Chapter 244: The True Victor is the Turtle-Turtle
Mount Huoshi Peak.
Clouds layered upon each other, with the cultivators gathered together, led by Meng Kui.
With both spells and formations concealing them, the countless red rock demons hovering above Mount Huoshi could not interfere here.
As the only Nascent Soul cultivator present, Meng Kui glanced around and cast a spell to allow all the Golden Core cultivators to view the battlefield on Mount Huoshi.
A massive number of Crimson Flame Beasts swarmed densely, surrounding the Lava Immortal Palace.
Quite a few of them charged towards Huoshi Immortal City.
Within Huoshi Immortal City, many cultivators, whether on the frontlines or inside the city, contributed to the defense.
Fei Si remained in the city, overseeing the overall situation.
Zhu Xuanji, Chi Dun, and the Golden Core cultivators from the three families all gathered before Meng Kui.
The spell projection continuously shifted, revealing many important corners of the battlefield.
One after another, powerful Crimson Flame Beasts appeared before everyone. Especially noteworthy was a serpent moving faintly in the lava—a long-bodied creature, already in a dragon-like form!
A Nascent Soul-level Fiery Serpent!
All the Golden Core cultivators felt their hearts sink.
Meng Kui wore a solemn expression and slowly began to speak: "You've all seen the current situation."
"But according to my calculations, this is just the beginning of the beast tide."
"As time passes, the scale of this tide will only grow."
"By then, there may be more than just one Nascent Soul-level Fiery Serpent."
The Golden Core cultivators could not help but feel shaken.
Compared to human cultivators, demon beasts often possessed tougher skin, longer lifespans, and a huge physical advantage.
Meng Kui, not being a body cultivator, couldn't personally engage in close combat against Nascent Soul-level beasts and could only rely on the city's protective formation to hold out.
The combination of Meng Kui and the city's grand formation was enough to fend off one Nascent Soul-level beast and gain the upper hand.
But if there were two, the situation would be different, and the human side would be at a disadvantage.
If there were three... then they'd have to start planning to evacuate the city’s residents and request help from the royal family.
"Generally, it’s rare for two Nascent Soul-level demon beasts to appear in one beast tide," Ning Jiufan said.
Chi Dun sighed, "But this time, the situation is unusual. The Lava Immortal Palace fired cannons, blowing up a large area, enraging the beast hordes, which are now filled with anger and vengeance."
"Usually, Nascent Soul-level beasts wouldn't join forces, but now that they’re bent on revenge, it's very likely that they'll cooperate to destroy the Lava Immortal Palace!"
The faces of the Golden Core cultivators darkened.
"Speaking of which, why did the Lava Immortal Palace suddenly fire its cannons, and why target Mount Huoshi, provoking so many Crimson Flame Beasts?" Zhou Nongying asked.
Meng Kui said nothing. With a thought, the spell projection began to replay, reconstructing the scene of the cannon fire.
He had been stationed on the peak, overseeing the Lava Immortal Palace, with a clear view of its various activities.
Although he had been meditating and hadn't noticed the cannon tower's movements immediately, his magical treasures placed in the clouds had been recording everything around.
Thus, the Golden Core cultivators saw what had happened inside the Lava Immortal Palace. The original three-layered Five Elements Cannon Tower had creaked and risen, becoming six layers.
Then, each layer extended its cannons.
After being infused with magical power, both the main cannon and the auxiliary cannons roared together, firing numerous Five Elements Cannonballs that left colorful trails in the air before plunging into the magma and eventually exploding deep within Mount Huoshi.
"The palace spirit has gone mad?!" Zheng Shuanggou exclaimed.
"Could it have sensed some huge threat and struck preemptively?" Zheng Jianlian speculated.
"No, this kind of cannon fire is too provocative. It’s deliberately luring the beasts to attack!" Zhu Xuanji concluded.
His eyes flashed with golden light, and his face grew stern. "This is premeditated, done by someone."
"A cultivator controlled the Five Elements Cannon Tower and bombarded Mount Huoshi, deliberately triggering this disaster!"
"This culprit is heinous, disregarding the lives of countless beings, with extremely malicious intentions."
