Ning Zhuo's subordinates were in a state of panic, but Ning Zhuo no longer cared about these trivial matters.
There was no one left in the room but him.
His face remained pale, without a trace of blood.
His brows were tightly knitted, his eyes closed, and the corners of his eyes twitched from time to time. Countless thoughts churned in his mind as he desperately pondered all of this.
Ning Zhuo seized every second.
This time, he was in a life-threatening situation; every effort he made, each and every second, might affect the final outcome.
He tried his best to recall everything that had happened just now, the questions Zhu Xuanji had asked, and his expressions and mannerisms.
"Zhu Xuanji first asked if Yuan Dasheng was killed by me, then asked where the Demon Dao True Scripture was."
"In this order then..." Ning Zhuo tried hard to figure out Zhu Xuanji's line of thinking.
"In Zhu Xuanji's eyes, Yuan Dasheng should have the Demon Dao True Scripture."
"The True Scripture..."
Ning Zhuo knew of this thing.
This was a common knowledge in the cultivation world.
It was a scripture written with true meaning. Anyone who came into contact with the True Scripture, even someone illiterate, could comprehend all the profound truths within.
The True Scripture had the characteristic of automatically flowing. When its current vessel had issues or there was a superior vessel found, the True Scripture would automatically transfer from the old vessel to the new one.
"Generally speaking, if the item carrying the True Scripture was damaged, the True Scripture would most likely flow out."
"But at the time, Yuan Dasheng died right in front of me without any sign of the True Scripture flowing out."
"What exactly is the Demon Dao True Scripture that Zhu Xuanji is pursuing?"
"Could it be the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique?"
Inescapably, Ning Zhuo thought of the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique.
He then thought of Yuan Dasheng.
All along, he never understood why Yuan Dasheng had the cultivation level of the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique.
"Since Zhu Xuanji asked me so, it's very likely that Yuan Dasheng could master the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique because of the Demon Dao True Scripture."
"Zhu Xuanji came to me because Yuan Dasheng's corpse ultimately fell into my hands."
This couldn't help but stir Ning Zhuo's emotions.
He initially thought that Zhu Xuanji's investigation had ended. Unexpectedly, Zhu Xuanji followed Yuan Dasheng's clues once again to find Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo calmed his mind and continued thinking.
"The problem now is, how did Zhu Xuanji know about this clue?"
"Something significant must have happened during this period."
As for Zhu Xuanji leading three Golden Core cultivators deep into the mountain and waging a great battle, Ning Zhuo was unaware of it.
His ability to gather information was limited and largely depended on the Turtle Breath Gang's reconnaissance.
The strongest information gatherer around him was Sun Lingtong.
However, even Sun Lingtong had difficulties probing Golden Elixir level information.
Especially since Zhu Xuanji and the others returned, remaining silent about their actions. Only Meng Kui knew a bit.
Ning Zhuo voluntarily submitted a letter of apology to Ning Jiufan, the Ning Family Ancestor. On the one hand, it was to seek help; on the other hand, it was to gather intelligence.
In his eyes, Ning Jiufan was of the Golden Core rank. Given the close relationship between Zhu Xuanji and the three families, Ning Jiufan should know something.
Ning Zhuo managed to ask the right person!
But evidently, Ning Jiufan would never publicize his own matters.
When Ning Zhuo received Ning Jiufan's reply, he found that it contained only a few short lines.
Ning Jiufan instructed him to cooperate well with Lord Zhu Xuanji, to deeply reflect on himself within these three days, and to give Zhu Xuanji a perfect explanation in the end.
"Damn it!" Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth in frustration.
He had received no information. He felt as though he had been abandoned by the Ning Family Ancestor.
At such a critical moment, even a tiny piece of crucial information would have been immensely beneficial to him.
But from Ning Jiufan, he got nothing.
"Right, there's also the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit!"
"Yuan Dasheng's corpse was refined in the Magma Fairy Palace, eventually becoming the Golden Blood War Monkey."
Ning Zhuo activated the Floating Cloud Handkerchief, enveloping his body in layers of floating clouds once again.
Just when he wanted to have his spirit enter the Immortal Palace to try to contact the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, he heard a message from the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.
It was from the Medical Hall Master's token!
Surprised, Ning Zhuo immediately realized that the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's message was transmitted through the token.
"Y-Young Master." The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit disguised itself as being very weak.
It was about to explain about the life-and-death crisis involving Ning Xiaohui.
Ning Zhuo interrupted it directly, "Don't say anything else. Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, tell me first, where is the True Scripture from Yuan Dasheng's body?"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit paused.
It had been prepared for Ning Zhuo's demand for the True Scripture.
Without any hesitation, it directly answered, "Young Master, the True Scripture regarding the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique is indeed on Yuan Dasheng's body."
"But it can no longer be extracted because it has entirely become part of Yuan Dasheng's spiritual nature."
