Mourning

Hearing the Repair Team members' words grow increasingly out of line, Zheng Hua coldly shouted, "Enough!"

"Swallow all these baseless speculations! I know you're filled with grief and anger right now, but don't let these emotions cloud your judgment. Remember! You bear the Zheng surname and carry the honor of our Zheng family."

"Don't let outsiders laugh at us. Invite Ning Zhuo in."

Ning Zhuo entered the hall.

Looking around, he saw a scene of mourning white.

Zheng family cultivators stood in rows on both sides. Some held their heads high, eyes tightly shut, silently shedding tears. Others knelt with faces covered, burning paper money. Most turned to glare at Ning Zhuo with furious eyes.

Zheng Jian had held high prestige during his life, and his death united the Zheng family Repair Team in shared hatred, creating a strong atmosphere of grieving soldiers.

Ning Zhuo couldn't help but recall how this very group had dared to fight and charge against Golden Core level Yang Chanyu.

At that time, Ning Zhuo had felt deeply moved - Zheng Jian had commanded such loyalty! The Zheng family's courage was truly remarkable!

The air was thick with the hostility of the Zheng family members towards Ning Zhuo.

With a sorrowful expression, Ning Zhuo walked to the coffin.

He first bowed to Zheng Hua, then stood before Zheng Jian's body in silence.

His face was solemn, eyelids lowered as if silently feeling the fading warmth of the departed hero.

A breeze ruffled the hem of his robe as Ning Zhuo slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, his eyes were red-rimmed, filled with boundless sorrow.

"Brother Zheng Jian!" Ning Zhuo's mournful cry broke the deathly silence in the hall.

"I remain alive in this world, while you have departed!"

"From now on, we gaze at separate suns and moons, separated forever by heaven and earth."

"My heart feels as if cut by knives, my liver and intestines torn with pain!"

Ning Zhuo lamented, dropping to his knees as he began to weep bitterly.

"Alas, Brother Zheng! I recall when we crafted mechanical apes together - your strategies were far-sighted, my skills complementary. Our cooperation was seamless, producing exquisite mechanisms. Your exceptional talent earned my deep admiration. Having you as a friend was the fortune of three lifetimes."

"Painful, Brother Zheng! I remember again the trial stages where we stood shoulder-to-shoulder against enemies, breaking through barriers hand-in-hand. Though the enemy was fierce, our united hearts made us invincible. Sadly, because of Ning Xiaohui, our success fell short. Yet your comfort, valuing heroic spirit over gain or loss, eased my heart."

"Mournful, Brother Zheng! Though we worked for our respective families, our hearts connected. We had an agreement: I would withdraw from the medical center competition, you would provide generous compensation. Now you're gone, the promise void, my heart burns with pain."

"It burns!"

Ning Zhuo tore at the clothes over his chest, tears streaming like springs, voice hoarse with heart-wrenching grief.

Seeing Ning Zhuo's genuine emotion, everyone in the hall was moved.

Many shed their hostility and began crying. Even those who remained suspicious of Ning Zhuo were infected by the great sadness and grief, silently shedding tears.

The sound of weeping joined together, gradually growing louder.

Suddenly Ning Zhuo raised his voice: "Your death will not be taken lightly! I will surely avenge you!"

"Countless Zheng brothers in this hall will surely avenge you!!"

Amid their grief, this shout stirred hatred and rage in their hearts.

They began roaring together.

"Revenge! Revenge!"

"We will kill Yang Chanyu in this lifetime!!"

"I swear to slaughter the entire Bukong Sect!"

Zheng Hua's eyelids twitched hearing this.

The Zheng family members were speaking increasingly excessively, their emotions completely manipulated by Ning Zhuo.

Zheng Hua had been urgently dispatched for two reasons: to protect the Repair Team, and to stabilize the situation and morale.

Ning Zhuo's cries had stirred up fierce indignation in the hall, threatening to spiral out of control.

Forcing Zheng Hua to speak out sharply: "Revenge is necessary! But look at yourselves - all at Qi Refining stage, not even Foundation Building. How can you kill a Golden Core cultivator?!"

"Is this revenge, or suicide? Answer me?!"

Zheng Hua commanded considerable authority. At his words, the young cultivators in the hall fell silent.

In the stillness, Ning Zhuo swayed as he stood up.

Facing Zheng Hua, he bowed: "Elder Zheng Hua."

"Previously, Brother Zheng Jian had almost finalized our agreement - our side would mostly withdraw from medical center position competitions, retaining only a few spots, while your side would receive substantial compensation."

"Brother Zheng Jian was someone I respected deeply. Though he's gone, I'm still willing to do what I can."

"How to take revenge?"

Here, Ning Zhuo straightened up, arms hanging at his sides as he scanned the room.

He continued: "Though we're only at Qi Refining stage, we have our own unique way of revenge!"

He raised his fist, declaring emphatically: "The enemy doesn't want us to obtain Immortal Palace positions, so we must succeed and thwart their schemes!!"

"I'm willing to help the Zheng family personally, assisting every member of the Zheng family Repair Team with repair tasks, working to quickly improve the achievements of hall cultivators so you can enter the medical center faster and obtain physician positions."

"Moreover, I make this agreement with all of you: from now on, the Ning family Repair Team's focus for obtaining positions will definitely not be the medical center!"

"Although our Ning family has gained some medical center positions, I swear by my family's honor that our medical center appointments will not increase further!"

These words shocked everyone present!

Even Zheng Hua viewed Ning Zhuo with new respect.

After Ning Zhuo left, the Zheng family cultivators discussed among themselves, their impression of Ning Zhuo greatly improved.

"I never expected Ning Zhuo to have such integrity!"

