Zhu Xuanji's eyes reflected fiery red flames, and the Wind Alarm Bell in his heart kept ringing!
At first glance, he had seen through the situation in the Secret Pavilion.
"Karmic Fire is burning; this is the retribution of the Luck Skill," Zhu Xuanji sneered internally, "Ning Zhuo, you've gotten what you deserved by ending up in this plight."
He had just had this thought when he heard a roar.
Yuan Dasheng, a Heavy Blood Ape resembling him in stature—both of them tall and burly—charged headfirst into him, clasped him around the waist, and dashed away at full speed, breaking away from the battlefield!
Such an act would have been impossible for any other mechanism, but Yuan Dasheng, having reached the Spiritual Wisdom Phase, could analyze the battle situation and possessed greater autonomy.
Zhu Xuanji's anger showed on his face as he swung his elbows, hitting the back of the Heavy Blood Ape Yuan Dasheng. Each hit created a small, deep pit.
Regardless, Yuan Dasheng did not care and exerted all his strength to keep Zhu Xuanji away from Ning Zhuo.
Sun Lingtong reacted immediately and shielded Ning Zhuo's side.
Everything had happened too fast.
The door had opened, and Zhu Xuanji, engulfed in golden light, appeared before being knocked away by Yuan Dasheng.
Ning Xiaohui's grandmother and others closed in again.
"It's done! Hahaha," Meng Chong laughed loudly.
Acting on Meng Kui's orders, he seized the doorway, quickly pushed the wooden blocks, assembling the final section.
Initially, Ning Zhuo had almost completed the assembly. Meng Chong, using his Immortal Aptitude to enhance his actions, managed to complete the final steps in a matter of breaths.
With the content accurate, the door opened wide, a brilliant light shot up into the sky, casting an unparalleled glow over the Secret Pavilion.
As if a starry vortex formed inside the door, Meng Chong, without any hesitation, charged in!
"No, he's gone in!" someone yelled.
"Quick, stop Meng Chong!"
"The position of the Immortal Palace Master of the Lava Fairy Palace... is mine."
The group attacking Ning Zhuo dwindled significantly.
They were enchanted by Qi Fortune, but when it concerned overwhelming interests, their greedy desires overwhelmed the fiery red light in their eyes.
Only Ning Xiaohui's grandmother, Ning Xiaoren, Ning Ze, and a few others still continued their assault on Ning Zhuo.
Sun Lingtong struggled to protect, blocking left and right, and soon he was bathed in blood.
His combat style was agile and dynamic, but in order to protect Ning Zhuo, he had to abandon his strengths and was almost entirely on defense!
He had not recovered from previous injuries and was not at full strength.
Most crucially, his morale was low, and for no reason, he felt a sudden dislike and aversion toward Ning Zhuo. This mental state made every effort to protect Ning Zhuo leave him weak-kneed, and he could barely exert thirty or forty percent of his full capacity.
In contrast, Ning Xiaohui's grandmother and the others were clearly bolstered by the Luck Skill. Their power had expanded severalfold compared to their own peaks!
"Sun Lingtong, you outsider, don't meddle!" Ning Xiaoren shouted.
Ning Ze said, "This ingrate Ning Zhuo, a white wolf who won't be tamed, forgets his benefactors and even ignores his own blood! I should never have raised him."
Sun Lingtong, furious, cursed loudly, "You're the outsiders! What did you even raise?!"
Taking advantage of the brawl among the three, Ning Xiaohui's grandmother, like a swift hawk, pounced toward Ning Zhuo.
Her eyes blazed most fiercely!
"You ungrateful wretch, give my Xiaohui back!" she attacked the defenseless Ning Zhuo.
Teleportation Art!
At the critical moment, Sun Lingtong quickly turned around, using the signature magic of the Bukong Sect.
However, this time, he wasn't using it on himself.
Struck by the Teleportation Art, Ning Xiaohui's grandmother immediately vanished from the spot, transported to the neighboring Secret Pavilion.
Distracted, Sun Lingtong was severely injured by Ning Ze and Ning Xiaoren and kicked to a corner.
The door Yuan Dasheng had knocked down remained wide open.
Black Shadow Demon Cultivator and Chi Dun continued their fierce battle as they charged over!
Stone Heart Delaying Technique!
Lime Heart Technique!
Chi Dun's fist glowed with a gray halo as it struck the back of the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator.
