Chapter 342: Suspended Magnetic Immortal City
Faced with Sun Lingtong’s inquiry, Ning Zhuo smiled faintly and said, "First of all, that Black Wind Tiger Demon consumes a large amount of blood food daily. Relying solely on their small group of looters might sustain them in the short term, but how could it last over time? Therefore, they must have outside assistance!"
"I initially noticed that the Black Wind Tiger Demon resembled the appearance of the previous Mountain God, Night Tiger. I guessed that the former might be the descendant of the latter, receiving its protection and support. But later, I thought, with a position like the Mountain God, it wouldn’t be difficult for it to arrange a good future for its talented descendants."
"At worst, it would have sought a legitimate demon cultivation technique. Why would the Black Wind Tiger Demon practice demonic arts?"
"The fact that the Black Tiger chose demonic cultivation actually suggests that there is a significant problem with the Mountain God!"
Sun Lingtong wasn’t foolish, but after being cooped up for over a decade, suddenly venturing outside had left his mental state somewhat imbalanced, and he didn't want to think too much.
At this moment, reminded by Ning Zhuo, he immediately understood, "That’s right, the first one we sought was the Mountain God, hoping to ask for His help. As a result, the deity didn’t lend any effort, only telling us to find the Fox God. Now it seems, it wasn’t out of laziness but due to being forced."
"It’s quite possible that the Tiger God we saw was merely a disguised impostor!"
Ning Zhuo nodded and continued his analysis, "After the Fox God was intimidated by the giant snake scythe, She directed us to explore the valley in the west. Her intentions were ambiguous, and her attitude was subtle."
"I suspect She intended for us to uncover this secret for Her."
"From Her perspective, as the Mountain God of Misty Hidden Mountain, She must have already known the true situation of the Black Wind Tiger Demon and the Mountain God. Logically, She should have reported the matter to the authorities and sought help from the Southern Dou Kingdom. She might have even used this opportunity to overthrow Her superior and secure Her own promotion."
"But She didn’t do that. Instead, She acted as if She were unaware, playing dumb. Clearly, She believed that even if She reported it, the outcome might not be as She hoped. What could have stopped Her from reporting it?"
Sun Lingtong chuckled lightly, "Simple! This indicates that the Southern Dou Kingdom is not worthy of Her trust and that there’s a hidden mastermind behind the scenes. So, you took the initiative to search the surroundings and found Meng Zizhong at Jade Steel Mountain?"
Ning Zhuo nodded, "The former mayor of Jade Steel Town, surnamed Shi, was diligent and strict during his tenure. It would have been difficult to oust him through regular means."
"But the Meng family accomplished it. A group of bandits under the Black Wind Tiger Demon stormed into the town and slaughtered many, allowing Meng Zizhong to take over as the current mayor."
"For years, the Tiger Demon’s gang has been causing trouble in the surrounding areas, making the townspeople live in constant fear. Even though Meng Zizhong repeatedly trained soldiers, expending both time and money, he still gained the approval and support of the people."
"As a result, Meng Zizhong firmly grasped military power, making it difficult for the royal family to remove him. He also deliberately relaxed supervision, attracting many rogue cultivators. These rogue cultivators believed they could take advantage of the mines, but in reality, they were lured by Meng Zizhong, and many became blood food for the Tiger Demon."
Sun Lingtong took a deep breath, "How dirty."
"However, this is good for us. Little Zhuo, you wish to take control of Jade Steel Mountain, and now we’ve uncovered the secrets of Meng Zizhong and the Tiger Demon. If we use this knowledge well, we might just succeed!"
"Next, let’s continue gathering evidence and make the case ironclad."
Ning Zhuo shook his head and sighed, "It will be difficult. The Meng family is a prominent clan, and they’ve surely prepared to sever ties. Once they realize what’s happening, they will cut off the tail to save the body. Even if we manage to bring down Meng Zizhong, it’s unlikely that either of us, or my Ning family branch, would gain control of Jade Steel Mountain."
"Big Brother, sometimes evidence isn’t that important. It’s just a legitimate excuse to act."
"If the situation and interests align, grinding pearls into powder and accusing the other side of poisoning would work just as well."
"Whether we can seize the spoils depends on how strong we are."
At this point, Ning Zhuo’s eyes gleamed, and his tone grew complicated, "In essence, we’re not much different from the demon cultivators fighting over blood food in the valley."
"Centuries ago, the Southern Dou Emperor founded the kingdom. Today, the Southern Dou Kingdom is practically the Black Wind Tiger Demon. The Jade Steel Mountain we’re fighting for is merely the scraps left by this giant."
Sun Lingtong fell silent for a moment, "Fortunately, the Southern Dou Kingdom is currently on our side. They need us to maintain the balance in Huoshi Immortal City and hold back Meng Kui’s ambitions. From this perspective, the ruin of Lava Immortal Palace actually benefits us by delaying the situation and giving us more time to grow stronger."
"Given our current position, if we seek the Southern Dou royal family’s help, they might allow us to divide Jade Steel Mountain, considering the importance of Huoshi Immortal City."
Ning Zhuo nodded, "Not allow, but rather support. My Ning family branch has only just started, like a baby learning to walk, and we need someone to give us a push."
"Let’s go and visit the local governor."
Suspended Magnetic Immortal City!
