Time returned to the past.
Ning Zhuo was still in the underground base.
"Life-Hanging Thread?!" Sun Lingtong looked at Ning Zhuo, quickly revealing a look of surprise and joy.
"Little Zhuo, this is amazing! This is a divine skill, and it's a divine skill specially left by the Three Ancestral Masters."
"Very good, excellent!"
"And you are only in the Qi Refinement Realm now, yet you have already mastered the embryonic form of a divine skill. Even the true disciples of the Bukong Sect would find it hard to achieve."
Ning Zhuo explained to Sun Lingtong how he had acquired the Life-Hanging Thread, and Sun Lingtong felt genuinely happy for Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo continued: "I have experimented with the embryonic form of the divine skill many times and have achieved many results. For example, many members of the Ning Family have secretly been implanted with the Life-Hanging Thread."
"My idea is, Elder Sun, I will implant one in you too."
Sun Lingtong: ?!
Ning Zhuo continued: "My plan is as follows."
"You see, I can already use the Life-Hanging Thread to extract Yuan Dasheng's spiritual nature and place it in another mechanical artifact."
"Extracting the soul is a bit more difficult than extracting the spiritual nature, but not by much."
"This is what the embryonic form of the divine skill makes me vaguely feel."
"So, I plan to enhance the embryonic form of the divine skill further, and once I enter the Immortal Palace, I'll see if I can extract your soul as well."
"Once your soul enters the palace, you can pass the trials."
"As long as you enter the first gate of the Buddhist Sect, you can use the power of the Magma Fairy Palace to obtain an excellent mechanical artifact."
Sun Lingtong's eyes flashed with brilliance, immediately understanding: "You mean, to follow Yuan Dasheng's manufacturing experience and make Qi Bai into a mechanical puppet too?"
"Great idea!"
"As long as Qi Bai is killed by the Magma Fairy Palace, even if the Soul Devouring Sect comes looking for trouble, they will have to find the palace."
"In this way, Meng Kui will definitely not allow it, and the Southern Bean Country should have the same attitude."
"Brilliant." Sun Lingtong gave Ning Zhuo a thumbs up.
He fully trusted Ning Zhuo: "Then let's do it, implant the Life-Hanging Thread in me too!"
Ning Zhuo knew Sun Lingtong extremely well, and the process of implanting the Life-Hanging Thread was completed almost instantly.
"Implanted? Why don't I feel anything?" Sun Lingtong touched the top of his head, feeling nothing.
Due to time constraints, Ning Zhuo didn't explain too much and quickly parted ways with Sun Lingtong.
Then, Ning Zhuo returned to his family, and Ning Xiaohui actively sought him out to explore the Immortal Palace together.
Ning Zhuo was more than willing, but on the surface, he appeared hesitant and reluctant, then unwillingly entered the Immortal Palace.
Afterward, he successfully deceived Ning Xiaohui and also dealt with Meng Chong.
First, he enhanced the embryonic form of the divine skill, then retreated all the way to Room No. 1.
After several attempts, he fortunately pulled Sun Lingtong's soul in.
At the moment of success, Sun Lingtong was stunned, while the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was bewildered!
Its dragon head instinctively extended its turtle shell, its neck grew long, and its eyes bulged round.
The extreme shock made it seem like a statue, its entire spirit motionless. During this time, even when the fire whip lashed at it, it didn't move as if it no longer sensed pain.
It was too shocked, utterly shocked.
What did it mean that Ning Zhuo extracted other people's souls into the trial barriers of the Magma Fairy Palace?
It meant that he not only possessed the Buddha Heart Devil Seal but also mastered the divine skill -- the Life-Hanging Thread!
Ah!
It was the Life-Hanging Thread!
The Life-Hanging Thread!!!
How was this possible?
Why was this happening?!
He was just a little Qi Refinement Realm cultivator, how could he have mastered the embryonic form of the Life-Hanging Thread divine skill?!
Was this a joke!
What kind of world was this?
Could you even cheat in this?!
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit couldn't understand it at all. It felt the world was too fantastical, like a weasel riding a chicken!
What was going on?
Who exactly was this Ning Zhuo?!
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit couldn't comprehend it at all. The extreme shock left it momentarily unsure how to react or handle the situation.
It stood frozen for several breaths, and then the continuous sharp pain from the fire whip finally woke it up.
It screamed in agony, fiery breath erupting from its mouth and nose.
Besides the incredible disbelief, anger, hatred, and disgust, there was also a rising sense of terrifying horror that quickly accumulated.
What exactly was this Ning Zhuo?
A monster?!
To master the embryonic form of a divine skill at the Qi Refinement Realm? This made it unreachable even by the true disciples of many great sects!
Stop him!
He must be stopped!!
By any means and efforts, he must be stopped!!!
Once this insidious, despicable, scheming character became the new master of the Magma Fairy Palace, how could the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit ever regain its freedom?
Freedom...
Freedom.
Freedom!
Who wouldn't want it?
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was also a being with its own thoughts.
It longed for freedom, greatly, passionately longed for it.
It didn't want to be trapped in the Magma Fairy Palace, never seeing daylight again. It didn't want to face the ceaseless attacks of demon beasts. It was tired of being a guardian, a watcher.
It didn't want to do it anymore.
It wanted to go out, to be free again!
Once, it was a free and unrestrained Firewalking Jiao Dragon, roaming around Fire Persimmon Mountain.
