Ning Zhuo approached the furnace in the corner of the room.
Inside, flames blazed fiercely, and standing amid the fire was a half-human-tall mechanical monkey, enduring the intense heat at all times.
The frame of the mechanical monkey stood upright, its bright red fur lifelike, but its muscles slowly disintegrated under the flames, seeping out through various gaps.
The Lava Immortal Palace was concealed within volcanic magma, and Ning Zhuo needed to control the fire explosive monkey, loaded with a thousand pounds of fire essence, to traverse through dense magma and cling to the palace’s surface for a self-detonation.
But now, the monkey’s muscles were unable to withstand the heat.
"If cloud-patterned soft silver doesn’t work, I’ll switch to something else."
Ning Zhuo sat down at his table, ready to try using oily smoke clay that night as part of his plan.
The reddish-brown oily smoke clay emitted a pungent odor.
He fetched a small wooden hammer and began pounding the clay.
Each strike of the hammer created a deep thudding sound, dispersing the clumps within the clay.
Every time a spark appeared in the red-brown clay, the hammer would emit a chill, extinguishing it promptly.
Ning Zhuo had specifically designed and crafted this small wooden hammer for processing oily smoke clay.
If the examiners saw this, they would immediately rate Ning Zhuo’s talisman skills as "exceptional."
Low, medium, and high grades were the most common evaluations, but "exceptional" was rare, perhaps with no more than one candidate per year.
It signified that the typical evaluation standards couldn’t fully capture the talent of such a young cultivator.
When all clumps in the oily smoke clay were dissolved, a layer of fire oil had accumulated on the surface.
Ning Zhuo then took a square cotton cloth and placed it over the oily smoke clay.
As he infused it with spiritual power, the formation on the cloth activated, quickly absorbing the fire oil.
This cloth was also Ning Zhuo’s design, but unlike a talisman, it incorporated a miniature formation.
The level of formation on this cloth was also "exceptional."
After carefully verifying the processed clay, Ning Zhuo began kneading it.
The clay, now sticky and pliable, became soft and fine under his hands, while any remaining impurities were purged with spiritual power.
Ning Zhuo detached one of the monkey’s arms and coated its skeletal frame with the refined oily smoke clay.
With his ten fair fingers, he worked swiftly and precisely under the light of the spirit lamp, his focus unwavering, completely unaware of the passing time.
At that moment, the young cultivator exuded a serious charm.
The oily smoke clay quickly took shape, covering the skeletal arm frame in layers of vibrant red muscle.
Ning Zhuo wasn’t merely shaping the exterior; he continuously infused spiritual power into the clay, aligning it internally.
A small incision would reveal that the red clay had taken on a muscle-like structure within.
This exceptional skill in material shaping would surely astound the family elders.
If Ning Zhuo exposed this talent, he would undoubtedly be the star pupil of this year’s academy.
Such a promising talent in artifact refinement would be proof of the academy elders’ wisdom and effort.
Once the arm was shaped, Ning Zhuo proceeded with various tests.
It wasn’t viable.
The oily smoke clay had excellent fire resistance, but it performed poorly with spiritual power compatibility.
"I’ll need to refine it."
Ning Zhuo began to reflect.
"Oily smoke clay mixed with thunder sand can create explosives. It’s commonly used for blasting mountains or fending off demon beasts."
"Combined with poison, it can be refined into a poisonous pellet. When the pellet disperses, it releases a toxic smoke screen for defense."
"Oily smoke clay can also be mixed with coalstone and placed in the furnace of an artifact workshop, providing a sustained, high-temperature burn."
Over the years, Ning Zhuo had made a concerted effort to memorize everything he could access.
During his ten-day leave, he often spent entire days at the family’s book pavilion, from dawn till dusk, forgoing meals and sleep.
No one knew that the seemingly ordinary Ning Zhuo was, in truth, a walking library!
After recalling all his knowledge of oily smoke clay, Ning Zhuo found no solution to improve it.
"No matter, I’ll design my own formula!"
The youth’s eyes gleamed with confidence, his spirit filled with bold determination.
"Oily smoke clay is warm in nature, governed by the heart and liver meridians. The fiery essence in it can disperse dampness and cold from the bones. In small amounts, it can alleviate abdominal pain from cold stagnation."
"If combined with moonlight water from a well, the fire and water properties might balance out, reducing the weight."
"And if I use tail feathers of the swift bird as a catalyst, refining them together… it might harness the lightness of wind and the dispersive nature of movement, optimizing the performance of the oily smoke clay."
"Perhaps spirit-concealing willow catkins could work as well. Blending the catkins with the oily smoke clay, following a proportion similar to light elixirs and purifying powders, should result in a compound with a significantly reduced weight."
Ning Zhuo’s thoughts were swift and logical, and he quickly devised multiple formulas.
Such a display of talent could easily place him in the "exceptional" category for pill-making. The Ning family would undoubtedly intervene to secure Ning Zhuo’s future within the clan.
Ning Zhuo set out to blend new materials.
After rummaging through his supplies, he identified seven possible approaches.
Moonlight water from a well?
Failure.
The resultant clay was slightly less sticky, lighter, but its fire resistance dropped substantially.
Swift bird feather?
Major failure.
What remained was no longer clay but a pile of dust.
Yet, Ning Zhuo was pleased: "The wind element in the feather is too strong, but I’ve gained a deeper understanding of this material."
On his third attempt with spirit-concealing willow catkins.
The resultant clay bore catkin patterns, retained its stickiness, suffered minor fire resistance loss, and its weight was significantly reduced. It passed the remaining tests with ease.
"Luck’s on my side; I found an ideal match on the third try… wait."
Ning Zhuo’s joy was short-lived as he noticed the catkin patterns on the clay rising to the surface, the clear and turbid elements separating, causing the clay to degrade.
This new clay wasn’t stable in form!
Ning Zhuo proceeded with the fourth attempt, resulting in another failure.
He paused to consider his options, refraining from testing the next method immediately, and instead delved into refining the spirit-concealing willow catkin formula.
"This approach is close to success and compatible with various types of spiritual power. All that’s left is to stabilize its form."
"What should I do?"
Old problems solved, new problems arose.
Ning Zhuo was undaunted, feeling even more invigorated. His focus intensified, finding joy in the process. This mental exercise didn’t bore or tire him but rather filled him with inner delight.
In this state, he felt his existence, his worth.
He knew he was creating something that didn’t exist in the natural world!
The anticipation and sense of achievement were unmatched by anything else.
What others found torturous was, for him, a beautiful experience, a source of spiritual joy.
Time slipped away silently, unnoticed by Ning Zhuo as he immersed himself in thought.
After an indeterminate period, his eyes brightened suddenly.
"To solve this technical issue, I’ll need a dynamic formation."
However, this level of knowledge was well beyond the academy’s curriculum.
Ning Zhuo stood, pacing several times in the underground workspace.
After a moment’s thought, he stopped, raising his head slightly, decision made: "Chen Cha… known as the Living Array Master, specializes in dynamic formations, and he’s also a mechanical craftsman."
"It’s time to approach him."