Chapter 100: Racing Against Time

Four guards accompanied Ning Zhuo. Two were at the Qi Refining stage and two at the Foundation Establishment stage, all dispatched by the Ning family to his side.

Ning Zhuo had become vital; he was a significant asset in the Ning family’s exploration of the Molten Immortal Palace. The importance the family placed on him was evident from the caliber of these four guards.

Leaving the family compound, Ning Zhuo did not immediately return home. Instead, he visited several shops to procure specialized bricks, formation plates, and other materials for setting up arrays.

The four guards noticed this and exchanged voice transmissions.

"This kid Ning Zhuo is trying to build his own secret cultivation chamber."

"Such a chamber offers good protection and can shield spiritual sense. How are we to monitor him in the future? Using magic tools would make too much of a commotion."

"Report this to the young patriarch."

"But then again, this kid is actually quite wealthy!"

"He is the current favorite of the young patriarch, and with the resources provided by the three-way alliance, his pockets are naturally deep."

After finishing his purchases, Ning Zhuo spared no expense in hiring formation masters to set it up. By the afternoon, a small, newly constructed compartment had appeared in his bedroom.

The compartment was built entirely of stone bricks and featured a stone door that could be opened or closed by channeling mana and manipulating it with spiritual will. However, the formation was not yet fully laid out, so the compartment possessed little defensive power.

Two of the Qi Refining guards kept watch on the outer perimeter, patrolling the courtyard and beyond. Of the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, one remained in concealment, while the other sat at the entrance of Ning Zhuo’s back room, eyes closed in meditation.

As night deepened, Ning Zhuo opened his eyes, climbed out of bed quietly, flicked a switch, and entered his underground workspace.

"Youth, after all!"

A Foundation Establishment cultivator slowly opened his eyes, a smile of total control on his face.

Ning Zhuo looked around the workspace with a tense expression. He first inspected several spots to see if anything had been disturbed. These were the detection measures he had set up; if an intruder had entered, these markers would likely have shifted.

Everything remained unchanged.

Under the spiritual monitoring of the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, Ning Zhuo let out a long sigh of relief, his brow unfurling as his entire body relaxed. He wandered around, touching this and adjusting that, as if returning to his own nest, radiating a sense of safety and comfort from within. He sat in a chair, stretched, and let out a large yawn.

After resting for a moment, he rose slowly. He took a meditation cushion from his storage bag and placed it in the center of the room. Once seated, he pulled out several bottles of medicinal pills and laid them before him.

Both the cushion and the pills stirred envy in the two Foundation Establishment cultivators. Though Ning Zhuo was only at the Qi Refining stage, he was a standout in the current three-way alliance’s renovation team, and as such, he received a massive influx of resources.

Before starting his cultivation, Ning Zhuo paused and drew a handkerchief from his robe. The cloth was as white as snow, soft in texture, and bore no patterns. As Ning Zhuo channeled his mana into it, clusters of white clouds emerged, surrounding him. The clouds piled upon one another, gradually shrouding him completely.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators frowned deeply.

They exchanged transmissions: "That looks like the Floating Cloud Cloth."

"Indeed, it is that very artifact, famous in the Flying Cloud Kingdom!"

"How does Ning Zhuo possess it?"

"Hmm? It could be his mother’s legacy. Have you forgotten? The files stated that Ning Zhuo’s mother, Meng Yaoyin, came from the Flying Cloud Kingdom."

"Oh, I remember now. That must be it. But what now? We can no longer observe his cultivation progress!"

"Floating clouds obscure the gaze; the shielding capability of the Floating Cloud Cloth is formidable. It wouldn't be so renowned otherwise."

"It matters not. Our duty is to ensure Ning Zhuo’s safety; surveillance is not the priority. Of course, we will report this situation tomorrow morning."

Ning Zhuo had planned for this, having anticipated various scenarios. Just as the two cultivators surmised, the cloud cloth was his mother’s legacy. The clouds generated by this artifact provided excellent concealment, making it difficult for others to glean the details of his cultivation. Even if someone were to use a "Golden Eye" technique, it would trigger a violent consumption of the clouds, giving Ning Zhuo sufficient warning and time to adjust.

Of course, risks remained. The world of cultivation was full of endless methods—innate talents, spells, and more. There might be some technique capable of piercing the clouds to observe his true state without triggering a reaction.

Ning Zhuo had considered this, but as the saying went: he had no choice. He had done everything in his power. The four major factions were vast and powerful, and the overall cultivation progress of the renovation team was rapid. Ning Zhuo’s previous measures to obstruct them would inevitably fail, and the constant investigations by Zhu Xuanji added immense pressure.

Ning Zhuo had to race against time.

A long defense eventually leads to defeat. Even the counter-investigation lines he had meticulously built over a decade would eventually collapse. He had to seize the Molten Immortal Palace before anyone else. Therefore, taking risks in these areas was a necessity.

He practiced the *Demon-Dyed Blood Tendon Art* to refine essence blood, the *Five Elements Qi Law* to regulate mana, and the *Mirror Platform Spirit-Connecting Art* to forge his spiritual will. He cycled through the three techniques, consuming rare and expensive pills one after another. Even the cushion beneath him was an auxiliary artifact provided by the three-way alliance to boost his cultivation speed.

