Immortal Creation.

Chapter 754 Ban Family Design
Ning Zhuo arrived at one of the branches of the Tongshang Hall, attracting attention.

"Who is that boy?"

"White clothes, big head, judging from his appearance, he seems to be..."

"It must be Ning Zhuo. One of the top-tier newcomers to emerge from this year's Flying Cloud Conference!"

Many cultivators cast curious glances, whispered among themselves, or communicated with each other using their divine sense.

Ning Zhuo walked to the counter.

The cultivator on duty behind the counter felt his heart pounding and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo, what do you wish to buy or sell? If you wish to make a secret purchase, you can communicate with me using your divine sense, and I will certainly keep your mouth shut!"

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly: "Thank you, but there's no need for that. I'd like to purchase some Confucian cultivation techniques."

He did not use his divine sense, but communicated through words.

Seeing that Ning Zhuo showed no arrogance whatsoever, the cultivator on duty felt a sense of kinship and quickly nodded, "I know, you've won first place twice in the Confucian cultivation preliminary examination. What kind of Confucian cultivation technique do you need? I'll find it for you right away. Or, do you have any ideas? I can give you some insignificant suggestions."

"That's wonderful. Thank you!" Ning Zhuo's smile widened. "I don't know much about Confucianism. I'd like to buy some spells on this trip to help me impart some knowledge to others."

The cultivator on duty was slightly taken aback; Ning Zhuo's request was unexpected.

Ning Zhuo participated in Xingyun's preliminary test. Shouldn't he be learning on his own? Why is he instead studying how to teach others?

“He is a first-rate genius, so naturally his ideas are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like us.” The cultivator on duty thought of this and immediately checked the records, quickly recommending him to Ning Zhuo.

This is a golden age of cultivation.

There are dozens of related Confucian cultivation techniques, and Ning Zhuo carefully selected eight of them.

These are: Standing in the snow at the master's door, Disciplining with a ruler, Earnest teachings, Offering a sum of money to enlighten wisdom, Strict teacher and heavy instruction, Teaching whip to spur on the child, Passing on the mantle, Passing on the torch.

The "Standing in the Snow" technique of his sect is beyond Ning Zhuo's current Confucian cultivation level. However, he can use the related formations to assist in its success. If this Confucian method succeeds, the target cultivator will be able to directly understand the content being taught, pass through the door, cross the threshold, and enter the inner sanctum.

The discipline technique using the ruler requires the specific ritual implement of a ruler to be employed. It allows practitioners to learn useful knowledge through the striking of the ruler.

The practice of "collecting tuition fees to enlighten wisdom" is a Confucian ritual. Monks would collect tuition fees from students by using portraits of Confucian sages, and then bestow upon them a particular form of wisdom or knowledge.

……

"Let's buy them all." Ning Zhuo took out spirit stones and paid the bill on the spot.

After inheriting Qinghuangzi's legacy, he obtained a batch of spirit stones to pay for his daily expenses, finally escaping the embarrassing situation of always having to use Ghost Dao Golden Pills.

"Take care." Under the watchful eyes of the on-duty cultivators and others, Ning Zhuo leisurely left the trading post.

Ban Jie sat on the second floor of the restaurant, near the window.

The message arrived via Fetion and landed in front of her.

"Ning Zhuo's visit to the Trading Hall this time was solely to purchase some Confucian magical arts?"

Ban Jie examined it more closely, his brow furrowing slightly: "Why are they all just methods for imparting knowledge to others? What... is their intention?"

Ban Jie, who was urgently dispatched by the Ban family, was also puzzled when he saw this information.

"Never mind that. Where is Ning Zhuo?" Ban Jie touched the jade pendant at his waist and contacted his subordinates.

Ning Zhuo's subordinates kept a close eye on him and responded immediately. The intelligence reports, passed down through the ranks, were quickly delivered to Ban Jie.

So, when Ning Zhuo was halfway there, Ban Jiecheng appeared in front of him.

“Fellow Daoist Ning, wait a moment.” Ban Jie blocked his way. “I am Ban Jie, a cultivator from the Ban family.”

