Advent of Immortal Truth

Qi Bai no longer restrained himself, his long hair billowing, and his robe flying as his Golden Core aura spread in all directions.

"If this were the core of the Immortal City's grand formation, perhaps I wouldn't be able to overturn the situation."

"But here, it's just the fringes of the formation, and all you've done is activate a subsidiary array to bring forth part of the city's protective power."

"How can that stop me!"

Qi Bai waved his sleeve, releasing a fierce ghostly wind that shrieked so loudly it could pierce one's eardrums, rushing towards the young puppet master and Sun Lingtong.

Ning Zhuo, controlling the Cang Tie Han Armor, stood fearlessly with the still unconscious Sun Lingtong.

"Qi Bai, if you want to kill us, you're still far from it."

"If you have the guts, come after us!"

The next moment, Ning Zhuo slapped the wall, activating a hidden teleportation array.

He and Sun Lingtong were instantly transported, disappearing without a trace.

Qi Bai roared in frustration, retracting his hand, but the ghostly wind still destroyed most of the teleportation array.

He flew to the teleportation array, identifying its formation and materials, then cast a spell.

"Setting up a teleportation array within the gaps of the Immortal City's formation leaves little room for actual teleportation."

"Found it!"

"Heh, do you think a few teleportation arrays can shake me off?"

"Today, I will definitely kill you both!"

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong arrived at another underground base.

The spell—Soul Travel for a Thousand Miles.

Qi Bai caught up in just a dozen breaths.

Such speed gave Ning Zhuo an intense sense of pressure.

Golden Core cultivators often overwhelmed Foundation Establishment cultivators in terms of combat power. Qi Bai was no ordinary Golden Core, though. He hailed from the Soul-Devouring Sect, possessing exceptional talent, and was a true disciple of the sect.

This meant he was an elite among Golden Cores!

Ning Zhuo continued to activate the Immortal City's grand formation, temporarily blocking and resisting Qi Bai.

Qi Bai cast a spell, eroding the formation patterns, and sneered, "Very good, young puppet master. I want to see how many holes you've dug and how many nests you've made in Huoshi Immortal City!"

"Let me tell you the truth—I've planted a mark on Sun Lingtong. As long as you're with him, I can always find you."

"Heh heh, in fact, if you stay in contact with Sun Lingtong for long enough, the mark's power will also spread to you."

"If you abandon him now, maybe I won't be able to track you."

"But once the mark is planted, I'll be able to sense you at all times. I will hunt you down relentlessly until you are tortured and torn apart!"

Qi Bai's face was full of killing intent. He didn't even know why he was so furious.

He anticipated that Ning Zhuo would abandon Sun Lingtong to save himself.

But Ning Zhuo never did.

He gritted his teeth silently and teleported again with Sun Lingtong.

"Ah!" Qi Bai howled in rage, feeling like he was losing his mind because of Ning Zhuo.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One underground base after another was overturned by Qi Bai.

The commotion was so great that it had already been detected by the City Lord's mansion and reported to Fei Si.

Fei Si quickly sent a flying message to inform Meng Kui.

Meng Kui sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, hidden within thick clouds of mist. Hearing the report, he smiled, and the walnuts spinning in his palm moved even more smoothly.

"A newly-advanced Golden Core cultivator?"

"The aura of ghosts, seems like it's a technique from the Soul-Devouring Sect."

"Could he be one of the shadow demon cultivators?"

"Oh, and many underground bases have been exposed, all using the gaps in the Immortal City's formation?"

Meng Kui felt curious, wondering what kind of sinister forces were still hiding in the vast Huoshi Immortal City.

He was in a good mood, sitting on the mountain peak, watching the unfolding chaos with a smile as others fought fiercely, while he remained calm and at peace.

Of course, Meng Kui's main attention had always been fixed on the Lava Immortal Palace.

The battle within the Lava Immortal Palace was raging.

Countless Red Flame beasts had fallen under the formation, magical treasures, and various mechanical creations.

But the beasts were endless, and they had already breached the first and second defensive lines, with even the third line barely holding on.

This made the Ning Family's Golden Core Ancestor frown, "The assault of these Red Flame beasts is truly terrifying. No wonder the Lava Immortal Palace has gradually floated up and can no longer suppress Mount Huoshi."

He blended into the third defensive line, killing Red Flame beasts while keeping an eye out, searching for the secrets within the Lava Immortal Palace.

"If the Lava Immortal Palace is breached, even if one building is overtaken by the beasts, my opportunity will come!" The Ning Family Ancestor was in no hurry, patiently waiting for the right moment.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles outside Mount Huoshi, Zhu Xuanji's eyes gleamed with golden light as he used a spell to gaze towards the mountain's peak.

His vision pierced through the layers of clouds and smoke, seeing the battlefield within the Lava Immortal Palace clearly.

"The Lava Immortal Palace is much weaker than I expected."

"What happened to the palace spirit, Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit? Many parts of the defense could have been handled better, given its capabilities."

"Has it also suffered irreparable damage during the long suppression?"

Zhu Xuanji speculated in his heart.

"Meng Kui…" Finally, his gaze locked onto the Nascent Soul cultivator hidden within the clouds of mist.

