Chapter 1556 - 642: Ning Zhuo Is About to Suffer a Setback (2)

Chapter 1556: Chapter 642: Ning Zhuo Is About to Suffer a Setback (2)

The Cloud Pot Daoist summoned a disciple from White Cloud Village, instructing him to spread rumors and undermine Ning Zhuo’s reputation.

The disciple’s expression turned strange.

The Cloud Pot Daoist’s heart stirred: "Speak, what’s the situation?"

The disciple bowed and said, "Just last night, Ning Zhuo invited Shen Xi, Lin Jinglong, Situ Xing, Mu Yuehua, and several Confucian Cultivators from the Myriad Images Sect to witness the sealing of the Red Robe Guest’s corpse and relics before everyone."

"He even confessed publicly that the Red Robe Guest had lent him the Blood Ash Tinder during his lifetime. Ning Zhuo solemnly declared that he would try to rescue the Red Robe Guest’s soul. If the soul returns, the corpse, the relics, personal treasures, and the Blood Ash Tinder will be returned to the Red Robe Guest!"

The Cloud Pot Daoist and others looked at each other in dismay.

Their initial excitement was scattered by the morning wind in the mountains.

The corners of the Cloud Pot Daoist’s mouth twitched, and he coughed lightly.

Qiu Lei’s face darkened: "This kid acts really fast! But..."

"Since he’s stated this publicly, we can take this opportunity to lay our conditions and prompt the battle between him and the Three Brave of Xiang Sect!"

These words invigorated everyone’s spirits.

"What a clever move, truly brilliant!"

"Isn’t Ning Zhuo going to rescue the Red Robe Guest’s Demon Soul? Then agree to this battle."

"Hahaha, he thinks he’s so clever; he’s practically delivering himself to us."

The Cloud Pot Daoist nodded: "I didn’t expect the Five Battles Martial Arts to eventually return to this young man. This is the right approach—Ning Zhuo is the new master of the Nanming Fire Furnace, and although he plays a minor role, he has always been the core person in Nanming Village. Take him down, and Nanming Village will naturally collapse. That’s how we’ll do it!"

Heavy Array Peak.

Dong Chen, amid handling daily affairs, learned of the situation.

"Oh?" A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

Yue Qingshan’s death remained like a rock pressing on his chest. Now the Red Robe Guest was also dead, and the outside world said both sides paid with a life each, seemingly fair.

But the hatred in Dong Chen’s heart hadn’t lessened at all; instead, it had sunk deeper.

All because he knew that Tan Zhu was just a knife from the outside, the real culprit was the one holding the knife!

But who exactly that was, he continued to investigate.

"This kid Ning Zhuo is trying to win people’s hearts, but after all, he’s young and rashly puts himself on the front line."

"He’s not an opponent of the Three Brave of Xiang Sect."

Dong Chen made his judgment but chose not to intervene.

Ning Zhuo indeed was excellent, but given the scale of the Myriad Images Sect, how many top talents emerge at each Feiyun Conference?

Dong Chen opted to observe. To him, Ning Zhuo was just a pawn trying to be a chess player, unaware of how deep the waters of Flowing Cloud Peak were. He wanted to see how the people behind Tan Zhu would react.

Danxia Peak.

Wang Yu stood on the outer corridor of the Pill Tower.

The morning wind carried the warmth of the Fire Vein, blowing from the mountainside and rustling his sleeves. In the distance, smoke slowly rose from the Pill Furnace, and the red clouds cast their glow on his face.

A subordinate reported on the matter of Ning Zhuo and the Three Brave of Xiang Sect, adding a comment: "The Red Robe Guest’s physical form is gone, the Nascent Soul dissipated, leaving only a wisp of soul. For the sake of the Righteous Path, Ning Zhuo acts solely for such a Demon Soul, which is unwise."

Wang Yu looked at the distant fire clouds and said slowly: "Unwise?"

The Peak Master of Danxia shook his head slowly: "The courage to acknowledge such a responsibility is bravery enough."

He gently stroked the railing with his hand, exuding calmness and composure.

He was indeed the mastermind Dong Chen was trying to uncover, and the current situation was orchestrated by him.

"This kid Ning Zhuo is indeed excellent, but he is by no means a match for the Three Brave of Xiang Sect. How can I ensure his survival and eventually guide him to join my Danxia Peak?"

Wang Yu’s fondness for talent surfaced.

Artifact Refining Hall.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

After a series of sparks flew, Tie Kuang placed the furnace hammer on the anvil, took out a gourd, and poured water over the red-hot weapon.

Hissss...

Amidst the steaming mist, he frowned deeply as he contemplated the situation of Nanming Village: "Ning Zhuo handled this matter with considerable resoluteness, and also very wisely."

