Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Ning Zhuo focused his final attention on the butterfly wings behind the Breast Butterfly Lady.

Among the entire structure of the mechanical creation, her butterfly wings were the most striking.

At first glance, Ning Zhuo was attracted by these wings, but he prioritized exploring the main body of the mechanical doll, probing to the current limit.

This was the correct order for studying a mechanical creation.

First, understanding the structure, function, and so on of the main body made it easier and more accurate to test the roles of other mechanical components.

The butterfly wings of the Breast Butterfly Lady were extremely dazzling!

Ning Zhuo slightly adjusted his angle and could always see the seven-colored rainbow light reflecting from the butterfly wings, which were incredibly gorgeous and exquisite.

After carefully investigating them, he was surprised to discover that what appeared to be just one pair of butterfly wings was actually seven pairs.

These seven pairs of butterfly wings were stacked so closely together that they seemed like one.

Ning Zhuo could imagine that when the Breast Butterfly Lady exerted her full strength, seven pairs of butterfly wings would unfold behind her.

Each layer of the butterfly wings was extremely delicate, with its own primary color—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple, perfectly corresponding to the seven colors of the rainbow.

The construction of the butterfly wings was so intricate that Ning Zhuo was left in awe.

This was the most exquisite mechanical creation he had ever seen in his life!

The butterfly wings were composed of countless fine silk threads forming the basic framework, supplemented and solidified with spiritual energy.

Ning Zhuo wasn’t unfamiliar with these silk threads—he had just found the same type in the Breast Butterfly Lady’s hands and feet.

The technique of solidifying spiritual energy into form alone was extremely precious.

It reminded Ning Zhuo of certain ultra-high-level Spirit Gathering Formations that could condense the spiritual energy in the air into spiritual liquid, or even spirit stones.

However, such ultra-high-grade Spirit Gathering Formations were usually massive, covering entire mountain peaks or spreading over a small mountain range.

From this, it was clear how terrifying the technique used to solidify the spiritual energy on the butterfly wings was!

"Who in the world designed this mechanical doll?"

"To think they could create such power on a pair of extremely thin butterfly wings?!"

"Too terrifying."

Outsiders would only see the spectacle, but experts would see the deeper intricacies.

After a careful study, Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but break into a fine cold sweat.

The material of the Breast Butterfly Lady itself wasn’t impressive—only of Foundation Establishment grade materials—but this terrifying cultivation technique was so advanced that it left Ning Zhuo in awe and fear.

The structure of the butterfly wings was both sturdy and flexible, and their weight was incredibly light.

The combined weight of the seven layers of butterfly wings was about the same as a sheet of rice paper.

According to Ning Zhuo’s estimation, due to the technique of solidifying spiritual energy, the wings also had a powerful self-repairing ability.

"It feels like some expert in mechanical techniques had a sudden burst of inspiration and intentionally showed off their skills by creating this Breast Butterfly Lady."

"Did Song Fuli and the Yun Merchants place her in the auction warehouse because they intend to make her the final auction item?"

Ning Zhuo continued to speculate in his heart.

The style of the Breast Butterfly Lady's mechanical construction could be described as delicate, luxurious, and extravagant to the extreme.

Compared to her, the mechanical body Ning Zhuo had refined for Yuan Dasheng, at the Golden Core level, was the complete opposite—crude, piled up with materials, and relying on quantity over quality.

As Ning Zhuo continued his research, he was shocked to find that each layer of the butterfly wings had at least one formation.

It was also an adapted type of formation, with an incredibly high level of skill, turning this technique into an art form.

It was breathtakingly beautiful!

Ning Zhuo used every ounce of his mental focus, repeatedly employing various mechanical tools to assist himself, and he barely understood the function of the formation on the outermost layer of the butterfly wings.

A flash of realization lit up Ning Zhuo’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but exclaim softly, "I understand, I understand."

"The silver crown on her head, the silver array patterns beneath her skin, and other such features are all meant to work in conjunction with these butterfly wings."

"When the butterfly wings are activated, the formation will also be triggered. The outermost butterfly wing formation will instantly create a formation around the surrounding area, modifying the space."

