Qi Bai cast his spell, ghosts dancing wildly, cold winds roaring.
The array patterns were pierced by countless ghosts, quickly dissipating.
Qi Bai no longer held back, his long hair fluttering, and his robes swirling, the Golden Core aura radiating everywhere.
"If it were the center of the Immortal City's Great Array, I might not have a chance."
"But here, it's just the fringes of the array, and you merely borrowed part of the array's power by constructing supplementary arrays."
"How could that stop me!"
Qi Bai flicked his sleeve, sending out a fierce ghostly wind, the howling sound threatening to pierce one's eardrums, attacking Youthful Guest and Sun Lingtong.
Ning Zhuo, controlling the Iron Han Armor, carried the still unconscious Sun Lingtong without a trace of fear.
"Qi Bai, if you want to kill us, it's still too early."
"Come and get us if you dare!"
In the next moment, Ning Zhuo slapped the wall, triggering a hidden teleportation formation.
He and Sun Lingtong were instantly teleported, disappearing from sight.
Qi Bai roared in fury, immediately stopping his attack but still allowing the ghostly wind to destroy most of the teleportation formation.
He flew to the teleportation formation, identifying the array and the materials, then cast a spell.
"Privately setting a teleportation array within the gaps of the Immortal City's Great Array, there's virtually no room for real teleportation."
"Found it!"
"Heh, do you think a few teleportation arrays can shake me off?"
"Today, I will definitely kill you!"
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong entered another underground base.
Spell——Soul Travel Thousand Miles.
Qi Bai caught up in just a dozen breaths.
Such speed brought significant pressure to Ning Zhuo.
Golden Core Cultivators overwhelmingly crushed those at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Qi Bai was far from an ordinary Golden Core; coming from the Soul Devouring Sect, he possessed upper-class talent and was a true disciple of the sect.
This meant he was absolutely an elite among Golden Core Cultivators!
Ning Zhuo continued to trigger the Immortal City's Great Array, temporarily blocking Qi Bai.
Qi Bai cast spells, wearing down the array patterns, coldly laughing: "Excellent, Youthful Guest, I'd like to see how many holes you've dug and nests you've set up in Fire Persimmon Immortal City!"
"I'll tell you the truth, I planted a mark on Sun Lingtong. As long as you carry him, I will always find you."
"Heh heh, actually, as long as you stay in constant contact with Sun Lingtong, the mark's power will also extend to you."
"If you abandon him now, maybe I won't find you."
"Once the mark is set, you will be under my constant detection. I will relentlessly pursue you until you are tortured to death by me!"
Qi Bai's face was full of murderous intent; he didn't even understand why he was so furious, so enraged.
He hoped, hoped that Ning Zhuo would abandon Sun Lingtong to save himself.
But Ning Zhuo never did.
He gritted his teeth in secret, teleporting away with Sun Lingtong once again.
"Ah!" Qi Bai roared towards the sky, feeling like he was going crazy from Ning Zhuo's defiance.
Boom, boom, boom!
One underground base after another was overturned by Qi Bai.
Such a tremendous commotion had long been detected by the City Lord's Mansion and reported to Fei Si.
Fei Si hurriedly sent a flying message to report to Meng Kui.
Meng Kui sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, hidden within layers of clouds and mist. Hearing the report, he couldn't help but smile, the walnuts in his hands rolling even more smoothly.
"A newly advanced Golden Core Cultivator?"
"Ghostly aura, seems like a Soul Devouring Sect technique."
"Could he be the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator?"
"Oh, and many underground bases have been exposed, all utilizing the gaps in the Immortal City's Great Array?"
Meng Kui felt curious, eager to know what else was hiding in the vast Fire Persimmon Immortal City.
In a good mood, he sat calmly at the mountain's summit, watching the changing clouds and the fighting below with a serene demeanor.
Of course, Meng Kui's main focus never left the Magma Fairy Palace.
The battle in the Magma Fairy Palace was intense.
Countless Red Flame Demon Beasts fell under the arrays, magical treasures, and various mechanisms.
The Demon Beasts seemed endless; they broke through the first, second, and even the third defensive lines, which was on the brink of collapse.
This caused the Ning Family Ancestor to frown: "The offensive of these Red Flame Demon Beasts is so terrifying. No wonder the Magma Fairy Palace is gradually floating up, unable to suppress Fire Persimmon Mountain any longer."
He blended into the third defensive line, killing Red Flame Demon Beasts while looking around, searching for the secrets within the Magma Fairy Palace.
"If the Magma Fairy Palace is breached and even one building is overrun by Demon Beasts, my opportunity will come!" The Ning Family Ancestor wasn't hasty; he patiently awaited his moment.
Meanwhile, dozens of miles outside Fire Persimmon Mountain, Zhu Xuanji's eyes were shining with golden light as he cast a spell, surveying the mountain peak.
His gaze pierced through the thick clouds, seeing the battlefield of the Magma Fairy Palace clearly.
"The Magma Fairy Palace is much weaker than I thought."
"What's going on with the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit? Many places on the defensive line, given its capabilities, should be much better defended."
"Has it also suffered irreparable damage from the long-term suppression?" Zhu Xuanji speculated.
