Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong, and Buddhist Physician Meng Yaoyin stepped into the main hall together.
Meng Chong and the others were fixed in place, unable to move.
Zhou Zeshen and Zhou Zhu had already lost all signs of life.
Meng Chong had reached the front of the throne.
Clearly, a life-and-death struggle had taken place.
Ning Ze and Ning Xiaoren fell behind, they had fled in here, scared after witnessing Meng Yaoyin's demonic power.
Like statues, they were all fixed in place.
Meng Chong was already bending down, facing the throne, about to sit down.
But that minor gap was like a chasm, lying before him.
Divine Power—Life Hanging Thread!
Once Ning Zhuo had recovered slightly, he fully activated this divine power.
Among those present, who hadn't he planted with the hanging thread?
Even Meng Chong!
He had been under Ning Zhuo's life hanging thread since the Soul Entering Immortal Palace, struggling against the Golden Blood Battle Ape Dabai.
It was because of this that Ning Zhuo could sense Meng Chong's movements precisely during the prior crucial opportunities, amidst the influx of low-ranking cultivators, and initiate pursuit.
It was because of this that the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit understood deeply that Meng Chong simply could not defeat Ning Zhuo.
With the Life Hanging Divine Power capable of fighting cross-level, Ning Zhuo, possessing a Foundation Establishment Cultivation, could theoretically threaten a Golden Core Cultivator. Not to mention dealing with Meng Chong.
"Spare my life, spare me, Ning Zhuo! I was wrong, I just made a mistake, I was blinded by lard! I swear, from now on, I will never oppose you!" Ning Xiaoren, unable to move, blurted out in panic.
"Little Zhuo, Little Zhuo, I am your own uncle, if you kill me, are you not afraid of verbal and written condemnation?" Ning Ze glared, unable to hide the terror in his voice.
Ning Zhuo paid no attention to them, a cold light flickering in his eyes.
Buddhist Physician Meng Yaoyin, with a face full of disgust, flicked a finger.
Two crisp sounds that nearly merged into one.
The heads of Ning Xiaoren and Ning Ze exploded, just like watermelons hitting the ground.
Then, their headless bodies fell to the ground.
Meng Chong stared in death.
He could only use his peripheral vision to catch a glimpse of Ning Zhuo and the others approaching.
Netherworld Envoy Qi Bai took the lead, reaching Meng Chong's back first.
He reached out to grab Meng Chong's neck, pulling backwards, yanking out Meng Chong's soul.
He subdued the soul, compressing it into a sphere, holding it in his palm.
Then, he slowly stepped back, slightly bowed to open a path for Ning Zhuo.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit did not appear.
It contracted, hiding extremely well, mainly focusing on remotely controlling the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon, hiding everywhere, evading Zhu Zhen's pursuit!
All that happened in the main hall remained within its observation.
But what could it do?
Despair was dragging it into the abyss.
Boom.
A muffled sound echoed, and everyone looked back.
Zhu Xuanji, coated in golden light, suppressed his injuries and rushed over again in haste.
Buddhist Physician Meng Yaoyin, wielding the Big Snake Scythe, stepped forward to meet Zhu Xuanji.
On her left and right, Netherworld Envoy Qi Bai and Weather Balloon·Ice Crystal Snow were ready to coordinate.
The fierce battle unfolded in the next moment!
While Zhu Xuanji was being held off, Ning Zhuo walked to the front of the throne.
With a casual glance, Meng Chong's body naturally fell to the side, like a statue.
Ning Zhuo stepped over his body, faced the throne, then turned around and slowly sat down.
This simple action, however, held extraordinary significance!
The struggle for the position of Lava Fairy Palace Master had thus been decided.
"The third round of the palace trial is over! The new master—entry standard, all others utterly disqualified."
The message spread, and Zhu Xuanji was taken aback: "So it turns out Ning Zhuo is the entry standard!!"
In front of the Secret Pavilion door, Golden Core Cultivators hesitating whether to rush into the main hall all stopped in their tracks.