"At that time, the spherical space with the Breast Butterfly Lady at the center will be divided into countless small sections by various forces of mana. From the outside, it will look like countless tiny fragments of colorful glass, piled together—both beautiful and deadly!"

"The amount of mana required to activate the formation is immense, which is why the mechanical expert designed this doll to have ‘blood.’"

"This special spirit essence can carry an enormous amount of mana, essentially serving as a constantly transforming mana reservoir."

"The Breast Butterfly Lady's entire skin is made of a composite material with high cloud velvet cotton as the base, allowing it to constantly absorb natural spiritual energy from the surroundings."

"After the spiritual energy is converted, it’s stored in the spirit essence blood, which is then used when the formation is activated."

Hearing Ning Zhuo’s thorough analysis, Yang Chanyu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly.

She suddenly realized that the young man before her indeed had considerable skill.

After just a bit of investigation, he had deduced the offensive techniques of the Breast Butterfly Lady.

Back when they were inside the Cloud Whale, Yang Chanyu had personally experienced the formation scene that Ning Zhuo had just deduced.

At the time, she couldn’t figure out the details.

Fortunately, Sun Lingtong had intervened in time and won with words; otherwise...

Listening to Ning Zhuo now, if she had fallen into such a powerful formation, even if she could have escaped, she would have paid a heavy price.

"For now, this is as much as I can detect," Ning Zhuo said, sighing with regret as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

He turned to Sun Lingtong and said, "Boss Sun, why don’t you give it a try?"

Sun Lingtong shrugged. "No way, when it comes to mechanical skills, both Yang Chanyu and I can’t compare to you."

Yang Chanyu heard this and raised her eyebrow slightly, ready to retort, but after recalling Ning Zhuo’s earlier performance, she closed her mouth.

She had to admit that in terms of mechanical techniques, this young Qi Refining stage cultivator before her really had an impressive grasp.

Sun Lingtong then asked Ning Zhuo with a serious tone, "Should we wake her up now?"

Ning Zhuo frowned slightly.

To be honest, after this examination, he was somewhat apprehensive about the Breast Butterfly Lady’s combat power.

Although she was only made from Foundation Establishment grade materials, such terrifying cultivation techniques could allow her to exhibit strength comparable to a Golden Core.

Cultivation itself was about studying and applying the truths of the world.

Once the Breast Butterfly Lady awakened, she could become a double-edged sword for Ning Zhuo.

But Ning Zhuo eventually nodded slowly and said to Sun Lingtong, "Wake her up."

This was because, after deep consideration, Ning Zhuo realized he didn’t have many choices.

Once the palace trial began, the fight for the Lava Immortal Palace would surely turn into a bloody battle.

His opponents would be numerous Golden Core cultivators, and even someone like Meng Kui, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

By that time, his cultivation level would at most be at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Based on the timeline, it would likely only be the early Foundation Establishment stage.

Thus, he had to seize every opportunity and make every effort to secure high-end combat power for himself.

The Breast Butterfly Lady had at least near-Golden Core combat power, and this was something Ning Zhuo had to strive for.

For this reason, he needed to take a gamble.

And here, in the Lava Immortal Palace’s medical pavilion, was the best environment to do so.

With Sun Lingtong and Yang Chanyu by his side, this was also the safest moment.

He decided to gamble and wake the Breast Butterfly Lady!

The method to awaken her was simple—just recite the secret chant from before once again.

Sun Lingtong recited it fluently, word for word, with clear and precise pronunciation.

As Ning Zhuo listened to the chant, he glanced at Sun Lingtong, his eyes flickering.

Sun Lingtong glanced back at Ning Zhuo, glaring at him slightly.

The two quickly ended their small interaction, but their subtle exchange was sharply noticed by Yang Chanyu nearby.

“What’s going on?” she thought, suddenly realizing that the relationship between Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong was likely not as simple as mere partners.

After finishing the chant, Sun Lingtong gently patted the Breast Butterfly Lady on the shoulder and arm.

He softly called out, "Breast Butterfly Lady, Breast Butterfly Lady, awaken."

