Chapter 278: I Want to Light This Fire Myself!

The stage creaked, the background architecture slowly sank, and it turned into the next scene.

The audience was silent, already immersed in it.

Only the musicians, some of them playing music while unable to help but look at Ning Zhuo on the top floor of the stage, were surprised in their hearts; this young cultivator really had a hand, his control technique was so skilled and experienced, almost indistinguishable from Li Leifeng's lifetime.

Ning Zhuo's eyes flashed, his whole body sweating.

Taking advantage of the gap in the stage change, he contacted the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit through the human-life hanging threads: "Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit!"

"I am outside the Immortal Palace, and through the human-life hanging threads, influencing Ning Xiaohui to this extent is already the limit."

"Next, I can only rely on you!"

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit roared anxiously: "No, Young Master Ning Zhuo."

"I am bound by authority and simply cannot..."

Before it could finish, it was actively interrupted by Ning Zhuo: "Sorry, the next act is about to begin, and I am unable to protect myself now."

"On the Immortal Palace side, you can only win!"

Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit:...

On the stage, a powerful official's mansion was built, the light dim.

The jinghu sound was continuous and low.

The powerful official puppet lay on the bed, listening quietly to the black-clothed envoy puppet reporting.

The black-clothed envoy sang: "My lord, I have persuaded the commoner to frame Fang Qing."

"Framing him tomorrow in the hall will be a great humiliation. Fang Qing is upright and will definitely not tolerate him."

"Kill the commoner, and he will fall into the trap."

The powerful official puppet, in his official robes, lay on the bed with his legs crossed, his head turning slightly, lifelike.

He sang proudly: "Well killed, well done. Tomorrow's game is already set. Fang Qing falls into the trap and will find it hard to argue. His righteous name will dissipate in a morning. Let's see how he can stand in the court again! Hahaha."

The powerful official laughed loudly.

The light dimmed, and the jinghu turned high-pitched.

The stage creaked again, and between the scene changes, Ning Zhuo inhaled deeply, his gaze flickering.

The third act ended, and the fourth act opened.

The stage turned back to the trial hall, the light bright. The jinghu was urgent, and the gongs and drums sounded together.

The Fang Qing puppet sat upright in the official position, slapped the gavel, and sang: "Trial again today, the mirror in front of the hall. Who is the mastermind, state it clearly."

The criminal puppet knelt under the hall, and every time he raised his head, there was a light drum sound.

Finally, he gathered his courage, shouted excitedly, and then sang: "Fang Qing, you fake honest official, greedy without limit, harming the people."

"The so-called mastermind is you, killing me to block my mouth, a crime reaching the heavens!"

Qiang qiang qiang!

A few gong sounds tugged at the audience's heartstrings.

The Fang Qing puppet stood up in shock.

The jinghu turned urgently, and Fang Qing sang, suppressing his anger: "Shameless villain, dare to frame me! Bold, framing at will!"

He took a long breath: "If I use this power today, it is easy to behead you, but I am unwilling."

"Justice requires trial, and I should judge myself first!"

Immediately, Fang Qing sat down slowly, playing two roles, and finally judged himself as a suspect and temporarily detained him in prison.

"My lord!" Facing such a trial result, the catchers in the hall exclaimed.

"My lord!" The people outside the hall exclaimed.

Fang Qing bound his hands, held his head high, and led the catchers to retreat.

The light turned dark, leaving only the criminal puppet alone, covered in a beam of light.

"My lord..." The criminal puppet chanted, with a crying voice, tears streaming down his face.

Ning Xiaohui was on the verge of breaking down in tears!

She ran crazily in the chaotic battlefield, exerting all her means to fight for her life!

"Save me!"

"Who can come and save me!!"

She kept calling for help, screaming one after another.

Several times, she was on the edge of life and death. The Ice-Fat Jade Hand talent still had an extraordinary performance at this moment; it was precisely by relying on it that Ning Xiaohui saved her life.

The Jin Dan cultivators' attention was no longer on her.

Because a massive number of Red Flame beasts were about to drown the History Pavilion!

The three families' Jin Dan cultivators, as well as Zhu Zhen, had all received Zhu Xuanji's solemn instructions beforehand—the History Pavilion is extremely important and must not be lost!

Compared to the History Pavilion, Ning Xiaohui was no longer that important. Especially since Ning Xiaohui had answered the moon hook clone, telling him: she didn't have time to read the information in the History Pavilion at all.

Boom boom boom!

Jin Dan-level spells bombarded constantly, killing the Red Flame beasts until they were bruised and battered, falling to the ground one after another.

But there were too many Red Flame beasts, constantly making up for

"Damn it, having to protect the History Pavilion makes me so restricted! I can't exert my full strength at all!"