"Alas, Zhu Xuanji has also failed."
"Who would have thought that in the end, the Lava Fairy Palace would be won over by the Bukong Sect!"
"Their arrangements here are too deep! The entire Zheng Family has been played, that Night Rain Demon Weapon is too vicious!"
Everyone's fighting spirit was lost.
Shuzhong Jun, left with only his upper body, stared at the door, as if in a daze.
He had faced such a door before, only the requirement was to piece together the correct Demon-infused Bloodline Technique!
"It turns out, I was only a step away from breaking through the Secret Pavilion of Transition!"
"The Demon-infused Bloodline Technique! Ahhh! Why didn't I acquire that Cultivation Technique?!"
Shuzhong Jun was filled with extreme regret.
"Little Zhuo, you've finally succeeded, you've become the Palace Master!" Sun Lingtong looked at Ning Zhuo sitting on the throne, feeling a whirlwind of emotions, overwhelming relief, and joy, almost bringing him to tears.
"Little Zhuo, it hasn't been easy for you to get to this point," remarked Sun Lingtong.
Yet Ning Zhuo shook his head: "No, I haven't completely succeeded yet."
He leaned against the chair back, stroking the armrests on both sides, savoring the various tactile sensations, reminiscing about when his mother was alive, leveraging her work as a Commander to enter the main hall, sit on the throne, and stealthily usurp part of the Palace Master's authority—what must that scene, those feelings have been like.
There are many such descriptions in the Lava Fairy Palace Essence.
Meng Yaoyin, seated on the throne, could remotely control several mechanical structures, including the medical hall and Gourd Fire Furnace Forest.
At that moment, Ning Zhuo sat upon the throne and became the true Palace Master, sensing all the mechanical constructs of the Lava Fairy Palace.
Yet, it was precisely this full awareness that made him understand just how terribly bad the state of the Lava Fairy Palace had become. Nearly all the important mechanisms and buildings had ceased to exist, leaving only the central main hall.
The outer and inner rings of the Lava Fairy Palace had been almost completely submerged by a tidal wave of demon beasts, with only the main hall remaining, where cultivators were gathered, numbly and desperately holding this last line of defense.
If the whole Lava Fairy Palace were to be at a hundred percent, then at least seventy percent had collapsed and become detached!
"The scale of the losses is unbearable to witness!"
"Rather than rebuilding, it might be better to construct a new mechanical palace."
To repair and rebuild would be a bottomless pit!
The irony of fate.
Fourteen years of longing and waiting, fourteen years of hidden endurance and planning, and in the end it was nothing but the ruin of a mechanism.
Ning Zhuo chuckled and executed a cultivation technique.
The Cremation Prajna Spirit Liberation Sutra!
Flames suddenly arose, spreading quickly and fiercely enveloping the throne in a tight embrace, burning and refining it with fervor.
Sun Lingtong exclaimed in shock, "Little Zhuo, what are you doing?"
Ning Zhuo had already stood up, continuing to command the Fire Technique while carrying Meng Chong's body and moving away from the throne.
He watched as the throne burned and explained to Sun Lingtong, "The fall of the Lava Fairy Palace is imminent. The cremation of the throne is my true objective."
Sun Lingtong did not understand. He was unaware that Meng Yaoyin had spent countless times sitting on the throne, pushing her studies of its flaws, pouring her heart and soul into it.
Just as refining Ning Xiaohui added to the spiritual nature of the Flowing Clouds and Streaming Water Talisman.
Melting the throne of the Immortal Palace would inevitably produce spiritual nature, enhancing the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin!
"Indeed." Ning Zhuo joyfully saw the throne melting away, with faint glimmers of spiritual nature appearing like fireflies in the night.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit could no longer hide!
It revealed its dragon turtle shape: "Ning Zhuo, stop, stop this at once!"
"Stop it!"
"If you destroy the throne, you will only prolong your mother's suffering for a short while."
