Chapter 343

In front of Zhou Nongying, Fei Si also went out of his way to win Ning Zhuo over.

Ning Zhuo, however, acted with indifference, a near-total opposite to the person he once was.

This attitude of his naturally left Zhou Nongying exceptionally satisfied, as he knew this junior, Ning Zhuo, was extremely clever and understood the current situation—who was an ally and who was a formidable enemy.

At present, the Lava Immortal Palace was already in the possession of the Meng family.

Meng Kui would certainly not let it go easily. Given time, relying on the Lava Immortal Palace as a key support point, the Meng family would possess a nearly perfect excuse to continuously and ostentatiously dispatch Meng family cultivators to station themselves in Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

Ultimately, this would lead to Fire Persimmon Immortal City being swallowed by the Meng family and becoming their private family city.

Under these circumstances, the Zhou family and the Ning family naturally had to huddle together for warmth to resist the wolf-ambitioned Meng family.

Seeing Ning Zhuo act this way, Fei Si did not stay long and took his leave early.

Ning Zhuo was perfectly courteous, escorting him all the way to the main gate.

Before leaving, Fei Si smiled slightly and mentioned Chi Dun. He said that since the beast tide was quelled, Chi Dun, that body cultivator, had been unable to forget the Buddhist healer Meng Yaoyin, harboring a strong desire for a duel to settle the score and soothe the resentment in his heart.

Ning Zhuo also smiled slightly. He immediately heard that Fei Si was using Chi Dun to threaten him.

Since that was the case, he would not indulge the other party, only saying: "I am young and physically weak, but I also possess a heart that strives for victory. Since Lord Chi Dun has such refined interests, this junior will certainly accompany him to the end. I only worry... that under the Great Snake Sickle, I might not know my own strength, leading to Lord Chi Dun's demise. That would be terrible!"

Fei Si immediately wiped the smile from his face, nodded indifferently at Ning Zhuo, then turned, flicked his sleeves, and left.

Watching his back as he soared into the sky, Ning Zhuo's gaze was deep; he knew that from this point on, the close relationship between him and Fei Si had vanished entirely, and the two sides stood in opposition.

"Director Zhu Hou of the Benevolent Nursery has arrived—!" the usher chanted loudly once more, followed by a recitation of the gift list Zhu Hou had brought.

A great earthquake stirred in the hearts of many once again!

Although Zhu Hou only had a Foundation Establishment cultivation base, he was of the Nandou royal line, carried his own prestige, and held a high status. In particular, the royal family planting him here was nothing more than acting as a nail, hammered in to observe the situation in the Immortal City and minimize Meng Kui's influence as much as possible.

Ning Zhuo had just turned back from the main gate when he heard the chanting; he simply turned around and, wearing a warm smile, went down to welcome Zhu Hou.

Zhu Hou, however, was different from the others.

He first entered the flowing banquet, immediately causing a sensation.

He moved around the banquet several times, forging good relations, before leaving his seat to discuss matters with Ning Zhuo and Zhou Nongying.

This time, he represented the Nandou royal family, intending to support Ning Zhuo's branch family and the Zhou family, hoping they could stop the Meng family's future erosion of Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

The three talked happily, all having a strong intention to cooperate.

When the party dispersed, Ning Zhuo returned to the flowing banquet.

After he sat down at the main table, the cultivators who had been waiting anxiously came forward one after another, taking the initiative to toast Ning Zhuo.

First to come forward were Ning Youfu and Ning Houjun, the two former branch family elders.

Ning Zhuo was now the branch family head, his status far exceeding that of the two elders.

Ning Youfu showed a clear posture of submission, while Ning Houjun's posture was even lower, because he had other requests. He hoped his blood descendants could return to Ning Zhuo's branch family and have their heavy crime of exile revoked.

Ning Zhuo did not agree immediately, saying instead that he would need to conduct an investigation before making a judgment.

This simple response was enough to make Ning Houjun's eyes redden with emotion.

"In the future, within the branch family, I hope the two elders can act as pillars and shelter the younger generations from the wind and rain for a time," Ning Zhuo invited proactively.

