Chapter 285: The Leakage of the Exam
A beautiful female cultivator, with a layer of ashen green on her face, hid in the shadows of a narrow alley.
It was Han Ming.
The roar of demonic beasts suddenly echoed from afar.
Han Ming raised her head and saw a group of Red Rock Demons flying above the Immortal City of Huoshi.
Immediately, the city guards noticed this situation.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
A series of spells shot into the sky, then exploded, their bright colors resembling fireworks.
A large number of Red Rock Demons fell as a result.
A small crisis was smoothly resolved.
Han Ming withdrew her gaze, looked straight ahead, and stared at the City Lord's Mansion on the opposite side of the street.
"I have already fallen into the whirlpool of this great struggle," Han Ming sighed deeply, her face full of bitterness.
If she had known this earlier, she would have chosen to flee far away, completely leaving Huoshi Immortal City.
But she couldn't blame anyone but herself for being unwilling to admit defeat and not resigning herself to her fate.
She hadn't participated in the battle with Qi Bai. She had been manipulated by Ning Zhuo, and after realizing she'd been tricked, she stayed hidden, narrowly avoiding disaster.
Perhaps this experience fueled her sense of luck, making her hide in the Immortal City, staying until now, only to be eventually caught by Luo Shang and used as a pawn.
"Luo Shang didn't plant any restrictions on me. Maybe I can just run away?"
As soon as this thought arose, Han Ming immediately extinguished it.
Precisely because Luo Shang hadn't placed any restrictions, it made Han Ming extremely cautious.
She already guessed that this might be a test from Luo Shang. If she ran away, Luo Shang would certainly catch her again. By then, her treatment wouldn’t be as lenient as it was now.
"Luo Shang is different from Qi Bai."
"Qi Bai came from a humble background, while Luo Shang has the support of sect elders. Luo Shang's foundations are far deeper than Qi Bai's."
"Not to mention, Luo Shang came this time with a heavy responsibility from his sect, receiving enormous support."
"Golden Core-level ghost generals—Qi Bai didn’t have a single one, but Luo Shang has many."
"Could it be that right now, there’s a Golden Core-level ghost general watching over me?"
Han Ming had no way of knowing.
She was a peak Foundation Establishment stage demon cultivator, and relying solely on her own means, it would be extremely difficult to detect whether there were Golden Core-level ghost generals around her.
Though she lacked the means, she possessed the survival wisdom of a demon cultivator.
Based on her calculations, she knew that if she followed Luo Shang’s arrangements this time, there might still be hope. If she truly tried to escape, her end would certainly be tragic!
Ever since the bombardment that night, the City Lord's Mansion had remained brightly lit.
Now, the brightly illuminated mansion looked like a beast with its jaws wide open, ready to devour people.
Han Ming steeled herself and stepped out of the shadows, walking slowly toward the City Lord's Mansion.
Not long after she appeared, the city guards spotted her.
"Who goes there?"
"Stop right there!"
Han Ming called out, "I am Han Ming, a wanted criminal in Huoshi Immortal City. I am here to surrender and also report a crime!"
The guards exchanged suspicious glances, not daring to make any decisions on their own. Someone immediately ran back to the City Lord's Mansion to report to Fei Si.
"What? Han Ming suddenly appeared and surrendered herself?" When Fei Si heard the news, his face showed no sign of joy.
With the city besieged by demonic beasts, he didn't want any complications.
But Han Ming's appearance was beyond his control.
Fei Si, with his keen intuition, immediately realized that such a strange action by Han Ming must have been orchestrated by someone.
"She’s a member of the Soul-Devouring Sect, and behind her stands a super sect of the demonic path. Could this be something arranged by Luo Shang?"
The more Fei Si thought about it, the more severe his expression became.
"Hold court!" Fei Si made a swift decision, choosing to personally interrogate her.
At the same time, he quickly sent a message via flying talisman, and dispatched a messenger to invite Chi Dun to guard against any potential danger.
In the current situation, Fei Si was extremely cautious, fearing that the Soul-Devouring Sect might make a move against the City Lord's Mansion—or against him.
After all, they were facing a major demonic sect.
Soon.
Fei Si arrived in the main hall and saw the bound Han Ming.
Fei Si struck the wooden block on the judge's bench and sternly questioned her.
Despite the turmoil in her heart, Han Ming maintained a calm smile. Even in the face of a Golden Core cultivator's pressure, she remained composed, neither humble nor arrogant, exuding a strong sense of confidence.
She slowly began to speak, detailing how she had been schemed against, tortured by Chuitaoke, and how she had witnessed the body of Yuan Dasheng, all of which she revealed to Fei Si.
"Guards, take Han Ming to the dungeon!" Fei Si commanded sharply.
Han Ming kept smiling the entire time, cooperating readily.
Her behavior only made Fei Si’s face grow darker.
Fei Si, being well-versed in political maneuvering, had seen through countless plots. He immediately understood that this was a calculated attempt by the Soul-Devouring Sect to provoke a conflict between Meng Kui and Zhu Xuanji—an extremely sinister scheme.
Even though he knew it was a ploy, he dared not act recklessly.
Right there in court, he wrote a letter and sent a messenger to urgently deliver the information to Meng Kui.
The demonic beast tide ravaging Mount Huoshi had rendered the usual flying messages useless. So, the messenger, a skilled swordsman, carried Fei Si’s letter on a flying sword, charging ahead to the peak of Mount Huoshi.
When the messenger reached the mountain summit and saw the terrifying scene of the beast tide at the mountain’s mouth, he was shocked beyond words.
