Four guards followed Ning Zhuo closely.
Among them, two were in the Qi Refinement Realm, and two were in the Foundation Establishment Stage, all sent by the Ning Family to Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo was now very important, providing tremendous help to the Ning Family in exploring the Magma Fairy Palace. The attention from the Ning Family could be seen just by looking at these four guards.
When Ning Zhuo left the family's residence, he did not return home immediately.
He entered and exited several stores, purchasing many special bricks, array plates, and other items for formations.
The four guards noticed this and communicated telepathically.
"This kid Ning Zhuo wants to build his own cultivation secret room."
"This kind of secret room has good protective features and can shield divine sense. How will we monitor him in the future? Using magic artifacts would be too obvious."
"Report this to the Young Clan Leader."
"But honestly, this kid is really loaded."
"He's currently favored by the Young Clan Leader and supported by the joint resources of three families, so of course he is well-off."
After Ning Zhuo finished his purchases, he spent lavishly to hire an Array Master for the setup.
After leaving his residence in the morning, by the afternoon, a new small partition had been constructed in his bedroom.
The partition was entirely made of stone bricks, with a stone door that could move left and right, open and close, controlled by mana infusion and divine sense.
However, the formation was not yet fully set, so the small partition had little defensive power.
The two Qi Refinement Realm guards patrolled the perimeter, continuously circling the courtyard and the area outside.
The two Foundation Establishment cultivators took positions, one hidden and one standing guard at Ning Zhuo's rear door, eyes closed in meditation.
As night fell.
Ning Zhuo opened his eyes, got up quietly, activated a switch, and entered the underground workspace.
"So young," a Foundation Establishment cultivator murmured, with a knowing smile.
Ning Zhuo looked around the workspace, appearing nervous, as he first checked several places for any changes.
These were his detection measures. If anyone else had entered, these places would likely have changed.
But nothing had changed.
Under the divine sense monitoring of the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, Ning Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief, his brows smoothing and his whole body relaxing.
He strolled around the room, touching this and that, emanating an inner and outer sense of safety and comfort, as if he had returned to his own nest.
He sat down in a chair, stretched lazily, and yawned loudly.
After resting for a while, he stood up slowly.
He took out a meditation mat from his storage bag and placed it in the center of the room.
Sitting cross-legged, he also took out several bottles of elixirs and placed them in front of him.
Both the meditation mat and elixirs were objects that made the two Foundation Establishment cultivators envious.
Though Ning Zhuo was only in the Qi Refinement Realm, his status as a standout in the three-family joint renovation team granted him a wealth of resources!
Before starting his cultivation, Ning Zhuo thought for a moment and then took out a handkerchief from his chest.
The handkerchief was as white as snow, soft in texture, and had no patterns.
Ning Zhuo infused mana into it.
Clouds gradually emerged from the handkerchief, surrounding Ning Zhuo.
The clouds piled up, eventually covering Ning Zhuo completely.
Both Foundation Establishment cultivators frowned deeply.
They communicated telepathically: "This seems like the Floating Cloud Handkerchief?"
"Yes, this magic artifact is produced in Flying Cloud Country."
"How did Ning Zhuo get it?"
"It might be his mother's relic. Don't you remember? The records mentioned that Ning Zhuo's mother, Meng Yaoyin, was from Flying Cloud Country."
"Oh, I remember now! That must be it. What should we do now? We can't sense his cultivation situation anymore."
"The Floating Cloud conceals vision, and the handkerchief's concealing ability is strong. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so renowned."
"No matter. We just need to ensure Ning Zhuo's safety. Monitoring isn't the priority. Of course, we'll report this situation first thing in the morning."
Ning Zhuo had planned ahead and considered many scenarios.
As the two Foundation Establishment cultivators guessed, the Floating Cloud Handkerchief was indeed his mother's relic.
Using this magic artifact, the clouds produced provided excellent concealment.
With this cloud cover, it would be difficult to leak his cultivation situation.
Even if someone with Golden Eyes tried to see through it, the clouds would consume themselves intensely, giving Ning Zhuo ample warning and time to adjust.
Of course, risks still existed.
The means in the cultivation world were numerous, with countless talents and spells, so someone might have a method to pierce through the clouds and observe Ning Zhuo's true situation without triggering the cloud's changes.
Ning Zhuo had considered this point.
But still, he had no choice. He had already put in his best efforts.
The four major powers had vast resources, and the renovation team's overall cultivation levels were advancing rapidly, making Ning Zhuo's previous defensive measures ineffective.
Zhu Xuanji's continuous investigations also brought immense pressure.
Ning Zhuo had to seize the time!
Prolonged defense would lead to defeat.
Even if he had meticulously built an anti-surveillance barrier over ten years, it would eventually collapse.
He had to seize the Magma Fairy Palace before everyone else!
Hence, taking some risks in these areas was necessary.
The Demon-infused Bloodline Technique refined essence blood.
The Five Elements Qi Regulation Art absorbed and exhaled mana.
The Mirror Stand Spirit Communication Technique honed divine sense.
He rotated through these three cultivation techniques, continuously consuming various precious elixirs. Even the meditation mat he was sitting on was an auxiliary magic artifact sent by the three-family alliance, enhancing Ning Zhuo's cultivation speed.
