Underground workshop.
Ning Zhuo slowly opened his eyes and wiped the blood from his nose.
Within him, there was no longer the faint blue Mana of frost.
Instead, it was the Five Elements Mana!
The Five Elements Mana had the whiteness of metal, the greenness of wood, the blackness of water, the redness of fire, and the yellowness of earth. These five colors—white, green, black, red, and yellow—intertwined but did not permeate each other, clear and distinct.
"In the natural world, the spiritual power of the five elements mutually supports and restrains each other. It is very difficult to achieve stable balance and long-term coexistence."
"However, by using the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art to convert spiritual energy into Five Elements Mana, it can coexist harmoniously, in clear layers."
"No wonder it is left by the Three Ancestral Masters!"
"Qi Refinement Level Two..."
Previously, Ning Zhuo was at Qi Refinement Level Three. After fully converting his mana, only Qi Refinement Level Two remained.
Converting mana also had its consumption.
This was to be expected; Ning Zhuo had already anticipated it.
Next was to continue cultivating, accumulating mana, and reaching Qi Refinement Level Three.
"I wonder when I will hear the sound of the Dharma Transmission Bell again."
After the conversion was completed, Ning Zhuo was exhausted in both body and mind, deciding to rest and recharge.
He took a few Warming Cultivation Pills and ingested them to help his body quickly adapt to the new mana.
The Warming Cultivation Pills had many advantages, such as mild medicinal power, slow effectiveness, and minimal burden on the body. Their biggest drawback was probably their high cost. One pill required hundreds of spirit stones.
Ding ding ding.
Just as Ning Zhuo finished the elixir, he heard a clear, bell-like sound.
This indicated the presence of a suspicious person near his residence, triggering the alarm mechanism.
He approached his workbench and gently kicked the leg of the table. The wall facing him creaked, and the bricks moved aside to reveal a mirror.
Through the mirror, Ning Zhuo saw the "suspicious person"—Chen Cha.
Chen Cha stood at the gate of Ning Zhuo's small courtyard, his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth, looking down the road with a troubled expression.
A glint flashed in Ning Zhuo's eyes: "Chen Cha? Why did he come to see me?"
"It seems there is some progress regarding the Explosive Flame Monkey mechanism."
Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo was slightly pleased.
Chen Cha paced at the gate, his mind filled with the scene that had occurred earlier.
Fei Si had called him over and informed him: The mechanism of the Explosive Flame Monkey had been approved by the City Lord, and all the mechanical workshops in the city were to be mobilized to expedite the production of this artifact for the large-scale picking of fire persimmons at this year's Fire Persimmon Festival.
Fei Si encouraged Chen Cha: "You are someone I personally recruited into the city."
"Do your best! If you succeed this time, your life will be completely different."
Chen Cha was taken aback and hurried to explain: "Master Fei Si, you misunderstand me."
"I came to you to report this mechanism monkey mainly to ask for a favorable policy, to grant the Frisbee Workshop some tax reductions."
"In fact, I did not design this mechanism monkey. There is someone else who developed it."
Chen Cha was proficient in formations and mechanical techniques. People like him, who delved deeply into technology, often didn't care for deception.
Claiming someone else's work was something he despised and would never do.
During his previous conversation with Ning Zhuo, he had even once suspected that Ning Zhuo had claimed another's mechanical work.
Fei Si was taken aback: "Not your work?"
This, he truly did not know.
He smiled indifferently: "It's not a big deal. You are the workshop master, so the credit is whatever you say it is."
Chen Cha had his principles in this regard and decisively shook his head: "Master, I am but shallow in wisdom, not talented enough to design such a sophisticated artifact."
"Creating such a mechanism artifact, from design to production, involves countless setbacks and hardships. The inventor must have poured so much effort and thought into it!"
"Claiming someone else's mechanism work is no different from killing someone and taking their child."
"Please discern the truth, Master."
A glint of cold light flashed in Fei Si's eyes, and he became somewhat angry.
In his view, the mechanism must be credited to Chen Cha! Because, Chen Cha was his subordinate, and Chen Cha's achievement represented his own achievement.
Fei Si's face, however, showed a smile as he reached out and patted Chen Cha's shoulder, instead praising him: "It's precisely because of your integrity that I appreciate you."
"Although this work is not yours, I trust that in the future, you will definitely create an even better artifact."
Chen Cha was visibly moved: "Thank you, Master, for your appreciation!"
Many years ago, it was Fei Si's solicitation that brought him to Fire Persimmon Immortal City to develop.
But who knew, Ju Immortal City was not easy to thrive in! He had painstakingly managed the Frisbee Workshop, and by this year, it was already in a precarious state.
However, the opportunity Fei Si had given him was genuine. For this, he had always been tremendously grateful.
