The morning light illuminated Puppet Immortal City.
Clouds and mist entwined around the mountain top, but they could not conceal the increasingly frequent tremors.
The Lava Immortal Palace had been blasted open some time ago, and more and more insiders began to understand, "Is that Immortal Palace stirring again?"
Meng Kui gazed down at the Immortal Palace, quietly watching as Red Flame Beasts continuously emerged, assaulting the palace's defenses.
Ning Family.
The Ning family patriarch stared at the mountain peak, and after a moment, the clan leader reported to him.
"The Zhou family's two Golden Cores and the Zheng family's two Golden Cores gambled and fought, both entering the formation?"
"Such a coincidence?"
The Ning family patriarch shook his head slightly. Regardless of whether this information was true or not, he decided to investigate in person.
Since Meng Kui had sealed the mountain peak and personally taken command, the Ning family patriarch had not set foot in the Immortal Palace for a long time.
"Grandpa Sun hasn't replied to me?"
It had been more than half the night, and Ning Zhuo had not received a reply from Sun Lingtong.
He frowned deeply; this was very unusual.
Ning Zhuo paced around the room with his hands behind his back.
After a few laps, he summoned a servant, "The commotion at the mountain top is significant; what's going on?"
"Go find out what's happening, and if there's any other important news, report it all."
Not long after, the servant returned with explosive news from the market.
Ning Zhuo received the information he wanted.
"Zhu Xuanji sought out Grandpa Sun?"
"Grandpa Sun deliberately spread the ‘achievement' of driving away Zhu Xuanji, which is his way of telling me about his current real situation!"
"Grandpa Sun, being from the No-Void Sect, has the Empty Seal. Even if Zhu Xuanji abandons his principles and face and forcibly performs a soul search without evidence, he won't find anything."
"He's still not replying to me. What exactly happened?"
Ning Zhuo's brow furrowed tightly, "Let's wait a bit more."
Trusting the other... this was a pact between the two, a mutual understanding cultivated over a decade.
Back then, Ning Zhuo was only two years old.
One day, Sun Lingtong returned, injured.
"What are you doing?" he noticed Ning Zhuo packing a small bundle and his expression darkened.
From the bundle, he saw supplies meant for entering the Red Flame Demon Molten Cave.
Ning Zhuo exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Sun, you're back! I was just about to go find you, ouch!"
Sun Lingtong couldn't help but give Ning Zhuo a light flick on the forehead.
"I can explore the Red Flame Demon Molten Cave because I'm capable."
"What are you going there for? To feed the beasts?"
"You don't know the immensity of heaven and earth, you reckless brat!"
Ning Zhuo's chubby little hand covered his forehead, his voice full of grievance, "But, Brother Sun, this time you were gone so long, missing for a whole seven days."
Sun Lingtong's expression darkened.
After recovering from his injuries, he would periodically sneak into the Red Flame Demon Molten Cave to search for his master.
No results.
This time, the tunnel he entered had collapsed midway.
Fortunately, Sun Lingtong was on his way back and decisively used the Void Penetration Technique repeatedly, narrowly escaping through the collapsed section and saving his life.
However, finding the Lava Immortal Palace next time would not be easy; he would need to re-map the correct path.
Of course, these troubles were unnecessary to share with a two-year-old child.
Sun Lingtong patted his chest and smiled at Ning Zhuo, "You have to trust me, your brother is strong!"
"Let's make a deal: ten days from now on."
"I promise to return within ten days."
"So, as long as it's within ten days, don't worry. I'll be fine."
Ning Zhuo weakly responded, "I understand."
"This time, did you find your master in the tunnel?"
Sun Lingtong replied, "Although I didn't see my master, I left some talismans in the corridor. If my master leaves the palace, he should sense them. Cough, cough."
Sun Lingtong's breath weakened, "I suffered internal injuries this time. Please brew some potion for me; here's the pill recipe. I urgently need to replenish my qi."
Ning Zhuo looked at the recipe and noticed the lack of ingredients, so he went out and bought some.
Black Market.
Sun Lingtong's residence.
