Immortal Creation.

Chapter 758 The Royal Mandate Begins
Ban Ji's expression was gloomy: "Yes. In the beginning, I learned from Pi Fujie that Ning Zhuo possessed mechanical puppets with Golden Core technology, so I wanted to seize them."

"I first checked his information, and then sent him a letter, expressing my desire to exchange skills."

"Who would have thought that this young man in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage would be similar to Situ Xing?"

"This possibility is one in a million."

Ban Jie rolled his eyes: "So, you're saying you're unlucky?"

Banji: "That's why he is my calamity."

Ban Jie shook his head: "He now has your challenge letter and has the upper hand. He can avoid fighting, but if he presents the challenge letter, you will have to accept the challenge!"

Banji gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Ning Zhuo is a foreigner, and the power behind him still maintains a veil of mystery, having no reputation whatsoever in Feiyun Kingdom.

This is Ning Zhuo's weakness, but it is also an advantage. At least in terms of power and prestige, the possibility of forcing Ning Zhuo to fight is extremely slim.

In contrast, Banji is not like that.

His situation was similar to that of Situ Xing and Zhu Fenxiang. If others started with the Ban family, Ban Ji would have no choice but to fight back.

In this respect, he is different from Pi Fujie.

Pi Fujie's initial rejection of Ning Zhuo's challenge was perfectly natural. This was because the Pi family were originally demonic cultivators who had turned to the righteous path; that was their inherent nature.

Ban Ji is different. The Ban family has always been a righteous family, while Ban Ji's practice of demonic arts makes him an exception.

In short, the Ban family has a lot to lose face!

How can you walk the straight and narrow if you have no face?
Ban Ji revealed a ruthless look: "To be honest, it wouldn't be bad if Ning Zhuo challenged me first."

"He couldn't figure it out, so I gave him this chance."

"Of course, if the clan can provide me with more Golden Core level mechanical creations, my chances of success will be even greater."

Ban Jie shook his head immediately: "Don't be reckless."

Having been appointed to support Banji, she had already learned of the family secrets before setting off. Banji not only knew of Banji's royal decree, but also of the perilous situation where the family's lifeline was on the verge of collapse.

Ban Jie said in a deep voice, "Ning Zhuo is not as simple as you think. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye."

Ban Ji snorted coldly: "If it weren't for the fact that we were in the Myriad Manifestations Sect, given my usual temperament, I would have already mobilized manpower and crushed them directly."

"Even if I fight alone, as long as I have eight or more Golden Core level mechanisms, I can possess combat power comparable to the Nascent Soul level with my talent and demonic arts!"

“I can crush Ning Zhuo as easily as crushing an ant.”

Ban Jie sighed.

Banji herself was unaware of the secret of the royal decree. She couldn't reveal it openly yet.

"Banji's royal mandate has not yet been fully realized; it is still very weak."

"But according to the family's plan for him, each small trial of Xingyun will be able to stimulate his royal destiny and officially begin his journey of royal destiny."

“Ning Zhuo is a first-rate genius with unfathomable power behind him. He is also the one who has brought about Ban Ji’s tribulation, and he currently has an advantage in terms of luck. Judging from the current overall situation, it is clear that Ning Zhuo is in control!”

"It is quite risky to let Banji confront Ning Zhuo head-on now! Banji is currently lagging behind, so we need to catch up in terms of momentum, constantly inspire the king's will, and rapidly increase our strength."

"The family has spared no expense and painstakingly calculated the optimal route for him. Each trial of Xingyun has brought about a mysterious qualitative change in his strength!"

"Give us enough time, and we can make Banji's individual combat strength and morale soar."

"Once Banji's strength continues to surpass Ning Zhuo's, this human calamity will also collapse on its own."

"This is the way of the king! This is the advantage of the king's mandate."

Ban Jie already had a plan in mind. Of course, this plan did not come from her alone, but from the wisdom of the entire Ban family.

"The fortunes of Banji and his family are intertwined; they rise and fall together."

"Now is the time for the family to protect him and buy him precious time."

The future belongs to us!

Ban Jie had presented gifts in public in an attempt to buy time, but Ning Zhuo's reaction was so intense that, from the Ban family's perspective, the boy was far too arrogant.

But the higher-ups in the Ban family could understand this arrogance.

"It's all due to the allure of fate!"

"Even if he is a first-rate genius, compared with Wang Ming, he is just an ordinary person. He was used by the Heavenly Dao and became a calamity for Wang Ming. Naturally, he was blinded by fate and became a pawn to test Wang Ming."

Now that the letter of challenge is in Ning Zhuo's hands, Ban Jie is very worried. Ning Zhuo has played this card, forcing Ban Ji to face off against him.

"At such a young age, his high profile and open declaration of his stance, provoking the Ban family, indicate that he must have something to rely on!"

"Ban Ji has a trump card, and Ning Zhuo certainly does too."

