"Zheng Jian, may your journey be filled with rapid progress!"
"Congratulations on entering the medical pavilion and advancing to the position of a physician!"
"Your Grace, though Ning Zhuo took the initial step, with your talents, you are destined to surpass him and become the foremost physician in the pavilion."
Zheng Jian walked on, waving his hand vigorously, his spirits high and vitality radiating.
Under the watchful eyes of many, he slowly stepped into the medical pavilion.
The doors of the medical pavilion closed automatically behind him, and the noise from the outside world abruptly faded away.
Zheng Jian looked around, spotting the rows of medical consultation desks and noticed more rooms upstairs—inhaling deeply.
He first took a stroll around, discovering that even though he could go upstairs, many rooms were off-limits to him.
"The role of physician is ultimately just the lowest tier in the medical pavilion. I have a long road ahead before I can be in charge here."
Zheng Jian tried to accept a mission.
He was soon delighted to find that, after acquiring the position of physician, his list of missions had expanded at least three times.
"Many of these tasks are brand new, ones I've never encountered before."
"The rewards for these new tasks are clearly superior to those from tasks outside."
The thrill in his heart dispersed quickly and his eyes dropped, gleaming with a sharp light.
He thought of Ning Zhuo.
"Ning Zhuo became a physician before me and has had access to these missions for much longer."
"Fortunately, an incident has occurred with him, and he has not shown up for two days."
"This is the best chance for me to overtake him! If I miss this opportunity, I might not get another one this good."
Zheng Jian considered Ning Zhuo his greatest competitor, harboring deep rivalry.
This was because, after an urgent discussion, the Zheng Family had analyzed all the mechanical architectures within Lava Fairy Palace, discussed all the positions, and decided that the medical pavilion was their top priority!
The Zheng Family's decision was conveyed to Zheng Family's renovation team. Zheng Jian, being the most outstanding member and the indisputable leader of the Zheng Family renovation team, took on the crucial task of surpassing Ning Zhuo without hesitation!
Outer circle of the Lava Fairy Palace.
This was a frequently battled zone.
A battlefield littered with ruins.
Eight mechanical Night Sky Bats flew in circles above, surveying the ruins from above.
Two genius cultivators from the Zhou Family stood amidst the ruins.
The two of them controlled the Night Sky Bats while discussing.
Zhou Zeshen, looking worried, said, "Ever since the incident at the Historical Records Pavilion and with Xiaohui, the Flame Demon Beast has broken through the light shield and entered the Immortal Palace more frequently. In my opinion, the Golden Light Barrier is much weaker than before."
Zhou Zhu, however, was unconcerned, "Isn't that better? The more the Flame Demon Beast rampages in, the more mechanical buildings it destroys, the more opportunities we have to repair these buildings."
"This is our forte, repairing a mechanical building grants us far greater merit than other tasks."
Zhou Zeshen shook his head slowly, still worried, "When the nest is overturned, no egg is left unbroken. If the Lava Fairy Palace remains intact, that's one thing. But if it gets destroyed by the Demon Beast Tide, all our schemes will come to naught!"
Zhou Zhu was more optimistic and immediately expressed his confidence in his family and in Meng Kui.
Zhou Zeshen said, "We haven't seen the full extent of the Demon Beast Tide yet. Numerous demon beasts die every day, but the tide still continues unabated."
"The critical point is that among the demon beasts, those of Nascent Soul Level have not shown themselves."
"Furthermore, the Bukong Sect poses a greater threat."
"The influence of this major Evil Sect extends across multiple countries. Importantly, the location of their sect has never been exposed. Some even speculate that this unique Evil Sect intentionally operates without a fixed headquarters."
"So, in comparison, dealing with sects like Soul Devouring Sect, which have a clear territorial footprint, is actually easier."
During the conversation, the two of them gradually put away the Night Sky Bats.
They closed their eyes, receiving the information transmitted from the Night Sky Bats.
Then, Zhou Zeshen and Zhou Zhu crouched down, Mana fed into the threads extending from their hands stiffened tautly.
The threads moved about on the ground, swiftly outlining a simple overview of the ruins.
The two discussed repair strategies one after the other.
The plan wasn't just to restore the old mechanical buildings but also to incorporate many more offensive and defensive mechanical artifacts.
This wasn't their first repair and they already had experience.
They knew that this enhanced restoration could yield them more merit afterward!
Of course, doing so meant that they had to invest a lot—sacrificing materials, manpower, and various other costs.
The Zhou Family fully supported them.
Like the other two families, the Zhou Family was also making every effort to secure positions within the Lava Fairy Palace.
Before long, Zhou Zeshen and Zhou Zhu stood up and began their activities.
They first released a dozen Driller Rats.
The Driller Rats rotated their spiral drill bits, burrowing into the ruins to sever the foundations of the buildings and simultaneously inspect the condition beneath the ground.
Afterward, Zhou Zeshen released the White Tiger Strong Rushing Vehicle, while Zhou Zhu took out the Azure Dragon Lifting Arm.
The White Tiger Strong Rushing Vehicle, which had made an appearance during a sparring session between Zhou Zeshen and Ning Zhuo, had a lifelike appearance with strong and powerful limbs, seemingly ready to leap at any moment. Its body was a vast expanse of silvery white, reflecting the cold, metallic luster. The tiger's eyes were made of crystal, capable of emitting light rays to discern the enemy's weaknesses.