Ban Jie took the initiative to bow and introduce himself.

She deliberately spoke loudly, and coincidentally, there was a mountain peak to the southeast of the two of them, where a market was being held, with crowds of people jostling each other.

Upon sensing Ban Jie's movements, many cultivators immediately took notice.

"Look! It's Ning Zhuo."

"Ban Jie? People from the Ban family have come? And they even approached Ning Zhuo on their own initiative? Are they going to teach this outsider a lesson?"

"Hurry up, there's a good show coming!"

"There were many rumors before, saying that Ban Ji was jealous of talent and secretly hired demonic cultivators to make things difficult for Ning Zhuo. Now the Ban family has even sent people here."

Many cultivators became excited. Some used detection spells, while others simply rode on clouds, left the mountain peak, and floated towards the location of Ning Zhuo and Ban Jie.

Ning Zhuo looked Ban Jie up and down and saw that the female cultivator wore a hundred-strength silkworm robe as an inner garment, and an autumn-fragrant cloud-patterned robe with an amber-colored silk gauze over it.

Her eyebrows were thin and sharp, and at her temples, two black copper eyebrow studs were embedded like gear pivots, rotating on their own, the amplitude of which was almost imperceptible.

A glint flashed in Ning Zhuo's eyes, and he immediately became wary. He quickly glanced at the crowd of cultivators who had flown over to watch the commotion, and sneered, "Ban Jie? What brings you here?"

A perfectly measured hint of sorrow and sincerity appeared on Ban Jie's face: "In the previous incident, my brother Ban Ji was framed! The so-called 'hiring of demonic cultivators' is nothing but a despicable scheme by petty villains to incite conflict between the Ban and Ning families. Their intentions are despicable! Our Ban family is a prestigious clan and would never act in such a way. If this misunderstanding is not cleared up, both families will suffer, and the righteous path will be tarnished!"

At this point, Ban Jie looked around the room and then fixed his gaze on Ning Zhuo: "Today, Ban Jie is here with great honor, carrying the kindness of my family elders, and presenting a small gift to show my sincerity. I hope to clear up the misunderstanding with you, Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo, and turn enemies into friends."

"Fellow Daoist has unique insights into the art of mechanisms and the mysteries of the Five Elements. With a heart of music and a courage of swordsmanship, and a refined and elegant demeanor, you are truly an outstanding member of our generation, inspiring admiration and a desire to befriend you."

"It is better to resolve enmity than to perpetuate it. Turning hostility into friendship is a beautiful story. It is not unrealistic to even dream of a future where we are of one mind and work together on the path of enlightenment."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers exchanged glances and communicated with each other using their spiritual senses.

"The Ban family actually took the initiative to clear up the misunderstanding with Ning Zhuo?"

"Ning Zhuo may seem to be all alone, but it's just that his family is based in Feiyun. The Ban family's move is quite wise."

"I knew the Ban family's family traditions wouldn't allow them to get involved with demonic cultivators. I never imagined it was someone else's scheme!"

Ning Zhuo frowned, about to speak.

Ban Jie, observing the situation, decisively interrupted, directly patting the storage bag at his waist and releasing the gifts he had brought for this visit to Ning Zhuo.

In an instant, a precious light burst forth, and as the light flowed, it attracted a mist of spiritual energy.

More than a dozen treasures were lifted up by an invisible force and suspended between Ban Jie and Ning Zhuo, which awed all who witnessed them.

The cultivators gasped in surprise.

"Am I seeing things? This bottle seems to contain Nine Heavens Profound Ice Marrow! Such an extremely cold treasure, and the Ban family is actually giving away three drops of it!"

"Earthfire Lotus Seed? Such a spiritual plant is extremely rare. It is said that if cultivated properly, it can contain fire seeds."

"There's such a huge Void Spirit Stone! This is a top-tier material for setting up teleportation arrays or forging spatial magic treasures!"

Ning Zhuo was also drawn to the attention.