The Breast Butterfly Lady slowly opened her eyes, and with crystal-clear eyes, she scanned her surroundings, quickly locking her gaze onto Ning Zhuo.

Her voice remained soft, with a slight tremble, "Where is this? Excuse me, are you the one who repaired me, Mechanical Master?"

Ning Zhuo nodded slightly.

Sun Lingtong added, "Breast Butterfly Lady, for the next period of time, you will stay with this mechanical master. He can fix the problems with your body, but you need to fully cooperate with him."

The Breast Butterfly Lady behaved very obediently, gently nodding without any suspicion.

"Can I stand up?" she asked.

Ning Zhuo nodded in approval.

The Breast Butterfly Lady then floated up, her butterfly wings behind her gently flapping once, keeping her suspended in mid-air.

She continued to stare at Ning Zhuo, her large eyes suddenly welling up with tears, and then large droplets fell.

Such a lifelike expression astonished the three cultivators in the room.

The Breast Butterfly Lady reached out her hand, bowed her head slightly, and gently wiped away her tears before continuing to gaze intently at Ning Zhuo without blinking.

"Excuse me, Master Healer, is my condition very serious? Can it still be cured?"

Inwardly, Ning Zhuo praised her intelligence, "She’s worried about her ‘illness.’ Her intelligence far surpasses Yuan Dasheng!"

Ning Zhuo nodded and reassured her, "The issue isn’t too serious, but fixing it will be quite tedious. It will take a long time to resolve, so you’ll need to be patient."

"During this process, I will need your full cooperation. For example, we’ll need to conduct actual combat tests on your body. You’ll need to strictly follow any command I give. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Little Butterfly understands," the Breast Butterfly Lady obediently nodded.

As Sun Lingtong had reported, the Breast Butterfly Lady was simple-minded and easy to deceive.

Judging by the time, it was about right.

Ning Zhuo began tidying up the critical care treatment room, putting everything back in place.

The materials Sun Lingtong had handed over, as well as the Breast Butterfly Lady, were temporarily stored here.

He didn’t plan to take them out yet.

Sun Lingtong then asked Ning Zhuo, "What do you plan to do about Ning Xiaohui?"

"She’s been going all out to compete for the position in the Historiography Pavilion."

"This time, you entering the Immortal Palace seems to have stimulated her."

"She’s practically working herself to death, only resting one or two hours a day, striving to earn merit."

"If she succeeds, then even our secret meeting this time will probably be recorded by the Historiography Pavilion."

Ning Zhuo sighed, "Ning Xiaohui is a huge problem. I’m currently looking for an opportunity."

"From my observations over the past few days, the Golden Core Ancestors place significant importance on the Modification Team."

"No matter the situation, they always ensure at least two people are stationed near the Modification Team."

"I believe Ning Xiaohui, entrusted with such a critical responsibility, is also being protected. And the level of protection she receives is much higher than ours."

"Eliminating her is highly risky. We need to find the right opportunity, and at the same time, we need to figure out how to handle the ensuing investigation."

"Right now, Zhu Xuanji seems to have noticed something. The attention he’s been focusing on me is quite unusual."

"If something happens to Ning Xiaohui, I’m afraid I’ll be the first one he investigates fully!"

"I’m confident in disguising myself, but what I fear most is being imprisoned and temporarily losing my freedom!"

Such a situation would be fatal for Ning Zhuo.

Sun Lingtong nodded in agreement with Ning Zhuo’s assessment.

Yang Chanyu added, "According to your earlier plan, you intended to stir up the Yun Merchants to create an opportunity for you."

"But strangely enough, so many days have passed, and by logic, the Yun Merchants should have already discovered the fake goods we left behind. Yet, they’ve been eerily quiet."

After looting the auction warehouse, Sun Lingtong and Yang Chanyu had used their methods to create corresponding fake items and place them back.

Retracing their steps, they swapped out the fake items to replace the empty spots on the shelves, creating the illusion that the goods were still there.

They had deliberately designed these fake items to disappear after a few days, creating a huge flaw.

According to the plan, the Yun Merchants should have erupted days ago, but until now, it had remained unusually quiet.

Very strange!

(End of this chapter)