Ning Youfu and Ning Houjun looked at each other and agreed on the spot. They had not stepped down from their elder positions entirely of their own volition in the first place.

To the side, the school elder looked gloomy, but having no way out, he could only watch helplessly and sorrowfully as Ning Zhuo's branch family absorbed branch personnel face-to-face, rapidly expanding and strengthening itself.

Former stewards like Ning Xiangqian also came to Ning Zhuo's side one after another, eagerly hoping that Ning Zhuo's branch family could take them all in.

Ning Zhuo indicated that a list would be posted shortly.

Afterward, it was the turn of classmates and reform team members like Ning Chen and Ning Yong.

Ning Zhuo encouraged them well. Among this group, his prestige had always been high, mainly thanks to the experience Ning Zhuo had imparted to them many times before.

Now that his status as branch family head was solidified, completely overriding them, it further ignited their desire to follow him.

The leaders of the Monkey Head Gang and the Crane Beak Gang both came, sitting in the corner-most seats.

Even so, they were trembling with excitement.

This was something they had dreamed of before throwing their lot in with Ning Zhuo. As Ning Zhuo's status rose, they benefited as well, truly mixing into the circles of the righteous path.

Having personally witnessed Zhou Nongying, Fei Si, Zhu Hou, and others coming to offer congratulations, their loyalty to Ning Zhuo immediately skyrocketed a hundredfold.

Chen Cha, Feng Heizi, Bu Ganbujing, and the One-Armed Craftsman also left their tables one after another, taking the initiative to walk up and express their congratulations.

Chen Cha's expression was complex, and he sighed endlessly: "Ning Zhuo, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed you could reach this point. Congratulations!!"

Ning Zhuo stood up, grasped Chen Cha's hand, and showed unusual closeness, drawing the envy of Feng Heizi, Bu Ganbujing, and the One-Armed Craftsman.

At the banquet, Feng Jiqing boasted to the cultivators at his table.

"Back then, when the Ning family head was still alive, he asked me to critique Ning Zhuo's mechanical fire-exploding monkey."

"When I saw it, I was stunned! Not to mention anything else, just the storage magic array was designed perfectly. If it were me, I'm afraid I would have had to choose a Cloud Whale's empty lung."

"Hahaha, compared to such a heaven-favored child, I am truly too ordinary and plain, not worth mentioning."

"Being able to be in the same city as Lord Ning Zhuo is already my greatest honor!"

Lava Immortal Palace.

Meng Kui floated slightly, sitting above the circular pit where the throne once stood.

In front of him, a mirror formed by a spell reflected scenes from all over Ning Zhuo's branch family.

There was only one protagonist in the mirror, and that was Ning Zhuo.

Meng Kui observed the young man in white, his gaze deep.

Before the dust settled, he would never have believed that he would lose to such a junior.

Who could have imagined that in this Fire Persimmon Mountain, there was a Qi Refining level junior who could feign ignorance and endure for over a decade, blowing up the Immortal Palace to seize it, temporarily blinding all parties?

"Grandfather!" Meng Chong pushed open the door of the main hall and rushed in front of Meng Kui.

"Is that Ning Zhuo opening his manor today? I want to go and fight him! I haven't lost yet!!" Meng Chong shouted loudly, vowing to take revenge.

Meng Kui snorted coldly, flicking his finger lightly; the powerful force made Meng Chong shrink his head, clutching his forehead and crying out in pain.

"Grandfather, why did you hit me?"

Meng Kui: "I told you to practice diligently and master more of the hundred arts of cultivation, but you never listened."

"This time, did you see it too?"

"Ning Zhuo relied on his attainments in mechanical arts to leave you behind by several streets. The mechanical ape you considered your lifelong enemy was merely one of his mechanical creations. In the end, your grandfather's position as Palace Master was something he voluntarily yielded!"

"Look at him, he is only sixteen, just a little older than you."

"So young, yet he made you fail at the final hurdle, causing your soul to separate from your body. So young, yet he has such means and such excellent mechanical attainments, and today he even establishes his own branch family."