"Such noble character - I misjudged him."

"Hmph, even if he didn't do this, couldn't our Zheng family defeat the Ning family and take the medical center?"

"Don't underestimate Ning Zhuo. Only our leader Zheng Jian could suppress him among us!"

"I think I misread Ning Zhuo before. He didn't have to do this, but he did."

"His mournful crying for our leader just now - it seems though they came from different families, heroes recognize heroes. They had become kindred spirits."

Ning Zhuo returned to his temporary residence to see Ning Jiufan.

Before acting, he had reported to Ning Jiufan.

Ning Jiufan: "Judging by your expression, it succeeded. Do you truly intend to help the Zheng family like this?"

Ning Zhuo said solemnly: "Ancestor, this is what I think."

"First, Zheng Jian indeed drew fire away from me. If Yang Chanyu had attacked me first, how many slashes could the treasure talisman withstand? That I survived侥幸 has his contribution!"

"Second, the conflict between our Ning family and the Zheng family over the medical center remains unresolved."

"Third, accomplishing this will earn me significant righteous reputation. If I don't do this, given the Zheng family's strength and their grieving soldier morale, they would still force our Ning family to retreat."

"Fourth, having Zheng family cultivators occupy medical center positions first isn't bad. Don't forget, both Taiqing Palace and Bukong Sect are enemies of the Zheng family. There might be opportunities later."

After hearing this analysis, Ning Jiufan showed pleased expression, stroking his beard: "Good, good, good. So young, yet so thoughtful."

"What Bukong Sect wants is to completely suppress your actions. Yang Chanyu killed Zheng Jian first probably because she sensed the treasure talisman on you."

"After all, she's trained in Bukong Sect, very skilled at detecting treasures. And this talisman wasn't refined by you, so it can't be stored inside your body. Its aura constantly leaks out, making detection quite normal."

"Therefore, you needn't feel so grateful to Zheng Jian. Blame his family's two Golden Core ancestors for not caring enough about their talented cultivator - giving too few protective items, or ones not good enough."

Ning Zhuo had a sudden realization, showing an expression of being taught: "So that's how it is!"

With this, he had handled both the Zheng family and Ning Jiufan, opening a path to openly assist the Zheng family.

Ning Jiufan added: "Give me the Glossy-Smooth Talisman. I'll replenish its power for you."

"I'll also grant you another talisman called Fish-Follows-Water Talisman. Though it lacks spirituality, it can still be used勉强 after blood refinement."

"If you encounter today's situation again with the Glossy-Smooth Talisman activated, use the Fish-Follows-Water Talisman. It正好 complements the glossy-smooth water vapor, greatly increasing speed while allowing flexible turns - perfectly suited."

Without Ning Zhuo needing to remind him, Ning Jiufan主动 provided more life-preserving methods.

After all, the fall of talented cultivator Zheng Jian had happened right before their eyes.

In the following days, Ning Zhuo kept his promise, personally helping the Zheng family Repair Team improve their achievements, enabling them to quickly enter the medical center and obtain physician positions.

During this time, Ning Zhuo visited the critical treatment room to acquire a new spirit box.

Yang Chanyu had seized Zheng Jian's soul. After it fell into Sun Lingtong's hands, it was refined through the Cremation Prajna Spirit Resolution Scripture, purifying a strand of spirituality.

Since only the soul was usable, the spirituality was only thirty percent.

Ning Zhuo successfully crafted a mechanical ring containing Zheng Jian's spirituality, wearing it on his left index finger.

While seeking items left behind by Ning Xiaohui and Zheng Jian, Ning Zhuo also cared for the Ning family, arranging for them to occupy the Five Elements Artillery Towers as much as possible.

He also reached an agreement with Zhou Zeshen, helping them quickly obtain Pointing General Platform positions. Ning Zhuo gained considerable rewards from this.

At the summit of Fire Persimmon Mountain, deep in the clouds.

Meng Kui's eyes shone with essence light as he again performed his supernatural power - Watching Clouds and Wind from the Mountain!

Great Wind Talisman!

Cloud-Soaring Talisman!

Great wind rises, clouds soar;

Sitting on mountain, listening to pines.

Meng Kui's vision suddenly changed.

Blazing flames, a mountain-like dragon turtle carrying an immortal city, crushing stone slabs, raising its head to roar at the sky.

The night sky pitch black, a giant black bird shooting lightning, circling as if about to swoop down.

An enormous tree supporting heaven and earth extended branches and roots deeply embedded in the dragon turtle's body, deeper than before!

The dragon turtle weakened, wound sites where roots penetrated flowing with lava-like bright red blood-fire.

In precarious situation, its stone plates shattered, lower body fallen into炽热 magma, showing strong tendency to be submerged.

Meng Kui strained to observe, bloody tears streaming from his eyes.

"How is this possible?"

"Why? Why can't I see Bukong Sect's fortune? Where did the fortune represented by Sun Lingtong and Yang Chanyu go?!"

This was already Meng Kui's second time using this power.

The first time was after the Golden Core melee.

But both times, he hadn't seen Bukong Sect's fortune!

This baffled him.

Suddenly.

Magma erupted violently, forming huge waves.

炽热 magma formed a vortex, violently sucking and dragging the dragon turtle down.

The dragon turtle issued a悲鸣, struggling to climb out but only sinking deeper!

Seeing this, Meng Kui forgot his earlier questions, face full of gravity.

"The terror of the Scarlet Flame Beast Tide is beginning to show!"

Simultaneously, in the real Fire Persimmon Mountain, an元婴-level Firewalking Snake issued a long hiss, revealing itself as its flaming body directly crashed toward the Magma Immortal Palace!

(End of )