"Meng Kui..." Eventually, he fixed his gaze on the Nascent Soul Cultivator hidden in the clouds and mist.
"You used the Mountain Gaze divine skill, leading to the swarm attack on the Magma Fairy Palace by Demon Beasts."
"If the palace is breached by Demon Beasts, Meng Kui, you won't be able to escape the blame!"
"Your detached Peach Fate Cores, you only have two of them. You'd better not mess this up." Zhu Xuanji came from the Divine Hunter Office and was a member of the Southern Bean Country's royal family; he knew a lot about Meng Kui.
He had personally been reminded by the lord to pay special attention to Meng Kui's Mountain Gaze divine skill.
Zhu Xuanji knew: although the Mountain Gaze divine skill was powerful and mystical, it had its drawbacks.
Once cast, Meng Kui had to remain immobile, sitting on the mountain until the luck field dissipated.
Otherwise, the backlash he would face would be terrifying.
Not only would his physical body and soul be severely injured, but his fortune would also plummet and remain low for a long time.
Meng Kui naturally understood this well, so he had chosen celestial materials and invited a master artifact refiner at great cost to create a pair of Peach Fate Cores for him.
With these two peach cores, he could directly interfere with people or objects within the luck field.
Once the peach cores were thrown, they were incredibly powerful, with the first ability being an unerring hit!
Additionally, they possessed other mysterious powers, which even the royal family couldn't decipher.
This was Meng Kui's core strategy, rarely used and thus kept highly confidential.
Spell——Multiple Ghost Shadows!
Countless ghost shadows surrounded and danced around Qi Bai, rapidly wearing down the array patterns.
Ning Zhuo triggered the teleportation array, vanishing on the spot.
Qi Bai sensed Sun Lingtong's location, no longer underground but back on the surface.
He laughed wildly, his face contorted: "Ten or so underground bases, you've certainly managed well!"
"Now what?"
"What can you use to stop me!"
Boom!
In the next moment, the underground base exploded in terrifying flames, engulfing Qi Bai instantly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Ning Zhuo panted heavily.
He had abandoned more than a dozen underground bases, continuously teleporting and retreating to wear down Qi Bai, all for this final moment.
...
"Elder Sun, this location is excellent. It's deep within Fire Persimmon Mountain, surrounded by arrays we can utilize to create a trap." When Ning Zhuo first discovered it, he was quite excited, sharing his idea.
Sun Lingtong nodded, expressing approval, though his expression was somewhat strange: "Little Zhuo, you've seemed quite fascinated with explosions lately."
Ning Zhuo nodded: "Explosions are beautiful."
"I love explosions!"
"No matter what is being detonated, they will all burst into their most brilliant and splendid forms in an instant."
"And the terrifying force unleashed in that instant is the culmination of countless suppressions in silence."
"It might only be for a moment, after which they are unrecognizable, even completely obliterated."
"But it's worth it!"
Sun Lingtong couldn't help but grind his teeth.
In recent years, he noticed that Ning Zhuo had grown up, and his thoughts had become dangerously unpredictable. Often, he didn't know how to advise him, which made him worried.
After pondering for a while, Sun Lingtong finally said: "Little Zhuo, life is long. There's no need to live too repressed, nor to pursue a fleeting moment of brilliance."
"We cultivators seek longevity, even eternity, don't we?"
Ning Zhuo nodded: "Boss, I understand. 'As long as the green hills last, there will be wood to burn.'
Sun Lingtong nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, you have always been smart. Be rational, be calm, and make the right choices!"
...
"Ning Zhuo, you fool!" Sun Lingtong transmitted his voice to Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo was delighted: "Boss, you're finally awake!"
Sun Lingtong was extremely weak: "Get lost! Qi Bai is not an ordinary Golden Core; he must have planted a mark on me. And you still came here!"
"Don't forget, we had an agreement."
Ning Zhuo suddenly smiled: "It's too late now, Boss, he's here."
Qi Bai, disheveled, reappeared.
Compared to before, he indeed looked a bit disheveled.
Ning Zhuo's heart sank, speaking in the tone of Youthful Guest: "To think such an explosion didn't hurt you. Blind Judge, you are indeed a formidable figure with a renowned name."
Qi Bai's throat moved as he let out a mocking laugh: "Realizing the gap between us now, truly senile."
"Don't think that a few flattering words will plead your case. Just die!"
With his words, the ghosts danced wildly, overwhelming everything.
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath, stomped on the ground, and instantly countless Silent Thunderbirds flew out from the surrounding buildings!
The thunderbirds self-destructed, clashing violently with the ghost army.
For a moment, lightning flashed and ghosts howled, fighting to a near standstill.
Qi Bai sneered, standing motionless in the high air.
Suddenly, a single-horned Ghost General appeared behind Ning Zhuo, swinging a ghostly saber horizontally.
"When did it sneak up?!" Unprepared, Ning Zhuo could only turn and use his left arm to block.
The moment the saber slashed at his left arm, the Iron Han Armor's mechanical left arm flashed with a silver shield.
The shield shattered instantly but bought Ning Zhuo the most crucial time.