He noticed a pagoda among them. The exquisitely crafted nine-story pagoda was now rotating silently. Its body was covered with densely packed magnetic threads and miniature gears, subtly conforming to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, so precise that it was dazzling and mesmerizing.

Ban Jie then introduced, "This is the Mysterious Magnetic Thousand Machine Nine-Bend Treasure Pagoda. The treasures hidden inside are often extremely rare and precious; otherwise, such methods would not be used for storage."

She then pointed to a piece of jade: "This is the Ten Thousand Years Azure Divine Wind Jade."

He moved his finger to a crystal-clear spirit egg: "This is the egg of the Azure Phoenix. Hatching it will yield an excellent means of transportation."

Finally, she introduced an ancient animal hide scroll: "This is the 'Heavenly Evolution Myriad Transformations Beast Spirit Contract.' Once mastered, it allows one to establish a contract with any demon beast and make it one's own. Even if a demon beast dies in battle, there is a certain possibility that it will form a beast spirit and continue to be driven by the cultivator." Ning Zhuo frowned even more deeply, while the clamor of the surrounding cultivators grew louder and louder.

"My goodness! The Ban family is incredibly generous! This is hardly a small gift!"

"Nine Heavens Profound Ice Marrow! Earth Fire Lotus Seed! Void Stone! My Dao Heart... I've never seen anything like it in my life!"

"The Ban family is magnanimous! They are willing to go to such lengths to prove their innocence, but Ning Zhuo himself certainly deserves such attention."

Ban Jie stared intently at Ning Zhuo, not missing a single, minute change in the latter's expression.

She murmured to herself, "Ning Zhuo! Such a generous gift is right before your eyes. With just a word from you, you can have it all. I don't believe you won't be tempted!"

"As long as you accept them, our Ban family will have a legitimate reputation!"

"Once you accept the benefits, the ancestral temple's power structure will be able to act and target your fortune again!"

How could they possibly accept these treasures from the Ban family for nothing?

Ning Zhuo is bound to pay an even heavier price! And these prices are almost imperceptible to outsiders.

"Heh." Ning Zhuo chuckled softly, his eyes flashing with cold stars, his gaze sharp as a knife as he looked at Ban Jie's face.

"Fellow Daoist Ban Jie, the Ban family... what a generous and sincere gift!"

"This Nine Heavens Profound Ice Marrow has nothing to do with my Five Elements circulation. It is not needed for the harmony of the Five Elements. The method of storing it requires a large amount of pure Yang and wood-attribute natural treasures to construct a special seal for preservation."

"The Earth Fire Lotus originally grows deep underground, in magma. If I want to cultivate it, I need to invest a huge amount of fire element resources, which will take a long time."

"The larger the Void Spirit Stone, the more difficult it is to utilize. When setting up the array, if its internal stability is disrupted, it will self-destruct, causing the space to collapse and me to fall into the void, where I will die without a burial place!"

"And this Mysterious Magnetic Thousand-Mechanism Nine-Bend Treasure Pagoda, how much time and effort will it take to solve its problems and find its treasures?"

"As for the 'Heavenly Evolution Myriad Transformations Beast Spirit Contract,' judging from its appearance, it's probably an ancient technique. How long do you expect me to study it?"

"I appreciate you going to the trouble of sending me a Azure Phoenix Egg just for this, so that I may have more motivation to practice this ancient method?"

Ning Zhuo's comments silenced all the cultivators in the room.

Ban Jie, exposed, remained calm and shook his head repeatedly: "Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo has a deep misunderstanding of my Ban family and has already fallen into the trap of a villain."

“These are all carefully selected from our clan’s treasury. Even if Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo doesn’t use them, reselling them to the Trade Hall would still be a huge source of income.”

"The Ten-Thousand-Year Azure Divine Wind Jade within can nourish the soul and empty the mind. It is a top-grade treasure to aid in comprehending the laws of wind and space. It is inherently beneficial and harmless. I wonder what kind of misinterpretation you have made?"

Only Ban Jie knew the truth.

