: The Subtleties of the Righteous Path

Lava Immortal Palace.

Main Hall.

"Ah!" The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit screamed sharply, jolting awake from a nightmare.

It instinctively reached out and touched its own head.

"It's still there!"

It relaxed, realizing it hadn't been destroyed.

It had survived!

For an entity like a Spirit, there are no true fatal injuries. So, being beheaded or having limbs severed is practically the same.

The difference lies in the amount.

If too much spiritual essence is lost, reaching a critical limit, the remaining essence will also collapse and dissipate. Unless, at the brink of death, it can continuously replenish spiritual essence from external sources.

At this moment, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's body had shrunk by a full third compared to before, now only about sixty to seventy percent of its original size.

Moreover, its entire body shimmered with fiery light, much brighter than before. This, however, was proof of its weakness.

Previously, it had a deep foundation, its fiery light intense yet restrained, giving a sense of solidity and substance. Now, although its body emitted light and was quite bright, it seemed fleeting and insubstantial.

At that moment, a calling voice, like a wisp of distant, curling smoke, ethereal and scattered, drifted into the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's heart.

"Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit of the Immortal Palace, you alone can ignite the desire of my heart."

"With the blazing flames of the Rampant Fire Dragon, essence condensed from heaven and earth, burn all things to ash, transforming them into spiritual light."

"With a devout heart and solemn thoughts, I call to you. Answer me, answer me..."

"Any request you have can be discussed. I am a scholar of the Meng family. Please answer my summons, respond to my voice..."

This was the Meng family cultivators, continuously and actively trying to contact the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.

At the same time.

Ning Zhuo's voice also secretly arrived; he was much more direct: "Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit..."

"Ah!" The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit yelled, shaking its head violently. "So annoying! So annoying!"

It retracted its dragon head into its turtle shell on the armrest of the throne.

It roared inwardly.

"What Meng family? I don't care for them. The only one I care for is Meng Chong!"

"What Ning Zhuo, still calling himself Young Master? Pah!"

"The destruction of the Shiji Pavilion relied on me. What use are you?"

"All you do is act!"

"The moment Zhu Xuanji targeted you, you wilted, became useless!"

"I've seen it clearly now, you people—all useless!"

"It has to be me. I can only rely on myself!"

Ning Zhuo couldn't get a response from the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit no matter how he called.

He followed closely, step by step, sticking tight to Ning Jiufan.

Ning Jiufan, being followed so closely, felt somewhat uncomfortable. He stopped, turned around, and looked at Ning Zhuo: "You brat, why are you sticking to me so closely?"

Ning Zhuo cupped his hands respectfully, his face pale: "Ancestor, ancestor, I'm scared."

It turned out that after he confessed his crimes to the Golden Core cultivators earlier, it had drawn a sharp rebuke from Ning Jiufan.

But it was just a rebuke.

After all, even Zhu Xuanji had forgiven and accepted Ning Zhuo, allowing him to atone for his crimes through merit. The Golden Core cultivators from the three families couldn't really say much.

The only exception was Ning Jiufan.

According to the rules of the Righteous Path, as the head of the Ning family, Ning Jiufan naturally had the authority to deal with Ning Zhuo, a member of the Ning family.

But Ning Jiufan had only scolded him, not even laid a hand on him. While his tone sounded extremely stern, any moderately experienced Righteous Path cultivator could tell that Ning Jiufan's words were meant to protect him.

After Zhu Xuanji left, the Golden Core cultivators discussed for a while and decided to split up and act separately.

Ning Zhuo followed behind Ning Jiufan.

Ning Zhuo said: "Ancestor, I'm in too much danger."

"Ning Xiaohui's death is right before our eyes. She was a mainline member of the family, working secretly for Lord Zhu Xuanji, and under the protection of numerous Golden Core cultivators..."

"With such protection, she still died!"

"This Bukong Sect is too terrifying, too sinister."

"I've renounced the darkness for the light now; they must have found out. I don't want to die! I beg you, have mercy, save me, save me!"

Ning Jiufan snorted coldly: "You don't understand the situation at the time."

"The Shiji Pavilion was the primary target; the demon beasts surged like a tide, and defense was difficult in the rush."

