Immortal Creation.

Chapter 736 The Soul-Searching Technique Has Great Use
Demon cultivators are driven by their very nature.

Their greatest instinct is survival.

From the very beginning, regardless of the type of life, the instinct for survival is deeply ingrained and extremely powerful. In other words, any life form will do everything in its power to survive, and even demon cultivators are often capable of anything.

The concepts of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame do not exist.

Demon cultivators are often willing to pay any price as long as they have a chance to survive.

This is perfectly exemplified in the character of the Spider Woman. After realizing her advantage in beauty, she changed her cultivation methods and made full use of this talent on many occasions, using her beauty to seduce people and improve her life.

Is it wrong for her to do this?
In Ning Zhuo's view: Without life, what reason is there? Survival is not about right or wrong!
As for sacrificing one's life for righteousness?
Ning Zhuo has recently been studying Confucianism and knows about it, but deep down he cannot fully agree with it.

“I would be willing to sacrifice myself for my mother and my eldest son. But no one else, or any other reason, is enough to make me sacrifice myself.”

Without life, how can one seek the Way?
You have everything if you have life.

The biggest reason is to survive!

Therefore, Ning Zhuo was not offended by the Spider Lady's change of attitude from arrogance to obsequiousness, and he easily accepted the change in her attitude.

“My cultivation and age are not enough to earn the respect of others.”

"If my record is revealed, people will not judge me according to common sense."

"As for the Spider Lady, she learned about me from Ban Ji. But Ban Ji's knowledge was also one-sided. In fact, when I was dealing with Pi Fu Jie, it wasn't Pi Fu Jie himself, but the tiger demon he had just recruited."

"The Spider Maiden is at the late Foundation Establishment stage and is quite powerful. Although she is a rogue cultivator, she has many opportunities in life. For such a renowned cultivator, the first choice is not to surrender, but to fight."

The fact that Pan Si Niangzi could "play" with Ban Ji, and that she was invited by Ban Ji with a large sum of money this time, shows that she is not a weakling.

Ning Zhuo remained expressionless as he watched Pan Si Niangzi slump to the ground, begging for mercy.

He secretly studied the other party's character and even extended this study to the entire group of demon cultivators.

After the Spider Woman pleaded for a while, Ning Zhuo finally spoke: "Fine, then I'll give you one last chance. Tell me everything you know about Ban Ji's plans to deal with me."

The Spider Woman's face lit up with delight, and she nodded quickly.

She confided the truth to Ning Zhuo, telling him everything without reservation. She not only described in detail how Ban Ji dealt with Ning Zhuo's plan, but also told Ning Zhuo about her previous collaborations with Ban Ji.

Ning Zhuo looked at Pan Si Niangzi: "So, you and Ban Ji didn't sign any secret agreement?"

Spider Lady nodded: "Please forgive me, young master. This was a false threat I made in fear to protect myself."

“The four of us are on equal footing with Banji, and there is no reason for us to sign any secret agreement for his sake.”

“If we go against this, we will suffer, but Banji will not lose a penny.”

Ning Zhuo nodded slightly, gaining a little more understanding of the nature of these demonic cultivators.

"The Spider Woman, the Rust Craftsman, the Monk of Delusions, Liu Qingyan...?"

"Banji found these four people and hired them at great expense to harass me. Meanwhile, he seized the opportunity to participate in the Xingyun Trial, which was suitable for him... This was undoubtedly the most correct tactic."

Since Ning Zhuo has already demonstrated his expertise in soul-searching techniques, then Pan Si Niangzi's frank statement is basically credible.

"This time it's Che Zhuzi, who, according to Pan Si Niangzi, is Ban Ji's next target."

"Adding to the previous Qinghuangzi... So, I've already ruined his plans twice."

"This feud is getting deeper and deeper."

Although Ning Zhuo gained the upper hand twice in a row, he did not underestimate Ban Ji in the slightest.

Ban Ji's choice alone reveals his excellent qualities of forbearance and a focus on the big picture.

Ning Zhuo is doing well, partly because Ban Ji is too busy to deal with him.

Moreover, Ban Ji was never some rogue cultivator; the Ban family stood behind him!
"Ban Ji cultivated demonic techniques, not the Ban family's clan-protecting secret technique. He's an exception. How much support will he receive from within the family?"

Ning Zhuo must consider the Ban family if he wants to deal with Ban Ji!

"The Xingyun trial is very important for newcomers. I need to actively sabotage Banji's plans so that even if he joins the Wanxiang Sect, he will have difficulty establishing a foothold."

"The best scenario would be to directly oust him and prevent him from joining the Myriad Manifestations Sect."

"But the possibility is too low."

Ning Zhuo secretly assessed the difficulty level and realized that his most likely outcome was to suppress Ban Ji.

