The Ning Family.

Council Hall.

The spiritual lamps emitted a bright glow.

All the elders were gathered here, but the main seat and the seat to the left of the main seat were empty.

The Ning Family Patriarch and Young Patriarch were missing.

The elders looked grim and were in a bad mood, discussing family affairs.

“Sixty percent of the Crimson Flame Beast Tide besieging the Lava Immortal Palace has retreated. In a few days, the Crimson Flame demonic beasts around the Fire Persimmon Immortal City will also begin to withdraw. At that time, the City Lord’s Mansion should issue a notice. Aside from providing disaster relief and comforting the people, and clearing out the demonic beasts in the mountains and fields, the most important place for us to intervene should be guarding the border outposts.”

The words of the Talisman Hall Elder immediately won the approval of most people.

Four days had passed since Ning Zhuo voluntarily ceded the position of Palace Lord to Meng Kui.

In fact, on the very day Meng Kui became the Palace Lord, the three Nascent Soul cultivators joined forces, along with Zhu Xuanji, the Scroll Sovereign, and others, launching a counterattack, slaying countless beasts and directly extinguishing the arrogance of the Crimson Flame demonic beasts.

The three Nascent Soul cultivators were, naturally, Meng Kui, Meng Hu, and the cultivators from the Grand Purity Palace.

The Grand Purity Palace cultivators had seized the opportunity to claim the Lava Immortal Palace under the pretext that their “disciple was mistakenly killed by the Zheng Family.”

After Meng Kui became the Palace Lord and actively displayed his authority, the Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul immediately understood that his scheme had failed.

Looking at Meng Hu and Meng Kui, he gritted his teeth in anger: “Formidable, the Two Generals of the Meng Family.”

Meng Hu’s gaze was solemn, his attention more focused on the Thin Fate Shield in the Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul’s hand. This Night Rain Demonic Artifact was truly powerful. He had fought bitterly for a long time but saw no hope of breaking the shield. Instead, he was injured by the backlash, covered in wounds, and the power of all his defensive methods was weakened.

Meng Kui smiled, saying he wouldn’t let the Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul come for nothing, and that he would hand over the entire Zheng Family!

This greatly surprised the Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul. After asking in detail, he finally learned that the only two Golden Core ancestors of the Zheng Family had perished, and key figures like Zheng Hua, as well as junior geniuses like Zheng Jian, had all lost their lives.

He immediately understood the reason why Meng Kui could hand over the Zheng Family.

Without the power to protect themselves, the Zheng Family was just a pawn that could be sacrificed at will!

After understanding the details, the Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul cultivator’s attitude softened: “I need the corpses of the Zheng Family’s dual Golden Cores.”

Meng Kui nodded, saying meaningfully: “Zheng Danlian can be given to you, but Zheng Shuanggu was killed by demonic cultivators, and his body’s whereabouts are unknown.”

The Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul then said: “Just Zheng Danlian’s body alone is not enough!”

Meng Kui sneered: “No rush. Once we kill those two demonic cultivators and retrieve Zheng Shuanggu’s body, we can also satisfy your needs.”

It was the two Golden Core cultivators from the Grand Purity Palace who killed Zheng Shuanggu, only they were disguised as shadow demonic cultivators.

The momentum of the Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul cultivator faltered, and he could only take a step back, his attitude softening further as he transmitted his voice to discuss with Meng Kui.

He indeed needed the Zheng Family captives to report back to his sect. If he didn’t cooperate with Meng Kui, he wouldn’t get Zheng Danlian’s body. He would also be expelled by the two Meng Family Nascent Soul cultivators working together, which would be very embarrassing.

After they had largely settled their discussion, Zhu Xuanji also flew up, representing the Southern Bean Royal Family, expressing his sincerity for cooperation. If the Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul cultivator could assist, it would be considered a great merit and he would receive generous rewards from the Southern Bean Kingdom.

Just like that, the two sides, who had been fiercely fighting moments before, ceased hostilities and made peace. The Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul cultivator, along with Meng Kui and Meng Hu, acted together, sweeping across the battlefield, leaving behind countless corpses of Crimson Flame demonic beasts.

The three Nascent Soul level beasts among the Crimson Flame demonic beasts were either dead or injured. The Fire-Stepping Lizard, with a hole in its head, fled in a sorry state.

