Ning Zhuo’s steps quickened.
He was venturing into the Immortal Palace with Yuan Dasheng at his side, aware of the risks.
Meng Chong could enter at any moment.
Without Yuan Dasheng in Room Three to block him, Meng Chong could easily reach the ready room.
“Hopefully, Meng Chong is thoroughly unconscious this time, giving me as much time as possible to explore!”
With that thought, a revelation struck Ning Zhuo, inspired by the Theory of Fate.
“The Lava Immortal Palace is like an arena. Even if Meng Chong and I don’t confront each other directly, our fate energies are entwined and clashing.”
“I got a head start, setting up traps to impede Meng Chong, suppressing him somewhat.”
“But he thrives on challenges and has been improving rapidly through his training.”
“Facing a crisis, I had to change my name and create Han Ming. Then, unexpectedly, Meng Chong appeared in the Purple Sun Courtyard and defeated Han Ming.”
“If Meng Chong had acted more ruthlessly or pursued relentlessly, killing Han Ming outright, I would have had no way out. My name change would have failed, and I would have been indirectly defeated by Meng Chong.”
“Not long ago, I managed to eliminate Yuan Dasheng, and, as Han Ming said, my fate energy surged.”
“With Yuan Dasheng’s assistance, I overcame Meng Chong, leaving him unconscious. Once again, I suppressed him.”
“But I can only imagine what kind of formidable presence he’ll be when he returns and how much he’ll have improved.”
Ning Zhuo reached the three doors once more.
“These three doors also contain flaws.”
“Zhu Xuanji witnessed Yuan Dasheng using the Demonic Blood Vein Technique. Even though it was brief, the aura leaked out.”
“If someone else masters this technique, Zhu Xuanji might notice and grow suspicious about Yuan Dasheng’s death.”
“New suspicions would trigger fresh investigations.”
“And such investigations pose a significant danger to me.”
“If only I could conceal the demonic door…”
Ning Zhuo had tried many methods, but even when he fully activated the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, he couldn’t raise the stone wall to cover the demonic door.
“For now, I must seize every moment to explore further.”
Ning Zhuo was racing against Meng Chong, Zheng Jian, and Zhu Xuanji.
“This time, I’ll break through the Buddhist gate first!”
He had made his decision long ago.
The Golden Blood Battle Ape, Dasheng, was excellent for challenging the Buddhist gate.
Nevertheless, Ning Zhuo opened the demonic door first.
After exploring briefly, he halted. His primary goal was to obtain blood energy.
He infused all the blood energy directly into Yuan Dasheng.
Instantly, Dasheng’s crimson flesh emitted a dark red glow, exuding an aura of dominance and brutality.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, which had been watching Ning Zhuo, was furious, flames flaring from its nostrils.
Normal challengers couldn’t turn back; they had to choose one of the three doors and proceed.
But Ning Zhuo, using the Buddha Heart Demon Seal to cheat, had reverted back, providing Dasheng with a considerable boost!
Yuan Dasheng shielded Ning Zhuo, slaughtering through the stages within the Buddhist gate with unrivaled strength.
“Just as I suspected, Yuan Dasheng had high essence-refining cultivation in life, and the Demonic Blood Vein Technique was at an advanced level.”
“Using his intact body and soul as the core, the spirit embedded in him carries a powerful imprint of his former actions.”
“Thus, when utilizing blood energy, he can even create massive blood veins.”
Ning Zhuo shattered the three stages of the Buddhist gate and stood before the door once again.
“What rewards await this time?” He sensed they would be valuable, as there had been no rewards after clearing the second stage.
And indeed, as Ning Zhuo touched the door, information flooded his mind.
The array of options dazzled him for a moment.
His first thought was, “Could I retreat repeatedly and claim all these rewards?”
“Let’s pick one first to verify. Which should I choose?”
Upon examining the options, he noticed most were spells and mechanical blueprints, but one stood out: an Illusory True Lotus Seed.
“What exactly is the Illusory True Lotus Seed?” Ning Zhuo wondered.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, eagerly awaiting this moment, hastily explained, “The Illusory True Lotus Seed imprints the essence of a divine ability. Once planted, it can assist cultivators in fully comprehending a divine ability. It is extremely rare and valuable, with limited availability…”
Smack!
The fire whip lashed out, but the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit endured the beating without finishing its explanation.
Unable to hear the rest, Ning Zhuo assumed that was all the information.
“Limited supply and extremely valuable! I’ll choose this.”
After making his choice, a phantom image of the lotus seed entered Ning Zhuo’s upper dantian, sinking into the depths of his Divine Sea.
“That’s it?”
“What happens next?”
Ning Zhuo stood motionless for a moment, puzzled.
The Illusory True Lotus Seed seemed to vanish once planted, making it difficult for Ning Zhuo to detect.
He tried various methods to locate it, all in vain.
“Perhaps I need to return to my body to access it,” he speculated, holding onto hope.
