: I Insist on Being Stubborn!!! (20k-word Explosion, Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Ning Zhuo slowly shook his head: "Why would I want to seize the Immortal Palace? For my mother, even if it means bearing the weight of monstrous sins alone!"

"You can't bear it!" Zhu Xuanji roared angrily, entangled by the mechanical serpent. "For personal gain, slaughtering millions—what kind of demonic act is that! If you do this, I will never forgive you!!"

"Xiao Zhuo..." Sun Lingtong's face was full of worry.

He understood Ning Zhuo's nature all too well.

If it ultimately led to the city's residents being drowned by demonic beasts, Ning Zhuo's future would be bleak. He himself would be consumed by endless guilt.

All because, from beginning to end, Ning Zhuo firmly believed he was a righteous path cultivator!

The throne was more than half melted, the flames rapidly weakening.

Noticing this, the expressions of Zhu Xuanji and Sun Lingtong softened slightly.

The Longyuan Fire Spirit, however, laughed heartily, staring above Ning Zhuo's head: "Ning Zhuo, you can't do it, you can't!"

"Although you are the city lord, you only hold one of the three authorities."

"You are endangering the Molten Rock Immortal Palace, violating the original intention of the Three Sects Superior's placement of the palace. The Lifeline Threads of the Immortal Palace are stopping you!"

"Stop now. This is the arrangement of the Three Sects Superior. How can we, mere grass and insects, compare to them?"

Ning Zhuo, bleeding from all seven orifices, suddenly widened his eyes.

"Why can't I!?"

He shouted decisively, looking up at the sky above.

"I refuse to be a puppet on this stage."

"Do you have any idea how much I detest this stage called the Molten Rock Immortal Palace, how much I loathe this puppet show?"

"Even if it brought me achievements, I would rather have none of it if it could buy my mother even one more day of life..."

Ning Zhuo's voice was hoarse, his eyes wide with fury.

He suddenly reached out with a snap, actually grabbing the Lifeline Thread above his head!

He pulled with all his might, causing the thick Lifeline Thread to distort violently.

The Longyuan Fire Spirit gasped in shock but soon realized that although the thread was severely deformed, it was incredibly tough.

In startled anger, it mocked: "Ning Zhuo! You're too naive. How could you possibly break the Lifeline Thread so easily?"

Ning Zhuo remained stubborn, pulling with all his strength.

In his divine sea dantian, the white lotus root was like jade, crystal clear; the green leaves were like emerald, verdant and delicate; the pink lotus was like rosy clouds, radiant and vibrant.

The lotus root, leaves, and lotus formed by the Lifeline Thread divine ability trembled slightly, spewing forth mysterious light.

The mysterious light surged upward, piercing through the highest heavens, emerging from his body, and eroding the Immortal Palace Thread above Ning Zhuo's head!

In that instant, Ning Zhuo was enlightened.

His hair disheveled, face covered in blood, he let out a fierce laugh and chanted loudly!

"Five Qi connect, blood vessels form; Three Sects unite, foundation built."

"Sixteen winters and summers, heart endured bitterness; countless hardships, will grows deeper."

"Reason and emotion intertwine, threads pull; all living beings bow, serving for eternity."

"The inner demon deeply planted, why seek release? Stubbornly pursuing supremacy for a thousand autumns!"

I never let go.

I insist on being stubborn!

Who can control me? Even the Three Sects Superior cannot!!

I should be the one to manipulate reason and emotion, making all living beings bow to me!!!

"Ahhhhh—!"

Ning Zhuo roared wildly, appearing utterly mad.

He gripped the Lifeline Thread tightly, pouring all his strength, magic power, spirit, and will into it!

*Snap.*

Even Zhu Xuanji and Sun Lingtong, who couldn't see the thread, heard a light sound.

In the view of the Longyuan Fire Spirit, it was the sight of the thread being torn into two sections!

"!!!" The Longyuan Fire Spirit's mouth hung open, its eyes bulging as if about to pop out.

