Advent of Immortal Truth

"I have no more questions." After checking it over, Ning Zhuo handed the imperial decree scroll to Zhou Zhenshen.  

Zhou Zhenshen carefully examined it for a long time, then slowly nodded and passed the scroll to the others.  

Zheng Jian and Zhou Zhu reviewed it one after the other, both nodding in agreement.  

Afterward, everyone took turns signing the decree contract.  

Zhu Xuanji stored the decree away, knowing that next, he needed to arrange for the modified team members from all sides to sign it as well.  

He would personally oversee this process. With his Celestial Golden Eyes talent and the methods of a detective, he could minimize any chances of cheating.  

Zhu Xuanji then advised, "The four of you will be the leaders of the modification teams. Moving forward, please actively vie for the various positions within the Lava Immortal Palace."  

"If possible, try to secure control of the Five Elements Watchtower. The real culprit behind the cannon fire that struck the top of Mount Huoshi, causing the beast tide, is still at large."  

"If any of you can find clues related to this, I will reward you handsomely!"  

Ning Zhuo then added, "In my clan, there is a talented cultivator named Ning Xiaohui. She arrived here early and entered the Immortal Palace to earn contributions."  

"She must have considerable experience in securing various positions. How about letting her share her expertise with us?"  

Zhu Xuanji shook his head, "At the moment, she is on an important mission. Do not disturb her."  

"Moreover, I believe that while she may have had some success, her experience won't be of much help for what comes next."  

"Going forward, everything will depend on your own efforts."  

After giving his instructions, Zhu Xuanji dismissed everyone.  

After leaving the side hall, Ning Zhuo and the others walked back together.  

Zhou Zhenshen took the initiative to talk to him, "We are all trial disciples, and the tasks we have access to are far more than outsiders."  

"But precisely because there are so many projects, we also face the dilemma of choosing."  

"I believe there must be an optimal choice that allows us to use the least time, effort, and cost to achieve the greatest results."  

Ning Zhuo nodded, agreeing with Zhou Zhenshen's view, saying, "I was unable to convince Master Zhu to let Ning Xiaohui share her success with us, which puts us at a disadvantage."  

"We've just arrived here and lack a lot of information and knowledge."  

"So, I think our first step should be to cast a wide net, accept a variety of tasks, and conduct broad reconnaissance."  

"Once we gather enough intelligence from the reconnaissance, we can calculate a unified strategy and then choose the best tasks. Finally, we’ll implement that strategy."  

"Brother Zhou, what do you think?"  

Zhou Zhenshen laughed heartily, patting Ning Zhuo on the shoulder, "Talking with smart people is always easy!"  

Ning Zhuo's plan aligned perfectly with his own thoughts.  

Seeing that both Ning Zhuo and Zhou Zhenshen had agreed, Zhou Zhu, who always followed Zhou Zhenshen’s lead, naturally had no objections.  

Now, they just had to see what Zheng Jian thought.  

Zheng Jian, who had been listening to their discussion, had already made up his mind to collaborate.  

Before coming here, he had been privately advised by the Zheng Family Patriarch: try to maintain good relations with both the Zhou and Ning families.  

Circumstances change over time.  

The Zheng family had fallen into a dire situation due to the accidental killing of a Golden Core disciple of the Taiqing Palace with the clan’s mechanical sickle.  

Under such circumstances, the Zheng family desperately needed external allies.  

Moreover, Zheng Jian genuinely believed that the plan devised by Zhou Zhenshen and Ning Zhuo was indeed the best.  

So, without any hesitation, he immediately agreed.  

However, Zheng Jian then mentioned Meng Chong, "Since we’re cooperating on all fronts, should we also bring Meng Chong into this?"  

This suggestion made Zhou Zhenshen and Ning Zhuo exchange glances.  

This time, Ning Zhuo remained silent.  

Zhou Zhenshen replied, "In the early stages, it’s probably not suitable for us to make contact with the modified team from the City Lord's Mansion."  

"Didn’t you notice? This time, Master Zhu Xuanji only summoned the three of us, even though the contract required the signatures of all four groups. Why didn't he call Meng Chong as well?"  

"From this, we can see where Master Zhu Xuanji’s thoughts—or inclinations—lie."  

Zheng Jian suddenly understood and quickly cupped his hands in thanks to Zhou Zhenshen.  

The group reached a crossroads and bid each other farewell.  

The residences of the Ning, Zhou, and Zheng families were not far from one another.  

Watching the backs of Zheng Jian and the others as they left, Ning Zhuo fell into deep thought.  

He pondered the current situation: "The three families were initially led by Zhu Xuanji, but after the Golden Core battle, the Zheng family fell into crisis, causing the Ning and Zhou families to become more cautious of Zhu Xuanji."  

"The situation has subtly shifted. Compared to before, the three families are now more closely connected."  

"Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit," Ning Zhuo softly called out in his mind.  

Lava Immortal Palace, main hall.  

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had been secretly observing Ning Zhuo. Hearing him call its name now, it couldn't help but grit its teeth.  

The more it learned about Ning Zhuo, the more it understood the big picture and the truth, and the more deeply it feared him.  

