Chapter 34: Phoenix Soul Blood Incense

Ning Zhuo’s heart was filled with urgency.

He had no idea when the next competitor would be summoned, drawn into the Lava Immortal Palace to face the trial. It might well happen in the very next moment—Meng Chong could enter the palace, clear the trials, reach the preparation chamber, and discover Ning Zhuo’s name.

“His opponent possesses an extraordinary immortal potential!”

“Is there any way to make my soul’s foundation surge at least double in a short time?”

Ning Zhuo furrowed his brows and opened several drawers.

Inside, they were stuffed full of jade slips.

Each jade slip had a brief label.

Ning Zhuo searched among them, extracting one and pressing it to his brow.

He drew his spiritual sense from his upper dantian sea of consciousness, pouring it into the jade slip to read its contents.

Since he began earning spirit stones, he had started collecting intelligence from outside. This excellent habit had persisted for more than a decade.

It was thanks to this information that he had gained deeper understanding of Fire Persimmon Immortal City. Otherwise, with his cultivation still in the Qi Refining stage, how could he ever hope to know about cultivators in the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stages?

Though much of the intelligence remained superficial, Ning Zhuo’s relentless collection and comparison of events, day after day for years, allowed him to piece together patterns and insights.

He flipped through several jade slips, seeking information related to souls.

Eleven years ago.

A demonic cultivator named Hua Qianhun arrived outside Fire Persimmon Immortal City. She planted flowers in a nearby valley, creating a sea of blossoms that spread across the hills and fueled rumors of a miraculous flower’s emergence. Many were drawn in, entered the flower sea, and had their souls extracted to become fertilizer. In the end, a rare flower did emerge, named Soul Essence Blossom. Hua Qianhun immediately picked it and quickly fled.

Eight years ago.

News of the Seven-Star Lamp spread across the cultivation world, reaching Fire Persimmon Immortal City as well.

The Seven-Star Lamp was crafted by Kong Riyue, a renowned minister of Qingshan Kingdom. He sought to defy fate, creating the lamp to harness the power of the stars and replace part of his soul with a celestial soul. Ultimately, his efforts failed due to sabotage by Dai Yan, an insider from Baqi Kingdom.

The lamp’s appearance caused a stir among several nations, inciting countless cultivators to fight over it and almost sparking war between Qingshan and Baqi.

Five years ago.

A Golden Core cultivator from the Sacred Ape Sect traveled the world and came to Fire Persimmon Immortal City. While settling there, he made a mistake in his cultivation technique, fell into madness, and his soul merged with his spirit pet, the Wrathful Heart Ape. This caused significant damage to the city; it took several Golden Core cultivators working together to finally kill him.

Four years ago.

Ghost fires appeared in great numbers at the cemetery at the foot of the mountain near Fire Persimmon Immortal City, triggering a trend to collect ghost flames.

Three years ago.

Seven hundred li from Fire Persimmon Immortal City, in Withered Mountain, a spring of Yellow Springs appeared in the Valley of Death, attracting fierce competition among cultivators.

Two years ago.

A Nine Nether Black Death Cat emerged near Fire Persimmon Immortal City. The city lord personally fought it for three days and nights to drive it away. The aftermath deeply affected several hundred li of forests and hills. The mountains became shrouded in deathly energy; ghosts roamed at night. Even the city was affected. The city lord ordered the organization of numerous cultivators to continuously leave the city, purging and restoring the surrounding region. The Southern Bean imperial court allocated disaster relief funds and supplies, finally reviving the natural vitality of the land.

One year ago.

Master of alchemy Sun Lie visited Fire Persimmon Immortal City as a guest. Commissioned by the Zhou family, he refined Phoenix Soul Fragrant Blood Pills using the soul and blood of phoenix birds. When the pills were completed, phoenix cries echoed around the city for three days, creating a remarkable spectacle.

Eighteen pills were made, twelve given to the Zhou family, and the remaining four sparked fierce competition among cultivators, resulting in one death and three injuries. The murderer Han Ming remains at large…

“Phoenix Soul Fragrant Blood Pills.” A glint of sharpness flashed in Ning Zhuo’s eyes.

He knew of these pills: red as blood, their fragrance penetrated the heart, and they possessed potent restorative and nourishing effects for the soul.

Ning Zhuo produced a token and tossed it outward.

The token disintegrated midair, swiftly transforming into a suit of armor.

Steel Han Armor.

After the Immortal Palace explosion, the Han Armor had suffered significant damage, especially on the back. Even more severe loss came from within: the Foundation Establishment Pill, a critical mechanical component, had only ten percent remaining.

“No choice, I must act now!”

Ning Zhuo slipped into the Steel Han Armor, bent low, and leaned on a cane. After a swirl of light and shadow, the armor’s mask became that of an old man—weathered, with dark purple eye bags and deep wrinkles. He wore a tattered leather cloak, and his death-whip was decomposed and disguised as hair, hanging from head to feet.

The Elder with Hanging Locks appeared once more.

Ning Zhuo stood in the corner, activated the teleportation array.

In the next moment, he descended deep underground.

He left the teleportation chamber, passed a massive pill furnace used for cremations, and his hunched figure gradually disappeared down the dark tunnel.

Fire Persimmon Immortal City, the black market.

In a courtyard, a cultivator knelt on the ground.

His body shook, his face battered and bruised, filled with fear and despair. He clasped his hands, pleading, “Boss Sun, I swear I’ll repay the debt. I’ll definitely repay it! Please believe me, I—”

Thud.

The next instant, a flash of blade, and the kneeling cultivator’s arm was severed.

“Ah—!”

He froze for a moment, then let out a piercing scream, rolling on the ground in agony, clutching his bloody stump. Blood spurted from the massive wound, pooling quickly.

Boss Sun giggled, savoring the miserable scene before him.

He had jet-black short hair, plump cheeks adorned with rosy blush, and looked utterly adorable. His eyes were large and clear, skin smooth and tender—appearing as a three- or four-year-old child.

This was because, in his infancy, he mistakenly ingested a Face-Fixing Pill and subsequently cultivated a special technique.

Boss Sun was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, full name Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong sneered, “You still want to fool me? I’ve been running the black market for years, relying on these eyes of mine. I see through people better than anyone—do you really think you can deceive my Spirit Eyes?”

He spoke while spinning the dagger in his nimble hands.

The dagger was razor sharp, dancing between Sun Lingtong’s agile wrists and fingers like a butterfly unfolding its wings beneath the moonlight.

Just then, another cultivator approached respectfully, whispered something in Sun Lingtong’s ear.

Sun Lingtong instantly restrained his smile, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.

“Clean up. We have a distinguished guest,” Sun Lingtong ordered. Immediately, two burly body cultivators with fierce faces ran over.

One snapped the neck of the wounded cultivator, then carried off the corpse.

The other cast a spell to clean the courtyard.

Moments later, the Elder with Hanging Locks was ushered into the courtyard.

Sun Lingtong opened his arms, beaming as he walked toward the guest. “Brother, what wind brings you here today?”

The Elder’s voice was hoarse and his expression indifferent. “Boss Sun, this time, I truly have something to ask of you.”

“I want to target Sun Lie.”

Sun Lingtong’s pupils contracted sharply.