Who let him join the Sword Sect?!

Zhang Ze explained that's how it happened.

After discussing the matters of the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion, Zhang Ze noticed that Old Tang was around and started chatting with the Celestial Master about the "Thousand Mechanism Heart Method".

"By the way, Taoist, I happen to have a cultivation problem I'd like to ask you about..."

"Speak, I, the Taoist Master, know everything."

...

Half a month later.

With the help of the Sword Spirit Senior's improved Spirit Recognition Technique, the major problem that had been plaguing the Thousand Mechanism Pavilion was finally resolved.

The Artifact Refiners stopped worrying about the issue where the artifacts refined by "Shangding Refining Technique" couldn't be controlled by Human Race cultivators.

Instead, they directly used the Spirit Recognition Technique to control them.

At the same time, the Spirit Recognition Technique also greatly reduced the difficulty of operating the Thousand Mechanism Rune Array, allowing for the possibility of combining the Thousand Mechanism Technique with the Artifact Refining Technique.

The Thousand Mechanism Tools were officially renamed to Thousand Mechanism Magical Artifacts.

Not only Lily and the Artifact Refiners, but many cultivators were also temporarily freed from the clueless theoretical research of Taoist techniques.

They began to purposefully develop new Thousand Mechanism Puppets.

Using the Dan Dan Magical Artifact refined by Shangding Refining Technique as the skeletal shell, a core of adjusted low-tier Sword Spirit, and combining both with Thousand Mechanism Technique and Spirit Recognition Technique.

These new Thousand Mechanism Puppets were named Thousand Machine Armor.

At the same time, there were also people researching Thousand Machine Armor that cultivators could use, but this was still in its early stages and progressing slowly.

Zhang Ze stopped by to take a look several times.

He felt like this group was building a cultivation version of a mecha.

As for its power, whether it's a toy, a Gundam, or an EVA, was still unknown.

The mecha development wasn't getting much traction, but on Lily's end, the Thousand Mechanism Magical Artifact dubbed the "Cat Talisman" by Zhang Ze was already created.

"Boss, look." Lily showed a cat-paw-shaped jade talisman to Zhang Ze.

"The cats summoned now will be solidified onto this Cat Talisman."

"Due to the Talisman Cat Technique, their personalities are not much different from real cats."

"However, since these Five Elements Cats have been strengthened by the Sword Spirit refining method, they are not as weak as before, and their intelligence has increased significantly. But if they self-destruct or disappear, the re-summoning time is prolonged."

"By the way, the main thing is actually this."

Summoning cats not only requires Thousand Mechanism Pavilion's technology but also relies on that Stone Pill Array.

Lily took Zhang Ze to a miniaturized replica of the Stone Pill Array.

"You know, after gaining intelligence, those Five Elements Little Ghosts, I mean cats, have different personalities."

"To summon a cat that suits you, you need to activate this array for testing, which will also affect the summoning results."

"Xiaoxuan said that the Spirit Recognition Technique and summoning cats greatly help her in analyzing the Stone Pill Array."

"So she asked me to keep a record of the summoning cat test results."

"I estimate that soon, that summoning Stone Pill Array will be repaired."

After speaking, Lily handed the Cat Talisman to Zhang Ze, "Boss, don't you want to try?" Lily asked.

Zhang Ze shook his head, "I have Li, never mind."

"Aren't you going to try?" Zhang Ze asked back.

Lily shook her head, "I'm with the Dog Faction."

She tried transforming those Five Elements Little Ghosts into small dogs, but the result was that Lily found those standing Kobolds too odd.

Not only were they unaesthetic, but they also seemed even more obscene than the original Little Ghost form.

In short, very weird.

"Forget it, let's sell them directly. I think there are still many people who love cats." Zhang Ze went to the table to discuss new marketing strategies with Lily.

...

A few days later

Thousand Mechanism Town, Fox Butterfly Inn.

Business was good today, and there were quite a few diners on the first floor, yet it didn't appear chaotic.

Cheng Yu was flicking her tail, leaning against the counter looking somewhat bored. Usually, she's so busy her feet barely touch the ground, but now she had time to daydream.

Because all the tasks of clearing plates and serving dishes had been taken over by a group of little cats.

Her job was now just attracting customers, taking orders, and handling payments, but she felt that soon, even these tasks wouldn't require her anymore.

Of course, Cheng Yu didn't feel down about losing these jobs, as she was initially just here to hang out with Sister Bai and conveniently help out as a waitress.

What she couldn't understand was why this group of cats was more popular than her, a bona fide Cat Lady.

It didn't make sense, these people were so strange!

Cheng Yu stared fixedly at the bearded, black-faced man sitting at table number one, who was currently grinning like an aunt, mimicking a meow and bending over to play with the cat serving the dish.

She knew that bearded loose cultivator. Before coming to Thousand Mechanism Town, he had been lurking around Cold City. In Jianghu, he was known as the Black-faced Ghost Hero.

Just from the nickname, you could tell what kind of person he was, yet now...

Cheng Yu rubbed her temples with a sigh.

She felt the Immortal Cultivation Realm was truly doomed.

Thousand Mechanism Pavilion was entirely to blame.

"Xiao Yu, what are you doing?" Cheng Yu suddenly heard someone talking to her.

"Huh? Wait, you're here, Second Xiong, who's cooking in the back kitchen?" Cheng Yu turned to see it was Second Xiong from the back kitchen and was surprised.

Aside from those Five Elements Cats, the only ones working in the shop were her, Second Xiong in the kitchen, and Sister Bai.

Sister Bai went out to play in the morning, so now who was in the kitchen...

Second Xiong chuckled and showed Cheng Yu his Cat Talisman.

"I also bought one, my cat seems to love cooking, so I let it try. It seems to be doing well, so I came out for some fresh air."

However, before Second Xiong finished speaking, a loud noise suddenly came from the kitchen, as if something had exploded.