It truly did not want to deal with such a sinister, cunning, and highly calculating little monster as Ning Zhuo. But considering that the threat of Ning Xiaohui was growing closer...  

In the end, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit gritted its teeth and pretended to appear weak as it responded to Ning Zhuo.  

"Young Master, you've finally entered the true Immortal Palace."  

Ning Zhuo frowned slightly, "Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, your condition seems to be getting worse?"  

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit followed his lead and replied, "Yes, Young Master."  

"The Lava Immortal Palace and I are one. It is equivalent to my body. Now, I am constantly under attack from the beast tide. Every bit of damage to the Lava Immortal Palace weakens me in turn."  

"In the future, our communications may be cut off at any time."  

Perhaps after watching Ning Zhuo for so long, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had grown shrewd as well. During their conversation, it had already laid the groundwork for a potential future interruption in their contact.  

It then mentioned the threat of Ning Xiaohui, unable to resist urging Ning Zhuo to take action against her.  

"I’m aware of this," Ning Zhuo said with a slight frown, appearing somewhat troubled.  

"You must understand that dealing with Ning Xiaohui is not that simple. I need to find the right opportunity, a proper chance to act."  

"But for now, such opportunities are quite rare."  

Ning Zhuo explained briefly to the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.  

This was because, like Ning Zhuo, Zhu Xuanji and the other Golden Core cultivators were all stationed in the Lava Immortal Palace for now, actively fighting against the beast tide outside.  

If Ning Zhuo were to make a move against Ning Xiaohui now, it would be like dancing under the noses of the Golden Core cultivators—too risky!  

Earlier, when Ning Zhuo had tested Zhu Xuanji in the side hall,  

he had pretended to suggest bringing Ning Xiaohui over to share her success, but it was actually a probe to see how much Zhu Xuanji valued her.  

The result of the test was clear: Zhu Xuanji would not allow anyone to approach Ning Xiaohui! More precisely, he would not let anyone near the Shiji Pavilion.  

He had even isolated Ning Xiaohui from everyone else, not giving anyone the chance for daily communication or contact.  

Ning Zhuo understood very well that Zhu Xuanji’s strong emphasis on Shiji Pavilion and Ning Xiaohui made it clear: if he rashly made a move against Ning Xiaohui, it could trigger a full-scale investigation by Zhu Xuanji!  

On the other hand, Ning Zhuo also had his own plans.  

He hoped to obtain a position at the Shiji Pavilion and, in the process, eliminate Ning Xiaohui!  

This way, he could acquire the precious information recorded in the Shiji Pavilion.  

Additionally, with that position, Ning Zhuo could easily mislead Zhu Xuanji and indirectly make use of Zhu Xuanji’s unique Golden Core combat abilities.  

If he could achieve that, it would be the most advantageous outcome for Ning Zhuo.  

Having made up his mind, Ning Zhuo said to the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, "Let’s not talk about this anymore."  

"Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, design the best possible plan for me. From all these numerous tasks, pick out the ones most suitable for me. With that plan, I can gain more accomplishments faster and with less effort!"  

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit spun around on

its throne, reluctant to accept Ning Zhuo's request.  

But it had no choice. The threat of Ning Xiaohui was like a sword hanging over its head.  

In its position, it had no ability to deal with Ning Xiaohui and could only rely on Ning Zhuo.  

Thus, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had no choice but to comply with Ning Zhuo’s demands!  

Soon, Ning Zhuo received a stream of information.  

He carefully reviewed it, noting that the tasks he needed to accomplish were all listed and that there were detailed records about each task’s information.  

This information was beyond what Ning Zhuo could access on his own with just his merit token.  

Speaking of merit tokens, every cultivator who entered the Immortal Palace was granted one upon being summoned by the treasure light.  

Even if lost outside the Immortal Palace, the cultivator would receive a replacement upon re-entry.  

Of course, this replacement wasn’t free, as it would deduct some of the accomplishments accumulated in the Lava Immortal Palace.  

After reading through the plan, Ning Zhuo realized that although it was exceptionally well-designed and thorough, it lacked broad applicability.  

Most of the tasks he needed to complete came from the three positions he currently held.  

Ning Zhuo had passed three rounds of tests and now held the roles of Medical Hall Master, Watchtower Leader, and Command Platform Chief.  

All three positions were second-rank, and the rewards for second-rank tasks were enormous.  

Other members, including the modified team members, had no way of seeing these tasks on their merit tokens.  

After reading it a second time, Ning Zhuo discovered the hidden pattern.  

The tasks were roughly divided into three stages.  

The first stage was mainly from his position as Medical Hall Master, requiring Ning Zhuo to repair various mechanical creations.  

These creations weren’t limited to mechanical puppets but included mechanical buildings as well.  

The second stage of tasks came from his role as Command Platform Chief.  

Holding this position allowed Ning Zhuo to arrange formations and command many mechanical puppets to be deployed on the battlefield.  

The third stage involved his role as Watchtower Leader.  

After reviewing this information, Ning Zhuo became puzzled and asked the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, "I see that the tasks related to the Watchtower Leader all have minimum standards."  

"If I don’t meet these minimums, my accomplishments will be deducted. Why is that?"  

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit hesitated, not wanting to answer. It wondered if it should flee now.  

(End of this chapter)