The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit eavesdropped on Zhu Xuanji and the other Golden Core Cultivators' conversation. It hadn't been long before it began feeling uneasy.
It clenched its dragon claws into fists and continuously pounded them on the armrest of the throne.
"It wasn't the City Lord's Mansion that bombed the Immortal Palace, it was Ning Zhuo."
"What are you all doing? What are you doing?!"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit gnashed its teeth, its face full of frustration at their incompetence.
It desperately wanted to eliminate Ning Zhuo. Among all the competitors, Ning Zhuo posed the greatest threat to it.
And it had placed high hopes on Zhu Xuanji, who, with his own strength, had misled all the Golden Core Ancestors.
"What kind of Divine Hunter are you?"
"What are you even doing? You are utterly disgracing the title of Divine Hunter!"
Yet as the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit continued listening, it gradually lapsed into silence.
"Don't say it, really, don't say it..."
"Based on the clues Zhu Xuanji gathered, his speculation does make some sense."
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit put itself in Zhu Xuanji's shoes. If it thought from Zhu Xuanji's perspective, it really seemed like the City Lord's Mansion was the largest suspect.
"But... why did things turn out this way?" the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit asked itself.
It soon found the answer.
"It's all Ning Zhuo's fault!"
"He is just too good at pretending and hiding."
"But, who would have thought that a mere boy, only sixteen years old, with merely a third-level Qi Refinement cultivation, would dare to bomb the Immortal Palace?"
Such actions were extremely audacious and greedy to the extreme. The boy's frail chest harbored ambitions beyond imagination!
To think, the entire Magma Fairy Palace was the legacy left by a Cultivating the Void-level power.
It's only reasonable for a Cultivator at the same level, Cultivating the Void, to become the Master of the Immortal Palace.
A Divinity Transformation Stage cultivation is most suitable for inheriting the position of Master of the Magma Fairy Palace.
At the Nascent Soul level, it would just about suffice, while the Golden Core level was already not enough.
And Ning Zhuo didn't have any of these cultivations; he was just at the Qi Cultivation Stage, the lowest in the entire cultivation world.
This felt like a tiny ant trying to eat a tiger or a leopard—it was laughable.
But the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit couldn't laugh at all.
Because it personally witnessed how Ning Zhuo survived in the gaps between the major forces, scheming against them, controlling part of the situation.
And how he allowed his cultivation to swell and skyrocket, mastering the complete Divine Power Life Thread, adapting to situations, and building his own small power.
Ning Zhuo stealthily, step by step, approached the throne of the Magma Fairy Palace!
So far, no one had detected him!
Such experiences and a person would be exciting and inspirational enough, but from the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's perspective, it felt entirely different.
It wanted to regain its freedom. If Ning Zhuo truly became the Palace Master, it no longer had any confidence it could escape!
"Ning Zhuo is just a little monster." Although Ning Zhuo was only at the Qi Refinement Stage, he brought the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit the most genuine and heaviest fear.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit continued eavesdropping.
When it heard that these Golden Core Ancestors planned to use Ning Zhuo as bait to lure the City Lord's Mansion into making a mistake and then assassinate Ning Zhuo, it showed satisfaction and surprise for the first time.
"But... will the City Lord's Mansion really take action against Ning Zhuo?"
While the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit eagerly anticipated this scene, reason told it that the possibility was low.
"If the City Lord's Mansion truly makes a move, Ning Zhuo won't come out of it well and may even lose his life here."
"If the City Lord's Mansion doesn't make a move, Zhu Xuanji and the others will sense something wrong and reflect on it, causing more trouble for Ning Zhuo."
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit realized that regardless of the outcome, it would benefit. It couldn't help but grin.
"No matter what, Ning Zhuo is in big trouble!"
"Hahaha, serves him right!"
"Who told him to be so ambitious with such meager strength, coveting the Magma Fairy Palace!"
"Not to mention anything else, just the hidden attention from these Golden Core Ancestors is enough to prevent Ning Zhuo from freely cultivating as before."
"Under these circumstances, he will face heavy surveillance, making it impossible for him to break through to Foundation Establishment."
Seeing Ning Zhuo's misfortune, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit felt genuine happiness. It couldn't help but throw back its head and laugh three times.