When the Azure Dragon Lifting Arm was first taken out, it was in a coiled form. Once extended, the bronze dragon scales were tightly detailed, and the dragon's ridge rose high, appearing extremely robust and powerful.
The head of the White Tiger Strong Rushing Vehicle retracted and shrank into its body.
Zhou Zhu inserted the tail of the Azure Dragon into the hollow of the White Tiger's neck, firmly fixing the two together.
The dragon's ridge stiffened, its head was held high as if ready to soar into the sky.
Under the joint efforts of the two Zhou Family geniuses, the White Tiger Strong Rushing Vehicle leaped forward, directly jumping into the ruins of the buildings.
The Azure Dragon Lifting Arm began to move, striking out in all directions with the agility of a dragon or serpent. The dragon's mouth opened wide, clamping onto broken wooden beams before tossing them aside. Sometimes, when encountering tougher materials, the dragon's mouth would chew vigorously, crushing the debris into smaller pieces for easier cleanup.
With such targeted Mechanical Artifacts, the debris in the area was quickly cleared away.
Zhou Zeshen and Zhou Zhu then meticulously cleaned up once more before starting the reconstruction.
Both had once joined the Mudflow Sect for further study and were very skilled in such construction, earning considerable merit.
While controlling various types of Mechanical Artifacts, they still found time to chat.
They talked about Ning Zhuo, knowing he had not made a public appearance for two days.
They speculated that it might be because Ning Zhuo had decided to leave the dark for the light, fearing the Bukong Sect might seek him out.
After all, the death of Ning Xiaohui was a recent memory.
Zhou Zeshen looked in the direction of the physician's office, "With this, Zheng Jian might have a chance."
"The duties of the physician's office are quite significant. For it can not only repair Mechanical Artifacts but also heal people."
"If Zheng Jian can take the lead and allow the Zheng Family to take control of the physician's office, then in the future, the Zheng Family's status in Fire Persimmon Immortal City will be significantly boosted."
"Ning Zhuo, when will you step forward?"
Zhou Zeshen had always had a good impression of Ning Zhuo, considering him a thinker like himself.
And from the perspective of family interests, Zhou Zeshen very much hoped that Ning Zhuo could defend the physician's office's interests and thwart Zheng Jian.
After all, the Zheng Family ranked just below the Zhou Family, and if Zheng Jian controlled the physician's office, it would definitely provoke a severe impact on the Zhou Family's status!
Both privately and publicly, Zhou Zeshen hoped Ning Zhuo would take a stand at this critical moment.
Ning Jiufan also hoped Ning Zhuo would take a stand!
Two days had passed since the new strategies were set in motion, but he discovered that Ning Zhuo had remained in his room.
He was either practising the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art, studying Technique Classics, or delving into the insights from the Talismans given by Ning Jiufan, showing no signs of stepping outside.
Ning Jiufan called Ning Zhuo over, "A snake can't move without a head, and as the leader of the Renovation Team and highly esteemed by the people, why do you not set foot outside?"
"At this very moment, both the Zhou and Zheng Families are going all out, vying for various positions. Yet our Ning Family's momentum is suppressed, urgently needing a leader to bolster morale and lead our family members forward."
Ning Zhuo spoke, "Ancestor, it's too dangerous for me!"
"My situation is different from that of Zheng Jian, Zhou Zeshen, and Zhou Zhu."
"I have once collaborated with people from the Bukong Sect, and now that I've left them for the light, they must hate me to death and will surely plot to assassinate and ambush me, seeking to take my life."
"I could end up just like Ning Xiaohui if I'm not careful!"
"So, for safety's sake, I better stay by your side."
"I am, after all, the only person in the Qi Refinement Realm in our Ning Family with innate talent. My death would be a great loss to the family!"
Ning Jiufan was immediately so angry that he blew his beard and glared, scolding Ning Zhuo once more for his cowardice and lack of the Ning family's spirit.
Ning Zhuo shrugged and looked helpless, "Ancestor, you can scold all you want. If it makes you feel better, you can scold me for ten days and a half."
Ning Jiufan was choked by this response, having never seen such a lazy character among the Ning family descendants.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say or how to scold.
After a brief silence, Ning Jiufan looked at Ning Zhuo, who was as indifferent as a dead pig to boiling water, and said helplessly, "Tell me, what do you want to actively take initiative and uphold our Ning Family's honor?"
Ning Zhuo replied with a bitter expression, "Ancestor, it's not that I don't want to contribute to the family. I am worried about my safety. The Talismans you gave me don't provide me with enough security."
"I've previously received a Targeted Teleportation Talisman from the family. This talisman could allow me to teleport out quickly in critical situations."
"I think, if Ning Xiaohui had this talisman back then, she might not have had to sacrifice herself."
Ning Jiufan shook his head slightly, "You're hoping for too much, but even us Golden Core Cultivators find it difficult to use teleportation techniques within the Lava Fairy Palace."
"There are prohibitions in the Lava Fairy Palace, making it extremely difficult to teleport."
With that, Ning Jiufan stroked his beard, "Here's what I'll do, I'll give you a Spirit Talisman. It will protect you completely!"
Ning Zhuo's eyes lit up, and he immediately bowed deeply, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you, ancestor, for the talisman."
Ning Jiufan glared, thinking to himself, "Who said I was giving it away?"