Chapter 249: Years of Struggle, Finally Arrived Here!
This was an orange-red world.
The temperature in the air was very high. Even standing still without moving would cause a person to naturally sweat.
Ning Zhuo tidied up his bed.
He glanced around, arranged a few talismans in the room, then pushed the door open and walked out of his temporary residence.
He and the members of the three family modification teams entered the Lava Immortal Palace together, bringing ample supplies. They were prepared for a long-term stay.
Ning Zhuo stepped out of the house assigned to him.
In the small courtyard, several cultivators from the Ning family were cleaning the yard.
Upon seeing Ning Zhuo, they all saluted, their faces showing expressions of respect and admiration.
After months of hard work and various actions, Ning Zhuo's prestige within the Ning family's modification team had reached its peak.
Ning Zhuo smiled at them, nodded, and then walked away from the station, his steps seemingly slow but actually swift.
According to the order he had received not long ago, he needed to immediately head to a side hall to meet Zhu Xuanji.
Walking along the road, he slightly raised his head and gazed into the sky.
The sky was shrouded by a giant spherical light shield, which had a faint golden hue.
From Ning Zhuo’s perspective, he could vaguely see beyond the light shield: layer upon layer of dense, unending waves of demonic beasts.
Various types of demonic beasts, large and small, were madly attacking the protective array of the Lava Immortal Palace.
The shield was not absolutely secure. In some places where the attacks had reached their limit, cracks had appeared. And through these obvious cracks, flames had seeped in.
Immediately, the flames reformed in midair into a foundation-establishment-level Fire Snake.
The Fire Snake hissed as it fell, but before it could reach the ground, it was intercepted by a large group of mechanical puppets, engaging in a fierce battle in midair.
By the time the Fire Snake hit the ground, it had suffered significant damage and was left with only half of its life. Then, more mechanical puppets swarmed it and completely submerged it.
This scene did not reassure Ning Zhuo.
On the contrary, he had already sensed that the defensive power of the Lava Immortal Palace was steadily declining.
The round of bombardments he had led had provoked an enormous wave of demonic beasts!
The Lava Immortal Palace was on the defensive, and the situation was steadily worsening as time went on.
"Boss Sun’s entry into the Immortal Palace is highly risky. I don’t know how he managed to get in."
"Did he rely on the No-Void Sect's Golden Core true disciple Yang Chanyu again?"
Thinking of Yang Chanyu, Ning Zhuo couldn't help but feel more uneasy.
Previously, when Sun Lingtong went to steal Yunshang's goods, he had once again partnered with Yang Chanyu in the actual operation.
Yang Chanyu's repeated assistance in this matter was seen by Ning Zhuo as highly troubling.
Ning Zhuo raised his estimate of the price Sun Lingtong would have to pay.
"Next, I’ll need to find an opportunity to secretly rendezvous with Boss Sun and hand over Shang Ruo Shui!"
"Then see if I can get some indirect information from Yang Chanyu about the specific price Boss Sun has to pay for this cooperation."
"That seven-colored cloud—since Boss Sun is unwilling to give it to Yang Chanyu, I’ll use it as a gift to her and see if I can get some information out of her, while secretly helping Boss Sun bear some of the pressure."
As Ning Zhuo walked along the streets of the Lava Immortal Palace, he was gradually drawn in by the scenes along the way, and his thoughts were pulled back.
This was his first time truly walking within the Lava Immortal Palace.
Countless times he had imagined this scene in his plans… and today, it had finally become a reality!
In the Lava Immortal Palace, wherever his eyes fell, there were golden pillars and red bricks. Under the light reflected from the surrounding lava, the golden pillars and red bricks shimmered with a faint, dazzling brilliance, like eternal immortal light burning.
There were towering pagodas, majestic halls, and exquisitely crafted side halls. The layout of the various buildings was clear and well-structured. The solid architectural style gave the Lava Immortal Palace a sense of profound heritage and sturdiness. The statues of fire dragons and fire phoenixes were intricately carved, vivid and lifelike, adding a sense of grandeur.
Though the two architectural styles seemed contradictory, here, they blended seamlessly, in perfect harmony.
Ahead of Ning Zhuo, a thick wall gradually came into view.
The wall was exceptionally thick, and every so often, there were giant talismans drawn on the surface, resembling painted windows.
“This is the Spirit-Hiding Wall,” Ning Zhuo thought to himself.
He reached out his hand, gently brushing the uneven surface of the wall as he walked.
The tactile sensation transmitted to his fingertips was incredibly real.
This was a deep sensation he hadn't experienced when his soul had entered the Immortal Palace!
His eyes gradually reddened as he thought of his deceased mother.
"Mother, I’ve finally arrived at the Lava Immortal Palace at this very moment."
Ning Zhuo had dreamed and planned for this moment for over a decade.
When he decided to bomb the Immortal Palace and put his plan into action, there was no turning back.
It had not been easy for him to reach this point.
Along the way, he had exhausted himself, stumbled through countless crises, narrowly escaping death several times, before finally arriving here and walking this path.
