Ning Zhuo, Ning Yong, Ning Chen, and others gathered in Room 1.
"This time, with everyone's help, I, Ning Zhuo, express my gratitude first!" The large puppet Ning Zhuo stood in front of the first door, cupping his hands to thank the Ning family members.
"A Zhuo, no need to be so polite. Thanks to your help earlier, how else could I have reached the peak of the third layer so quickly?"
"Nothing to say, when I heard you needed help, I came."
"We were going to explore the Immortal Palace anyway. A Zhuo, feel free to call on me in the future, and I will come."
The Ning family members were all enthusiastic.
Previously, Ning Zhuo had taken care of his classmates, helping them to cultivate faster without asking for anything in return. In the process, planting the Life Hanging by a Thread technique was a small matter, hardly worth mentioning.
Of course, the enthusiasm of the Ning family cultivators also had to do with the internal situation of the Ning family.
The main and branch families had been at odds for a long time.
The Ning family had always upheld a policy of strengthening the main family while weakening the branches, and the branch family had long harbored considerable dissatisfaction and resentment from being suppressed.
Many branch family cultivators, in order to advance, were forced to serve the main family, and few could remain untouched by this.
Ning Zhuo had emerged as a dark horse. Not only could he remain independent, but he could also help others.
The branch family members had long hoped for such a figure to appear. Although Ning Zhuo was only at the Qi Refining stage, his talent had become widely known.
In the eyes of almost everyone, Ning Zhuo was a genius with great potential!
If nothing went wrong, as long as he grew smoothly, he would inevitably become a banner, a pillar of support that others could rely on.
Thus, the branch family members of the Ning clan had naturally and intentionally gathered around Ning Zhuo.
On one hand, it was to support each other; on the other, they were betting on the future.
This was the game of righteousness.
The weak would never allow themselves to be oppressed without resistance. They would do everything they could to resist the strong and fight for more space to survive.
Just like the three major families of Huoshi City, unable to resist Meng Kui, they obediently followed orders. But when Zhu Xuanji appeared, with just a little invitation, the three families immediately flocked to him.
By doing so, they could use Zhu Xuanji to counterbalance the powerful Meng Kui and secure more benefits for their families.
The three families gathering around Zhu Xuanji and the branch family members of the Ning clan supporting Ning Zhuo were essentially the same.
Ning Zhuo glanced around and saw that everyone's spirits were high, so he nodded slightly.
This time, he had made up his mind to display his mastery of mechanical techniques.
"Everyone, before we act, I must first make an agreement with all of you!" Ning Zhuo spoke.
"Next, we will work together, with me as the leader, controlling the spiritual power and your bodies."
"Only when it's time to use spells, I hope everyone will cooperate."
The Ning family members responded immediately:
"Understood!"
"No problem."
Ning Zhuo thanked them again, "Thank you all for your understanding and support."
"If anyone suffers a loss or sacrifices themselves during this exploration of the Immortal Palace, I will personally provide compensation afterward."
After a pause, Ning Zhuo's tone deepened, "Let me speak from the heart. Our branch family members are not lacking in talent, so why are we always overshadowed by the main family?"
"Is it because we don't work hard enough?"
"The truth is quite the opposite, we work even harder than they do!"
"But the resources are all in the hands of the main family, and every member of the main family is clearly favored."
"Ning Xiaohui has talent, but I refuse to accept being overshadowed."
"This time, we are exploring the Immortal Palace to show the main family that we, the branch family, are strong and resilient too!"
Ning Zhuo's motivational speech hit the hearts of the crowd.
"Hahaha, well said."
"Exactly right!"
"You've made us see you in a new light."
"If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't have believed it."
"Our coordination is this perfect?"
"Nonsense, it's all thanks to A Zhuo's command!" Ning Yong's voice rang out.
Ning Zhuo, however, remained humble: "The real fight is still ahead. Let's not talk for now. Everyone, follow my command and collect your rewards. I have a plan."
The Ning family’s large puppet stood in front of the door, carefully selecting for a while before finally receiving the rewards.
"A Zhuo, go ahead and do your thing."
"Our legs, our arms, our heads are all yours to use!"
"A Zhuo, charge forward!"
Everyone's morale was high.
Ning Zhuo pushed open the door.
In the battle against the kung fu puppets, Ning Zhuo held back some of his strength, deliberately "sacrificing" several companions, and defeated all the kung fu puppets.
"We won, we won!"
"The victory is glorious, so glorious."
"A Zhuo, you're amazing. How can you control the mechanisms so effortlessly?"
The answer was simple.
Life Hanging by a Thread!
In many places, Ning Zhuo had made subtle adjustments, ensuring that each leg and arm moved in a precise, coordinated manner.
With such precise movements, there was no mutual hindrance or interference. The collective power could be fully unleashed, leaving everyone in awe.
Of course, Ning Zhuo would not answer this way.
The young man laughed, "It's thanks to everyone trusting me unconditionally, allowing me to use you all."
"There were still a few classmates who were sacrificed, which was my fault, my shortcoming. I will continue to work hard and train in the future!"
"I'm truly sorry, everyone."
The young man's humble and modest attitude made his classmates feel comfortable.
"Not at all, not at all!"
"A Zhuo, you're perfect in every way, just a little too modest."
"Do you even realize what you did? It was such a brilliant performance."
Ning Zhuo laughed again, "Haha, stop flattering me. We still have many more checkpoints to pass."
He led the group into the preparation room.
There, he dismantled himself and the others, returning to their original forms.
"Why are we separating?" Many expressed their reluctance.
Ning Zhuo explained to them, "During these days of intense training, I came up with many ideas, and I can implement them here."
"Everyone, please trust me."
"Let me craft some useful mechanical components for you, which will be very advantageous for the upcoming checkpoints."
Hearing this, the Ning family members all agreed.
Many wanted to watch Ning Zhuo's modifications, but at this moment, Ning Chen stepped forward.
"Go, go, go, what are you all doing here?"
"These are the mechanical designs A Zhuo came up with, so let's not look."
"If we watch, are we being fair to A Zhuo?"
His words left everyone speechless, and they turned away, facing their backs to Ning Zhuo.