing his action, Yu Heye quickly stood up as well.

Lin Jinglong, born into a prominent family, possessed a natural air of composure and rose almost simultaneously with Ning Zhuo.

But Yu Heye's actions still made Lin Jinglong's heart tremble slightly, and he quietly raised his evaluation of Ning Zhuo to another level.

Ning Zhuo arranged for Shen Xi and Su Lingkou to be to Yu Heye's left.

This ranking is very interesting.

Yu Heye sat in the main seat, with Shen Xi on his left and Lin Jinglong on his right. Next to Shen Xi was Su Lingkou, and next to Lin Jinglong was Ning Zhuo.

Judging from their seating arrangement alone, Ning Zhuo's status is similar to that of Su Lingkou.

As for Gongsun Yan, he stood behind Ning Zhuo and Lin Jinglong and did not take his seat.

Yu Heye pointed to the delicacies on the table, gave a brief introduction, and started the conversation.

Following this topic, everyone first exchanged pleasantries and toasted each other several times before getting to the important matters.

Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong were both surprised when Ning Zhuo explained his intentions.

Su Lingkou felt like she had misheard and asked Ning Zhuo again to confirm, "What? You're not participating in rock-paper-scissors?"

Ning Zhu smiled and said, "I was introduced by Brother Shen. How could I be above Brother Shen? It is already an honor for me to be able to participate."

Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise and doubt in each other.

Both of them couldn't help but think of the same question—if Ning Zhuo had never coveted the second position, why was he making such a big fuss?
They greatly underestimated Ning Zhuo.

For Ning Zhuo, this was hardly a major undertaking. Revealing his true thoughts might hurt someone.

Ning Zhuo initially only wanted to test out the Five Elements Creation and Destruction Fan.

He learned about Gongsun Yan's situation from Shen Xi's message and decided on a whim to go and treat him. Of course, there was also an element of intimidation involved.

I never expected that Gongsun Yan would surrender so soon!
Ning Zhuo had already undermined Lin Jinglong's support, so he had no choice but to go with the flow and test the combat power of the Five Elements Life and Death Fan on Lin Jinglong once more.

Lin Jinglong was no match for Ning Zhuo.

To clean up the mess, Ning Zhuo had no choice but to have Yu Heye step in again and host a banquet for Lin Jinglong and Shen Xi. As for Su Lingkou, she was just an extra and not important.

Shen Xi stared at Ning Zhuo and hurriedly said, "Brother Ning, you have such insightful understanding of the Five Elements, and your strength is extraordinary. The two of us are no match for you, so you should sit in the second seat."

Ning Zhuo said, "Alas, I was merely relying on the advantage of my magical artifact. Moreover, my sparring with Fellow Daoist Lin was just a friendly exchange, not a life-or-death battle. Therefore, Fellow Daoist Lin must have some magical treasures or trump cards that he hasn't used yet."

"Once things really start to get under control, the outcome becomes unpredictable."

Lin Jinglong smiled slightly; Ning Zhuo's words were indeed true. He hadn't used his trump card.

However, Ning Zhuo's decision not to compete for second place truly puzzled him.

He still wanted to probe Ning Zhuo's true attitude, so he said, "Fellow Daoist Ning is being too modest. Putting everything else aside, this Ghost Dao Golden Core alone is enough to put you in the second position. I can't do something like that."

At this point, Lin Jinglong took out the Ghost Dao Golden Pill and showed it to everyone.

Shen Xi was puzzled, while Su Lingkou asked directly, "Was the golden elixir in Young Master Lin's hand also a gift from Young Master Ning?"

Lin Jinglong nodded slightly.

Yu Heye's pupils constricted slightly.

Among those present, he possessed the highest cultivation level, being a Golden Core cultivator. However, upon learning that Ning Zhuo had given away a second Golden Core cultivator, his psychological advantage in cultivation level completely vanished.

Su Lingkou frowned slightly, thinking: her cousin obtained the Ghost Dao Golden Core, but also sacrificed his beloved array-based magic weapon, the Array Gap Traveler. What did Lin Jinglong sacrifice?
In fact, Shen Xi and Yu Heye also have this problem.

Lin Jinglong then explained that Ning Zhuo gave Gongsun Yan the Ghost Dao Golden Pill, which helped Gongsun Yan break free from the contract between the latter and the Lin family.

This answer was truly unexpected.

Yu Heye, Shen Xi, and Su Lingkou all turned their eyes to Gongsun Yan.

Gongsun Yan nodded: "It is an honor to be able to rely on Young Master Ning Zhuo. And I am also grateful for your help in advancing the funds for me..."

