Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master Chapter 1415 - 565: The Tiger Talisman Loses Its Power

"Mere Foundation Establishment." The Nine Fire Dragon Lord glared coldly at Ning Zhuo, "Yet you invite a Nascent Soul Cultivator to join. On what grounds?"

Ning Zhuo smiled calmly, "Senior, please allow the junior to explain in detail. It’s not too late to decide afterward."

Ning Zhuo revealed his plan.

The Nine Fire Dragon Lord couldn’t help but listen intently.

Returning to his senses, he looked at Ning Zhuo and let out a snicker, "Your cultivation level may be low, but your appetite is immense. I am, after all, an Honored Guest Elder of Danxia Peak. Asking me to join you is pure wishful thinking!"

"You should focus on considering how to repay your debt instead." He stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left.

Ning Zhuo had detailed discussions about the debt with the three Nascent Souls, and proposed a new plan. However, he was rejected consecutively by Chun Yangzi and the Nine Fire Dragon Lord; as for Zhong Limei, Ning Zhuo didn’t even bring it up.

Faced with consecutive failures, Ning Zhuo showed no emotional fluctuations. He was about to invite the next person on the list when suddenly, a messenger from Danxia Peak brought news of a visit from a significant figure.

"Tie Kuang? At this time, he’s visiting me of his own accord?" Ning Zhuo’s eyes briefly flashed with brilliance as he pondered for a moment, immediately reaching some speculation.

"Please invite him in quickly." He stood up immediately and walked out with the messenger.

Soon, Tie Kuang arrived.

Tie Kuang was the current Hall Master of the Artifact Refining Hall, whose talent in refining artifacts was at least ranked in the top three. Of course, this does not include those beyond Nascent Soul.

As evidenced by the incident with the Nanming Fire Furnace, the considerable Danxia Peak directly invited him to diagnose instead of seeking help from other cultivators, demonstrating Tie Kuang’s significance in artifact refining!

In fact, solely based on his role and status, he was on equal footing with Zhong Dao.

"Young friend Ning Zhuo, quite busy, aren’t you?" Tie Kuang smiled at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo cupped his hands, "Iron Hall Master, I apologize for the lack of formal wele due to the junior’s oversight. Please forgive me."

"Since you’re so busy, I’ll be straightforward with my intentions." Tie Kuang then stated he could assist Ning Zhuo in fully repairing the Nanming Fire Furnace.

Although many cultivators, after the initial furnace test, exhausted their assets and external support to greatly repair the Nanming Fire Furnace, it was still about two tenths away from pletion.

Ning Zhuo said, "I appreciate your concern, honored Hall Master. May I ask what you desire?"

Tie Kuang responded succinctly, "I want two-tenths of the Nanming Fire Furnace’s ownership."

Ning Zhuo shook his head immediately, expressing refusal.

Tie Kuang laughed heartily, "I’m here to help you, young friend Ning Zhuo. Though you possess significant skill in artifact refining, you cannot walk the final journey alone to pletely repair the Nanming Fire Furnace."

"In fact, even if you invite all your creditors to assist you, it would still be extremely risky with a low chance of success."

"Within the entire Myriad Images Sect, only my Artifact Refining Hall has this capability!"

"Given your current situation, mastering the plete Nanming Fire Furnace is crucial to leveraging this treasure’s advantages, accelerating future development."

"I only ask for two-tenths, which is far less than your eight-tenths. What are you afraid of?"

Ning Zhuo indeed felt fear.

Not just two-tenths, even a small portion would be a qualitative change!

A part of the ownership falling into outside hands would provide the perfect excuse for the Artifact Refining Hall to intervene in the Nanming Fire Furnace openly.

This was absolutely impossible.

Ning Zhuo smiled, "Ownership is out of the question. I would rather wait for decades, even a century, without concern."

Tie Kuang chuckled, "I don’t believe you. Given your personality, you’re bound to attempt the final repair soon, which is precisely my concern."

"Sigh, the Nanming Fire Furnace originally belonged to Danxia Peak and was diagnosed by me, leading to the subsequent Xingyun Trial."

"You may not truly understand the difficulty of the final repair!"

"I don’t wish to see you act rashly, resulting in ultimate failure, the Pill Furnace’s destruction, and the plete obliteration of the Artifact Spirit."

Ning Zhuo immediately restrained his smile and, with hands clasped, said, "Please, honored Hall Master, guide me."

Tie Kuang sighed, "The Nanming Fire Furnace is no longer the original Nanming Fire Furnace."

"Zhong Limei infused three hundred years of Elixir Qi, the Nine Fire Dragon Lord added the Fire Dragon Pearl, Cang Yazi contributed his two wisdom teeth, the Red Robe Guest sacrificed his Blood Essence Pearl, Chun Yangzi used the Pure Yang Golden Pill and the Pure Yang True Fire Pearl. Additionally, there are the various treasures from Situ Xing, Zhu Fenxiang, and yourself. Despite their value, the types are too mixed."

"Moreover, each individual’s repair methods and concepts differ."

"Zhong Limei’s Elixir Qi is gentle and prolonged, representing ’nourish’; the Nine Fire Dragon Lord’s Dragon Pearl is dominant and intense, symbolizing ’meld’; Chun Yangzi’s Pure Yang Golden Pill is bright and warm, embodying ’grow’; the Red Robe Guest’s Blood Essence Pearl is cold and eerie, illustrating ’sacrifice’; Cang Yazi’s wisdom teeth carry wisdom roots, denoting ’offer’; Zhu Fenxiang’s Dragon Blood Copper and Phoenix Feather Gold exude dragon and phoenix energy, signifying ’support’; Situ Xing’s Xingluo Stone and Star Sand with star power imply ’guide’..."