The Fire-Walking Snake was restrained by Meng Kui.

The Demonic Ape fell into a coma.

The Crimson Flame demonic beasts suffered heavy casualties, but beasts lack intelligence. Driven by boundless ferocity stirred by death and blood, they continued to charge endlessly.

The three Nascent Souls easily recovered the lost ground first, and then counterattacked into the lava, fighting deep into the Fire Persimmon Mountain until their hands were somewhat numb, before finally stopping.

During this time, another Nascent Soul level Crimson Flame demonic beast was enraged and fought with the three Nascent Soul cultivators, retreating after being severely wounded.

Meng Hu pursued it all the way, and only when he saw the beast venturing deep into the endless fire poison and underground fire did he reluctantly return.

Without the support of a beast king with Nascent Soul level combat power, the elite Golden Core level beasts naturally suffered heavy losses.

However, with the frequent actions of the Nascent Soul cultivators, the Crimson Flame Beast Tide continued without end, and it wasn’t until the third day that the number of Crimson Flame demonic beasts emerging from the summit of Fire Persimmon Mountain significantly decreased.

“There has been much killing this time, incurring the wrath of heaven. After returning to the palace, I shall fast for seven days and nights, bathing in the aura of the Supreme Purity, only then can I cleanse the killing and blood energy,” the Grand Purity Palace Nascent Soul cultivator sighed, and from then on, ceased his actions.

Meng Kui also immediately withdrew.

Only Meng Hu continued to attack everywhere, fighting to his heart’s content, howling at the sky, his roar shaking the wind and clouds, enveloping the entire Fire Persimmon Mountain.

The Crimson Flame Beast Tide was suppressed by the combined efforts of the three Nascent Soul cultivators!

The elders of the Ning Family continued to discuss various family affairs.

Counting losses, repairing the family’s defensive magic formations, strictly distributing death benefits…

Finally, they had to talk about a topic. And this topic was one that no one in the hall wanted to face.

“Ning Zhuo is our real threat! This time, he is going to publicly mourn the deceased Ning Family members who died in battle. Are we really not going to stop him?” It was Ning Qingqiao who brought it up.

He possessed the Natural Talent of Silent Frostfall and a Foundation Establishment cultivation. Originally, he was not qualified to participate in the council. But with the beast attack on the city, the Ning Family not only lost their patriarch but also elders.

There were vacancies in the family’s high ranks, and Ning Qingqiao was thus promoted, becoming a new face in the council hall.

The elders fell silent one after another.

The Elder of the Academy sighed faintly: “The great affairs of a state are only war and sacrifice. The same applies to a family.”

Ning Qingqiao immediately added: “This time, if Ning Zhuo is truly allowed to preside over the public sacrifice, I fear that the hearts of the people in our family’s branch will all turn to him. With this increase and decrease, how will we contend with the divided family in the future?”

The elders frowned.

It wasn’t that they lacked a sense of the overall situation, but rather that they were all familiar with governmental affairs and very clear about the current situation: the main family and the divided family, due to their blood ties, were like a lever supported in the middle. If one end was high, the other would be low.

Either the east wind overwhelmed the west wind, or the west wind overwhelmed the east wind. The suppressed side would be continuously drained by the dominant side, the weaker side would become even weaker, and the stronger side would become increasingly stronger.

The Elder of the Battle Hall spread his hands: “Ning Zhuo has already become the patriarch of the divided family. This matter has even received the approval of the Old Ancestor, and it is irreversible.”

“Although he is just a small cultivator in the middle stage of Qi Refining, his status is high enough. There is no problem with him publicly presiding over the sacrifice. How can we stop him?”

Everyone fell silent for a while.

“Ning Zhuo, alas… Who could have expected that such a strange creature would appear in our family’s branch?”

“Just a few months ago, I would never have imagined that my vast Ning Family would be divided into two because of a small sixteen-year-old junior from a branch!”

“Hmph, if it weren’t for the emergence of the Lava Immortal Palace, how could this be possible?”

Seeing that the elders were all being superficial, Ning Qingqiao felt anxious: “Hmph, in my opinion, since we cannot stop him from the front, we should implement some covert methods. If Ning Zhuo fails to perform the sacrifice, or if the scene is unsightly, it will inevitably damage his prestige and win some advantages for our Ning Family’s main lineage.”

