The warmth in Ning Zhuo's left arm persisted for a short while and then gradually faded away.
"What exactly is this talent? It still needs to be explored in the future."
Ning Zhuo temporarily set it aside and checked himself, confirming that his soul foundation had already tripled!
The gains were immense.
"Han Ming still has a lot of value; this was only the first time."
The young man felt a brighter expectation for the future in his heart.
He went back to check the cell, and also fed pills to the unconscious Han Ming.
After that, he entered the teleportation room again and returned to his underground workshop through teleportation.
He began his daily review.
This risky mission was undoubtedly successful.
Han Ming was captured, his soul foundation tripled, and the matter of changing his name on the rankings had already seen a glimmer of success.
In addition, Ning Zhuo also obtained a piece of very valuable intelligence.
That was—Meng Chong was still in the process of dissipating his power!
This explained why there was only his name on the rankings.
Of course, Ning Zhuo had also paid a substantial price.
He sought Sun Lingtong's assistance, not for free, costing him nearly half of his family's resources.
Only ten percent of the Foundation Establishment Pill remained in the Iron Han Armor, seven had been depleted in this mission, leaving only three.
Additionally, the identity of Youthful Guest was compromised and would definitely be subjected to a city-wide manhunt.
"All of this was worth it."
In fact, even if the entire Iron Han Armor were to be ruined and his family's wealth scattered, Ning Zhuo would not hesitate in the slightest.
Ning Zhuo thought very clearly; in the current situation, preserving his life was more paramount than anything else.
"The matter of the Foundation Establishment Pill has become even more urgent."
"Should I purchase it through Sun Lingtong? He has black market channels, which would be much more convenient for me."
Ning Zhuo was somewhat hesitant.
"If there's a Foundation Establishment Pill among the rewards in the Immortal Palace, that would be the best."
"But for now, it appears all the rewards are related to Mechanical Techniques."
Ning Zhuo couldn't make a decision for the time being.
It wasn't a matter of whether he trusted Sun Lingtong; it's just that a pill like the Foundation Establishment Pill was incredibly significant and had always been regulated by various factions.
The majority of cultivators lacked any significant talent and superior cultivation techniques; achieving the Foundation Establishment Stage relied on the Foundation Establishment Pill.
The major factions controlled these pills to help their cultivators advance, maintaining and expanding their power.
The competition for these pills also extended to the herb market.
The main and key herbs for these pills were strictly regulated.
Controlling the trade of these herbs inhibited the production of Foundation Establishment Pills by other factions, thus indirectly suppressing them.
Additionally, their own Foundation Establishment Pills could attract talent from outside.
Essentially, these pills were usually consumed internally and rarely circulated outside. Those that did enter the market were traceable and clear.
At auctions, these pills often became the highlight item, stirring up a bidding frenzy.
Pills circulating in the black market were extremely rare.
Even if they existed, they often served as bait for certain factions' fishing schemes.
Regarding such matters, Ning Zhuo had gathered intelligence for over a decade and had seen it happen multiple times!
"If my identity is exposed, relying on the Foundation Establishment Stage combat power of the Iron Han Armor, I wouldn't stand a chance against Golden Core Stage or Nascent Soul Stage opponents."
"Not to mention, there's also the Immortal City Great Array here."
"Exploring the Magma Fairy Palace without the Iron Han Armor is impossible."
"The identity of Youthful Guest is already exposed; the Iron Han Armor can't be used temporarily either."
Ning Zhuo pondered and decided to put this matter on hold for now.
"I am now ranked first!"
At this moment, Ning Zhuo felt a bit of joy and pleasure in this fact.
All along, he had been exploring the Magma Fairy Palace with a catch-up mindset.
He tried his best not to be left behind by Meng Chong and others, but unexpectedly, he ended up being the first place holder!
"There's nothing to be proud of."
"Meng Chong was too strong before, so his dissipation period was quite long."
"He also suffered a sneak attack, which delayed him."
"It's not just him, there's Zhou Zhu, Zheng Jian, and others."
Ning Zhuo analyzed once again, concluding that his lead was due to his information advantage, the Buddha Heart Demon Seal directly converting mana, and his own efforts in concealing his true strength, making him unnoticed.
"These were all given by my mother."
"And what do I have?"
"I only have a low-grade talent, pushing myself to the limit, and it's only a temporary lead."
"Without the Treasure Seal and intelligence, could I have achieved this much?" Ning Zhuo shook his head secretly.
"Meng Chong and others will soon catch up to and surpass me." He showed a cautious expression.
Ning Zhuo gave himself a self-admonition, striving to adjust his mindset to the best state.
"One must be humble."
"Look at Han Ming, who prided himself as a disciple of the major sect of the Demon Sect, but now what happened to him?"
"This is a bloody lesson, one that must be absorbed and remembered!"
Ning Zhuo kept reminding himself, quickly dispelling the little bit of joy and pride he had felt earlier.
"Next, it's just a matter of waiting for the Magma Fairy Palace to summon me again."
Ning Zhuo's soul state was excellent, surpassing his previous peak by three times.
He looked forward to a third entry into the palace.
However, after waiting for a while, there was no summoning.
"Strange, what's going on?"
"Last time, I was summoned in before my soul had fully recovered."
"Why is it so slow now?"
Ning Zhuo found it strange.
The main hall of the Magma Fairy Palace.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit lay on the throne, its dragon head slightly raised, its gaze piercing through space, observing Ning Zhuo.
Seeing Ning Zhuo's expectant expression, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit couldn't help but snort, two small flames puffing out of its nostrils.
Then, it closed its eyes and turned its head away, no longer looking at Ning Zhuo.
Fei Si personally escorted Meng Chong back to the City Lord's Mansion.
Watching Meng Chong being protected heavily again, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Soon after, a subordinate reported and brought a jade slip.
Fei Si's Divine Sense permeated the jade slip, seeing the investigation results concerning the attack on Ziyang Courtyard.
The mechanical artifacts left by the demon cultivators were all generic products, providing no valuable clues.
Based on testimonies and on-site traces, it was deduced that three demon cultivators had conducted the raid. Two revealed their identities, and the third remained deeply hidden, stealing all the pills from the storage room before vanishing, never showing his or her face.
Fei Si focused on the two demon cultivators who had revealed themselves.
The portraits of the two inside the jade slip were lifelike.
One was the sinister female cultivator Han Ming, the other, an old man leaning on a staff.
"Han Ming... Sigh." Fei Si sighed.
Han Ming had constantly sought trouble with Sun Lie before, harassing him multiple times. Sun Lie had reported several times, but under Fei Si's subtle hints, subordinates only went through the motions, dismissing the matter.
The reason was that Han Ming came from the major demon sect, the Soul Devouring Sect!