Ning Chen and Ning Yong sat by the window on the second floor of the restaurant, constantly watching the street.
"Look, Ning Zhuo has appeared."
"Let’s go!"
The two quickly made their way to the intersection, pretending it was a chance encounter, and bumped into Ning Zhuo head-on.
"Ning Zhuo?" Ning Yong called out.
Ning Zhuo looked at them, stunned for a moment, then smiled faintly. "It's you two, Ning Yong, Ning Chen."
These two were Ning Zhuo’s classmates.
Feigning nostalgia, Ning Chen sighed, "Ever since the major examination, we haven’t met; it feels like it’s been ages."
A thought flickered in Ning Zhuo's mind. "Though the time was short, if a lot happened, it naturally creates the illusion of time stretching."
Ning Yong spoke, "I heard about your situation. After the exam, you fell out with your uncle and aunt, refusing their help."
"Are you struggling to live on your own now?"
"What are you doing to earn spirit stones to maintain your cultivation?"
Ning Zhuo hesitated slightly. "I’m currently doing odd jobs at a mechanical workshop. And you two?"
Ning Yong chuckled smugly, "We've already joined the Demon Hunters Association!"
"We're in the process of purchasing supplies for an outing. Tonight, we’ll enter the demon caves with some senior members from the association to hunt demon beasts."
"Exciting, huh?"
Ning Zhuo’s mouth opened in surprise. "You’re going into the Demon Lava Cave? Isn’t that too dangerous?"
"Afraid? What can you accomplish if you're afraid of dying?" Ning Yong puffed out his chest, full of disdain.
"We’re young and should be exploring everywhere. Without taking risks, where would extraordinary gains come from? Without money to accelerate cultivation, when could I possibly reach Foundation Establishment?"
Ning Chen added, "Don’t listen to his boasting. There are Ning family cultivators in the Demon Hunters Association. You've heard of Lord Ning Zhanji, right?"
"We’re entering the cave under his lead, and tonight just happens to be a low period for earth flames, so it’s very safe."
Ning Chen did his best to ease Ning Zhuo's concerns.
Ning Zhuo’s face revealed a look of envy.
Seeing this, Ning Yong invited him directly. "If you ask me, Ning Zhuo, you shouldn’t be doing any workshop work. Just come down into the caves with us."
"There are countless treasures hidden within the Demon Lava Cave."
"How much do you earn in a week? One spiritual plant you find down there might be worth your entire week’s pay!"
Ning Zhuo shook his head and waved his hand, declining, "My swordsmanship scores have always been mediocre at best. Fighting demon beasts is far too dangerous; I simply can’t do it."
"Coward!" Ning Yong scowled, about to retort.
Ning Chen stopped him with a glance and smiled at Ning Zhuo, "If I were you, Ning Zhuo, I would go back and apologize to my uncle and aunt, let them pull some strings, and get me into a family enterprise. The treatment would be far better than any outside job."
Ning Zhuo immediately shook his head, showing his youthful pride, and resolutely replied, "Since it’s already come to this, there’s no way I’d bow down."
Ning Chen chuckled softly. "If I were your uncle or aunt and saw you struggling to make a living at some insignificant workshop, what would I think?"
"Perhaps they’d think, ‘See, Ning Zhuo is arrogant, and without our help, he can only live in hardship, gradually falling to the lowest ranks of cultivators!’"
Ning Zhuo’s brows furrowed instantly, and his face darkened, as if his heart defenses had been breached.
Seeing this, Ning Chen smirked inwardly and continued pressing…
Moments later.
Watching Ning Zhuo’s departing figure, Ning Yong said, "Ning Zhuo’s grades may be better than ours, but what does that matter? We managed to provoke him easily enough into agreeing to join us tonight."
Ning Chen sighed, "Ning Zhuo, like us, is just an ordinary person."
"Think about it, if I were him and got set up, I would probably fall into the trap too."
"Sigh…"
Noticing his companion’s low spirits, Ning Yong comforted, "Though Ning Zhuo is our classmate, we now serve under Lord Ning Zhanji. This mission was a direct order from Lord Ning Zhanji. What does this little bit of classmate sentiment matter compared to our future? We weren't that close to him anyway."
Ning Chen shook his head slightly. "Enough. At least now we can give Lord Ning Zhanji an explanation."
"Let’s go."
By evening, Ning Zhuo arrived alone at the meeting spot.
Ning Yong greeted him with a smile, ushering him inside.
Ning Chen led him to Ning Zhanji.
Ning Zhanji was a burly middle-aged man with sharp, slender eyes.
He sized up Ning Zhuo, expressionless. "Since you’re a member of the Ning family, I’ll make an exception and allow you to join."
"But remember, you must follow all my commands and arrangements."
"Understood, Senior!" Ning Zhuo replied promptly.
Thoughts of Ning Zhanji’s background flashed through Ning Zhuo’s mind.
Years ago, the Ning family began sending cultivators to various organizations within and outside Fire Persimmon Immortal City.
Ning Zhanji was one of them.
With formidable combat strength and decisive actions, he was known for seizing fleeting opportunities on the battlefield, making him a leader figure.
This time, Ning Zhanji had been entrusted by Ning Ze, who paid him to have Ning Chen and Ning Yong provoke Ning Zhuo.
After sizing up Ning Zhuo briefly, Ning Zhanji retracted his gaze, assessing inwardly, "Qi Refining Stage, Level Three. Mediocre."
Soon, the group of over fifty people was assembled.
The majority were of the Ning surname, with a few outsiders who were closely associated with the Ning family.
Leading them, Ning Zhanji set off for the Demon Lava Cave.
Fire Persimmon Immortal City was a typical mountain city.
Most buildings were clustered at the mountainside, with the center rising higher and higher until reaching the volcanic crater at the peak.
Moving outward, the terrain gradually sloped downwards, stretching into foothills.
Ning Zhuo and his group made their way from the mountainside upwards.
Passing through several checkpoints, where the inspections were fairly lax, they eventually reached the summit.
At the top, the spiritual energy grew dense and scorching.
The air was thick with a pungent smell of sulfur, almost overpowering.
Though it was night, the crater emitted a constant glow. By its light, Ning Zhuo saw clouds of white smoke drifting above the crater.
In the white smoke, numerous mist cloud sparrows darted in and out.
Ning Zhuo and the others approached the edge of the volcano.
Looking down, they saw a vast, flat expanse of rock within the crater.
The crimson rocks radiated waves of intense heat.
Some rocks were tightly joined, while others had gaps between them, with bright orange-red magma flowing below. Some rocks also had open cave entrances.
Some of these caves periodically spewed flames; others dripped magma, while some were bottomless, leading even deeper underground.
The mountain walls and rocky surface were nearly vertical, the walls smooth and glassy, showing signs of human intervention. The entire crater resembled a massive open-mouthed cup.
Toward the center, Ning Zhuo noticed an increasing number of cave entrances, their sizes growing larger.
Finally, his gaze settled on the center of the rocky expanse.
There lay a magma lake.