"I swear, I will capture and bring them to justice!"
Zhu Xuanji's gaze sharpened, filled with anger.
"Can someone actually control this cannon tower? Is it because they accumulated enough merit and contributions to gain the relevant position?" Zhou Nongying analyzed.
Ning Jiufan stroked his beard, "Strange, where is the palace spirit? Did it allow the culprit to act so recklessly without stopping them?"
Zhu Xuanji gritted his teeth and sighed, "Don’t count on it. The state of the Lava Immortal Palace’s spirit must be very poor, probably incapable of making proper decisions."
Zhu Xuanji glanced at Meng Kui before continuing, "Previously, during the battle between Qi Bai, Sun Lingtong, and Chuitaoke, the demon beasts were also attacking the Lava Immortal Palace. It was evident that the palace's defenses were weak and its formations had issues. In the end, the palace spirit had to deploy the Mechanical Dao Master to barely hold on and drive out the invaders."
"I later found the Mechanical Demon General within Mount Huoshi and traced its origins, discovering that the palace spirit's poor condition led to the Mechanical Demon General falling in battle and being lost outside."
"I suspect the Buddhist Doctor among the three major mechanical figures might have met the same fate."
The Golden Core cultivators fell silent.
Zhou Nongying's voice was dry, "So that’s how it is."
Meng Kui remained expressionless, choosing not to share his crucial discoveries with Zhu Xuanji, allowing the latter’s deductions to stray.
Why tell Zhu Xuanji?
Meng Kui had used a high-cost divine ability, Sitting on the Mountain Observing the Clouds, sacrificing much of his lifespan to obtain the truth. He wouldn’t easily share it with potential enemies.
Moreover, Meng Kui had glimpsed a possibility for cooperation between his family and the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.
With such a potential alliance in the making, it was even less likely for Meng Kui to reveal his findings to Zhu Xuanji.
After some consideration, Meng Kui slowly said, "Everyone, it is indeed necessary to find the culprit and punish them severely."
"But our real problem right now isn’t capturing the culprit, it’s ensuring that their sabotage of Huoshi Immortal City fails."
"The most important thing now is figuring out how to survive this beast tide!"
Catching the culprit and inheriting the legacy were secondary concerns; the real priority was resisting the beast tide.
If they failed to resist, the survival of the Lava Immortal Palace itself would be in question.
The Golden Core cultivators were all deeply worried.
They understood the principle that if the lips perish, the teeth grow cold.
If the palace fell, the city might not be able to hold either.
The reason was simple—under the collapse, no eggs would remain intact!
No one could guarantee that the beasts who destroyed the Lava Immortal Palace would calm down and return to their lairs.
The far more likely scenario was that, still enraged, they would surge downwards and utterly drown Huoshi Immortal City!
If that happened, tens of thousands of people would die tragically, devoured by various Crimson Flame Beasts.
Zheng Shuanggou said, "The Lava Immortal Palace is easy to defend and hard to attack. Now that it’s attracting the majority of the beasts, we must assist in its defense, killing as many beasts as possible to make them retreat."
There were too many Crimson Flame Beasts to kill them all.
But after enough were slain, the beast hordes would voluntarily retreat one after another.
In this situation, only killing could stop the killing. Displaying human strength was the only way to calm the beasts' fury.
There was no need for Meng Kui to persuade them. The Golden Core cultivators were broad-minded and understood the battle situation. After a brief discussion, they quickly reached a consensus.
To protect the city, they had to defend the Lava Immortal Palace.
The Lava Immortal Palace was also connected to the Three Sect Lords’ inheritance, a matter of immense interest, and could not be allowed to fall!
Meng Kui said in a deep voice, "Indeed, the current situation requires Golden Core cultivators to hold the Lava Immortal Palace."
"At present, we’ve only detected one Nascent Soul-level Fiery Serpent."
"But with a beast tide of this magnitude, it’s certain that more than one Nascent Soul-level beast will emerge. We need to prepare in advance!"
"The Three Sect Lords were powerful cultivators at the Void Refining level, and this palace was one of their residences, so the palace itself is very strong."
"With you Golden Core cultivators stationed in the Lava Immortal Palace, you’ll gain a significant advantage in defending against Nascent Soul-level opponents."