In its extreme shock, it suddenly recalled an afternoon several hundred years ago.

That encounter with the Three Sects Superior.

The Longyuan Fire Spirit was compressed extremely small, looking up at the Three Sects Superior like an ant gazing at a celestial pillar or a Buddha.

The Three Sects Superior spoke slowly: "Eight hundred years from now, a heavenly killing calamity will sweep the world, blood will flow like rivers, corpses will litter the land..."

"Wayward fire蛟蛇, you are born bearing heavy sin."

"From now on, you shall serve as the palace spirit, control the Immortal Palace, and guard the Fire Persimmon Mountain."

"As long as, henceforth, Fire Persimmon Mountain enjoys favorable weather, free from indiscriminate slaughter and innocent suffering, you need only seven hundred and twenty years to repay your innate sins, shed your tortoise shell, and truly possess the spirit of a蛟龙."

The Longyuan Fire Spirit trembled violently, communicating secretly with the Three Sects Superior through its spiritual nature. It roared: "Seven hundred and twenty years?! Too long, too long! You might as well kill me."

The Three Sects Superior transmitted: "Seven hundred and twenty is not a fixed number."

"During this time, if you encounter someone who can break their own Lifeline Thread, follow them."

"Because..."

"He who can break his own will surely be able to break yours!"

Several hundred years later.

At this very moment!

The Longyuan Fire Spirit looked up at Ning Zhuo, actually sensing a trace of the Three Sects Superior's majestic aura from him!

The flames surged violently, fiercer than before.

Only thirty percent of the throne remained.

The Longyuan Fire Spirit let out a low roar, actively crashing into the flames, allowing its spiritual body to be scorched and burned away!

"Ning Zhuo, stop right now!!" Zhu Xuanji, disregarding everything else, temporarily gave up suppressing the Buddhist Doctor·Meng Yaoyin, turned the mirror surface, and aimed it at Ning Zhuo.

A white light erupted from Ning Zhuo, enveloping himself.

It was the protective talisman previously bestowed by Ning Jiufan and the others!

The next moment, the My Buddha Heart Demon Seal suddenly flew out, descended beside Ning Zhuo, paused for a moment, then directly drilled into his divine sea.

Immediately, a layer of Buddhist light emerged, blocking the mirror light for Ning Zhuo.

This time, it was Zhu Xuanji's turn to stare wide-eyed, utterly shocked.

"My Buddha Heart Demon Seal?!"

He had never forgotten the dying words of the Southern Bean's Grand Emperor obtained in the royal capital.

"The My Buddha Heart Demon Seal is no small matter; its karma is immense!"

"The Molten Rock Immortal Palace is绝非 a casual move by the Three Sects Superior..."

He always remembered the叮嘱 of the current Southern Bean monarch.

"In his later years, the Three Sects Superior placed the Molten Rock Immortal Palace in Fire Persimmon Mountain with profound intentions, beyond comprehension. Your mission must not be forced; follow nature's course, do not disrupt the Three Sects Superior's well-laid plans."

Zhu Xuanji's heart shook violently: "The My Buddha Heart Demon Seal actively acknowledges a master? Could it be that Ning Zhuo is the successor the Three Sects Superior planned and waited for?!"

He could use the Golden Phoenix Mirror because it originally came from the Southern Bean's Grand Emperor. Although he had offered it up, the treasure mirror hadn't been re-refined and could still be used by him.

But the My Buddha Heart Demon Seal?!

In Zhu Xuanji's view, this was Ning Zhuo's first contact with it.

Even if, even if Ning Zhuo's situation was the same as Zhu Xuanji's, the fact that he could obtain the My Buddha Heart Demon Seal itself was of monumental significance!

At the summit of Fire Persimmon Mountain, deep within the clouds and mist.

Meng Kui's face was ashen, his tone icy: "Finally, the moment has come."

He had painstakingly schemed, controlling the situation, leveraging the power of three Nascent Soul-level demonic beasts to continuously weaken the Molten Rock Immortal Palace. Finally, now was the time for him to act with full force!