"The fire nature of the Dragon Pearl conflicts with the cold nature of the Nine Nether Cold Spring; the brightness of the Pure Yang Golden Pill clashes with the cold of the Blood Essence Pearl; Cang Yazi’s wisdom teeth and Nine Fire Dragon Lord’s Dragon Scale—one is wisdom root, the other is bloodline—are fundamentally different entities. In the short term, they can coexist peacefully, because the furnace is not yet fully repaired. Once it is plete, the various flows will inevitably conflict and consume internally, leading to tragedy."

"Then, at best the situation may resemble the Xingyun Trial with the Nanming Fire Furnace, at worst, the Artifact Spirit may perish on the spot."

Tie Kuang stared at Ning Zhuo with great seriousness: "Among the Myriad Images Sect, only we have this capability. Actually, just my personal intervention is far from enough. It must rely on several foundations of the Artifact Refining Hall, the Artifact Refining Array, a unique Artifact Refining Technique, and the use of the most suitable treasures to solve the huge problem on the Nanming Fire Furnace."

"Our effort far exceeds the superficiality of the two-tenths damage on the furnace."

"Taking the two-tenths ownership already means you’ve made a big gain, young friend Ning Zhuo."

Ning Zhuo fell into contemplation.

He admitted Tie Kuang was not wrong, but Ning Zhuo also had considerable expertise in artifact refining, knowing that Tie Kuang’s words contained many exaggerations.

He evaded, "Iron Hall Master, I have the Evil Slaying Hall standing behind me. My success is also due to the full support of Lord Zhong Dao. Therefore, this ownership cannot be transferred."

Ning Zhuo employed his usual tactic, using the Evil Slaying Hall as his shield.

But this time, Tie Kuang was not intimidated, instead he laughed loudly: "Ning Zhuo, don’t spew such useless things. I already know about the secret agreement you signed with Zhong Limei."

Ning Zhuo immediately showed a look of astonishment.

Tie Kuang then stated: "You need not worry. Actually, our Artifact Refining Hall and Evil Slaying Hall have a very good relationship secretly. I can even represent you to negotiate with Zhong Dao about the specific shares of the Nanming Fire Furnace’s ownership."

Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but laugh coldly inside.

To let Tie Kuang represent him to negotiate with Zhong Dao? This proposal was too ludicrous. How could he agree to such a thing? To do this would mean pletely losing his autonomy. Given his current seniority and status, how could he oppose the terms Tie Kuang would agree to?

If the shield didn’t work, so be it!

Ning Zhuo directly stood up, looked at Tie Kuang with a calm face, straightforward gaze, and a very firm tone: "Iron Hall Master, I appreciate your guidance and goodwill. But the sovereignty of the Nanming Fire Furnace, I won’t let it go. It’s not about not giving it to the Artifact Refining Hall, but about not giving it to anyone!"

Tie Kuang looked at him and watched for a while.

"Well. Ambitious." He also stood up decisively and left.

As he walked out the door, he left a message: "Then, young friend Ning Zhuo, I wish you success in your restoration!"

Tie Kuang flew away from Danxia Peak and started issuing orders on the way, making arrangements.

He secretly issued a death order, forbidding any cultivator in the Artifact Refining Hall from assisting Ning Zhuo in restoring the Nanming Fire Furnace in any form!

"Ning Zhuo, ah Ning Zhuo, if you had previously relied on the Evil Slaying Hall, that would have been possible."

"But now, you’ve signed a secret agreement with Danxia Peak. This is the biggest mistake you’ve made since joining the Myriad Images Sect!"

"One day, if you stand at the top of a peak, laughing at who gifted me achievements. Hehe. After all, still young. Too young, winning too much too easily, and now starting to float."

Inside the room, Ning Zhuo was alone, bowing his head and frowning, deep in thought.

Who leaked the secret agreement?

Zhong Limei? Chun Yangzi?

pared to the former, Chun Yangzi seems more likely.

"Does this mean that the Artifact Refining Hall is also recruiting Chun Yangzi? So, after refusing me, Chun Yangzi directly sold the information of the secret agreement to the Artifact Refining Hall?"

"Moreover, looking at the situation of the Evil Slaying Hall, Danxia Peak deliberately leaking the secret agreement is also motivated and possible."

At this moment, Ning Zhuo felt deeply isolated and weak.

He understood the reason for Tie Kuang’s arrival. Tie Kuang was the first to realize Ning Zhuo’s vulnerability and, like a predator, immediately sprang to attack.

Essentially, Ning Zhuo signing a secret agreement revealed the true nature of his relationship with the Evil Slaying Hall to outsiders.

All along, Ning Zhuo used the Evil Slaying Hall as a shield, deterring many external strongmen. But now, this shield had failed.

"It can be foreseen, Tie Kuang was the first, and surely won’t be the last. Next, there will be even more people ing to bite me."

Ning Zhuo’s impression of Tie Kuang became even more profound. This person seemed rough, but in fact had great political means and was indeed capable of being one of the leaders of the Sixteen Halls.

Tie Kuang’s words were always filled with threats. If he ever leaked the secret agreement, it would create huge trouble for Ning Zhuo.

"His final words might also be a hint at the suppression that may follow."

"The Nanming Fire Furnace, truly a hot potato!"

In the past, Ning Zhuo was weled wherever he went, simply because he was talented with a bright future.

Now, with the Nanming Fire Furnace, many people covet this treasure and increasingly target him. With such intentions naturally es more malice.

What Ning Zhuo wants to do now is to quickly make himself independent in this tumultuous period.

"Before, I relied on the Confucian Cultivator Group and Zhong Dao from the Evil Slaying Hall. Now, with such a good opportunity, why not build an internal group within the sect myself?"