The Golden Core cultivators understood what Meng Kui meant.
He needed someone to confront the Nascent Soul-level demon beasts head-on, buying time for him to seize the opportunity and personally kill them.
If two Nascent Soul-level demon beasts appeared at the same time, the Golden Core cultivators would have to rely on the Lava Immortal Palace to entangle one of them while Meng Kui dealt with the other.
The human side’s core strength was Meng Kui.
As long as he maintained the upper hand, the entire beast tide battle would tilt in favor of the human cultivators!
Zhou Nongying suddenly asked, "Do we need to request assistance from the
Southern Dou royal family now?"
Meng Kui shook his head, indicating that the current situation didn’t yet call for it.
He had no desire to seek aid.
On one hand, the situation hadn’t deteriorated that far. On the other hand, if he did so, his political achievements would be greatly diminished.
Meng Kui looked at Zhu Xuanji, "I propose we gather all our forces to defend the Lava Immortal Palace."
"Both Zixiao Pavilion and the Supreme Clarity Palace should be invited for reinforcements. What do you think, Detective Zhu?"
The two Golden Core cultivators from the Zheng family’s faces shifted slightly.
Zhu Xuanji nodded, expressing his agreement.
Meng Kui was well aware that the Supreme Clarity Palace’s Golden Core true disciple had already been killed, but he pretended not to know, showing no cracks in his demeanor, revealing the seasoned nature of an immortal official.
Meng Kui continued, "We can also rely on the power of the Cloud Merchants. Especially that Cloud Whale, which is indeed of Nascent Soul-level. Detective Zhu, what do you think?"
Zhu Xuanji nodded, "That Cloud Merchant team is large and capable of roaming the world’s lakes and seas, so they must have some skill. We can expect more from their combat power."
"However, they’re outsiders, so we can’t completely let down our guard."
"And, to negotiate their participation in battle, the City Lord’s Mansion will need to handle it personally."
Meng Kui slightly nodded and finally said, "Besides them, there are also the two Golden Core cultivators, Yang Chanyu and Luo Shang, within Huoshi Immortal City."
"Detective Zhu, what’s your assessment of the two?"
Zhu Xuanji pondered, "If we offer a hefty reward, it’s not impossible to borrow their strength."
Meng Kui’s expression relaxed.
He couldn’t directly propose this matter. After all, colluding with demonic cultivators would seriously harm his political career down the road.
But for a royal family member like Zhu Xuanji, it was different.
Recruiting two demonic cultivators was a sensitive matter, one that political enemies could easily exploit as evidence to attack and suppress.
But the benefits of recruiting them were considerable.
On the one hand, they could borrow the combat power of Golden Core cultivators. On the other, they could keep these two demonic cultivators close, suppressing them and preventing them from causing trouble.
Zhu Xuanji said, "I need to send a letter to report the situation here to the king."
"Additionally, I have a suggestion."
"We all have resupply teams. It’s time to have these members enter the palace together!"
The Five Elements Cannon Tower’s bombardment had made Zhu Xuanji value the various positions within the palace even more.
Based on Ning Xiaohui’s situation, Zhu Xuanji believed that the resupply team members, being trial disciples, were considered part of the Lava Immortal Palace. Along the path of entering the palace, they had received many benefits.
They had a huge advantage when competing for positions.
Many positions, no matter how hard Zhu Xuanji, who practiced other cultivation methods, tried, were simply not open to them.
They weren’t even an option!
The Golden Core cultivators exchanged glances, and someone nodded, "That’s the right move, but what if one faction secretly sends someone to enter the palace and seizes the inheritance while we’re busy fighting the beast tide?"
Zhu Xuanji had anticipated this question and immediately replied, "We’ll sign an alliance agreement, binding ourselves and all the resupply team members."
"During the beast tide, no one is allowed to enter the palace to secretly compete for the Three Sect inheritance!"
"We absolutely need our own people to occupy various positions within the palace in order to fully utilize its powers!"
No one objected, and after briefly discussing the terms of the agreement, they all signed it.
Zhu Zhen approached Zhu Xuanji.