"Without the throne, if the Lava Fairy Palace falls and the Flame Beast Tide overwhelms it, the whole situation will collapse. Without this bulwark, the demon beast tide will sweep down the mountain and slaughter the city's inhabitants. You will create boundless slaughter!"
"Laden with such sin, it will not only disadvantage your cultivation, but you will be plagued with a lifetime of misfortune, miseries following you, loathed by heaven and earth, making it impossible for you to make a step forward!"
"Have you not just suffered from Karmic Fire scorching your body? Can you imagine that pain magnified a hundred thousand times? Can you bear it?"
The urgency in the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's voice could not be ignored.
Because should this great collapse happen and sins be committed, it too, as an accessory, could not escape a dire fate!
"As long as my mother regains spiritual nature... Humph!" Ning Zhuo's face was full of cold determination.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit cried out in despair, flames rising from its entire body.
Sun Lingtong quickly stood by Ning Zhuo's side, warily eyeing the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit pleaded desperately; Ning Zhuo turned a deaf ear.
Zhu Xuanji was shocked and enraged, feeling intense animosity towards Ning Zhuo for the first time.
"Ning Zhuo!"
He roared like thunder: "Do not step forward, you'll ruin your life!!"
"Creating a massacre throughout the city, you will become a fugitive wanted by the kingdom, and the forces of the Righteous Path will join together to hunt you down."
He rushed forward recklessly, rather taking a strike from the Big Snake Scythe, allowing his left arm to be nearly severed but gripping the scythe tightly.
The power of the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, was clearly no match for Zhu Xuanji. She struggled to break free.
Zhu Xuanji let out a long cry.
Divine Power—Golden Intent to Recall the Troops!
Golden Intent smeared over the Big Snake Scythe, rapidly spreading over its surface, crystallizing into swathes of gold, sealing it.
Not waiting for the seal to complete, Zhu Xuanji let go of the Big Snake Scythe and broke away, charging at Ning Zhuo.
The Netherworld Envoy, Qi Bai, Miss Rudie, and the Weather Balloon·Ice Crystal Snow acted together in an attempt to intercept.
But Zhu Xuanji feinted and neared the throne, reaching out to grab a treasure.
It was the Golden Phoenix Mirror!
This mirror, originating from the Lava Fairy Palace, was one of the preferred tools for managing mechanical artifacts.
With the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin's body being a Mechanical Buddha Doctor, she was restrained by the Golden Phoenix Mirror.
As expected, when Zhu Xuanji shone the mirror's light.
Under the glare of the mirror, the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin's speed greatly reduced, movements becoming stiff.
Meng Yaoyin decisively let go, the Big Snake Scythe turning from scythe to snake, lunging at Zhu Xuanji.
The Golden Phoenix Mirror in Zhu Xuanji's hand was not as effective against the Night Rain Demon Soldiers.
"Where are Chi Dun, Zhou Nongying, and the rest?!" Zhu Xuanji struggled against the snake mechanism, temporarily unable to stop Ning Zhuo, frustration boiling over.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit suddenly cried out: "Ning Zhuo, do you know what the trio of great masters said when they established the Immortal Palace to guard Fire Persimmon Mountain?"
"Golden Furnace Red Fire to refine spirits, Immortal Palace Burial Mountain to aid all beings."
"I advised the Southern Emperor not to cling to the past, as old affections dissipate like smoke before dust."
"Every being suffers from the heaviness of ignorant desires, believing themselves to be the puppet's master."
"In great compassion lies the truest form of love, putting down obstacles is the path to enlightenment."
"I understand now, I see it all clearly!"
"The warning from the great masters was not only for the past Southern Emperor, but for you too!"
"You must no longer stubbornly refuse to see!"
"Haven't these fourteen years been full of pain for you?"
"Let go, let it all go!"
"For fourteen years, the Lava Fairy Palace has been your biggest puppeteer!"
"Put down your obsession, put down your spiritual barrier. You must learn to be compassionate, compassion is the greatest form of love!"