In the main house, a chilling yin energy filled the entire hall.
The Judge of Inspections, like a temple statue, his gaze as sharp as blades, pierced Sun Lingtong's soul, scouring through his memories.
As Ning Zhuo grew older, he
was tested for spiritual roots and began attending school.
He lived with his uncle's family, but his days were stifling.
Relying on the No-Void Sect's techniques, Sun Lingtong would secretly meet with him every so often.
These meetings were the brightest moments in Ning Zhuo's otherwise dim life.
Sun Lingtong glanced over Ning Zhuo's exam results, his eyes sharp, "Little Zhuo, why were your scores so good this time?"
"Have you forgotten what your mother told you on her deathbed?"
"You must hide your talents; keep yourself hidden!"
Ning Zhuo lowered his head, "But the school elder is kind and often encourages me to perform well."
"And my classmates always mock my poor grades, don't play with me, and think I'm stupid."
"But I'm obviously much smarter than they are!"
"I just wanted to show a little bit of my ability to make them see me differently!"
Sun Lingtong sighed inwardly, "Little Zhuo is indeed very smart, but as a child, he can't hold back, easily provoked."
"How should I persuade him?"
"No matter how I advise, it might not be effective!"
After some thought, Sun Lingtong decided to scare him, "Little Zhuo, you're not far from death."
Ning Zhuo was instantly frightened, "What?!"
Sun Lingtong, with a stern face, listed many examples, telling him how many geniuses were killed by jealous individuals, turned into pills, or used as refining materials.
"Your performance at school was too outstanding; it could draw suspicion, leading others to discover your talents and kill you!"
Ning Zhuo was terrified, his face pale and sweating profusely, "B-but Ning Xiaohui also has talent."
"Hmph, she's from the main branch, while you're from a collateral branch. Her grandmother is an elder, but you?"
"Have you forgotten what I taught you about cultivation families? Forgotten my analysis of the Ning family's current situation?"
Ning Zhuo shook his head repeatedly.
"Come, let's spar." Sun Lingtong thought for a moment, still uneasy, and decided to deliver another hard lesson.
Using the content of the school exams, Sun Lingtong completed all the tests in front of Ning Zhuo.
Naturally, his results were excellent, far surpassing Ning Zhuo.
Sun Lingtong said, "I'm only a year older than you, yet look at my scores. Am I arrogant? Am I complacent?"
Ning Zhuo, looking as if he had lost his soul, slowly shook his head, his face pale.
Sun Lingtong patted Ning Zhuo's shoulder, "Your Ning family is small, ranking last among the cultivation families in Puppet Immortal City."
"Compared to your classmates, you might be excellent. But how do you compare to all the children in this city?"
"Puppet Immortal City is just a corner of the world, a newly built city within the Southern Dou Immortal Country over the past hundred years."
"How do you compare to children in the older cities?"
"Furthermore, this is only within the Southern Dou Country. What about the other countries?"
"Do you think you can rank among them?"
Sun Lingtong raised his finger and shook it, declaring, "You can't!"
"You can't even compare to me, so don't get complacent."
"Let me tell you, I barely count for anything in the Southern Dou Country!" Sun Lingtong pinched the smallest section of his pinky finger, greatly downplaying himself.
Ning Zhuo's face turned pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
Seeing the effect, Sun Lingtong was pleased and patted Ning Zhuo's shoulder, "You need to understand, there are always people better than you, and skies beyond your own."
"Arrogant and self-important people are fools!"
"You must always remain humble, open-minded, and keep a low profile to recognize reality, quickly absorb new knowledge, and grow faster."
Having said this, Sun Lingtong had already made a decision: every now and then, he would personally challenge Ning Zhuo to a ‘spar,' teaching him to guard against pride and impatience!
Ning Zhuo remained silent for a long time before finally raising his eyes to look at Sun Lingtong, his voice hoarse, "Brother Sun, I was wrong! Before my mother passed, she often warned me, too."
Sun Lingtong sighed, "Actually, what I just told you was all taught to me by my master."
The two looked at each other, and for a moment, both fell into silence.