"Chong'er, learn well from geniuses who are better than you!"

Meng Chong was stunned.

Grandfather Meng Kui had always been proud of him. At this moment, he said such things, making Meng Chong feel extremely alienated. You know, in the past, he, Meng Chong, was the only protagonist of such words.

Now, Ning Zhuo had successfully squeezed him out.

"Alright, Chong'er's defeat this time is understandable. Even you and I, weren't we also deceived by that cunning little brat?" Meng Hu revealed his figure.

He walked behind Meng Chong and lifted him up: "I will take Chong'er away first. Although the Three Sects Supreme Method is a three-dantian Foundation Establishment, it focuses on mechanical arts, and since the opportunity is lost, it is not suitable for Chong'er."

"Coincidentally, the Imperial Preceptor Wu Ting of the Xianglei Kingdom is publicly recruiting personal disciples. Chong'er has the immortal talent of the Galloping Thunder; if he can become the personal disciple of the Xianglei Imperial Preceptor, the result will be even better."

Meng Kui nodded: "That is fine, take him away."

No matter how Meng Chong struggled and shouted, Meng Hu carried him and turned into a rainbow, leaving.

Leaving Meng Kui alone, sighing deeply.

If he could have the complete Three Sects Supreme Method, Meng Chong staying to continue his cultivation would not have been a bad option.

But the Three Laws True Scripture only had one copy, inside the body of the Mechanical Dao Master.

The line of the soul entering the Immortal Palace could at most obtain the Qi Refining stage of the Three Sects Supreme Method.

The subsequent cultivation methods were hidden within the Dharma-Transmitting Bell, but for Meng Kui to crack this bell was not just difficult—it was impossible to even find a starting point!

Meng Kui, who was well-versed in the mysteries of fate, knew: the fate of the Lava Immortal Palace had already been seized by others; one step ahead meant every step ahead, and the subsequent fate would only bless the one who seized it first, not his Meng Chong.

It would be extremely difficult for Meng Chong to catch up, and having lost the initiative, wasting time would only lead to poor progress; it would be better to cut off the arm to save the life, decisively withdraw, and walk another path.

With his spiritual sense scattered, Meng Kui observed the Lava Immortal Palace once again.

"The losses are too heavy!" He shook his head endlessly.

From the bottom of his heart, he did not want to take over this mess.

But there was no choice; who asked the Meng family to have needs for the entire Fire Persimmon Immortal City?

And to let the Meng family hold Fire Persimmon Immortal City for a long time, the Meng family needed an excuse to counter the Nandou royal family's national policy of rotating city lords.

Undoubtedly, the status of Lava Immortal Palace Master could help the Meng family achieve this goal.

This was why Meng Kui, a dignified wise general, even knowing this was a trap, had to fulfill Ning Zhuo's wish, take it over proactively, and bear the burden.

"Repairing the entire Lava Immortal Palace will cost an astonishing amount; only by seeking help from the family will it be possible." Meng Kui, as a Nascent Soul level expert, could not personally bear the maintenance of the Immortal Palace, which shows the huge cost of restoring it.

What really troubled Meng Kui was not the repair problem, but the duties.

The Lava Immortal Palace possessed various duties, and now, even though the mechanical buildings had fallen, the duties had not been revoked along with them.

According to the previous agreement between Meng Kui and Zhu Xuanji, no matter who obtained the position of Palace Master, these duties would not be liquidated.

Therefore, although Meng Kui was the Palace Master, a large number of duties under his command fell upon the cultivators of the three families' reform teams.

The existence of these people, holding many duties in the Immortal Palace, would undoubtedly greatly reduce the Meng family's control over the Lava Immortal Palace!

This was also the most important cornerstone for Zhou Nongying and Ning Zhuo to join forces against the Meng family.

Branch family.

The flowing banquet was nearing its end when the usher suddenly shouted: "Lord Song Fuli has arrived—!"

Ning Zhuo froze slightly, knowing that an evil guest had come to the door.

Song Fuli was expressionless, his body straight; he neither offered a gift nor wanted to step inside the gate.

He blocked the gate.