"We must plug the hole in the spherical light barrier as soon as possible, otherwise the Scarlet Flame Spirit Beasts will be endless."

"Damn it, the hole in the light barrier seems to have gotten bigger!"

The Jin Dan cultivators exchanged words.

Thanks to their need to protect the History Pavilion at all costs, Yang Chanyu also luckily survived.

She huddled to one side, exerting all her strength on herself, trying to remove the tracking marks others had planted on her.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit could not directly attack Ning Xiaohui, so it could only command the mechanical creations with all its might, trying its best to drive the Scarlet Flame Spirit Beasts toward Ning Xiaohui.

But the Scarlet Flame Spirit Beasts were unruly and often chose to fight the puppet legion to the death, making them difficult to drive.

At the critical moment of life and death, Ning Xiaohui burst forth with 120% of her strength.

She followed a weak point and plunged right in.

Turning a corner, her field of vision suddenly opened up, and she arrived at the Gourd Furnace Forest.

This was not the first time Ning Xiaohui had come here; previously, she had accepted many artifact-refining tasks, and basically all of them were completed here.

The familiar scene gave Ning Xiaohui a spontaneous sense of security.

A Foundation Establishment Scarlet Flame Spirit Beast discovered her and lunged toward her.

Ning Xiaohui fled at top speed.

She subconsciously rushed into the furnace forest, and seeing the Scarlet Flame Spirit Beast about to catch up, in her desperation, she chose a silver furnace, opened the furnace door, and dove inside!

Bang, bang, bang...

Outside the furnace, the Scarlet Flame Spirit Beast attacked the furnace frantically.

Ning Xiaohui pressed hard against the furnace door, using her Ice-Fat Jade Hands to condense ice blocks to seal the gaps in the door, while simultaneously reinforcing it powerfully.

Ning Xiaohui was terrified for a long while, and only when the Scarlet Flame Spirit Beast gave up on this place and left did she finally relax.

"Wuwuwu..."

She sat down, and the emotions of joy and lingering fear after surviving by a hair's breadth washed over her body and mind, making her unable to stop herself from covering her face and crying.

The criminal puppet was also crying.

On the stage, the fifth act had already begun.

Fang Qing's choices and actions had thoroughly reformed the criminal puppet.

Both were locked in prison cells, separated by an aisle.

The criminal cried and complained, clarifying all the truth to Fang Qing, exposing the treacherous official, and expressing his willingness to plead guilty and accept the law.

Fang Qing sighed deeply and sang: "A prodigal returns, worth more than gold; recognize yourself, keep your heart pure and bold."

"You have confessed your guilt and truly repented; this world will surely accept you, content."

"Do not lose your true self again, regroup and walk the righteous path; your life has already been renewed!"

When Ning Zhuo performed up to this point, his heart was touched!

He understood what Zhu Xuanji meant.

Zhu Xuanji was urging him to surrender and walk the righteous path.

"Can I really walk this path?" Ning Zhuo asked himself.

His gaze flickered constantly, and a look of hesitation appeared on his face.

The puppet show continued.

The commoner puppets gathered, waving flags and shouting, petitioning for Fang Qing.

The puppet playing the deity was also moved and descended to the world to seek an audience with the monarch.

The matter caused a great stir, known throughout the country, and the monarch decided to preside over the case personally.

The powerful official found out and immediately dispatched a black-clad messenger to kill the criminal in the prison, leaving no evidence!

The powerful official then actively fabricated charges, trying his best to frame Fang Qing.

The sixth act began.

In the Golden Throne Hall, Fang Qing and the powerful official confronted each other.

The powerful official was well-prepared, and Fang Qing was at an absolute disadvantage.

The monarch had been prepared for a long time; he clapped his hands and summoned the True Fire of Innocence.

This was one of the seven great flames, capable of burning away hypocrisy and, to a certain extent, distinguishing truth from falsehood.

The monarch sang: "Since you two cannot agree, enter the fire to be tested."

"Who is true and who is false will be clear at a glance."

The powerful official hesitated and sang: "Proving oneself in the fire is extremely dangerous. Hearsay is not necessarily accurate..."

Who knew that Fang Qing would leap out and throw himself into the fire.

At this point, the play reached its climax!

The jinghu turned rapidly, the gongs and drums thundered, and the audience subconsciously held their breath.

On the stage, a white flame with a faint clear light enveloped the Fang Qing puppet, burning fiercely.

Such a special flame made Fang Qing extremely conspicuous and eye-catching.

At this moment, he was the only protagonist on the stage.

Fang Qing sang loudly in the fire!

"To wash away this injustice, I use the blazing flame to judge the false."

