The scarlet firelight reflected in Zhu Xuanji’s eyes, and the wind chimes in his heart clanged incessantly!

With his first glance, he saw the entirety of the secret chamber’s situation.

“Karmic fire burning, this is the retribution of using the art of fate,” Zhu Xuanji sneered in his heart. “Ning Zhuo, that you have fallen to this state is your deserved punishment.”

As soon as this thought arose, he heard a roar.

Great Victory, the Heavy Armored Blood Ape, of a similar build and equally burly and strong, rammed headfirst into his embrace, wrapped its arms around his waist, and sprinted away with all its might, carrying him off the battlefield!

No other automaton could have achieved this level. Only Yuan Dasheng had reached the intelligence stage, capable of analyzing the battle situation and possessing greater autonomy.

Zhu Xuanji’s face flushed with anger. He swung his elbows, slamming hard into the back of Great Victory, the Heavy Armored Blood Ape. Each blow created a small, deep dent.

But Yuan Dasheng paid him no mind, giving its all to distance Zhu Xuanji from Ning Zhuo.

Sun Lingtong reacted, immediately positioning himself to protect Ning Zhuo.

Everything had happened too quickly.

The door opened, Zhu Xuanji, enveloped in golden light, appeared, only to be rammed away by Yuan Dasheng.

Grandma Ning Xiaohui and others once again surrounded them.

“It’s done! Hahaha,” Meng Chong laughed heartily.

Following Meng Kui’s instructions, he had seized the entrance and quickly moved the blocks, completing the final section.

Originally, Ning Zhuo had already pieced together the vast majority. Meng Chong then used his celestial aptitude to boost his movements. In a dozen breaths, he finished the final steps.

The content was correct, the portal opened wide, and a brilliant light shot up into the sky, making this secret chamber distinct from the others.

Inside the door was a swirling vortex like the starry sky. Without any hesitation, Meng Chong rushed in!

“No, he went in!” someone shouted.

“Quick, stop Meng Chong!”

“The position of Palace Master of the Molten Immortal Palace… is mine.”

The number of people attacking Ning Zhuo instantly decreased by more than half.

They were deluded by karmic luck, but when it came to immense benefits, their greedy desires overshadowed the scarlet firelight in their eyes.

Only Grandma Ning Xiaohui, Ning Xiaoren, Ning Ze, and others still launched their attacks against Ning Zhuo.

Sun Lingtong defended with difficulty, blocking and parrying, quickly becoming covered in blood.

His fighting style was agile and mobile, but in order to protect Ning Zhuo, he had to temporarily abandon his strengths and was almost entirely on passive defense!

His previous injuries had not healed, and he was not in peak condition to begin with.

The most crucial thing was his dampened fighting spirit and his inexplicable dislike and aversion towards Ning Zhuo. This mental state made his every effort to protect Ning Zhuo feel weak and listless. He was fortunate if he could exert three or four tenths of his full power.

In contrast, Grandma Ning Xiaohui and the others were clearly boosted by the art of fate. Their combat power had swelled several times beyond their own peak!

“Sun Lingtong, you outsider, stay out of our business!” Ning Xiaoren roared.

Ning Ze: “Ning Zhuo is a scoundrel, ungrateful, a white-eyed wolf that cannot be raised! He doesn’t even care about blood ties! I shouldn’t have raised him.”

Sun Lingtong was so angry he cursed: “You are the outsiders! What did you raise?!”

Taking advantage of the trio fighting, Grandma Ning Xiaohui, like a hawk, swooped towards Ning Zhuo.

The firelight in her eyes was the most intense!

“You little bastard, born of a mother but not raised by her! Give me back my Xiaohui!!” She struck mercilessly at the defenseless Ning Zhuo.

Dimensional Shifting Technique!

In this critical moment, Sun Lingtong quickly turned back and cast the signature technique of the Void Gate.

However, this time, he did not cast it on himself.

Grandma Ning Xiaohui was hit by the Dimensional Shifting Technique and instantly disappeared from her spot, teleported to the adjacent secret chamber.

Sun Lingtong was distracted by this, was severely injured by Ning Ze and Ning Xiaoren, and kicked into a corner.

The small door that Yuan Dasheng had knocked open earlier remained wide open.

The Shadow Demon Cultivator and Chi Dun were fighting intensely while rushing over!

Stone Heart Slowing Technique!

Technique of the Limestone Heart!

Chi Dun’s fist was covered in a layer of gray light. It struck the Shadow Demon Cultivator’s back.

The Shadow Demon Cultivator retaliated with a ball of black smoke, releasing over a dozen ropes that entangled Chi Dun.

