Relying on his memory, Ning Zhuo lightly leaped, landing behind Ning Yong.
Sensing a breeze behind him, Ning Yong instinctively turned around, his eyes widening like brass bells, yet he couldn’t see the Azure Iron Armor just inches away.
With a gentle strike, Ning Zhuo knocked Ning Yong unconscious, then casually tossed him into the corner.
Following the same method, Ning Zhuo rendered Ning Chen unconscious as well, throwing him beside Ning Yong.
After this, Ning Zhuo quickly retreated, rushing with all his might toward the lava lake.
"One person directly ahead, five steps away."
"Two people to the left, one step and four steps away."
"Three people diagonally to the right, clustered together defensively, three steps away."
Although black smoke obscured visibility and blocked divine sense, Ning Zhuo was well-prepared, vividly recalling the exact position of each Ning Clan cultivator from the previous moment.
Others were like blind men, but he maneuvered as if his eyes were wide open, skillfully avoiding everyone along his path.
Charging ahead like lightning, he arrived before the lava lake.
Protected by the Azure Iron Armor, he was entirely unaffected by the scorching heat.
"Now's the moment!"
Ning Zhuo shook his storage bag, releasing the fire explosive monkey inside.
The fire explosive monkey, standing half a person tall, had bright red fur, taut muscles, and nimble movements.
Under Ning Zhuo's control, the monkey unhesitatingly dived straight into the magma.
Ning Zhuo turned and bolted!
Every second counted!
The fire explosive monkey dived downward, swimming through the thick magma.
The intense heat swiftly melted its pure red fur.
Exposed flesh, vivid and lifelike, quickly blackened and hardened, carbonizing as it moved swiftly in the magma.
The "blood" flowing within the fire explosive monkey acted as a cooling agent, evaporating in large amounts, causing steam to rise from the monkey's surface.
When the fire explosive monkey reached the surface of the Lava Immortal Palace, its heavenly gold skeleton was revealed from the melted exterior.
But it had succeeded!
Under Ning Zhuo’s heart-seal control, the storage formation activated, instantly releasing over a thousand pounds of fire essence.
"It’s coming." Ning Zhuo’s heart skipped a beat.
Boom—!
A fierce shockwave erupted, forcefully blasting outwards.
In the next instant, a terrifying explosion thundered like a raging storm in his ears!
The shockwave struck him from behind, but fortunately, he had activated the Azure Iron Armor, absorbing the impact, preventing broken bones and torn tendons.
Using the momentum of the shockwave, he reached his designated position, crouched in a corner, and reached down, scooping up two people precisely.
They were Ning Yong and Ning Chen.
Crouched in the corner, Ning Zhuo shielded Ning Chen and Ning Yong with his body, his back facing the direction of the explosion.
In the next moment, flames from the explosion surged forward, briefly pushing back the dense shadowy smoke.
Ning Zhuo endured with difficulty, feeling the intense heat rapidly increase on his back as the iron armor began to melt, inflicting searing pain.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed the armor’s defenses to their limit.
In a few short breaths, his Foundation Establishment Pill reserves depleted by another twenty percent, leaving only the last ten percent.
Fortunately, at that moment, Zheng Shuangjun let out a low roar, sacrificing a magical artifact to unleash a powerful defense, blocking the explosion's crimson flames and the surging magma.
A Shadow Demon Cultivator laughed heartily, "Zheng Shuangjun, I’ll return one day!"
Before leaving, he threw another black orb magical artifact.
The black orb erupted again, filling the air with countless shadowy smoke.
Zheng Shuangjun’s divine sense was obstructed, preventing him from seeing anything beyond ten feet, let alone locking onto his opponent.
Furthermore, he had to stabilize the underground passage to prevent being buried alive, leaving him so furious he nearly spat blood but had no choice but to remain in place.
When the black smoke finally cleared, Zheng Shuangjun could only see the devastated walls of the passage, with the area where the lava lake once lay now layered over with magma.
As for one corner of the Immortal Palace, it had been completely buried.
Nearby, several Ning Clan cultivators lay scattered on the ground, some still alive but unconscious.
Zheng Shuangjun muttered a curse, "Damn it!"
His gaze flickered briefly, but he chose not to pursue rashly.
The mysterious demon cultivator had vanished without a trace, and Zheng Shuangjun was wary of a potential trap.
To prevent the enemy from doubling back, he opted to remain on guard.
With a wave of his hand, he rescued the remaining Ning Clan cultivators.
Ning Zhuo activated the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, feigning unconsciousness, successfully deceiving Zheng Shuangjun.
When the time was right, Ning Zhuo slowly opened his eyes and found himself back at the volcano’s crater.