He had only a Qi Refining Stage cultivation, yet he had to maneuver between the four major forces of Huoshi Immortal City, enduring the enormous pressure Zhu Xuanji placed on him.
During this time, he had to use various methods to survive each crisis with difficulty.
Sometimes, he relied on the ample preparations he had made over the past decade, and sometimes he had to depend on a bit of luck.
In this process, if he made the slightest mistake, he would die without a grave!
Many of those exploring the Immortal Palace were only now fighting the Red Flame Demonic Beasts with their lives.
But from the very beginning, Ning Zhuo had already staked his life, placing it on the table as a gamble.
"If possible, I wouldn't want to do this."
Ning Zhuo gazed once more at the faint golden spherical light shield in the sky.
He looked at the endless wave of demonic beasts outside the shield and thought, "I had no choice; the situation forced my hand, and I had to overturn the table."
Of course, he had controlled his strength, and the table hadn’t been completely flipped.
This time, he had used the demonic beasts to create a situation where everyone had no choice but to give their all.
Only in this way could he alleviate much of the pressure that had been placed on him.
Once Ning Zhuo had accomplished this, the entire situation became irreversible.
It was the same for the Lava Immortal Palace as it was for him!
He was like a fledgling bird in a nest on the edge of a cliff, spreading his wings for the first time—either soaring to the sky or falling to his death.
Following the wide street, Ning Zhuo eventually arrived at a side hall.
"You’ve arrived." The people inside the side hall, hearing the knock on the door, turned their heads toward the hall entrance.
Zhu Xuanji spoke, "Come in."
The next moment, Ning Zhuo pushed open the door and walked in.
Several people were already in the side hall; Ning Zhuo was the last to arrive.
Besides Zhu Xuanji, there were also Zheng Jian, Zhou Zhenshen, and Zhou Zhu.
"Master Detective." The white-robed young man, Ning Zhuo, first saluted Zhu Xuanji, then apologized to the others, "Sorry, I’m late."
The three genius cultivators from the Zhou and Zheng families all smiled at him.
"We didn’t arrive long ago either."
"You’re not late. The timing is just right."
By now, Ning Zhuo had earned not only great prestige within the Ning family but also admiration from the genius cultivators of the other two families for his actions and achievements.
Even the Golden Core cultivator, Zhu Xuanji, viewed Ning Zhuo with a newfound respect.
Ning Zhuo discreetly scanned the heads of the three genius cultivators in front of him.
He noticed that during the time they hadn't seen each other, the "Life Hanging by a Thread" threads above their heads had become thicker and more solid than before.
"It seems that their recognition of me has deepened as well."
Ning Zhuo glanced at Zhu Xuanji and sighed inwardly, "If only I could plant a ‘Life Hanging by a Thread’ on his head, my advantage would be immense."
Unfortunately, with his current cultivation, even though he possessed the complete divine ability "Life Hanging by a Thread," he couldn’t achieve that.
"Maybe when I advance to the Foundation Establishment stage, I’ll have a chance to plant a ‘Life Hanging by a Thread’ on a Golden Core cultivator’s head," Ning Zhuo silently speculated.
Zhu Xuanji spoke directly, "Since everyone is here, let’s first sign the contract."
He briefly explained the contents of the contract.
Zheng Jian and Zhou Zhu had no reaction, but Zhou Zhenshen and Ning Zhuo both frowned slightly.
Zhou Zhenshen felt uneasy but didn’t dare voice his concerns, so he glanced at Ning Zhuo.
As expected, Ning Zhuo cupped his hands and said, "Master Detective, please wait a moment. I still have some doubts."
"If it’s just to
restrain the members of our three families and the City Lord’s modification team… this contract does ensure fairness, allowing us to focus all our energy and time on competing for various positions within the Lava Immortal Palace."
"But what about the others who are also sending their souls into the palace, competing for the treasures of the Immortal Palace?"
"What will we do about them?"
"What if one of these hidden talents suddenly rises because of this inheritance, surpassing our accomplishments in the end? What then?"
"Our modification teams from the four parties won’t be able to send our souls into the Immortal Palace. Won’t this leave an opportunity for such people?"
"Therefore, I believe we should at least leave some people to monitor the trials within the Lava Immortal Palace, to prevent the rise of a dark horse."
Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly, "We’ve already considered what you mentioned."
As he spoke, he took out a scroll.
Clearly, it was a decree scroll.
Zhu Xuanji first handed it to Ning Zhuo.
When Ning Zhuo unrolled it, he found the decree contained a lot of content.
The text described in great detail the various terms of the four-party contract, perfectly addressing the concerns Ning Zhuo had raised.
Each party would send a member of their modification team to station themselves in the Lava Immortal Palace’s trial areas, recording and monitoring the exploration of the city’s residents in the palace.
If a dark horse emerged, the four factions would take action immediately.
The decree scroll also stipulated the duration of the contract and how to handle various contingencies that might arise during its implementation.
(End of this chapter)