Chapter 9: Ordinary People Trapped in Schemes

Chapter 9: Ordinary People Trapped in Schemes

< Chapter 9: Ordinary People Trapped in Schemes >

Ning Chen and Ning Yong sat by the window on the second floor of the restaurant, constantly watching the street.

"Look, Ning Zhuo has appeared."

"Let's go!"

The two of them moved swiftly, reaching the intersection ahead of time and pretending to bump into Ning Zhuo by coincidence.

"Ning Zhuo?" Ning Yong called out.

Ning Zhuo looked at them, paused for a moment, and then smiled faintly, "Ah, it's you guys, Ning Yong, Ning Chen."

These two were Ning Zhuo's classmates.

Ning Chen pretended to sigh, "Since the major exam, we haven't seen each other. It feels like it's been a long time."

Ning Zhuo felt a stir in his heart, "Although the time was short, if many things have happened, it naturally feels like a long time has passed."

Ning Yong said, "I heard about your situation. After the major exam, you fell out with your uncle and aunt and refused their help."

"Are you living alone now? Is it difficult?"

"What do you do to earn spirit stones to maintain your cultivation?"

Ning Zhuo hesitated for a moment, "I'm currently doing odd jobs at a mechanical workshop. How about you guys?"

Ning Yong chuckled lightly, somewhat proudly, "We've already joined the Demon Hunter Association!"

"We're buying supplies to leave the city. Tonight, we will join the seniors from the association to enter the demon caves and hunt demonic beasts."

"How about that, exciting, isn't it?"

Ning Zhuo opened his mouth slightly in surprise, "You guys are going into the Crimson Flame Demon Molten Cave? Isn't that too dangerous?"

"Why fear? What can you achieve if you're afraid of dying?" Ning Yong puffed up his chest, his face showing disdain, "At a young age, we should explore everywhere. Without taking risks, where would the extraordinary gains come from? Without money to speed up cultivation, when will I ever reach the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Ning Chen interjected, "Don't listen to his exaggerations. There are cultivators from our Ning family in the Demon Hunter Association. Have you heard of Lord Ning Zhanji?"

"We will enter the cave under his leadership, and tonight is a period of low geo-thermal activity, very safe."

Ning Chen tried his best to dispel Ning Zhuo's concerns.

Ning Zhanji, a burly middle-aged man with slender eyebrows, sized up Ning Zhuo expressionlessly and stated, "Since we're all from the Ning family, I'll take care of you this time by letting you join the team."

"But remember, you must follow my commands and arrangements."

"I understand, senior!" Ning Zhuo responded promptly.

In Ning Zhuo's mind, information about Ning Zhanji quickly flashed through. Years ago, the Ning family had consciously started to send cultivators to various organizations inside and outside Puppet Immortal City, and Ning Zhanji was one of them.

He was known for his strong combat abilities and decisive actions, making him a standout military-type figure who could seize fleeting opportunities on the battlefield. This time, Ning Zhanji had been persuaded by Ning Ze to take action, accepting the latter’s money to provoke Ning Zhuo by sending Ning Chen and Ning Yong to challenge him.

After giving Ning Zhuo a quick once-over, Ning Zhanji withdrew his gaze, internally noting, "Third level of Qi refining, quite ordinary."

Soon, the group was assembled, consisting of over fifty individuals, most of whom bore the Ning surname. The few outsiders present also had strong connections with the Ning family.

Leading the group, Ning Zhanji set out toward the Red Flame Demon Molten Cave.

Huoshi City is a typical mountain city. Most of its buildings are concentrated midway up the mountain. The terrain rises toward the city center at the peak, which is the volcano's crater, while it lowers toward the periphery, stretching out at the mountain’s base.

Ning Zhuo and his companions climbed upwards from the mid-mountain, passing through several checkpoints along the way. The inspections were lax, and eventually, they reached the summit.

At the top, the spiritual energy was noticeably denser and hotter.

The air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur.

Despite it being night, the volcano's crater continuously emitted bright light. Utilizing the light, Ning Zhuo saw clouds of white smoke drifting above the crater.

Within this smoke, numerous smoke cloud sparrows fluttered about, darting in and out.

Ning Zhuo and the others arrived at the edge of the volcano.

Looking down, they saw a broad, flat area of rock within the crater.

The red rocks constantly emitted intense heat. Some of the red rocks were closely connected, while others had gaps between them, revealing bright orange-red magma flowing beneath. There were also openings in the rocks.

Some openings periodically spewed flames, others flowed with magma, and some were bottomless pits leading to deeper underground paths.

The mountain walls and rocky ground were almost vertical, forming a circular wall that appeared glassy and exceptionally smooth. This was clearly the result of artificial modification; the entire crater resembled a huge open cup.

As they moved towards the center, Ning Zhuo noticed that the number of holes on the red rock surface increased, as did their size.

Finally, his gaze settled on the very center of the rocky ground.

There, he found a lake of magma.