"You used your ‘Sitting on the Mountain' divine ability, and that's the main reason the Lava Immortal Palace is being assaulted by this horde of beasts."

"Once the palace is breached by the beasts, you, Meng Kui, will bear the blame!"

"Your Peach-Linked Destiny Cores are only two in number, so I hope you don’t overplay your hand."

Zhu Xuanji, who hailed from the Detective Division and was also a member of the Southern Dou Kingdom's royal family, knew quite a bit about Meng Kui's secrets.

He had been personally reminded by the King to focus on Meng Kui's ‘Sitting on the Mountain' divine ability.

Zhu Xuanji knew: Though the divine ability was powerful and mysterious, it had its drawbacks.

Once activated, Meng Kui had to remain seated on the mountain, unable to move until the fate energy field dissipated.

If he broke this rule, the backlash would be terrifying.

Not only would his physical body and soul be damaged, but his fate would also plummet to an extreme low for a long time.

Meng Kui was, of course, well aware of this, which was why he had specially chosen immortal materials and spent a fortune to invite a master artifact refiner to craft two Peach-Linked Destiny Cores for him.

Only with these two peach cores could he directly intervene in the fate energy field.

Once the peach core was thrown, it was incredibly powerful, and its first ability was that it never missed its target!

Beyond that, it had other mysterious powers, which even the royal family could not fully uncover.

This was Meng Kui's trump card, and he used it sparingly, guarding its secret with all his might.

The spell—Countless Ghostly Shadows!

Numerous ghostly shadows circled and danced around Qi Bai, rapidly wearing down the formation patterns.

Ning Zhuo activated the teleportation array and disappeared from the spot.

Qi Bai sensed Sun Lingtong's location, realizing they were no longer underground but had returned to the surface.

He laughed wildly, his face twisted with malice, "A dozen or so underground bases, quite the achievement you’ve made!"

"And now?"

"What will you use to stop me!"

Boom!

In the next moment, the underground base erupted in terrifying flames, instantly engulfing Qi Bai.

Whoosh…

Ning Zhuo gasped for breath.

He had abandoned over a dozen underground bases, continuously teleporting and retreating to lure Qi Bai into a false sense of security, all for this final moment.

…

"Boss Sun, this spot is perfect. It's deep within Mount Huoshi, and the surrounding formations can be used to construct a trap." Ning Zhuo had been excited when he first discovered the location, explaining his idea.

Sun Lingtong nodded in agreement but also wore a strange expression, "Xiao Zhuo, you seem to have developed an obsession with explosions recently."

Ning Zhuo nodded, "Explosions are beautiful."

"I love explosions!"

"It doesn't matter what's being detonated; they all erupt in a brilliant and dazzling display at that moment."

"And that terrifying burst of power in a single moment is the result of countless instances of suppression, built up in silence."

"It may only last for an instant, and afterward, everything is unrecognizable or even completely erased."

"But it's worth it!"

Sun Lingtong

couldn't help but grind his teeth.

In recent years, he had noticed that Ning Zhuo had grown up, but his thoughts had become dangerous.

Many times, Sun Lingtong didn’t know how to advise him, and he couldn’t help but feel worried.

After a moment of contemplation, Sun Lingtong finally said, "Xiao Zhuo, life is actually very long. There’s no need to live it so suppressively, and even less need to pursue a brief moment of brilliance."

"As cultivators, we seek longevity, even immortality, right?"

Ning Zhuo nodded, "Boss, I understand. Keep the green hills, and you won’t worry about firewood."

Sun Lingtong nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly. You've been smart since you were a child. Be rational, stay calm, and make the right choices!"

…

"Ning Zhuo, you idiot!" Sun Lingtong transmitted his voice to Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo was pleasantly surprised, "Boss, you’re finally awake!"

Sun Lingtong was extremely weak, "Get lost! Qi Bai is no ordinary Golden Core; he must have planted a mark on me. And you still came here!"

"Don’t forget, we had a deal."

Ning Zhuo suddenly smiled, "It’s too late, Boss. He’s here."

Qi Bai, with disheveled hair, appeared once again.

Compared to before, he indeed looked somewhat disheveled.

Ning Zhuo felt his heart sink and spoke in the young puppet master’s voice, "I didn’t expect such an explosion to fail to hurt you. Blind Judge, you truly deserve your reputation as a formidable fighter."

Qi Bai's throat moved as he sneered, "Now that you realize the gap between us, you must be truly senile."

"Don’t think a little flattery will save you—prepare to die!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, ghostly spirits filled the sky, rushing toward them.

Ning Zhuo took a deep breath, stomped his foot, and countless Mechanical Thunder Silent Birds flew out from the surrounding buildings!

The thunderbirds self-destructed, fiercely clashing with the army of ghostly spirits.

For a moment, lightning flashed, and the ghostly spirits howled as both sides fought to a standstill.

Qi Bai sneered, standing motionless in the air.

Suddenly, a ghostly general with a single horn appeared behind Ning Zhuo, swinging a massive ghost-head saber in a horizontal slash.

"When did it sneak up on me?!" Ning Zhuo was caught off guard and had no choice but to turn and block with his left arm.

As the saber struck his left arm, the Cang Tie Han Armor's mechanical left arm flashed with a silver shield.

The shield shattered instantly but bought Ning Zhuo the most crucial moment.