Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master - Chapter 1532

Chapter 1532: Chapter 631: Cloud Nurturing and Herding (Part 2)

Sister Yun Sang said expressionlessly, “Retreat by half a step.”

That cultivator’s face immediately fell.

Ning Zhuo fed the Cloud Group Leader very slowly.

First, he fed Dew Rice to nurture the root, then added Dyeing Powder for color, and finally used Light Wind Salt to expand the cloud shape. The habit of measurement brought by Mechanical Techniques showed its subtlety at this moment. Every pinch of cloud grain fell with precision, without error.

His Cloud Group grew from fist-sized to bowl-sized, increasing by exactly thirty percent. The cloud heart was clean, the cloud edge was light, the color was not bright, but had a layer of warm sheen.

Sister Yun Sang thought to herself, “Isn’t he using a Mechanism Master’s technique? Every amount is measured so precisely.”

The fifth round, dividing clouds with precision.

Soft Blade Cloud Silk and Shaping Cloud Needle were laid out. The participants were required to divide a cloud into three equal parts without disrupting the cloud nature.

The sixth round, merging clouds into one.

Merging Cloud Glue and Harmonious Mist Dew were presented.

This round was the opposite of the previous one, requiring them to merge three differently sized clouds without creating any layers or blemishes.

After six continuous rounds, Ning Zhuo undisputedly secured the first position temporarily.

“Did he excel in all six rounds?”

“Isn’t Ning Zhuo a Mechanism Master? How is he so good at nurturing Cloud Material?”

Ning Zhuo mused, “Cloud Material isn’t Elixir Material. Elixir Material, when put into the furnace, is mostly refined into pills. Cloud Material, however, needs to retain its vitality and follow its breath. Alchemy focuses on refining, nurturing clouds focuses on nurturing. Yet the two are not entirely dissimilar. Fire control, combination, impurities, recycling, sealing, all can illuminate each other.”

“Precisely because clouds are alive, Yun Wuji could ultimately win.”

Ning Zhuo gained deeper understanding from the previous battle.

The seventh round, dyeing cloud form.

Dyeing powder, Ink Mist Liquid, Frosty White Cloud Floss were laid on the table.

Participants needed to dye the cloud qi a designated color while maintaining its breath.

The eighth round, transforming cold to warm.

Cold Cloud Shavings, Warm Sunset Sand, Climate Adjustment Water Beads were presented.

Ning Zhuo reached out to touch Cold Cloud Shavings, his fingertips instantly felt cold. Warm Sunset Sand was the opposite; before even entering the cloud, warmth emanated.

Balancing water and fire, adjusting cold and warmth wasn’t simple counteraction. If cold clouds forcibly turned warm, the cloud embryo would split; if warm clouds forcibly turned cold, the cloud heart would stiffen. Ning Zhuo used Climate Adjustment Water Beads as a mediator, first softening the cold cloud’s edge, then adding Warm Sunset Sand, and finally stabilizing the cloud root with Water Element Magic Power.

The cold cloud turned warm, then returned to neutral.

The cloud group exchanged back and forth, with subtle color changes, yet the cloud embryo showed no cracks.

The Five Elements Realm was fully utilized at this moment!

Sister Yun Sang’s heart trembled, “He definitely is the genius of this generation, capable of becoming famous at the Main Mountain Gate!”

The ninth round, balancing wet and dry.

Wet Cloud Floss, Dry Wind Powder, Moisture Vein Dew were placed before Ning Zhuo.

This round required the cloud material to be suitable for carrying, concealing, and precipitation purposes.

Ning Zhuo first adjusted the cloud to be wet, making it stable and thick enough to carry a puppet. Then he added a bit of Dry Wind Powder to thin it, dispersing into a concealing cloud curtain. Finally, he used Moisture Vein Dew to draw back water vapor, causing the cloud curtain to produce fine rain.

Three uses switching, unhurried and orderly.

Clearly a novice, yet exhibiting the demeanor of a master.

The tenth round, cloud rain transformation.

Rain Mother Cloud Cluster and Condensed Fog Cold Sand were presented.

Ning Zhuo looked at the Rain Mother Cloud Cluster, finally showing some seriousness.

Continuously transforming between cloud, rain, and fog wasn’t a mere trick, but an understanding of cloud skill transformations. Clouds gather and are light, rain consolidates and is heavy, fog scatters and is ethereal. They differ, yet all stem from water vapor.

Ning Zhuo raised his hands slightly.

The Rain Mother Cloud Cluster first turned into a thin mist, which permeated before him, covering half of the white garment. Then, Condensed Fog Cold Sand entered the mist, condensing into a string of fine rain beads suspended in the air. Finally, Ning Zhuo rotated his fingertip, dispersing the rain beads back into water vapor, lifting a group of white clouds again.

Sister Yun Sang was moved, transmitting her Divine Sense to order: “Record it, outstanding among the outstanding!”

The tenth round concluded, a Flying Message arrived directly at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo read the message.

The sender was Chun Yangzi, inviting Ning Zhuo to attend a meeting to discuss who should be dispatched for the second match of the Five Victories Martial Arts Competition.

