Random Recommendation:

“Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit…” Ning Zhuo called out repeatedly, but received no response.

“So, it’s gone?” Ning Zhuo said with disappointment in his tone.

He still had a mountain of questions he hadn’t had a chance to ask.

“It seems the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit is truly in dire straits.”

Within the small room, only the puppet Ning Zhuo remained.

This was the reward room Ning Zhuo had finally reached after passing through the Buddhist path.

The information regarding the Foundation Establishment Method had already been transmitted to his mind the moment he opened the door.

Hanging on the wall before Ning Zhuo were many waist tokens.

This was the other portion of the reward, which he had yet to claim.

He gazed at the tokens, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

He was still preoccupied with his recent exchange with the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.

This exchange had been immensely rewarding, for Ning Zhuo had finally found a way to become the Palace Lord of the Lava Immortal Palace.

That was to participate in the Palace Examination and emerge victorious, ultimately ascending to the throne.

As for the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit’s premature allegiance to him, Ning Zhuo could understand it.

After all, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had provided a perfectly valid reason.

Another significant gain for Ning Zhuo was that he had gleaned intelligence on his enemies.

Like the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, after perceiving the general circumstances of his opponents, Ning Zhuo also felt immense pressure.

His main rivals were all true inheritors, Golden Core disciples of super sects.

Among them, Zhu Xuanji was from the Southern Bean royal family, undoubtedly the most formidable contender.

Although Meng Chong was only at the Qi Refining stage, the Meng family behind him was a powerful force in its own right. Their influence within the Southern Bean Kingdom far surpassed super sects like the Immovable Sect, Soul Devouring Sect, and the Supreme Purity Palace.

And Meng Chong’s grandfather was none other than Meng Kui. Meng Kui was a Nascent Soul cultivator and the current City Lord of Fire Persimmon Immortal City, granting him absolute home-field advantage.

“If I didn’t possess the Buddha Heart Demon Mark and grasp the Divine Power of Life Thread Suspension, I wouldn’t even have the qualifications to sit at this table.”

Ning Zhuo lamented inwardly.

The more he thought about it, the greater the pressure he felt.

Although Ning Zhuo had been mentally prepared for this. However, when he truly faced this pressure, he realized that personal experience and imagination were completely different.

Those rivals competing with him for the position of Lava Immortal Palace Lord were as towering as mountains.

Before them, Ning Zhuo, merely at the Qi Refining stage, was as insignificant as an ant.

How could he possibly scale those mountains?

“My mind is somewhat in disarray,” Ning Zhuo closed his eyes.

After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, the unfocused look replaced with a renewed resolve.

The Lava Immortal Palace was a treasured relic left behind by a Void Refinement level expert.

The moment Ning Zhuo decided to participate in this competition, it was destined that he would face such immense, despair-inducing pressure.

There was no turning back now.

All he could do now was muster all his courage and rise to the challenge!

“I now have the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit as an internal informant, knowing a lot of information about the opponents.”

“Can I suppress and deal with these competitors as I did with Meng Chong and others before?”

Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but think this way.

Since entering the Immortal Palace, he had been firmly in control of the overall situation along the Lava Immortal Palace route, relying on his extraordinary skills, years of accumulation, and significant first-mover advantage.

Despite the frequent accidents, Ning Zhuo still tried his best, risking his life several times to fight and stabilize the situation, eventually reaching this stage.

His gains had been enormous.

“In the current situation, Meng Chong can be temporarily set aside; Zhu Xuanji is the main threat.”

“What exactly is the Mechanical Demon General? How was it lost in the first place?”

“If Zhu Xuanji retrieves it, will it allow him to obtain a second-grade position?”

Ning Zhuo was puzzled.

He lacked a comprehensive understanding of the ranks and positions within the Lava Immortal Palace.

“Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit…” Ning Zhuo called out earnestly once more.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, within the main hall, pretended not to hear.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit did not dare to continue communicating with Ning Zhuo.

He had observed many times, and it was clear that Ning Zhuo was not a normal sixteen-year-old boy!