"But if not for the bombardment from the Five Elements Artillery Towers, we would have surely succeeded!"

Ning Zhuo spread his hands: "The Shiji Pavilion is in ruins. My frail body is too weak; it can't withstand that."

Ning Jiufan, angered, curled his knuckles and gave Ning Zhuo a sharp knock on his large head.

"Ouch!" Ning Zhuo covered his head, crying out in pain.

"Since when did my Ning family produce a coward like you who fears death? Where is the Northern Kingdom's backbone of our Ning family?" Ning Jiufan scolded, his tone filled with disappointment.

Ning Zhuo looked at Ning Jiufan with wide, pleading eyes: "Ancestor, look what you're saying! If I weren't afraid of death, I might have been killed by the demons of the Bukong Sect long ago!"

"As for the Northern Kingdom's backbone, what is that? When I was born, our Ning family had already moved to the Southern Bean Kingdom. Weren't our people driven out of the Northern Wind Kingdom?"

Ning Jiufan immediately bristled, his beard seeming to stand on end, and he repeatedly rapped Ning Zhuo's large head, muttering incessantly: "It was our clan's initiative to withdraw, our initiative!"

Ning Zhuo stepped back, avoiding Ning Jiufan's knuckle raps: "Ancestor, ancestor, stop hitting me. If you keep hitting me, I'll become stupid."

Ning Jiufan chuckled coldly: "You, stupid? You're too cunning! Hiding your crimes, and when Zhu Xuanji lightly tricked you, you were so scared you collapsed and surrendered voluntarily."

"You *should* become a bit stupider; it would do you good."

"Your name is Ning Zhuo [Ning Clumsy]. Where is your 'clumsiness'?"

Ning Zhuo let out an "Ah," as if just realizing something: "Ancestor, are you saying that Zhu Xuanji was tricking me? He only suspected me and didn't have any evidence against me at all?"

Ning Jiufan sneered: "What do you think? Did you see him produce any evidence?"

Ning Zhuo widened his eyes, with an expression of disbelief, and exclaimed in a low voice: "Then... this... Lord Zhu is also far too cunning!"

Ning Jiufan snorted coldly again.

Ning Zhuo blinked several times in succession, looked at Ning Jiufan, rubbed his hands together, and said: "Actually, my main worry was that if I were exposed, it wouldn't matter much for me, but I was most afraid of bringing disgrace to the Ning family and causing trouble for you, Ancestor."

"Heh." The corner of Ning Jiufan's mouth twitched.

He couldn't hold back anymore and was amused by Ning Zhuo's shameless appearance.

In Ning Jiufan's heart, Ning Zhuo's collusion with the demonic cultivators of the Bukong Sect wasn't actually a big deal.

One must know that a common tactic of the Righteous Path was to hire demonic cultivators to act as black gloves. Sometimes, they even pretended to be demonic cultivators themselves.

Ning Zhuo's situation was merely that of a young, weak individual being secretly controlled by demonic and heretical cultivators.

Even if he participated in part of the plot to blow up the Immortal Palace, wasn't the Lava Immortal Palace still here?

No big deal!

Now that Ning Zhuo was exposed and had freed himself from the Bukong Sect's control, it was actually a very good thing.

Ning Zhuo's surrender to Zhu Xuanji was beyond Ning Jiufan's expectations and did put him in a passive position.

But, well, he's our family's child after all; we have to protect him.

Even if he makes mistakes, what young person doesn't make a few?

Educate him behind closed doors. Once he's properly educated, open the door and let him out. Ning Zhuo will still be a member of the Ning family, a future pillar of the Ning family.

Ning Xiaohui was already dead. Now, among the Qi Refining generation, the only genius left in the Ning family was Ning Zhuo.

If Ning Zhuo also died, or defected to a demonic sect, then the Ning family would have a gap in this generation.

This would be unfavorable for the Ning family.

As for Ning Xiaohui's death, Ning Jiufan was deeply pained. The Icy Jade Hand... this pain further motivated Ning Jiufan to protect Ning Zhuo at all costs.

Zhu Xuanji returned sooner than everyone expected.