"He seized the time and acted immediately that night. Otherwise, after Flowing Cloud Peak’s people performed a Soul Search and spread rumors, Ning Zhuo’s situation would become passive."

"However, Flowing Cloud Peak brought in the Three Brave of Xiang Sect, aiming to instigate a battle between them and Ning Zhuo, a well-crafted tactic."

"I’m afraid Ning Zhuo might have overreached this time and could face a downfall."

Tie Kuang wasn’t optimistic about Ning Zhuo’s battle with the Three Brave of Xiang Sect, even though Ning Zhuo was the new master of the Nanming Fire Furnace.

"Now is precisely the right opportunity."

"This time, I will personally talk to Ning Zhuo to foster cooperation between the two sides!"

Several Confucian Cultivators urgently discussed the matter.

Duanmu Zhang sat at the head: "Unexpectedly, the forces at Flowing Cloud Peak invited the Three Brave of Xiang Sect and are giving Ning Zhuo trouble."

Chu Xuangu: "The Three Brave of Xiang Sect possess Divine Skills and have often slain Nascent Soul cultivators. Ning Zhuo is being taken advantage of by his enemies, currently in an extremely passive position. How can we assist him?"

Back then, Wen Ruanyu entrusted Ning Zhuo to these Confucian Cultivators at the Main Mountain Gate of Myriad Images Sect, and naturally, the Confucian Cultivators needed to take responsibility, now all troubled by this matter.

Nangong Zhi: "The situation is complex right now, and it’s difficult for us to intervene. Perhaps we should write a letter to Daoist Wen Ruanyu first."

After the Qin De incident, the influence of the Confucian Cultivators declined significantly, and it became challenging for them to offer even a bit of help to Ning Zhuo.

However, when mentioning the idea of sending a letter to Wen Ruanyu, Chu Xuangu, Duanmu Zhang, and others appeared troubled. They felt slightly ashamed to face Wen Ruanyu for not taking good care of Ning Zhuo.

Li Guanyu suddenly said: "Ning Zhuo’s identity is special, relating to White Paper Immortal City. Perhaps this identity can lend him a hand and help him break free from this predicament?"

Everybody present froze.

Li Guanyu’s new perspective opened their eyes.

All along, Ning Zhuo had been hiding this identity. After all, his cultivation level was low, and White Paper Immortal City involved significant stakes and enormous interests. With Ning Zhuo’s limited capability, getting caught up in that whirlpool could easily lead to him being crushed to pieces.

But who would have thought that this kid Ning Zhuo was such a daredevil?!

Initially, when the Confucian Cultivators agreed to Wen Ruanyu’s request, they did so without hesitation, believing that a mere mid-stage Foundation Establishment like Ning Zhuo could hardly cause any trouble.

Even if it involved White Paper Immortal City, Ning Zhuo’s solid identity should have secured him a place within the Myriad Images Sect.

But who would have thought Ning Zhuo would end up like this now?!

This was beyond all the Confucian Cultivators’ expectations.

Even the most talented individuals would be seizing every second, striving hard to pass more Xingyun Trials at this point. And Ning Zhuo?

He simply rolled up his sleeves, grasped an opportunity, and rallied a bunch of people ready to stake a claim inside the Main Mountain Gate of Myriad Images Sect!

"This kid is a real handful. This time, Flowing Cloud Peak even unveiled the trump card of the Three Brave of Xiang Sect; this kid Ning Zhuo is playing with fire." Chu Xuangu sighed.

He continued: "But the secrets of White Paper Immortal City can’t be casually revealed."

Duanmu Zhang nodded: "Once revealed, the situation will surely become even more complicated. Has the Foreign Affairs Hall truly not found out anything? I suspect they already have results but are suppressing them because the winner has not been determined yet."

"The interests of White Paper Immortal City are far greater than the fight for the first station of Nanming Village."

Silence descended upon the group once more.

Foreign Affairs Hall.

"Achoo!" Hall Master Xiang Ji of the Foreign Affairs Hall rubbed his nose.

He opened the latest jade slip, and upon reading apart, he angrily stood up.

"What’s going on!"

"Seven teams of cultivators sent out consecutively, yet each was thwarted en route for various reasons?"

"Is it really so difficult to investigate Ning Zhuo’s background?!"

"Strange, truly strange."

"Should I report this?"

Xiang Ji initially suspected whether there was any force acting from the shadows to obstruct his investigation. However, after dispatching additional personnel to probe into the various difficulties encountered by the teams en route, he found no indication of any mastermind behind the scenes.

Everything seemed natural and normal.

It was simply that these investigative teams really had poor fortune.

Xiang Ji scratched his head: "Now with the dispute at Nanming Village, Ning Zhuo is set to battle the Three Brave of Xiang Sect? This kid is courting death. I must at least uncover his background before anything untoward happens to him!"