He was extremely shrewd and possessed a profound understanding of statecraft.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had witnessed Ning Zhuo play the four major forces of Fire Persimmon Immortal City like puppets.

In his opinion, Ning Zhuo’s opportunities and combat power were excellent, but his greatest strengths were his strategies and skills.

“He’s just a little monster.”

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had long decided to minimize the time and frequency of its interactions with Ning Zhuo.

Because the more it said, the more vulnerable it would be.

Perhaps a careless word would allow Ning Zhuo to see through its disguise.

After calling out for a while, Ning Zhuo still did not receive a response from the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.

Without obtaining any new information, he sighed in disappointment.

Ning Zhuo wanted to stop Zhu Xuanji, but what could he use to stop him?

Zhu Xuanji himself was a Golden Core cultivator with strong investigative abilities.

But he did not continue the investigation, instead focusing his important time and energy on the Lava Immortal Palace.

This was a good thing for Ning Zhuo.

Now, was Ning Zhuo going to actively provoke such a person?

Just thinking about it made Ning Zhuo’s head ache.

Faced with Qi Refining cultivators like Zheng Jian, Zhou Zeshen, and Meng Chong, he could barely manage to control the situation with his accumulation and methods.

But once he faced a Golden Core existence, he immediately felt his own insignificance.

“I’m still too weak.”

“Although I’m at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, my cultivation still needs to be purified and refined.”

“In the end, I’m only at the Qi Refining stage. Even if I advance and reach the Foundation Establishment stage, there’s still a huge gap between me and the Golden Core stage.”

“Fortunately, I’ve already obtained the Foundation Establishment Method. After I go back, I’ll study it carefully and strive to establish my foundation as soon as possible, shortening the gap between me and my opponents.”

Ning Zhuo had cleared the Buddhist path and obtained the Foundation Establishment Method.

He was about to begin preparing for Foundation Establishment.

Beginning to prepare for Foundation Establishment at the age of sixteen! Such an achievement was truly remarkable.

It should be known that from the time he bombed the Immortal Palace and changed his cultivation method to now, it hadn’t even been a year.

Such a cultivation speed was simply astounding, like lighting a firecracker that shot straight up from the ground to the sky.
Of course, relying solely on the rewards and resources within the Lava Immortal Palace, Ning Zhuo could never have achieved his current state.

He leveraged the Lava Immortal Palace to influence the other major cultivation clans.

Ning Zhuo extracted massive amounts of resources from them, which allowed him to step by step, reach where he is today.

Now, he not only possesses the cultivation of the ninth layer Qi Refining Peak, but also commands a multitude of subordinates, controls the black market, and generates substantial profits.

His rise has been too swift and too powerful, originally, he should have attracted attention, envy, and then suppression.

However, with the issuance of the Recruitment Decree, the Lava Immortal Palace and the influx of foreign cultivators became the primary focus of the people.

Ning Zhuo was overlooked.

This indirectly created a favorable environment for his rise.

Unable to find an answer through contemplation, Ning Zhuo had to first select his rewards for clearing the trial.

Each identity token represents a certain position within the Lava Immortal Palace.

Ning Zhuo casually picked up a token. As soon as he held it, a stream of information flowed into his mind.

This was the token of the Lord of the Discarded Goods Repository.

Within the Lava Immortal Palace, there was a colossal Discarded Goods Repository, filled with a vast collection of scraps and waste.

These scraps and waste often require specific methods to be properly disposed of, and cannot be simply discarded.

At the same time, during the disposal process, they can also be smelted and reforged, or recycled and reused.

The Discarded Goods Repository manages these items.

Ning Zhuo, of course, would not choose this position, and he placed the token down.

He carefully selected for a while, and finally chose the highest-grade position token – the Medical Pavilion Master Token.

Once he selected it, the Medical Pavilion Master Token automatically recognized him as its owner, instantly making him the Master of the Lava Immortal Palace’s Medical Pavilion.

This was a position of the Second Grade!

Ning Zhuo could now sense the Medical Pavilion building and could oversee its normal operations.

Besides the Pavilion Master, the Medical Pavilion also had Physicians, Apothecary Apprentices, and other positions.