In retaliation, the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator emitted black smoke, releasing several ropes that entwined Chi Dun.
Bound by the ropes and following his momentum, Chi Dun crashed solidly into a wall.
Hit by the powerful punch, the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator's speed surged as he rushed toward the door of the Secret Pavilion.
"Hmph, now that you've been struck by my Lime Heart Technique, you will..." Chi Dun's eyes suddenly widened.
For, at that very moment, he witnessed a faint yellow Buddhist light emanating from the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator's body, rapidly dissipating the grayish-white halo on his struck back.
The Black Shadow Demon Cultivator let out a hoarse laugh as he dashed toward the small door.
It was clearly a Buddhist light flickering, yet it made others feel an overwhelming Demonic Qi!
...
Martial Arts—Mountain Barrier, Mountain Barrier, Mountain Barrier!
Zhu Xuanji struck several palms in succession.
Even the heavily armored interior of the Heavy Blood Ape, temporarily reinforced by Ning Zhuo with all his strength, could not withstand the Golden Core Level attack and was once again shattered to pieces.
Yuan Dasheng still wanted to fight back, but Zhu Xuanji stepped back, creating space, then reached out with both hands, plunging his fingers into the chest of the Heavy Blood Ape, and with a fierce tug, he rent it asunder!
He split open its belly!
The Heavy Blood Ape knelt on the ground, its head held high with anger, completely suppressed under the Golden Mountain Stance.
"Pitiable, tragic, lamentable." Zhu Xuanji expressed with an emotionless face, his tone filled with regret.
He had recognized this as Yuan Dasheng's Spiritual Nature.
However, just as he was about to step past Yuan Dasheng and rush towards the Secret Pavilion at the main entrance, his steps suddenly halted.
He saw the fragments of the broken mechanical heart sphere, he saw the unlit Fire Persimmons.
The grades of the Fire Persimmons were all high, most being Thousand-Year-Old Fire Persimmons, and there were even Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Fire Persimmons.
In an instant, Zhu Xuanji felt as if he had been struck by lightning!
He stood frozen in place, his heart missing a beat, gripped by intense horror!
All the clues connected in this moment.
The truth was revealed!
...
"Xiaohui, my Xiaohui!" Ning Xiaohui's grandmother had already lost her sanity. She was teleported out by Sun Lingtong and she crazily rushed back in.
Before entering the small door, she encountered the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator.
With a gentle wave of his arm, Ning Xiaohui's grandmother was decapitated, her neck spouting a fountain of blood.
Dead.
This sight terrified Ning Xiaoren and Ning Ze, cold sweat breaking out as a strong desire to survive overpowered the red firelight in their eyes.
The two of them retreated explosively at the same time.
Sun Lingtong, dragging his severely injured body, reached Ning Zhuo's side. Just as he stood up to drag Ning Zhuo away, he looked up and saw the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator, close at hand.
An overwhelming oppression descended like a mountain.
Sun Lingtong's eyes bled as he let out a low roar and was about to fling Ning Zhuo aside and throw himself forward.
In the next moment, he was knocked down by a single finger point.
Thump.
He fell to the ground, his cheek against the cold floor, his heart as cold as the floor tiles.
He despaired as he looked at Ning Zhuo, whose eyes were tightly shut.
If possible, he would have traded his own life for Ning Zhuo's!
Seeing this, Ning Xiaoren and Ning Zhuo retreated even faster.
"Don't retreat, seize Ning Zhuo quickly!" Almost simultaneously, Zhu Xuanji burst into the Secret Pavilion next door, anxiously shouting.
Ning Xiaoren and Ning Ze were puzzled.
It was already too late.
The Black Shadow Demon Cultivator slowly bent down, extending his mechanical arm and hand, gently assisting Ning Zhuo to stand up.
The faint yellow Buddhist light shone on Ning Zhuo, suppressing the red flames burning on his body.
Ning Zhuo finally regained some strength; he leaned on the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator's arm and struggled to stand upright.
A simple action, yet it exhausted the pitiful remainder of his strength.
He was drenched in cold sweat, barely opening his eyes, his vision gradually clearing.
He looked at the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator beside him, showing a gentle, relaxed, silent smile.
The next moment, Sun Lingtong's eyes widened, pupils constricted, showing a highly shocked expression.
For he had heard Ning Zhuo softly call out—
"Mother."