Fei Si naturally continued probing: "Let me ask you then, which cultivator invented this mechanism monkey?"
Chen Cha was unwilling to do it, so Fei Si decided to step in himself, "helping" Chen Cha solve this problem.
In the vast Fire Persimmon Immortal City, what did it matter if a few unknown mechanism masters disappeared?
Chen Cha did not suspect and gave a brief introduction about Ning Zhuo.
"A mere Qi Refinement Level Three..." Fei Si sneered in his heart, then his expression changed upon hearing the next words, "Hmm? Someone from the Ning Family?"
Fei Si slightly frowned.
That made it difficult to take action.
He immediately dismissed his previous dark thoughts.
Because this involved the Ning Family, a Golden Core Level power. Provoking them would be extremely troublesome.
The Ning Family's overall power was considered the weakest among the Four Directions Powers in Fire Persimmon Immortal City. The Ning Family only had one Golden Core Stage cultivator.
However, the Ning Family Ancestor had proven their might in actual combat.
Sixteen years ago, during the Ning Family's migration, they went through a fierce battle. The Ning Family Ancestor fought two enemies alone, repelling the ambushers and saving most of their clan members, showcasing remarkable combat power.
This feat was why the other three forces allowed the Ning Family to settle in Fire Persimmon City. Although minor conflicts between the four powers were inevitable, they all managed to restrain themselves, avoiding severe clashes.
Moving against Ning Zhuo might mean facing the Ning Family and their Golden Core powerhouse. Fei Si would never take on such a huge risk.
For such a small amount of credit, it was not worth it at all!
Failing in this plan, Fei Si quickly thought of another.
He sighed: "Chen Cha, you have deceived me!"
Chen Cha was immediately apprehensive: "Master, you are my benefactor. Your support is the reason I have been able to cultivate in Fire Persimmon Immortal City. Why do you say this?"
Fei Si replied: "Your report was vague, making me mistakenly believe this mechanism was your work."
"I have already vouched for you to the City Lord and even secured a reward for you."
"Sigh, I have always trusted you."
"Now, the die is cast. If the truth comes out, what do you think the City Lord will do to us?"
"As for me, I might be fine. But I worry about you. For you, this is a serious crime of claiming credit!"
Chen Cha's face turned pale, and he became panicked: "What should I do? Please, Master, save me!"
Fei Si remained silent, stroking his beard thoughtfully. After a moment, he said: "Here's what you should do: talk to Ning Zhuo and see if you can persuade him to transfer the credit for this mechanism monkey to you. You are much older than him, while Ning Zhuo is only sixteen. What could a cultivator in the Great Clan School have experienced? Hehe, have a good chat with him and negotiate."
Chen Cha was deeply troubled: "But..."
Honestly, he didn't want to do this at all.
Fei Si snorted inwardly and sighed out loud: "Chen Cha, this is for your own good! If you don't go along with this, and the City Lord finds out eventually, you will be the one being punished! The crime of falsely claiming credit is no small matter."
Fei Si listed a few examples nonchalantly, causing Chen Cha to break into cold sweat.
"Sigh, things have come to this point, I can only try to persuade Ning Zhuo. No, I must successfully persuade him!" Chen Cha sighed inwardly, being forced to change his mind.
Although he greatly admired Ning Zhuo, seeing him as a kindred spirit and even subtly considering him a confidant,
When it came to his own life and reputation, and possibly implicating the benevolent Master Fei Si, he had no choice!
Fei Si's power and influence far exceeded his own. He easily manipulated Chen Cha, who was unfamiliar with the internal affairs of the City Lord's Mansion.
Chen Cha had never thought of oppressing or dealing with Ning Zhuo, but in front of the Golden Core Level Fei Si, he, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, was just a little figure.
Little figures always had no choice.
After some investigation, Chen Cha arrived at Ning Zhuo's residence.
He did not knock on the door directly but wandered at the courtyard gate, sighing inwardly.
"Chen Lao, what brings you here?" The gate opened, and Ning Zhuo, dressed in clean clothes, greeted him.
Chen Cha turned around and saw a young man in a white long robe, with clear eyes and an extraordinary demeanor.
The youngster stood tall. The sunlight poured down from the sky, outlining his figure clearly. The small courtyard's flowers and plants made the youth appear so vigorous, pure, and beautiful.
Seeing Ning Zhuo's fresh and pristine appearance, Chen Cha's guilt increased tenfold!
He had spent years immersed in technical research and had a strong distaste for the injustices of the cultivation world.
But today, he had to play the role of someone who would pressure a junior, delivering the harsh reality of the world's darkness and cruelty.
Chen Cha felt an indescribable heaviness and pain!