With the simultaneous progress in all three techniques, the advancements were visible to the naked eye.
"There's no problem with the cultivation techniques."
"But I can't practice spells, nor can I test the newly obtained divine ability prototype."
The thought of the Life-hanging Divine Ability prototype made Ning Zhuo itch to see its effects, but under the current circumstances, he had to endure.
At the peak of Fire Persimmon Mountain, amidst rolling clouds, Meng Chong was also cultivating.
He floated in the air, eyes closed, still in a slumber.
The current City Lord of Fire Persimmon Immortal City, Meng Kui, hovered above Meng Chong, placing his hand on Meng Chong's head.
He channeled mana, mobilized his essence, and infused it into Meng Chong.
Since Meng Chong was his own grandson, sharing the same bloodline, Meng Kui's essence blood could be naturally absorbed by Meng Chong.
Meng Chong benefited greatly, with the sunken eye sockets and protruding cheekbones gradually recovering at a visible speed.
However, Meng Kui visibly weakened.
Although he was at the Nascent Soul Stage, his focus was on mana cultivation, with little effort spent on the body.
Of course, a Nascent Soul level cultivator would still have a bodily foundation stronger than most Golden Core body cultivators, even without specific attention to the body.
The key issue was the enormous loss.
The essence blood Meng Kui donated had to undergo extensive purification, of which only a minimal portion could be absorbed by Meng Chong. Though the loss was incredibly high, this method ensured that Meng Chong's essence blood remained extraordinarily pure, free from external impurities.
Meng Kui had not wanted to do this but had no choice.
He knew that the three-family alliance was making considerable progress in exploring the Magma Fairy Palace.
Meng Chong, still trapped in room three and comatose, had forced his hand.
"Meng Chong, my grandson, you are to be the new master of the Magma Fairy Palace. Awaken quickly!" Meng Kui transmitted.
Meng Chong slowly opened his eyes: "Grandfather, I..."
Meng Kui transmitted again, urging him to close his eyes and rest, to actively recuperate.
Cultivators treasured their essence, energy, and spirit.
Meng Kui continuously replenished Meng Chong's essence completely before stopping.
His face bore a sallow tinge, his gaze slightly dimmed.
Meng Chong, gaining his freedom, then recounted his experiences in room three.
Meng Kui could never have suspected that the Golden Blood Battle Ape - Dasheng was a setup by another competitor. Stroking his beard in thought, he said after a moment: "Your martial skills lag behind the mechanical monkey's by quite a bit, and even with special training, it will take a lot of time."
"Your time is very precious; you must seize the initiative!"
"I have a method to quickly bridge the gap, but it is somewhat painful."
Meng Chong was delighted and quickly said: "Grandfather, I do not know what pain is! What method is it?"
"Thunderstrike," Meng Kui stated.
Meng Chong replied: "I strike what?"
Meng Kui shook his head: "You get struck."
"What?"
Meng Chong was about to continue speaking when a clap of thunder resounded, and a flash of blue light split the clouds.
Meng Chong was hit hard, stunned on the spot. His entire body was charred black, hair standing up, smoke rising faintly.
Rumbling...
Peals of thunder echoed continuously within the clouds.
Meng Chong gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, constantly recalling the image of the Golden Blood Battle Ape - Dasheng: "I will master this. I will reclaim my honor!"
At Ning Mansion.
Ning Xiaohui was also undergoing special training.
She extended her hands, plunging them into a basin filled with ice.
Instantly, a chilling force froze her to the bone, making her face turn pale, her body shivering occasionally.
"Hold on, Xiaohui." Ning Xiaohui's grandmother encouraged sternly beside her.
"Your Talent Ice Fat Jade Hands are the best way to suppress Ning Zhuo."
"Ning Zhuo's talent has not been measured yet, and even if it were, there might not be a mature method to further develop it."
"You are different. Your Ice Fat Jade Hands have appeared many times in our family."
"This is the advantage of a family.
"Our bloodline is shared, with similar cultivation techniques and resources."
"There are many ways to cultivate Ice Fat Jade Hands, all gradually explored by our ancestors."
Ning Xiaohui said with determination: "I understand, Grandma, the Ice Fat Jade Hands have always been my greatest advantage."
"Once the special training is complete, what's Ning Zhuo to me?"
At the Zhou Family.
Zhou Zeshen was connected to multiple tubes, with medicinal liquid continuously flowing into his body.
He cultivated with all his might.
At the Zheng Family.
Zheng Jian continuously practiced with mechanical puppets, fully absorbed, lost in his efforts.
The struggle over the Magma Fairy Palace had long since begun and had now entered a fiercer stage.
Night deepened.
Yuan Er tossed and turned, unable to sleep or rest well.
Since the death of Yuan Dasheng, every night had been like this, leaving him feeling empty and insecure.
"Why isn't Uncle Dasheng's mechanism ready yet?"
"Tomorrow, tomorrow I will go find Ning Zhuo!"
Within the Magma Fairy Palace.
The Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng quietly crouched in room three, indistinguishable from the stones and bricks when inactive.