Chapter 300: Is He Chuitaoke?
Zhu Zhen understood after listening to Zhu Xuanji’s explanation, finally realizing the reasoning behind Zhu Xuanji's earlier deduction.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had once attracted the attention of the Three Sect Lords during its life, which naturally made it extraordinary!
Its soul was refined using the No. 1 Golden Furnace.
Its dragon body was forged using the No. 2 Golden Furnace.
Now, though less than 720 years had passed, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit used its own snake body as the main material to craft a Nascent Soul-level mechanical creation—the Ten Thousand Li Roaming Dragon.
Zhu Zhen calculated: "To the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, the Lava Immortal Palace is like a prison. It can no longer bear being the palace spirit, so it wants to escape."
"And to escape, it would inevitably have to break out of its prison, which means destroying the Lava Immortal Palace."
"That's why the Lava Immortal Palace has been continuously deteriorating, and why it keeps opening selections, lowering the selection standards again and again."
Zhu Xuanji sighed deeply: "The current situation is rather tricky."
Zhu Zhen was puzzled.
Zhu Xuanji continued transmitting his voice, revealing more secrets.
At that time, in the royal family's secret vault, he had not only witnessed a scene of the Immortal Palace's burial mountain.
There were also other images.
On her deathbed, the former empress of the Southern Dou Kingdom left a will, warning her descendants: Through her tireless investigation in her later years, she made many significant new discoveries about the Lava Immortal Palace and the Three Sect Lords.
"The Lava Immortal Palace is by no means a random move made by the Three Sect Lords on a whim."
"They have deep intentions."
Not only did the Lava Immortal Palace contain mechanical legacies and the Three Sect Lords' methods, but there was also the divine ability "Life Hanging by a Thread"!
Even on her deathbed, the former empress still had concerns for the Southern Dou Kingdom: "If no royal mandate arises from the Zhu family, they must strive to obtain the divine ability Life Hanging by a Thread."
"The divine ability seed in the Lava Immortal Palace is the key to mastering Life Hanging by a Thread, and it must be secured at all costs."
She also said: "The supreme power of the Lava Immortal Palace is divided into three parts."
"One part is the position of the palace master, one part lies with the palace spirit, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, and the last part is the Buddha Heart Demon Seal."
"The first two can be contested, but the Buddha Heart Demon Seal must never be touched."
"The origins of this seal are vast, involving the battle between the Buddhist and Demon Realms, bearing immense karma. If ordinary cultivators or forces accept this seal, their fate will rapidly deplete until it becomes thin or even runs out, leading to numerous calamities."
"If the Zhu family of Southern Dou lacks a royal mandate or anyone who has mastered the divine ability Life Hanging by a Thread, they will struggle to maintain stability in the kingdom, their fate limited, and the national fortune difficult."
"In such a case, you must never covet short-term benefits. Seizing the Buddha Heart Demon Seal will bring turmoil to the country, external pressure, and internal strife, ultimately leading to the nation's downfall and the emperor's ruin, with all the foundations wasted."
Zhu Zhen, hearing Zhu Xuanji's account, couldn’t help but show a worried expression.
"The treasure seal cannot be taken, and if the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit wants to escape, we must seize the position of the palace master to gain control over the Lava Immortal Palace."
Zhu Xuanji raised his head, staring at the crumbling spherical light shield in the sky: "The situation is now more complicated."
"Not only do we need to seize the position of the palace master, but we also have to thwart the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's escape plan!"
"We don’t know how to control the Lava Immortal Palace. Even if we become the palace master, it would be difficult to immediately gain full control of the entire palace."
"If the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit escapes, the defense of the Lava Immortal Palace, lacking its host, will plunge to rock bottom."
"The blazing flames and the ferocious beast tide—by then, the beast tide will surge through with nothing to stop it, quickly overwhelming the entire palace!"
"Unless someone like Meng Kui, a Nascent Soul-level expert, steps in, perhaps then they might be able to protect the palace single-handedly."
"For us Golden Core cultivators, we can’t afford to have such foolish dreams."
Zhu Zhen nodded in agreement, his expression heavy.
Zhu Xuanji paced around with his hands behind his back, deep in thought, then gave instructions to Zhu Zhen.
The immediate priority was to search for the whereabouts of the Ten Thousand Li Roaming Dragon. If they could intercept this mechanical creation ahead of time, they could directly thwart the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's escape plan.
"That will be difficult," Zhu Zhen transmitted his voice, explaining, "The Ten Thousand Li Roaming Dragon can change size at will, and the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit will surely guard it closely, hiding it deeply. Searching for such a target in the vast Lava Immortal Palace is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Zhu Xuanji also instructed him to keep a constant eye on the ruins of the golden furnaces.
Zhu Xuanji said: "The ruins of the No. 3 and No. 4 golden furnaces have been blasted beyond recognition, but a small part still blends with the surroundings."
"You need to find an opportunity to approach again, excavate the surface, and refine it back to its original state."
"I have a feeling that there are important clues hidden within the No. 3 and No. 4 golden furnaces."
Zhu Zhen felt even more challenged and transmitted his voice: "Brother, the reason we were able to enter the golden furnace ruins this time was due to careful planning. We also seized the perfect opportunity during the battle between the Shadow Demon cultivators and Yang Chanyu."
"The cunning No-Void Sect—although the golden furnace ruins were blown up, I doubt they will give us another easy chance."
Zhu Xuanji nodded, acknowledging Zhu Zhen’s analysis.
To break the current predicament, there were essentially two paths.
One was through objects, specifically mechanical constructions. In Zhu Xuanji’s view: The No-Void Sect had been able to restrict them from approaching the golden furnace ruins mainly by relying on the Five Elements Turrets and the Commanding Platform.