Ning Zhuo entered the main gate of the Myriad Manifestations Sect and conducted several trials of Xingyun. A true enemy appeared.

Yu Heye, Lin Jinglong, Che Zhuzi, and even the Spider Woman before him, are not true enemies. Because the conflicts between them and Ning Zhuo can all be resolved.

Banji is not like that, at least not yet.

He was a cultivator of mechanical arts, and the Xingyun Trial he wanted to participate in was something Ning Zhuo also wanted to participate in.

This profoundly illustrates the saying that competitors are often rivals.

Ning Zhuo asked the Spider Lady, "Do you know that besides hiring the four of you for a large sum of money, Ban Ji has other schemes against me?"

Pan Si Niangzi shook her head, her face full of sincerity, indicating that she knew nothing about it. Fearing that Ning Zhuo would doubt her, she swore that it was true.

Ning Zhuo remained noncommittal, lost in thought for a moment.

"What the Spider Lady said is most likely true. I have the ability to search souls, so I can easily verify it on her."

“Right now, she’s the fish on the chopping block, and I’m the butcher. There’s no point in her risking her life to deceive me here. It’s pointless!”

"She doesn't know what Banji will do next, and it doesn't matter."

“Firstly, I can send others to keep a close eye on Banji and gather intelligence. Secondly, I can search for all the Xingyun trials in the Wanxiang Sect; anything related to mechanical arts could be Banji’s target.”

Ban Ji secretly plotted against Ning Zhuo, and Ning Zhuo, naturally not one to passively accept defeat, immediately thought of retaliating.

"Doesn't Confucianism also emphasize that 'it is impolite not to reciprocate'?"

"The Banji issue, on the surface, is troublesome, but it is actually an opportunity."

Ning Zhuo had the strength to back him up, and after analyzing for a moment, he found that counterattacking Ban Ji had more significance.

"My real test will be when the higher-ups of the Myriad Manifestations Sect, who covet the City Lord of White Paper, try to harm me."

"Wen Ruanyu covered for me to protect me, but it couldn't last long. She also asked the Confucian scholars to help me make a name for myself."

"The Confucian scholar's trial of Xingyun has already been conducted twice, but there should be more to come."

"With the help of Confucian scholars, I can gain fame and make a dazzling debut within the Myriad Manifestations Sect. On this basis, if I can forcefully suppress Ban Ji, it will undoubtedly be the icing on the cake, and will give me even more deterrent power against outsiders."

Originally, Ning Zhuo could only passively defend. However, his rapid progress in the Soul Searching Technique caused his learning ability to increase dozens of times, resulting in an extremely exaggerated improvement.

This resulted in him having ample spare capacity, not only to handle the current Xingyun trials, but also to have surplus power for external conquests.

"The Ban family is renowned in Feiyun Kingdom." "My defeat of Ban Ji will be the best way to establish my authority!"

Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo couldn't help but smile slightly.

The Spider Woman had been observing Ning Zhuo closely and keenly noticed the fierce fighting spirit hidden in his smile. She couldn't help but panic and become nervous, fearing that he would use the Burning Boat Soul Transfer Technique on her.

After careful consideration, Ning Zhuo turned his gaze back to the Spider Woman.

Spider Lady dared not meet Ning Zhuo's gaze and quickly lowered her head to look at the floor tiles. At the same time, her posture changed from slumped sitting to kneeling on both knees, appearing extremely weak and submissive.

Ning Zhuo said calmly, "Spider Lady, you are a demonic cultivator, burdened with sins. But since you have shown a good attitude in admitting your sins, I will give you a chance."

"Since you have some ability to set up formations, go to the cabin and set up a magic array. I want to plant Wen Song and Wu Song there."

This was a development plan that Ning Zhuo had in mind after he mastered the "Pine Waves Qi Cultivation Exercise".

Among Ning Zhuo's current subordinates, Qing Chi suffers from amnesia but excels in military tactics. Chef Lao En Yi is skilled in cooking. Gongsun Yan, who has a favor to ask of Ning Zhuo, is a master weapon refiner.

There is a lack of capable generals in the formation.

After Pan Si Niangzi surrendered, she immediately filled this vacancy.

Pan Si Niangzi breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said that she would do her best to complete the task.

Ning Zhuo then tucked it into the Wanli Youlong (a type of dragon-shaped ornament) on his waist and carried it with him at all times for constant monitoring.

After settling the Spider Maiden, Ning Zhuo slowly got up and looked around the empty space inside the array.

Magical Threads.

The next moment, a thread of magical power extended from the tips of each of his ten fingers. They were all formed from the five elements of magical power, displaying a spiraling, multicolored appearance.

Ning Zhuo probed his divine sense into the storage bracelet and casually waved his hand, releasing a large number of small bamboo puppets.