Little did he know, in the Lava Immortal Palace’s main hall, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was laughing so hard it lay down, pounding its shell with a clenched claw.
Finally, it had successfully tricked Ning Zhuo!
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit’s body stung from the whipping, but its heart brimmed with satisfaction!
The concealed information was that, while the Illusory True Lotus Seed was indeed precious, the probability of it aiding a cultivator in comprehending a divine ability was minuscule.
Many Golden Core cultivators who had planted an Illusory True Lotus Seed had gained nothing, as the divine ability imprinted in the lotus was Life-Hanging Thread.
To the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, Ning Zhuo—a mere qi refining cultivator—aspiring to comprehend such an ability was nothing short of wishful thinking!
Ning Zhuo exited the door, finding himself in another hall facing three new doors: Buddhist, Daoist, and Demonic.
He attempted to use the Buddha Heart Demon Seal to turn back but was alarmed to find the door difficult to open.
An uneasy feeling crept over him. “Could it be that the Buddha Heart Demon Seal can no longer affect the doors at this depth?”
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit watched serenely, knowing the real reason: it wasn’t that the Buddha Heart Demon Seal was insufficient but that Ning Zhuo’s qi refining stage limited the power he could draw from it. By this point, it was barely enough to affect the gates.
Unless Ning Zhuo’s cultivation advanced significantly, the power would remain limited.
After considerable effort, Ning Zhuo finally managed to turn back, returning to his starting point.
Upon touching the door again, he found he could choose another reward and selected a spell.
Re-entering the portal hall, he refrained from using his seal to retreat, as the cost was too high.
He examined the Buddhist, Daoist, and Demonic doors.
He discovered that the mechanisms were much the same as before.
By touching each door, he acquired the fourth through sixth layers of their respective techniques.
“At last, I can continue cultivating.”
“These techniques arrived just in time!”
Ning Zhuo sighed in relief.
Although he had suspected this outcome, he only felt truly at ease once his prediction aligned with reality.
Finding nothing else of interest in the hall, Ning Zhuo retreated, chose another reward, and retraced his steps.
He returned to Room Three, leaving Yuan Dasheng behind.
Then, back in Room Two, he found the others still trapped and oblivious to the outside.
Ning Zhuo leaped into a pit, waiting quietly.
Once the others exhausted their soul energy and were sent back to their bodies, Ning Zhuo waited a moment longer before using his trial disciple’s insignia to return to his body with ease.
Two days later.
Ning Xiaoren summoned Ning Zhuo to his study.
As Ning Zhuo entered, he saw Ning Ze on his knees, his head bleeding from being struck with an inkstone.
Ning Xiaoren looked pained as he addressed Ning Zhuo, “At first, I didn’t believe it, but with the evidence before me and your uncle’s own confession…”
“Nephew Ning Zhuo, I never imagined—your uncle would be so shameless!”
“To think he would embezzle the cultivation resources I’ve been secretly providing for you every year!”
Ning Zhuo’s eyes widened, filled with disbelief and anger.
“Uncle, is this true?!” Ning Zhuo roared at Ning Ze.
Ning Ze’s body trembled. Slowly, he looked up at Ning Zhuo.
His gaze was dull, his face pale, and his body bore marks of severe punishment.
With a deep breath, Ning Ze said, his tone heavy, “Yes, I did it.”
Ning Zhuo swayed, staggering back, only to be steadied by Ning Xiaoren.
Devastated, Ning Zhuo closed his eyes tightly, tears streaming down his face.
In the darkness of his mind, memories resurfaced.
“Kneel!” Ning Ze, holding a bamboo cane, ordered sternly.
Young Ning Zhuo lifted his head defiantly. “Why punish me? I told you, I didn’t do it—it wasn’t me!”
Smack!
The bamboo cane lashed down, leaving a red welt on Ning Zhuo’s cheek.
Yet, Ning Zhuo kept his head held high.
Enraged, Ning Ze struck again.
Smack! Smack!
The blows forced Ning Zhuo to his knees.
“Uncle, why don’t you believe me? I’m innocent—I didn’t do it!” Ning Zhuo cried, rubbing his tears away.
“Still defiant!” Ning Ze dropped the cane and turned away.
“You’ll stay kneeling until you admit your guilt, then you can have your dinner!”
That time, Ning Zhuo knelt from dusk until dawn, fainting from exhaustion.
In the morning, Wang Lan said to Ning Ze, “My dear, Little Zhuo may be unruly, but he’s honest. He has never lied to us.”
“I don’t think he was responsible for this incident.”
Ning Ze snorted, “Of course, I know he was innocent.”
“But what can I do?”
“The culprit’s father is a War Hall elder.”
“We can’t afford to cross them!”
“If Ning Zhuo admits guilt, the matter is resolved. Being stubborn would only invite more trouble!”
Wang Lan gasped. “Oh, I see.”
“You did the right thing, my dear.”
“What’s a bit of injustice for a child?”