Soon after laughing, it heard the Golden Core Cultivators discussing Ning Xiaohui.
It heard Zhu Xuanji giving orders for Ning Xiaohui to vie for the position of head of the Historical Records Pavilion.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit could no longer laugh.
At that moment, it suddenly realized the unluckiest one turned out to be itself!
The Historical Records Pavilion!
This special Mechanism Pavilion recorded every significant and minor event since the creation of the Magma Fairy Palace, along with the detailed accounts of each event.
Many records in the Historical Records Pavilion were extremely valuable!
As soon as Ning Xiaohui became the head of the Historical Records Pavilion, she would easily access these records.
Every event that happened in the Magma Fairy Palace would be laid out before her.
As a result, all the small actions, devious plans, and escape arrangements the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit made to break free would be thoroughly exposed!
Like a crucial blow striking it in a vital spot, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit plunged into an extreme state of panic and fear.
"What should I do? What should I do?!"
"Once Ning Xiaohui ascends, she will find out everything."
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's power was limited, unable to interfere.
It could only watch as Ning Xiaohui quickly accumulated accomplishments in the near future and smoothly became the head of the Historical Records Pavilion.
Ning Xiaohui's success was almost inevitable because no one would compete with her.
On this path within the Immortal Palace, Ning Xiaohui was the only one with the status of a trial disciple.
Currently, Ning Xiaohui was a physician, also possessing the talent Ice-jade Hands, extremely proficient in repairing mechanism artifacts. Her speed in accumulating achievements far surpassed others.
The position of head of the Historical Records Pavilion was not highly ranked, and even as a verifier, Ning Xiaohui could access the Historical Records Pavilion's records!
"What should I do? What should I do?"
"Zhu Xuanji! You're incompetent against Ning Zhuo but strike a vital blow against me like this!"
"You are too ruthless, too ruthless! Why did you target me this way?"
"And why did the Ning Family send Ning Xiaohui's good news at this time, making Zhu Xuanji discover the Historical Records Pavilion?"
"Why am I so unlucky?"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit began to pace anxiously in the main hall.
Watching the commotion, it suddenly realized it was caught in the fire itself!
It could no longer remain calm.
"I must stop Ning Xiaohui!"
However, it was impossible for it to do so alone, as it was the Palace Spirit of the Magma Fairy Palace.
Facing a trial disciple, it could not act nor reveal their information, not even lie.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit struggled in the depths of despair until it suddenly halted.
"Wait a minute!"
"I can't do it, but someone else can."
"To be precise... Ning Zhuo can!"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit wanted to use Ning Zhuo.
"Ning Zhuo and I are aligned."
"Ning Zhuo bombed the Immortal Palace; Ning Xiaohui will inevitably find this out from the Historical Records Pavilion."
"Ning Zhuo can help me!"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit grew excited.
In fact, apart from Ning Zhuo, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit dared not contact anyone else.
Previously, it informed Meng Chong of critical information from the Magma Fairy Palace's perspective without revealing its true identity.
"Currently, I can only contact Ning Zhuo."
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was forced to take this path for self-preservation.
Ning Zhuo's home.
The overturned houses and floors had already been repaired.
Ning Zhuo sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, silently healing his injuries.
A group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators surrounded him, with concerned expressions, constantly inquiring in roundabout ways about what had happened.
"This is not something you can know. All of you, leave." Ning Zhuo's expression was cold as he slowly closed his eyes.
The Foundation Establishment Cultivators had no choice but to exit the room.
They closed the door and communicated with their eyes. Each person's expression was grave, filled with suspicion.
Under Zhu Xuanji's heavy pressure, the forces Ning Zhuo had just established showed signs of collapse.
The loyalty of those former stewards to Ning Zhuo was questionable.
Moreover, the branch lineage members who voluntarily aligned with Ning Zhuo were generally those who saw potential in Ning Zhuo's future development and joined for profit, not to risk their lives.
Some admired Ning Zhuo's achievements, but most supported him only because there were no other options in the Ning branch lineage.
"What did Ning Zhuo do to make Master Zhu Xuanji react this way?"
"How can we know if he won't tell us anything?"
"Closely monitor the situation, something seems off."
"Indeed, Master Zhu Xuanji's attitude is clearly hostile. Could it be that Ning Zhuo did something wrong?"