As the Medical Pavilion Master, Ning Zhuo had a certain degree of authority to appoint or dismiss these individuals.

In fact, his painstaking cultivation of the Ning family cultivators, especially his classmates from the re-cultivation team, was mainly for this purpose.

As long as these people met certain standards, Ning Zhuo could appoint them one by one as members of the Medical Pavilion.

Once Ning Zhuo was dissatisfied with them, he could dismiss them from their positions with a single thought.

Dismissing a position was much easier than appointing someone.

The prerequisite for appointment was that the cultivator must meet the Lava Immortal Palace’s standards. Dismissal, on the other hand, had no such requirements.

“Hm?”

As Ning Zhuo held the Medical Pavilion Master Token, he suddenly sensed that a new subordinate had been added to his command.

Ning Zhuo took a closer look and discovered that it was someone he knew quite well.

“Ning Xiaohui?”

“How did she become a physician in the Medical Pavilion?”

“How long has she been on this path, and has she accumulated so much merit and contribution already?”

Ning Zhuo’s eyes revealed a thoughtful expression.

“Even with the strong support of the Ning family’s main line, this speed is still quite rapid. This shows that Ning Xiaohui has been working very hard these past few days. She must have been frantically completing tasks and accumulating merit and contribution.”

“What would happen if I directly dismissed her from her position now?”

This was merely a thought in Ning Zhuo’s mind.

Within the Lava Immortal Palace.

Ning Xiaohui entered the Immortal Palace and arrived at the Medical Pavilion.

At this moment, her fists were clenched, and her face was filled with excitement and joy.

“Finally, I have finally been promoted to a physician in the Medical Pavilion!”

“I have finally achieved my wish.”

“This will be a brand new starting point for me.”

“From now on, my efficiency in accumulating merit and contribution will far surpass others.”

“Hahaha…”

“Changing my path and coming here was the right decision!”

“This is a different world altogether, and with my status as a Trial Disciple, I have far more advantages than those Golden Core cultivators.”

“My efforts during this period have not been in vain, everything has been worth it!”

Ning Xiaohui deeply felt that she was receiving obvious preferential treatment.

With the identity of a Trial Disciple, she was treated like one of their own within the Lava Immortal Palace.

Whereas Zhu Xuanji and the others, even at the Golden Core level, were merely outsiders.

For example, the position of Medical Pavilion Physician was not something that outsiders could choose.

At this moment, Ning Xiaohui was within the Medical Pavilion, and thanks to her position as a physician, she had been assigned a mechanical workbench.

“Let me see what new tasks there are that can help me gain more contribution.”

Ning Xiaohui looked closely, and the next moment her eyes widened, revealing a look of astonishment.

“This is?!”

She saw a mechanical construct.

A mechanical construct that left an extremely deep impression on her.

Golden Blood War Ape!

The Golden Blood War Ape – Great Victory, had repeatedly blocked her path and tormented her.

It had caused Ning Xiaohui to repeatedly stop at the first three stages, making her exploration of the Immortal Palace extremely embarrassing and preventing her from raising her head in the entire re-cultivation team.

And now, this former nightmare, the culprit that tormented Ning Xiaohui, had become the main subject of a repair mission, assigned to Ning Xiaohui.

Soon after, a teleportation circle appeared in front of Ning Xiaohui, and after a series of pulsations, delivered the Golden Blood War Ape to Ning Xiaohui’s presence.

She looked at the Golden Blood War Ape on the table, and her expression was extremely complicated.

Immediately, she revealed a fierce look.

Ning Xiaohui looked at the Golden Blood War Ape, and in her mind, she imagined Ning Zhuo. She gritted her teeth and said, “Good, this is really great!”

“I will do my best to repair you, to restore you to your optimal state.”

“Then, I will make you the biggest obstacle for that group of people, inflicting the pain you gave me on them a thousandfold.”

Ning Xiaohui became more and more excited as she spoke, her eyes gleaming with light.

From the Golden Blood War Ape, she saw the hope of revenge.

Ning Xiaohui was completely focused and began to examine the condition of the Golden Blood War Ape.