“Ah,” Ning Zhuo interrupted, “It is an honor for me to receive Fellow Daoist Gongsun Yan’s help. This is not an advance payment, but a response to this honor, and also to thank the Lin family for helping Fellow Daoist Gongsun alleviate the disadvantages of his talent. I am very grateful to the Lin family and Fellow Daoist Lin Jinglong for helping me to form a bond with Fellow Daoist Gongsun this time.

These words sounded very nice, but Shen Xi was a shrewd person.

He was very surprised, never expecting that Ning Zhuo would directly poach Lin Jinglong's biggest supporter!
"Lin Jinglong isn't angry?!" Shen Xi looked at Lin Jinglong.

Lin Jinglong noticed the gaze and gave Shen Xi a bitter smile.

Shen Xi was startled again, and suddenly realized to himself: "Gongsun Yan is the most valuable of Lin Jinglong's subordinates. If he defected to another, Lin Jinglong would never let it go. But his current attitude shows that Ning Zhuo has further blows and intimidation plans for him."

"Although Ning Zhuo gave me a Ghost Dao Golden Core, Lin Jinglong would never treat me this way just because of a Golden Core!"

"The question is, was Lin Jinglong intimidated by Ning Zhuo's elders and powerful figures, or was he beaten up by Ning Zhuo?"

Ning Zhuo quickly waved his hand, his attitude very humble: "Fellow Daoist Lin has done a good deed, fulfilling the destiny between me and Fellow Daoist Gongsun. We cannot be the bad guys and let this matter escalate, be used by others, and look down on Fellow Daoist Lin and the Lin family."

"Therefore, I implore you all not to spread this, and to keep your mouths shut as much as possible."

These words immediately won Lin Jinglong's favor.

Shen Xi sighed and replied, "Of course."

Su Lingkou's emotions were complicated.

She subconsciously glanced at Gongsun Yan. They had fought yesterday to a draw, though she had actually been at a disadvantage. The power of the Heart Fire still sent a chill down Su Ling's spine when she looked back.

Unexpectedly, just one day later, Gongsun Yan became Ning Zhuo's subordinate.

"How exactly did he do it?" "How much did Ning Zhuo ask for?"

Su Lingkou then turned her gaze to Ning Zhuo. At that moment, she suddenly realized that Ning Zhuo was definitely not like her or Gongsun Yan. Ning Zhuo should be of a similar status to her cousin.

"How much did Ning Zhuo ask for?"

This question also lingered in Lin Jinglong's mind.

Lin Jinglong also secretly observed Gongsun Yan and was surprised to find that the latter was full of energy and seemed to have a different kind of confidence than before.

Lin Jinglong, recalling his battle with Ning Zhuo, secretly guessed: "Ning Zhuo's fan is his natal magic weapon, so it is very powerful. He only showed one defensive magic weapon before, so he must have other trump cards hidden."

"He himself must be practicing the Five Elements-based techniques. Perhaps his other magic weapon is also of the Five Elements type, specifically designed to solve the drawbacks of the Melting Heart Talent."

"That's why Gongsun Yan was attracted to join us!"

"I do have magic weapons... I have three in total!"

"It was just a friendly sparring session, there was no need for it, so I didn't use any of them."

Although Lin Jinglong was "drawn" by Ning Zhuo, he didn't really believe he would lose. The way large families operate made him know when to stop and not fight to the bitter end.

"As for the Golden Core... Ning Zhuo took out two in a row, which was undoubtedly to show off his own strength."

"Judging from this situation, he should still have more."

"But not many!"

"These are Golden Elixirs! There can't possibly be more than ten of them. Hehehe."

Lin Jinglong kept pondering Ning Zhuo's strength.

Perhaps because he was distracted by this, he lost to Shen Xi in the next game of rock-paper-scissors.

Thus, Shen Xi secured second place, while Lin Jinglong took third. As for Ning Zhuo, he made it clear that he would not participate in the ranking for the time being.

"As long as I can communicate with everyone and learn and progress together, I will be satisfied!" Ning Zhuo's attitude was quite humble.

It's really unnecessary.

What he needs to do now is wait for his identity to be revealed. Until then, he needs to learn as much as possible about the surrounding situation and find the most suitable entry point for himself.

After the banquet ended and he parted ways with everyone, Ning Zhuo, with a thoughtful expression, rode a cloud back to his cave.

The old cook was guarding the cave, while Qingchi ran over to greet Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo asked her a few questions, inquiring about her progress in her cultivation.

Although Qing Chi had lost her memory, her cultivation level remained intact. Having already established her Foundation Establishment, easily switching cultivation methods would come at a great cost. Therefore, she continued to cultivate using her original method.

"Young Master, everything went smoothly!" Qing Chi indicated that there were no problems.

This is only natural.