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong controlled the Wanli Dragon, traversing the void and arriving at the central hub governing the surrounding region.
In the distance, a towering Immortal City stood atop Magnet Stone Mountain.
The Immortal City didn’t rest on the ground, but used an incomparably powerful geomagnetic force to suspend in mid-air.
Blocks of black-gray city bricks, as large as houses, combined to form two or three massive rings that slowly floated around the city, creating a majestic sight.
The square city bricks contained magnetic force, attracting and repelling one another. Thus, they could be disassembled and reshaped at will, commonly forming circular city walls but also serving as city gates, walkways, or railings, making them infinitely adaptable and highly versatile.
The city itself wasn’t a single structure but had two layers: an upper layer representing the "yang" and a lower layer representing the "yin," with the two layers separated by the repulsion and attraction of magnetic forces.
Although part of the city’s defensive formation was active year-round, assisting various monitoring magical treasures, and city guards patrolled either in magnetic suits or on magnetic boats, they still failed to detect the presence of the Wanli Dragon.
Dragons could become large or small, ascend or descend, act brazenly or hide. While this classic mechanism wasn’t particularly good for combat, it was extremely powerful when it came to maneuvering and evasion.
"Big Brother, it’s up to you now. Suspended Magnetic Immortal City can artificially create profound magnetic fields and maintain countless invisible magnetic tracks. If the Wanli Dragon accidentally touches these magnetic tracks or fields, it might be detected," Ning Zhuo said.
Sun Lingtong confidently replied, "Leave it to me."
He activated his Celestial Spirit Eyes and used the mechanisms within the Wanli Dragon to greatly expand his vision, immediately spotting numerous invisible magnetic fields and tracks.
In his unique vision, these tracks crisscrossed in various lengths, weaving a complex, nest-like route inside and outside the city.
Amid the gaps between the tracks, large and small magnetic fields were scattered like blocks. Some were centered around buildings in the city, while others moved around within a certain range, centered on magnetic boats, cultivators, and the like.
The Wanli Dragon concealed itself carefully, weaving through the magnetic fields and avoiding the tracks, until it finally arrived at the City Lord’s mansion on the upper level.
The mansion sat at the city’s central axis, with a grand red lacquered door embedded with numerous magnetic iron nails, shining with a yellow brass hue.
The plaque above the door, inscribed with "Suspended Magnetic Governor," glimmered in golden light.
On either side of the entrance, a pair of stone lions sat majestically.
The Wanli Dragon silently passed through the main gate, arriving at the second gate, and then proceeded to the main hall.
In the center of the hall stood the governor’s desk, with a plaque inscribed "Clean Breeze and Empty Sleeves" hanging above it. Portraits of famous ministers of the Southern Dou Kingdom adorned the walls.
The main hall was empty, so the Wanli Dragon, carrying Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo, silently slipped into the second hall.
On the east side of the second hall was the governor’s study, while the west side housed the council chamber.
Beyond the second hall was the governor’s backyard, the private residence where his family lived.
Sun and Ning didn’t need to venture further. They found the current governor of Suspended Magnetic Immortal City in the study.
Ning Zhuo first returned to the study’s entrance and released the Heavy Armor Blood Ape, Dasheng, from the Wanli Dragon.
The Suspended Magnetic Governor was startled and furious, "Who’s there?!"
He was at the Nascent Soul stage and instantly stood
up, unleashing his mana, suppressing Yuan Dasheng.
Yuan Dasheng struggled to speak and then presented a letter and token.
The governor saw the letter, which detailed his previous official positions, how he rose to power, and how he attained his current status. It analyzed how, as a mere rogue cultivator, his swift rise to power was due to the favor and support of the royal family of the Zhu clan.
In the latter half of the letter, Ning Zhuo finally stated that he had a major case to report.
The governor then examined the token, which was a special item given to Sun Lingtong by Zhu Xuanji. According to the recruitment decree, the Southern Dou royal family was supposed to reward Sun Lingtong for meeting the entry standards. So, they gave him a token, allowing him to select a treasure from the royal treasury in the future.
"It is indeed a royal token. Ning Zhuo, come out and meet me," the governor relaxed his hold, releasing the Heavy Armor Blood Ape.
Only then did the Wanli Dragon reveal itself, with its dragon eyes shooting a beam of light onto the ground.
Ning Zhuo followed the light beam, growing from small to large, finally landing and standing straight. He respectfully bowed to the governor and immediately began apologizing, explaining that his actions were driven by necessity.
"Wanli Dragon? No wonder you managed to sneak in..." The governor glanced at the Wanli Dragon, then looked Ning Zhuo up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.
"I’ve heard of you, boy. You’ve been stirring up quite the fuss in Huoshi Immortal City, very active. But do you know where you are? If you think this place is the same as Huoshi Immortal City, you’re gravely mistaken."
"Speak. I’m curious to hear what major case you have to report. If you’re exaggerating, don’t blame me for teaching you a lesson."
Ning Zhuo smiled slightly and directly reported Meng Zizhong’s case, explaining the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s affairs and presenting the recorded images as evidence to the Suspended Magnetic City Lord.
Upon hearing the case, the governor’s pupils involuntarily contracted.
His scalp tingled, and a wave of cold air surged within him. He desperately wanted to plug his ears and turn away!
(End of Chapter)