"My heart is open and honest, I have no shame before heaven and earth; why fear death, why fear the scorching fire!"

"This is—"

"This heart is as clear as the sun and moon,"

"Willing to be consumed for the sake of innocence."

"Life and death are but a matter of a day,"

"The original intention remains, a power for all ages!"

On the stage, the firelight burned brightly.

The clear white firelight shone on Ning Zhuo's face, and for a moment, he was actually a bit dazed.

Lava Immortal Palace, inside the main hall.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's massive body pressed hard against the doors and roof, and the firelight it emitted illuminated every corner of the main hall.

It roared, it shouted, and it yelled at Ning Zhuo: "Young Master! Young Master!!"

On the battlefield surrounding the History Pavilion.

The firelight from the Scarlet Flame Spirit Beasts reflected on the bodies of the Jin Dan cultivators.

The chaotic battle continued.

The Jin Dan cultivators formed a tight defensive line, and the battle reached a stalemate.

Zhu Xuanji stood before the window, looking down at Ning Zhuo on the stage.

"Ning Zhuo, don't let me down!" The golden light in his eyes represented his expectations.

Ning Zhuo's gaze flickered; he couldn't help but think—perhaps he could also wash away his sins in this True Fire of Innocence!

He wouldn't need to hide or disguise himself, wouldn't need to bear such heavy, mountain-like pressure; he could walk with his head held high, walking in the bright light. He would walk with ease.

He sat on the high platform, looking at the audience below, everything clear at a glance.

"Is this the perspective of the old master Li Leifeng back then? No wonder he was able to discover me as a child."

"Now, I have also sat in this position."

"Perhaps I can keep sitting here, sitting in this bright and beautiful place..."

"Hmm?"

Ning Zhuo's expression shifted slightly; in a trance, he saw his former self.

As if crossing more than ten years of time, the current Ning Zhuo saw the past Ning Zhuo.

That small body, hiding in a dark corner, drooling while staring at the guests' pastries. Whenever someone's gaze swept over, he would subconsciously shrug his shoulders and shrink his head. Like, like...

A thief.

Ning Zhuo narrowed his eyes and looked more closely.

In a trance, the child's face was not his, but Sun Lingtong's!

A scene from his memory rushed to his heart.

Ning Zhuo snuck into the prison to rescue Sun Lingtong.

"Boss, you failed again this time," Ning Zhuo said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Sun Lingtong laughed, "Oops, I got caught. Thanks a lot, little brother!"

Ning Zhuo shook his head: "If you ask me, why do you always have to steal? It's not like we don't have money now."

Sun Lingtong used his palm as a pillow, swaggered across the prison door, and while walking out, said: "I'm a thief, if I don't go steal things, what am I supposed to do?"

Ning Zhuo continued to shake his head, not understanding: "Even if you steal, there's no need to seal your cultivation, right?"

Sun Lingtong said: "Don't you feel that this is very exciting?"

"I'm already at the Foundation Establishment stage; with my true strength, unless it's those at the Jin Dan level, stealing from anyone else is no difficulty."

"So, I have to seal my cultivation."

"These peaceful days are really hard to endure; I need some challenges to make me less bored!"

Speaking of this, Sun Lingtong stopped and looked at Ning Zhuo, saying earnestly: "You can understand, right? You are the same kind of person as me."

Ning Zhuo raised his eyebrows and shouted: "How is that possible?! This kind of intentional risk-taking is simply too stupid."

"Ah, you actually called me, the boss, stupid?!"

Ning Zhuo waved his hands hurriedly: "I accidentally let out my true thoughts, ah, no, Boss, Boss, listen to my explanation!"

Sun Lingtong leaped up and yelled: "Take this flick to the forehead, you brat!"

Another scene from his memory surfaced.

Under the moonlight, two youths were washing their hands by a small river in the Immortal City.

That was the first time Ning Zhuo had taken a human life.

The blood flowed rapidly down the small river, then was quickly diluted; by the time it passed the stone bridge forty steps away, almost nothing could be seen.

Sun Lingtong said to him: "Every time I go out to steal, I tell myself before the action that I might not come back, that I might lose my life."

"If this is the result of my life's gamble, I accept it."

"I am always prepared to accept my own death, even in the next second."

"This is my resolve!"

"What about your resolve?"

The leaves on both banks swayed slightly in the night breeze.

The silvery-white moonlight spilled onto the river, creating shimmering ripples, like countless tiny diamonds dancing on the water's surface.

The ripples of the river water swayed in Ning Zhuo's eyes.

When he came back to his senses, he was still sitting high on the stage, with countless cultivators and celebrities below, and the Fang Qing puppet on the stage was still bathed in the clear white fire.