"Lava Immortal Palace actually has several holes!"
"The beast tide here is terrifying! The one at the Immortal City is nothing in comparison!"
The messenger, shaken to the core, paid his respects to Meng Kui.
With just a sweep of his spiritual sense, Meng Kui grasped the contents of the letter.
"Ning Zhuo..."
"Soul-Devouring Sect..."
"And the No-Void Sect."
The strategist of the Meng family pondered for a few breaths before extending his hand.
A spell—Secrets of the Palm!
A massive hand, condensed from Nascent Soul-level mana, carried Fei Si’s letter, crashing through countless demonic beasts as it reached a broken part of the protective barrier.
Then, a portion of the giant mana hand separated, enveloping the flying letter as it cut through the air, flying toward a certain part of the Immortal Palace.
Previously, Meng Kui would have been unable to do this. But with the damage to the Immortal Palace, the power of various restrictions had significantly weakened, giving Meng Kui a slight opportunity to display the might of the Foundation Establishment stage.
The intended recipient of the flying letter was none other than Zhu Xuanji.
Taking advantage of the first round of the palace examination, Zhu Xuanji did not prepare for the second round like others, but instead came to the Gourd Fire Furnace Forest.
A large group of Red Flame demonic beasts, led by Blazing Salamanders, was charging toward the area.
But the mechanical constructs responsible for interception were sparse, and many cultivators were watching without engaging in battle.
This was Zhu Xuanji's deliberate arrangement.
He wanted to approach the Golden Furnace, but that area was the core of the Gourd Fire Furnace Forest, and outsiders like Zhu Xuanji had no right to get close.
If the Red Flame demonic beasts breached the area near the Golden Furnace, Zhu Xuanji would have the chance, under the pretense of eliminating the invaders, to reach the furnace and use his methods to investigate past events.
The information left behind after Ning Xiaohui's death had given Meng Kui four clues—Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong, Zheng Jianlian, and the Golden Furnace.
Zhu Xuanji had been deeply preoccupied with these clues.
His extensive experience in solving cases led him to sense that there was something extremely important hidden within them.
Therefore, even with the second round of the palace examination approaching, he was determined to take action.
Lava Immortal Palace, Main Hall.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit paced anxiously back and forth.
"Zhu Xuanji, Zhu Xuanji!"
"You damn fellow, why are you haunting me like a ghost? Why do you always have to make things difficult for me?"
"Sigh, why am I so unlucky to have to deal with you!"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit gnashed its teeth, filled with resentment toward Zhu Xuanji.
Helpless, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had no choice but to pinch its voice and once again contact Ning Zhuo.
"Master, master, I am the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit," it said, sounding extremely weak.
This wasn’t entirely an act either—the damage to the Lava Immortal Palace had left the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit in poor condition.
Ning Zhuo, surprised by the sudden contact, immediately asked about the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's condition.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit suppressed its impatience and said, "Thank, thank you for your concern, Master. Little Spirit here won’t die just yet."
"That Zhu Xuanji is stirring up trouble again!"
"Right now, he's
trying to use the beast tide to investigate the Golden Furnace in the Gourd Forest."
"Master, didn't I mention to you before? Yuan Dasheng was made into a mechanical construct, which wasted a Golden Furnace."
"If Zhu Xuanji finds out about this..."
Ning Zhuo's pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly praised the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, assuring it that he would immediately stop Zhu Xuanji's actions.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, with a look of relief, continued in a weak tone, "Master is decisive and remarkable. Even when Little Spirit is in such a terrible state and can’t assist you, you still make such wise decisions—truly extraordinary."
"But now, if Zhu Xuanji discovers something, what use will more merit be?"
"Master, fire the cannons now!"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was so anxious it was practically spinning in circles.
"Alright!" Ning Zhuo’s straightforward response brought joy to the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.
He began to exercise his authority, once again raising the six-tier Five Elements Cannon Tower, with all its barrels aimed at the Golden Furnace in the Gourd Forest.
As mana surged in, the barrels began to glow with a radiant light.
"Fire, fire!" The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was secretly overjoyed.
But just as he was about to fire, Ning Zhuo suddenly asked, "Oh, by the way, Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, do you know the specifics of the second round of the palace examination?"
Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit: !!?
At that moment, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit felt an overwhelming urge to charge at Ning Zhuo and give him a headbutt!
At a time like this, you’re asking questions?
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit shouted, "Master, please fire first! If you don't fire now, it will be too late!"
Ning Zhuo shook his head, "I’m really hesitant. If I fire this cannon, my merit will be deducted again. Last time, my merit was docked too much. If I hadn't promptly handed in the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, I would’ve lost the chance to participate in the palace examination!"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit coughed violently twice, "Master is truly wise and mighty! Even when Little Spirit was in a terrible state and couldn’t assist you, you still made such judicious decisions—remarkable indeed."
"But now, if Zhu Xuanji uncovers something, what good will more merit do?"
"Master, fire quickly!"
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was so anxious it was nearly spinning in circles.
"Fine!" Ning Zhuo’s firm answer delighted the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.
He began using his authority to once again raise the six-level Five Elements Cannon Tower, the cannon muzzles aiming directly at the Golden Furnace in the Gourd Fire Furnace Forest.
With mana pouring in, the cannon muzzles shone with a bright radiance.
"Fire, fire!" The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was inwardly overjoyed.
Just as Ning Zhuo was about to fire, he suddenly asked, "Oh, by the way, Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, do you know the specifics of the second round of the palace examination?"
Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit: !!?
At that moment, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit desperately wanted to rush to Ning Zhuo and give him a solid headbutt!