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly and immediately replied with a letter: “Respected Chun Yangzi, as the Great Village Chief, naturally you should oversee everything. In this Five Victories Martial Arts appointment, the combat lineup should be determined by you. Since my cultivation level is still shallow, all I can do is to rectify my shortcomings to assist you, but I’m unable to exert much effort. Regarding the deployment and arrangement, please decide on your own.”

Sun Raising Yang Locking Cloud Altar was merely one of Ning Zhuo’s options, but Chun Yangzi coveted this feng shui treasure most.

Currently, Chun Yangzi faced significant political pressure due to the defeat of the vanguard Nine Fire Dragon Lord he supported. Thus, the reason for writing this letter was somewhat to rely on Ning Zhuo to share the pressure.

Ning Zhuo saw through it, didn’t accept the invitation, but instead voluntarily yielded space for Chun Yangzi to exhibit.

“Since you desire this feng shui treasure so much, you ought to contribute.” Ning Zhuo continued small trials.

The eleventh round, restraining thunder cloud’s agitation.

Young Thunder Cloud was sent to the Cloud Platform.

It was a fist-sized gray-white cloud material, occasionally flashing tiny lightning within the cloud heart. As it neared the formation position, it crackled, but caused the Cloud Rails to tremble slightly.

Several participants looked tense.

Someone approached to post Thunder Calming Talisman Paper on the cloud. As soon as the paper touched the cloud’s edge, lightning flashed, charring the talisman paper, and the cloud suddenly expanded, frightening the person to retreat several steps.

Ning Zhuo’s heart stirred and directly took out the Spirit Communication Mirror to show it.

Young Thunder Cloud crackled without effect.

“The Spirit Communication Mirror can communicate with spiritual nature objects, but Thunder Cloud possesses thunder attribute, not spiritual nature,” Ning Zhuo concluded after testing.

He first observed the lightning rhythm in the young thunder cloud, then flicked a wisp of water vapor from his fingertips.

The water vapor formed three tiny spirals around the young thunder cloud. The thunder attribute needed a flowing path, and the agitation slightly subsided. Ning Zhuo then gently sprinkled Electrostatic Jade Powder and placed Thunder Calming Talisman Paper at the most stable part of the cloud heart.

Passed effortlessly.

The twelfth round, clarifying turbid clouds.

The thirteenth round, identifying cloud material nature.

The fourteenth round, combining cloud grain.

Dew Rice, Dyeing Powder, Wind Salt, Moon Frost Powder, Thunder Dew Drops filled the table surface. Different cloud materials required different cloud grains; a mismatched combination could cause unsuitable cloud material or damage to the cloud embryo.

Cold clouds loathe heavy dye; thunder clouds loathe chaotic dew, dry clouds need moisture veins; wet clouds need light wind. Every kind of cloud grain in his hands was like auxiliary medicine in an elixir recipe, each performing its role.

He even reduced by half a pinch of Dew Rice in moist cloud grain and added a thread more of wind salt.

The effect was excellent!

Sister Yun Sang couldn’t help but ask, “Why less Dew Rice for moist clouds?”

Ning Zhuo replied, “This moist cloud is wet externally and heavy internally; if more Dew Rice is added, it will cause the cloud heart to sink. Adding Light Wind Salt can make it moist without stagnation.”

Sister Yun Sang showed a smile for the first time.

The fifteenth round, the sixteenth round…

The seventeenth round, cloud reins and pasture.

Cloud Herding Rope, Cloud Attracting Fragment, Returning Sleeve Cloud Silk were placed before Ning Zhuo.

Ten small clouds had different properties, some were light, some were heavy, some loved flying high, others crept along the ground.

Initially scattered, the ten small clouds quickly lined up according to Ning Zhuo’s guidance.

They circled the Cloud Platform, sometimes gathering and dispersing, rising and falling, finally lining up alongside Ning Zhuo’s sleeve to be expelled again, suspended in the air again.

Mechanical Techniques played a major role!

The eighteenth round, returning clouds to sleeves.

Returning Sleeve Cloud Silk, Cloud Attracting Fragment were presented again, requiring the cloud qi scattered around to be recollected into the sleeve.

This reminded Ning Zhuo of Yun Wuji’s performance during battle.

The Water Element Kidney Temple and Luoshu’s blessings enabled Ning Zhuo to collect every bit of cloud into his sleeve seamlessly.

The performance was flawless.

The nineteenth round, cloud storage.

Sealing Cloud Box, Sleeping Cloud Talisman, Fixed Breath Cloud Rope were presented.

Cloud storage involving active clouds most feared sealing them dead. If cloud material lost its breath in the cloud storage, it turned into dead clouds upon retrieval; if sealed too loosely, it would escape.

Ning Zhuo precisely grasped the fire control.

The twentieth round, raising clouds into pots.

The final round, also the comprehensive large round, was the most challenging.

The participants remaining were less than a third.

Most hadn’t either failed and retired or had scores too low and voluntarily gave up. Those still standing in the center of the Cloud Platform were all capable individuals.

Yet everyone’s gaze inevitably fell on Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo gently closed his eyes, quickly reviewing previous round contents.

Creating clouds involved lifting cloud roots from water.

Nurturing clouds involved following cloud material’s hunger, cold, warmth.

Transforming clouds entailed understanding cloud, rain, fog, cold, warmth, wet, dry changes.

Herding clouds meant allowing clouds to have departures and returns.

“I’ve grasped it thoroughly,” he lightly sighed in his heart.