Even though Qing Chi had lost his memory, his body had practiced the techniques countless times, and a kind of muscle memory had long been preserved. Furthermore, his ghostly body was also being transformed into a more suitable form by the techniques during his cultivation.

Therefore, it is not a problem for Qing Chi to regain his mastery of the cultivation technique.

"This is Fellow Daoist Gongsun Yan, who is also willing to cultivate with me." Ning Zhuo introduced Gongsun Yan to the two.

Gongsun Yan followed behind Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong, glanced at the cook and Qing Chi from head to toe, bowed, and remained indifferent.

Both the cook and Qing Chi were at the Foundation Establishment stage, and in Gongsun Yan's view, they should be Ning Zhuo's attendants and subordinates, unlike Sun Lingtong, who was his page. Therefore, Gongsun Yan's attitude towards them was indifferent.

If it were a female cultivator from the human race, Gongsun Yan might have thought that Qing Chi would be Ning Zhuo's personal maid, and thus looked at her with more respect.

But the Oni race...

Gongsun Yan subconsciously regarded Qing Chi as an ordinary subordinate.

Ning Zhuo first settled Gongsun Yan in, then entered the cultivation room and began cultivating.

The six realms of Foundation Building are: Unobstructed Opening of Fields, Nourishing of Precious Medicines, Radiance of the Dantian, Planting of Extraordinary Symbols, Golden Light Illuminating the Inner World, and Transformation from Emptiness to Reality.

Ning Zhuo's cultivation has advanced to the stage of the Extraordinary Phenomenon Talisman, which is the middle to late stage of the Foundation Establishment period.

He began to resume his cultivation at the age of sixteen, switching to the Three Supreme Methods. Moreover, the Three Supreme Methods involve cultivating the three dantian simultaneously, which results in a very slow cultivation speed.

But Ning Zhuo is now seventeen years old, yet he has already reached the middle to late stage of cultivation. His speed of cultivation is simply astonishing!
What's even more frightening is that his main focus wasn't even on cultivation.

His most important goal was to save Meng Yaoyin. After leaving Fire Persimmon Immortal City, he spent most of his time traveling. Although he diligently cultivated, he devoted very little time to actual cultivation.

Ning Zhuo knew perfectly well that his terrifying cultivation efficiency stemmed entirely from external resources. These included the Three Realms Treasure Exchange Talisman and a vast quantity of spirit stones. Most importantly, it was the national strength bricks!
Cultivating oneself with the help of national power is truly effective, it's like an exhilarating experience of ascending to heaven!
Ning Zhuo was fortunate enough to experience it a few times. He still has Guoli bricks in his possession.

It's only at the stage of the Extraordinary Phenomenon Talisman; it can't fly like a large brick. It tests the cultivator's comprehension of the cultivation technique.

"I have already reached the level of cultivation in the Divine Sea and Qi Sea, and have acquired the Spirit Communication Technique and the Five Elements Creation and Destruction Technique respectively, but I still have a long way to go in terms of the corresponding cultivation technique for the Essence Sea, the Demon-Stained Blood Tendon Technique."

"Alas... I am indeed a righteous person, not suited for demonic cultivation techniques."

Ning Zhuo already had a plan on how to accelerate his mastery of the Demon-Stained Blood Tendon Technique.

He took out a flower bud, which was the restriction cast by the Dharma Image of the Red Flower Battle Formation, imprisoning Lin You inside.

This person is the son of the Demon Heart Cave Master, and he cultivates the same technique as the Demon Heart Cave Master, which should be quite similar to the Demon Bloodstained Tendon Technique.

Ning Zhuo originally intended to educate him with righteous teachings, have him reveal his cultivation techniques, and help Ning Zhuo comprehend demonic arts, which could be considered as atonement for his sins and a contribution to the righteous path.

But Ning Zhuo didn't expect that the flower bud would still exist after passing the White Paper Immortal City.

"So much time has passed, could Lin You have already starved to death?" Ning Zhuo felt a sense of foreboding.

But he was also helpless when faced with the red flower buds.

This is the power of military strategy. If it were the Five Elements magic, Ning Zhuo would have mastered it with ease.

There was another flower bud like this, imprisoning Wu Hen inside. Like the others, although the bud was extremely shallow, its texture was tough, still firmly sealing the cultivator.

Ning Zhuo put away the flower buds and fell into deep thought.

He mobilized the power of the Five Elements, then activated his natal spell, the Five Elements Generation and Destruction Technique, and secretly mobilized the Wood Element Lung Temple.

A large amount of wood-elemental magic power surged from his hands, swirling, growing, and constantly changing shape in his palm.

This situation lasted for about half a cup of tea, when suddenly a spark of lightning appeared amidst the ever-changing emerald green magic power!
(End of this chapter)