Bound by the ropes, Chi Dun crashed heavily against the wall due to his own momentum.

The Shadow Demon Cultivator, hit by the heavy punch, increased its speed and rushed towards the secret chamber where the main door was located.

“Hmph, hit by my Limestone Heart Technique, you will…” Chi Dun’s eyes widened rapidly.

Because, in the next instant, he witnessed firsthand the faint yellow Buddhist light flickering on the Shadow Demon Cultivator’s body, rapidly dissolving the grayish-white halo on its injured back.

The Shadow Demon Cultivator let out a hoarse laugh and ran towards the small door.

Despite the flickering Buddhist light, others felt an overwhelming surge of demonic energy!

Martial Art – Separating Mountain, Separating Mountain, Separating Mountain!

Zhu Xuanji struck down with several palms in succession.

Even though the interior of the Heavy Armored Blood Ape, Great Victory, had been temporarily and fully reinforced by Ning Zhuo, it could not withstand the bombardment of a Golden Core stage cultivator and was once again shattered into slag.

Yuan Dasheng still wanted to resist. Zhu Xuanji took a step back, creating distance, extended his hands, plunged his fingers into the chest of the Heavy Armored Blood Ape, Great Victory, and then pulled violently to the sides!

Disembowelment!

Great Victory, the Heavy Armored Blood Ape, knelt on the ground, its head held high with resentment, utterly suppressed under the might of the Golden Mountain Stance.

“Pitiable, tragic, lamentable,” Zhu Xuanji said expressionlessly, his tone filled with emotion.

He had recognized this as Yuan Dasheng’s sentience.

However, just as he was about to step over Yuan Dasheng and rush into the secret chamber with the main door, he suddenly paused.

He saw the fragments of the broken core spheres, and the unignited fire persimmons.

The fire persimmons were all of high grade, the vast majority being thousand-year fire persimmons, and there were even ten-thousand-year fire persimmons.

In an instant, Zhu Xuanji felt as if he had been struck by lightning!

He stood frozen in place, his heart skipping a beat, gripped tightly by intense terror!

All the clues converged at this moment.

The truth was revealed!

“Xiaohui, my Xiaohui!” Grandma Ning Xiaohui had already lost her mind. After being teleported away by Sun Lingtong, she rushed back again in a frenzy.

Before entering the small door, she encountered the Shadow Demon Cultivator.

The Shadow Demon Cultivator gently swung an arm, and Grandma Ning Xiaohui’s head was separated from her body. A fountain of blood gushed from her neck.

She was dead.

This sent a cold sweat down the backs of Ning Xiaoren and Ning Ze. A strong desire for survival overwhelmed the scarlet firelight in their eyes.

Both retreated simultaneously.

Sun Lingtong, dragging his heavily injured body, rushed to Ning Zhuo’s side. Just as he got up to pull Ning Zhuo away, he looked up and saw the Shadow Demon Cultivator standing right in front of him.

An intense oppressive force descended like a mountain.

Sun Lingtong’s eyes bled as he widened them, and he let out a low growl. He was about to throw Ning Zhuo aside and charge forward himself.

In the next instant, he was knocked down by a single finger.

Thud.

He fell to the ground, his cheek pressed against the cold floor. His heart felt as cold as the tiles.

He watched Ning Zhuo, who had his eyes tightly shut, in despair.

If it were possible, he would willingly exchange his life for Ning Zhuo’s!

Seeing this, Ning Xiaoren and Ning Ze retreated even faster.

“Don’t retreat, quickly restrain Ning Zhuo!!” Almost simultaneously, Zhu Xuanji burst into the adjacent secret chamber and shouted anxiously.

Ning Xiaoren and Ning Ze were bewildered.

It was already too late.

The Shadow Demon Cultivator slowly bent down, extending its automaton arm and hand, gently helping Ning Zhuo to stand up.

Faint yellow Buddhist light shone, illuminating Ning Zhuo’s body and suppressing the scarlet flames burning on him.

Ning Zhuo finally recovered some strength. Leaning on the Shadow Demon Cultivator’s arm, he struggled with all his might to stand straight.

This simple action had already consumed his pitiful remaining strength.

He was covered in cold sweat. He struggled to open his eyes, and his vision gradually cleared.

He looked at the Shadow Demon Cultivator beside him, a gentle, relaxed, silent smile gracing his lips.

In the next moment, Sun Lingtong’s eyes widened, his pupils contracted, revealing an expression of extreme shock.

Because he heard Ning Zhuo softly call out—

“Mother.”

(End of this chapter)

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