These gifts were indeed "carefully selected," each with its own drawbacks. Ning Zhuo's assessment, while slightly flawed, was largely accurate.

The Eternal Azure Divine Wind Jade also has its drawbacks. The principles contained within are too abundant, and when cultivators try to comprehend them, they can easily become engrossed in them, causing their minds and bodies to be eroded by these principles. They cannot fully digest and master them, resulting in the defilement of their foundation, which is even more troublesome than dissipating their cultivation and starting over.

Ning Zhu snorted coldly, his eyes flashing like lightning as he pierced Ban Jie: "Clever words and a flattering demeanor, utterly hypocritical!"

“Banji hired a demonic cultivator to assassinate me. I have ample evidence, but I just don’t want to be distracted right now.”

"After this year's Feiyun Conference concludes, I will definitely make it public and have a proper confrontation with your Ban family."

"You've blocked me halfway this time, trying to lull me into complacency with promises of great profit, leading me astray and leaving me no time to think of anything else!"

"This scheme is truly insidious."

Ning Zhuo raised his voice, scanned the crowd, and immediately announced: "The great Confucian sage said: It is impolite not to reciprocate!"

"Your family has repeatedly tried to harm me, do you think I'm an ignorant child?"

"This is simply unreasonable!"

"I, Ning Zhuo, swear once again that I will do everything in my power to avenge Ban Ji. I will not rest until I have beaten him so badly that he is crying for his parents and fleeing in a sorry state!"

"I ask all of you present to bear witness for me!"

The crowd erupted in a roar.

Ning Zhuo knew very well that there must be some shills arranged by Ban Jie among them, but most of them were probably just passersby.

The cultivators stared wide-eyed at Ning Zhuo with astonishment.

"I never expected Ning Zhuo to be so fierce!"

"That's too reckless. Ning Zhuo isn't just provoking Ban Ji, but also the entire Ban family. What exactly is he relying on?"

"On the other hand, did Ban Jie have any malicious intentions when he gave gifts?"

After Ning Zhuo finished speaking, he gave Ban Jie a cold glance and flew away.

Ban Jie suppressed his anger and repeatedly protested his injustice, but he couldn't stop Ning Zhuo. He could only watch helplessly as the big-headed boy stormed off.

Ban Jie's eye finally twitched slightly.

"This little brat is unmoved by such a generous gift!"

"I already reminded him that he could sell it for money, but he still refused!"

Difficult.

Ban Jie suffered a defeat in his first encounter with Ning Zhuo.

“But my methods don’t stop there. Hmph, just you wait. Ning Zhuo!” Ban Jie stared intently at Ning Zhuo’s receding figure, his heart brimming with murderous intent.

Point Star Peak.

Chamber.

Yan Linglong stood beside Situ Xing and said softly, "Chief Situ, as the saying goes, to repel external enemies, one must first secure internal stability."

"It's a great thing that we've produced two top-notch geniuses here in a row."

"But Ning Zhuo wasn't included in the rankings, and everyone has been discussing this a lot today. Is he looking down on us?"

“You sit in the first seat, followed by Lin Jinglong and Shen Xi. Ning Zhuo doesn’t even have a seat. He received the stone tablet and rose to fame, but he has never even met you.”

"If this situation continues to develop, I'm afraid everyone will start to feel a little strange."

Situ Xing frowned, gazing out the window and pondering, "That's true."

“The seating arrangement is our rule, but Ning Zhuo doesn’t abide by it. Every moment he deviates from it is a violation of our rules.”

What do you think we should do?

Yan Linglong smiled slightly. Knowing Situ Xing's temperament well, she deliberately said, "That's easy. Chief Situ might as well write a letter to him, gently persuade him, and arrange for Ning Zhuo to sit in the second-in-command position."

Situ Xing frowned even more deeply.

Yan Linglong knew the time was right, so she immediately took her leave under the pretext of cultivation.

Arriving at her secluded cave dwelling, she sent a message to Ban Jie: "I have done everything you asked. Situ Xing and Ning Zhuo are bound to have a battle in the coming days!"

(End of this chapter)