Fire Persimmon Immortal Mountain.
Atop the mountain, amidst the clouds, the City Lord of Fire Persimmon Immortal City sat cross-legged in the air, summoning his golden core subordinate, Chi Dun.
Chi Dun was a middle-aged man, one eye blind, short in stature but solidly built, his muscles bulging like a walking stone pillar.
“Chi Dun, I order you to thoroughly investigate the Shadow Demon Cultivator,” commanded the City Lord, seated on a meditation mat surrounded by swirling clouds of white mist and black smoke, reflecting his inner turmoil and seething anger.
Chi Dun’s face showed hesitation.
“My Lord, with your command, I would walk through fire without hesitation. However, you know my primary cultivation technique, the Stone Heart Slowing Technique, is hardly suitable for such a crucial task.”
“No matter.” The City Lord waved his hand slightly, and from his sleeve flew out a magical artifact.
This artifact was a delicate, pale yellow bell, small and exquisitely crafted.
The bell floated toward Chi Dun, who quickly reached out with both hands to catch it.
“With this heart-warning bell, you’ll have what it takes to track down the demon cultivator. Proceed with all your might!” ordered the City Lord.
Chi Dun withdrew, carrying the heart-warning bell, and went straight to the dungeon.
“Handle the easy ones first. These Ning Clan cultivators were involved. Start by interrogating them."
"Otherwise, if the Ning Clan comes to retrieve their people, things will get complicated.”
“The Shadow Demon Cultivator previously used them to disguise himself, attracting Zheng Shuangjun's attention. There might be an inside agent among them.”
Although he thought this possibility was quite remote, Chi Dun saw it as an opportunity to use the heart-warning bell and familiarize himself with its capabilities.
The Ning Clan members, including Ning Zhuo, had been rescued by Zheng Shuangjun, yet following the appearance of the Immortal Palace and the resounding chime of the Dharma Transmission Bell across the city, things had escalated.
By direct order of the City Lord, all surviving cultivators, including them, had been detained.
Partly to question them and gather clues, and partly to exert authority and enforce secrecy regarding the emergence of the Immortal Palace.
The City Lord, seeking damage control, was doing everything possible to conceal the Immortal Palace’s existence.
Chi Dun began with the foundation establishment level Ning Clan cultivators, soon working his way to the qi refining stage.
As one of those detained, Ning Zhuo was soon led into a solitary chamber to face Chi Dun alone.
Chi Dun flipped through his interrogation notes without looking up, while his divine sense enveloped Ning Zhuo entirely.
“You aren’t part of the Demon Hunters Association, are you? Why did you suddenly enter the Demon Lava Cave?”
Ning Zhuo swallowed, casting a wary glance at Chi Dun, then quickly lowered his gaze to the ground.
He stammered, explaining how he had encountered Ning Chen and Ning Yong, whose words had provoked him, and then recounted the entire sequence of events.
Chi Dun frowned as he listened.
He had little interest in a young cultivator like Ning Zhuo.
“This kid has only reached the third level of qi refining, and the first time he entered the cave, he ran into such an ordeal—his luck is terrible.”
“No, surviving at all is actually fortunate. Most cultivators stronger than him perished.”
If Ning Zhuo had been the sole survivor, he would have stood out conspicuously.
However, this was not the case; three qi refining novices survived, including Ning Chen and Ning Yong.
“The Shadow Demon Cultivator used the bodies of spirit beasts to lure the Ning Clan group, then provoked a beast tide to mask his aura.”
“He merely exploited the Ning Clan as cannon fodder. The likelihood of an insider within the Ning Clan is minimal.”
“If I were him, I wouldn’t choose a mere third-level qi refining novice as an inside agent.”
Nevertheless, Chi Dun didn’t let down his guard.
In fact, he continually activated the heart-warning bell and kept the heart-testing formation in the interrogation room engaged.
The heart-warning bell was exceptionally sensitive to malice; if anyone from the Ning Clan harbored ill intent toward Chi Dun, it would emit a warning chime.
The heart-testing formation could reveal whether one’s words aligned with their true thoughts. If words and intentions differed, the formation would glow red or yellow.
Throughout Ning Zhuo’s interrogation, neither the heart-warning bell nor the heart-testing formation reacted.
Chi Dun, having held little suspicion of a minor figure like Ning Zhuo, dismissed all doubt based on the heart-warning bell and heart-testing formation’s silence.