"Even though the family triggered the pivotal chain of the clan's destiny, they still couldn't calculate all of his fortune. In fact, even part of the clan's protective mechanism collapsed, which is enough to explain the problem."

"Even setting aside all of the above, the fact that he was chosen by Heaven to become Banji's human tribulation already speaks volumes."

How can we prevent him from using the letter to force Banji to play head-on?

Ban Jie frowned deeply.

She glanced at Ban Ji, said nothing, but decided in her heart: "If Ning Zhuo forces a fight, even if it means knocking Ban Ji unconscious, we must avoid this confrontation. The timing is too unfavorable for us. Even if the Ban family's reputation is tarnished, compared to protecting the king's mandate, this price is worth paying!"

“Ning Zhuo has the backing of Confucian scholars and the Exorcising Evil Hall, but spreading rumors is still a feasible course of action. However, this trip will not be able to deal him a serious blow; it is merely a harassing punch.”

"We need to protect Banji and prevent the Qinghuangzi incident from happening again, so we need to release a lot of interference. On the one hand, it could be a trap, and on the other hand, even if it's purely for personal gain, as long as it attracts Ning Zhuo's attention, it's still a gain."

"Sigh, I never thought that my dignified Ban family would be so vulnerable and passive."

Rumors are flying!

Various rumors and opinions about Ning Zhuo circulated throughout the main gate of the Wanxiang Sect.

These rumors focused the cultivators' attention on Ning Zhuo's status as an outsider, highlighting his arrogance, haughtiness, disdain for native cultivators of Feiyun Kingdom, and lack of manners.

At the same time, it was pointed out that Ning Zhuo only had the cultivation level of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, making him the weakest among all the top-tier geniuses. Yet, he treated everyone with arrogance, considering himself the center of the universe.

These rumors could only slightly damage Ning Zhuo's impression and goodwill.

Ban Jie has done his best without offending the Confucian scholars or the Exorcism Hall.

What angered and horrified her was that, in response to the rumors about the Ban family, the rumors revealed Ban Ji's past sins during his cultivation, bringing up his old stories and making them public.

What disgusted Ban Jie in particular was another rumor. This rumor, from the Ban family's perspective and out of consideration for them, encouraged the Ban family to clean house and get rid of Ban Jie, this "bad apple."

"The fate of the clan is already tied to the king's will. 'Purge the family' is tantamount to taking the life of the Ban family itself!"

"This rumor is truly malicious! It attempts to separate Ban Ji from the Ban family, sowing discord on one hand and pressuring the family on the other. If the family continues to tolerate Ban Ji, it will inevitably arouse much suspicion and severely damage its reputation."

"Ning Zhuo... is indeed formidable!"

"It's highly likely that he was the one who did the incense offering." Although Ban Jie had anticipated a passive situation, the severity of the situation still exceeded her expectations when it actually happened.

An expert will know if there is one as soon as he takes action.

In a clash between masters, a single glance might be enough to determine each other's general skill level.

This round of confrontation was originally Ban Jie's forte, but he was completely outmatched by Ning Zhuo.

The difference in height is too obvious!

"Our disadvantages are too great, and I am too constrained in my actions. How can we possibly defeat Ning Zhuo? Damn it! How hateful!" Ban Jie bit his lip until it bled, but he was unaware of it.

She felt extremely stifled, and a fire was burning inside her!

The Flying Cloud Assembly of the Myriad Manifestations Sect is the focus of everyone's attention, drawing countless eyes from across the Flying Cloud Kingdom. Not only cultivators from their own country, but also from other nations, will travel great distances to participate and showcase their talents.

On this enormous stage, any movement can be magnified countless times.

Ning Zhuo displayed the demeanor of a first-rate genius, and his influence was not limited to the main gate of the Myriad Manifestations Sect. It had already spread far and wide, reaching the entire Flying Cloud Kingdom.

If his outstanding performance continues until the end of the Flying Cloud Tournament, his reputation will even spread to the surrounding cultivation kingdoms!

This is the Flying Cloud Conference!
That's why Situ Xing, Lin Jinglong, Shen Xi, Ban Ji, Pi Fujie, and others had to wait for many years for such an opportunity to come their way.

This is truly the best stage to make a name for yourself!
Now, the rumors released by Ning Zhuo have dealt a huge blow to the reputation of Ban Ji and the Ban family.

Ban Jie was well aware that the Ban family's reputation was rapidly crumbling. Ban Ji had also become the target of public criticism!

"Now, the cardinal chains of the clan's destiny are probably already showing clear signs of this. The clan's fortunes are bound to decline sharply."

"Alas, there's really no other way. Compared to the king's command, this is an inevitable sacrifice."

Ban Jie couldn't understand it before. He always thought that the family's indulgence of Ban Ji stemmed from the elders' pampering and leniency towards a genius.