As the bamboo puppets were scattered in mid-air, Ning Zhuo's Five Elements magic threads, like a serpent hunting its prey, precisely tied each thread to the bamboo puppets.

The rest of the bamboo puppets fell to the ground, but ten of them were suspended in mid-air by magical threads.

Each of these bamboo puppet figures carries a reed, which Ning Zhuo prepared for Qinghuangzi's Xingyun Xiaoshi (a small test).

Ning Zhuo used his magic to suspend the threads, simultaneously controlling ten of them.

Ten bamboo puppet figures hang in mid-air, making various movements.

After a dozen or so breaths, their movements became faster and more precise.

"Easy, much easier than before!" Ning Zhuo carefully contemplated, a faint sense of joy welling up in his heart.

He had just extracted three souls from the Spider Woman, created a Soul Cloth, and then used the Burning Boat Soul Transfer Technique to burn the Soul Cloth and obtain many memories.

Under the Burning Boat Soul Transfer Technique, Ning Zhuo felt as if he had become the Spider Woman, and his experience in controlling spider silk suddenly increased dramatically.

The original form of the Spider Woman is a spider, and her use of spider silk is like how humans use their legs, fingers, and so on.

Ning Zhuo immediately benefited from using his magic to suspend the thread this time!

The slightest hook, flick, twist, or press with his fingertips felt like plucking a nerve in his own body. The magical threads seemed to have become an extension of his body, giving him the feeling of controlling his own limbs.

The ten bamboo puppets also benefited from this, becoming so lifelike that Ning Zhuo could control them with a level of agility far exceeding that before, and their movements were rich and delicate.

"For an ordinary person, this level of mastery would require at least ten years of hard work, right?"

"I accomplished it with just one practice session!"

"The Soul-Saving Technique of Burning Boats... This is the advantage of demonic cultivators. They always take unorthodox methods, which have many side effects, but their cultivation is really fast."

Each movement of the suspended thread changed with Ning Zhuo's thoughts. Different levels of intensity and speed were also reflected in the suspended threads of magical power, and controlling them was as natural as breathing for Ning Zhuo.

"Then, next..."

Ning Zhuo's ten fingers trembled slightly, and the single magical threads extending from each fingertip suddenly forked, splitting into two.

In an instant, Ning Zhuo had twenty threads of Five Elements magic power.

The ten extra magical threads also connected to the bamboo puppets on the ground, causing them to stand up and move around.

The bamboo puppets seemed to come alive, running, rolling, and playing on the ground.

Ning Zhuo's fingers trembled from time to time, hooking inward and retracting, skillfully and swiftly directing the twenty suspended threads.

"One use of the Soul-Saving Technique only burned a piece of soul cloth, saving me at least five years of hard training!" Ning Zhuo assessed, becoming increasingly delighted.

His fingers flew, and the bamboo puppets interacted naturally, like mischievous children gathering and scattering, playing together.

Whenever Ning Zhuo was working on something complicated, the little fingers of his left and right hands would curl up slightly.

This frequent little action caught Ning Zhuo's attention.

After thinking for a moment, he discovered the reason: "This is a habit of the Spider Lady when she manipulates spider silk; it's a small gesture with her fingers like orchids."

When this gesture was performed by the Spider Woman, it possessed a captivating charm. But when Ning Zhuo performed it, it looked somewhat awkward and strange.

Ning Zhuo also felt a little awkward.

"It's alright, these little habits can be corrected."

"The solution is quite simple: find a spider demon, then absorb and burn its soul. Wouldn't that quickly reduce the impact?"

"Give me some time and I can get rid of this bad habit on my own."

Ning Zhu put away all the bamboo puppets and took out the Azure Iron Armor - Golden Swallow, putting it on.

He activated the mechanical armor, causing its wings to spread out and hover in the air.

This time, his attention was focused on the gleaming golden wings.

Each time the fan is used, it loses its previous artificiality and becomes gentle and smooth, full of a natural beauty, as if it really is a bird's wing.

"Good!" Ning Zhuo secretly praised.

His previous soul-searching of the spirit bird was also helpful. After all, flight is essential for a bird.

"If I use the Burning Boat Soul Transfer Technique, the improvement will be even more significant!"

Ning Zhuo learned the Soul Searching Technique and used it in practice, benefiting greatly from it.

In comparison, the Burning Boat Soul Transfer Technique is undoubtedly the most effective. The other soul-searching techniques are at best supplementary.

For example, the Three Souls Spinning Wheel Technique is designed to work in conjunction with the Burning Boat Soul Transfer Technique, allowing a single soul to repeatedly provide experience and memories.

Ning Zhuo decided to make full use of the Burning Boat Soul Transfer Technique!
(End of this chapter)