"Brother, coming here was indeed the right choice. With the beasts rampaging, I’d like to help you all out as well," Zhu Zhen said.
Zhu Xuanji asked curiously, "Have you completed your investigation on Ning Zhuo?"
Zhu Zhen smiled wryly, "Brother, how much time has it been? I’m no Nascent Soul cultivator; how much progress could I have made?"
"But…"
He shifted his tone, "That young man is indeed remarkable."
"He went through many hardships in his early years and is very courageous, willing to fight."
"He’s skilled at maneuvering through situations, but he’s different from those who merely grovel. Even though he’s only in the Qi Refining stage, I get the feeling that he possesses strength akin to a Golden Core cultivator."
"Brother, do you see potential in him? Are you planning to cultivate him?"
"To be honest, he’s a good candidate."
"The Ning family comes from North Wind Country and has only recently established themselves here, so they’re estranged from other forces."
"In this situation, the Ning family is the most suitable local ally for our Zhu royal family."
"Moreover, Ning Zhuo has great talent. If he cultivates successfully, he’ll undoubtedly have extraordinary abilities. His chances of forming a Golden Core are high…"
Before Zhu Zhen could finish, Zhu Xuanji quickly interrupted, "Hold on, hold on. I asked you to investigate him, not to praise him."
Zhu Zhen chuckled and winked, "Brother, don’t be so reserved."
"During my investigation, I noticed at least two other groups secretly investigating Ning Zhuo as well."
"If you truly want to recruit him, you’d better act fast. If this promising talent ends up in the hands of another faction, it won’t be good for our Zhu family."
Zhu Xuanji fell silent.
Zhu Zhen once again raised his request to help with the fight against the beast tide by entering the Lava Immortal Palace.
Zhu Xuanji hesitated.
Compared to the beast tide, the human side’s combat power was clearly at a disadvantage.
At this moment, every bit of fighting strength was critical.
At the same time, Ning Zhuo’s image surfaced in Zhu Xuanji’s mind.
"When the Five Elements Cannon Tower fired, Ning Zhuo was soul-entering the palace."
"He couldn’t have controlled the tower."
"He was never seen entering the palace in person."
"He’s only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining... his suspicion can be ruled out."
With that in mind, Zhu Xuanji nodded to Zhu Zhen, "Fine."
"Go ahead and enter the palace to fight the beast tide."
"With your expertise in mechanical arts, it won’t be difficult for you to meet the requirements and gain entry."
Zhu Zhen was overjoyed and immediately clasped his hands, "Thank you, brother!"
Lava Immortal Palace, main hall.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit paced back and forth anxiously, filled with unease, trembling all over.
"I’m doomed, I’m done for!" The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit trembled with fear.
It knew very well that it couldn’t hold off these incredibly furious Crimson Flame Beasts on its own.
But in the next moment, Meng Kui personally took action, casting a spell to clear a temporary path.
The Golden Core cultivators united and gathered near the palace, bathed in radiant light as they entered the palace together.
Once inside, they immediately rushed to the various frontlines, participating in the fight against the beast tide.
"Phew!"
Seeing this, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It slumped onto the throne, taking a while to recover.
Its gaze pierced through space, scanning the various battle lines, and gradually, a wide grin spread across its face.
"Ning Zhuo! You never disappoint."
"The way things are unfolding is exactly as you predicted!"
"Even though we triggered the beast tide, the Golden Core cultivators are the ones shouldering all the consequences."
"This feels amazing!"
"But do you know what makes me the happiest?"
"Hahaha, it's that from now on, you’ll have no chance of becoming the palace master."
"No matter how cunning you are, you ultimately lacked crucial information, allowing me to trap you this time. Hehehe!"
There were many things the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit hadn’t told Ning Zhuo.
For instance, participating in the palace trial required merit, and merit could be deducted into the negatives.
Although Ning Zhuo held a position, his cannon fire triggered the beast tide, ultimately causing damage to the Lava Immortal Palace.
When the final settlement occurred, his merit would be heavily deducted, plunging him deep into the red!
Ning Zhuo would be completely disqualified from the final palace trial.
"That’s why I, the Turtle-Turtle, am the true winner in the end!"
(End of this chapter)