“You may go.” Chi Dun instructed Ning Zhuo, then noticed something.
Ning Zhuo had blood dripping from his nose.
Ning Zhuo blinked in surprise, quickly wiping his nose with the back of his hand and noticing the bloodstains.
He waved his hand hastily. “My lord, it’s nothing, truly! It must be a lingering injury from the cave. I’m fine, honestly. I feel great!”
Chi Dun grunted in acknowledgment and said no more, only waving him off.
Ning Zhuo bowed to Chi Dun, then quickly left, softly closing the door behind him.
Chi Dun, about to question the next individual, paused and used his divine sense to communicate with the guard outside.
“Tell them to treat the Ning Clan cultivators well. Have they been neglecting their duties? How is it that someone still has hidden injuries? Heal them all!”
The Ning Clan was one of the three prominent families in Fire Persimmon Immortal City, and Chi Dun had no desire to offend them.
Of course, if any Ning Clan member were found colluding with the Shadow Demon Cultivator, that would be a different matter entirely.
Ning Zhuo was escorted away and immediately given another round of treatment.
The nosebleed was a result of him quietly activating the Buddha Heart Demon Seal.
This seal could imprint a heart seal, influencing the minds of others outwardly, while inwardly it protected himself, suppressing and clearing various thoughts and emotions.
It was the way of converting demons for others, while embracing the Buddha for oneself.
Ning Zhuo, led back to his cell, could hear the heated debate as soon as he neared.
The Ning Clan cultivators were fervently discussing the Dharma Transmission Bell's teachings.
As he entered, several Ning Clan members turned to look at him. Seeing him unharmed, some gave him a slight nod before returning to the discussion and arguments.
The ordeal in the lava cave had drawn Ning Zhuo much closer to them.
Ning Chen and Ning Yong stood up and approached Ning Zhuo, asking with concern.
They were fellow disciples and already had a bond, but despite having followed Ning Zhanji’s orders, they felt a lingering guilt for Ning Zhuo’s near-death experience.
It wasn’t just guilt.
In the cave, despite his fear, Ning Zhuo had shown courage, which, in a life-or-death situation, inspired both Ning Yong and Ning Chen.
His actions left Ning Chen and Ning Yong feeling a sense of closeness and respect.
“How are you? You’re alright, right?”
“We’re Ning Clan cultivators. Our ancestor is also golden core. If they try any Soul Searching Techniques on us, the clan will surely stand by us!”
Ning Chen and Ning Yong each voiced their support.
Ning Zhuo nodded. “I was a bit tense at first.”
“But they didn’t make things difficult for me.”
“I found it straightforward. I just told the truth.”
He ended up comforting Ning Chen and Ning Yong in return.
“Good.” They both responded.
Just then, the guard called them both away together.
Ning Zhuo returned to his corner of the cell and took his place.
He had a small stool and a little table. On the table were fruits, nuts, and hot tea.
All Ning Clan cultivators received similar treatment.
This wasn’t normal; it was solely due to their status as Ning Clan members.
Ning Zhuo’s spot was in the cell’s corner.
Not far away, in another corner, was a pile of rotting, foul-smelling straw, with dried blood stains on the brick walls, and handprint indentations dug into the bars.
It was a place that still seemed to echo the cries and pleas of past prisoners.
Ning Zhuo knew clearly: if his secret was ever exposed, his fate would be far worse than that of any prisoner here.
His first and fiercest pursuer might not even be the City Lord but his own Ning Clan!
Those friendly Ning Clan cultivators around him would turn to hatred, hunting him with all their might.
Ning Zhuo felt no regret.
His decision to detonate the Immortal Palace had been made long ago. So what if he had risked his life?
He slowly sat down, picking up a roasted chestnut.
The chestnut shell cracked crisply between his fingers, revealing the nut, which he chewed and swallowed.
Now, the Lava Immortal Palace was like this chestnut. Ning Zhuo had shattered the shell, lowered the entry threshold.
But he needed to figure out how to access the essence within it, with utmost caution.
With the current turmoil, a third-level qi refining cultivator like Ning Zhuo was walking on thin ice.
Any misstep could reveal his intentions, as if he’d fallen through the ice into a lake, where hidden currents would claim his life.
Long ago, Ning Zhuo’s mother had met such a fate.
Quietly savoring the chestnut, he tasted the danger of his own situation.
No one would ever imagine that this seemingly ordinary youth was the true mastermind behind the Immortal Palace’s explosion!