Ning Zhuo frowned and quickly asked, "Why is that?"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit explained, "The Magma Fairy Palace has many furnaces, the most advanced of which is the Golden Furnace."
"The Golden Furnace was set up by the Three Ancestral Masters themselves, containing eight furnaces in total; now only three remain."
"One was destroyed because it was used to refine Yuan Dasheng."
"Only a device like the Golden Furnace can refine superior talent."
"At that time, the True Scripture of the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique was lurking within Yuan Dasheng's bones."
"The Golden Furnace refines anything and everything, using all of Yuan Dasheng's essence as materials, forging them into one, and eventually transforming it into the Golden Blood War Monkey Mechanism."
"So it can be said that the True Scripture was destroyed, but it can also be said that the True Scripture has become part of Yuan Dasheng."
Ning Zhuo still did not understand and continued to ask, "At that time, Yuan Dasheng was already dead. Why didn't the scripture flow out?"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit then explained that Yuan Dasheng's immortal aptitude was Righteous Golden Firmness, his bones being an excellent vessel for the True Scripture.
Even though Yuan Dasheng had died, his bones did not rot or decay and could still carry the True Scripture.
Unless a better vessel appeared externally, the True Scripture would not flow out.
Ning Zhuo thought for a moment and continued to ask, "Before this, where did the True Scripture exist? Why did it flow out from the Magma Fairy Palace?"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit originally didn't want to disclose these secrets, but since Ning Zhuo had asked, it had no choice but to answer.
After all, it needed Ning Zhuo!
So it replied, "The Magma Fairy Palace has three Golden Core level combat forces, all of them Mechanical Puppets."
"They are the Buddhist Physician, the Taoist Master, and the Demon General."
"Unlike other Mechanism Artifacts, these three were personally crafted by the old master."
"The old master placed three True Scriptures in them, respectively relating to the Mirror Stand Spirit Communication Technique, the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art, and the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique."
"During the long suppression of Fire Persimmon Mountain, both the Buddhist Physician and the Demon General were lost."
"Now, only the Taoist Master Puppet remains, guarding the Magma Fairy Palace."
Ning Zhuo immediately had a conjecture, "In that case, Zhu Xuanji must have found the Mechanical Demon General and obtained key information from it, eventually leading to Yuan Dasheng."
"The reason Yuan Dasheng could get the True Scripture must be because he accidentally came across the Mechanical Demon General in Fire Persimmon Mountain..."
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit suddenly spoke urgently, "Young Master, I am not in good shape; I am about to lose contact with you."
"I reached out to you because a massive crisis has suddenly arisen."
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit spoke quickly, informing Ning Zhuo of Ning Xiaohui's actions and the existence of the Historical Records Pavilion.
Ning Zhuo couldn't help but frown deeply, feeling as if a huge stone had been placed on his heart.
When it rains, it pours!
He had personally detonated the Immortal Palace back then, definitely recorded in the Historical Records Pavilion.
If Ning Xiaohui truly had the position in the Historical Records Pavilion, Ning Zhuo's actions would be directly exposed.
The trouble was, in this route involving entering the Immortal Palace, Ning Xiaohui was the only one with the status of a trial disciple.
Only trial disciples had the opportunity to obtain positions like those in the Historical Records Pavilion or the Physician Hall. No one else, even Golden Core cultivators, could be treated equally.
This meant that no one could compete with Ning Xiaohui.
Ning Xiaohui becoming a member of the Historical Records Pavilion, even if not its chief, was a foregone conclusion.
Ning Zhuo was racking his brains to devise a strategy against Zhu Xuanji's investigation when he shockingly learned of another major crisis.
Without a doubt, Ning Xiaohui brought another life-and-death crisis to him.
Ning Zhuo asked the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, "As the Palace Spirit, can't you stop Ning Xiaohui's actions?"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit replied truthfully, "I cannot do that."
"I am unable to reveal any information related to any trial disciple."
Ning Zhuo immediately noticed the contradiction in its words, "If that's the case, how did you reveal Ning Xiaohui's movements to me?"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit still spoke truthfully, "I can only say it's your destiny, Master."
"Ning Xiaohui is your subordinate; she is an official in the Physician Hall, and you are the Master of the Physician Hall."
"Because of this relationship, you have the right to know any movements of your subordinates."
"Young Master..." The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit said this and then voluntarily severed the connection.
After that, no matter how much Ning Zhuo called its name, it did not respond at all.
In the short exchange with Ning Zhuo, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had already felt trepidation.
Ning Zhuo was so astute that even in a life-and-death situation, he remained calm and composed, easily noticing the loopholes in the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's words.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit dared not continue speaking.
"Such a little monster as Ning Zhuo has obtained enough information from me."
"Let's see how he performs next."
"Hurry and stop Ning Xiaohui; do not disappoint my expectations!"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit itself had never expected a day would come when it would place its hopes for freedom on Ning Zhuo.
With the grand situation unfolding, even the Magma Fairy Palace was beyond its control as the Palace Spirit.