He gathered all the Golden Core cultivators together again.

"I have reached an alliance agreement with City Lord Meng Kui, and I am here to inform you all of this good news."

Saying this, Zhu Xuanji couldn't help but fix his gaze on Ning Zhuo.

Everyone present was a Golden Core cultivator; Ning Zhuo, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, was truly out of place.

Seeing Zhu Xuanji look at him, Ning Zhuo quickly bowed in salute: "Greetings, Lord Zhu!"

His expression was utterly respectful, his etiquette standard, without any fault.

Ning Jiufan spoke up: "Now, Ning Zhuo has become the sole genius among the younger generation of our Ning family. During this time, let him stay by my side."

"He has committed such a grave error; I will carry out the family law on him and punish him severely!"

Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly, tacitly allowing Ning Zhuo to remain present.

The Divine Arrest Officer, however, sighed inwardly.

From Ning Jiufan's response, he sensed this Ning family Golden Core cultivator's dissatisfaction.

Ning Xiaohui was dead.

She had been working for Zhu Xuanji, and to some extent, had been used as bait by him and sacrificed.

It was only human nature for Ning Jiufan, heartbroken, to protect Ning Zhuo vigorously.

At this moment, Zhu Xuanji became even more convinced that not soul-searching Ning Zhuo was the correct decision!

If he had soul-searched him, causing this genius Ning Zhuo to be crippled, wouldn't Ning Jiufan have blown his top?

"After all, the Ning family is different from the Zhou and Zheng families."

"They wandered here from the Northern Wind Kingdom. I've heard that the Ning family was dissatisfied with the Northern Wind Kingdom's rule and left on their own, decisively cutting off interests and connections. With such a fiery temper, they cannot be easily pushed around!"

A thought flashed through his mind. Zhu Xuanji formally announced that the two sides would cooperate closely from now on, and any official positions within the Immortal Palace obtained by cultivators from either side would be retained!

This news brought smiles to the faces of the Golden Core cultivators from the three families.

Ning Zhuo secretly felt surprised.

After exposing Sun Lingtong, Zhu Xuanji and Meng Kui were bound to join forces. This was something Ning Zhuo could deduce.

What he hadn't expected was that Zhu and Meng would cooperate to such an extent!

"No!" Suddenly, Ning Zhuo understood. "This wasn't Zhu Xuanji's initiative."

"He had already united the three families; there was no need for him to offer future stakes to win them over."

"If it wasn't him, then it must have been Meng Kui."

"Why would Meng Kui make such a proposal to win over the three families?"

"Interesting!"

A gleam of sharp light flashed in Ning Zhuo's eyes: "It's quite possible that among the Golden Core cultivators of the three families present here, someone has already secretly made contact with Meng Kui."

"Then, who could it be?"

Ning Zhuo first thought of the Zheng family.

Previously, Zhu Xuanji's move to win over the three families and form a tight alliance was a clever hand.

But afterwards, the scheme of the Demonic Path True Scripture set up by Ning Zhuo triggered a battle among the Golden Core cultivators. The Zheng family killed a true disciple of the Taiqing Palace, causing a rift between Zhu Xuanji and the Zheng family.

"The Zheng family, because of this, faces immense pressure directly from the Taiqing Palace. And the royal side has been slow to make a statement."

"It's very likely that the Zheng family, under this pressure, is desperately seeking help. Allying with the Meng family is also quite reasonable."

"Besides them, the Zhou family is also a possibility."

Previously, if the Meng family took control of the Lava Immortal Palace, the Zhou family's interests would suffer the greatest loss.

Therefore, the Zhou family was the staunchest opponent of Meng Kui.

But what if the Meng Kui side took the initiative to compromise, privately indicating to the Zhou family that they were willing to coexist?

Before, there was no possibility because Meng Kui looked down on a mere Golden Core-level force like the Zhou family.

But after the three families united and gathered around Zhu Xuanji, posing a threat to Meng Kui, then they gained the value to be divided and won over.

Zhu Xuanji was using the three families, but the three families were also using him to increase their own value.

Forming vertical and horizontal alliances, maneuvering and adapting—this is the subtlety of the Righteous Path's game.

(End of )