If Zhu Xuanji could decipher the No-Void Sect's methods of control, they could use the demonic beasts to enter the golden furnace ruins without hindrance.
The other path was through people, specifically Yang Chanyu and Sun Lingtong.
However, these two were extremely slippery, hiding within the Lava Immortal Palace, making them impossible to find.
This time, it was only because Yang Chanyu was forced out by the Shadow Demon cultivators that her whereabouts were revealed outside the palace trials.
Zhu Zhen transmitted his thoughts: "Lately, as I’ve been contemplating the current situation, I suddenly thought of someone else who might be our breakthrough point."
Zhu Xuanji glanced at him: "Oh? Let's hear it."
Zhu Zhen said: "It’s Chuitaoke!"
"Previously, Chuitaoke, along with Han Ming and Sun Lingtong, attacked the Ziyang Courtyard. Afterward, he risked his life, fighting with his Foundation Establishment cultivation against Golden Core cultivator Qi Bai, and ultimately managed to rescue Sun Lingtong. All these clues suggest his skill with mechanical constructions is quite remarkable."
"I strongly suspect that Chuitaoke might be the one controlling the Five Elements Turrets and the Commanding Platform."
Zhu Xuanji asked: "Do you have any evidence to support this suspicion?"
Zhu Zhen replied: "The No-Void Sect has such a skilled mechanical cultivator—how could they not use him? Unless the battle with Qi Bai left Chuitaoke severely injured and he’s been recuperating, or he’s hiding deep within the Lava Immortal Palace, constantly monitoring the golden furnace ruins, preventing us from getting close."
Zhu Xuanji shook his head slightly: "I understand."
Zhu Zhen continued: "Chuitaoke has been active in the black market for a long time, always selling a type of mechanical rope called the Ruyi Rope."
"This rope is quite popular among the cultivators exploring Mount Huoshi."
"Even now, the market and many cultivators still possess Ruyi Ropes."
"I think we should collect these mechanical ropes and have you, brother, inspect them."
"With your Celestial Golden Eyes, we might be able to find an important clue, or even a flaw, in Chuitaoke’s work!"
Zhu Xuanji laughed heartily, unable to resist patting Zhu Zhen on the shoulder: "Well done, kid! No wonder you’ve improved so much after years of experience outside. Your thinking has become much more meticulous, a huge improvement from before."
Zhu Zhen, familiar with Zhu Xuanji’s demeanor, couldn’t help but feel puzzled by his brother’s lack of enthusiasm, so he asked: "Brother, what’s on your mind? Do you think I’ve made a mistake with this clue?"
Zhu Xuanji sighed, his expression quite complicated: "It’s not that it’s wrong, but I fear I’ve already guessed Chuitaoke’s identity."
Zhu Zhen’s eyes widened: "If you’ve guessed it, then why haven’t you captured him…"
Suddenly, he realized.
"If you haven’t captured him, it means there’s no need to capture him—or maybe
you can’t… Could it be?!"
Zhu Zhen quickly turned his head, instinctively glancing towards the residence of the Ning Family Patriarch, Ning Jiufan.
Zhu Xuanji sighed softly: "During the palace trials, cultivators were allowed to invite outsiders to assist them. But over at Sun Lingtong’s side, someone like Chuitaoke, a mechanical cultivator, never showed up. I found that quite strange at the time."
At this point, Zhu Xuanji patted Zhu Zhen’s shoulder: "Of course, this is just my speculation. If you’re interested, you can indeed go collect the Ruyi Ropes. However, I believe now that the No-Void Sect has been exposed, the City Lord's Mansion will fully investigate all related clues."
"Meng Kui may be stationed at the mountain's peak, but Acting City Lord Fei Si is also a capable man. Given his abilities, he has probably already gathered a batch of Ruyi Ropes. If you want to save some effort, you could write to him and directly request some of the mechanical ropes."
Zhu Zhen opened his mouth but finally sighed: "I understand."
After a pause, he sincerely praised: "You truly are worthy of being my brother!"
Zhu Xuanji smiled bitterly and encouraged: "Go do your work."
"From my limited understanding of the Three Sect Lords, there should only be three rounds of this palace trial."
"The second round may already be nearing its end."
"The situation is extremely tense! With a beast tide raging outside and the No-Void Sect causing chaos inside, many things will have to be prioritized."
"If the situation were stable and we had more room for error, we could investigate every detail. But now, we can only focus on the bigger picture, unite our allies, conserve our energy and time, and attack one critical point."
Zhu Zhen could feel Zhu Xuanji's helplessness and nodded with a respectful expression: "I will remember your teachings, brother."
Zhu Zhen was, after all, a member of the Southern Dou royal family, and he had a deep bond with Zhu Xuanji.
Now, he felt especially fortunate that he had traveled on the Cloud Whale, reuniting with Zhu Xuanji, and could contribute to this major event, supporting his brother.
After receiving his important task, Zhu Zhen ignored the difficulties and threw himself into his work with all his might.
The light shield of the Lava Immortal Palace had several breaches. The outer circle was almost completely lost, allowing the beasts to roam freely, while the inner circle still maintained its defense.
Zhu Zhen searched, first abandoning the outer circle and starting his investigation in the inner circle.
He searched many places, checking them thoroughly, but he still couldn’t find even a trace of the Ten Thousand Li Roaming Dragon.
During this time, he sent a letter to Fei Si, but instead of requesting Ruyi Ropes, he directly asked for all intelligence the City Lord’s Mansion had on Chuitaoke.
(End of this chapter)