Now she knows the truth: the Ban family had no choice. Ban Ji's royal mandate fell to the eccentric and demonic sects. Even if he were forced to cultivate the righteous path, fate would make various arrangements to cause him to rebel and become a demonic cultivator.

At that point, the entire Ban family will have no choice but to deal with Ban Jie.

Instead, they followed the king's orders and allowed him to cultivate demonic techniques, thus preventing a potential conflict between the clan and the king.

The Ban family paid a heavy price to protect Banji. But in the future, when the royal decree is fulfilled and they gain a foothold, establishing a small cultivation kingdom, the entire Ban family will rise to prominence and become royalty!

Qingshi Cave.

All sorts of intelligence came into Ning Zhuo's hands.

"The class didn't spread rumors that I cheated? They're really something."

This is the main gate of the Myriad Manifestations Sect. If outsiders like Ning Zhuo and Ban Jie spread rumors, the Myriad Manifestations Sect can easily trace them back to their source.

If Ban Jie really spread rumors that Ning Zhuo cheated, it would be a complete blunder.

"It's just fabricating a story about my arrogant and domineering personality; it's nothing serious."

"The problem is that Ban Ji has already won first place at the Blind Foolish Old Man's place and obtained the stone tablet. How is he going to participate in the Xingyun Trial next?"

"Is it the Ninefold Mystic Armor of the ancient sect Jishu Sect, or the Mechanism Star Calculation from the celestial ruins?"

"Is the Celestial Feather Clan fulfilling its promise to find a destined person for the Great Roc Wing, or is it a small-scale recruitment trial for the Guicang Locksmith?"

The intelligence gathered indicates that Banji possesses mechanical artifacts at the Golden Core level.

With Yuan Dasheng and Meng Yehu, two of Ning Zhuo's major combat forces, absent, he would not directly cause trouble for Ban Ji.

Firstly, Xue Shuyu·Xie and Xue Cainu·Hui were both newly created by Ning Zhuo from the inheritance of the [Empty Valley Syllable Green Machine Tube]. Their strength lies in defense, so Ning Zhuo cannot fully utilize their combat power.

Secondly, the martial arts arena of the Myriad Manifestations Sect does not allow for life or death, and in Ning Zhuo's view, there is no need to take such a risk.

Thirdly, he wanted to establish his authority over Ban Ji, not to put him to death. Since the other party had the backing of the Ban family, Ning Zhuo didn't want to completely offend the Ban family.

"Time is my advantage."

“I have many learning methods, and the Lingyin Willow is on its way. The Xingyun trial here is all the resources for my rapid growth.”

"As long as we can suppress the group's grievances and establish a certain level of prestige, that will suffice."

"I'm new here, but I've already made a name for myself. I need to establish my authority in order to stand firm and gain a foothold!"

Ning Zhuo was unaware of Ban Ji's secret royal mandate, and did not know that the Ban family's fate was intertwined with Ban Ji's; they shared both prosperity and adversity, and were fully committed to supporting Ban Ji.

What he didn't know was that, in the eyes of Banji and the Ban family, he was Banji's nemesis, someone he had to deal with with all his might and with utmost caution!

Ning Zhuo's plan was to find the Xingyun Trial that Ban Ji wanted to participate in and then actively get involved. In this way, he could clash with Ban Ji. If he could repeatedly suppress Ban Ji, he could establish his own prestige.

Ordinary cultivators would have to think twice before trying to cause trouble for Ning Zhuo.

After all, Ning Zhuo was a ruthless character who dared to offend even the Ban family and could suppress even Ban Ji.

Ning Zhuo's current goal is to make most people wary of offending him, knowing that they will pay a heavy price!

"The previous trials of Xingyun did not involve much about mechanical arts."

"But with Ban Jie's arrival here, the scale of the trial of the mechanism has increased more than three times compared to before."

"Moreover, these small-scale trials of Xingyun even proactively sent me letters inviting me to participate!"

"There must be a trap set by the Ban family here!"

"I must choose carefully."

If Ning Zhuo truly falls into a trap, under the influence of the Ban family, he will inevitably lose, perhaps even to Ban Ji. That would be a net loss.

"I need more information in order to make the right judgment as much as possible."

"Besides the background of these small-scale trials, there is also Banji's precise movements."

"Until then, we'll have to guess."

"This 'Rising Cloud Trial' revolves around the Ninefold Mystic Armor of the ancient sect Jishu Sect. It has appeared in every Flying Cloud Assembly, and Ban Ji has also sent his subordinates to investigate it. In my opinion, it is the most likely one."

Ban family.

Ancestral temple.

Surrounding the patriarchal chain of succession, the elders were panting heavily, utterly exhausted.

The structure of the clan's pivotal chain has changed again, and the water level is slowly rising in the glass vertical tube.

This represents the fate of the Banji.

"Obtaining the stone tablet is not the key; the key is mastering the Blindness and Fool Technique, which officially activates the King's Mandate!"

What's next?

"It is the Ninefold Mystic Armor."

(End of this chapter)