The Golden Blood War Ape had suffered numerous injuries, some of which were quite severe.

Ning Zhuo had just recently used it to force his way through the last checkpoint of the Buddhist Sect. This had left it almost unrecognizable, with some wounds so large that the internal mechanical components could be seen from the outside.

After observing for a moment, Ning Xiaohui frowned deeply.

“The Golden Blood War Ape is so severely damaged that its true power is becoming increasingly difficult to exert.”

“Ning Zhuo must have taken advantage of this. No wonder he was able to repel this mechanical construct.”

Ning Xiaohui had not discovered much about the operating secrets of the Golden Blood War Ape.
In truth, even Ning Zhuo himself didn’t fully comprehend the intricacies of this construct.

“Although I may not grasp its structure nor possess its schematic blueprints, none of that shall hinder me from healing it, from mending it!”

“My Celestial Jade Hands of Frozen Grace are simply that unreasonable! Hahaha!”

Ning Xiaohui produced a vial of elixirs, uncorked it, and poured a dozen pills into her mouth.

Thereafter, she sat down cross-legged, immediately and frantically refining the medicinal power, adjusting her own state to its peak.

She channeled her Celestial Talent with all her might, encasing the Golden Blood War Ape within a colossal block of ice.

Ning Xiaohui exerted herself to the utmost, and as she frenziedly spurred on her talent, blood slowly trickled from her seven orifices.

Dragon Tortoise Fire Spirit: “…”

It muttered to itself, “Seriously, Ning Xiaohui, do you really need to push yourself this hard?”

Although Dragon Tortoise Fire Spirit fully understood the reasons behind Ning Xiaohui’s actions,

as a bystander, Dragon Tortoise Fire Spirit also knew very well: the Golden Blood War Ape was Ning Zhuo’s construct, his most crucial pawn, bar none, in controlling the Lava Immortal Palace’s trials.

Dragon Tortoise Fire Spirit couldn’t help but wonder: “If Ning Xiaohui were to learn in the future that the Golden Blood War Ape she painstakingly repaired was the construct of the person she loathes most, what would her reaction be?”

Dragon Tortoise Fire Spirit couldn’t imagine such a scene and couldn’t help but feel a sense of dark anticipation.

Just then, its expression flickered.

With the aid of the Lava Immortal Palace, its gaze pierced through layers of space, settling upon Zhu Xuanji.

Ever since obtaining the Mechanical Fiend General, Zhu Xuanji had been engrossed in its restoration.

Currently, the Mechanical Fiend General’s severed left arm had been reattached.

To this end, Zhu Xuanji had toiled day and night, working himself into a daze.

When the royal family’s reply reached his hands, his expression faltered for a moment before he snapped back to reality.

Originally, Zhu Xuanji had sought to investigate the little ape in order to recover the true scriptures.

Thus, he had specifically written to the royal family, seeking assistance—he needed a portrait of the little ape grown up.

Now, the royal family’s reply had arrived.

Zhu Xuanji unfurled it, finding it still bearing the royal family’s unique encrypted gibberish.

This was of no consequence.

Within his mind, Zhu Xuanji swiftly translated the encrypted gibberish.

Thus, details about Yuan Dasheng’s appearance in adulthood and old age surfaced in his mind.

“Yuan Dasheng?!” Zhu Xuanji was immediately stunned.

For a time, he stood there motionless, like a stone statue.

But within his mind, a storm of thoughts erupted, stirring up a tempestuous sea!

Dragon Tortoise Fire Spirit, witnessing this scene, stood up excitedly, its four claws planted on the ground.

Although it couldn’t comprehend the contents of the royal family’s reply, merely seeing Zhu Xuanji’s dramatically changed expression was enough for it to infer a thing or two.

“Find Ning Zhuo, find Ning Zhuo!”

“He’s the true mastermind, the ultimate culprit!”

“Arrest him, quickly arrest him!”

“Hahaha.”

Sensing that Zhu Xuanji was about to apprehend Ning Zhuo, Dragon Tortoise Fire Spirit was thrilled beyond compare, its face filled with elation.

It was extremely impatient, wishing to witness this scene unfold in the very next moment!