With all three techniques advancing in tandem, his progress was visible to the naked eye.

"The cultivation methods are fine, but I cannot practice my spells, nor the prototypes of my new divine abilities." Whenever Ning Zhuo thought of his *Human Life Hanging by a Thread* ability, he felt a craving to test its effects, but under these circumstances, he had to endure.

At the summit of Fire Persimmon Mountain, amidst rolling smoke and clouds, Meng Chong was also cultivating. He floated in mid-air, eyes closed, still in a comatose state.

Meng Kui, the current City Lord of Fire Persimmon Immortal City, drifted above him, placing a hand on Meng Chong’s head. He channeled his mana and mobilized his vital essence, pouring it into the boy. Since Meng Chong was his own grandson and shared the same bloodline, a portion of Meng Kui’s essence blood could be naturally absorbed.

The sunken eye sockets and protruding cheekbones of Meng Chong began to smooth out at a visible speed. Meng Kui, meanwhile, grew noticeably weaker. Although he was at the Nascent Soul stage, he had put little effort into physical cultivation. Of course, even without focus, the foundation of a Nascent Soul cultivator’s body far exceeded that of most Golden Core body cultivators.

The crucial point was the immense loss: the essence blood Meng Kui offered went through layers of purification, and only a tiny fraction was absorbed by Meng Chong. While the waste was staggering, the benefit was that Meng Chong’s blood remained pure, without a trace of foreign impurities.

Meng Kui had not wanted to do this, but he had no choice. He knew the three-way alliance was making significant progress in the Molten Immortal Palace, yet Meng Chong remained trapped in Room Three, still unconscious.

"Meng Chong, my grandson, you are destined to be the new master of the Molten Immortal Palace. Will you not wake up soon?" Meng Kui transmitted.

Meng Chong slowly opened his eyes. "Grandfather, I..."

Meng Kui instructed him to close his eyes and focus on recovery. A cultivator possessed the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit. Meng Kui did not stop until he had fully replenished Meng Chong’s essence. His own face had turned sallow, and his gaze was slightly dimmed.

Once freed, Meng Chong recounted his encounter in Room Three. Meng Kui could not suspect that the "Golden Blood Battle Ape: Da Sheng" was the work of another competitor. Stroking his beard, he mused, "Your martial techniques are quite lacking compared to that mechanical ape. Even with intensive training, it will take significant time."

"Your time is precious; you must seize the initiative! I have a method that can help you close the gap quickly, but it is somewhat painful."

Meng Chong was overjoyed. "Grandfather, I don't know the meaning of pain! What is the method?"

"Lightning strike!" Meng Kui said.

Meng Chong blinked. "I strike what?"

Meng Kui shook his head. "You are to be struck!"

"Ah?" Before Meng Chong could respond, a clap of thunder echoed, and a blue flash illuminated the smoke. Meng Chong was struck hard and left stunned on the spot. His entire body was charred, his hair frizzed, and wisps of black smoke rose from him.

*Rumble...*

Thunder echoed repeatedly within the clouds. Meng Chong gritted his teeth, enduring the strikes, his mind fixated on the image of the Golden Blood Battle Ape: Da Sheng. *I will master this. I will reclaim my honor.*

...

At the Ning residence, Ning Xiaohui was also undergoing special training. She plunged her hands into a basin of ice. A biting, extreme cold froze her heart, turning her face pale and causing her to shiver uncontrollably.

"Hold on, Xiaohui!" her grandmother said, her expression stern as she encouraged her. "You have the innate talent of the 'Ice-Fat Jade Hands'; it is the best way to suppress that Ning Zhuo!"

"Ning Zhuo’s talent has not yet been determined, and even if it were, there is no guarantee they would have mature methods to further exploit it. You are different! Your Ice-Fat Jade Hands have appeared in our clan many times. This is the advantage of a family!"

"We share the same bloodline, practice similar arts, and consume similar resources. There are many cultivation methods for the Ice-Fat Jade Hands, all explored by our ancestors over generations!"

Ning Xiaohui looked determined. "I understand, Grandmother. The Ice-Fat Jade Hands have always been my greatest advantage. Once this training is complete, what will that little Ning Zhuo amount to?"

At the Zhou residence, Zhou Zeshen was connected to several tubes, through which medicinal liquid flowed into his body as he cultivated with all his might.

At the Zheng residence, Zheng Jian practiced with a mechanical puppet, his concentration absolute, lost in a state of self-forgetfulness.

The battle for the Molten Immortal Palace had moved past its opening act and entered a more intense phase.

Night was deep. Yuan Er tossed and turned, unable to sleep soundly. Ever since Uncle Da Sheng had passed, he felt empty inside, lacking any sense of security.

"Why is Uncle Da Sheng’s machine not finished yet?"

"Tomorrow, tomorrow I will go find that Ning Zhuo!"

Inside the Molten Immortal Palace, the Golden Blood Battle Ape: Da Sheng crouched silently in Room Three. When not activated, it was no different from a pile of bricks and stone.