Ning Chen and Ning Yong sat by the window on the second floor of a restaurant, keeping constant watch over the street.
"Look, Ning Zhuo has appeared."
"Let's go!"
The two moved swiftly, arriving at the intersection ahead of time. Pretending it was a chance encounter, they ran into Ning Zhuo head-on.
"Ning Zhuo?" Ning Yong called out.
Ning Zhuo looked at them, briefly stunned before a smile spread across his face. "It's you two, Ning Yong, Ning Chen."
The two of them had been Ning Zhuo's classmates.
Ning Chen feigned a sigh. "Ever since the Grand Examination, we haven't seen each other. It feels as though ages have passed."
Ning Zhuo's heart stirred slightly. "Though the time has been short, if many things happen, it naturally creates the illusion that time has stretched on forever."
Ning Yong said, "I heard about what happened to you. After the Grand Examination, you fell out with your grandfather and grandmother and refused to accept their help."
"Are you having a hard time living alone now?"
"What are you doing to earn spirit stones and maintain your cultivation?"
Ning Zhuo hesitated for a moment. "I'm currently doing odd jobs at a Mechanical Workshop. What about you two?"
Ning Yong chuckled, somewhat smug. "We've already joined the Demon Hunting Society!"
"We're buying supplies for leaving the city. Tonight, we'll be entering the demon cave alongside the Demon Hunting Society's seniors to hunt demon beasts."
"How about that? Exciting, isn't it?"
Ning Zhuo parted his lips slightly in surprise. "You're entering the Crimson Flame Demon Lava Cave? Isn't that too dangerous?"
"What's there to fear? What can a person accomplish if he fears death?" Ning Yong puffed out his chest, his face full of disdain. "When you're young, you ought to roam the world. Without taking risks, where would extraordinary gains come from? Without money to speed up my cultivation, when would I ever reach Foundation Establishment?"
Ning Chen said, "Don't listen to him brag. There are Ning Family cultivators in the Demon Hunting Society. You've heard of Lord Ning Zhanji, haven't you?"
"We'll be entering the cave under his leadership, and tonight is also a low-tide period for the Earth Flame. It's perfectly safe."
Ning Chen did his utmost to dispel Ning Zhuo's concerns.
Ning Zhuo revealed an envious expression.
Seeing this, Ning Yong directly invited him. "If you ask me, Ning Zhuo, stop doing workshop work. Just come down into the cave with us."
"Who knows how many treasures are hidden in the Demon Lava Cave?"
"How much can you earn in a week? Maybe if you find a single spirit plant in the Crimson Flame Demon Lava Cave, it'll be enough to equal a week's wages!"
Ning Zhuo shook his head, waving his hands as he refused. "My swordsmanship grades have always hovered around average or below average. Fighting demon beasts is too dangerous. I can't do it."
"Coward!" Ning Yong glared, about to speak.
Ning Chen stopped him with a look, then smiled at Ning Zhuo. "If I were you, Ning Zhuo, I'd go back and admit my mistake to grandfather and grandmother. Have them pull some strings and get me into the Family Business. The treatment there would be far better than any job outside!"
Ning Zhuo immediately shook his head, showing the youthful arrogance within him as he said firmly, "Since things have already come this far, there's no way I'll bow my head like this."
Ning Chen chuckled. "Then if I were your uncle and aunt, and I saw you reduced to scraping out a living in some insignificant little workshop, what would I think?"
"Perhaps I'd be thinking: See? This Ning Zhuo doesn't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth. Without our help, he can only live in hardship and gradually sink to the very bottom among cultivators!"
Ning Zhuo immediately frowned, his face darkening as though the defenses around his heart had been shattered.
Ning Chen smiled inwardly and pressed on while the iron was hot...
A moment later.
Watching Ning Zhuo's departing back, Ning Yong said, "Ning Zhuo's grades were better than ours, but what use was that? Didn't he still fall for our provocation easily and agree to act with us tonight?"
Ning Chen sighed. "Ning Zhuo is just like us. We're all ordinary people."
"Put myself in his shoes—if I were the one being deliberately schemed against, I would have fallen for it too."
"Alas..."
Seeing his companion's low spirits, Ning Yong consoled him. "Ning Zhuo may be our classmate, but we've already pledged ourselves to Lord Ning Zhanji. This time, Lord Ning Zhanji personally gave us the order. Compared to our future prospects, what is this little bit of classmate affection worth? We weren't close to him in the first place!"
Ning Chen shook his head slightly. "Forget it. At least this way, we can finally give Lord Ning Zhanji an explanation."
"Let's go."
At dusk, Ning Zhuo arrived at the gathering point alone.
Ning Yong smiled and led him inside.
Ning Chen brought him before Ning Zhanji.
Ning Zhanji was a burly middle-aged man with long, narrow brows and eyes. He sized Ning Zhuo up and down, his expression blank. "Since we are all members of the Ning Family, I'll take care of you this time and assign you to the team."
"But remember this well: all actions will follow my commands and arrangements."
"This junior understands!" Ning Zhuo hurriedly replied.
Information about Ning Zhanji swiftly flashed through Ning Zhuo's mind.
Many years ago, the Ning Family had begun deliberately sending cultivators outward, placing them in various organizations within and beyond Fire Persimmon Immortal City.
Ning Zhanji was one of them.
He himself was highly capable in battle and decisive in action, as swift and fierce as thunder and wind. He could seize fleeting opportunities amid battle, and had thus risen to prominence. He was the type of person suited to be a general.
This time, Ning Zhanji had accepted Ning Ze's request and taken his money, which was why he had sent Ning Chen and Ning Yong to provoke Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhanji gave Ning Zhuo another glance, then withdrew his gaze and assessed him inwardly. "Qi Refining Third Level. Entirely unremarkable."
Before long, everyone had gathered, numbering more than fifty in total.
The vast majority of these people bore the Ning surname. The few outsiders also had close ties with the Ning Family.
Ning Zhanji led the group toward the Crimson Flame Demon Lava Cave.
Fire Persimmon Immortal City was a typical mountain city.
Most of the city's buildings were clustered along the mountainside. The closer one went to the city center, the higher the terrain became. At the very center stood the volcanic crater atop the mountain. The farther out one went, the lower the ground became, spreading into the foothills.
Ning Zhuo's group climbed all the way from the mountainside. They passed several checkpoints along the way, where the inspections were quite lax, and ultimately reached the mountaintop.
At the summit, the spiritual energy was noticeably denser and hotter.
The air was thick with the pungent stench of sulfur.
Although it was night, the volcanic crater continuously cast out brilliant firelight. By that light, Ning Zhuo saw wisps of white smoke drifting above the crater.
Within that white smoke, numerous Smoke Cloud Sparrows flitted about, darting in and out.
Ning Zhuo and the others arrived at the volcano's edge.
Looking down, they saw a vast, level expanse of rock within the crater.
The crimson rocks constantly radiated scorching heat. Some red rocks were tightly joined together, while gaps lay exposed between other stone slabs. Beneath those cracks flowed bright orange-red lava. There were also cave openings scattered across the rocks.
Some cave openings spat fire from time to time. Some poured out lava. Others were bottomless, pathways leading deeper underground.
The mountain walls and rocky ground were nearly vertical to one another. The ring of mountain walls gleamed with a glassy sheen and was exceptionally smooth. There were obvious traces of human handiwork; the entire crater resembled a giant open-topped cup.
As his gaze moved toward the center, Ning Zhuo discovered that the number of holes in the red-rock ground grew greater and greater, and their openings larger and larger.
At last, his gaze settled on the very center of the rocky ground.
There lay a lake of lava.
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