: Breaking the Deadlock

"That little brat! When you get back, I'll definitely hang you up and beat your butt until it's swollen." Ning Jiufan gritted his teeth in anger.

A flying message, like a bird, repeatedly bumped against the window lattice.

Ning Jiufan focused his spiritual sense, pushed open the window, and let the message in.

It was a letter from Ning Zhuo.

"Ancestor, by the time you read this letter, I will likely have already run away from home..."

The letter's content mainly consisted of Ning Zhuo's views on the current situation of the Ning family, Fire Persimmon Immortal City, and the power struggle between the Zhu and Meng families.

Ning Zhuo predicted that next, regarding the positions within the Molten Rock Immortal Palace, the Ning and Zhou families would inevitably have significant conflicts and competition with the Meng family. On this point, they must not forget the Taiqing Palace!

The Taiqing Palace had taken away a group of Zheng family cultivators, some of whom held positions within the Immortal Palace. Ning Zhuo felt that this super sect's decision to take the Zheng family away likely meant they hadn't given up on the Molten Rock Immortal Palace.

This might be a point they could exploit.

Ning Zhuo had specifically left behind a batch of resources, which would be delivered to Ning Jiufan by his subordinates in the coming days. This act was Ning Zhuo's way of specifically compensating and repaying the main branch of the family, to repay the nurturing grace he had received.

Finally, Ning Zhuo reminded Ning Jiufan: with his departure, he hadn't left behind any mechanical creations, so Ning Jiufan would need to take extra care of the branch families. Although the Nascent Soul demonic ape could be forcibly controlled using official techniques and magical treasures, Ning Zhuo strongly advised against it.

In his words, winning over others with genuine feeling was the true way!

After reading the letter, most of Ning Jiufan's anger subsided. He snorted, "That rascal still cares about the family after all."

"He just worries too much, even daring to tell me, his ancestor, what to do. Hmph!"

"Wait, could this letter also be part of his scheme? Did he even calculate my anger into his plans?"

Ning Jiufan's expression shifted uncertainly.

It had to be said that the patience and strategy Ning Zhuo displayed during the process of seizing the Molten Rock Immortal Palace had left too deep an impression on Ning Jiufan.

So much so that he, a mighty Golden Core cultivator of considerable combat power, had become suspicious and paranoid, secretly wondering if he had been deceived and manipulated by Ning Zhuo again.

After pondering for a while, Ning Jiufan let out a heavy sigh and stopped dwelling on it.

"Overthinking is useless."

"Ning Zhuo's nature isn't bad; his heart is with the family. Although he is cunning and full of tricks, he has a bottom line. Such talent should still be won over."

Ning Jiufan began to consider how to elevate Ning Zhong's status. Perhaps they could posthumously honor Ning Zhong with a title to raise his status and strengthen Ning Zhuo's sense of belonging to the family.

"Besides, during the Ghost Festival, the family holds a grand ceremony capable of communicating with the underworld. I should personally出面 to seek higher-level blessings and empowerment for Ning Zhuo."

City Lord's Manor.

"Ning Zhuo has left?"

"A mechanical creation of Nascent Soul level, capable of escaping through the void... He果然 has deep knowledge of the Molten Rock Immortal Palace."

Fei Si felt relieved after reading the intelligence report.

How can one tolerate others snoring beside their bed?

Although Ning Zhuo's cultivation was low, the combat power and strategy he displayed made almost everyone who knew the details deeply wary.

Fei Si was no exception.

Zhu Xuanji left Fire Persimmon Immortal City on the morning of the next day.

As he flew into the air, he couldn't help but look back.

Fire Persimmon Mountain sprawled across the land, nestled among towering peaks, like a giant just waking up.

After the previous violent eruption, the cooled lava on the upper section of the volcano had turned into a vast red-black carpet covering the slopes.

The traces of lava flow resembled huge veins, winding and twisting, recording nature's silent roar.

On the middle section of the volcano, a massive complex of buildings formed Fire Persimmon Immortal City. Although slightly damaged, it was largely intact. Once facing the danger of annihilation from the demon beast tide, it relied on the united efforts of all the city's inhabitants to ultimately turn danger into safety.

On the lower section of the volcano, at the foot of the mountain, were vast persimmon forests.

Although the last Fire Persimmon Festival was only a few months ago, the volcanic eruption caused endless geothermal energy to surge upwards, which was fully absorbed by the city's protective formation and subsequently converted into persimmon yield.

Many small, new fire persimmons had already appeared among the once bare treetops. Their red, round shapes looked like the hope for Fire Persimmon Immortal City's future.

However, the city's prospects remained as unclear and elusive as the heavy clouds perpetually hovering over the mountain peak.

A golden glint flashed in Zhu Xuanji's eyes as he immediately saw through the clouds and smoke, spotting the Molten Rock Immortal Palace floating on the magma within the volcanic crater.

The Molten Rock Immortal Palace was being rebuilt. Meng Kui personally took action, using a giant hand of magical power to retrieve the parts that had fallen into the magma. Many other cultivators were cooperating with him, working hard to reassemble the parts that had broken off from the palace.

"Elder San Zong..." Zhu Xuanji showed a wary expression.

These days, whenever he calmed down, he would involuntarily recall the moment during the final stage when he turned his weapon to help Ning Zhuo deal with Meng Kui.

At that moment, as if guided by a ghost, he turned his mirror and fixed it on Meng Kui's magical power hand.

This single action placed the Southern Bean Royal Family directly in front of Meng Kui, immediately preventing the latter from taking action against Ning Zhuo.