Just as Ning Qingqiao finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed dramatically. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell directly from his seat, kneeling on the ground.

The elders were shocked and wanted to get up, but were firmly suppressed in their seats by boundless pressure.

In the main seat of the Ning Family Patriarch, Ning Jiufan suddenly appeared.

He swept a cold gaze across the entire hall and berated: “You are all from the same origin of the Ning Family, yet you want to fight among yourselves? With such a mindset, how can the family prosper!?”

“Old Ancestor!” The elders all cried out, making excuses for themselves. Some even did not forget to distance themselves, saying that this was just Ning Qingqiao’s personal opinion and did not represent theirs.

Upon hearing these statements, Ning Qingqiao was so angry that he spat out another mouthful of blood.

Ning Jiufan severely criticized everyone, and finally looked at Ning Qingqiao, directly stripping him of his elder status and ordering him to face the wall and reflect for three years, to conduct a deep self-examination.

After Ning Jiufan finished dealing with the matter, he left directly.

Only then did the elders regain their ability to move, each one covered in sweat, as if reborn.

Looking at Ning Qingqiao, they felt contempt in their hearts. Being an elder was not just about combat power, one also needed to have a brain.

They also felt a sense of sadness for others in the same situation.

Ning Qingqiao possessed talent, yet this was his fate. These elders, without talent, would definitely end up worse than Ning Qingqiao if they were to deal with Ning Zhuo!

“I agree that Ning Zhuo should preside over the sacrifice. There is nothing wrong with that.”

“Yes, he is a genius of our family. How good it is that such an excellent junior can stand up and take responsibility.”

“This is a sign of our Ning Family’s prosperity and development. I think we should come forward and assist him on the day of the sacrifice.”

“Agree.”

“I concur.”

“Second the motion.”

Ning Qingqiao saw the elders’ performance and his eyes turned black with anger.

“The Old Ancestor is biased!” He wailed and fainted on the spot.

The other elders fully agreed with Ning Qingqiao’s lament in their hearts, but they all acted as if they hadn’t heard the words at all.

Ning Jiufan sighed faintly.

Although he had left, his divine sense still enveloped the council hall.

If the elders of the Ning Family’s main lineage knew the truth about the struggle for the Lava Immortal Palace, they would deeply understand Ning Jiufan.

The combat power Ning Zhuo displayed in the end greatly shocked Ning Jiufan!

The Buddhist physician Meng Yaoyin, who could directly repel Zhu Xuanji.

The Milk Butterfly Mother, who could cast a quasi-Golden Core level magic formation.

Heavy Armored Blood Ape · Great Victory, Underworld Emissary · Qi Bai, and Weather Balloon · Ice Crystal Snow.

With these mechanical creations by his side, who would still dare to regard Ning Zhuo as just a small cultivator in the middle stage of Qi Refining?

Such powerful combat power had already surpassed Ning Jiufan, alright!

Moreover, the tact Ning Zhuo displayed when facing Zhu Xuanji and Meng Kui made Ning Jiufan look at him with new eyes and take him seriously.

He regretted in his heart that he had not discovered Ning Zhuo’s excellence earlier and had been too late in recruiting him.

He was also secretly庆幸 (qing xing – fortunate, glad) that Ning Zhuo had voluntarily split the family and did not stay to cause trouble for the main lineage. With his righteous methods, strategies, and terrifying combat power, who in the main lineage could be his opponent?

Didn’t they see that the Ning Family Patriarch and Young Patriarch had both died in front of him?

Ning Jiufan’s public support for Ning Zhuo, his strong support for him, was actually to protect the Ning Family’s main lineage, as he had once promised to protect these descendants.

Ning Jiufan’s handling of Ning Qingqiao was also hoping that the latter could fully recognize the reality, and in the three years of facing the wall and reflecting, cultivate well, and strive to provide new momentum for the Ning Family’s main lineage with his natural talent.

The current Ning Qingqiao, having suddenly gained the status of an elder, was too arrogant. If he were to truly provoke Ning Zhuo to act, his life would be in great danger!

Unfortunately, Ning Zhuo, Zhu Xuanji, and Meng Kui had agreed to do their best to keep the final truth of the struggle for the Lava Immortal Palace a secret. Although Ning Jiufan was informed afterwards, he could not reveal it either.

The public did not know the truth and found it difficult to understand his painstaking efforts.

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