Silent tears flowed down Ning Zhuo's cheeks.

"Oh?" Zhu Xuanji keenly noticed this scene and immediately revealed a look of gratification.

"Ning Zhuo! Ning Zhuo!!" The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit roared in Ning Zhuo's ear.

It was strange.

Just now, he had completely blocked out this voice.

But in fact, he had heard every roar of the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit told Ning Zhuo everything that was happening in the Lava Immortal Palace.

"Boss Sun," Ning Zhuo contacted Sun Lingtong through the Human Life Hanging Thread.

Sun Lingtong was pleasantly surprised: "Little brother, you finally have some movement!"

"The battlefield situation right now is like this..."

Ning Zhuo interrupted him: "I know."

Sun Lingtong: "Shall we act?"

Ning Zhuo: "Boss, thank you."

Sun Lingtong: "What?"

Ning Zhuo smiled silently: "I mean, let's act."

Sun Lingtong's eyes brightened suddenly: "Alright!"

Inside the furnace, Ning Xiaohui gradually stabilized her emotions.

"I didn't die, I survived!"

"Hehehe, Hahaha!"

"The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit has limitations after all; it can only borrow external forces, it cannot kill me directly."

"After getting through this, I will take the initiative to go to the Jin Dan ancestor for help; I want to report the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, I want to report Ning Zhuo!"

"I want to... what is this?!"

Poof.

With a soft sound, flames suddenly began to burn inside the furnace.

Ning Xiaohui's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of needle points!

She hurriedly dodged and rushed toward the furnace door.

She pushed with all her might.

The furnace door didn't budge.

Faint chanting of Buddhist scriptures could be heard.

"Who, who is outside?!"

The temperature rose rapidly, and the inside of the furnace was a sea of red.

"Let me go, let me go, I beg you, spare my life."

"I'll give you whatever you want!"

"I can't die, I've clearly already discovered the truth."

"I don't want to die, I really don't want to die!!"

Ning Xiaohui wailed and begged for mercy, struggling in despair.

She exerted all her strength to activate her natural talent, the Ice-Fat Jade Hands, creating huge ice blocks inside the furnace to hang on for dear life.

Over at the History Pavilion, it had reached a critical moment.

The mechanical creations drove them with all their might, and a large number of Scarlet Flame Spirit Beasts formed a frenzy, submerging the Jin Dan cultivators' magic array.

The magic array was covering the History Pavilion!

"Young Master Ning Zhuo, this is the moment!" The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit roared.

Ning Zhuo's eyes were cold as he exercised his duties as the Artillery Tower Chief.

The Five Elements Artillery Tower rose again, and after the cannons were charged, they fired with a boom, hitting the small mountain piled up by the spirit beasts.

Boom!

Countless spirit beasts died miserably, turning into fly ash in the explosion of the cannonballs condensed from Five Elements magic power.

The magic array shattered.

"We can't hold it anymore!"

"We can't hold it!!"

"Retreat quickly."

The Jin Dan cultivators had no choice; to save themselves, they could only retreat.

Boom, boom, boom!

Continuous cannon fire covered the magic array and the History Pavilion.

The Scarlet Flame Spirit Beasts were almost wiped out, and the original site of the History Pavilion had become a ruin.

What historical records?

Not even a scrap was left!

"I succeeded!!" The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit looked up and roared, extremely excited.

The next moment, a guillotine condensed from flames descended from the sky, following its neck and directly chopping off its dragon head!

Gourd Furnace Forest.

Under the terrifying high temperature, the ice blocks created by the Ice-Fat Jade Hands only lasted for a dozen breaths.

Ning Xiaohui's corpse turned into fly ash in the flames, leaving behind tiny bits of spirituality that danced like fireflies.

There was no longer any genius of the Ning family's main lineage, no longer any Ice-Fat Jade Hands.

The entire furnace returned to calm.

The flames were like a quiet dancer, slowly stretching out their soft posture.

Red-orange firelight filled the furnace, revealing a warm and tranquil color.

On the stage, Ning Zhuo's expression also became tranquil.

The clear white firelight reflected in his eyes, burning away his hesitation, burning away his luck, burning away his timidity, burning away his humbleness.

The play "Fang Qing Clears His Name" entered its finale.

Fang Qing stepped out of the flames, bringing the True Fire of Innocence before the powerful official.

The powerful official retreated repeatedly, but was still enveloped by the firelight, and in an instant, he was burned to fly ash.

"I also yearn to be illuminated by the firelight."

"If one day, I am careless and bring fire upon myself, eventually playing with fire and burning myself..."

"Then, I hope this fire is one I lit with my own hands!"