"Back then, when I protected Ning Zhuo, was it... truly my own intention? Or was I already being controlled?"

Right after it ended, Zhu Xuanji felt something strange and fishy about that critical moment, as if he were a puppet being manipulated.

But as he recalled it more often, his feeling gradually became blurred, as if it had been a subconscious action at the time, his body moving before his mind could think.

By now, he had recalled it so many times that he had become somewhat suspicious and paranoid.

As he gradually left Fire Persimmon Immortal City behind, Zhu Xuanji ultimately couldn't resist reaching up to touch the space above his head.

"Is there a Lifeline Thread tied above my head?"

He found nothing.

A scene from the past that he had witnessed in the royal capital resurfaced in his mind. A particular statement made by Elder San Zong made him feel increasingly chilled the more he pondered it.

Back then, the Southern Bean Grand Imperial Empress, in a fit of anger, had taken away the Golden Phoenix Mirror.

Elder San Zong said to her: "The cause and effect are set. Since you have taken this Golden Phoenix Mirror, in the future, you shall protect the legacy of my Immortal Palace for me."

After Meng Kui, with Ning Zhuo's concession, became the master of the Immortal Palace, Zhu Xuanji, whenever he thought of Elder San Zong's words, felt more and more that they weren't directed at the Grand Imperial Empress, but rather... at him!

"Thinking carefully, ever since I set foot on Fire Persimmon Mountain, I've been led by the nose."

"I was always on guard against this, maintaining vigilance towards both the City Lord's Manor and the shadowy demonic cultivators. Even when clues were right in front of me, I tried to maintain my own initiative."

"Yet, in the end, I still returned empty-handed."

"No, my greatest contribution might actually be representing the royal family at the critical moment, using the Golden Phoenix Mirror to shine on Meng Kui and protect Ning Zhuo!"

"Could the Molten Rock Immortal Palace be a stage set up by Elder San Zong, and was I merely one of the puppets arranged in advance?"

"It's clear that the first time I used Root Tracing, I identified Ning Zhuo as the true culprit. But during the subsequent investigation, although I made progress repeatedly, the results several times反而 proved Ning Zhuo's innocence!"

Zhu Xuanji's heart was full of doubts.

After handling the matters at hand, he wished he could return to the royal capital immediately.

His mood was very urgent.

He desperately wanted to see the Monarch again and personally tell her about the doubts and conjectures in his heart.

Strangely, the farther he got from Fire Persimmon Mountain, the more peaceful and tranquil Zhu Xuanji's mood became.

This feeling was like a wild beast moving away from a huge trap!

A sense of security arose spontaneously.

"Fire Persimmon Immortal City, Molten Rock Immortal Palace... There's something strange about them."

An intuition told Zhu Xuanji to stay as far away from these places as possible in the future.

"And that Ning Zhuo!"

"I should also minimize contact with him. He is, after all, the successor chosen by Elder San Zong himself, the child of destiny for the conflict between Buddha and Demon."

As Ning Zhuo, Zhu Xuanji, and others left one after another, Fire Persimmon Immortal City gradually returned to its former peace.

With the Red Flame demon beasts gone and the Molten Rock Immortal Palace having an owner, the visiting cultivators also left Fire Persimmon Mountain one after another.

Fire Persimmon Immortal City, Flying Disc Workshop.

An old man with a white-streaked beard, dressed in black robes, sat on a mechanical chair, meditating and accumulating magical power.

The mechanical chair floated in mid-air, several feet off the ground.

The old man had deep-set eye sockets and a long, steady breath. It was Chen Cha.

Suddenly, Chen Cha's body shook violently as if electrocuted. Then he abruptly opened his eyes.

His pupils had completely disappeared, leaving only the eerie whites of his eyes.

From the whites of his eyes, wisps of white smoke drifted out.

Chen Cha seemed like a different person. He slowly turned his head, looked around, and then fixed his gaze in the direction of the Molten Rock Immortal Palace.

His fingers moved rapidly in a calculating gesture, leaving afterimages in one's vision.

As he calculated, the white smoke drifting from his eyes intensified, floating in the air and making Chen Cha appear like an immortal amidst mist, mysterious and unfathomable.

"Zhu Xuanji should have stayed here to guard the Immortal Palace from now on. Why did he leave?"

"And even Sun Lingtong has left!"

"This setup was arranged by Elder San Zong. In theory, there shouldn't be any flaws. The Molten Rock Immortal Palace even has the Lifeline Thread divine ability, which should be foolproof. But how did the situation deteriorate to this extent? Who ruined it?"

"With this part ruined, most of our office's布局 in the Southern Bean Kingdom has directly collapsed. What a headache, what a headache. How should we fix this?"

After finishing his calculations, Chen Cha's face was full of distress.

"Could it be that Ning Zhuo ruined this setup?"

"The top priority now is to find Sun and Ning first and see exactly where the problem lies."

After finishing his thoughts, Chen Cha slowly closed his eyes.

The white smoke filling the room quickly dissipated.

Chen Cha's breathing became steady again as he continued his meditation.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he slowly opened his eyes. His pupils had returned to normal. Having fully accumulated his magical power, Chen Cha began to study mechanical texts.

These mechanical texts were specially arranged by Ning Zhuo to be gifted to Chen Cha by his subordinates before leaving the city.

"Meeting Ning Zhuo was my great fortune." As Chen Cha absorbed the knowledge from the jade slips, a feeling of gratitude towards Ning Zhuo welled up in his heart.

He had no memory or awareness whatsoever of the strange events that had occurred to him earlier!

(End of )