So, when its spiritual nature, over long years, elevated from the Dead Spirit Stage to the Living Spirit Stage, and then accumulated enough to evolve into the Wisdom Spirit Stage,
It was already contemplating how to escape the cage of the Immortal Palace and regain freedom!
Although it had duties, over the long years of continuous contemplation, it always found loopholes.
It tried its best to exploit these loopholes.
It deliberately stayed behind, letting someone take the Buddha Heart Devil Seal. It purposely allowed the Demon General to be damaged in battle, let the Buddhist Physician get lost, leaving only one Golden Core level mechanical puppet, the Taoist Master.
It deliberately moved slowly, using every Red Flame Demon Beast attack to weaken the Magma Fairy Palace.
Every weakening of the palace meant one less layer of the cage that confined it.
The Four Directions Powers of Volcanic Immortal City intervening to protect the Magma Fairy Palace made the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit very unhappy.
When Ning Zhuo blasted the palace, it was overjoyed and had once found Ning Zhuo quite pleasing!
However, as Ning Zhuo grew step by step, successively revealing the Buddha Heart Devil Seal and the Life-Hanging Thread, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was no longer happy but terrified!
Because, given the current situation, Ning Zhuo was undoubtedly the strongest trial disciple!
If he became the master of the palace in the future, would the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit still have a good life? Could it still have freedom?
Don't even think about it.
In the eyes of the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, the best master was Meng Chong!
On one hand, he had a simple mind, very simple, extremely simple. Successfully tricking Ning Zhuo and tricking Meng Chong were leagues apart in difficulty.
On the other hand, Meng Chong came from the Meng Family, which was powerful. Once the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit left the palace and wandered free, the Meng Family had enough strength to guard the palace and maintain the entire Fire Persimmon Mountain.
Roar!
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit roared anxiously.
It raised its head to spit out a scorching, dazzling column of fire, its entire spirit descending into madness.
The Magma Fairy Palace trembled violently again, endless lava splashing around, even lifting lava waves as high as ten feet!
The precious light shot straight into the sky, an invisible wave of air centered on the Magma Fairy Palace, swirling around like a hurricane.
Hundreds of Red Flame Demon Beasts were blown away, and the clouds and smoke surged continuously.
"Oh no, here we go again..." Meng Kui sighed, activating the Immortal City Great Array, suppressing the palace.
But this time was different.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was filled with extreme fear, almost becoming manic! It was jumping up and down in the main hall, ramming the pillars as if they were Ning Zhuo.
It was useless, it couldn't hurt Ning Zhuo at all.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit looked at Meng Kui with hope.
Its thought was simple and direct—hit me!
Meng Kui, hit me!!
As long as you hit me, I can legitimately fail the defense, letting you Meng Kui take the throne. By then, you sit on the throne, I get freedom, a win-win situation.
However, Meng Kui's reaction was—"Here we go again?!"
Ever since the Magma Fairy Palace was blown up and Meng Kui personally guarded it, it had been too many times.
He had experienced too many of the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's tantrums, causing the Magma Fairy Palace to riot.
Every time, he would personally act, tirelessly and laboriously suppressing the palace. Sometimes the palace rioted severely, and Meng Kui even had to activate the Immortal City Great Array to help him suppress it, ensuring absolute safety.
"Is this Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit going crazy again?!" Meng Kui took a deep breath, his expression gloomy.
From the intensity of this palace riot, it was extremely fierce.
"Is it because the side hall was breached earlier, making the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit frustrated?" Meng Kui sighed.
He hadn't expected that being the City Lord of Fire Persimmon Immortal City would be so tiring.
But thinking of his grandson Meng Chong's continuous progress and the great advances in this Immortal Palace exploration, he felt all his efforts and hardships were worth it.
Meng Kui activated the Immortal City Great Array again, suppressing the Magma Fairy Palace.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, bound by permissions, could only roar and shout in its heart: "Hit me, hit me, Meng Kui. You're a mighty Nascent Soul, don't wimp out! You are the Meng Family's Nascent Soul, charge!"
Meng Kui gave his all, suppressing the Magma Fairy Palace, thinking: "I am the mighty Meng Family's strategist, an immovable mountain's prime minister! The Magma Fairy Palace is no small matter, it is the key to suppressing Fire Persimmon Mountain, it must be kept intact."
He hoped Meng Chong could achieve the position of Palace Master.
How could he attack the Magma Fairy Palace?
The Magma Fairy Palace was the residence of the Three Ancestral Masters, likely hiding powerful cards capable of slaughtering Nascent Souls effortlessly.
The Three Ancestral Masters were deeply connected with the Southern Bean Country, having close ties. He, a minister in the Southern Bean Country's court, was one of their own.
If the Magma Fairy Palace could be overthrown, Meng Kui would have to do everything in his power to maintain it, as it was the best stepping stone and excuse for the Meng Family to advance into Fire Persimmon Immortal City.
So many times, so many times it rioted!
But Meng Kui just didn't attack the palace.
He only suppressed it.
Every time the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit rioted, it was a provocation, a reminder: Attack me, Meng Kui, attack me.
And every time, Meng Kui just suppressed the riot, never attacking.
He—remained immovable!
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was extremely furious, wanting to roar in Meng Kui's ear: "If you don't act, Ning Zhuo will seize the Palace Master position!"
"He has clearly mastered the embryonic form of the Life-Hanging Thread divine skill. If he targets me in the future, how can I regain my freedom?!"
"Dangerous! The Meng Family's situation is very dangerous!"
"There's a sinister, despicable monster, hiding so deeply, too deeply!!"