Since the Immortal Palace was blasted into the world, Meng Kui had been stationed atop the clouds.

He had sat there for months.

This moment, he had waited far too long!

He stood up and drifted down.

He took out a seal and smashed it down on the head of the Treading Flame Lizard.

*Boom!*

A loud crash; the Treading Flame Lizard's head was smashed through, brains splattering. It still didn't die, retreating in panic.

Sleeve Cosmos.

His sleeve erupted with a terrifying suction force,吸摄 the Nascent Soul-level Wayward Fire Snake, temporarily suppressing it.

Palm Mysteries!

Meng Kui attacked with full force, his magic power forming a giant hand that swatted the Nascent Soul Demonic Ape, sending it crashing to the ground.

Just as he was about to deliver a finishing blow, Ning Jiufan risked great danger,抢先一步, and captured the demonic ape.

Meng Kui, already aware that the palace lord position had fallen into the hands of someone who met the entry standard, and pressed for time, decided not to bother with Ning Jiufan for now.

He manifested a magic power giant hand and ripped off the main hall's roof.

"This farce must end!" Meng Kui's face was iron-hard as he drifted down.

The throne was completely burned away, all its gained spirituality replenishing the Buddhist Doctor.

Meng Kui snorted coldly, his divine sense directing the magic power giant hand to grab towards Ning Zhuo.

The next moment, Zhu Xuanji, as if guided by ghosts or gods, turned the mirror surface, fixing its light on the giant hand.

"Hmm?!" Meng Kui stared at Zhu Xuanji, his face freezing cold.

Sun Lingtong grabbed Ning Zhuo's hand, about to use his spatial traversal technique to escape with him. Even though he clearly knew that using such a minor technique before a Nascent Soul cultivator offered almost zero hope of escape.

Ning Zhuo, however, patted Sun Lingtong's hand, smiling: "Big brother, stay calm."

"Don't forget, I am of the righteous path."

Saying this, he straightened his sleeves, bowed deeply to Meng Kui, and saluted solemnly: "City Lord, this junior Ning Zhuo is willing to relinquish the position of Palace Lord to you!"

Zhu Xuanji whipped his head around to look at Ning Zhuo.

Sun Lingtong widened his eyes, also turning to look at Ning Zhuo.

Meng Kui stopped in his tracks, staring fixedly at Ning Zhuo.

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

Ning Zhuo actively broke the silence: "This junior's cultivation is weak, ability lowly. In this current crisis, only you, City Lord, can turn the tide, support the leaning tower!"

"The position of Palace Lord of the Molten Rock Immortal Palace is none other than you, City Lord, who is most suitable."

Sun Lingtong looked at Ning Zhuo's calm face, then at the throne—where was the throne now? There was only a pit left. Finally, he looked at Meng Kui.

Meng Kui looked at Ning Zhuo, then at the physical body of Meng Chong in Ning Zhuo's hand, and also at the Nether Envoy·Qi Bai, who had Meng Chong's soul sealed in his hand. Ultimately, his gaze fell on Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji, as if waking from a dream, assumed a solemn expression: "Ning Zhuo responded to the recruitment decree,主动退位让贤, is a meritorious subject of the Southern Bean Kingdom."

"In the current situation, even I cannot handle it. Only you, Lord Meng Kui, with your Nascent Soul cultivation, can suppress the beast tide and protect the city's people."

"In fact, this is originally the duty of you, the City Lord of Fire Persimmon Immortal City!"

The corner of Meng Kui's eye finally twitched.

At this moment, he recalled the prophetic poem he had deduced—'Righteous and evil, gain and loss, all hinge on a single thought; the new lord pacifies the people, filling the old pit.'

So this damnable "righteous and evil, gain and loss, all hinge on a single thought" was like this!

This damnable "new lord pacifies the people, filling the old pit" was like this!!

Damn it all!!!

(End of Volume One)

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