After surviving this perilous ordeal, only eleven Ning Clan cultivators remained.
"With the cover of black smoke, no one should have realized I was the one who caused the explosion!"
"This went more smoothly than expected."
"But, even though I detonated it, did I truly succeed?"
Ning Zhuo pondered inwardly.
"I’m alive… I survived! Huhu…" Ning Yong, realizing he was alive, broke down into sobs.
Ning Chen, also snapping out of it, looked pale and fearful: "All the other newcomers died. It’s pure luck that we’re still alive."
The two of them had no idea that their survival was entirely thanks to Ning Zhuo’s protection.
They approached Ning Zhuo, and Ning Chen asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
"Are you hurt?" Ning Yong added.
After this life-or-death battle, their impression of Ning Zhuo changed profoundly. Ning Zhuo’s calmness and courage throughout the dangerous exploration had won their silent admiration.
Their concern at this moment was entirely genuine.
At first, Ning Zhuo’s expression was vacant and dazed, but he quickly revealed a weary, terrified look, grateful for his survival.
This demeanor did nothing to diminish Ning Chen and Ning Yong’s impression of him. Instead, they felt an even closer connection.
They had just vividly experienced the terror of life and death, empathizing deeply with each other.
In another sense, they had fought side by side, facing life and death together.
Ning Zhuo took a few deep breaths and smiled bitterly, "We actually survived… unbelievable… It’s a relief… But I never want to enter this Demon Lava Cave again."
Ning Chen and Ning Yong quickly reassured him.
The revived Ning Clan cultivators stood up, some healing, others expressing gratitude to Zheng Shuangjun nearby.
Zheng Shuangjun watched as many City Guard cultivators poured in from the crater’s entrance, sneering, "Your Ning Clan was used by that demon cultivator! He exploited your presence to hide his aura, catching me off guard. Then he provoked a small-scale demon beast surge to sow further confusion."
"When you return, be prepared to face punishment!"
The Ning Clan cultivators were stunned, then responded, "The opponent was a golden core demon cultivator, and our Ning Clan is weak in strength; that’s why the enemy exploited us. Besides, our Ning Clan suffered the heaviest losses!"
Zheng Shuangjun impatiently waved them off, "Tell these excuses to your Clan Leader and the City Lord."
The Ning Clan survivors, still riding the thrill of their narrow escape, found their joy extinguished.
Before parting, the Ning Clan cultivators expressed their sincere gratitude once more: "We owe it to Lord Zheng Shuangjun for driving off the demon cultivator, preventing his success."
No matter what, Zheng Shuangjun had been their savior.
Just as the two groups were about to part, the ground suddenly trembled violently!
Countless beams of treasure light burst from openings large and small, piercing through the volcano’s white smoke and into the depths of the night sky.
The sealing formation at the volcano’s crater operated at full power, revealing dragon- and serpent-like array lines and nodes.
City Guard cultivators shouted in alarm, raising an alert.
"What’s happening?!" Ning Clan cultivators staggered, struggling to stay on their feet, many crying out in fear.
Zheng Shuangjun’s expression darkened, the last trace of optimism in his heart disappearing: "Not good! The battle just now must have affected the Lava Immortal Palace!"
Streaks of treasure light shot into the night sky, dazzlingly bright.
The volcano shuddered, rousing all of Fire Persimmon City from slumber!
A massive blue cloud hand, covering the sky, pressed down from above.
It descended from the heavens, attempting to suppress all the treasure lights back into the ground.
The crimson treasure lights clashed briefly with the cloud hand, like swords piercing through the divine hand, then surged unrestrainedly into the night sky!
Red rock exploded, countless fissures emitting scorching earth energy that surged outward. Flames, like enraged dragons, spouted in all directions.
Cultivators scrambled to flee in panic.
Determined to finish his good deed, Zheng Shuangjun swept his long sleeves, lifting the Ning Clan cultivators into the sky.
From high above, they saw the tip of a massive tower, rising unstoppably, like a sky-piercing spear.
The entire tower seemed to be the axis of heaven and earth, shattering all barriers and boldly appearing before the world.
One by one, roofs of grand palaces broke through the heavy red rock layer, slowly ascending toward the heavens.
Mountains roared, the earth trembled!
The Ning Clan survivors swallowed hard, staring in shock.
Rocks continued to split, fierce flames erupting from countless cracks.
Molten orange magma spattered everywhere, the intense heat filling everyone with dread.
"The… the Lava Immortal Palace?"
"The Immortal Palace has emerged!"
Words failed everyone.
Once hidden deep underground, now its grandeur was unveiled. Such a spectacle was truly awe-inspiring.